Hedon

Hedon - Chapter 2

  The atmosphere was awkward as hell. There was a movie quietly playing on the tv, three feet between Caston and Malachi on the couch, and a half eaten pizza on the table.
  It had been two weeks since Caston imagined Malachi's mouth around his dick, during which he got walked in on by the boy himself. It hadn't been brought up once in the many times they've hung out between then and now.
  "That um.." Malachi cleared his throat. "When- when you.." He cleared his throat again. "You don't think something is ever gonna happen between us..do you?"
  Caston held back a humorless laugh. "I don't expect it to, no. Why do you ask?"
  "Because you- you were like...getting off to me."
  Caston scoffed. "You walked in on me while I was jacking off. I noticed and pulled the same shit on you that you pull on me."
  "What in the hopes that I'd get turned on and throw myself at you?" Malachi mimicked Caston's sound.
  "I was just having some fun." Caston looked to Malachi and smirked. "You're not the only one who likes being watched."
  "Yeah, I noticed. You like watching yourself as well, huh?"
  Caston raised a brow. "Damn, you really paid close attention, didn't you Mr. Straight Boy? That was like two weeks ago and you seem to remember every detail."
  "Yeah, because I was traumatized."
  "Traumatized my ass. You liked it. Admit it."
  "Can we just stop talking about it please?" Malachi sighed.
  "You're the one who brought it up." Caston chuckled.
  "I um..I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I know you're gonna have your.. moments, but uh..lock the door next time or something. You can get off to me as much as you want, but I'd rather not know about it."
  Caston couldn't tell if he wanted to punch, kiss, or kill Malachi. Deciphering his emotions felt like trying to draw with a box of crayons under red lighting. Fucking difficult.
  "Do you have any alcohol?" Caston asked, trying to be a normal friend and forget about the awkwardness and tension.
  "We're seventeen." Malachi chuckled.
  "So? You've never drank before?"
  "Obviously I've had a drink before, but no, my mom doesn't keep any in the house."
  "My dad does."
  "Is that your way of suggesting that we go over to your house?" Malachi looked to Caston for the first time since the awkward tension set in. Why it happened suddenly was still a mystery to Caston, but he tried to push it away.
  Caston shrugged. "I'm going because I want a drink. Whether you come along or not is your decision."
  "Like..right now?"
  "No, when both our parents are home from work. Yes right now." Caston rolled his eyes.
  Caston walked over to the front door and slipped his shoes on, turning to face an indecisive looking Malachi. "You coming or not?"
  "You have a motorcycle."
  "Is big muscular straight jock boy afraid of my motorcycle?" Caston raised a brow.
  "No." Malachi rolled his eyes. "I just mean like.. how are we both supposed to...fit?"
  "We are gonna have to touch. I hope that's okay." Caston said over dramatically, using his hands for emphasis.
  "Don't fucking patronize me." Malachi rolled his eyes and shoved his feet into a pair of his shoes at the front door. "Let's go."
  Caston mounted the vehicle and turned the key.
  "Did you just leave that in there?" Malachi asked.
  "Yeah, it's just in the neighborhood." Caston shrugged.
  He grabbed the helmet off the handle bars and held it out to Malachi. "Beginner gets the skull protection. If we crash, I'd like people to know I did the best to protect my passenger."
  Malachi's eyes widened slightly.
  "We're not gonna crash." Caston rolled his eyes. "I'm a pro. And my house is only like three streets away."
  "Cool. Then let's walk." Malachi held the helmet back out to Caston.
  Caston took it and then put it over Malachi's head, fastening it. "No. Hop on."
  Malachi hesitantly put his leg over the vehicle and immediately leaned forward onto Caston.
  "Just hold on, you'll be fine." Caston flicked the kickstand up with his foot and revved forward. Malachi tightened his arms around Caston, the sudden movement knocking air out of his lungs, "Holy shit! This is fucking terrifying!"
  Caston chuckled, the sound barely heard over the motorcycle and the wind it created.
  "Woah! That's literally my dick!" Caston moved Malachi's hand back up to his mid torso, his one-handed hold on the handlebar making the vehicle swerve.
  "Holy shit! Don't do that!" Malachi's fingertips dug into Caston's ribcage as it shook with laughter.
  "We're here. You can calm down now." Caston turned the roaring vehicle off, no longer needing to raise his voice.
  "I.." Malachi hopped down and ripped the helmet off of his head, "am never..doing that..again."
  Caston chuckled, flicking the kickstand down and joining Malachi on the slab of sidewalk in front of his house.
  "We still have to go back."
  "I'm good. I'll walk. Three streets that way?" Malachi pointed in the wrong direction. Caston grabbed his wrist and relocated his pointed finger in the direction they came from.
  "Right. That way."
  "No way. You'll get lost apparently." Caston slowly walked up the narrow, mossy, trodden down concrete. Malachi rolled his eyes and followed Caston reluctantly.
  "Welcome to my humble humble home." Caston motioned his arms to the quaint interior. Caston turned to Malachi, as he stayed frozen in the doorway, "You can come in. It's not haunted."
  Malachi closed the door gently and took two steps inside. "Are you sure we should do this? Will your dad not notice that some is missing?" Malachi asked as the clanking of bottles came from the kitchen.
  "My dad doesn't keep tabs on how much alcohol he has at all times." Caston exited the kitchen, two six packs in hand. "And even if he did, he wouldn't care. He knows that I drink. He said 'as long as you don't do hard drugs, assault people, or drive under the influence I don't care what you do.' So we're good."
  "You better keep your hands to yourself, then."
  "Are you implying that I've assaulted you?" Caston huffed out a laugh.
  "Not yet."
  "I fucking swear, Malachi. You're not the center of the universe, you know that? There are other guys that I find attractive. Guys that will be into me like I'm into them. You.." Caston stepped forward. "Aren't shit."
  "Tell that to your dick."
  Caston laughed, inching closer, his boots once again making him feel taller than Malachi. "Like you have any room to talk."
  "That wasn't because of you." Malachi rolled his eyes and put more space between them.
  "Oh really? What was it, then? Your teammates insulting you? Your horribly animated game? The coke spilling onto your lap?" Caston continued moving closer to Malachi, the latter now backed against the front door. "Or was it the guy sitting on your desk?"
  "You're full of yourself."
  "I'm full of myself?" Caston raised his eyebrows. "You're the one worried that I'm going to assault you just because I'm into guys. Let me tell you something, Malachi. I have never wanted to assault someone less than I do in this moment. You're the one full of yourself when you're just a carbon copy of every misogynistic, homophobic straight guy that you're friends with!"
  Caston moved both six packs into one hand and reached around Malachi to open the door. He put the drinks into his compartment box and tugged the helmet over his head. "See you at home. I think that walk will actually do you some good." Caston turned his key and sped away towards Malachi's house, leaving him behind.