Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Fuck, I didn’t mean it like–”

“Shut up, idiot.”

“This is gay, dude. We shouldn’t–”

It was hard to complain. For Evan to say he didn’t like this. After all, he and Dally had been verbally fucking each other since highschool.

At this point, anyone would start to really think about it.

“Fuck off,” Evan groaned, pressed roughly against the passenger door to Dally’s car, “You’re gonna leave a hickey. I’m not walking around with a hickey from you, jackass.”

Dally didn’t say anything. He just moaned (what the fuck?) and kissed Evan harder, trailed kisses down to his neck and sank his teeth into the sensitive skin.

“Shit,” Evan swore, his vision blurry, butterflies swarming his stomach, “D-Dally, I–”

“Stop talking, Evan. Seriously.”

He kissed him again, forced his tongue in Evan’s mouth. Evan felt his heart flutter, fingers going weak, hardly able to clutch onto Dally or push him away when his bones were liquefying.

This was weird. Dally was weird. In what world would Dally actually want Evan? He was being way too enthusiastic. It was like he had been craving this. And why the fuck would he crave–

A moan ripped out of Evan’s throat, Dally palming Evan between the thighs.

Holy shit.

“You’re so gay,” Evan breathed, fighting the urge to grind against Dally’s incredibly bold hand, “Next thing I know you’re gonna try to suck my dick.”

“Want me to?”

“W-what?!”

Evan’s entire body froze.

“C’mere.”

Evan lit on fire as Dally took the initiative and unzipped Evan’s pants, head descending before he mouthed at Evan's embarrassingly large bulge.

“D-don’t…” Evan whimpered, but he hardly meant it, and Dally knew that. He just didn’t want to be as brave about this as Dally, make it seem like he was horny for Dally or some shit.

He wasn’t.

Couldn’t be.

“God, imagine what Iben would say.” Evan soughed, squirming just from this, “He’d never let us hear the end of it.”

“Stop thinking about Ib and focus. I want your mind on us.”

“U-us?!” Evan spluttered, another explosion of heat overtaking his body, “Jesus, Dally. I-I’m not gonna date you. The others would–”

“Who cares?”

“I do! I’m not a girl and neither are you. My dad beats my ass enough as it is, I’m not fuckin’.... you know...”

“Bi?”

Evan hated how hot his cheeks were, “Any of that shit.”

Dally pressed a lingering kiss against Evan’s clothed dick, humming before he spoke, “It’s not something you choose, dumbass. It’s just what you are. Straight dudes don’t freak out like you do when our faces get close.”

….Uh.

“I don’t freak out.” Evan lied.

“They also don’t pop boners when I kiss them.”

Evan frowned. “Why would you be kissing them?”

“Jealous?”

“...No.”

“Liar.”

“Shut up.”

Dally ignored him, groaning as he licked Evan’s bulge, Evan’s dick visibly twitching against Dally’s soft lips.

“This is fucking weird.” Evan grumbled, unable to stop himself from placing a hand atop Dally’s bobbing head, “Doesn’t it feel weird?”

Dally grunted, “It’d feel less weird if you shut the fuck up.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’m trying.”

Evan’s blush deepened.

“...I’m not letting you put your dick in my ass.”

“Sure.”

“I’m not.”

“Okay.”

“We both know I could beat your ass right now.”

“What’s that got to do with you taking my dick?”

“Taking your–?!” Evan scoffed, “Fuck you, Dally, I’m not a chick.”

“I know. So be a good boy and–”

Evan pushed Dally up and off his lap, immediately slugging him in his pretty face.

Dally’s head hit the car seat and he smirked, roughly yanking Evan on top of him.

“Does that mean you wanna fuck me?” Dally asked in a low voice. His legs were spread, nearly wrapped around Evan’s waist, “Is that it?”

“I…”

Whoa.

Evan couldn’t reply to that. Just the thought was making him dizzy.

Being on top of Dally…. thrusting into him… hearing him moan again and again and again. Making Dally submit. Making Dally fucking beg.

…Jesus.

Evan was so hard.

“Yeah.” Evan said, “Let me.”

“Okay.” Dally shrugged, leaning over the front seat to open his glove compartment, “Lube your dick up, yeah?”

“Wait, really?” Evan squeaked.

“Fuck yeah. Unless you’re pussy.”

“It probably won’t even fit.” Evan scoffed.

“Calling me tight? That’s hot.”

“In your dreams, dickwad.”

Dally tossed Evan the lube, scooting back against his side of the car and unbuckling his belt. “I've been practicing. Your shrimp dick won’t do shit.”

Evan grasped the bottle, staring at it with a thunder in his chest as he considered a composed comeback, “Practicing? What the hell does that mean?”

Dally bit his lip, getting his pants under his ass and starting on his surprisingly alluring boxers, “Started with my fingers. Got real good with ‘em so I bought some toys. Shit feels so fucking good to ride. You gonna let me ride you, Ev?”

Evan’s jaw fell, that pounding in his ears becoming unbearable. His eyes flickered down, just in time to watch as Dally’s thick fucking dick sprung free, slapping against his thigh before bouncing back up.

Drool dribbled down Evan’s chin.

He quickly wiped it away, clearing his throat as he tore his eyes away from the crazy sight beneath him, audibly panting, “Dally, we–”

“C’mon, Ev. Take your dick out before someone calls the cops on us. We don’t have all night.”

Evan obeyed, fighting the inclination to touch Dally’s dick. “Since when are you gay, anyway? I thought you–”

“I’m not gay. I’m bi.”

“Wait, for real?”

Dally’s smirk grew, “Hell yeah.”

Why the fuck was Dally making this sound so casual?!

“Since when?” They were bestfriends, “Don’t you think that’s something I should know?”

“I just told you.”

“Before you try to fuck me. I’m not bi. I thought we were just fucking around.”

Dally rolled his eyes, “Dude – You’re not fooling me and you’re not fooling yourself. Now hurry up before I find some guy with a bigger dick to break me in.”

It’s his first time…?

Evan shoved him, “I’m not fucking little.”

“Prove it.”

Evan drew his cock out, heart skipping a beat as he glanced down, saw their dicks this close together.

…Admittedly, Dally’s was noticeably bigger.

“Fuck.” Dally swore, his cock jumping, “I-I’m not convinced yet. Put it in me.”

Evan went silent, biting the insides of his cheeks as he uncapped the lube, squeezing way too much onto his shaft. He jerked himself off a few times to spread it over his skin, swallowing back a whimper as Dally finished kicking his pants off.

…Dally’s asshole was staring back at Evan, puckering and waiting.

For a moment, Evan saw white.

And then he was on top of Dally, kissing him, their cocks rubbing together as he shoved his tongue in Dally’s mouth.

Dally tasted like nicotine and the soda they’d shared. Somehow it was addictive, Evan sliding a hand up Dally’s nape, fingers grazing his shaved head.

With a frustrated huff, Dally shifted his hips closer to Evan, practically begging him to shove his dick inside.

Obediently, Evan took himself in hand, sliding his cockhead around Dally’s asscheeks until he finally struck gold, slowly easing inside.

They both broke away from the kiss.

Dally stared into Evan’s eyes.

Evan looked between their bodies.

Dally’s cock was already dripping onto his stomach, his entrance stretched around Evan’s cock, Evan’s girth more than enough to fill him up.

“Please,” Dally said – spoken in a tone Evan had never heard from him before, “Move your hips. God, Evan. Come on.”

“I thought–” Evan’s voice cracked, “I thought you were gonna ride me.”

“Please.” Dally repeated, so much desperation in one word.

Evan couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Their lips met. Evan pulled his hips back, snapped them forward. Dally moaned, kissed Evan back sloppily, wrapped his arms around Evan’s shoulders like a girl and held him close.

It was so fucking gay. That’s all Evan could think. What made his cheeks burn. He thrust. Kept thrusting. Kept remembering this was Dally. His bestfriend. The dude he’d thought he would’ve married one day if one of them were a girl.

But only if.

Not… Not whatever they were doing now. It was wrong. Weird. Great.

It was great, Evan thought. He…… was happy. Really happy. Relieved. Laughing. He was laughing. And Dally laughed too, dotted sweet kisses against Evan’s lips and wiped away his pathetic tears.

They kissed and fucked and when Evan came a few moments later, Dally didn’t even tease him for busting early. He just jerked himself off, held Evan’s gaze and said “Fuck yeah” when Evan replaced Dally’s hand with his own.

“What the hell was that?” Evan asked, still so close to Dally, their fingers intertwined.

Dally shrugged, “Beats me. I liked it, though.”

Evan refrained from stating his feelings on it.

His tears said enough.

“Wanna stay the night?” Dally asked, bringing their hands to his mouth and kissing the back of Evan’s.

“Hell no. Ib would throw a fit.”

“He won’t even know we’re there. We’ll be quiet.”

Once again, Evan blushed. “We’re not fucking again.”

Dally grinned, “Sure we aren’t.”

“We’re not.”

“I wanna ride you.”

Evan sighed all the heat out of his body, an involuntary moan, “Your bed creaks too much. He’ll know. I don’t want him to know.”

“Then let me come over yours.”

“My room is a mess.”

“Your couch?”

“It’s fine, but–”

“Let me ride you on your couch, then. You can fuck me over the edge, too. All night if you want. I can handle it.”

Evan coughed, his dick more than alive right now, “Shut up.”

“Then we can take a shower. And you can fuck me against the wall.”

“Shut up. God, you’re so fucking horny for my dick, dude. Stop.”

“And in the morning–”

“NO, Dally! Just–! Come over and go to sleep. That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. That’s it.”

