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“First one to get into the pants of that hot little first year in the corner gets free alcohol for a month, on me.”
Even rolls his eyes as yet another asinine bet is made with his “friends” to try to hook up with seemingly impossible conquests at their latest party. At this point, he’s not sure why he stays with them. If they were stupid enough to unironically call themselves The Penetrators for Russ then they’re certainly not operating on the same wavelength as Even. He misses getting to talk about art or culture or literally anything else other than drinking and fucking but apparently that’s the only thing the guys at Nissen are capable of doing.
He casts a glance at the corner to find the “hot little first year” in question, expecting it to be another doe-eyed freshman girl, but his heart skips a beat as he zeros in on beautiful blond curls and a tantalizing cupid’s bow.
God, he’s beautiful.
Even’s attention is ripped away from the angel in the corner as Chris brushes by him to try his hand at charming the boy. Though, “charming” may be a bit of a stretch considering how brazen Chris’s tactics are when trying to hook up with someone. It doesn’t mean they’re not effective though, which is why Even starts getting more nervous the closer Chris gets to the corner.
Chris sidles up next to the boy smoothly, leaning against the wall with one arm raised above his head so he’s ever-so-slightly leaning over him. The boy startles at Chris’s closeness and his eyes widen as Chris starts speaking. Even is too far away to hear exactly what he’s saying but even from across the room he can tell that Chris is laying it on thick. The boy looks down again as Chris gets closer to him, leaning in to try to whisper in his ear, and it’s when Even sees the boy begin to shrink in on himself that he decides to take action.
He quickly crosses the room and walks right up to where Chris essentially has the boy cornered, loudly telling him, “Hey Chris, William wants to talk to you.”
Chris’s head snaps up and he frowns when he sees Even. His eyes slide over to the other side of the room to William, clearly engrossed in another conversation and not actually trying to seek him out. He narrows his eyes back at Even, well aware of what Even is trying to do. Even just raises his eyebrows at Chris in return. “Don’t wanna keep him waiting, so…”
Chris holds his stare for a second longer before rolling his eyes and pushing himself off the wall, muttering “Whatever” as he decides the free beer isn’t worth the fight Even is clearly willing to put up. Sighing in relief, Even turns back to the boy who still has his head down and his shoulders hunched, as if he’s bracing himself for another onslaught of unwanted inappropriate comments.
“Hey, are you okay?” Even asks as gently as he can while still being able to be heard over the music. The boy whips his head up and his eyes widen as he takes in Even from head to toe. Even lets him, reveling in the attention. After about fifteen seconds of the most blatant checking-out Even’s ever received, he raises his eyebrows and gives the boy a small smirk, “Well? Are you?”
The boy’s eyes quickly refocus on Even’s face and the most beautiful blush appears on his cheeks. Adorable. The boy shakes his head a bit as if to clear it. “Sorry, what?”
Even’s smirk blooms into a full-blown smile at how unbelievably cute this boy is being. “I asked you if you were okay.”
“Oh! Yeah I’m good. Fine.” The boy looks back down as he gives his answer, which just won’t do for Even. He wants to see this ethereal boy smile and laugh, wants to see him come out of his shell and shine. Even thinks he knows just how to do that.
Even leans down, angling his head closer to the boy’s ear. “You wanna go somewhere a bit more private?” The boy snaps his head up to look at Even with the widest eyes possible before zeroing in on the joint Even removed from behind his ear. For the briefest second, Even could’ve sworn he saw a flash of something like disappointment in the boy’s eyes when he realized what Even was really asking, but that could’ve just been the lighting in the room. He’s not gonna get his hopes up too soon. He still doesn’t even know the boy’s name.
Even does know, however, that he has to take things slow with the boy if he hopes to get anywhere with him. Chris’s aggressive flirting clearly didn’t work on him before so Even has to take a much more tactful approach. He gives the boy time to make his decision instead of just turning to leave, telling him to follow Even and expecting him to do it, like he might have done with someone else.
The boy seems to snap out of his thoughts relatively quickly though, giving Even a shy smile and a nod. He even gets a bit bold, raising his chin up and telling Even “Lead the way” which Even is so on board with. If this is just a teaser for what’s to come of the boy’s personality, he can’t wait to see the rest.
