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Todd's knees were scraped from climbing fences all summer, the scabs rough under his fingertips. He chewed his bottom lip raw whenever he thought about Nathan—which was often—and tonight was no different. The streetlights buzzed like angry insects, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement as he crouched behind another neighbor’s oleander bush, waiting.
The screen door of Nathan’s house creaked like it always did, a sound Todd had memorized from months of stolen glances and hurried hellos after school. The scrappy, brown-eyed little tacker, thirteen years old, with a dart tucked behind his ear wiped his palms on his ripped blue jeans, heart hammering so loud he was sure the whole neighborhood could hear it. One wrong move, and his mate’s asswipe step-dad would tan his hide worse than last time.
The oleander leaves scratched his arms as he crept forward, the damp grass squelching under his sneakers. Nathan’s window was cracked open—just like he’d promised—and Todd’s stomach flipped when he saw the faint glow of a battered mobile phone flashlight inside. He grabbed the sill, muscles straining as he hauled himself up, the old wood groaning under his weight.
Nathan’s hand clamped over his mouth the second he tumbled inside, stifling his startled yelp.
“You’re such a fuckin’ idiot,” Nathan whispered, but his blue eyes were bright, his grin barely contained. The room smelled like sweat and cheap deodorant, the sheets tangled at the foot of the bed where Nathan had been waiting. Todd’s pulse thudded in his ears, louder than the distant hum of the fridge he passed by.
Their foreheads bumped as Nathan pulled him close, their breathing ragged. Todd could taste the spearmint gum Nathan always chewed, could feel the calluses on his palms where they slid under his shirt. He plonked his new lucky durry – the one Nathan gave him – on the bedside table. After that drongo, Brett, nicked his first one, he couldn't bloody love and appreciate Nathan any more than he already did, the little legend. When their lips finally met, it was messy, desperate—all teeth and spit and the sharp inhale through Nathan’s button nose like he’d been holding it forever. Todd’s fingers twisted in Nathan’s short wavy blonde hair, tugging just enough to make him groan.
Nathan shoved him backward onto the bed, the springs squeaking under Todd’s weight. He didn’t speak, just yanked Todd’s jeans down with a rough jerk, his tongue already darting out to lick a stripe up the length of him. Todd bit his fist to keep quiet, hips bucking when Nathan’s mouth closed around him, hot and wet. The streetlight through the window caught the spit shining on Nathan’s chin, the way his eyelashes fluttered when he took Todd deeper.
Todd’s fingers fumbled at Nathan’s waistband, shoving his boxers down just enough to wrap a hand around him. Nathan shuddered, muffling a whimper against Todd’s thigh, his breath coming in ragged bursts. The taste of salt and precome filled Todd’s mouth when Nathan leaned up to kiss him again, their bodies grinding together in the sticky heat.
Nathan reached under the pillow for the half-empty bottle of lube they’d stolen from his dad’s bathroom weeks ago, slicking his fingers with shaking hands. Todd gasped into his left shoulder when they pressed inside, his nails digging crescent moons into Nathan’s back. The stretch burned, but Nathan’s mouth was back on his neck, sucking dark marks into his pale skin like he wanted to brand him.
Todd flipped them over with a grunt, pinning Nathan’s wrists above his head. “You first,” he muttered, lining himself up, watching Nathan’s throat bob as he swallowed hard. The first push punched the air from Nathan’s lungs, his hips jerking up to meet Todd’s, legs locking around his waist. Heat coiled low in Todd’s gut at the way Nathan’s breath hitched every time he bottomed out.
Nathan arched off the mattress, biting down on a knuckle to stifle a moan as Todd’s pace quickened. The bedframe thumped dully against the wall in time with their ragged breathing, the sound muffled only by the crumpled sheets tangled around Nathan’s ankles. Todd thumbed away the sweat beading on Nathan’s temple, mesmerized by the way his eyelashes stuck together, damp with tears. After dealin' with Brett's bullyin' rubbish earlier, when he and his mates blew up that jerrycan, Nathan was gagging for a bloody release from all the crap he's been puttin' up with. Giving Brett a good flogging was part of it, for sure.
“Fuck, Mate—” Nathan’s voice cracked, fingers scrabbling at Todd’s slim shoulders as his thighs trembled. Todd could feel him clenching around him, hot and tight, and the pressure coiled in his gut like a spring. The skinny boy pressed their foreheads together, their noses brushing, sharing the same air—spearmint and sweat and the metallic tang of blood where Nathan had bitten his own lip.