Dally chuckled, shoving Evan off of him and grabbing his pants from the floor, “We’ll see. Hop in the front seat.”

Evan pushed himself back in his pants, clenching his eyes shut as he willed the burn beneath his cheeks to subside, “Asshole.”

…They were totally gonna fuck all night.

What the hell did this mean?

Evan wasn’t actually into Dally…. right?

A voice in the back of his head told him that this was the best sex he’d ever had.

He ignored it. Stomped it into the ground. Covered it with dirt – no – cement and climbed into the front seat.

Whatever it was he was feeling right now would go away.

Dally and Evan were bestfriends.

And that’s all they’d ever be.

…Probably.

Click next for chapters 2 and 3! --->

Chapter Text

In every direction stand distantly familiar faces. Memories of that past Evan would rather not remember. A dagger wedges itself into his gut as he watches his former classmates appear happier, healthier, older.

Some are weathered by parenthood. Some have completely let themselves go. Others have been blessed by having actual lives, and, Evan, well…

Evan’s exactly the same.

Maybe he should have dyed his hair. Or changed his style. Gotten new tattoos. It’s been five years and he still covers up his body in black hoodies and jeans, tries his best not to stand out.

Everyone else seems so much more confident – so adult.

What the fuck has Evan been doing all this time?

It’s making him nervous to see the guys.

What if fuckwad Stuart is happily married with a wife and kids and all Evan has is a fucking overgrown mullet that he tried to cut by himself before he came?

It’s not like Evan has money. He pours it all into his rent, student loans, and his sister. Gets by on dollar store ramen and cans of slimy beans. He didn’t even have money to buy a new outfit for tonight, and he’s pretty sure this is the same jacket he wore all of junior year.

Fuck.

This is what he gets for staying away from social media. All his teen years, he rejected offers to make an account, denied Dally every time he said ‘I wanna see what kind of pictures you take’, and definitely denied Stuart when he taunted Evan, told Evan he’d never get girls if he seemed like a ‘school shooter freakazoid’.

Periodically, over the last few years, he’d thought about caving. He missed Dally’s face, missed hearing Dally’s thoughts, wanted a way to reach out after Dally blocked his number.

Dally’s the only reason Evan bothered coming tonight, anyway.

It’s starting to feel like he won’t show, though. After all, by now Dally’s probably married, having long forgotten about Evan, found someone else to call his best friend–

“Evan?! Is that really you, brother?” a voice calls.

Evan hesitantly turns, relaxing when he sees, “Patrick.”

Patrick snorts, a step closer, “Dude, no one calls me that anymore. It’s Scott.”

“Scott.” Evan corrects.

…Honestly, he had forgotten that was Pat’s real name.

“You’re still quiet as a mouse.” Patri– Scott observes, “I thought kids grow out of that shit.”

By shit, does he mean SM?

Evan just shrugs.

He didn’t exactly have an opportunity to after highschool.

Besides, it doesn’t affect his career as much as he thought it would. He’s worked hard to communicate the basics. That’s all most people need from him, anyway.

...Even if they do think he's rude as fuck.

“Well… It’s kinda loud in here so I’ll skip the pantomime small talk, no offense. Have you seen Dally?”

Evan shakes his head.

“If you see him, let him know I said hey. Unless things are still awkward between you two.”

Evan shrugs.

Scott chuckles, “Well, for your sake, I hope not. See ya.”

Evan watches as he disappears into the crowd, mild relief.

Just as soon as Scott leaves, Mario inks into Evan’s vision.

This reunion worries him…

“Evan…!” Mario greets, waltzing up far too casually, “Wow, you still wear that hoodie? You’re 23, baby.”

Fuck. He noticed the hoodie.

Evan looks down at it, embarrassed that he even put it on.

“And you still don’t talk to me? Come on, I’m not that scary.”

“I do.” Evan whispers.

Mario just rolls his eyes, “Got a bitch yet? Kids? You don’t post anything so I can’t even stalk you.”

Evan clicks his teeth, averting his gaze.

“Why? The females don’t like you ‘cause you’re so short?” He looks Evan up and down. “Don’t let that stop you, king. You know what they say – The shorter you are, the bigger your dick.”

Evan’s face contorts. He doesn’t think that’s necessarily true in his case….

“Honestly,” Mario continues, “I thought you’d end up behind bars after you started dealing. But it’s a good thing you didn’t. You’re perfect jailbait, dude.” He laughs like what he’s said is funny. “Haha. Get it? ‘Cause the guys in prison would be all over you.”

Evan looks away from him, searching out the nearest exit.

“Lighten up, homie. I’m just fuckin’ with you. Anyway, I got me a bitch now. She’s not wifey material but I keep her around ‘cause she had two of my kids.” Ouch. “Baby mamas, you know?”

Evan does not know.

“A boy and a girl. Wanna guess their names?”

Not really.

Evan shrugs.

“Dora and Diego.”

Evan raises a brow.

Mario really laughs now. “Nah, I’m fuckin’ with you again. You’re so gullible. I missed you, dude.”

Evan can’t say the same. The truth is there’s only one person he’s missed.

“You coming to the after party?”

Evan shakes his head.

“Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be there. We need to catch up over a bottle.”

…

Evan doesn’t even bother gracing his offer with a response.

Thankfully, Mario walks away in the same direction Scott had.

He’s 0 for 2 right now and heavily considering if a chance of seeing Dally is worth seeing the others.

He’s definitely outgrown them.

…Or maybe they’ve outgrown him.

Either way. He’s starting to feel uncomfortable.

Just as he considers going outside and getting some air, a new voice greets him.

“Ev.”

Evan’s entire body bristles with heat, heart suddenly beating so fast that he sucks in a sharp breath, whirling around to see him – Dally – towering above him.

“I knew it was you.” Dally grins, this dopey, breathless look like he rushed across the venue just for Evan. He doesn’t seem mad at all. Instead, he appears happy. Excited.

…Dally’s smile reflects itself on Evan’s face.

“Erendall.” Evan teases, his grin growing as Dally gently shoves him.

“I missed that smile.” Dally says.

It’s like magic. Suddenly Evan’s smiling more than he has in years, hugging his arms around himself and glancing away, “Shut up.”

He missed Dally’s too.

Dally, at a glance, is even taller than Evan remembered. He’s got a new haircut, broader shoulders, far less lanky than he was when they were teens. He’s finally grown into his Dumbo ears, a bit of chest hair peeking through his skin tight shirt. He doesn’t look all that much older, thankfully, but there’s something about him that screams man.

Evan isn’t sure he has that yet.

Someone bumps into Evan from behind, Evan forced closer to Dally.

Dally’s stare burns into the top of his head, reaching for his hood.

Unexpectedly, Evan makes no motion to stop him.

Dally lets out a whistle.

“Wow, a shaggy mullet? Doesn’t really seem like you.”

Evan shrugs, blushing, “M-my hair got really long in the back and I kinda liked it… so I just started cutting the front and stuff.”

“You should let me cut it for you. I cut my own hair now, too.”

Evan glances up, “You basically buzzed it.”

“Yeah. Turns out mohawks aren’t too popular in the corporate world.”

Corporate world?

“I kinda liked when you looked like a dog,” Evan grins.

“A dog?” Dally huffs.

“Yeah. It was cute.”

Dally rolls his eyes, zero hesitation as he ruffles Evan’s hair.

It’s the first time Dally’s touched Evan tonight, and Evan can’t help but beam with relief that Dally’s still willing to do that… even after all this time.

He has to stop himself from leaning into Dally’s hand, chasing after his warmth.

God, it’s been so long since anyone’s shown him any affection.

“You look good,” Dally says softly, barely above the music. "And you're still comfortable around me. I'm relieved." His hand’s still on Evan’s head. It lingers, down to the nape of his neck, “Are you…?”

Evan’s clears his throat, hugging himself tighter. Jeez, Dally’s hand is, uh… really warm, actually. “I’m clean.” Evan says beneath his breath, “I’ve been clean since our fight, actually. I wanted the next time you saw me to be good. I wanted you to be proud of me.”

Dally yanks Evan close, Evan’s head thudding against Dally’s chest as Dally wraps his arms around him.

“D-Dally!” Evan panics, arms frozen in the air, “What–”

“I’m so proud of you, Ev.” Dally hums, nuzzling his lips against the top of Evan’s head, unafraid to bury himself in Evan’s hair, “I knew you could do it.”

Slowly, Evan manages to hug Dally back.

He really hopes no one’s looking at them.

“What are you two lovebirds talking about?” A grating, nasally voice asks.

Shit.

Of all people it’s–

“Wart.” Evan greets with narrowed eyelids, pulling away from Dally completely.

“Van.” Stuart retorts, a hand on his expensively clothed hip.

God damn it. It’s Evan’s worst nightmare.

This fucker weasled his way into a good life.

“You’ve … grown.” Evan observes, giving Stuart a once-over.

Stuart smirks, “You can say I got fat.”

What? “I meant you got taller.”

Stuart guffaws like some rich weirdo in a poorly-rated sitcom, “Gah-ha-ha! I was blessed with one final growth spurt before 21. I see you weren’t. What are you, 5’1?”

Evan averts his gaze, “5’4.”

Stuart tauntingly clicks his teeth, “Tut-tut-tut. Be honest.”

“….5’3 and a half.”

“GUAH-HA-HA! How insufficient. I feel sorry for your wife, old boy.”

“Why the fuck are you talking like that?!” Evan glowers.

“Huh? Speak up. I can’t hear you.”

Yes the fuck he can!

If Dally’s been able to make out what Evan’s nervously saying over the sound of the busy venue, he knows Stuart’s big ass ears can.

