Two weeks later

In theory, no alcohol was served at parties organized by the school, but various students had their own way of laying their hands on some booze. And since his best friend was the most effective smuggler around, Nish was all but sober towards midnight. 

Nish didn't mind. 

At least he could still walk straight and he didn't feel sick. 

Everything was just a bit... nicer. 

He was less annoyed by the hard sounds, the warmth, the Rhino girl that tried to hit on him and the electric jolts dancing on his skin whenever he accidentally touched his best friend. 

He also responded a bit slower. He understood jokes when all other people were already talking about something else, his shoulder was wet with booze because of all the times he'd bumped into someone and he hadn't realized the girl whose name he failed to remember was flirting with him until her lips were on his. 

He'd pushed her away and wiped his mouth. 

Although he did wonder how it would feel to kiss someone. Around him there were more couples kissing, so apparently it was enjoyable. 

"You still holdin' up?" Kris wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You look like you're sweltering, man."

Was he? Now Kris stood so close to him, he indeed had the feeling that he was sweating. "I guess?"

"I'll get you a glass of water and then we're gonna cool down."

Nish nodded meekly. That was sweet. Kris was always sweet. At least to him. Something odd waved through his stomach at that realization. 

Sooner than expected, Kris returned with a glass of water. Nish finished it in one drink and followed Kris outside. In front of the school it was crowded; they weren't the only ones who liked some fresh air. Apparently, Kris wasn't in the mood to talk to other people, for he turned the corner of the building and kept walking until they were alone. 

Nish showed him a lethargic smile. He always liked being around Kris.

"So... you and Melody, huh?" Kris asked, grinning. He leaned against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You like her? She couldn't keep her hands off you tonight."

Melody? That had to be the Rhino girl.

"I think she wanted to kiss me." He looked at his friend. "Did you ever kiss?"

To his surprise, Kris shook his head. 

"You didn't?" he asked, his eyes wide. "I thought you did, well, all the stuff."

Kris chuckled briefly. "With whom?"

He had no idea. "With... girls? Like Melody?"

"I don't like girls."

Oh. Nish rubbed his neck. Was it odd that he'd never known that? And why did it feel like his heart was racing all of a sudden? "You ever been in love?"

"Once, about a year and a half ago."

Nish had seen lovelorn people. Mostly girls. Who were giggling and whispering all day long. He couldn't imagine Kris would do that. "But he didn't feel the same about you?"

Kris stared into the distance, his jaws tense. "It didn't end well."

Nish bit his lip. He wanted to say something to cheer up his friend, but he didn't find the words. 

Kris returned his gaze to him and his face relaxed. "What about you? You're into guys or girls, or both?"

He wasn't sure. Sometimes, he thought he liked Kris a little too much to call him a friend. But he was also his only friend, so he couldn't really compare. 

"I'm not sure," he answered. Yet, he failed to look his friend in the eye. "How do I find out?"

"Is there anyone you'd like to kiss?"

Nish thought back to the party two weeks ago. For a moment, he'd wondered how Kris' lips would feel upon his. 

And secretly, he still wondered what it would feel like. 

Instead of admitting it, he shrugged and stared at the ground. 

Suddenly, Kris stood very close. His fingertips stroked his hair. 

Holding his breath, Nish looked up. His eyes were crystal white, like the starlight above them. They were mesmerizing. 

"If you're curious about what it feels like to kiss a guy, I wouldn't mind if you'd try me." A smirk crossed his lips. 

Low inside his belly, something awakened. "Would you want that?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "Kiss me?"

"Tonight I do." Kris pulled back his hand and looked at him. "You're my best friend. If you want to figure out your sexuality, I don't mind helping. I always found you a hot guy anyway, so kissing you isn't exactly a sacrifice I'd have to make."

Nish felt his cheeks glow. At the same time, he knew he wanted it. He wasn't sure where that conviction was coming from, but suddenly it was there, crystal clear. 

His glance rested upon Kris' lips, and on the piercing below them. A scorching heat spread through him, burning the trepediation he'd felt. 

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps he had been in love all along—he had no idea, but he pressed his lips against his friend's. The tip of his tongue brushed Kris' lip piercing and the next moment the boy's lips parted. 

It was a fierce, hungry kiss—as if it was something he'd craved for months. He raked his fingers through Kris' black strands and a moan escaped his lips when Kris surrendered to the kiss. 

Fuck—this felt so good. Adrenaline was pumped through his body and he got almost out of breath when his back touched the wall and Kris' body pressed against him. 

"And?" his friend whispered in his ear, trailing kisses down his jaw. "How does it feel?"

"I think I'm fucking gay," he panted. 

And he wanted more. 

So much more. 

He had never felt something like this, but it made the world spin around him in a pleasant way and gave him a confidence no amount of alcohol could give him. 

Kris chuckled. "So the experiment is over now?"

"Hell no." Nish kissed his friend again. His heart almost exploded when Kris' hands slid under his shirt, exploring his upperbody. He was getting hard, and he moaned softly as Kris pressed his waist against his. He was just as excited. 

Nish' hands disappeared under Kris' shirt. A part of him wanted to return to the campus, to Kris' bedroom where they could continue this. At the same time, he didn't want to stop—he couldn't stop. 

