"Con- cut that out, I'm busy"
"Make me." He giggled, popping kisses on my shoulder from behind me
"You're an annoying little thing, aren't you?"
"Yeah.. what're ya doing, anyway?"
"Homework.. try it sometime"
"It'll only take me ten minutes, I'm doing it tonight"
"Ten minutes? That's a lie"
"It isn't!"
"Prove it.. do this work."
"..nice try, Price."
"It was worth a shot.. I fucking suck at math"
"That's okay. I suck at science."
"Yeah, but you're good at every other subject. I'm bad at all of them."
"You're great with English.. you're very smart, you're just not good with tests."
"I dunno.. I think I might just be stupid" I scoffed
"You're not.. you're an idiot, but you're not stupid"
"How romantic."
"...Can we go out tonight?"
"Out?"
"Yeah.. I want to go out. No place special, just.. a date. With you."
"I think I can manage that.. where do you want to go?"
"I don't know... can we go skating!?"
"Skating?"
"Roller skating! Down at the rink!"
"I've never roller skated.."
"You'll love it!! Please!?"
I was inclined to turn down the proposal of something like that, but when I turned to him, he just looked so pleased. I couldn't say no.
"...alright. We'll go. But if I break my neck, it's your fault."
"Deal. Oh, thank you, Kevvy!!" He came around to my side to plant a big kiss on my cheek
"Calm down, it's just roller skating."
"I'm excited!! You're gonna love it, Kev!"
"I doubt that.. I'll try, Okay? That's the best I can give you"
"Thank you" he beamed
I couldn't tell you why he was so thrilled, really. But he was the most excited I'd seen him in a long time.
"You're a good boyfriend.. I think I'll keep you" he giggled
"You're a child"
"Maybe so, but you've made this child very happy"
"Well, I'm glad.. what time?"
"..five. We can have dinner there, they have great pizza.. well, not great in the usual sense of the word, but great in a really greasy kind of way, like, it reminds you of your childhood"
"God, don't tell my mother.."
"We'll wipe off the grease with a napkin first."
"Deal"
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I picked him up at his house. He came out in a white t-shirt and black leather jacket tucked into his reasonably tight black jeans.
"Oh my god.."
"Like it?"
"You look like a greaser."
"You love it... I brought one for you. The one my dad wanted to give you, you never took it home.. put it on"
I rolled my eyes, but took the jacket anyway. As embarrassing as it is, it made him smile like an idiot.
"You look so handsome.."
"Yeah, whatever.. you ready to go?"
"I sure am... Stud"
"Good lord.. you're going to do this all night, aren't you?"
"I sure am"
"Great... what's the plan?"
"We're going to the roller rink down on Bramhall. I'm going to teach how to skate.. and we're going to skate together.. and I'm going to get us some garbage pizza... and you're going to buy me a cherry slurpee."
"Am I?"
"Yes, you are."
"Sounds pretty good.. you don't think anyone we know will be there, do you..?"
"I doubt it. It's a roller rink on a Sunday evening, the only people that still go to those are gays or wish they were in the eighties. Either way, we're just going to be surrounded by lesbians with argyle sweaters."
"..that sounds like a pretty good atmosphere, I have to admit"
"Right?"
"Yeah.. I love lesbians. Not in a gross way- I'm a fag. But. You know what I mean."
"You have nothing to worry about, nobody's going to see us... you could steal a kiss, if you wanted."
"Could I?"
We made it to the rink just before the sun started to go down. The sky was a beautiful pastel color. Connor stood there in the parking lot, the pinks and purples reflecting in his eyes and warming the tone of his skin. He smiled and turned back to me, taking my hand and pulling me into the building.
I rented us our skates, and he helped me get mine laced up without falling.
He held my hand while we made our way into the rink. He was right, the place was up to the rafters in lesbians.
When we first got into the rink, I immediately began to slip, grabbing his arm to pull myself up
"Woah- I just got out of my cast, don't put me back in one! Just relax, you're doing fine.. hold my hand. I'll keep you up"
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Quickly, I took his hand.
"Now just stand, you don't have to do anything but keep yourself standing"
He started to move forward, pulling me along with him.
"Oh god..."
"You're fine! Look, we're going slow! There's a turn coming up, okay? Just keep what you're doing what you're doing."
"You're going to kill me, McKinley"
"I won't!! Come on, you'll be fine!"