Even leads them outside to the backyard towards a secluded area with a bench. Instead of sitting on it like a normal person, however, Even hops up to sit on the back of it. He smiles as the boy does the same, sitting close to Even but not close enough to press up against him. Yet Even thinks as he lights the joint and takes a drag.
“So what’s your name?” Even asks as he exhales the smoke into the night sky.
“Isak.” The boy—Isak replies. Isak. What a perfect name for a perfect person. “What about you?”
Their fingers brush as Even passes Isak the joint and Even feels a thrill go up his spine. How can he already be this affected by such minimal contact from a person he’s only just learned the name of? Which reminds him- “I’m Even.”
Isak gives a small smile as he exhales his hit. “Nice to meet you, Even,” and God he really sounds like he means it, too. It’s tugging at all the right heart strings in Even, making him want to listen to Isak talk for hours.
They spend some time covering basic things; what they’re studying, what music they listen to, weird teacher stories they have. And it’s lovely. Even genuinely can’t remember having such a lovely time at a party with anyone before.
They pass the joint back and forth, fingers brushing again every once in a while which almost always elicits the cutest little smile and blush from Isak that absolutely wrecks Even’s heart every time he sees it. The more he focuses on Isak’s face, the more he notices how Isak’s eyes seem to be drawn to Even’s lips every time Even sucks on the joint. As it gets down to its last few hits, Even realizes his window of opportunity to make a move on Isak is rapidly closing, so he decides fuck it and asks, “Have you ever shotgunned before?”
“Like…a beer?” Isak asks confusedly, and how adorably naïve is that? Even can’t help but huff out a small laugh.
“No, with weed. You basically take a hit and pass the smoke between your mouth and someone else’s. It’s supposed to get you higher quicker.” Even tries to explain it as nonchalantly as he can, not wanting to intimidate Isak by being too forward, but in reality he’s shaking apart on the inside from nerves and want.
Isak, predictably, blushes at the explanation. “Oh. Uh, no. I haven’t,” he stutters out as he looks back down. By now, Even’s figured out that Isak tends to do that when he doesn’t know what to do with himself. He’s worried he’s already fucked this up somehow but he’s also not about to back out now before he even gets the chance to take the plunge.
Even stays silent, waiting for Isak to look up. When he finally does, Even steels himself, looks Isak directly in the eyes and asks “Do you want to?”
Isak’s eyes widen and he seems to freeze for a heart-stopping moment (Even’s already devising a million ways to punish himself for his own stupidity before he’s finished asking the question) before, by some miracle, Isak shakily nods his head.
Not expecting to get this far, Even’s hands tremble a bit from nerves as he takes the first hit, taking a long pull from the joint before leaning in to exhale the smoke into Isak’s mouth. He takes care not to touch lips because, despite how badly he wants to just capture Isak’s perfect cupid’s bow between his teeth, he doesn’t want to scare him off.
Isak shudders at his closeness and takes a stuttered inhale as he tries to pull the smoke into his lungs. A lot of it gets lost in the air around them but that’s to be expected considering they don’t have the seal of their lips to trap it all in. Isak leans back and holds his breath for a few moments before letting it go, leaving Even mesmerized by the halo the smoke seems to make around Isak’s head. Fit for an angel.
They lock eyes as Even offers the joint to Isak. Even lifts an eyebrow in a slight challenge, not able to resist teasing Isak a bit. Something shifts in Isak’s eyes then, however. Even catches the look of determination that passes over Isak’s face before he looks down at Even’s hand to take the joint. His fingers brush against Even’s just as they have been all night, but this time it feels more deliberate. Even’s suspicion is confirmed when Isak takes his time practically caressing Even’s fingers with his own as he slowly removes the joint from Even’s grip.
Turning forward so his profile is facing Even again, Isak brings the joint up to his frankly enrapturing lips and takes a hit, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as he lets the smoke fill his lungs. Even can’t help but be awestruck by the picture Isak paints. There’s a serenity in his face that hasn’t been there all night and Even never wants to see it go away.
