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“Hey, Leah! You’re joining too?” Sam waved at the local artist walking towards the group on the beach. Sam was glad Emily had suggested a nighttime hangout at the beach with the younger half of the town. Sam had already started a small fire, more for light than for warmth since the summer heat of the day was barely fading. All the better that he got to hang out next to Sebastian, it could almost be considered the date he dreamed he could go on with him. Of course they were strictly friends although Sam often felt his friend’s gaze linger on him, making him flustered and giving him hope…
Leah sat down between Sam and Emily in the small circle next to the fire. Alex asked: “I thought you were too old to want to hang out with us, Leah.”
Leah wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion: “I thought I was only like two years older than Emily, you are twenty-four right?” She confirmed, looking at Emily. “Yeah, and she and Haley are pretty close in age and the rest of you were all like in the same class in high school?”
“I mean, one year here or there, but pretty much, yeah,” Haley said, sneaking a glance at Abigail next to her.
“Besides, you’ll never see me turn down a free high,” Leah continued, taking the joint Emily was offering her.
“If anything,” Emily said, “I feel like I’m the mom of the group today, supplying the weed and everything, even to my little sister, against my better judgement,” looking pointedly at Haley, across from her.
“And it is very appreciated,” Haley smiled back.
“Besides,” Sebastian added, “They say it’s safer for kids to experience alcohol and drugs and stuff with a parent figure so they don’t put themselves in sketchy situations to experience them on their own,” accepting the joint from Sam.
“Gee thanks,” Haley narrowed her eyes at Sebastian. “Like you’re such an authority on being responsible.”
“Consider me an old soul,” Sebastian retorted, taking a long drag of the smoke, closing his eyes. Sam could not help but covertly stare at Sebastian’s slender white fingers as he did, marvelling at the elegance, the nails painted black…
Sam suddenly noticed Abigail giving him a small knowing smile from Sebastian’s other side so he quickly switched to stare at the fire instead, gritting his teeth to continue to keep track of the conversation. The weed could not have hit him that fast, right?
---
After the second joint finished making its rounds around the circle everyone was feeling more mellow, Sam even saw Sebastian’s expression soften as he spread out on the sand instead of wrapping his knees to his chest as he usually did.
“Why don’t we play “spin the bottle?”” Abigail suggested.
“Ooh, okay!” Haley immediately agreed.
“Yeah, why not,” Leah added. “Alex, finish your beer, we need the bottle,” she gestured at him, being the only one who had opted for alcohol rather than a smoke.
“Who’s first?” Leah asked, looking around the expectant faces around the fire.
“I will,” Emily grabbed the bottle and immediately spun it in the middle of the circle, stopping squarely at Haley.
“I feel like this should be an illegal manoeuvre,” Alex said, staring at the bottle.
“Nonsense,” Emily said, getting up from her spot. “Haley has not allowed me to show any affection since she was like twelve so this is my only chance!”
Haley narrowed her eyes and pouted as Emily quickly got closer to her and pecked her on the lips.
“See? That was not so bad,” Emily said in a teacher’s voice before she petted the now blushing Haley’s head, giving her a forehead kiss as well. Haley looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole and said: “You’re weird, Em.”
“I know,” Emily said joyfully as she returned to her spot, “But loving my sister is probably the least weird thing about me.”
As next in the circle, Leah spun the bottle, which stopped to point at Alex. He raised his eyebrows, looking confidently at Leah.
“Well pucker up, big boy,” Leah said as she quickly reached him and gave him a short kiss. Alex was looking smug as she went back to her seat.
Next it was Sam’s turn to spin the bottle, which blessedly landed on Sebastian.
“…Okay?” Sam asked him, feeling both worried and elated at the prospect of finally kissing the guy he had been crushing on for so long.
Sebastian shrugged and made a vaguely inviting gesture with his arm, seeming to struggle to get out any words, so Sam placed his hand on the side of Sebastian’s face and kissed him before either of them could hesitate.
Sam felt like he froze in the moment, the only thing he could hear was the sea crashing on the shoreline, the only thing he could feel was the fire on his skin where it touched Sebastian. He felt the softness of Sebastian’s lips against his and, did he imagine it or was Sebastian slightly pushing against his own lips?
Sam suddenly felt self-conscious, not knowing how much time had passed, and pulled away to sit back in his spot and stare at nothing but the fire, definitely not the man next to him.
He was pulled out of his daze when he saw Sebastian’s hand enter his field of vision, gently grabbing the bottle to give it a spin.
It landed on Alex.
Alex gulped as he looked at Sebastian, looking uncertain.
“Oh please, you’ll survive,” Sam heard Sebastian say in his best sarcastic voice.
Sam watched in horror as Sebastian crawled over to Alex and gave him a kiss. He saw Alex’s ears turn red as he immediately looked down. Sebastian pulled away, turning to crawl back, wearing a pained expression as he glanced at Sam.
