Chapter Text
Eugene watched with dull amusement as the blond figure tried to ease open the door at the top of the concrete stairs.
“It doesn’t open without a key,” Eugene said, throwing the guy a bone. He jumped and spun guiltily.
“I wasn’t trying anything,” he said unconvincingly.
“Uh-huh. Word to the wise, next time you come skulking around a school that isn’t yours, maybe ditch the uniform, yeah?”
Jesse Coste looked down at himself as if he’d somehow forgotten he was wearing the ridiculous all-white uniform of Exton Boys Academy.
“I’m not skulking. I was looking for someone, actually. He won’t pick up my calls.”
“Ah, so you’re stalking. My mistake.”
“No. I just want to talk.”
“I’m certain Seiji doesn’t want to talk to you, bro.” Eugene laughed over Jesse’s surprised expression at the name. “Who else would you be here trying to talk to here?”
“What did he say about me?”
“What? Nothing. Why would he be saying anything about you?”
“Besides the obvious? No matter, I know he’s always thinking about me.”
Eugene squinted at Jesse, trying to decide if he was being real or not.
“Listen, if he’s not picking up your calls, he doesn’t want to talk to you. Scoot on back to Exton where you belong. Come on now, be gone.” Eugene shooed Jesse away from the back entrance to Castello Dormitory but Jesse refused to be shooed.
“I need to talk to him.”
“What about?”
“About—something.”
“Very descriptive.”
“Can you let me in?”
“Sure, I can let you in.” At Eugene’s words, Jesse perked. “But I won’t.”
“I just need to ask him something,” Jesse persisted. “I’ll be quick.”
“No way.”
“What are you? Seiji’s bodyguard?”
Eugene crossed his arms. “I can be, yeah. Nobody messes with my bros.”
“I’m not trying to mess with him. He messed with me.”
That got Eugene’s attention. His eyebrow ticked up in curiosity but Jesse looked displeased at the slip.
“What did Seiji ever do to you?” Eugene asked, having a hard time imagining that Seiji had been able to say any of the usual condescending stuff to Jesse that pissed other people off so badly. Most of Seiji’s cutting remarks were about fencing and Jesse was as good a fencer as Seiji. A better fencer, even. What could he have said that cut Jesse Coste?
“He—we went out last week and he left rather abruptly,” Jesse muttered.
“Seiji didn’t go on a date with you,” Eugene protested, thinking of his hand in Nick’s after practice this morning.
“That’s why I need to find him,” Jesse wheedled. “So that I can ask him what that was all about.”
“Use your brain, dummy. If Seiji left abruptly, he didn’t want to be there and if he’s not picking up your calls, he doesn’t want to talk to you. Take a hint.”
“I have—that is, I know. I’ll leave him alone.” Jesse made a face. “As if I’d ever stoop so low as to chase somebody. Do you know who I am? I just need to ask him something.”
“Like what?”
“Like if I’m really a terrible kisser,” Jesse blurted.
“Seiji said that?” Eugene asked, and Jesse nodded sullenly, face a little flushed at the admission.
Eugene roared in laughter. That sounded like Seiji. The guy did not fuck around sparing feelings, he said what he meant and if you were hurt by it, that was your problem. But Jesse did look hurt by it. Or, at least, he looked quite upset about it. Upset enough about it to try and sneak into a rarely-used back entrance of Seiji’s dorm to ask him about it.
“Nah, don’t worry about that,” Eugene said, taking pity on the guy. Eugene could imagine that it was a bit of a punch to the ego, getting told you were a terrible kisser and then getting walked out on. Even Jesse Coste probably didn’t deserve that level of thoughtlessness. “I think it’s less that you’re a bad kisser and more that Seiji wanted to be kissing someone else.”
Again, Eugene thought of Nick and Seiji’s laced fingers recently. And he swore he’d seen a hickey on Seiji’s neck, too, hiding under the collar of his turtleneck. The two hadn’t mentioned anything about dating but Eugene wasn’t stupid, he knew they were a thing.
“But what if I am?” Jesse asked, a definite pout marring his features. “What if I’m an atrocious kisser and nobody’s ever told me because I’m gorgeous and amazing and talented so they let me get away with it?”
And again, Eugene laughed. What a brat.
“Well, hey,” Eugene said, residual grin left in place, “I could offer you my objective opinion if you’d like.”
“Yes,” Jesse said, zero hesitation. What? “Do that.”
“What?”
“Test me.” Jesse stood tall and imperious and looked down on Eugene expectantly. “I need to know if I’m really a terrible kisser.”
“You’re serious?”
“Completely.”
“Here?”
“Kiss me,” Jesse demanded impatiently.
Eugene took another second to stare blankly at Jesse but he shrugged in the end, deciding that he’d never said no to those words before and he wasn’t going to start now.
“If you insist,” Eugene agreed, pushing off the metal rail he’d leaned a hip against to watch Jesse struggle with the door.