Once Isak’s pulled in all the smoke he can, he sits there for a moment, his head still tilted up and eyes still closed, a slight frown of contemplation gracing his face before he seems to come to a decision. He turns and locks eyes with Even once again, a resolute look on his face as he scoots his body closer so that his thigh is nestled right up against Even’s.
As Isak leans in to release the smoke into Even’s mouth his hand covers Even’s which has been resting on the bench to keep his balance. Even is so caught off guard by the warmth of Isak’s soft hand on his own that he doesn’t even realize that Isak is breathing the hot smoke into his mouth and their lips are touching now holy shit.
In a mimicry of Isak earlier, Even shakily stutters in a breath, both to catch the smoke and to try to get some air back into his lungs. They’re barely grazing each other, but Even can tell Isak’s lips are unbelievably soft. Their lips rub against one another ever so slightly as either Isak or Even (who can even tell at this point) leans in just a bit. He’s not sure if it’s the weed or just the experience of finally having Isak so close to him, but Even’s lips feel like they’re more sensitive than they’ve ever been. Feeling Isak’s lips barely moving against his own sends shockwaves down his spine and he knows he’s not the only one feeling them as Isak’s body shivers in kind.
When Isak finally runs out of breath he slowly leans back, but not too far away, as Even opens his eyes that he didn’t even realize had closed in the first place. His mouth is still hanging open, which is probably not super attractive, and he knows he has a completely dazed look on his face as he stares into Isak’s eyes.
Bolstered by the confidence of finally having the upper hand for once, Isak gets even more daring and, instead of handing the joint back to Even, he lifts it up and places it against Even’s mouth, his fingers rubbing against Even’s plush lips as Even puckers them and takes the final hit. They stare each other down, neither boy daring to look away as Even’s lips slide off the filter. Even is absolutely enchanted by Isak’s soft features in the moonlight, making him look even more angelic than before. He holds his breath, holds the smoke in his lungs to chase the high, but he feels like the look Isak is currently giving him, full of desire, gets him higher than the weed ever could.
Even takes the finished joint from Isak’s hand to get one final stroke in as he leans in to touch his lips more solidly to Isak’s than last time. Somehow the feeling of their lips meeting intensifies, setting off fireworks in Even’s stomach and a delicious heat that spreads throughout his whole body. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re closer than ever before, maybe it’s the newfound knowledge that Isak wants this just as bad as Even, but either way this particular pass is driving Even absolutely wild. He can feel Isak’s chest expanding against his own as he pulls in the smoke. He can feel Isak’s grip on his hand get tighter every time Even shifts slightly, causing their mouths to move against each other in the most subtle imitation of a kiss. And that thought, the thought of getting to actually kiss Isak for real, has Even’s stomach clenching and his arms breaking out into goosebumps.
When Even feels the tip of Isak’s tongue shyly brush against his lower lip, he’s done. He throws the used up joint on the ground and grips Isak’s thigh which has, at this point, basically overlapped Even’s. Even turns his head to the side a bit to quickly blow away the rest of the smoke from his mouth which elicits a small but cutely confused noise from Isak. Even quickly returns his mouth to Isak’s, just barely grazing his lips against his. He shudders at the sensation, hand tightening its grip around the inside of Isak’s thigh as a wave of lust washes over him. He doesn’t think he could stop the next words out of his mouth if he tried, his brain absolutely fried from the memory of Isak’s slick tongue against his lip.
“Fuck, I really want to kiss you right now Isak.”
A pause, a stuttered breath, and then:
“So why don’t you.”
With that green light, Even dives back in and finally, finally gets to capture that perfect cupid’s bow between his teeth, just as he’s been fantasizing about all night. Even brings his other hand not currently occupied by Isak’s thigh to the back of Isak’s head, running his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and pulling Isak in even closer. Even’s lips get a better grip on Isak’s and Even honestly cannot believe this is happening right now. He never thought he’d get the chance to talk to Isak, let alone kiss him. Maybe he really has died and gone to heaven.