He’s never had much trouble talking to Stuart. Maybe because Stuart makes him so mad.

Dally finally chimes in… but it’s only to speak to Evan, “You don’t have a wife, Ev. Right?”

Evan blushes.

Does Dally really care about that?

“N-no. No I don’t. I’m single, actually.”

Dally doesn’t respond.

Stuart, assumedly bored by his former underlings’ sidebar, adjusts the cuff of his lime green suit jacket, “Okay, I’m off to find the rest. We should all get together again like old times. I’d offer up my place like when we were children, but… the wife wouldn’t want you all musting up the gare-aj.”

“The fucking what?” Evan retorts.

“Toodle loo!”

They both watch as Stuart disappears into the crowd.

“Stuart has completely lost it.” Evan grumbles.

“Did he ever have it?”

Evan shrugs.

Their arms are touching. Dally is suddenly really close.

…Is that aftershave?

“Can you grow a beard now?” Evan asks.

“What?”

“Like… Do you have to shave every day?”

Dally rubs his chin. “Yeah. It grows pretty fast. Do you?”

“...No. I don’t.”

Dally somehow shifts even closer, hand on Evan’s lower back. “You’re still the same, Evan. You’ve barely changed at all.”

Evan clears his throat, gaze snapping to the wall opposite them. He can hardly recognize the classmates standing by the food bar. “That’s not a good thing.”

“It is, Ev.” Dally says far too affectionately, “I’ve always liked you as you are.”

Evan scrapes his shoe against the floor, “Except when I drink.” A pause, “…Drank.”

“Duh. Because you’re an asshole when you drink. That’s not my Evan.”

My Evan.

Who’d’ve thought Dally would ever call him that again?

Does that mean Dally’s officially done being pissed…?

Evan has to ask, “How come you never texted?”

That seems to startle Dally. He takes his hand off Evan’s back, a step away, “....I, uh–”

Just as he starts to answer, Stuart gets on the small gymnasium stage. Mario’s next to him, all smiles and drunken cheers.

It’s hard to imagine they were ever friends with the way their worlds seem so far apart.

Suddenly, Dally shifts closer again. So close that his lips graze Evan’s ear.

Evan holds his breath.

“Wanna get out of here?” Dally asks.

It’s weighty.

Wanting.

It sends shivers up Evan’s spine. He’s too nervous to say yes.

Instead, he whirls around to face Dally, regretting it as those dark eyes bore into his own… way too close for comfort.

“I-I-I still haven’t seen Rex.” Evan breathes, a hard swallow.

Dally’s smug expression drops, straightening his back as he takes Evan by the arm, ushering him closer to the exit (away from prying ears). “....You haven’t heard?”

“No?”

Dally sighs. “Rex is in prison, dude.”

Oh, fuck.

“For what?”

“Some real dark shit. Better you don’t know.”

“...Jesus.”

Rex left the group in senior year and disappeared off the face of the earth, it seemed.

Evan hadn’t expected him to…

Well…

“Come on.” Dally says, taking Evan’s hand in his and dragging him away from the reunion.

They’re walking somewhere now. Dally won’t say where.

Even with his hoodie on, Evan finds it kinda cold.

Who the hell hosts a reunion in November?

“What do you do for work?”

“Tech shit.” Dally hums.

“Like?”

“Fixing computers.”

“I didn’t know you’re a tech guy. In highschool–”

“I got good at it. I’m dumb as bricks but for some reason it makes sense to me.”

“You’re not dumb, Dally.”

“Yeah? Is that why I almost flunked senior year?”

“It wasn’t because you’re dumb. It was ‘cause you stopped giving a shit after…”

“After you broke my heart?”

“Ha ha.”

Dally snorts, shaking his head, “Nah. I, um…” He pulls at his bottom lip, “Fuck, I forgot what I wanted to say.”

…That’s probably for the best. Evan changes the subject. “Y-you’re…. uh….” He glances at Dally, finding a topic of discussion, “pretty damn toned these days.”

That gets a smirk out of Dally. “Really? Looking at my body? Shameless, Ev.”

Evan clears his throat, their arms bumping together again, “Hard not to. Your shirt is way too small for you.”

Dally chuckles. Though it’s not like his usual chuckle. If Evan was crazy – which he’s not – he’d say it sounded flirty.

But that’s fucking gay.

“My eyes are up here, bro.” Dally scolds. He gently shoves Evan with his bodyweight.

Regretfully, Evan blushes.

“I, uh… W-well–” he stammers out, kicking himself as he does.

“Since we’re talking about bodies… Have you been eating well? All your baby fat is gone.”

“B-baby fat?!”

“I’m gonna have to start feeding you again. Five years without me making you dinner and this is what happens.”

“I’m… I’m not a fucking dog, Dally. I can feed myself.” Evan huffs, the heat beneath his skin rising.

“Doesn’t look like it.”

One time, Evan wouldn’t eat. His dad had been guilting him about it for weeks, saying he was being selfish by eating when his mom was too weak to eat at all. So Dally held Evan by the chin and fed Evan himself, every last bite, constant words of warm encouragement as Evan grew calmer and calmer. By the end, Dally dragged the subdued Evan to the couch, pulling him onto his lap as he then forced Evan to watch the worst movie of the 20th century.

“By the way, what do you do?” Dally asks, pulling Evan out of the memory. “For work.”

“...Guess.”

“Hm….” Dally walks backwards, eyeing Evan, “Are you… a nurse?”

“What the fuck?” Evan scoffs, folding his arms, “How’d you know?”

It’s not like Evan has a social media account to post about it on.

Dally laughs victoriously, “I saw you once. I was at the hospital for my mom–”

“Shit, is she okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Gallbladder stones.”

“Damn.”

“But I saw you in your little uniform. Your ass looks so good in scrubs.”

Evan’s blush is surely visible by now. His entire body is hot. “Dude. Shut the fuck up.”

“I’m serious.”

…Fuck.

Evan stops walking.

After a moment, Dally does, too.

This feels too normal. Too natural.

The elephant in the room is eating away at Evan.

Along with all this unsettling heat.

“...How come you didn’t say anything back then?”

Dally raises a brow. “About your tight ass?”

“N-no.” He coughs, “How come you didn’t say hey when you saw me at the hospital?”

Dally glances away. “Figured you were busy. Didn’t wanna bother you.”

“Bullshit. You’re never worried about bothering me.”

Dally shrugs, “You don’t know me anymore. I’m different these days.”

“Fuck off.”

“I am. I’m a gentleman now.”

“Yeah fucking right.”

“Don’t believe me? I’ll– I’ll fucking show you, dude. Let me take you out.”

“W-what?!” Evan splutters.

What?!

“Let me show you how good I am now, Ev.”

Evan feels something weird stir in his gut.

It reminds him of back then.

When they….

“G-good at what?” he whispers.

Dally smirks, real big this time. He walks forward until Evan’s so squeamish that he starts to step back, Dally grabbing him by the waist and pulling him in close.

Evan sucks in a sharp breath before roughly shoving Dally away. “S-say no homo, jackass!”

He feels weird.

Really weird.

He hasn’t been touched this much in years. It’s screwing with him, making him horny or some shit.

It’s not ‘cause of Dally. Evan’s just… touch starved.

God, he needs to get laid.

Dally just smiles. “Hungry?”

Evan’s brows knit themselves into a harsh ‘V’. “Yeah. I could eat.”

Dally’s magical idea for food is a nearby hotel.

It isn’t until Evan notices Dally’s old suitcase in the corner that he realizes this is where Dally’s staying.

“Do you not live in town?” he asks, gesturing to the suitcase.

Dally looks over at it too, wiping his mouth with his napkin, “Nah. Not right now. Moved away about a year ago to see the world, I guess.”

“Really? To where?”

“Wanted some obscure shit, so I went to Maine.”

Evan snorts. “Dude. No one lives in Maine.”

“I do.” Dally grins. “You should visit.”

“What’s there?”

“...Stuff. Good food. Oh, I got some tattoos.”

“Fucking finally.”

“I know, I know. Here, look.”

Dally stands up and puts his food down on the nightstand before turning around to face Evan. He lifts his shirt up to his chest, Evan’s breath catching in his throat as Dally unbuckles his belt.

What the fuck?

God.

Since when is Dally’s stomach hot?

It’s not.

Definitely not.

Evan feels drunk.

Dally pulls his waistband down, exposing the clean shaven skin of his pelvis, the defined V trailing down to his dick that Evan’s definitely seen before.

…Like he’d ever forget what it looks like.

God.

Jesus.

Just a little more agonizingly heat-inducing tugging and Dally’s showing Evan his tattoos, rambling on about the meaning or why he got them or some shit but all Evan sees is black shrouding his vision.

That’s the sluttiest tattoo placement Evan’s ever seen. In fact – He’s almost sure he mentioned to Dally when they were teenagers how weak he gets for hidden tattoos like this, how much it turns him on when girls get them down there.

It feels like Dally got them there just to make Evan fucking drool.

And for some godforsaken reason it’s working.

…Asshole.

“They’re cool.” Evan says flatly, trying not to stare, but his eyes are glued there, to the exposed skin right in front of his face, heartbeat shifting up to his eardrums, “G-got any more…?”

Dally is definitely staring into Evan’s distracted eyes.

He knows Evan can’t look away.

“Nah, but I’ve got a, uh, piercing down there.”

“On your dick?”

“Maybe.”

“You’re so fucked.”

“I’ve heard it’s fun to suck on.”

…

Evan goes silent.

Dally, the whore he is, finally stops teasing Evan, tugging down the hem of his shirt and buckling his belt.

