maskormenacelogs | sixteen just held such better days

Oh.

[ Matthew is actually kind of surprised by that. Maybe he did something dumb after all, if Noah thought he'd changed his mind. ]

I didn't. It was just-- Max was trying to eat my hair.

[ That explains everything, doesn't it? ]

[Something in the way he says that - the utter Matthewness of it - makes it impossible not to smile. Noah leans towards the gear shift, just a bit. His heart feels funny.]

Do you still want to?

[ Well.

... Well. ]

Yeah, [ Matthew admits, just that easily, because he doesn't know how to be self-conscious. ]

Unless you got ten people already.

[ That's a little teasing. Just a bit. He's pretty sure Noah hasn't kissed ten different people in the last nine days. ]

[Oh. Oh.]

No. [Wait-] I don't have ten, I mean.

[He lifts up on his knees, just slightly, almost imperceptibly, like he's afraid of disrupting something.]

I'd like to kiss you.

[ Matthew actually tries not to, but he laughs again, covering his mouth with his hand for all the good that does. This is weird, and funny, and--

And he definitely wants to try it, so he sits up straighter too, twisting in his seat so that most of him is facing the passenger side of the car. ]

Okay. Let's do it.

[ Noah's the only one who's done this before, so Matthew's just gonna lean in a little closer and see what happens, pressing his lips together in an attempt to keep something of a straight face. ]

[Noah pushes up on one knee, and slides one hand over Matthew's shoulder. On the radio, the bouzouki has faded into the slow strum of a guitar, peaceful and pleasant. A firefly lights up just inches from the window, and Noah's stomach feels light.

There's no extravagant warm-up this time. He leans right in, slides his nose up against Matthew's, and slots their lips together, slow and easy and gentle.]

[ Matthew doesn't have any other experiences to compare it to, but this is-- this is nice. Noah's mouth touches his and Matthew, a boy created for fun and affection, feels the warmth right down to his toes.

This isn't like the kisses his parents shared, and it's not like how Gansey and Blue (probably) kiss, and it's definitely nothing like the way Ronan and Adam kiss. He's not going to fall in love with Noah or anything.

But the joy of it fill him up and bubbles over as it always does, in a sweet, infectious laugh. And now Noah's kissing his teeth and that just makes him laugh even more; he pulls away at the same time that he reaches for Noah's free hand, because he's not done with this yet. ]

No, wait-- I messed that one up. [ He shakes his head and leans back in, close enough that his curls nearly brush Noah's forehead. ] Can we try again?

[ He sounds pretty eager to try again, but of course the deal was for one kiss, so if Noah says no that's fine, too. ]

[Noah's smile stretches out, bright and impish and a bit astounded, and he nods in reply, already leaning back in. His lips are just parted enough to take one of Matthew's between them, as gently as possible, and he slides his free hand up until it meets the ends of his soft, curly hair.

Even this morning, he couldn't have guessed that he might finish the day by kissing Matthew Lynch. Matthew, who's handsome and cheerful and comforting, who's never done this but doesn't seem to worry one bit. Maybe they aren't real, and maybe they aren't going to fall in love and grow old together, but they can do this as much as they like.

Breathing in, Noah pulls back to check on Matthew - and accidentally snags his fangs on the boy's lip.]

Edited 2016-07-20 20:32 (UTC)

[ From the first moment Matthew is trying not to break down into giggles again; it feels nice but also weird, definitely weird. He's not accustomed to being so aware of things but they can't talk and his eyes are closed--that happened at some point-- so there's really nothing to do or think about but the feel of Noah's lips, his hand in Matthew's hair, the humid summer air around them.

And it all really makes him want to laugh again. He actually succeeds, too, until Noah tries to pull away, and then Matthew makes a little exclamatory sound of surprise and amusement, his shoulders jumping up towards his ears. It only takes a second to detach himself from the fake fangs but he's definitely laughing again now, one hand still holding Noah's and the other coming up to wipe his mouth.

(That's not a snub, Noah; it just tickled where you bit him.) ]

Noah-- The teeth--

[ Oh man, that's hilarious. ]

Did you do that on purpose?

[Noah's eyes go wide, and he claps his free hand up to his mouth, pulling the things out immediately. He seems torn between embarrassment and laughter for just a moment, but as soon as he sees the total delight in Matthew's eyes, laughter wins out.]

Dude, no, I totally forgot. [The teeth disappear into a pants pocket, and his hand stays clasped with Matthew's.] Biting isn't usually a first-kiss kind of thing.

[He doesn't stop to think whether he means Matthew's first, or their first. The implications are tucked away far in the back of his dizzy mind, next to the conscious knowledge that they're still holding hands over the gear shift.]

[ It's very possible that Matthew doesn't even know how to be embarrassed, that it's not an emotion Ronan dreamed into him. He just keeps giggling and holding Noah's hand, innocent and happy and unself-conscious. It crosses his mind to ask if Noah wants to try again, without the teeth, but, well.

