Fic: Of Bad Boys and Old Band Rooms (Leverage, Eliot/Hardison, PG)
Title: Bad Boys and Old Band Rooms
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2434
Pairing: Eliot/Alec
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: High School AU. Alec Hardison is a bullied teenager, and Eliot is the mysterious new kid in school.
Notes: This was written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bullying" and for au_bingo for the prompt “Other: High School.” Thanks to lears_daughter for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own. :)
Alec Hardison took his usual seat in the front row of his English class and dropped his heavy-ass book bag onto the floor next to his desk. He stretched the kinks out of his aching shoulder, then reached into the bag and pulled out his copy of Brave New World. Letting out a breath and hoping that Mr. Baxter wouldn’t get quiz-happy today, he tossed the never-opened book in front of him.
As Alec contemplated how he could BS his way through a quiz on a book he hadn’t read, Brandon Kessler, otherwise known as the Bane of Alec Hardison’s existence, strolled by on his way to the wastebasket and casually sent Alec’s book flying off his desk to land a few feet away.
Glaring at Brandon, who smirked victoriously, Alec trudged over and scooped his book off the floor. It was an exercise he had been repeating off and on since the third grade, and as much as it pissed him off, Alec kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was a suspension for getting his ass handed to him by a jock with bad breath.
As he reached his desk, book in hand, Alec let his eyes drift to the back of the class where the newest addition to Hargrove High sat with his nose buried in a copy of The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Alec knew his name was Eliot, but he didn’t know much more than that. In Chem class the week before, Parker had told him that Eliot had been kicked out of his old school for inciting riot and beating up the principal. Of course, Parker also believed that their Spanish teacher was an alien, so Alec wasn’t sure he could take Parker’s gossip as the total truth.
Eliot did look like a bad boy, though. His hair was long, spilling onto the shoulders of his blue and white flannel shirt. Under the shirt, he wore a white tank top that Alec knew had to show off some impressive biceps. His jeans were tight in all the right places-and Alec knew this, because he snuck a look whenever he could. And to top it all off, Eliot wore cowboy boots almost every day. Who wore cowboy boots? But damn, he pulled it off.
A hand clamping down on his shoulder snapped Alec out of his daydream. “Checking out the new kid, Hardison?”
“Shut up, Kessler,” Alec said under his breath. He glanced around the room, desperately hoping no one had heard Brandon’s little quip. The knowing smirk on Sophie’s face made it clear his hopes were in vain.
Brandon leaned in closer, his thick fingers pressing painfully into Alec’s collarbone. “I could introduce you if you want,” he said. With his free hand, he pinched Alec’s cheek. “You two would make such a cute couple.”
Alec squared his jaw and tried to shake off Brandon’s hand. “You better let me go, man,” Alec said, knowing full well his threat would have no real impact on a Neanderthal like Brandon Kessler. He had a good three inches on Alec, and he was built like a linebacker.
“Aw, you think you scare me,” Brandon mocked, shoving Alec a little.
Alec bit his bottom lip and swallowed hard. The anger was welling up within him and he clenched his fist, wondering what would happen if he turned around and socked Brandon in the jaw. Would he break a thumb? Would he get his ass kicked? Would the other students come to his rescue?
As Alec was pondering this, Mr. Baxter breezed into the room. “Take your seats gentlemen,” he said.
Alec let out a breath of sheer relief. Just before he sat down, his eyes drifted back onto Eliot, who was now gazing directly at him, Poe forgotten. A wave of panic swept down Alec’s spine, as he wondered how much Eliot had seen and heard. With a thud, Alec dropped into his seat and turned toward Mr. Baxter, who was now holding an armful what look suspiciously like quizzes.
***
Fifty-five minutes and a failed quiz later, Alec Hardison walked down the hall toward his locker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eliot run over to a couple of boys who were milling around near the guy’s bathroom. Alec recognized one of them as Nate Ford, a senior who had a positively frightening reputation. Eliot smacked Nate on the shoulder and started chatting with him. After a few seconds, Nate and Eliot both busted out laughing.
Alec stopped at his locker and switched out his books. He considered feigning an illness and going to the nurse’s station. After the run-in with Kessler, he just didn’t have the energy to put up with his next couple of classes. The nurse would probably see right through him, though. He’d pulled the fake-sick routine one too many times this semester already. Resigned to dragging himself through the rest of the school day, he flung his locker shut.
