Page 75 of Running With Lions

Sebastian tips his head in Emir’s direction. An old Ford pickup next to them rocks to and fro. On the radio, the lead singer moans about a house falling apart. Sebastian bought them Dr. Peppers and he guzzles some of his to buy time.

Is it a date?

“I don’t know,” he says. Sebastian wanted to get away from camp. But being alone with Emir at a drive-in while he licks melted chocolate from his fingers is plain awesome. A fuzzy ache starts below his navel. “I’ve never been on a date,” he says, swallowing, “with a boy, officially.”

Emir drums his fingers on his knees.

“Wait, have you been on a date with a guy?”

“There was this guy.” Emir picks at a loose thread on the knee of his jeans. “We met at an art show. He wasn’t from Bloomington. On the weekends he would take me to this tacky pizza place outside of the city.”

Sebastian controls his face. But jealousy bubbles at the back of his mind. What the hell,of courseEmir was attracted to other guys.

Emir says, “It didn’t work out because he didn’t want anyone to know about us. At the time, I didn’t want to come out either, but he was a certified dick about it.”

His head tilts away, so Sebastian can’t see his expression. But his jaw tenses. Sebastian suspects he’s more hurt than angry. “Sounds complicated.”

Emir laughs, but it sounds melancholy. “I was sixteen, Bastian, so I wanted a boyfriend. But the whole thing made me uncomfortable with my sexuality, with being out.”

“He isn’t still, um…” Sebastian stares at the explosions on the screen. “Is he still around?” He doesn’t ask because he’s intimidated,that much, but the guy’s an asshole for making Emir hesitate about being open with himself and others. Lack of support, especially from someone you’re interested in, is destructive.

“Nope,” Emir replies. “Would you be jealous?”

“Nope,” Sebastian says, like the biggest liar to ever open his mouth.

Emir’s gray eyes reflect light from the big screen.

Sebastian chugs Dr. Pepper; carbonation tickles his nose. It’s a good thing he’s seen this movie a dozen times, because he’s staring at Emir, mesmerized. He considers pulling the “yawn, stretch, put an arm around your date’s shoulder” trick, but he’s not quite that smooth. Mason could pull it off. Sebastian imagines Masonhaspulled it off.

Biting his lip, Emir says, “You never answered my first question.”

“Huh.” Sebastian taps his index finger on his chin. Their lips are just a breath apart, but Emir doesn’t close the gap. Sebastian whispers, “Okay, yeah, a date. Sure.”

Emir’s eyes flick down to Sebastian’s mouth. He says, “I’ve watched this movie a hundred times,” and his hand ghosts from the side of Sebastian’s neck into his hair.

“Me too.”

They’re almost kissing.

“Um—” Sebastian cuts himself off and surges forward. Their noses bump. He adjusts the angle. Emir’s mouth tastes like Dr. Pepper and peanut butter and summer. His kisses taste like the very thing Sebastian didn’t know he was missing.

Tickled by stubble, Sebastian’s fingers spread along Emir’s cheek. He feels more than hears Emir suck in a breath. He can’t tell who makes the first move, but Sebastian gets a hand on Emir’s thigh and Emir crawls—climbsinto Sebastian’s lap with the steering wheel digging into the small of his back.

“Emir,” Sebastian gasps, his hands palming denim.

“Shut up.”

Sebastian most certainly does not let out a dreamy gasp when Emir’s teeth nip at his lower lip. He is not a teen-romance cliché.

Emir is balanced on knees that pin Sebastian’s hips. His left hand cradles the back of Sebastian’s head. A soft sigh breaks his lips, inches from Sebastian’s, as he lowers his hips.

And Sebastian is doing his best to ignore the flare spreading like a supernova in his belly. He has one warm hand under Emir’s hoodie and another teasing a button on his jeans.

Emir laughs into his mouth. “Curious?”

Sebastian’s a teenager, a virgin with guys, and stuck at summer camp for thirty days with very little alone time. Curious is an understatement. All their fooling around has never quite gonethere.

“Sometimes.”

---