“Anyway.”

“Yeah,” Evan scoffs, “Fucking anyway.”

His dick is hard.

“I left ‘cause this town is too small. Started feeling kinda trapped, I guess.”

“Not small enough.” Evan grumbles, “I never saw you after highschool. Not even once.”

“Like you leave your apartment.”

“I do.”

“To go to work?”

Evan leans over the now-seated Dally’s lap and sets his food down on the nightstand. The food was shit (go figure), so neither of them ate very much. “Maybe.”

Dally throws his arms behind his head and lays down on the bed. Evan tries not to stare as the hem of his shirt rides up, exposing just a sliver of his way too hot stomach.

Something’s seriously fucked up with Evan tonight.

A few moments of silence pass before Dally asks, “How’s your sister?”

“...Fine. Almost old enough to move in with me.”

“Damn, you’re taking her in? You’re such a good guy, Ev. Seriously.”

“Anyone would do it.”

“Not anyone.”

Again, Evan blushes.

Jesus.

“Well, she–”

Dally’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He reaches to grab it, lifting it up to his face and smiling as he sees something. He starts typing, a sinking feeling in Evan’s stomach.

With all the excitement, Evan forgot to consider if Dally has a girlfriend – worse – a wife.

Fuck, what if he has kids?

Evan suddenly feels sick. And that makes him even more unnerved.

Dally puts his phone away, Evan’s hands wringing together nervously.

He’d always been able to speak more freely with Dally – loudly, even. But when he’s nervous, that all slips away.

“D-Dally, uh… Do you have a–”

Dally sits up, looks at Evan. He can definitely tell Evan’s nervous, because–

“A-are you with anyone?” Evan spits out.

Dally’s just staring at him, Evan’s heart pounding out of his ribcage.

“Like… dating anyone?” Dally confirms.

Evan nods, averting his gaze.

“Uh….. Yeah, Ev. Married, actually.”

Evan can’t help it. His entire demeanor sours and he stands, “I’m gonna leave.”

Dally stands, too, grabs Evan’s wrist, “Evan, wait–”

Evan yanks his hand away, looks around for his things, “I-I’m sorry. I’m happy for you, I just–”

“Evan. Calm down.”

Evan tries to get away but Dally grabs him by the waist and pulls him close again, this rush of emotion bursting through Evan that makes him feel sick and sad and confused and guilty and every fucking bad thing in this world.

It’s stupid. It’s fucking stupid. One sentence and Evan’s world’s crashing down around him.

Dally’s body’s fucking warm and his arms feel good and Evan’s eyes are blurry and he’s fucking mad that he feels this way because Dally’s married.

Dally fell for someone. Asked them to marry him. Had a wedding. Probably had fucking kids with them.

And he never said a fucking word to Evan.

At the very fucking least Evan should have been his best man. At the very least.

Addiction is a bitch but it doesn’t mean abandon Evan. If Dally really loved Evan he would have… he would have reached out for at least that!

How mad could Dally have been?

“Let go of me.” Evan whispers. He hates that he’s whispering with Dally.

“No, Evan–”

“No?”

“I didn’t– I lied. I was lying.”

“Lying?”

“That was fucked of me. I’m sorry. I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

“Fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Evan…. You still haven't figured it out?”

“Figured what out?”

Dally sighs. And then he leans down, and Evan’s heartbeat breaks the sound barrier.

“D-Dally–”

“Quiet.”

Dally walks Evan backward, Evan practically tripping over his own feet, just clinging to Dally as Dally pins him against the wall. Their lips are locked, Evan’s head filled with nothing and everything as Dally kisses him like he means it. Has been dreaming of this.

His lips are soft, his kiss rough. He’s holding Evan so tightly and Evan can’t tell if he’s remembering to breathe or not. Dally forces his tongue in Evan’s mouth, earns a moan out of Evan as Evan melts in his grasp.

There’s this weird ass hunger building in Evan’s gut and it’s answered as Dally pulls away from their kiss, starts licking and nibbling the crook of Evan’s neck. He slowly sinks to his knees as Evan starts to pant and then he’s lifting Evan’s hoodie, nosing under his shirt and kissing the bare skin, Evan’s entire body erupting with heat.

“F-fuck, Dally…!” he gasps out, squirming now, “What are you–”

Dally unbuttons Evan’s jeans, still kissing his stomach and he fishes Evan’s way-too-hard cock out of the hole in his boxers.

Ordinarily, Evan would object. But his entire brain is jelly, and he just tilts his head back, moans way louder than he wants to as Dally sucks Evan’s cock into his mouth, takes him to the base and palms Evan’s ass.

It feels so fucking good. Like – insanely good. Dally’s using his tongue and sucking Evan so good that all Evan wants to do is card fingers through his buzzcut and ride it out.

The problem is it’s fucking Dally doing this, a man, and… And Evan’s so fucking desperate that he’s already close.

“Mmgh… D-Dally… This isn’t funny… I’m gonna–” He’s whimpering now, pushing at Dally’s forehead, “Seriously, dude, I’m gonna–!” He inhales, squirms, pushes, tries to get away, but no matter how much he fights it, he cums….. right inside Dally’s mouth.

Dally pulls away, licking his lips clean as he stares up at the red-faced Evan. “Damn, you taste good.”

Evan’s still coming down from it, and only one thing is ringing in his mind on loop, the adrenaline forcing him to say, “F-fuck you, Dally! That– That’s not what– what men do. I–I don’t…. What the hell?!”

“You just did it.” Dally says, still on his goddamn knees.

“Like hell I did!” Evan objects, his voice loud and clear now, “I’m not gay. Neither are you. You’re not fucking gay, Dally.”

Dally crosses his arms, sitting back on his heels, “So what if I was?”

Evan clicks his teeth. “You’re not. My bestfriend can’t be gay .”

“First off –” Dally asserts, wiping off his mouth, “I haven’t been your bestfriend since graduation. And second off, how are you still in denial?”

“In denial?!” Evan snaps, “Are you fucking serious? The only one of us who might have been gay was Ib, and he–”

“Is. And we live together.”

That earns a scowl from Evan, “What, you two suck each other’s dicks or something?”

“I just sucked yours. And you liked it.”

“Wh– No. I didn’t. Why would I like that?”

“Because you like me, bro.”

Evan’s trying so hard to be angry. But deep down he’s just…. sad.

“Fuck off. I’m not gay.”

Dally stands up. “I thought you’d have been more honest with yourself by now. I used to question this – us – a lot. But I’m man enough to call it what it is, now, Ev. So why can’t you?”

“Because–”

Dally doesn’t give Evan a chance to answer. This time he yanks Evan close, licks his lips open and slips his tongue into Evan’s mouth. Evan bites back his groan as Dally grips his waist, unwavering in his intensity.

“Then what do you call this?” Dally asks between kisses, breathy and wanting, “What do you think this is, Evan?”

“S-shut up…”

“Do you want to stop?”

“N-no…”

“It’s gay. You know it is.”

Evan whimpers, a firm hand on Dally’s chest, “D-don’t tell anyone. Dally, I swear to god.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“You know what.” Evan huffs, shoving Dally away, “It was always you. I… I know it was, Dally, but–”

“But?”

“There’s enough fucking wrong with my life, dude. I don’t need this. I could never be like Ib. Or fucking you, apparently. I couldn’t walk around okay with this shit. It disgusts me.”

“I disgust you?”

Evan’s voice trembles, “Maybe.”

“Because I like you? No – Hell, I love you, Evan. I’m in love with you. Tonight confirmed it. I can’t spend another year away from you.”

Heat perserveers beneath Evan’s skin, an unfavorable lump forming in his throat. His eyes burn, his fingers trembling. Dally doesn’t know what he’s saying, and Evan, “Can’t. I can’t, Dally.”

“Why not?”

Evan shoves Dally again, sucking in deep breaths. The room is spinning, “I wish… I wish you were a girl. Or I was. But we’re not. That’s just the way it is. I accepted that. You should, too. Don’t be an ass about this.”

“That’s not how love works.”

Love.

It’s everything Evan could ever hope to hear Dally say, but…

Evan shoves him again, harder this time. “I figured it out. When we were kids. I knew, Dally. It was so fucking obvious. Even my dad knew. I was so excited when I told him and he–”

“Fuck–”

“–He beat it out of me, Dally. All the fucking time. Said I was going to hell. That he wasn’t going to allow my sick mother to die thinking she had a ‘sissy’ for a son. She had enough suffering without me taking it up the ass. That’s why you couldn’t come over.”

“I’m sorry, Ev–”

“I didn’t even know what he meant yet. I didn’t fucking know it was wrong. I was–” Evan chokes on his words, “I was seven, Dally.”

They sit in it for a moment. It’s clear Dally has no idea what to say. He opens his mouth, but Evan’s not done.

“So no, I didn’t become more honest with myself. Even with the guys, I… I knew they’d give us shit. And it’s not like I can’t take it, but…. I can’t think of anyone in my life who would stick around if this–” He gestures between the two of them, “happened. Not my coworkers, not my friends, my dead, religious mother…. my mute sister…”

“I would.”

“And what if you broke up with me? Because we both know you get sick of my shit. What if I gave up everything – everyone – and you left me again? Fuck that, Dally–”

“You left me.”

“No. You left me no choice.”

“Evan–”

“I was going to get better. I wanted to. It was real that time.”

Evan doesn’t know why he’s arguing. His eyes burn.

These words have been bottled up for years.

“You never would have gotten better if I hadn’t left you for real, Evan. I mean, you… You were getting started on some serious shit, dude. It wasn’t just alcohol anymore. I don't even know where you got the cash for it.”