About then, Brandon Kessler and a couple of his goons sauntered up to surround Alec. Licking his bottom lip, Alec glanced around the hallway, hoping in vain to see a stray teacher or custodian.
Closing his eyes, Alec said, “What do you want, man?”
“Just being friendly,” Brandon said. He tugged Alec’s book bag out of his hand. “Gosh, this is heavy. You shouldn’t have so much stuff in here.” With a smirk, Brandon turned the book bag upside down and dumped its contents onto the floor at Alec’s feet.
“Ha ha, man,” Alec said. “Now quit it.”
“I’m trying to help, Alec,” Brandon said. He kicked at Alec’s things. “Look at all that stuff you’re lugging around. An IPod, an armload of books, a calculator… and comic books.” Beaming, Brandon leaned down and scooped up a copy of Green Lantern.
“Man, don’t touch the Green Lantern.” Alec clenched his fist, sure he’d use it this time if he had to do so. A man’s comic books were worth fighting over, after all.
Before Alec had time to react, a pair of hands grabbed Brandon and slammed him against the lockers. To Alec’s surprise, it was Eliot. “Let’s see how tough you are now,” Eliot growled. He snatched the comic book from Brandon and handed it to Alec.
Brandon glanced at his buddies, who were standing there with their hands in their pockets. Realizing he was on his own, he half-laughed. “I was just messing with him, man,” he said. Alec thought he heard a hint of panic in Brandon’s voice.
“Well, you’re messing with me, now.” Eliot tightened his grip on Brandon’s shirt. “And that’s not a smart thing to do.”
Across the hall, Nate was leaning lazily against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. “Let me know if you need help, Eliot,” he said.
Eliot glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, Nate. I got this.”
“Okay, cool,” Nate said. “I’m heading to class. Don’t get blood all over the floor.”
Eliot turned back to Brandon. “You know why I left my last school, Kessler?” Eliot asked, his face less than an inch away from Brandon’s. “Do you know?”
From the look on Brandon’s face, he’d at least heard a rumor or two. Holding up his hands, he said, “We’re good, man.”
“We are?”
“It was just a joke,” Brandon said. “We’re done.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Eliot said, releasing his grip on Brandon’s shirt. “’Cause you mess with him again, I’m gonna break all your fingers. Now go.”
Brandon and his friends hurried down the hall, muttering under their breath about “kicking some cowboy ass.” After they disappeared around the corner, Alec let out a breath and slumped against the locker.
“You all right?” Eliot asked.
Alec nodded. He was shaking pretty bad, but he didn’t want to admit that to Eliot. “Yeah, man, I’m cool.”
Eliot gazed at him for a moment, and then he smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not,” Alec said. He shoved his hands into his pockets, because he didn’t know what else to do with them.
Eliot leaned his back against the lockers, so he was right next to Alec, and they just stood there in silence for a while. Eliot was close enough that Alec could smell his cologne and feel the sleeve of his flannel shirt brush softly against his bare forearm. Feeling heat begin to creep into his cheeks, Alec crossed his arms and took a step away.
“So,” he said. “Word is you got kicked out of your last school.”
Eliot smirked. “Nah, my daddy got a job in town, and we had to move.”
“So no beating up of principals?”
Laughing heartily, Eliot leaned forward and slapped Alec on the shoulder. “No beating up of principals. The reputation kind of works for me, though,” he said. “I don’t have to fight anyone if they think I’m a badass.”
“True.” Alec glanced at the clock. He was late for class already, and Mr. Sterling didn’t have much of a sense of humor. He was probably getting a detention and a lecture on responsibility unless he did some spectacular talking when he finally got to class. Not that he was in a hurry to get there. He gazed at Eliot, who was watching him intently. “So…” he said. “You like Poe, huh?”
Eliot nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty sweet. Creepy shit.”
“Yeah,” Alec said. “Good stuff. I like him.” Not that Alec had ever read Poe. “So,” he said, pointing down the hall. “I, uh, got Spanish now. What do you got?”
