crooked a finger at him. “I wasn’t paying attention last time.”
“Oh, thanks.” Bryce tickled her for revenge, but he didn’t turn her down. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do this evening, and he liked making Rachel happy. It didn’t hurt that it was reassurance that he was still himself.
***
Much to Zac’s surprise, Bryce wasn’t avoiding him. If anything, Bryce was spending more time with Zac. Sure, he was going out and being Bryce and doing Bryce things, probably involving various girls, but Zac wasn’t thinking about that.
Bryce had actually shown up to hang out in Zac's room and study more than once. And he'd been totally cool with Zac practically sitting on him when they had friends over for a movie night.
Bryce seemed okay. Quieter, but okay. Zac was so damn happy. Things were almost normal, and that was the last thing Zac had expected after the way they’d started the year.
Zac was okay, too. It just wasn’t easy, keeping his hands off Bryce. Bryce was his friend, just like Perry was, but it was different. With Perry, it wasn’t serious, and it had never been anything more than really good sex. With Bryce, Zac had to be careful. So careful. He didn’t want to hurt Bryce, didn’t want to make anything harder for Bryce. But, damn it, Bryce was hot and his best friend. Zac wished he could read minds. He wanted so much for what made sense to him to make sense to Bryce, too.
Instead, Zac kept his hands to himself. Not entirely to himself. He went out to a few parties and hooked up with girls. He was waiting for Bryce to make the next move, though, so he turned down the guys who came onto him, the one who had read the article in Game On and a couple who just put the moves on. It wasn’t like Zac thought that one night meant anything, but he didn’t want to take the chance that Bryce would catch him with some other guy and get the wrong idea. The next move never came, though, and Zac kept trying to keep busy.
After a party that devolved into a fistfight between the soccer team and the baseball team, Zac gave up on having fun. He went home, but his room was empty. Right. That was why he’d gone out. He didn’t want to be in an empty room, so he went to Bryce’s room, instead. He remembered to knock, though. Maybe Bryce wasn’t alone, just like Zac didn’t want to be alone.
Becoming Us - 35
There was a shuffle and then the door opened. Bryce, wearing nothing but his boxers, was there, yawning and bleary and absolutely gorgeous. “Dude.” He blinked and focused in the light from the bathroom down the hall. “‘Sup?” He stepped back to let Zac in. His room was the same as always, except for a slumping pile of books by the bed and a basket of clean laundry. No girl. No one at all.
Zac was just drunk enough that his rule about keeping his hands off Bryce didn’t seem to apply right now. He slipped inside and let the door close behind him, then locked it. “Sorry I woke you,” he said, even as he was reaching for Bryce. God, Bryce looked good. “C’mere. I wanna...” He leaned up on his toes and angled his mouth against Bryce’s.
Bryce startled a little, but he didn’t draw back or freak out or anything awful, which was a bonus.
“What’s wrong, man?” he asked, when he pulled away, still looking like he wasn’t completely awake. He was all concern, though; that was Bryce, wanting to make things okay for people.
Zac shook his head. Nothing was wrong. “Just a shitty party,” he muttered. “Nothing. I just...
God, you’re hot.”
“I...” Bryce looked baffled and he shook his head to stop whatever he’d been about to say.
“Never mind. C’mere.” He drew Zac over to the bed. “You’ve been a fucking party animal lately. You must be beat. Come on, you can sleep with me.” Zac deflated, sighing, and let Bryce lead him to the bed. He didn’t want to sleep, though. He wanted Bryce. He’d wanted Bryce for longer than just since they'd kissed and so much
“Oh, thanks.” Bryce tickled her for revenge, but he didn’t turn her down. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do this evening, and he liked making Rachel happy. It didn’t hurt that it was reassurance that he was still himself.
***
Much to Zac’s surprise, Bryce wasn’t avoiding him. If anything, Bryce was spending more time with Zac. Sure, he was going out and being Bryce and doing Bryce things, probably involving various girls, but Zac wasn’t thinking about that.
Bryce had actually shown up to hang out in Zac's room and study more than once. And he'd been totally cool with Zac practically sitting on him when they had friends over for a movie night.
Bryce seemed okay. Quieter, but okay. Zac was so damn happy. Things were almost normal, and that was the last thing Zac had expected after the way they’d started the year.
Zac was okay, too. It just wasn’t easy, keeping his hands off Bryce. Bryce was his friend, just like Perry was, but it was different. With Perry, it wasn’t serious, and it had never been anything more than really good sex. With Bryce, Zac had to be careful. So careful. He didn’t want to hurt Bryce, didn’t want to make anything harder for Bryce. But, damn it, Bryce was hot and his best friend. Zac wished he could read minds. He wanted so much for what made sense to him to make sense to Bryce, too.
Instead, Zac kept his hands to himself. Not entirely to himself. He went out to a few parties and hooked up with girls. He was waiting for Bryce to make the next move, though, so he turned down the guys who came onto him, the one who had read the article in Game On and a couple who just put the moves on. It wasn’t like Zac thought that one night meant anything, but he didn’t want to take the chance that Bryce would catch him with some other guy and get the wrong idea. The next move never came, though, and Zac kept trying to keep busy.
After a party that devolved into a fistfight between the soccer team and the baseball team, Zac gave up on having fun. He went home, but his room was empty. Right. That was why he’d gone out. He didn’t want to be in an empty room, so he went to Bryce’s room, instead. He remembered to knock, though. Maybe Bryce wasn’t alone, just like Zac didn’t want to be alone.
Becoming Us - 35
There was a shuffle and then the door opened. Bryce, wearing nothing but his boxers, was there, yawning and bleary and absolutely gorgeous. “Dude.” He blinked and focused in the light from the bathroom down the hall. “‘Sup?” He stepped back to let Zac in. His room was the same as always, except for a slumping pile of books by the bed and a basket of clean laundry. No girl. No one at all.
Zac was just drunk enough that his rule about keeping his hands off Bryce didn’t seem to apply right now. He slipped inside and let the door close behind him, then locked it. “Sorry I woke you,” he said, even as he was reaching for Bryce. God, Bryce looked good. “C’mere. I wanna...” He leaned up on his toes and angled his mouth against Bryce’s.
Bryce startled a little, but he didn’t draw back or freak out or anything awful, which was a bonus.
“What’s wrong, man?” he asked, when he pulled away, still looking like he wasn’t completely awake. He was all concern, though; that was Bryce, wanting to make things okay for people.
Zac shook his head. Nothing was wrong. “Just a shitty party,” he muttered. “Nothing. I just...
God, you’re hot.”
“I...” Bryce looked baffled and he shook his head to stop whatever he’d been about to say.
“Never mind. C’mere.” He drew Zac over to the bed. “You’ve been a fucking party animal lately. You must be beat. Come on, you can sleep with me.” Zac deflated, sighing, and let Bryce lead him to the bed. He didn’t want to sleep, though. He wanted Bryce. He’d wanted Bryce for longer than just since they'd kissed and so much
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