Evan swallows hard. “Yeah. I know. I just… I needed you. I wanted you. I missed you.”

Dally’s shoulders seem to melt down to his chest. “I’m here now.”

“What fucking took you so long? Five years sober, Dally, I– I’ve been so fucking good for you.”

“I know, Ev. Come here.”

Dally holds Evan. Envelopes him in his warmth. Rocks him back and forth as Evan fights the urge to melt to the ground.

Five years he’s been waiting to see Dally. Five years without the best – no, only friend he's ever had.

Dally doesn't know just how special he really is to Evan.

Evan pulls away from their hug just enough to glance up at Dally. And then he stands on the tips of his toes, everything around them disappearing as their lips meet again.

This kiss is slow….. gentle… romantic.

Evan doesn’t want to linger on the past forever. If Dally means what he said – really means it – then just for tonight, Evan can pretend whatever this is makes sense.

There’s a desperation to the way Evan licks Dally’s lower lip, furthered by the way his hands slide beneath Dally’s tight shirt, a silent plea for more.

Dally sighs, lets Evan, his hips pushing forward as Evan’s hands descend.

“F-fuck… Are you sure?” Dally breathes, eyelids low as Evan heats up, trailing hesitant fingers along Dally’s bulge.

“Yeah.” Evan says, a yelp as Dally lifts him, carrying him to the bed and throwing him down onto the mattress.

He climbs up above Evan, delicately brushing Evan’s hair out of his face. “Let me help you feel good,” he says softly. “As an apology.”

Evan wants to say that he already has… but he just blushes and nods, a gentle hand on the back of Dally’s head.

“S-sorry for all that shit I just said.” Evan whispers, embarrassed by the harsh words replaying in his mind. “You’re not disgusting. I’m just… fucked, I guess. I know you’re right.”

“It’s cool, dude. I wasn’t the nicest to myself when I realized why leaving you hurt me so much. I was gutted without you, Ev. I want you to know I–”

“I know. But you made the right choice. I was fucked. Really fucked. It was bad.”

“Yeah.”

“It was just ‘cause my mom died, y’know, and I… Well… I was stupid and sad. The best thing you ever did was show me you weren’t sticking around for that shit. Hell of a wakeup call.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They stay like that for a moment, Dally hovering over Evan, Evan staring up at him with ever increasing affection.

…Dally still loves Evan.

Just how lucky can Evan be?

Evan licks his lips, “So… what do you want to do to me?”

Dally exhales harshly, blush deepening, “A-actually, uh… I was kinda wondering if I could fuck you.”

…

“W-what?!” Evan splutters, thighs snapping shut, “Like… put your dick up my ass?!”

“Y-yeah…”

“That’s mega gay, dude!”

“I’d be gentle with you, Ev. Promise.”

Evan thought he was hot before. But now his entire body is molten lava.

And the worst part is…. his dick is rock hard again.

“Fine.” he grumbles, “Whatever. But if it doesn’t fit, take it out.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll work you open nice and slow so it doesn’t hurt.”

Evan’s cheeks sting. He just shrugs (because speaking is way too hard right now), and signals for Dally to do whatever the fuck he wants.

“Are you sure?”

“I-I’m not a girl, Dally. You don’t have to keep being all polite and shit. Just fuck me.”

Dally smirks, “God, you’re gonna feel so good, Ev. Fuck, dude.”

“S-shut up.” Evan flusters, butterflies in his stomach.

Evan’s covered in their cum and blushing out of his mind when Dally has the audacity to notice Evan’s prevailing boner and ask, “Want more?”

“N-no!” Evan barks, standing up and covering up his chest and crotch with his arms, “Fuck you! I’ll just go shower.” a pause, “Idiot.”

Dally laughs, his big fucking dick laying atop his stomach, “You’re so cute. It’s okay to say you want more.”

“I don’t!” Evan blurts out, turning around and covering his ass now, “Fucker.”

He rushes to the bathroom, turning on the shower and taking a deep breath.

Jesus Christ.

Dally fucked the shit out of him.

He opened Evan up with his fingers, lost his mind and tongued Evan’s ass. Then he asked if Evan had ever had his prostate stimulated and when Evan said ‘Hell no’ Dally milked it until Evan was crying out Dally’s name, cumming all over the fucking place.

And that was before Dally even got his dick inside him.

Evan’s so fucking horny. He can’t believe it. Getting fucked felt so damn good. His hands on his dick and he’s blinded by lust, mindlessly jerking himself off against the wall.

At this point, hiding how good it felt is worthless. Dally’s smug ass knows exactly what he did to Evan, riding on the high like all his years of patience have finally paid off.

Evan refuses to let him have the satisfaction.

…The problem is his ass is begging for more. Screaming for it. He wants Dally inside him so fucking badly. He can’t even make it to the shower without contemplating Dally coming with him, fucking him against the shower wall.

God, how is he already addicted?

He melted into the mattress. Dally fucked him so good that Evan was drooling, ass raised, just gripping he sheets as Dally had his way with him. It was so loud. Skin on skin, this quick, reckless ‘slap slap slap’ sound that surely could be heard by the neighboring tenants.

Honestly, he thought it would hurt. He thought he’d spend the whole time shoving Dally away and telling him it was too much. After all, this was Evan’s virginity. He’d never done anything like it before.

But maybe Evan’s made for this shit. ‘Cause by the time Dally came all over his back, all Evan could think was that he wasn’t done yet. They could do so much more.

His head’s swimming. He slips two fingers behind himself, inside his entrance, whimpers as he thinks of the man mere steps away.

If he stops fighting his urges, he can have exactly what he wants right here right now.

But admitting to Dally how good that was would be like…

Like admitting he was gay all along. Never fucked a girl ‘cause it was Dally he really wanted.

Fuck it.

Who cares?

He opens the bathroom door, steam pouring out as Dally glances over at him.

“Do you wanna…” Evan trails off, and Dally couldn’t stand up any faster, closes the distance and kisses Evan all the way into the shower.

“Am I your new addiction?” Dally asks once he’s inside Evan again, Evan’s legs wrapped around his waist. He holds Evan like he’s weightless, fucks him slow. Slow enough that they can talk.

“New? No, uh… no this isn’t new, Dally.”

“Really?”

Evan remembers when it really started. When the ache that resurfaced tonight was first born. “One time when your parents were gone you were fucking with me. Kept licking and biting my neck. Fuck, I was so horny I went and jerked off in your bathroom, saw myself in the mirror before I came back out. I was so paranoid you could hear me that I tried to leave but then you pinned me on the couch and kept teasing me and I swore I was going to hell for not pushing you away.”

Dally closes his eyes, thrusts faster, moans softly, “Y-yeah… I remember doing that. Definitely wasn’t fucking innocent.” he sighs out, “I wanted you.”

“I know that now. But at the time…”

“Yeah. I never thought you’d want this either.”

“You should have just kissed me. God, I wish you would’ve kissed me.”

“...I wanted to.”

He holds Evan so delicately that it drives Evan crazy, grips his wet skin like it’s made of glass, so fragile, so precious.

Evan hates how slow he’s going so he moves his hips, rides Dally desperately and laughs out a groan as Dally listens and picks up the pace.

“How many times are we gonna do this tonight?” Evan asks.

He feels like such a girl when Dally holds him. Wants to fight it but he can’t.

“I don’t know. We missed out on a lot of time, Ev.” Dally hums. His balls are slapping against Evan’s ass. He runs his thumb over Evan’s nipple and gauges his reaction.

“…Yeah.”

“Are you still gonna be here when I wake up in the morning?”

“Where else would I go?”

Dally wraps his arms around Evan, hugging him tight as his thrusts slow again, “I dunno. I just don’t want this to be a dream.”

“It isn’t.”

“I’ll believe it when you kiss me goodmorning.”

Evan laughs, “I’m not giving you a good morning kiss.”

“Why not? I love you, Evan.”

Evan’s laugh grinds to a halt.

…Oh yeah.

“I, um…”

“I know you love me, too.”

“Yeah.”

The sun bleeding through the blinds is what wakes Evan. He feels hungover, groaning out the ache in his lower back as he senses the warmth of another against him.

It takes a moment of blinking away the morning fog before he remembers who it is.

Fucking Dally?!

Instantly, he’s burning hot, gulping down the dryness of his throat as it all comes rushing back.

Holy shit.

They fucked like four more times after the shower. By the end, Dally was shooting pathetic fucking blanks so he asked if Evan could fuck him. And Evan said yes!

What the hell was Evan thinking?!

His dick springs awake at the memory, Dally’s firm, sleeping grip around his waist like thorned tendrils.

Dally shifts and Evan squeaks as he gets pulled in even closer.

Oh god.

His fucking leg is intertwined with Dally’s.

That’s it!

Evan’s had enough.

“Wake up, Erendall.” Evan demands.

Dally stirs.

“Seriously, wake up, dude. I’m overheating.”

Dally finally pops an eye open, the dopiest grin spreading across his face as they lock eyes. “Whoa. You’re real.”

“Duh.”

They (mostly Evan) untangle their limbs, Dally sleepily blinking at him before chuckling, “Your hair is so fucked right now, dude.”

“You have yourself to blame.”

“It’s cute.” A pause, “You’re cute.”

Of course, Evan blushes. “Shut up.”

“Can I take you out to breakfast?”

“I’m not a fucking girl.”

Dally gently nudges him. “Stop saying that.”

“Stop making me want to say it.”

Dally rolls over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “I never had a girlfriend after highschool, y’know. I tried a couple times but it never felt right. It’s not that I’m gay or anything.”

“I thought you said last night was gay.”