“Choir.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
“So, I guess we should probably…”
“Probably.” Eliot leaned down and grabbed Alec’s books off the floor. “You’re gonna want your stuff, though.”
“Yeah. ‘Specially that IPod. Nana would not be happy if something happened to that.”
After they bagged Alec’s belongings, the two boys headed down the hall toward their respective classrooms. They were both walking a lot more slowly than they needed to, and part of Alec hoped they never got there.
Eliot seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he suddenly cut across the hall to the drinking fountain. He took a long sip, and then he turned toward Alec. “Nate’ll cover for me,” he said. “Why don’t we go somewhere and… talk?”
“Talking’s good.” Alec’s mind raced, as he tried to think of a place where they could be alone. “No one ever goes into the old band room. It’s supposed to be haunted, though.”
Eliot grinned. “Cool.”
***
Once inside the old band room, Alec leaned against the door and watched Eliot wander around, looking at everything from the grimy windows to the discarded music stand. Located on the top floor of the building, the room was a remnant of the school’s early days. It hadn’t been officially used for anything other than storage since the ‘70s. It was musty and claustrophobic and packed with boxes. But it was also located in the most antiquated and least-used part of the school, which made it the ideal place to have some privacy.
“So,” Eliot said, leaning against a wall on the far side of the room. “At least Kessler did introduce us, huh? You know, kinda.”
Alec swallowed hard, thinking back to the scene Brandon had made in Mr. Baxter’s class. Apparently, Eliot had heard at least some of it. Alec’s first impulse was to rip open the door and tear down the hall. But he had to save to face if he was ever going to be able to show up in English again. Laughing a little too vigorously, he said, “Kessler does like to talk.”
“Yeah,” Eliot said, nodding. He folded his arms tightly across his chest. “So, I, uh… I’ve seen you check me out.”
Alec’s throat suddenly went dry. “Check you out? Come on, man,” he said. “I don’t check you out.”
Eliot crossed the room until he was directly in front of Alec. “Yeah, you do. Tuesday in the lunch room. Today in Baxter’s class.”
Alec’s breath hitched. “I was lookin’ at you. Not checking you out.”
Biting his bottom lip, Eliot took a step back. “Hey, if I’m reading the signs wrong…”
Alec didn’t know how to respond. He was the kind of guy who daydreamed about guys like Eliot. He’d never actually found himself alone in a nice quiet room with a real live version of one of his daydreams before. “No, I… Maybe I check you out sometimes.”
“Maybe a little?”
“Yeah, a little.”
Eliot smiled brightly. “You check me out a lot.”
“Someone’s pretty sure of himself,” Alec teased.
“Well,” Eliot said, moving closer to Alec. “I have reason to be. I got this hot guy who checks me out all the time.”
Hot? Alec fought the urge to break into a ridiculous grin. “The guy’s got good taste,” he said. He hoped he didn’t sound like an idiot. He’d been shooting for casual.
Eliot smiled and leaned forward, resting one hand against the door. With his free hand, he lightly touched Alec’s cheek. Alec’s breath hitched at the closeness, and he wondered if he should do something or just let Eliot take the lead.
“You okay?” Eliot asked.
Alec nodded. “Yeah. I’ve just never…”
“Me neither.”
They stared at each other for a while, neither of them moving. Finally, Eliot leaned in and pressed his lips to Alec’s. His free hand moved back to Alec’s face and started stroking his cheek. The kiss was gentle and tentative, and Alec’s nerves melted away as he let himself get lost in the sensation. Eliot tasted like cinnamon and chocolate and his fingers, though calloused, were soft against Alec’s skin.
After a few seconds, they pulled away from each other, and Eliot took a step back. Alec felt warm and lightheaded, and his lips still tingled from the kiss. He gazed at Eliot, who looked more than a little flushed.
“That was nice,” Alec blurted out.
Smiling, Eliot nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Maybe we can try for epic next time.”
“I’d be willing to give it a shot. Definitely.”
Eliot hoisted his book bag onto his shoulder. “Guess we should get to class.”
“Guess so,” Alec said. He wanted to stay right where he was, but good sense and the threat of Nana brought him back to reality.
The two boys headed out the door and down the stairs. As they reached the bottom step, Eliot poked Alec on the shoulder. “So,” he said with a lopsided grin. “When are we gonna try for epic?”
