“What do you think? I’m checking you didn’t fry your brains last night.”
“What? How do you even know about that?” Charlie glared at Leo. “Did you tell her?”
“Er—”
“Oh, please,” Fliss cut in. “What was he supposed to do? Leave you to climb up on the roof and cuddle the stars? Someone had to straighten you out.”
Cuddling the stars was probably the most poetic thing Charlie had ever heard Fliss say, but the idea of her “straightening” him out was all kinds of freaky, especially combined with the way she was glancing between him and Leo.She knows.“I’m fine.”
“Good,” Fliss snapped. “What the hell were you thinking? You’re the good kid. It would break Mum’s heart if you turned into a druggie.”
“I’m not a bloody druggie, Fliss. It was a one-off. I’m not going to do it again, so you can save your lecture. Besides, it’s not like you give a shit.”
“Charlie.” Leo punched Charlie’s leg. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Fliss said before Charlie could respond. “He’s right. I don’t give a shit. I just want some peace around here, and I won’t get that with him pissing about with drugs. Have a good day, little ones. I’m going out.”
She left, slamming the door behind her. Charlie cut his gaze to Leo. “She does my head in.”
“So? Doesn’t mean she doesn’t care.” Leo rolled onto his side with life in his eyes that Charlie hadn’t seen since he’d woken up. “You’re too hard on each other.”
Charlie sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t think you cared much either.”
Leo grunted. “I don’t care if you tear lumps off Fliss. It’s just pointlessandstupid. She didn’t have to help you last night—she could’ve let you get caught—but she didn’t. She fed you bananas and gave you a hug. Trust me, mate—she cares.”
Bananas? Hugs? Is he for real?“Thought we weren’t calling each other ‘mate’?”
Leo smiled one of his too-rare smiles. “I changed my mind. You can call me whatever you like. Now, are we watchingX-Menor not?”
All of a sudden, Charlie felt as exhausted as Leo looked, and it was almost too easy to crawl into bed with him, load the movie onto his laptop, and lie down. After a few minutes, Leo shuffled close and laid his head on Charlie’s shoulder.
“I do care, you know . . . about you, and Lila. Can’t help it. Just wish it didn’t hurt so much.”
Charlie turned slightly, wishing he could meet Leo’s eyes without dislodging his head. “What hurts?”
“Life, Charlie. You’ll see.”
Leo sank into the couch, pulling Charlie with him, their lips still fused together, dancing a dance that always started so slow and sweet—tentative—only to end like this: heavy and heady, with them tangled together, gasping for breath.
Charlie broke away with a soft smile, and Leo grinned right back, a gentle wave washing over him, sweeping away the monsters in his mind. Sweeping away everything but the tingling in his lips and limbs. Kissing Charlie was like that.
Addictive.
Thrilling.
Kissing Charlie was magic, and he couldn’t get enough.
Their lips met again. Leo wrapped his arms around Charlie’s lean back and held him close, debating whether he had the nerve to slide his hands under Charlie’s Marvel T-shirt to feel his skin. He’d spent more time than he cared to admit wondering if it was as perfect as it looked, as flawless and smooth. It probably was. Everything else about Charlie seemed to be.
Leo took a chance and repositioned his hands on Charlie’s waist, edging them under the hem of Charlie’s T-shirt. Warm skin greeted him, laced over sinuous muscle and the hard, knotted bones of Charlie’s spine. He moved his hands higher and higher, until he could feel Charlie’s every breath and thudding heartbeat, and his head swam as Charlie deepened their kiss, swirling his tongue into Leo’s mouth, and clutching Leo’s shoulders tight enough to leave a bruise.
Bloody hell.
Why had they waited so long? All those silent weeks, broken only by monosyllabic grunts, or the occasional strained conversation. All those weeks wasted when they could’ve been doingthis.
Charlie dug his nails into Leo’s skin, interrupting his wandering mind. Leo sucked in a breath and arched into him, sure he’d explode. They were about to reach the precipice they’d visited many times over the last few days, that hazy, heated place where kissing morphed into a swirling vortex that wasn’t quite enough.
Leo’s heart quickened. He’d never truly contemplated what came next, had never dared, but Charlie did something to him—something that tumbled all the barriers of doubt and ignorance. Something that made him wantmore.
