↔IMPULSE↔

↔Confessing↔

Archie had told Gabe Reese and Blake were dating, but seeing them kiss now compared to eighth grade was completely different.

It made everyone feel like they were intruding when Blake and Reese kiss. Clinging to each other, ignoring everyone else. It also seemed like they were very used to this. Gabe unconsciously looked over at Archie who was smirking in his brother's direction as he sipped his beer.

The party ended a little before two in the morning, Gabe was walking to Archie's truck with him. Gabe was spending the night with Archie completely alone for the first time. Reese would be camping with Blake and his parents were in Oregon for their university friends' wedding. They were home alone. It was weird though, Gabe wasn't nervous, Archie was a good friend.

Neither one of them got hammered at the party like Nikki and Doria, they were in the kitchen, Gabe sat on a bar stool while Archie rummaged through the fridge like a starving raccoon. Gabe was smiling to himself, looking at Archie as he found pudding cups in a drawer and had a victorious grin. He tossed a vanilla pudding cup at Gabe while he got spoons.

He absentmindedly ate his pudding while he wondered how Blake and Reese's relationship had changed from friends to lovers. Who made the first move? How did the other respond? They were pretty gutsy to stake their friendship on the relationship.

A penny slid across the counter, "penny for your thoughts?"

Gabe picked it up and laughed, "do you walk around with a bunch of pennies in your pocket?"

"Only with you. Now, what are you thinking?"

"How friends turn into lovers," Gabe spun the penny on the counter top.

Archie put his pudding down, "anyone in particular you're thinking of?"

"Reese and Blake." The penny clattered as it fell over, "it must've been weird to change from normal friends to y'know, sleeping together."

Archie gave a lazy smile, "you think about sex a lot, Gabriel."

Gabe rolled his eyes, "I'm a teenage boy. What did you think about when you were a high schooler?"

Cracking a smile, "existentialism. Theology."

Gabe laughed, "I highly doubt that."

Archie hopped up and sat on the counter, "I thought about it enough to major in it."

"Wait, you're majoring in theology?"

"Uh-huh, what did you think I was studying? Music?" Gabe nodded, "Haha, nah, music is something to do while I'm still young and beautiful."

Gabe muttered, "someone doesn't have image issues."

Archie laughed and dipped his finger in Gabe's pudding cup and sucked it off his finger. "You think I'm hot."

Blushing a little, "so?"

His laughter was bubbly and he patted Gabe's head, "you're so cute, Gabriel."

"Shut up!" Gabe fumed and huffed.

They finished eating their pudding cups and went upstairs to Archie's room, it seemed since Gabe had been coming over more it was becoming cleaner, Gabe began stripping off his sandy clothes and tossing them in the laundry hamper.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, "you've been eating less." Gabe jumped and turned faced Archie, arms still locked around him. "I can see everything on you," Archie brought a hand up and touched Gabe's prominent collarbone while the other slipped down his spine, Gabe let out a shuddering breath.

"Kn-knock it off, Archie," he said pulling away and climbing into Archie's bed in his boxers. Archie sighed and got into bed as well, not wrapping himself around Gabe like he usually did.

Out of nowhere, "why do you like Doria?"

Gabe smiled at the ceiling, "he's nice, funny, reliable, hot...but he is probably the straightest guy I've ever met, so he'll never like me like that."

"Then you should like me instead."

Silence suspended in the dark room, Gabe could barely breathe out, "what?"

"I'm nice, funny, reliable, hot, and I like you, Gabriel."

Gabe's heart stopped, Archie had to be joking, "don't screw with me, Archie."

Suddenly, Archie rolled over and was propped over him with a knee between Gabe's legs, he pressed his lips to Gabe's and they kissed for a second time. Archie's kiss was still sweet from the pudding and Gabe felt overwhelmed like he was going to be consumed entirely, a not entirely unwelcome feeling.

Gabe responded to the kiss, his tongue sliding against Archie's. Archie's kiss was addictive and mind-numbing, half of his weight was pressed on Gabe, his skin was hot against Gabe's. He pulled back and rested their foreheads together, his breath caressing Gabe's face. "Does it look like I'm screwing with you, Gabriel."

Shaking his head a little, Archie's lips crashed back into his. Gabriel wrapped his arms around Archie, Archie broke away from his lips and kissed along his jaw and down his neck. Gabe shivered and moaned, this wasn't like their first kiss, it was steamy and made Gabe crave more. Archie pulled away and rolled off of Gabe leaving him a little confused as to why he stopped.

"I like you, Gabriel, so forget Doria and like me back." Gabe rolled on his side so he was nose-to-nose with Archie, he could barely make out his face in the dark. His arm slipped around Gabe and tugged him a little closer to hold him.

The first thing that came to his mind was, "how long?"

"The beginning. Sorry, I had ulterior motives," Archie said but he didn't sound too guilty. 

Gabe laughed and wrapped his arms around Archie, he smelled salty from sweat and seawater and a little smokey from the bonfire. It was really late so neither of them had showered, but Gabe didn't mind the smell, he probably smelled worse. 

Archie snuggled closer, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. Gabe could feel his face burning, Archie liked him? But Archie was super good-looking and older and in a band, he was every teenage girl's dream, hell, he was dreamy even for Gabe. Archie was a really nice guy and whenever Gabe is sick he's right there next to him, Gabe knew Dory would never like him in that manner.

The smaller boy leant forward and pecked Archie's lips, he knew he took Archie by surprise. Gabe smiled, "I think I want to give you a chance."

Warm lips pressed against his, excitement bubbled in Gabe until it came out as a giggle against Archie's lips. Does this mean they were dating? Could Gabe say that at two weeks until his sixteenth birthday, he got his first boyfriend? He brushed the thoughts away and completely lost himself in the kiss. 

Sleepovers with Archie were bound to get more fun from here on out.