Isak lets out a gasp as Even pulls away, dragging Isak’s lip with his own. They’re so close Even can feel every hot breath Isak pants against his lips. Even doesn’t get very far before Isak is following him, crashing his mouth against Even’s eagerly. There’s more movement with the kiss this time, Even taking the opportunity to run the tip of his tongue against the seam of Isak’s lips. Isak lets out a harsh breath through his nose at that before opening his mouth a bit, letting Even snake his tongue in to curl around Isak’s. And if the sensation of feeling Isak’s hot, wet mouth moving against his own wasn’t enough to push Even to the verge of passing out (though it so, so is), the whimper Isak lets out in response most definitely does. Even captures Isak’s tongue and gently sucks on it, desperately wanting to elicit more of those noises from Isak, and Isak doesn’t disappoint, with his higher pitched moans harmonizing with Even’s lower groans.
Even is on fire. His whole body feels like its about to spontaneously combust from Isak licking into his mouth and giving the gentlest nips to his lips as they continue kissing for what feels like hours but in reality is probably a couple of minutes. When Even finally breaks away from Isak just to try to get some much needed oxygen back into his body, he rests his forehead against Isak’s, both of them panting hotly into each other’s mouths.
Even really doesn’t want to end the night here but he knows they can’t continue making out like this, especially considering they’re still technically in public, no matter how secluded the bench may be. Even’s not too keen on getting caught outside with a first year and a boner, even if that first year makes him forget the rest of the world exists when they’re near each other.
“Do you want to go upstairs?” Even asks as he slides his hand from the back of Isak’s head to the side of his face, thumb sweetly stroking the soft skin underneath Isak’s hypnotizing eyes. Eyes which have once again widened in shock at Even’s proposition. They seem to be doing that a lot tonight.
After what feels like ages, Isak finally lets out a breathy “Sure” and Even takes his hand as they get up from the bench to make their way back inside. They have to battle their way through a sea of sweaty bodies, causing Even to squeeze Isak’s hand tighter so they don’t lose each other. Isak’s hand never fails to squeeze back just as hard, making butterflies erupt in Even’s stomach and a dopey smile appear on his face. He catches the eyes of some of The Penetrators, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at all of them giving him lewd looks and thumbs-ups as Even finally breaks through the other side of the makeshift dancefloor. He tugs on Isak’s hand one more time to pull him closer as they head up the stairs to his bedroom. Even always hated hosting parties but at least he has his own room to flee to when things get to be a bit too much for him.
Luckily there’s no one already in his room when he opens the door and lets Isak inside. He shuts and locks it behind him as Isak steps further into the room, checking out his desk and the small comic strips he made and hung up on his walls and closet. Even loves the little smile and laugh Isak huffs out as he asks, “These are cool. Did you draw them?”
“Yeah. Maybe I’ll draw you one someday,” Even winks as Isak looks back at him, smile still present and a happy gleam in his eyes. That gleam turns more serious when his eyes shift over to the bed, however, and his whole body seems to slowly tense up with nerves.
“So uh. I guess we should like…you know…” Isak says, gaze locked on the ground again which Even frowns at. He doesn’t know what changed so suddenly to make Isak get all shy again but he doesn’t like it. He’s also incredibly confused about Isak’s comment because he genuinely doesn’t know what he’s referring to.
“I’m not sure I do, actually?”
“I guess this is when we like, fuck or whatever,” Isak quickly mumbles, so quietly Even almost misses it. His eyebrows shoot up almost violently with how surprised he is at Isak’s response. He’s not gonna deny that he briefly fantasized about having Isak in his bed, getting to kiss every inch of his soft skin and seeing how many different sounds he could pull from him, but it certainly wasn’t what he had in mind when he invited him back up to his room. Although, looking back on it, that’s probably exactly how it sounded to Isak. Shit.
Wanting to quickly dispel any confusion, Even replies, “Oh I was hoping we could kind of just like…cuddle?”
Isak looks up at that, arms slightly wrapping around his middle and the faintest hint of a blush receding from high on his cheekbones. “Cuddle?”
