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He cupped my cheek, thumb brushing the swell above the bone. I leant into it, like an instinct, eyes closing, sigh leaving me. Now I was sure he wanted this like I wanted this.
“Gats-”
He cut me off, “Now now Old Sport, I know you know my name.” His strange accent was softer than it usually was, his blue eyes comforting. I was frozen, only the sensation of his touch keeping me upright.
“Of course I do Jay, but my name is not Old Sport.”
He chuckled, looking down with crimson cheeks. “Force of habit I guess- Nick.”
My name left his mouth so seldom that hearing it gave it value, like gold from his lips, parted ever so slightly. His hand moved, yet didn’t leave me, now resting where my ear met my neck met my jaw. He moved slowly, as if not wanting to draw attention to it, always on the edge of abandoning me completely. He caressed that spot, but he didn’t know about it yet.
“I do hope I’m not overstepping right now.” He seemed so focused yet his voice wavered, not enough for anyone else to notice, anyone besides, besides Nicholas Carraway.
“You’re not.”
“I’m glad. You know I did have my suspicions about you, but I never thought I’d be correct. Of course I hoped, but hope doesn’t really get you far these days-”
“Jay…” I placed my hand under his elbow.
“I’m rambling...I don’t mean to make this awkward.”
“Are we just going to keep standing here?” I raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, hoping my newfound confidence would get us somewhere. He muttered an ‘oh’ before laughing.
“Of course not.” And it happened. What I had been dreaming of since that festive night he introduced himself underneath the fireworks when his skin was aglow and his smile...his smile
His lips were soft, cocoa butter I presumed, probably imported from some faraway place, stop overthinking.
He sighed as I held the back of his head and he held my neck, and I thought about where we were. Standing in his bedroom, arguably the blandest room of the house, but truly the greatest reflection of a man. Underneath everything, he was simple, and elegant, and so beautiful. And here we stood, embraced, hidden behind the silk curtains from the rest of the world. He kissed me messily, how you kiss someone only privately, and privately is how we must live. And I thought maybe this wasn’t made to last, for these days were unforgiving, but even just for this summer I knew we would live through it with smiles on our faces.