"i'm telling you, i'm not fit" i say.
phil gestures dramatically at the bikes again.
"do i look athletic to you?' he says. "it's cycling, how hard can it be? plus, isn't that the one thing you're not supposed to forget how to do?"
"when's the last time you went cycling?" i ask, crossing my arms and staring him down.
"i think i was about nine" he says, laughing. fine, it'll be an adventure. like bowling." he grins, and i can't help but smile back.
"i think this time we'll both be terrible" i say, but i take one of the two identical black helmets dangling from his hand.
"i'm alright with us both being terrible" phil says, placing a hand on the pink bike leaning against the wall of his building.
"famous last words" i say, but i swing myself onto the blue bike anyway. "where did you get these?" i ask, waiting for phil to get sorted on his bike.
"rented them" he says, strapping on his helmet. "turns out that's a thing. come on!" he starts pedaling away, and it takes me a moment to remember what i'm doing and not fall over before i can catch him.
"where are we going?" i shout, once i'm more or less even with him.
"i dunno!" he shouts back. "exploring!"
i can't help but smile.
o.o.o
"i don't want to . . . be that . . . guy" i gasp, bent over the bike. "but i fucking told you so."
"i feel like i'm being stabbed" phil moans, hand on his side. "i'm taking those hills personally, london."
"fuck hills" i say.
"fuck hills" phil agrees.
we stop like that for a moment, bonded over our hatred of hills. i finally regain enough strength to look around after a few minutes, though. and i know we weren't trying to go anywhere in particular, but i'm pretty sure we're where we wanted to end up.
at the foot of a bridge, over a creek, in a park at sunset.
"since when does the sun set at five in the afternoon?" phil asks.
"it's february in england" i reply. "haven't you lived here your whole life?"
"and every year it surprises me" he says, grinning anyway. he lets his bike fall into the grass on the side of the path, and after a moment, i do the same.
he places his hands on my hips, and pull me close. our helmets bump, and that's enough to start us both laughing. i only stop laughing when his lips touch mine. and only so i can kiss him back.
o.o.o
after fifteen minutes trying, we finally manage to get a taxi large enough and willing enough to drive us and our bikes back to phil's flat. and phil has to tip the driver lots of extra.
"i'll walk you home" phil says, once the bikes are stacked awkwardly in his hallway.
"that's a lot of extra walking for you" i say. "don't bother."
"but, see, i want to spend more time with you" he says, grinning.
"i'll walk myself home" i say. "but i'll see you next weekend."
he pulls me close again, just like in the park, but this time we're alone. and it's so much harder to pull away.
"i have work" i mumble against his lips.
"not right now" he replies. "right now, you haven't got to be anywhere."
"bed" i say, short because i want to keep kissing him.
"i have a bed" he replies.
"i have a feeling we wouldn't be sleeping much" i reply.
he kisses me once more, long and deep.
"goodnight" he says, with a cheeky grin.
and then i'm walking home.
and maybe falling in love.