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2434
Pairing: Eliot/Alec
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: High School AU. Alec Hardison is a bullied teenager, and Eliot is the mysterious new kid in school.
Notes: This was written for hc_bingo for the prompt "bullying" and for au_bingo for the prompt “Other: High School.” Thanks to lears_daughter for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own. :)
Alec Hardison took his usual seat in the front row of his English class and dropped his heavy-ass book bag onto the floor next to his desk. He stretched the kinks out of his aching shoulder, then reached into the bag and pulled out his copy of Brave New World. Letting out a breath and hoping that Mr. Baxter wouldn’t get quiz-happy today, he tossed the never-opened book in front of him.
As Alec contemplated how he could BS his way through a quiz on a book he hadn’t read, Brandon Kessler, otherwise known as the Bane of Alec Hardison’s existence, strolled by on his way to the wastebasket and casually sent Alec’s book flying off his desk to land a few feet away.
Glaring at Brandon, who smirked victoriously, Alec trudged over and scooped his book off the floor. It was an exercise he had been repeating off and on since the third grade, and as much as it pissed him off, Alec kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was a suspension for getting his ass handed to him by a jock with bad breath.
As he reached his desk, book in hand, Alec let his eyes drift to the back of the class where the newest addition to Hargrove High sat with his nose buried in a copy of The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Alec knew his name was Eliot, but he didn’t know much more than that. In Chem class the week before, Parker had told him that Eliot had been kicked out of his old school for inciting riot and beating up the principal. Of course, Parker also believed that their Spanish teacher was an alien, so Alec wasn’t sure he could take Parker’s gossip as the total truth.
Eliot did look like a bad boy, though. His hair was long, spilling onto the shoulders of his blue and white flannel shirt. Under the shirt, he wore a white tank top that Alec knew had to show off some impressive biceps. His jeans were tight in all the right places-and Alec knew this, because he snuck a look whenever he could. And to top it all off, Eliot wore cowboy boots almost every day. Who wore cowboy boots? But damn, he pulled it off.
A hand clamping down on his shoulder snapped Alec out of his daydream. “Checking out the new kid, Hardison?”
“Shut up, Kessler,” Alec said under his breath. He glanced around the room, desperately hoping no one had heard Brandon’s little quip. The knowing smirk on Sophie’s face made it clear his hopes were in vain.
Brandon leaned in closer, his thick fingers pressing painfully into Alec’s collarbone. “I could introduce you if you want,” he said. With his free hand, he pinched Alec’s cheek. “You two would make such a cute couple.”
Alec squared his jaw and tried to shake off Brandon’s hand. “You better let me go, man,” Alec said, knowing full well his threat would have no real impact on a Neanderthal like Brandon Kessler. He had a good three inches on Alec, and he was built like a linebacker.
“Aw, you think you scare me,” Brandon mocked, shoving Alec a little.
Alec bit his bottom lip and swallowed hard. The anger was welling up within him and he clenched his fist, wondering what would happen if he turned around and socked Brandon in the jaw. Would he break a thumb? Would he get his ass kicked? Would the other students come to his rescue?
As Alec was pondering this, Mr. Baxter breezed into the room. “Take your seats gentlemen,” he said.
Alec let out a breath of sheer relief. Just before he sat down, his eyes drifted back onto Eliot, who was now gazing directly at him, Poe forgotten. A wave of panic swept down Alec’s spine, as he wondered how much Eliot had seen and heard. With a thud, Alec dropped into his seat and turned toward Mr. Baxter, who was now holding an armful what look suspiciously like quizzes.
***
Fifty-five minutes and a failed quiz later, Alec Hardison walked down the hall toward his locker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eliot run over to a couple of boys who were milling around near the guy’s bathroom. Alec recognized one of them as Nate Ford, a senior who had a positively frightening reputation. Eliot smacked Nate on the shoulder and started chatting with him. After a few seconds, Nate and Eliot both busted out laughing.
Alec stopped at his locker and switched out his books. He considered feigning an illness and going to the nurse’s station. After the run-in with Kessler, he just didn’t have the energy to put up with his next couple of classes. The nurse would probably see right through him, though. He’d pulled the fake-sick routine one too many times this semester already. Resigned to dragging himself through the rest of the school day, he flung his locker shut.
