His lips were soft. He breathed in Will’s scent, and when Will parted his lips, Taylor seized the chance to slip his tongue inside.

He tasted Will. Their tongues danced together, and Will began to use his own to deepen the kiss.

Taylor had already forgotten about the bullies — the only thing that mattered now was this moment, the moment he was sharing with Will.

The movie had already started, and they could feel the flickering light against their closed eyelids.

They could have gone on like that for a long while, if not for Taylor lifting his hands to cup Will’s face.

The moment Taylor moved his hands, his cup tipped, spilling the cold drink into his lap and splashing a little onto Will’s shoes.

Taylor recoiled from the sudden cold wetness, breaking their kiss.

For a moment, both of them just stared at each other—surprised and flushed.

Then, all at once, they burst into laughter, the sound ringing out in stark contrast to the movie on screen, where a character was screaming and running from the killer.

A few annoyed moviegoers turned toward them, shushing loudly.

Will stood up, grabbed Taylor’s hand, and pulled him to his feet, leading him quickly out of the theater.

Taylor laced his fingers with Will’s, not wanting to let go.

Will glanced up at him, both of them still flushed, wide goofy smiles plastered on their faces as they tried to catch their breath.

Will brushed his thumb over Taylor’s hand, which was gripping his tightly. Taylor tugged him closer, and Will didn’t hate it—in fact, he liked it a lot.

Up until now, Taylor had sent him so many mixed signals, but the kiss had changed everything. Even though Will had initiated it, Taylor had taken control so quickly, and Will loved that.

“So… what do you want to do now? Since the movie’s no longer on the schedule,” Will asked as they walked through the mall.

Taylor laughed, and Will’s heart skipped a beat.

“I reserved a table at a restaurant in two hours. I don’t mind wandering around with you until then, but I’d really like a change of clothes.” Taylor gestured at himself with his free hand—the lower part of his shirt and most of his pants, especially around his lap, were darkened and sticky where the drink had spilled.

“As much as I love that you made me all wet and sticky, I think it’s better not to walk around in public like this,” Taylor murmured under his breath.

Will wasn’t sure he heard right. His lips curved into a grin. “I made you wet and sticky?” he teased.

Taylor blushed and gave him a shy smile, and the sight filled Will with pride—knowing he had that kind of effect on him.

They walked hand in hand until they reached a clothing store that matched their style.

But as they were about to go inside, the clerk took one look at Taylor’s stained clothes and asked him to stay outside so he wouldn’t dirty the store.

They both laughed about how ridiculous it was—blocking the very people who needed new clothes from coming in. Will told Taylor to wait, promising he’d pick something out for him to change into.

Taylor was surprised by how quickly Will went in and came back out, holding two shopping bags.

In the bathroom stall where he changed, Taylor noticed what Will had chosen for him: a pair of bermuda shorts with a matching greenish Hawaiian shirt, a pair of underwear, and shoes. To his surprise, everything fit perfectly.

He stepped out of the stall ready to be embarrassed in front of Will—but once again, Will caught him off guard. Will was wearing matching clothes, the same style, only in a soft lilac shade.

“There’s no one like you,” Taylor said, pulling Will into a hug.

“I hope so,” Will said into Taylor’s chest.

Taylor laughed. It felt like all he had done since seeing Will that morning was laugh. He thought to himself that if this was what dating felt like—he loved it.

He said as much to Will, who looked both surprised and pleased at the same time.

“You’ve really never been on a date before?” Will asked. There wasn’t the slightest trace of judgment or teasing in his voice.

Taylor shook his head. “I never really felt like I was missing anything…” he said, meeting Will’s eyes sincerely. Then he added softly, “Until I met you.”

Both of them flushed red and laughed nervously.

“Wow… that’s so cheesy,” Will said with a grin. “But when it comes from you, I don’t really mind.”

Taylor groaned and covered his face with his hands. Just then, the bathroom door opened and people started coming in. Taylor peeked at Will through his fingers and whispered, “Let’s get out of here before it gets too crowded.”