The rest of the game went by in a blur for Sam as Abigail kissed Haley, Haley kissed Abigail (what were the odds??) and Alex gave a long kiss to an overly giggly Emily.
Sebastian went to the tide pools soon after, giving some excuse Sam didn’t hear, and everyone else continued to enjoy the evening, chatting and laughing every once in a while.
Sam attempted to join in and be social but he couldn’t tear his mind from the man further away, and their kiss.
“I’m gonna stretch my legs a bit, see you later,” Sam eventually said, standing up and heading straight to the tide pools where he had seen Sebastian disappear to earlier. The group did not seem to mind although he could swear he felt Abigail watch him leave.
Sam found Sebastian by the shoreline at the far end of the tide pools, looking up at the sky. As he approached, Sebastian turned around and said “Oh, hey,” before turning back. Sam stood next to him, not knowing what to say.
“I just wanted to look at the Moon away from the people,” Sebastian said, still looking up.
“Oh,” Sam replied, realising that Sebastian wanted to be alone and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Sebastian said as he turned towards Sam, grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. “You don’t count as other people.”
Sam felt a glimmer of hope as he stared into Sebastian’s dark eyes, stepping closer until their faces were mere inches away from each other. He could hear Sebastian’s breath hitch at the closeness, and started leaning in, before Sebastian turned away with a shuddering breath.
“What’s wrong, Seb?” Sam asked, trying to not fall apart then and there at the rejection. “I like you, Seb, and I thought you liked me too…” he whispered.
“I do like you,” Sebastian whispered back, looking into Sam’s eyes again. “Just… I don’t want to lose our friendship.”
“Why would you?” Sam asked, confused.
Sebastian sighed. “Okay say we started dating. What would we be if we break up?” Sebastian asked, pain filling his grey eyes. “I don’t want to lose my best friend,” he said as he couldn’t seem to help but wrap his fingers around the hair on the back of Sam’s neck.
Sam bit his lip, trying to not focus on the feeling of lightning permeating his body from being so close to Sebastian. He slowly placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and said: “Then we would be exes.” Sam saw Sebastian’s forehead contort with pain before he continued: “But if Abby can stay friends with all her exes then why couldn’t we?” He could see Sebastian consider his words.
“Please, Seb, allow yourself to dream a little,” Sam continued, placing his other hand on Sebastian’s waist. “Dream of us.”
Sam could hear Sebastian breathe heavily as he looked down, his hot breath tickling Sam’s chest hair. He felt Sebastian ever so slightly drag his nose across his jaw until his breath reached Sam’s ear. “Okay. You’ve convinced me,” he heard Sebastian whisper.
“Really?!” Sam exclaimed, pulling away to look at Sebastian again.
Sebastian was smiling at him, and Sam could not help but smile in return.
“I never could say no to you,” Sebastian said before he pressed his lips against Sam’s, immediately pressing his tongue at Sam’s upper lip as if asking for permission. Sam eagerly opened his mouth, meeting Sebastian’s tongue with his own, exploring his mouth in the ways that Sam had only dreamed of doing until that moment.
Sam gasped and said: “You’re making it sound like I’m forcing you into it or something.”
He could feel Sebastian’s smile graze his lips as Sebastian gave a low chuckle.
“Shut the fuck up, Sam,” Sebastian said playfully before pulling Sam’s head to the side by his hair to gain better access to his neck, planting a variety of kisses and bites, slowly moving lower as Sam moaned.
---
“I wonder when Sam and Sebastian are coming back,” Alex said, looking puzzled.
Abigail laughed and said: “Hey if you think those two are coming back any time soon, I hope you’re dead wrong.”
As everyone looked at Abigail, she felt the need to explain: “Yall, I have been trying to set those two up for MONTHS, I’m just waiting for one of them to make a move. The weed should help, hopefully,” she said.
“Wait…” Emily said, looking suspiciously at Abigail. “Did you suggest this hangout just to encourage Sam and Sebastian to get together?”
Abigail gave a little squeak as she was not expecting to get caught scheming.
“I’m just here to spread joy! And I know Seb and Sam could be happy together!” Abigail continued.
“I’m seeing a whole new side of you, Abby, you’re absolutely devious!” Haley exclaimed with admiration in her eyes, biting her lip.
“And it’s not like the rest of us didn’t have any fun tonight, right?” Abigail continued, bolstered by Hailey’s reaction, looking at Alex, Emily and Leah in turn.
“I mean, I am,” Hailey claimed, placing her fingertips on Abigail’s thigh, holding her gaze.
Leah started giggling as she saw Emily’s flabbergasted face, softly at first but then she could not stop as her cackles echoed across the beach. Abigail could not help but join in and soon they were all laughing unstoppably, rolling on their backs, sand flying everywhere.