“It was. But I’m bi, dude. I’d like you if you were a guy or a girl. I just like you. I think I’ve had a crush on you our whole lives.”

“Dude, shut up.”

“You always say that when I make you too happy.”

“And?”

“And I think you should let yourself be happy. No objections.”

Evan frowns, “I think you should shut the fuck up.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll fuck you again. Was kinda funny hearing you beg for my dick.”

Dally groans, hand on his lower stomach. “Okay, now you shut up.”

“Oh yeah? Or what?”

“Or we’ll be stuck in here all day. I’m hungry.”

“Mmph…”

Evan’s dick is so awake.

“Come cook me something at my place, then. I don’t wanna go out.” Evan says, placing his hand up Dally’s bicep. He’s built so much muscle over the last few years. It’s so goddamn hot.

“Scared of being seen together?”

“No. I don’t go out a lot.”

“I know. That’s why I took you here last night instead of a restaurant.”

“...Thanks for that.”

“So you just wanna stay inside all day?”

Evan nods, slowly crawling onto Dally’s lap, sliding his hands up Dally’s stomach.

Dally twitches beneath him, “E-Evan… I really am hungry.”

“Me too.” Evan sighs, shifting his hips ever so slightly, “So hungry.”

Dally moans, grabbing Evan by the hip and holding him still. “Fine. Five minutes. Then we’re fucking leaving, okay?”

“Only five…?”

“Ten. N-no… Fifteen. Then I’m taking you home. What do you even have in your fridge?”

Oh, uh… “Eggs…?”

Dally grins, drawing Evan in for a kiss. “Whatever. Good enough.”

Chapter Text

“Do you really have to leave?” Evan asks.

Dally already cancelled one flight, rescheduled it out as far as he could before he nearly ran his vacation days dry.

“I wish I didn’t,” Dally sighs, extending his suitcase handle to its maximum.

Evan tries to hide it, but every part of him is already in pain.

He doesn’t want Dally to leave. He doesn’t want to be separated from Dally. And he’d chase Dally to Maine, but Evan’s sister is here. He can’t leave her stranded with their father.

“Quit your job.” Evan says. He’s joking. Mostly. But if Dally said ‘okay’, Evan would be really really happy. “I can support you. I can pick up more shifts.”

“I don’t want to leave either,” Dally says, reaching forward and petting the top of Evan’s head, “But I have a cat and two dogs and Ib’s probably losing his mind by now. Plus he can’t afford our place on his own.”

Evan pouts. “Fuck. This really sucks.”

“I know.”

There’s an ache already. Building rapidly in Evan’s chest. It feels like he’s losing Dally all over again.

Evan can’t bear being long distance with Dally.

He can’t.

He just can’t.

An irrational part of his brain wishes Dally never showed up that night. Or if he did, Evan wishes he’d pushed Evan away, told him he hated him and never wanted to see him again.

Before Dally appeared, Evan had resigned himself to being without Dally for the rest of his life.

But now that they’ve been this close… Evan swears it hurts more than it did the first time Dally left him.

“C-can I come visit?” Evan whispers. “I’m off soon. I work four on, three off. A-and I get paid next week.”

“Of course, Ev. You can visit any time.”

Evan’s heart is in his stomach, so all he manages is a hand on Dally’s forearm.

Dally doesn’t hesitate to draw him into a warm hug.

Dally texts Evan ‘Goodbye. I love you.’ from the plane and it feels like a breakup text.

Was Evan always this clingy with Dally?

…Maybe. Or maybe he’s already become dependent on Dally’s presence. Every fiber of his being is yearning for Dally’s touch. He’s just sitting in the airport parking lot, forehead against the steering wheel, wishing that he wasn’t here. Wishing he was in Dally’s arms.

This is unhealthy. Evan is an adult.

How can he miss Dally so much?

Evan gently closes the driver side door, praying his rust bucket of a car didn’t wake his father. Ava’s probably worried by now. Evan’s been radio silent all week… and their father gets worse when Evan doesn’t stop by.

As is routine, he enters through the back door. This door’s closer to Ava’s room. Which is good, because when his father comes home drunk, he goes through the front door, passes out on the couch waiting for Ava… And Evan, if Evan shows up.

When Evan walks inside, he can hear his father’s snores. He tiptoes up the stairs, careful not to step on the creaky parts as he reaches Ava’s room.

Ava lets Evan inside as soon as his knuckle touches her door. Their father never knocks, so she knows it’s Evan, practically tackles him with a hug as he breathes her in.

Sometimes he wonders what she’s thinking. Ruffles her hair and waits for her to get it out of her system. She missed him. And honestly, he missed her, too.

He hands her the food he brought for her. It’s her favorite – a double cheese pizza from Antonio’s. She smiles and does a little dance and Evan lets out a relieved breath that she’s in one piece after he selfishly abandoned her. He’s not sure he could forgive himself if anything happened to her. Indulging himself in Dally…. Maybe he should give Ava the spare key to his place while he’s in Maine. Just in case.

They watch a movie. Ava falls asleep in her bed. Evan decides to leave before their father wakes up.

Work is hell. More than hell. But the texts Dally sends throughout the day help.

Did you eat?

I miss you.

Ib keeps asking me why I’m smiling at my phone. Imagine I said it’s because you’re cute.

Can I tell him we’re together?

Wait.

Together…?

Evan squirms in his seat in the breakroom. He should really stop reading Dally’s texts. They’re making his mind race. Affecting his focus.

Dally sends one last message before Evan clocks back in.

If you were here right now I’d kiss you.

Evan’s head feels like it’s going to explode.

The worst part about all this is that Evan’s so overwhelmed by his emotions that it’s starting to become hard to reply to Dally. He’s reacting and sending gifs, and he knows Dally understands, but it’s probably shitty to be Dally and say such nice things only for Evan to reply with a thumbs up.

In fairness, Evan has never been good at texting Dally. There’s something different about it. Dally gets bolder in text. More intimidating. And because Evan can’t hear his voice, it makes his heart pound, too hard to think of what to say when he wants to make it perfect. Dally used to tease Evan about how he’d spend ten minutes typing before deciding on ‘ok’.

So, without Evan even having to ask, Dally calls Evan as soon as Evan leaves the hospital. And the milisecond Evan presses the phone against his ear, Dally’s voice soothes him.

“Is texting too hard?” Dally asks.

Jesus. Since when is Dally’s voice that hot?

…Maybe a phone call is too hard, too.

Suddenly Evan wants to see Dally’s face, so he pulls the phone away and initiates a video call. Dally readily picks up.

“There you are,” Dally says fondly. He’s in bed, smiling down at his phone. “You’re so red.”

“Shut up.” Evan blushes, smoothing his hair out of his face. “Can you stop flirting with me while I’m working?”

“You’re not working anymore.”

“I mean before. You’ve been texting me all day.”

“What? Can’t handle it?”

“No. I miss you too much for that shit.”

Dally chuckles. But then his tone changes… and when Evan glances down, Dally’s eyelids are low. “Go to your car.” he says.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

Dally doesn’t respond.

As soon as Evan closes his car door, Dally pans his camera down. Evan sees just a hint of Dally’s bare hips – his fucking V-line – and Evan’s dick comes alive, his eyes flickering around wildly to make sure no one’s nearby.

“Fuck, Dally,” Evan sighs, turning his car on to distract himself from how hot he feels, “What are you doing?”

“I’ll tell you when you get home.”

Evan’s cheeks sting. “That’s not fair. Show me now.”

Does he have his dick out?

Since when does Evan need to see another guy’s dick?

This is so weird. Evan’s so fucked.

“Sure you can handle it?” Dally taunts. “I’m not getting you fired, Ev.”

“I just wanna look. I won’t do anything.” Evan promises. But he’s sure it’s clear by the tremble in his voice that he can’t, in fact, handle it.

Dally slowly pans the camera down, bit by bit, exposing the base of his shaft, his heavy balls, the redness of his blushing skin. He’s holding the waistband of his boxers, teasing Evan, threatening to let the tip of his dick spring out from underneath, probably slap against the camera.

It never happened while Dally was here. Evan was too shy to even think about it at the time…

But he wants to suck Dally’s dick.

His mouth is watering just imagining it.

“See? I knew it.” Dally scoffs. “You’re thinking about risking it, aren’t you? Go home, Ev. I’ll take care of you soon.”

“Dally, I–”

“Home. Be a good boy.”

Before Evan has the chance to respond, Dally hangs up, leaving Evan alone with his burning cheeks and swollen erection.

Fuck.

Dammit.

Evan’s so hard. So horny. He misses Dally. And Dally’s a fucking tease. He knows what he just did to Evan.

If they were together, Evan would go home and teach Dally a lesson.

But they’re not. And Evan’s already dreading getting into bed alone tonight.

Evan never thought he’d be dying to go to Maine.

ONE WEEK LATER

Evan steps off of the plane, immediately taking his phone off airplane mode and speed dialing Dally.

Dally picks up in record time.

“Evan,” he breathes, almost as if he’s running, “Where are you?”

“I-I just got off.” Evan whispers, looking around at all the people brushing past him. He hurries up, so anxious to get to Dally and away from all these people that his legs are trembling.

“I just got to the waiting area. God, I’m so glad you made it safely, Ev. You have no idea.”

Evan’s mouth refuses to respond to that, so he just picks up his pace, practically jogging now. He follows the signs, still on the line with Dally, looking around for the pick up area. When he finally makes it there, all he manages to do is go, “Uh…” into the mic.

Dally’s smile is enough to make Evan drop everything he’s holding.

Dally crashes Evan into a hug, holding him so tightly – so closely – that Evan feels like sobbing.

