"Lets play truth or dare," James says.
"I haven't played truth or dare since middle school," Alex says, rolling his eyes.
"Could be fun," Will says shrugging. "Don't be boring, Alex." Alex groans and downs the last of his drink.
"Fine," he relents. "James, get me another drink." He nudges his friend's side with his socked foot.
"Get it yourself," James mutters, but Alex pushes him with his foot again and James gives in. He takes Alex's glass and gets up to mix him a drink
"Are you guys gonna play?" James asks George and Fraser, cautiously carrying Alex's drink back to him. George shrugs.
"Might as well," Fraser says.
"James should go first," Alex says. "He's the one who suggested it."
"I think Alex should go first," James counters. He expects Alex to push back, but he only shrugs.
"Alex, truth or dare?" Will asks.
"Truth," Alex says.
"Alright," Will says, he's silent for a moment, and then he starts laughing. "If you had the opportunity, would you shag James Charles?" Alex sighs heavily.
"Fuck off," he says. "I wouldn't."
"What's wrong with James Charles? He's a nice looking bloke," Fraser says.
"Nothing wrong with him," Alex says, shrugging. "Jus' not my type."
"You have a type?" James asks, perhaps a bit too curiously. "What's your type, Alex?" He sees Alex's face flush pink.
"I've already answered my question," he says. "Fraser? Truth or dare." Fraser chooses dare and Alex makes him drink half a glass of straight vinegar, which he doesn't even seem to mind strangely. Then it's James' turn.
"Truth or dare?" George asks. James takes no time to consider the decision.
"Dare." He says.
"Hmm, okay," George says thoughtfully. "Kiss somebody in this room, you can choose who. Not me though."
"That's easy," James says. He doesn't need time to consider this either. He grabs Alex's arm. "Alex?" Alex sighs and scoots closer to James, he doesn't know what makes him do it, but rather than making it quick he draws the kiss out, and it's a rough kiss too. He doesn't know what compels him to do it, but he knows that he could happily keep at it for a while.
George coughs and they break apart. Alex's lips are red and slick with spit, James' heart falters and he can't tear his eyes away.
"Ridiculous," he hears George mutter. He spends the rest of the night dazed and absent.
...
The kiss is easily pushed to the back of James' mind, the memory is fuzzy with alcohol and feels strangely surreal. He hardly remembers that it happened a week later.
They're all hanging out with Henry one night, drinking steadily as the evening wears on and George brings it up.
"Last time we got drunk together James kissed Alex," he tells him. James laughs as Henry's eyes widen in surprise.
"Why'd you do that?" He asks.
"Truth or dare," James shrugs.
"Mhmm," George mocks.
"What?" Alex says. "You were the one who told him to do it."
"Didn't tell him to kiss you specifically," George says, smirking. "And didn't tell him to kiss you like that."
"Like that? Like what?" Henry laughs. James grins wickedly.
"Well." James turns, cups Alex's face in his hand and pulls him into a bruising kiss, he feels Alex sink into it like he was expecting it. They break apart after a moment. "Like this." Everyone is staring at them, equal parts amused and shocked.
"Well now you don't have any excuse," George mutters.
"Yeah, mate," Will says. "Seems like you just like kissing Alex, doesn't it?" James feels his heart stutter and heat rush to his face.
"I'm just joking around," he mutters. "It's not gay or anything." Alex snorts.
"Mhm," George says. "Sure."
...
James doesn't want to think about kissing Alex, but it's hard not to, with Alex constantly right there in front of him being all confusingly pretty and constantly sitting himself down on James' lap or making jokes about wanting to fuck him.
If he really thinks about it, he supposes he does like kissing Alex. He like a lot of things about Alex. His exaggerated Adam's apple, his weird pointy teeth, his lisp for some reason that James can't understand. It's strange, because these aren't things that he'd usually find attractive, but when they're all combined to create Alex they drive him crazy.
He's not gay, though, he's not even sure if he's bi, it's just Alex. He doesn't like the way the realization makes him feel, like he's been ripped up from the ground and dropped into unfamiliar territory. He's dizzy, unsure of his footing. He's not exactly a player when it comes to girls, but at least he knows them, knows vaguely what to do when he's interested in one. But he's got no clue what to do now that he's interested in his male best friend.
James starts to avoid Alex for a little while, not in anyway that's rude or even noticeable. Just hangs around the apartment a little less, moves away from Alex when he tries to touch him, doesn't flirt so enthusiastically.
He's reluctant to go out to a club with Alex and Fraser when they invite him, because it seems as though whenever he drinks around Alex he ends up kissing him. James decides to go in the end, assures himself that he'll be able to exercise some self control.
It's fine for a while, Fraser and James sit around and drink while Alex makes a fool of himself dancing. James feels a dangerous sort of smile creeping up on him as he watches Alex, uncontrollable and affectionate.
As the night progresses Alex gets drunker and clingier, sidling up to James and putting his head on his shoulder, kissing him sloppily on the cheek. James lets it happen.
And then Fraser goes to the bathroom and Alex climbs into James' lap, sitting so he's facing him. James swallows hard.
"Hi," he says.
"Hi," Alex giggles. James' stomach churns anxiously, almost unthinkingly he moves his hands to Alex's back.
"You're cute when you're drunk,". James murmurs. Alex leans in, their noses push together for a second before they sort themselves out. James kisses him slowly, almost thoughtfully. It feels like the most natural thing in the world, easy and inevitable.
"I like this new thing. Kissing each other when we're drunk," Alex admits softly, playing with the ties on James' sweatshirt.
"I like kissing you too," James says, his heart thrumming nervously in his throat. "I'd like to kiss you when I'm sober probably." It's probably only a second before Alex responds, but it feels as if the silence hangs in the air for an eternity.
"Yeah?" He says, grinning. He buries his face in James' shoulder. "That's kind of gay, James."
"Yeah," James laughs, a bit breathlessly. "Kind of."