It took me thirty minutes of that to warm up to even trying to move myself. I held onto the side rail with one hand and my boyfriend with the other. But after a while, and several close calls with falling, I'd started to get the hang of it. I'd even gotten fairly confident, I'd let go of his hand, come up from behind and give him a little shove.
"See, you're having fun, aren't you?"
"..I am having fun" I admitted, stopping my stride and resting against the wall
"See? I told you so" he rolled just a bit closer
"Yeah, that's exactly what everyone likes to hear" I sarcastically agreed
"...I'm glad you're having fun." His face was no more than two hand's width from mine. God, he's fucking pretty. He smiled at me
"I am... want to get some pizza?" I could hardly look away from his lips
"Yeah, I do.." He didn't move. There was a tension in the air between us that you could cut with a knife.
The music continued to play behind us, in beat with the lights. We both just kind of stood there looking at each other. I could smell his cologne on him, it was absolute heaven. For the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid to love him. At all. I wasn't afraid for anyone to know. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the scent of his cologne or the way he looked at me, but I was completely dazed by him. I had fallen, and I'd fallen hard. He's gorgeous.
"...Connor, I think I love you" I said breathlessly, my heart racing, my stomach twisted
"...You love me?"
I nodded, biting hard on my lip
"I love you.." I said again
"...I love you too, Kevin." He finally smiled
I felt like I could just collapse. I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life. He loves me.
He loves me.
My heart swelled in my chest. He loves me. Like the pull of a magnet, I went in and kissed him. Right there, in front of everybody. It was like I'd never been kissed before - it was like I'd never been able to breathe before now. I could just die right here and now, and still be happy.
I don't think anything could ruin the moment I'm in.
Our lips parted for only a moment. Our foreheads together, my hand still on his cheek, I had just the time to whisper once again "I love you"
I didn't care who saw us or heard us, I was walking on air. I love him. And he loves me.
I pulled back and looked in his eyes. They were wide and sparkling
"...I still want that pizza" he smirked
"...You're an idiot" I giggled
-
-
-
You couldn't pry me off of him. I was stuck to him like glue all evening.
It was a wonderful night. I took pictures of him with his slurpee, skating, holding my hand. He showed me the arcade games, and I even did well enough with them to win him one of those stupid little teddy bears.
He loved it. He named it Kevin. I told him that's ridiculous, but he didn't care, he loved it. I'm not really a fan of those sort of games. Any sort of games, really. But he was so happy.
Honestly, I think that was the best night of my life. I wasn't afraid. It was him and I, our hearts on display for each other. I didn't care about who saw us or what they thought, I was in love. Nobody could tear me down. I felt like I could throw away my pills and never need them again. He loves me.
The whole ride home, I was ecstatic. He held my hand all the way. Honestly, words eluded the both of us. The car was filled with giggles and the repeated 'I love you's that had been waiting to be given forever.
I walked him to his door, and I kissed him goodnight for what felt like forever. I didn't want to stop, I didn't want to go. I just wanted to stay in this moment here with him, forever.
Every time we tried to part, we were just pulled back together.
"I love you.." I whispered again. The words were like music to me.
Though he's shorter than me, he was beginning to take the lead. He knows what he's doing. And I'm as good as useless right now, I'm on cloud nine.
"I love you too" he said softly beside my lips, his hands running up and down my sides as he kissed me yet another time "..why don't you come in?" He gave me a gentle gaze, which I could immediately interpret. I could practically feel the heat coming off that look. A soft heat, but an irresistible one, nonetheless.
I could feel my heart pounding.
"Isn't.. Isn't your family home...?"
"They're out.." he kissed me "won't be back until tomorrow night..." he kissed me again "....Why don't you come in, Baby?" His thumb brushed my cheek
I always thought being called baby would humiliate me. But I loved it.
"Yeah..?"
"Yeah.." he smiled
I don't know if it was the confidence he gave when he said it, or the way he looked at me, but I couldn't wait anymore. I was like a dog, following his owner. Entranced by my own lust for him, I let him lead me inside, closing the front door behind me. All the lights in his house were low. I must've looked so helpless and innocent to what what was unfolding before me. I was just wide-eyed and following him. It was like I'd never even been touched before.
"Come upstairs.." he whispered before me, planting another sweet kiss on my lips.