About then, Brandon Kessler and a couple of his goons sauntered up to surround Alec. Licking his bottom lip, Alec glanced around the hallway, hoping in vain to see a stray teacher or custodian.
Closing his eyes, Alec said, “What do you want, man?”
“Just being friendly,” Brandon said. He tugged Alec’s book bag out of his hand. “Gosh, this is heavy. You shouldn’t have so much stuff in here.” With a smirk, Brandon turned the book bag upside down and dumped its contents onto the floor at Alec’s feet.
“Ha ha, man,” Alec said. “Now quit it.”
“I’m trying to help, Alec,” Brandon said. He kicked at Alec’s things. “Look at all that stuff you’re lugging around. An IPod, an armload of books, a calculator… and comic books.” Beaming, Brandon leaned down and scooped up a copy of Green Lantern.
“Man, don’t touch the Green Lantern.” Alec clenched his fist, sure he’d use it this time if he had to do so. A man’s comic books were worth fighting over, after all.
Before Alec had time to react, a pair of hands grabbed Brandon and slammed him against the lockers. To Alec’s surprise, it was Eliot. “Let’s see how tough you are now,” Eliot growled. He snatched the comic book from Brandon and handed it to Alec.
Brandon glanced at his buddies, who were standing there with their hands in their pockets. Realizing he was on his own, he half-laughed. “I was just messing with him, man,” he said. Alec thought he heard a hint of panic in Brandon’s voice.
“Well, you’re messing with me, now.” Eliot tightened his grip on Brandon’s shirt. “And that’s not a smart thing to do.”
Across the hall, Nate was leaning lazily against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. “Let me know if you need help, Eliot,” he said.
Eliot glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, Nate. I got this.”
“Okay, cool,” Nate said. “I’m heading to class. Don’t get blood all over the floor.”
Eliot turned back to Brandon. “You know why I left my last school, Kessler?” Eliot asked, his face less than an inch away from Brandon’s. “Do you know?”
From the look on Brandon’s face, he’d at least heard a rumor or two. Holding up his hands, he said, “We’re good, man.”
“We are?”
“It was just a joke,” Brandon said. “We’re done.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Eliot said, releasing his grip on Brandon’s shirt. “’Cause you mess with him again, I’m gonna break all your fingers. Now go.”
Brandon and his friends hurried down the hall, muttering under their breath about “kicking some cowboy ass.” After they disappeared around the corner, Alec let out a breath and slumped against the locker.
“You all right?” Eliot asked.
Alec nodded. He was shaking pretty bad, but he didn’t want to admit that to Eliot. “Yeah, man, I’m cool.”
Eliot gazed at him for a moment, and then he smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not,” Alec said. He shoved his hands into his pockets, because he didn’t know what else to do with them.
Eliot leaned his back against the lockers, so he was right next to Alec, and they just stood there in silence for a while. Eliot was close enough that Alec could smell his cologne and feel the sleeve of his flannel shirt brush softly against his bare forearm. Feeling heat begin to creep into his cheeks, Alec crossed his arms and took a step away.
“So,” he said. “Word is you got kicked out of your last school.”
Eliot smirked. “Nah, my daddy got a job in town, and we had to move.”
“So no beating up of principals?”
Laughing heartily, Eliot leaned forward and slapped Alec on the shoulder. “No beating up of principals. The reputation kind of works for me, though,” he said. “I don’t have to fight anyone if they think I’m a badass.”
“True.” Alec glanced at the clock. He was late for class already, and Mr. Sterling didn’t have much of a sense of humor. He was probably getting a detention and a lecture on responsibility unless he did some spectacular talking when he finally got to class. Not that he was in a hurry to get there. He gazed at Eliot, who was watching him intently. “So…” he said. “You like Poe, huh?”
Eliot nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty sweet. Creepy shit.”
“Yeah,” Alec said. “Good stuff. I like him.” Not that Alec had ever read Poe. “So,” he said, pointing down the hall. “I, uh, got Spanish now. What do you got?”
“Choir.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
“So, I guess we should probably…”
“Probably.” Eliot leaned down and grabbed Alec’s books off the floor. “You’re gonna want your stuff, though.”