This is really it. This is fucking real. Dally’s real. He’s here, and…

Evan doesn’t want to part. Not for anything. Ever again.

Warmth is all that exists. A sense of wholeness. Quietude overtaking his racing thoughts.

Dally’s the first to pull away. Evan almost fights it, but Dally only leans back enough to stare down at Evan, look him in the eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” Dally whispers. And when Evan’s eyes go wide, Dally chuckles, reminding him, “No one knows you in Maine. Just me.”

Ordinarily, Evan would say fuck no.

But god, he misses Dally so much. Nothing around them even matters. He stands on the tips of his toes, and Dally gleefully takes his breath away.

Ding dong!

“Evan!” Iben gasps, eyes darting between Dally (a cruel bastard) and Evan (who is blushing out of his mind because Dally’s arm is around his shoulder).

“In the flesh,” Dally says, letting go of Evan and stepping around Iben, heading inside. “Surprised?”

“Um… yeah?!” Ib goes, “When the hell did you two make up?! It’s been years. Don’t you think that’s worth mentioning?!”

Dally teased Evan all the way from the airport, gripping Evan’s inner thigh and dragging his fingertips over his bulge until Evan was panting out his name.

He can’t even focus on reuniting with Ib – and he likes Ib.

“It happened at the reunion you didn’t want to go to,” Dally explains casually. And then, when he realizes Evan isn’t beside him, he turns around, brushing up against Ib as he peers outside the front door at the stationary Evan. “Come on, Ev.”

Evan blushes, hurrying inside (also forced to brush past Ib), bowing in apology as Dally smiles down at him.

It’s not that Evan has problems speaking with Ib. Ib is such a goober that Evan’s anxiety is nearly non-existent around him.

Except right now.

…Evan shouldn’t have declined Dally’s offer to get them a hotel.

“Aren’t you guys going to explain what the hell is going on?” Ib scoffs as Dally takes Evan by the hand, dragging him toward the staircase.

“Later.” Dally says. It feels like he’s just admitted what they’re going to do. But maybe Evan’s too paranoid. Ib would never think that they’re together. After all, who could ever imagine Evan admitting his feelings for Dally to himself?

Most people seem to think Evan doesn’t have any thoughts at all.

“Fine.” Ib huffs, “I’m about to enter a meeting anyway. But Evan’s not staying the night unless I get some sort of explanation. You hear me?"

Dally doesn’t even reply to Ib, just leads Evan up the stairs and around the corner, pushing him into his bedroom and closing the door.

Evan starts to glance around as the light comes on, but before he can, Dally’s hand is on his nape, and he’s pulling Evan up to the tips of his toes.

Evan can’t help it. He groans as their lips finally meet.

Fuck. It’s only been mere days since Dally left Evan’s place and returned to Maine, but it feels like it’s been years. Dally tastes so good. So real. It’s no wonder Evan chased after him as soon as he could, booked a flight without a second thought.

His head is in the clouds. His dick already feels so heavy in his pants. He licks Dally’s lips open, groans even louder as Dally sucks and nibbles everywhere he can reach, winds his tongue around Evan’s until they’re breathless.

Dally’s so hungry for this that his fingers dig into Evan’s hip, a touch so rough that Evan’s knees go weak.

“Quiet.” Dally whispers as Evan’s moans fill the small room, “The walls are thin. No noise.”

Evan nearly whines just thinking about containing himself with how horny he is right now, but he obeys, relaxing as Dally starts to undress him, hands on the hem of his shirt.

“Wait.” Evan whispers, pulling away.

“You okay?” Dally checks.

“Yeah. Just– Here.”

A moment passes as Evan shows him what he wants.

“....Ev. No fucking way.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t handle that right now. Ib will hear me.”

“Don’t be a pussy.”

“It’s a bad idea.”

“All of this is a bad idea.”

“Yeah, but that’s the worst idea.”

“Fuck you, Dally.”

Dally sighs out hot air, clenching his eyes shut. “You know what? Fine.”

Evan folds his arms. “If you don’t want me to–”

“Of course I fucking want you to. I've had wet dreams about it since forever. Way before I knew I felt this way about you. I want it, Ev. Too much. I’m fucking–” He huffs in frustation, “You make me weak, Ev.”

Heat swells deep in Evan’s stomach and he smiles victoriously, nearly giddy from the idea of finally touching Dally. Especially in this manner.

God, he wants Dally’s thick cock in his mouth.

Evan tries to sink to his knees again, but Dally stops him, wordlessly dragging him over to the bed and throwing him down onto it. Evan can’t help but chuckle, another rush of happiness from the slight impatience in Dally’s touch. Dally wants this so badly. Evan hopes Dally takes all his sexual frustration out on him. As roughly as he wants.

…Evan’s mind is so fucking dirty now. Ever since he lost his virginity, it’s like the floodgates have been opened. Each day they were apart, Evan dreamed of being fucked by Dally. Fucking Dally. Again and again and again. Endlessly. On every goddamn surface he could think of. He missed the sound of Dally’s moans. The way his firm hands would grip Evan’s flesh, squish it between his fingers and leave his skin red. How much stamina he had, seemed to get more and more with every whimper from Evan, like Evan’s voice was his fuel, enabled him to go as long as it took to turn Evan to mush. And it felt good to moan for Dally. Really good. Drove Evan mad to know he had an effect on Dally. Could have seen this side of Dally years ago.

Dally’s fighting to keep his voice steady in light of what they’re about to do, dark eyes boring into Evan’s. “Get comfortable.”

With a shaky breath, Evan adjusts himself to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching forward and unzipping Dally’s jeans, drawing Dally’s drooling cock out of the hole in his boxers. He makes sure to lock eyes with Dally as he wraps his fingers around it, staring up at him like he’d want Dally to do to him, slipping his other hand beneath Dally’s shirt.

As much as Evan wants to give Dally the most mindnumbing blowjob he’s ever had… Evan has other plans. He sticks his tongue out, watches as Dally’s body tenses. And then he rubs Dally’s dick against his warm cheeks, slowly dragging it over his soft skin until Dally’s twitching in his hand, fingers clenching at his sides.

“Ev.” he almost growls. A warning. From deep within his body. Primal. Starved. “Don’t.”

Evan just smiles, slapping Dally’s heavy cock against his cheek a few times, allowing it to drag against his pliant lips.

This might be the horniest Evan’s ever felt. His body is on fire, every inch of it, and he just wants Dally to fall to pieces, to suck Dally off and then get fucked by him. Fuck Dally into his own mattress.

The more he rubs Dally’s cock over his face, the more they both seem to lose their minds.

Like this, Evan’s senses are full of Dally. He definitely put on a new cologne for Ev, sprayed it near his junk because he knew Evan would want his face down here. He smells so clean. Freshly showered, almost. It’s addictive. And his skin is soft. Warm. Perfect. He shaved completely and Evan wonders how he got the shave so close, if he does this a lot, if he wants Evan to do the same. His dick really is pierced. It's fucked, just like he is, and it turns Evan on more than he's willing to admit that Dally did something like this at all.

In a perfect world, Evan could bury his entire being inside Dally, crawl beneath his skin, stay there for eternity and soak Dally in.

This really is addiction, isn’t it?

“Come on.” Dally whispers at some point, carding shaky fingers through Evan’s hair, “Don’t tease me, Ev. Please.”

Evan squirms, shoving his free hand in his lap.

Dally’s leaking precum. Evan could milk it out of Dally, make his desperation so much worse. He’s hard just thinking about it – his boner dying to be touched – but he ignores it, breathing out hot air onto Dally’s shaft, chasing it with his lips.

He doesn’t kiss. Doesn’t lick. Definitely doesn’t suck. He only moves Dally’s dick. Rubs it all over his lips. Lets the piercing drag against his skin. And when Dally’s fingers tighten around Evan’s hair, when he’s panting so loudly that Evan’s heart begins to race… Evan taps Dally’s tip against his lolled tongue, a shiver up his spine as Dally moans.

“Fuck, Ev. You’re so naughty.”

Before Evan has a chance to respond, Dally’s dick slips out of his grasp, Dally pulling away just enough to lean down and grab Evan by the chin, drawing him into a kiss. It’s uninhibited, so much urgency that Evan gets swept away in it, clinging to Dally’s shirt as Dally pushes him down onto the bed.

Hold on…

He totally wants to fuck!

He’s not getting out of it that easily.

“Wait–” Evan manages to say, fog obscuring his vision, “Dally–”

“Shh.”

Dally kisses the sensitive spot on Evan’s neck, unbuttoning Evan’s pants and effortlessly pulling them down his slender thighs.

Jesus.

“Dally, I wanna–”

“Can’t take it,” Dally interrupts, getting his hand beneath the waistband of Evan’s briefs. “Your turn.”

Evan wants to oppose Dally’s decision, but as soon as Dally’s big, strong hand is wrapped around him, he folds, simply encasing his arms around Dally’s shoulders and leaning in for a passionate kiss.

Damn.

All he can think about is sex… even when he’s having it.

His mind is fucking ruined.

“Can I fuck you?” Dally asks.

Evan’s so worked up that now he’s leaking precum all over Dally’s fist. “No. You’re unfair.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes you are. I wanted to–”

“Ev. Please.” Dally squeezes Evan’s tip, rubs his thumb over the slit.

Evan gulps, nails digging into Dally’s back. He thinks he sees stars. “F-fuck that. Stop being a pussy. I wanna keep sucking your dick, Dally. It felt so good.”

Dally… whimpers? and backs away, lying down flat and guiding Evan between his thighs. “Fine. But if Ib hears us, it’s on you.”