As Eugene approached Jesse, he fully expected him to duck away, to change his mind, to say that of course I don’t insist, why would I let you kiss me? But Jesse did none of these things. He stayed in place and was there when Eugene’s hand reached out to take hold of him, drawing him near and kissing him testingly on the mouth.
It was a strange thing, to kiss a stranger at dusk at the top of oft-forgotten stairs just to test the quality of kisses had there. So it wasn’t a surprise that this first kiss for testing the waters was nothing more than a press of lips, a little stiff and unsure. But it soon melted into a proper kiss, Jesse’s body molding pleasantly to Eugene’s and his hands tucking up into his hair, pulling Eugene’s mouth more firmly to his.
Eugene felt the shift at once and was sure that this was really happening and Jesse was entirely sure he wanted it to be—no matter his reasons for that want. So Eugene’s next kiss was not for testing the waters but for diving into them. Jesse’s mouth was pliant beneath his and opened easily upon Eugene’s request, and he reacted nicely to the deepening of the kiss, his hands tangling deeper into hair and his breath hitching appreciatively.
Jesse’s skin was smooth and soft under Eugene’s hand and Eugene could feel Jesse’s jaw working beneath it before he slipped it from Jesse’s cheek to grip the nape of his neck instead. His skin was soft here, too, and Eugene’s pinky finger dipped beneath the crisp white collar of Jesse’s sharply pressed white shirt.
Kissing Jesse felt almost like fighting him; Jesse’s insistence and fervor in his kisses and the rigid, possessive quality to his hold were almost overwhelming, but not in an unpleasant way. Eugene liked a challenge, liked the rush of sensations and the determination with which Jesse gave them. It made him want to give them back.
Eugene scruffed his hand up into Jesse’s hair to cradle the crown of his skull, his other hand finding the dip of Jesse’s spine. With a solid grip of Jesse’s lithe body, Eugene guided him back until he landed against the door that had refused to open for him, making sure not to crack Jesse’s head against it. With the way Jesse moved, Eugene didn’t trust him not to accidentally crack it himself so he kept his hand as it was, acting as a cushion for when Jesse whipped his head about too recklessly.
Jesse wasn’t shy, not even given their rather exposed location. He made no effort to hide anything he did or anything he felt. It didn’t take long for Eugene to discover what Jesse liked because he’d arch his back into Eugene or clamp his fingers in his hair or let out noises too obscene to be earned just from kissing. But earned they were. When Eugene sucked on a bottom lip or when he strayed to tease a pink ear or when he flicked his tongue just so—Jesse let it be known in each instance that he liked it.
Jesse proved to be very enjoyable to kiss. So enjoyable that Eugene didn’t bother pulling off him and away even though he had a definitive answer to offer Jesse by now. Jesse made no indication that he wanted Eugene to leave him, either.
If kissing Jesse before had been like fighting him, the fight had left from him now, the flavor of his kisses calming as Eugene held him against the door—they were no less enthusiastic, but Eugene no longer felt in danger of toppling down the stairs under the weight of that enthusiasm.
“Ah!” Jesse gasped when Eugene’s lips dragged down his neck. His skin really was impossibly soft and Eugene was struck with the urge to feel more of it under fingers and lips and tongue.
Jesse didn’t look like he’d mind. His head was tipped back against the door and his eyes were closed, lips parted and glistening. Pressed chest to chest as they were, Eugene could feel Jesse’s heart pounding in time with his own. And he realized with amusement that Jesse, who had stood several inches taller than Eugene at the start of this, was now at eye level. He’d sunk against the door and Eugene realized further that he was at least half the reason Jesse didn’t sink down more, the brace of Eugene’s body against his and the hold of his hand at Jesse’s waist keeping him in place.
They’d be in trouble if someone tried to open the door.
The thought brought Eugene back to reality and, after stealing one final kiss from Jesse, he helped prop him up and left the rest of his skin unexplored.
“I really don’t think you should worry,” Eugene said, clearing his throat and looking Jesse over with, he had to admit, a bit more appreciation than he’d held for the boy before. “You’re plenty good to kiss.”
“Not terrible, then?” Jesse asked, somewhat out of breath.
“Not terrible,” Eugene confirmed. “Now get back to your own campus, you psycho. I don’t want to report any stalkers to the campus police if I can help it.”
Jesse rolled his eyes but left his station at the door. On his way down the stairs, Eugene reached out to pat off the grime dusting the white of his jacket. Jesse realized what the purpose of Eugene’s touch was and hurried to shrug out of his jacket, examining the damage with a scowl.
“Look what you’ve done,” he scolded, folding the jacket over his arm delicately.
“You asked for it,” Eugene countered.
“You should have been more careful anyway.”
“I’ll keep it in mind for next time,” Eugene promised with a cheeky grin as Jesse trotted down the stairs.
They both knew there wouldn’t be a next time.