Even is so out of his element here, feeling like the small world they created for themselves has gone a bit topsy-turvy with Isak’s insinuation of sex (or Even’s accidental insinuation of sex, would be more accurate). “Uh, yeah? Like we just chill in bed and…hold each other and stuff, I guess? We can still kiss too. I mean only if you want to,” Even quickly replies, nervously fidgeting with his hands. The same hands that got to hold Isak’s tonight his brain supplies, unbidden, causing a small smirk to crop up on Even’s face.
He can’t help that he’s a romantic at heart!
Isak gives him a confused look. “I know what cuddling is, I just…aren’t you guys known for hooking up with a bunch of people at parties?”
Even sighs. “Yeah, I guess we do have that reputation, huh? That’s what having Chris and his idiot friends in the group will do to you.” Even pauses, before continuing with a slight grimace, “And I guess being called ‘The Penetrators’ isn’t exactly a point in our favor either.”
Isak’s melodic laugh comes out as he takes in Even’s expression. “Please, don’t curb your enthusiasm on my account. You seem real happy with them.”
Even playfully rolls his eyes and shoots Isak a smirk. “Oh yeah, it’s a riot getting to hear them talk about boning girls and getting black out drunk all the time. Really scintillating conversation. We’re really more of an intellectual group, you know.” Isak laughs at that, too, finally relaxing as the tension in the room totally dissipates.
Even gestures towards the bed, giving Isak a small, genuine smile. “Shall we? I can regale you with more exciting tales about all the fights the guys lie about getting into with the Yakuza gang or all of Chris’s failed flirting attempts at past parties.”
Isak lets out a small laugh and nods his head, then looks Even in the eyes as he says, “If it means getting to hear you talk more, then sure.” Even’s heart might have completely melted at that, but no one needs to know.
They strip down to their t-shirts and boxers and crawl into bed together, shuffling around one another until they finally find the optimal cuddling position with Even resting on his back and Isak curled into his side. Isak is so much warmer than Even’s blankets and he wishes he could keep Isak by his side every night, let his warmth lull him to sleep. If I play my cards right, I just might be able to accomplish that Even’s brain helpfully reminds him.
Even’s arms tighten around Isak’s back as Isak shifts so his head is resting on Even’s chest. Even drops a kiss to the top of Isak’s head as he starts gently stroking his fingers through his soft, golden curls. Isak’s arms tighten around Even’s chest in response and Even can feel the smile blooming on Isak’s face. He’s sure Isak can feel Even’s heart skipping a beat, but he’s too overcome with fondness for him to be embarrassed about it. They spend some time just relaxing against one another, lulled into serenity by the rhythmic stroking of Even’s fingers through Isak’s hair in contrast to the muffled sounds of the party still raging on below them.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Isak shuffles up Even’s chest a bit, chin tilting upwards in a silent request for a kiss, and who is Even to deny Isak anything? He lowers his head and capture’s Isak’s soft lips with his own as his other hand comes up to gently cradle the side of Isak’s face, stroking his thumb over Isak’s cheekbone. The kiss is much more chaste than the ones they shared on the bench but are no less effective in making Even’s toes curl and heart race.
Isak clumsily brings his hand up to caress the side of Even’s face as well and Even doesn’t think he’s ever known such an all-encompassing feeling of security and warmth as he feels right now, in this minute. Their lips separate briefly as they find a new angle to kiss at and Even wishes more than ever that he could live in this moment forever.
Eventually they separate and spend a few moments just staring into each other’s eyes as Even rubs his thumb over Isak’s bottom lip, making Isak smile bashfully which, of course, makes Even break out into a brilliant smile in return. He’s never met such a beautiful boy before and he’ll thank whatever cosmic entity is responsible for allowing them to meet.
When Isak’s eyes start to flutter shut, he shuffles back down, nuzzling his nose into the warmth of Even’s neck and giving it a small, gentle kiss before whispering, “Goodnight, Even.”
Even smiles and squeezes Isak closer to him as he replies, “Goodnight, Isak,” before reaching over to his bedside table and turning out the light, throwing the room into darkness.
That night, sleep comes easier to Even than it ever has in his life.
