“No.” Sage nodded. “It didn’t.”
“I don’t know what that makes me.” Bryce shrugged, looked down at his feet. “I don’t know.”
“It makes you a person.”
“Not helpful.” Bryce snorted as he shook his head.
“It’s the best I’ve got.”
Bryce huffed out a breath. He took two steps toward Sage, stopped, then moved closer. “Can I—” He gestured between them. “Is it okay if I—”
“Yeah,” Sage said. “It’s okay.”
Bryce crossed the last few feet and set his hands on Sage’s shoulders. He could feel Sage’s warmth under his shirt. Feel the solidness of him. “Tell me to stop if it’s too much or you’ve changed your mind.”
“I will if I want you to,” Sage said.
Taking a deep breath, Bryce leaned closer and kissed him. No beer. No game. Just his decision to do this. Something in him settled when their lips touched. Sage met him halfway, mouth opening with a quiet sound that made Bryce tremble. Bryce moved one hand to the back of Sage’s neck, thumb sliding along his jaw.
Sage put one hand on Bryce’s waist; the other moved up his back, sliding into Bryce’s hair. He didn’t yank or tug. He just held him. They kissed slowly, then deeper, tongues touching, licking, caressing. When Bryce’s fingers tightened, Sage made a low sound in his throat that sent a shiver through Bryce.
They backed up without planning to and bumped into the hallway wall. The light knock shook a laugh from Bryce that went straight back into the kiss, moaning softly when Sage’s fingers tightened where they held him.
“Still okay?” Bryce asked softly.
“Yeah,” Sage answered. “You?”
“Yeah.”
They didn’t rush it. When Bryce felt himself start to, he tightened his grip on Sage’s shirt and slowed down. When Sage’s breath hitched, Bryce eased back half an inch, rested their foreheads together, then kissed him again.
Sage’s hand slid higher under the shirt, fingers spreading between Bryce’s shoulders. The pressure was light but sure, andBryce leaned into it without thinking. He leaned on the wall, his hands sliding over Sage’s back, his fingers digging in slightly.
They broke when they needed to breathe. Bryce rested his forehead against Sage’s and closed his eyes. Every breath he took, he could smell Sage, and he knew he wanted more but had no idea what this was or how Sage felt about it.
“I don’t have a label for this,” he whispered.
“We don’t need one tonight.” Sage moved his head and kissed Bryce’s cheek, sliding his lips over the skin before kissing him. “We can leave it like this tonight.”
Bryce nodded as his thumb brushed Sage’s jaw. He liked the roughness there, the feel of Sage’s stubble. “I don’t want to screw us up.”
“You won’t.”
“You can’t know that.”
Sage leaned back just far enough for their eyes to meet. “I know you. And I want this. With you. Whatever this is.”
Bryce swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Slow. We can do slow.”
“Yeah.” Bryce nodded. He could do slow while they figured this out.
Sage lifted a hand and put his palm over Bryce’s chest, and Bryce covered it with his own. They stood there and breathed until Bryce felt like he could move.
“Bed?” Bryce asked. “I mean, just to sleep.”
Sage understood. “Yeah.”