The orgasm hit Todd like a truck, vision whiting out as he buried himself deep, muffling his groan against Nathan’s collarbone. Nathan came between them with a choked gasp, stripes of white painting his stomach, his hips jerking erratically against Todd’s palm. For a moment, all Todd could hear was their panting, the wet slap of skin, the distant thump of a possum on the roof.
Nathan’s fingers traced lazy circles on Todd’s spine as they caught their breath, his other hand still tangled in Todd’s scruffy dark hair like he was afraid he’d vanish. The room smelled like sex and a ripe teenage boy, the sheets damp under Todd’s elbows where he’d braced himself. Outside, a car door slammed three houses down, making them both freeze—Todd’s pulse spiked until Nathan snorted, pressing a sloppy kiss to his jaw.
“Your step-dad’s gonna kill me if he finds out,” Todd muttered, but he was already curling into Nathan’s side, their legs knocking together.
Nathan’s laugh was a warm puff against his neck. “Worth it,” he mumbled, thumb brushing Todd’s hipbone where his briefs had ridden up. The streetlight painted stripes across Nathan’s bare chest, highlighting the fading hickey Todd had left last week.
Todd traced the scar above Nathan’s eyebrow—a souvenir from when he’d wiped out on his skateboard in Year Six. Nathan caught his wrist, pressing a kiss to his palm, the gesture so soft it made Todd’s stomach flip. Outside, a gust of wind rattled the windowpane, and they both tensed, listening for footsteps downstairs. The house stayed quiet, just the hum of the fridge and Nathan’s uneven breathing.
Nathan’s thumb brushed Todd’s bottom lip, still swollen from biting. “You’re gonna get us caught one day,” he whispered, but his grin was lazy, his legs still hooked around Todd’s calf like he wasn’t letting go anytime soon. Todd nipped at his fingertips, relishing the way Nathan’s breath hitched.
“You climbed out your window first,” he shot back, low and teasing.
The mattress creaked as Nathan rolled onto his side, his knee nudging Todd’s thigh apart like he owned the space. His palm slid up Todd’s stomach, fingers splaying over his ribs like he was mapping him. “Step-dad snores through hurricanes,” Nathan murmured, lips grazing Todd’s shoulder. “But your old man’s got ears like a fuckin’ bat.”
Todd snorted, twisting to catch Nathan’s mouth in a lazy kiss, their teeth clicking. The taste of salt and spearmint lingered, mingling with the musk of sweat drying on their skin. Outside, a lone magpie warbled its first predawn call, the sound slicing through the heavy silence. Nathan’s hand stilled, his breath warm against Todd’s cheek.
“Shit,” he muttered. “The sun's gonna come up soon.”
Todd’s stomach dropped. He could already picture his tatted beer-chugging step-dad’s boot tapping by the back door, the way his jaw would clench when he realized Todd’s bed was empty. But Nathan’s fingers tightened around his wrist, anchoring him.
“Five more minutes,” Todd whispered, pressing his face into Nathan’s neck, inhaling the scent of cheap shampoo and sex.
The embroidered bedsheets rustled as Nathan shifted, his thigh sliding between Todd’s legs, warm and solid. He hooked a finger under Todd’s chin, tilting his face up. The streetlight caught the gold in Nathan’s eyes, the way his pupils swallowed the light whole.
“Tell ‘em you sleepwalk,” he murmured, thumb brushing Todd’s cheekbone. The lie was flimsy, but Todd grinned anyway, nipping at Nathan’s thumb.
Outside the bedroom, the fridge clicked off, plunging the room into silence. Todd’s pulse jumped when Nathan’s hand slid lower, fingers teasing the waistband of his jeans.
“Fucker, you’re gonna get us caught again,” Todd breathed, but his hips arched into the touch, his body betraying him.
Nathan’s laugh was a hot puff against his neck. “Shut up,” he muttered, biting the shell of Todd’s right ear just hard enough to sting.
The mattress groaned as Nathan rolled on top of him, his weight familiar and grounding. Todd’s hands found Nathan’s hips, thumbs brushing the jut of bone under skin still slick with sweat. Outside, the magpie trilled again, louder this time—a warning. Todd ignored it, dragging Nathan down into a kiss that tasted like exhaustion and want.