Taylor told Will that when Morgan had sent him the tickets, he’d done some research on the mall so he could pick a restaurant. During his little investigation, he discovered that in the lower floor of the mall there was an arcade. He’d originally planned to save that idea for after dinner, but if Will wanted, they could go now.

Will was impressed by Taylor’s planning skills and agreed to check it out right away.

Once they were there, Taylor let Will choose which machines to play on.

It turned out Will was ridiculously good at anything involving shooting or racing games, and he absolutely destroyed Taylor every single round.

“I bow to you, my Lord” Taylor said, making a little bow with his hands.

Will laughed and gave Taylor a playful push.

“If you want, I can show you how to rack up some points,” Will said, pointing to one of the machines with the plastic guns.

Taylor laughed. “Show me what? How bad I am?”

“That reminds me… you’re known… for the real deal,” Will said carefully.

“You know how to use the real deal…?” Taylor asked, surprised.

Will nodded. “My grandfather taught me a few years ago… it’s pretty much the same… you know, the stance and the way you hold the weapon…”

Will positioned Taylor in front of the machine, adjusting his stance and how he held the device, telling him exactly where to aim.

Taylor jumped in excitement when, this time, his score was close to Will’s.

“You’re cute,” Will said and kissed him on the cheek. “Want to try something else where you might actually have the advantage?” he asked, taking Taylor’s hand and leading him toward the basketball game.

Taylor gripped the ball and took a deep breath. He really wanted to impress Will, so he aimed for nothing less than the highest score on the machine.

The buzzer sounded, and Taylor started shooting ball after ball, trying to sink as many as possible in the shortest time. Will watched in silence, his eyes glued to Taylor. When Taylor’s score got close to the machine’s record, Will actually held his breath.

The clock showed ten seconds left, but Taylor didn’t slow down. He kept firing shots at a crazy pace, sweat forming on his forehead. When the buzzer rang to signal the end, more chimes followed—Taylor had just set a brand-new high score.

Both of them jumped in excitement, and one of the arcade staff hurried over to congratulate Taylor, telling him he’d won a prize for breaking the record.

On the drive home, their stomachs were pleasantly full from the amazing food at the restaurant Taylor had picked out.

Will was at the wheel, and Taylor sat beside him, hugging the giant unicorn plush he’d chosen as his prize for setting the new high score.

Will chuckled again at Taylor’s choice, a fond laugh, like every little thing he learned about him just added another reason to like him.

“I still can’t picture you as someone who decorates his room with unicorns,” Will teased as he kept his eyes on the road.

“And how exactly is someone who likes unicorns supposed to look?” Taylor asked curiously. Will glanced at him, trying to see if he was serious, but the sparkle in Taylor’s eyes told him he was joking. Will shook his head and laughed.

After a few quiet moments, Taylor spoke again. “I was actually thinking about giving it to my sister,” he admitted softly. “We’ve barely made eye contact since the last time she tried to wake me up in the morning… I just want to clear the air between us.”

Will glanced at Taylor curiously, their eyes locking for a moment before Taylor flushed crimson.

“Now I’m really curious what happened…” Will pressed.

Taylor shook his head quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to erase the memory.

“I can’t believe I’m even saying this out loud… She came in one morning to wake me up and—” he groaned, covering his face with his hand. “She saw another part of me that… woke up before I did.”

Will burst out laughing so hard he had to steady his grip on the wheel.

Taylor peeked at him through his fingers, mortified.

“I can’t believe your sister saw your morning tent,” Will teased between laughs.

“Morning tent?” Taylor asked, half surprised, half amused.

“That’s what we call it. You know—morning wood. Happens to every guy.” Will explained with a grin.

“Not me! Never! That was the first time it’s ever happened to me,” Taylor insisted, his face still red.

Will mumbled through his laughter, “Liar.” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat.