“No, it’s on you.” Evan grins, settling onto his stomach and taking Dally’s shaft in hand again. “You’re the one who can’t stop moaning. You’re so easy.”

“....Shut up.”

Evan thinks about teasing Dally again, but now that he’s been touched, he’s too horny to wait any longer, wrapping his lips around Dally and boldly swirling his tongue.

…Holy shit.

This is….

Dally throws his arm over his face, muffles himself as Evan loses hold of his sanity.

This thick fucking cock is so heavy on Evan’s tongue. He doesn’t know what he wants to do now. Just wants to taste Dally. Bask in him. …Inhale.

He starts off trying to see how far he can take it. Not nearly as far as he wants. His jaw doesn’t feel wide enough, his wisdom teeth grazing Dally’s sensitive tip.

“Fuck.” Dally hisses, squirming wildly, “Jesus, Ev. Don’t make me cum.”

In preparation, Evan looked up pointers throughout the week on how not to gag. He loses the battle to his toothbrush every morning, so he knew there was no way he could suck dick, has been training ever since the thought crossed his mind. He tries the pointers now, squeezing his thumb to his palm, breathing only through his nose as he wriggles Dally as far back as he can. Dally’s dick meets resistance and Evan gags, coughing and hacking as soon as he pulls away.

“Fuck.” Dally growls. He’s rubbing Evan’s shoulder consolingly but his face is red as fuck and Evan can tell he’s turned on by it – likes seeing Evan teary-eyed and wet-lipped from his cock. Dally whispers, “Keep going,” and it’s in that tone – the same one he used the first time he fucked Evan.

Obediently, Evan leans in again, kissing Dally’s wet tip before sucking him down, trying his best to bob his head. It’s so thick, so big. Evan can wrap both hands around him, still suck him down, wonder how this thing ever fit inside him. It feels so good to please Dally. And maybe that’s the distance talking. The time apart. The ache in Evan’s chest the moment that Dally said he had to leave.

Dally pulls Evan into a kiss again. Their tongues meet first, and Dally wraps his hand around Evan’s throat, holds him in place as Evan shudders against him.

“Gonna choke me?” Evan breathes.

“Hell no.”

“Why not?”

“Ev, I swear to god.”

Evan chuckles, immediately cut short by Dally guiding him back down to his dick.

Evan’s head goes blank at that. He just closes his eyes, shoves his hand between his own thighs, humping his own fist as he forces Dally’s cock back in his mouth.

As soon as Evan’s slurping on his cock, Dally fucking whimpers, gripping Evan’s hair and gently thrusting his hips, easing himself further and further back until Evan’s gagging again, nails scratching down Dally’s thigh.

When he pulls himself back up for air, he’s drooling all over the place, vision blurred and breathing labored.

They’re making such a mess. And it’s still not as dirty as what Evan aches to do.

“You okay?” Dally asks.

Evan opens his mouth wide, licking up and down Dally’s shaft until he’s ready for more, swallowing him back as far as he can.

What feels like barely two seconds pass before Dally’s twitching in Evan’s mouth. And then he’s cumming, all over Evan’s tongue, and Evan’s so hot and bothered over it that he pulls Dally’s cock out of his mouth, praying the last few spurts land all over his face.

…They do. And he swallows.

Dally’s never breathed harder in his life.

“Shit.” Dally goes, smearing the cum on Evan’s cheek down to his lips, “Fuck. Holy shit.”

“Dall–”

“Come here. Christ, Ev.”

Dally drags Evan on top of him, wraps his arms around him and kisses him, grinding their hips together as if he hadn’t just orgasmed. Evan’s close, too. Starts rutting against Dally’s dick like crazy, both of their moans echoing through the room.

God, Ib probably hears them, huh? This bed is creaky as shit and they’re not being cautious at all. But Evan’s not sure he cares anymore. Or maybe he never did. Maybe he wants to be loud. Maybe he wants to embarrass Dally.

“Roll over.” Evan says. He wanted to be fucked, but the urge to ruin Dally is overwhelming. He needs to hear Dally get louder. See him cry. Fill his tight hole with cum. Make him keep it inside as they debrief Ib.

Holy shit, Evan’s mind is in the gutter.

Dally turns onto his stomach, raising his little ass, nonverbal consent.

And Evan grins from ear to ear as he forces his fingers inside Dally.

When they finally get back downstairs, the sun has set. Ib’s at the stove, probably making himself dinner.

They both had to shower, so they took turns to avoid suspicion. Maybe that’s even more suspicious, though. Because Ib’s avoiding both their gazes as they enter the kitchen.

“Whatcha making?” Dally asks, sitting down at the island and grabbing a banana.

Evan hangs back, but then his heart is pounding, and he sits in the empty seat beside Dally, shoving his hands in his lap.

Ib dramatically clears his throat. It’s only now that Evan noticed Ib has a zillion tattoos and piercings now… and he’s wearing shorts short enough to show his ass cheeks. His nails are painted, too. And is that… gloss on his lips?

Holy shit. Evan’s aware he just fucked a guy, but Ib’s really open about this shit, isn’t he? Like… fully unafraid. Evan’s here and he isn’t trying to hide it at all.

How can he be so casual about it?!

“Aren’t you going to ask about Tulip, Lola, and Beansprout?” Ib inquires, steadily cooking.

“I was. Where are they?” Dally asks.

“I paid the neighbor’s kid – the usual one – to walk Tulip and Lola around the block while you two were busy. Beansprout doesn’t care that you’re home and is asleep on my bed.”

“Oh, shit. Thanks for that, Ib. I’ll pay you back.”

“No need.” a pause, “While we’re talking, though…” Iben goes, turning off the burner and spinning around to look at them both, “You guys are totally dating, right?”

Ba-dum.

“What makes you say that?” Dally asks.

“I think you know why.”

“I don’t. And we’re not. It’s like I said–”

“Okay, fine. You’re not dating. But is he why you’ve been smiling at your phone all week?”

“That’s none of your business, Ib.”

“I take that as a yes. I always knew you two would find your way back to each other. How romantic…” He swoons. Evan can’t help but blush, his blush deepening as Ib hurries over to the island, reaching for Evan’s arms and staring at him intensely. “I tried to introduce him to Grindr, but the only guys he had interest in were guys that looked like you. And when I asked him if he wanted to message them, he’d say he’d rather message you.” He sighs, “Thank you for saving him from a lifetime of tragic unrequited pining. It was getting worrisome.”

Dally scoffs. “Ib, what the fuck? What if I hadn’t come out to him yet?”

Ib narrows his eyes. “Erendall. I’m not stupid. I heard you guys fucking. I think I even felt the entire place shake from the sheer velocity of your thrusts.”

Evan snorts out a laugh, covering his mouth as Dally shoots him daggers. And just to wedge the knife in deeper, Evan corrects, “M-mine. My thrusts.”

Iben’s eyes flicker over to Evan’s, his face going bright red. “O-oh! Well… I didn’t um… That I didn’t expect. Good for you, Dally!”

Evan snickers. Dally nudges Evan.

“Fuck you, Evan. Just wait until later tonight.”

And Evan’s snickering grinds to a halt.

Oh!

L-later tonight?

As in Dally wants more? Even with Ib knowing?

Ib clears his throat, trying his best not to let his blushing smile show. “Anyways… Hey, Evan. Miss me?”

Evan shrugs, an amused exhale as Ib lets go of him.

“Well, I definitely missed you. You’re my favorite little tsundere. You look good!”

“Weeb.” Evan retorts.

Maybe Ib knowing the truth isn’t all bad. Honestly, seeing Ib be so comfortable with himself makes Evan feel more comfortable affirming his and Dally’s relationship.

…Even if it’s not official yet.

“I like the whole wolfcut mullet thing you’ve got going on now. It suits you.”

“...Thanks.” Evan says, this prevailing smile in Ib’s presence. “I like your tattoos.”

“Really?! You never used to compliment me. Wow, you’ve changed!”

“Shut up.”

When they were teenagers, Ib used to sneak into Evan’s room a lot. He was pretty serious about keeping Evan on the straight and narrow and cheering Evan up in the presence of his ‘wacko father’ (Ib’s words). He was also protective of Evan, stood up for him and made sure Evan’s voice was heard at school.

Back then, the group teased Iben a lot. He was flamboyant, loud, and sometimes effeminate. It was easy to make him the butt of the joke.

Now, Evan thinks Ib was just confident. Secure in himself. More secure than all of the other guys combined.

Evan would do anything to be unabashed in the way he expresses himself.

“How long are you staying?” Iben asks, hands on his hips now, “Because there are so many fun things to do in Maine. And if you’ll let me, I’d love to show you around.” A pause, “Wait! Evan, old sport, have you ever been to a gay bar? There’s one like twenty minutes away and they have full closed off sections with no alcohol. It’s just like… the perfect meetcute spot. They play games, do karaoke some nights, and I totally think it’d be fun to go with you lovebirds.”

“I’ve been before.” Dally chimes in, “You might like it, Ev. But don’t push yourself.”

“We can talk about it more later. For now, though, I just want to know everything I missed. Who approached who first? Who confessed first? Oh! I can just imagine it now…!”

“It’s up to Evan.” Dally says, glancing over at Evan as he does.

Evan bites his bottom lip, shrugging his shoulders. “I mean… It’s Ib.”

Dally smiles, nodding as he turns back to Ib. “Alright. Fine. Buckle up, Ib. It’s a long story.”

By the end of Dally’s retelling, Iben is sobbing his eyes out, going on and on about how happy he is that they are finally together.

And Evan can’t believe how free he feels with Iben’s approval.