wearing anything under them. God, Bryce looked good. Zac tried to remind his body and his head that licking the line of skin where it disappeared into Bryce’s jeans was a bad idea.
“How’s your head now?” Bryce asked. He’d found a tray for their breakfast somewhere, probably left over from some party when they’d thought it was necessary to have one. He was even breaking his own rules and having waffles with butter and syrup and more coffee with Zac.
He came over to the bed with the tray.
Becoming Us - 52
“It’s... ah, it’s better. I took aspirin a while ago. I think it’s kicking in.” Zac wriggled back in bed so there was room for Bryce to sit.
Bryce put the tray down beside Zac and sat down by Zac’s feet, tucking one leg up under him and tugging his jeans lower in the process. “Good. You looked really rough earlier.” He rubbed Zac’s knee with one hand. Speaking of rough, his hands still looked chewed to pieces, but he didn’t seem to care. “Eat some breakfast. I’m sorry if I woke you up this morning.”
“You didn’t.” Zac sat up so he could pick up a fork. “I kinda wish you had. Just so, you know, maybe we coulda talked about shit before you beat your hands all to hell.” He bit his lip and poked at a waffle, feeling nervous all over again.
“Eat your breakfast,” Bryce chided, taking a bite of his. “Those waffles didn’t get from the freezer to the toaster by themselves, you know.” He was still managing to use his utensils pretty well. “My hands are okay. Maybe...” He ate another piece of waffle. “Maybe we could talk after breakfast. If you wanted. You know.” He shrugged a bare shoulder.
Zac nodded. That sounded... well, it sounded terrifying, but it sounded good, too. He wanted to talk to Bryce, to figure some of this stuff out. “Okay.” He cut away a bite of waffle and ate it. He was hungrier than he’d realized and ended up finishing his waffles very quickly. He groaned contentedly and sat back with his coffee mug cradled in his hands, watching Bryce eat.
Bryce ate precisely and neatly, not wolfing his food down the way Zac had. He was slimmer than he had been last year; it was probably because he was staying away from the alcohol a little.
When they were done, Bryce got up and took the tray with their plates over to the desk and came back with his mug in his hand.
“So.” He looked shy, and his cheeks got red. “What did you want to talk about?” He sat down half-facing Zac with one leg tucked up on the bed, eyes on his coffee, biting his lip.
“Um.” Zac stretched out one leg and tapped Bryce’s knee with his bare foot, nervously trying to get Bryce’s attention. “I wanted... I like you, Bryce. I know I said that last night. It wasn’t just
‘cause I was drunk. I like you a lot.” His stomach was tying itself in knots around the waffles and he could feel the heat in his cheeks spreading down his neck to warm his chest as well.
Bryce looked at him from under his lashes. His fingers kept twisting the cuff of his jeans. He was still blushing pretty deeply, too. “Okay,” he said tentatively, nodding.
“I mean. No pressure. You don’t hafta...” Zac shrugged and looked down at his coffee again.
Admitting that he liked Bryce like that was harder than he’d thought. He’d slept around with guys, had a sort of friends-with-benefits thing with Perry, but he’d never really liked a guy like this, except for little crushes. Nothing that could mean anything. “I just thought you should probably know that, like, you don’t have to wonder if I want you around or anything. ‘Cause the answer’s yes.”
Becoming Us - 53
Bryce put his coffee down on the bedside table. “So, more than friends?” Glancing up, Zac didn’t miss the nervous expression on Bryce’s face. He shook his head.
“Doesn’t have to be. I mean, how I feel? Yeah. But. That doesn’t mean you gotta do anything different. I just... thought you should
“How’s your head now?” Bryce asked. He’d found a tray for their breakfast somewhere, probably left over from some party when they’d thought it was necessary to have one. He was even breaking his own rules and having waffles with butter and syrup and more coffee with Zac.
He came over to the bed with the tray.
Becoming Us - 52
“It’s... ah, it’s better. I took aspirin a while ago. I think it’s kicking in.” Zac wriggled back in bed so there was room for Bryce to sit.
Bryce put the tray down beside Zac and sat down by Zac’s feet, tucking one leg up under him and tugging his jeans lower in the process. “Good. You looked really rough earlier.” He rubbed Zac’s knee with one hand. Speaking of rough, his hands still looked chewed to pieces, but he didn’t seem to care. “Eat some breakfast. I’m sorry if I woke you up this morning.”
“You didn’t.” Zac sat up so he could pick up a fork. “I kinda wish you had. Just so, you know, maybe we coulda talked about shit before you beat your hands all to hell.” He bit his lip and poked at a waffle, feeling nervous all over again.
“Eat your breakfast,” Bryce chided, taking a bite of his. “Those waffles didn’t get from the freezer to the toaster by themselves, you know.” He was still managing to use his utensils pretty well. “My hands are okay. Maybe...” He ate another piece of waffle. “Maybe we could talk after breakfast. If you wanted. You know.” He shrugged a bare shoulder.
Zac nodded. That sounded... well, it sounded terrifying, but it sounded good, too. He wanted to talk to Bryce, to figure some of this stuff out. “Okay.” He cut away a bite of waffle and ate it. He was hungrier than he’d realized and ended up finishing his waffles very quickly. He groaned contentedly and sat back with his coffee mug cradled in his hands, watching Bryce eat.
Bryce ate precisely and neatly, not wolfing his food down the way Zac had. He was slimmer than he had been last year; it was probably because he was staying away from the alcohol a little.
When they were done, Bryce got up and took the tray with their plates over to the desk and came back with his mug in his hand.
“So.” He looked shy, and his cheeks got red. “What did you want to talk about?” He sat down half-facing Zac with one leg tucked up on the bed, eyes on his coffee, biting his lip.
“Um.” Zac stretched out one leg and tapped Bryce’s knee with his bare foot, nervously trying to get Bryce’s attention. “I wanted... I like you, Bryce. I know I said that last night. It wasn’t just
‘cause I was drunk. I like you a lot.” His stomach was tying itself in knots around the waffles and he could feel the heat in his cheeks spreading down his neck to warm his chest as well.
Bryce looked at him from under his lashes. His fingers kept twisting the cuff of his jeans. He was still blushing pretty deeply, too. “Okay,” he said tentatively, nodding.
“I mean. No pressure. You don’t hafta...” Zac shrugged and looked down at his coffee again.
Admitting that he liked Bryce like that was harder than he’d thought. He’d slept around with guys, had a sort of friends-with-benefits thing with Perry, but he’d never really liked a guy like this, except for little crushes. Nothing that could mean anything. “I just thought you should probably know that, like, you don’t have to wonder if I want you around or anything. ‘Cause the answer’s yes.”
Becoming Us - 53
Bryce put his coffee down on the bedside table. “So, more than friends?” Glancing up, Zac didn’t miss the nervous expression on Bryce’s face. He shook his head.
“Doesn’t have to be. I mean, how I feel? Yeah. But. That doesn’t mean you gotta do anything different. I just... thought you should
Similar Books