~*~
When Isak wakes up the next morning, it’s to a crinkling under his cheek and an empty, unfamiliar bed. He panics briefly as the memories from last night come rushing back, thinking he somehow messed things up and made Even leave him, before he remembers that beds don’t usually crinkle. He reaches under his head to retrieve what is apparently a piece of ripped out notebook paper with some writing on it. On one side is a brief note explaining that apparently Isak was too precious to wake up and Even is downstairs making breakfast, whenever Isak wants to join him. At the bottom of the note there’s an arrow pointing to the other side of the page which Isak flips over to find a two-panel comic drawn in Even’s signature art style. In the first panel is them sleeping soundly together, cuddling, but in the panel next to it, titled “Same time, in a different universe” is Even and Isak also in bed but doing decidedly more R-rated activities. Even at least had the class to draw in thick black censor bars but it doesn’t do much to diminish the blush that’s climbing up Isak’s cheeks.
Covering his face with his hands in fondness and embarrassment, Isak lets himself just revel in the feeling of joy for a bit before climbing out of bed to join Even downstairs. As soon as he opens the bedroom door, he hairs the faint sounds of—what the fuck, is that Gabrielle? More importantly, is that Even, the boy he spent probably at least a collective hour making out with last night, singing horribly off-key to Gabrielle? Isak groans and shakes his head, his smile refusing to budge from its place on his face. As he descends the stairs, he’s already coming up with a million lines to tease Even with when he sees him.
He’s sure Even is going to be the death of him, and he absolutely can’t wait.
~*~
When Even gets to school the following Monday, he’s immediately ribbed by his “buddies” thinking he got it in. Even the dude responsible for starting the bet in the first place looks impressed and tells Even to text him his preferred brand of beer whenever he wants to cash in his winnings. Even smiles uncomfortably, not liking how the guys are cheapening what was one of the best nights of Even’s life and already decides that he’s not gonna take him up on his offer. He breaks away from them as soon as he can, making his way over to where he knows Isak’s locker is, wanting to surprise him.
He succeeds as Isak stops dead in his tracks when he looks up from his biology textbook to find Even casually leaning against his locker. Even sends him a warm smile and a “Hey” when Isak meets him.
“Hi, I wasn’t expecting to see you so early. How did you know where my locker was?” Isak has an adorably confused but enamored look on his face, which gives Even the confidence to give Isak an honest answer.
Even just shrugs his shoulders and looks to the side before returning his gaze to Isak. “I saw you on the first day of school. You were at your locker with your head buried in a textbook, just like you were a few minutes ago, actually.” Even aims to say it casually but he can’t help but let some of his immense fondness slip through. Part of what made his night with Isak so special was precisely because he’d been fantasizing about him for so long that it was almost unreal that he got the chance to really know him.
Isak’s eyes widen in response, clearly not expecting Even’s confession. He’s just about to stutter out a reply when a girl walks by, loudly talking about getting to hook up with one of the Russ guys at the party this weekend, the back of her Penetrators hoodie boldly announcing the name of her conquest.
Even shakes his head at the sight. He never understood the appeal of broadcasting your meaningless hookups to the whole school. Unfortunately, he was forced to order at least one of the hoodies with his name on them when he joined them but he’s never even considered giving one out, even if he did hook up with someone.
Isak laughs at Even’s expression before coyly asking him “What? Don’t I get one of those neat little hoodies with your name in red?”
Even looks back to Isak with wide eyes, unsure at first if Isak is being serious or not, before seeing the teasing look on his face. He sighs dramatically before answering, “Well, I’ve only got one, so I have to make sure I’m giving it to the right person…” Even gives Isak a mock “yikes” expression to which Isak playfully whacks Even on the arm in retaliation for. Even catches Isak’s hand with his own before giving Isak a smile and continuing, “But I guess if I was gonna give it to anyone, I’d want it to be you.”
Isak just gives Even a cute smile in return and dips his head to rest in the crook of Even’s neck. Even drops a kiss on Isak’s crown before the bell rings, signaling that they’ll be late if they don’t start leaving now. The warmth of Isak’s hand radiates up his arm and right through his chest, leaving a low fire burning in his heart. They hold hands as they head to class, sides pressed up against each other, and Even can’t help but shiver.