Seth was right. Goats didn’t know fear.
I, however, knew fear. Specifically, I understood that it was only sane and reasonable to be afraid of goats. Especiallythesegoats.
“We’re gonna have to chase them,” Andre said, coming to stand beside me and survey the last few goats. “I hate running.”
I snorted. He was right, though—the last few holdouts were enjoying their freedom, and they weren’t giving it up without a fight. “What if one of us chases, and the others catch?”
“Not it,” Seth said, coming to a stop beside us, clutching his side and breathing hard. “I really would’ve thought I was fitter than this.”
“Me too,” Wes said, limping up to us. He’d fallen badly earlier, one foot stuck in the increasingly thick, sucking mud, and hurt his ankle.
We’d all told him to sit down, but he’d looked at us like we’d lost our minds.
This was maybe the weirdest male bonding experience I’d ever had.
“Okay, well,” I said, shrugging my jacket off and throwing it over the fence. “I guess that leaves me.”
“You should roll your sleeves up more often,” Seth said as I pocketed my cufflinks. “You’ve got hot forearms.”
“Hot forearms?” Andre asked, eyebrow raised.
“They’re a thing,” Wes said. “Hayden has hot forearms.”
“Is this another bottom thing?” Andre asked. “We all know Harvey’s a top.”
“We do?” I asked, the tips of my ears getting hot.
“We do,” Wes assured. “You might as well get a forehead tattoo. Like, we’ve met Iggyandeveryone knows he’s got the unmistakable glow of sexual satisfaction all the goddamn time at the moment. People can’t stop staring at him while he makes their coffee. Iggy’s a confirmed bottom, so, y’know. Two and two.”
“I don’t wanna discuss my cousin’s sex life,” Seth spoke up.
Wes and Andre both stared at him.
“What?” he said. “We were like brothers. I’m glad Iggy’s happy, I’m glad Harvey’s happy, but I don’t want to think about him… y’know.”
“Y’know?” Andre said, eyebrow climbing toward his hairline.
“Doing it,” Seth said, barely above a whisper, as though it was the filthiest curse he could imagine—and he was the kind of person who wouldn’t say that kind of thing out loud.
“Making the beast with two backs?” Wes suggested, a smile spreading across his face.
“Bumping uglies?” Andre said.
“Doing the horizontal tango?” Wes responded.
“Knockin’ boots.” Andre grinned.
“Making love?” I suggested.
“Gross,” Seth said, wrinkling his nose.
“That’sthe one you’re sayinggrossto?” I asked, incredulous.
“You don’t…make lovewith Mark?” Wes asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” Seth said, folding his arms across his chest, kicking a clump of dirt at his feet. “We fuck sincerely.”
All three of us laughed, goats forgotten.
