↔IMPULSE↔

↔The Day Before↔

Time flew by until there was a week before Blake's flight.

Blake and Reese were practically joined at the hip for the past couple weeks. They were constantly sleeping over at each other's houses, Nikki was still prying but not as viciously as before, more like a chihuahua than a rottweiler. Being with Reese became as natural as breathing and it felt like something was missing when he wasn't around. As the end of the week approached, Blake was getting increasingly anxious about leaving. He didn't want to leave.

On Friday, he sat on the grass with Reese during lunch while waiting for Dory and Nikki to get out the cafeteria. They had their gross, school chicken nuggets and stale, wavy fries that had to be drowned in ketchup to become edible. It was nice and sunny outside, not too hot.

Dory and Nikki plopped down with their food and Nikki sighed as she looked at what barely passed as a nugget, and was hopefully chicken. "I think they're slowly trying to poison us."

Reese shrugged and popped a ketchup covered nugget in his mouth, Dory cringed, "how can you even eat that?" He opened up the "vegetarians'" choice with was a limp salad, Dory was by no means a vegetarian but the school's meat had dubious orgins.

The blond reached over and took a fry from Blake and munched on it. He could eat anything that wasn't sour, it was like he didn't have tastebuds.

Blake got a particularly disgusting bite of soggy breading and made a face, Reese chuckled and handed him his water bottle after taking a drink himself.

Dory reached for the bottle, feeling left out per usual. Blake laughed at him and licked the rim of the water bottle, "dude, gross!" Just to prove a point, Reese took another drink and smirked over at Dory.

Nikki was being oddly quiet, she poked her nuggets with an especially burnt fry and didn't take part in the conversation.

"Nik, you good?" Dory asked, touching her shoulder lightly.

She looked up and stared evenly at Blake, she quickly got to her feet and dragged Blake along with her, ordering Reese to stay when he went to follow. Blake allowed her to drag him to the side of the cafeteria where a couple stone's were sleeping.

"Nikki, what's up?"

"I saw you two."

Blake felt his stomach drop, he laughed nervously, she couldn't possibly know? "Wha-what do you mean?"

She raked her manicured nails through her blonde hair, "at Benny's Beef, I was in the drive-thru and I saw you two kiss."

"Ha, what are you talking about? Maybe you confused someone else--"

Nikki cut him off, "I've known you two for years, I can recognise you from twenty feet!"

Shit! "You know us, we were just screwing around."

"Fucking hell, Blake, stop fucking lying to me! You two were were all over each other! What's going on with you guys?"

Blake was tense and his heart was hammering, what could he say? "Um, it's...it's the bet. Yeah, um, we're, uh, it's, umm...it's complicated. Nikki, can you please just forget all about it? Please don't tell anyone!"

She dropped her face into her hands, "I've kept it a secret this long, you know I've got your back, Blake."

He clasped her hands in his, "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Nikki opened her arms and Blake hugged her tightly, "it's okay, Blake. I won't tell anyone, you can talk to me about this, y'know?"

He nodded his head against her shoulder and relaxed, he couldn't believe that he and Reese had actually got caught, but then again, Reese disregarded time an place.

Blake pulked back to arms length and Nikki smiled warmly at him. She perched on her tip toes and kissed his forehead with sisterly affection, footsteps came to a shuffling stop.

Reese was standing with a look that was caught off-guard. "Oh, um, Blake, Mrs Erwin was, uh, looking for you. Sorry for...interrupting."

Before Blake could call out to him, Reese was already running back to Dory and lunch. Nikki looked at Blake a little worried she also sensed the misunderstanding in the making. "Shouldn't you go explain?"

Blake sighed and nodded, "I'll explain after school at my house."

Nikki was back to normal now that she confessed what she saw, she grinned wickedly, "so you'll have the privacy to kiss and make up?"

It was a breath of fresh air to be able to honestly talk about him and Reese. "Exactly."

She laughed then froze like she just thought of something. "Have you slept with him? Wait, were you the one receiving? Did it feel good?"

He was shocked by the rapid fire of questions and his face turned the colour of tomatoes, "what? Of course we haven't! How could something like that feel good, hang on, why would you assume I'm the one receiving?"

An innocent smile, "umm...no reason...but tell me, how good a kisser is Reese?"

Steam was coming from his ears at this point, "Nikki!"

Defensively, "come on! Friends share sexy deets, that kiss from his birthday party was insane and I can only imagine he's improved—"

Blake was going to die from mortification, "Nikki! Jesus Christ!"

"I'm right aren't I?" She asked deviously, Blake gave up and nodded slightly, his face flushing even more if possible and Nikki crowed with laughter. "I'm knew it!"

He waved her off, "bye, Nik."

"Bye!" They parted ways, Blake could still hear her laughing until it entered the building for class. Reese was sitting in his usual seat quietly, instead of his spaced out look, he looked annoyed.

Sitting next to him, "Reese, come over today."

"If you're bored, ask Nikki, " he said sourly.

Blake stood up and grabbed Reese's arm, "come with me."

"Why?"

"Reese Quincy Vaungh, come with me."

An irritated huff, he stood up and Blake led him by the arm to the empty closet that had copy paper, paper clips, pencils, markers, like a mini-office supply store. He flicked on the light and closed the door, locking it. 

"What do you want?" Reese asked.

Blake shoved him against the door and tilted his head up to meet his eyes, "stop with the pissy attitude, there's no reason for it!"

"You're right, anyways, we should just cancel the bet—"

"Admitting defeat?"

"No! I'm sure Nikki wouldn't want you hiding in a closet with another guy—"

Blake blurted out, "she saw us!"

Reese stopped with the furrowed brow and pout, he looked at Blake, "what?"

"She saw us kissing at the burger joint," Blake rested his forehead on Reese's collarbone. "Nik said it would be a secret, she's cool with it. So, please, don't misunderstand anything."

He loosely wrapped his arms around Blake and Blake did the same. Reese kissed his head, "I'm sorry for being a bit of a dick." Blake looked up and kissed him gently, a sweet, chaste kiss. Reese relaxed and returned the kiss with a soft breath as Blake parted his lips readily, coaxing Reese's tongue into his mouth.

Blake melted against Reese, his arms went around Reese's neck and twirled a piece of his hair around his finger. He smiled and murmured against the other boy's lips, "are you going to miss me?"

Reese laughed, "I will."

"Good," Blake hugged him, inhaling his scent as much as he could before he'd have to leave that night. "I'm going to miss you too."

He stroked Blake's brown hair, "I know."