The deal was for one kiss, and they did that. Not that he would mind at all if Noah suggested another one. ]

Unless you're a real vampire, [ he jokes, grinning foolishly in the dark. Of course he does not really understand the appeal of biting while kissing, but it seems funny. ]

Nah, I like garlic bread too much.

[The flash of Matthew's smile, their palms pressed together, the sliver of moon through clouds - it's all so nice, and it settles in Noah's stomach like a smooth drink. His last kiss was with Blue, and it was beautiful, but it was sad. This is happy, and it's fun, and it makes Noah a little bit dizzy. Before he can think of anything else to say, he's leaning back over, half-sitting on the emergency brake to get a better angle.]

I'm gonna kiss you some more, okay?

[ Matthew pause to consider this statement for a whole two seconds. ]

Okay, [ he agrees readily, scooting to the edge of his seat as well. This time he's a little more prepared, this time he actually leans in too. This time he closes his eyes too early and his lips land on the corner of Noah's mouth, their noses brushing each other a second time. He fights to keep from smiling again--failing utterly, needless to say--and tries to correct the angle, gently cupping the side of Noah's face with his other hand to use as a guide. He's going to get this down, eventually.

It's even nicer without the fake teeth in the way. ]

[It's very nice without the teeth. Noah brings both his hands up, ghosting around Matthew's neck and cheeks and into his hair again, while he leans into the soft lips between his own. The kiss is slow and warm, gentler than most Noah's had, but even the chaste contact is enough to make his pulse speed up with thrill. Nothing compares to kissing, he's positively sure of that. It's a universal truth, spelled out in Matthew's curls between his fingers, and their noses pressed close together.

When he finally pulls back, one thumb drawing lazy circles against Matthew's scalp.]

So. [The words come out as warm breath between their lips, still inches apart.] How was that one?

[ If Noah expected anything other than another breathless little laugh then he doesn't know Matthew Lynch. He feels warm from the inside, tickled with happiness, playful and affectionate and safe--everything he was dreamed to be.

Also, pleasantly and unquestionably real. ]

That was nice, [ he admits, and the word choice may be underwhelming but the wide grin on his face also speaks to his impressions. He takes his hand from Noah's face, now that he doesn't need the help to find his lips. ]

I think I get why everybody likes it so much. [ Another understatement, perhaps. ]

[Matthew's words are modest, but Noah can feel the joy underlying them, even without peeking into his thoughts. The Mini Cooper is a safe, warm bubble, far away from anything else in their lives, and he wishes they could just stay here and smile and kiss and touch for a few more hours, without anyone noticing they were gone. But he doesn't want to push too far, not with Matthew, and he eventually finds himself sliding back into his seat.]

It's my favorite thing. [Well, it's up there with sneakers and pudding shots.] I think more people should do it with their friends.

I thought people just did it with someone they were dating, [ Matthew admits with a simple smile, settling comfortably back in his own seat, resting his wrists on the steering wheel even though there's not the slightest chance of them going anywhere. ]

Like Declan--he's dated so many girls.

[ "Dated". Matthew knows he's done more than kissing, too, of course, not that he dwells on that for a number of reasons. ]

And for a long time I didn't think Ronan cared about kissing anybody but then he started dating Adam.

[ And Stephen Lee, he's got a girlfriend. Noah's the first person Matthew's known who apparently just wants to kiss his friends. ]

[Noah reddens a little, but it's well hidden by the dark.]

Not always! I've kissed a lot more people than I've dated.

[Which... doesn't really sound as normalizing as he'd hoped. His thoughts slide back to high school, to dorm parties and locker rooms and the old bleachers by the practice fields. He blinks back recollections of backseat fumbling, of smiling and gasping into vodka-flavored kisses.

Matthew is none of that, and he's not quite sure how to explain it.]

Like Blue. I kissed Blue, and we aren't dating.

[ Matthew really isn't like any of that. ]

You kissed Blue? [ he repeats, surprised. ]

But, like--

[ He's not sure how to ask. ]

I thought she and Gansey were dating.

[ He doesn't sound judgmental; Matthew is so used to getting things wrong that he really just sounds confused. ]

[Noah laughs, pulling his feet up into his seat.]

No, no, this was before!

[~~When she was dating Adam~~.]

Oh.

[ Matthew laughs too. ]

That makes more sense.

[ She really seems to like Gansey, so it was weird for a second to think she might be kissing other boys. Same for Noah, who also likes Gansey, so it was weird for a second to think he might be kissing Gansey's girlfriend. ]

[He looks up at the house, his smile turning a bit gentler.]

It's okay, I wouldn't kiss either of them now.

[A pause.]

Not without permission, at least.

sixteen just held such better days

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