His fingers trailed Kris' abs, the muscles on his back. His mid region was aching and when Kris lowered his hand, Nish pushed it further down until his fingers glided across the bulge in his pants. Without letting go of each other's lips, they created a little more distance between their bodies so they could touch each other down there. 

"You sure you want to go on?" Kris asked. 

Nish looked up. Actually, he didn't know anything anymore, except the fact that he didn't want to stop. "It feels so fucking good. Do you want to go on?" he asked, a little insecure.

The answer was given in the shape of another kiss. Nish fidgeted with the button of his pants when Kris did the same. The moment he felt Kris' hand around him, his breath was cut off. His own hand slipped into Kris' briefs as well; immediately, he was met with his excitement. 

They felt the same, they wanted the same. 

Nish folded his hand around his friend and started to move. Too tense to kiss Kris, he lowered his head and rested it against his shoulder so these new sensations could overwhelm him. 

Together, they built up a rhythm until Nish could barely stand upright anymore. He looked up, met Kris' eyes. He didn't know what made him feel better; the pleasure he felt or the way his friend responded to his touches. 

And then, heat rolled over him. Moaning, he pressed himself closer to his friend, who trembled at the same time, leaning against him, panting. 

"Fuck," Kris' lips muttered against his neck. "That felt good."

Nish couldn't say a thing. He kept his eyes closed, even though he pulled back his hand. On a whim, he wrapped his arms around his friend and pulled him in a hug. 

He didn't want this to be a one time thing. 

Kris bent back a little to study his face. "You okay?"

"Better than ever."

Kris gave him a small smile, although his glance was a little concerned. "I just hope we won't regret this tomorrow, when we're sober. I don't want anything to change between us."

"Nothing has to change," Nish answered. He suppressed the urge to kiss him again. "Although I won't mind to do this more often." The confession made his cheeks flush. 

Kris stepped away from him. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

Now Kris moved away from him, he felt a bit cold. Something about his demeanor caused a pang in his stomach. Did he regret it? Had he done something wrong? 

Nish pulled down his shirt and fastened his pants. His boxers were soaking wet and stuck to his skin. Suddenly, he didn't know what to say anymore. The euphoria faded, leaving behind an unsettling void inside him. 

What if this did change their friendship?

☆☆☆

Kris hated the silence between them. 

What had he been thinking? 

It had been a stupid idea—and its result wasn't what he'd hoped for. The kissing hadn't felt wrong, nor had the hand job, but it didn't call up the same feelings Onyx had done, all these months ago. 

Nish was an amazing guy, but he wasn't in love. 

And now, he had complicated their friendship. Nish hadn't been teasing him when he told him he wouldn't mind to do it again. He'd sounded vulnerable and Kris got the awkward feeling that Nish had came to another conclusion than him; that he wasn't only gay, but also that his feelings transcended friendship. 

He'd let himself get carried away. 

Nish had kissed him firmly and fiercely, and it had absolutely called up certain feelings inside him—but these were feelings that probably every curious and horny teenager would experience. He'd been surprised when Nish guided his hand towards his dick, showing him that he wanted to go further than Kris had intended. He hadn't thought of a reason to stop. Why would he? It felt good, it was exciting and they were both enjoying it. 

But now...

Now he wasn't sure. 

He was disappointed in his own feelings. A part of him wanted it—something like a relationship. Nish was fucking hot, he appreciated his humor and there had to be a reason why they were close since the day they met. But apparently, it wasn't enough. 

Or did he want it too badly—was he too busy comparing his feelings to what he'd felt for Onyx? Perhaps it always felt different. The disappointment was there for a reason, right? Or did he feel that way because he was afraid he would lose his best friend, that he'd hurt him? 

He wrapped his arm around Nish' shoulder and pulled him close. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed by my very first kiss," he said with a crooked grin, hoping to take some of that unwanted tension away. "Which was a bit steamier than expected." He winked at his friend. "But, mission accomplished. Welcome to the gay club.'

A grin spread across Nish's face, to his relief. "Are there more members than the two of us?"

"Fox, apparently." He thought of the boy who'd said that so shamelessly, two weeks ago. Despite Safira's meddlesome behavior which he found annoying as hell, the thought of the boy made his lips curl. "And Onyx."

"That idiot of a Lion?" Nish asked, his eyebrows raised. He pulled a face. 

"And an insane Panther. Lucky us." He chuckled. "But I bet they call me insane too."

"So that Onyx-guy is the one you had feelings for?"

"Yeah—he's the one who beat me up a few months ago too, broken orbit and all." He smiled sadly. "He's doesn't do second chances."

"His loss," Nish shrugged. "You wanna go back to the party? Or we could watch a movie?"

"I need some clean clothes," he smirked. "Not everyone needs to know what we did." He gave his friend a playful shove. "Thereafter, we could just stay at home and watch a movie, right?"

He actually needed that—to finish this night like they would have on any other day.

"Sounds good," Nish answered—just as nonchalant as Kris had gotten used to. 

Kris smiled, relieved that things felt normal again. He'd been fretting over nothing.