wikihow to kiss a boy

(iii)

He hurries a little way out into the corridor, and knocks straight into Tim before he can even answer his phone.

'Oh, hey,' says Tim. 'I've been looking for you for ages. Where've you been?'

'Looking for you.'

'You could've called.' Tim rolls his eyes, grinning.

'I have no data.'

'Get someone to hotspot you, then. I forgot you're broke.'

'Well, I guess I found you now.' Conner changes the subject.

'No shit, Sherlock.'

'Fuck you, Watson.'

'Are you drunk yet? You sound it.'

'Not as much as I'd like to be.'

'You seen Jason? He's practically comatose.'

'Not gonna lie, this isn't a great party.'

'Honestly, yeah. I'll tell Dick to get somewhere with a pool next time.'

'Stop flexing, Tim.'

'I'm not even that rich, Kon. You're just hugely broke by comparison.'

'Bruce is literally one of the richest people on the planet.'

'And Jason can't even afford a new TV because Bruce refuses to pay for it. Anyway, you find anyone else?'

'They're all in there.' Conner gestures up the corridor. 'I think they're going to play Spin the Bottle.' He pauses, gauging Tim's reaction.

Tim hesitates. 'You going to play?'

'Don't know. I might if you will.'

Tim slides down the wall, sitting cross-legged and yawning. 'Give me a minute.'

Conner sits down next to him, trying to figure out something intelligent to say. Alcohol is probably clouding his brain.

Tim shuts his eyes. He must be tired. They'll probably head back soon, especially since Conner is kind of done with this party. He's not completely sure about playing Spin the Bottle, either. It sounds dumb for a fourteen-year-old to admit, but he's never played Spin the Bottle before. It was always a game played at the kind of parties he either didn't get invited to or just didn't turn up for. Smallville's not exactly party central, though.

(He hopes Tim doesn't assume it's just because nobody's kissed him before. Because that actually isn't true. There have been several girls in the past, and one semi-drunk crash course in kissing from a fit guy in a bar in Gotham. Which probably wasn't the best grounds for a first kiss, but at least Conner would consider himself a semi-decent kisser. He's not hugely worried about embarrassing himself, but he's kind of worried about who he might have to kiss.)

Tim opens one eye. 'Kon?'

'Yeah?'

'Look, this is probably going to sound embarrassing as hell, but... uh. Promise me you won't laugh, right?'

'I promise,' says Conner, though he's kind of terrified about what Tim might say. It's the sort of party where literally anything could have happened.

'I've never kissed anyone before. And that is why I'm lowkey terrified of playing Spin the Bottle.'

Conner is surprised. He's relieved first (it could've been worse) but then he's surprised. Tim Drake-Wayne has never kissed anyone before? He's a Wayne. He could probably get action anywhere he wanted. And besides, it's not like he's unattractive. (He could probably be considered hot. Not that Conner thinks he's hot, or anything, but he's kind of hot.)

'You're fourteen, though. You have time,' says Conner.

'I think Jason and Dick were both about ten their first times, but yeah.'

'It's Spin the Bottle, though. You don't exactly have to kiss the other person well .'

Tim sighs. 'You're probably right, but I would literally have no clue. And I'm too scared to ask the internet.'

'WikiHow it, right?'

Tim smiles. 'Yep. WikiHow to Kiss Someone. I feel like this would probably go into sketchy territory real fast.'

'You're not wrong. The amount of totally innocent stuff I've searched and come up with really dodgy results -'

'Let's not go there.' Tim raises an eyebrow. 'But, uh - I was going to ask you about it, actually. This already seems super awkward, but, uh, do you have any tips?'

'Nice to see you assuming I kiss people all the time.'

Tim flushes. 'Get over yourself.'

'I think it's kind of recommended to learn by doing. So, uh, my advice would be to play Spin the Bottle.'

'Do I go tongue?'

'I don't even know. Depends what the other guy does. Like, if you're not comfortable with that, don't. If the other person isn't a complete dick, they'll understand. And, like, tilt your head sideways so you don't smash noses.'

'Which way? Is there a set way?'

'Whichever way leads to you not smacking heads, Tim. It's not like you're being marked out of ten.'

'They don't teach that at Gotham Academy.' Tim grins.

'Damn, because they sure teach it at Smallville.'

'Oh yeah, and you're an expert.'

'I have six and a half Michelin stars in kissing.'

'And none in maths.'

'You want me to teach you how to kiss people or not? Shut up, Wonder Boy.' Conner gently pushes Tim's shoulder.

'Okay. Sorry. Is there anything else I need to know?' Tim's voice is serious again. Conner wouldn't be surprised if he started taking notes. This is his Robin brain, smart and logical and calculating.

'Don't overthink it,' says Conner, leaning back and talking more quietly now. 'It's - it's not something you have to do perfectly every time. It's more the thought that counts. And if someone really likes you, they won't care if you're a bad kisser. They'd give you a second chance, or as many as you needed.'

Conner is suddenly aware that he and Tim are very close. There's barely inches between their faces. Tim's eyes seem very blue. Conner gets a strange urge to brush Tim's hair out of his eyes. And perhaps an urge to do more than that.

Tim holds his gaze, lips slightly parted.

'So you just do it?' he says.

'Yeah. It's probably an idea to ask first, but yeah.'

'Okay.' Tim pauses.

Then he whispers, 'You want to try it out?'