Transcendental (Working Title) Completed First Draft Revising Rewriting Editing

Rules for Kissing

Devlin's POV

It was the night before the big game, we were playing their rivals from Central. After practice, the team had gathered over at Michaels since it was the closest to the pizza joint they had gone to and is located a little back into the woods, had plenty of outside area if while going through playbook sequences, they wanted to demonstrate one of the sneaks plays they developed with quick-change hand signals on the fly.

The team piled into the vehicles they had come in and departed. Michael's mom was absent, as usual, she was barely around nowadays. Michael and I were always together anyway, this just meant that Michael spent more time at my house, and when he was at home, I was usually there with him. So there wasn't much change in my habits.

Mom had sent over a couple of pans of lasagna and I had hit up the store and got some snacks and drinks since the kitchen was always empty now.

Michael, as usual, was hanging out in front of the fridge standing there with a fork and a pan, wolfing down the cold lasagna. I couldn't help it and wrinkled my nose in disgust, "don't know how you eat it cold like that man." Michael just shook his head at me "You don't know what your missing Dev." He said around bites. "I'll take a hard pass, besides, don't know how your eating again, you practically ate that large cheese pie all to yourself, I'm still stuffed." I groaned and patted my still overly full stomach. Michael shrugged and shoveled in the last bite, looking down almost regretful now that it was all gone.

"Relax, there are three more pans in there, mom knows your bottomless pit and planned for it." Michael grinned and cleaned the kitchen quick grabbed a Gatorade for each of us and we headed off to the bedroom.

For some unknown reason, I found myself appreciating the way Michael looked with the loose shorts slung down low on his hips as he walked off to the bedroom. The way his back muscles moved when he walked, I chalked it up to physique envy. That must be it I thought to myself as my eyes dropped to Michael's exceptional ass. Yep, was just a little physique envy, that's what it was. I thought as I followed him to get ready for bed.

As we went through their bedtime routines, I noticed Michael had gotten quiet and was shuffling around me nervously. I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut, it was always better to let Michael work up his nerve or I ran the risk of either Michael claiming he didn't have anything to say, then he would go in the opposite direction and eventually have himself a freak out about whatever was bothering him. 

I flopped onto the bed and sprawled out with one arm behind my head, following Michael's trek around the room as Michael busied himself straightening up, picking up clothes, sniff testing to sort, then he huffed. OK, he definitely had something to say, Michael never picked up his room.

Finally, Michael was standing awkwardly beside the bed, fidgeting like a crackhead. I suppressed a smile, I could guess what he was about to ask. Michael mumbled quietly "So um. was wondering if um. " He swallowed and fidgeted, "If it might be OK to maybe." His voice dropped to a whisper Devlin had to strain to hear "c-cuddle...?" Then more words rushed out quickly, "Just for a minute or two?" Then he stared down at the floor obviously feeling awkward. I scooted over and patted my shoulder, "Of course, see how easy that was?" Michael smiled brightly, his dimple peeking out. Since Michael's father's death and his mom basically dropping any sense of responsibility towards her son, those bright dimpled smiles were fewer and further between. It gave me a warm sense of contentment to be responsible for this particular smile. Michael crawled in and stretched out along my side, tucking himself in shyly. I curled my arm around him, pulling him in closer, smiling to myself as I felt the tension ease out of my friend and heard a quiet "Thank you", whispered into my chest. I ruffled Michaels curls softly, "No problem man."