“Yeah. ‘Specially that IPod. Nana would not be happy if something happened to that.”
After they bagged Alec’s belongings, the two boys headed down the hall toward their respective classrooms. They were both walking a lot more slowly than they needed to, and part of Alec hoped they never got there.
Eliot seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he suddenly cut across the hall to the drinking fountain. He took a long sip, and then he turned toward Alec. “Nate’ll cover for me,” he said. “Why don’t we go somewhere and… talk?”
“Talking’s good.” Alec’s mind raced, as he tried to think of a place where they could be alone. “No one ever goes into the old band room. It’s supposed to be haunted, though.”
Eliot grinned. “Cool.”
***
Once inside the old band room, Alec leaned against the door and watched Eliot wander around, looking at everything from the grimy windows to the discarded music stand. Located on the top floor of the building, the room was a remnant of the school’s early days. It hadn’t been officially used for anything other than storage since the ‘70s. It was musty and claustrophobic and packed with boxes. But it was also located in the most antiquated and least-used part of the school, which made it the ideal place to have some privacy.
“So,” Eliot said, leaning against a wall on the far side of the room. “At least Kessler did introduce us, huh? You know, kinda.”
Alec swallowed hard, thinking back to the scene Brandon had made in Mr. Baxter’s class. Apparently, Eliot had heard at least some of it. Alec’s first impulse was to rip open the door and tear down the hall. But he had to save to face if he was ever going to be able to show up in English again. Laughing a little too vigorously, he said, “Kessler does like to talk.”
“Yeah,” Eliot said, nodding. He folded his arms tightly across his chest. “So, I, uh… I’ve seen you check me out.”
Alec’s throat suddenly went dry. “Check you out? Come on, man,” he said. “I don’t check you out.”
Eliot crossed the room until he was directly in front of Alec. “Yeah, you do. Tuesday in the lunch room. Today in Baxter’s class.”
Alec’s breath hitched. “I was lookin’ at you. Not checking you out.”
Biting his bottom lip, Eliot took a step back. “Hey, if I’m reading the signs wrong…”
Alec didn’t know how to respond. He was the kind of guy who daydreamed about guys like Eliot. He’d never actually found himself alone in a nice quiet room with a real live version of one of his daydreams before. “No, I… Maybe I check you out sometimes.”
“Maybe a little?”
“Yeah, a little.”
Eliot smiled brightly. “You check me out a lot.”
“Someone’s pretty sure of himself,” Alec teased.
“Well,” Eliot said, moving closer to Alec. “I have reason to be. I got this hot guy who checks me out all the time.”
Hot? Alec fought the urge to break into a ridiculous grin. “The guy’s got good taste,” he said. He hoped he didn’t sound like an idiot. He’d been shooting for casual.
Eliot smiled and leaned forward, resting one hand against the door. With his free hand, he lightly touched Alec’s cheek. Alec’s breath hitched at the closeness, and he wondered if he should do something or just let Eliot take the lead.
“You okay?” Eliot asked.
Alec nodded. “Yeah. I’ve just never…”
“Me neither.”
They stared at each other for a while, neither of them moving. Finally, Eliot leaned in and pressed his lips to Alec’s. His free hand moved back to Alec’s face and started stroking his cheek. The kiss was gentle and tentative, and Alec’s nerves melted away as he let himself get lost in the sensation. Eliot tasted like cinnamon and chocolate and his fingers, though calloused, were soft against Alec’s skin.
After a few seconds, they pulled away from each other, and Eliot took a step back. Alec felt warm and lightheaded, and his lips still tingled from the kiss. He gazed at Eliot, who looked more than a little flushed.
“That was nice,” Alec blurted out.
Smiling, Eliot nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Maybe we can try for epic next time.”
“I’d be willing to give it a shot. Definitely.”
Eliot hoisted his book bag onto his shoulder. “Guess we should get to class.”
“Guess so,” Alec said. He wanted to stay right where he was, but good sense and the threat of Nana brought him back to reality.
The two boys headed out the door and down the stairs. As they reached the bottom step, Eliot poked Alec on the shoulder. “So,” he said with a lopsided grin. “When are we gonna try for epic?”