Page 57 of Spring Rains

I wanted to be responsible, maybe offer to make the boys and Clarke’s mom some healthier, more balanced snacks, but who was I to impede a boy and his cheesy crusts?

Pizza 1, Quinoa 0

“Sure.”

He sent back a hurried text. “They’re picking me up at six,” he said, and glanced at the clock, which was already at five-thirty, rolling off the sofa and heading for his room.

I waited until he finished packing up.

I waited until he’d gone back to his room because he’d forgotten his Switch.

I waited until Clarke’s mom arrived.

I even waited five minutes after the car had disappeared around the corner.

Then, I opened the message thread with Chris.

Noah: Dinner? Come to my place. Get here soon.

Chris: On my way. Everything okay?

I paused for a moment, considering what I had upstairs, wondering if the supplies in my drawer were still usable.

Noah: Get condoms and lube.

Silence, and I wondered if that was a sign. Then my screen lit up.

Chris: On my way.

Chris: Fast

* * *

Things feltdifferent between us as soon as I opened the door to let him in, then locked it behind us.

“Hey,” he murmured, shifting his backpack from his shoulder, waiting for me to speak.

“Hey, you,” I murmured, lost in his eyes, and wondering where we went next.

“I um… I have…” He waggled the bag. “As you said.”

“Fox is staying at Clarke’s place,” I whispered, as if someone passing by might hear us. The blinds at the windows blocked people from seeing, and I drew him closer to kiss him.

Everything beyond here seemed far away, and none of it mattered now that Chris was by my side. We stayed in one place kissing, and then, I took his hand and tugged him through the diner, up the stairs, and left at the top and into my room.

“I took the smaller bedroom,” I explained, as I judged the room through his eyes. Tired, faded wallpaper, flowery orange and brown drapes that needed replacing, and the king-size bed taking up most of the space. Out of habit, I closed the door behind us, and leaned there as Chris dropped the bag onto the bed and stared down at the—clean—bedcovers.

“We should talk about the leg. I mean, I need to prepare you for?—”

I was probably doing this all wrong, but I cut him off with a kiss. I wanted him so much I didn’t want to stop and talk or think. All that mattered was him.

“PrEP, negative, no one since Briggs.” The words ran on, a repeat of conversations we’d already had. “I want you so bad.”

“PrEP, negative, no one since… fuck, I don’t know when?—”

More kissing was needed, but I put a small amount of space between us, still joined at the lips, unbuttoning my shirt, and wishing I’d just pulled on a Lily’s Diner T-shirt—a clean one of course—because that would have been so much quicker.

And now, he might have taken off his outside stuff, but he was way behind in getting naked. I growled at him—god knows if that was sexy or not-- but I needed to see him, and when Chris began to take off his shirt, he did it so slowly I wanted to growl again.