When he looked at Taylor again, the amusement was gone. Instead, there was a spark of intimacy in his eyes—mixed with something else.

“It’s a shame, though… I was kinda hoping you’d already made it through puberty.” His gaze flicked down to Taylor’s lap before returning to the road.

A tingle spread through Taylor’s body, heat pooling low in his stomach. He quickly shifted the plush unicorn into his lap to cover himself.

“Trust me—I’m past that,” Taylor said, his voice rougher than he intended.

The last five minutes of the ride passed in heavy silence, the unspoken tension hanging thick between them. When Will pulled up in front of Taylor’s house, Taylor realized his hand had found the back of Will’s neck, idly playing with the soft hair there. It felt so natural, he hadn’t even noticed doing it.

Will set the parking brake, turned toward him, and without a word pulled Taylor into a breathless kiss.

Taylor unbuckled his seatbelt, cupping Will’s face in both hands.

Will’s hands roamed restlessly, sliding up and down Taylor’s sides, brushing his stomach, pulling him closer by the small of his back. And again, Will let Taylor take the lead.

Taylor moved his hands from Will’s cheeks to the nape of his neck, fingers trailing down his spine. He traced gentle patterns until his fingertips found the warm strip of skin where Will’s shirt had ridden up. Taylor slipped his hand beneath the fabric, and Will shivered—goosebumps rising everywhere—before letting out a soft moan into Taylor’s mouth.

The sound sent a surge of heat through Taylor. He broke from Will’s lips to kiss along his neck, feeling the vibrations of every breath, every stifled sound. His fingers drew invisible circles over Will’s spine, pressing lower until they brushed the waistband of his jeans. His hands trembled with anticipation.

“God…” Will whispered, his breath hot against Taylor’s ear, “…you’re so good at this. I want you to give me more.”

The words burned through Taylor like gasoline to fire. He pressed closer, his fingertips teasing the elastic of Will’s underwear, both their hearts racing in sync. He wanted more—needed more.

But then Will’s whisper cut through the haze: “Shame we’re in a car.”

The reality of where they were hit Taylor like cold water. He pulled back quickly, stammering, “I—I’m sorry.” Then, almost in the same breath, “No, I’m not sorry about the kiss—it was amazing. Just… the location… even if that’s kinda hot in its own way…” Taylor bit his lip, searching for the right words.

Will’s laugh rumbled deep in his chest, low and sinful. Taylor glanced at him—lips swollen, neck flushed where Taylor had kissed and marked him, eyes hazy and dreamy. For a moment, Taylor wanted nothing more than to take a picture, to hold onto that sight forever.

“I guess I should head inside,” Taylor said reluctantly, clutching the stuffed unicorn over his lap like a shield. He reached for the door handle, but Will’s arm shot out, stopping him.

“You’re not gonna ignore me again at school, are you?” Will asked softly. There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice, a kind of vulnerability that didn’t match the confident boy Taylor thought he knew.

And suddenly Taylor hated his past self—for every moment he’d made Will feel less than certain, less than wanted.

Taylor kissed Will softly.

“If I ever act like that again, you have my permission to hit me,” he said, trying to sound playful.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Will replied, brushing his thumb across Taylor’s cheek.

Taylor leaned in for another kiss.

“So… does this mean you’re officially my boyfriend now?” he asked, laughing shyly.

“You want me to be?” Will’s eyes searched his.

Taylor’s smile widened. “You can bet on it.”

Will tugged him closer by the collar of his shirt, kissing him deeply. “Then you’d better go now,” he murmured against Taylor’s lips, “or I won’t let you leave.”

Gathering his things, Taylor stepped out of the car, a smile stretching across his face that refused to fade. He felt like he was floating, lighter than air.

He waved at Will until the car’s taillights vanished in the distance. Half-skipping along the path to his front door, he slipped inside—blissfully unaware that his father had been watching from the spot he was using to sneak a cigarette. Watching the goodbye. Watching the way Taylor returned home in different clothes than the ones he had left in.