your computer."
Gavin's smile lost a little of its shine. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm just letting you know what's what," Micah said as lightly, as if they were talking about video games. "He's my Dune. Don't fuck with him."
"Dune?" Gavin said, eyebrows furrowing.
Dune shrugged helplessly at him. "What can I say? I'm his Dune."
"I see. I didn't know you'd taken up with toddlers." Gavin slid out of the booth. "I'll see you around, Dune."
Micah exhaled deeply when Gavin was out of earshot and moved off Dune's lap. "Sorry about that. You looked so unhappy I thought drastic measures were called for."
Dune kissed him. He intended it to be a simple thank-you kiss, but Micah tasted warm and sweet and smelled divine, like sweat and soap and night air. He pulled away after a moment that was probably too long and smiled. "Thank you."
"Welcome," Micah muttered, blushing high in his cheeks and looking into Dune's eyes.
Dune swallowed and looked out at the crowd. "So tell me about the date." A waiter in tight, black shorts finally wandered over and they both ordered drinks, Micah producing his ID with a resigned sigh.
"It wasn't that she was a bad date or anything," he said as he put his wallet away. "She was very nice. She hated that our parents had set us up like that, too. Turns out she has a boyfriend, but her parents don't approve of him, so they want to find somebody else for her to date."
"Thinking you're a perfect choice, of course." Dune shook his head sadly.
"Yeah. Anyway, after the movie we decided we'd made enough of an effort and went our separate ways. So I came here. It's early yet." He grinned and stretched out his arms across the back of the booth. "Plenty of time for dancing."
"Don't tell me you went on a date with sweet Bonnie Harris wearing this," said Dune, fingering Micah's black mesh shirt that left nothing to the imagination about his physique. His body was slender but strong, his chest and arms with just a hint of definition, his stomach smooth.
"Oh, no," Micah said. "I wore a regular shirt. I had this in the car."
"I like it," Dune said quietly, and smiled at the waiter who had finally returned with their drinks. The young man winked at Dune as he placed their glasses on the table, with an extra enthusiastic "Thank you!" when Dune paid him and told him to keep the change.
"So. Tomorrow. Most of my stuff is packed." Micah sipped his beer.
"What do your parents think?"
"My mom just said 'We'll talk about it.' That's all she ever says. I think the only way she's going to take me seriously is if I actually do it."
Dune nodded and tasted his martini. "And if you're drinking tonight you ought to stay with me, anyway," he said and wondered why it felt like saying "Come up and see my etchings, little boy." "Are you going to be okay on the daybed?"
"I'll be fine. I've been sleeping in little beds most of my life."
"Okay. So we'll get you moved in tomorrow morning."
"Cool. It's not much stuff, mostly books and games." Micah was nearly bouncing in his seat. "I'm going to live with you. I'm so excited."
"Me, too," Dune said, smiling at him. "And if we need more people I'll call Jamie and Dad and we'll pay them with beer and pizza. Tomorrow night we're invited to movie night at Ben and Jamie's, by the way. Want to go?"
Micah drank more beer and muttered, "Okay."
"We don't have to if you don't want to."
"You should go, if you want. I just -- Ben doesn't like me. I'm not really comfortable around him."
"Jamie likes you and I like you, so that's two against one. And Ben's a teddy bear, really. You just have to know how to handle him."
"Okay, so how do you handle him?"
"Just let him think he's getting his way." Dune smiled at Micah and played with his shaggy hair. "Let's at least get your hair cut this weekend, too."
Micah shook out his head. "I like it like this. I'm thinking
Gavin's smile lost a little of its shine. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm just letting you know what's what," Micah said as lightly, as if they were talking about video games. "He's my Dune. Don't fuck with him."
"Dune?" Gavin said, eyebrows furrowing.
Dune shrugged helplessly at him. "What can I say? I'm his Dune."
"I see. I didn't know you'd taken up with toddlers." Gavin slid out of the booth. "I'll see you around, Dune."
Micah exhaled deeply when Gavin was out of earshot and moved off Dune's lap. "Sorry about that. You looked so unhappy I thought drastic measures were called for."
Dune kissed him. He intended it to be a simple thank-you kiss, but Micah tasted warm and sweet and smelled divine, like sweat and soap and night air. He pulled away after a moment that was probably too long and smiled. "Thank you."
"Welcome," Micah muttered, blushing high in his cheeks and looking into Dune's eyes.
Dune swallowed and looked out at the crowd. "So tell me about the date." A waiter in tight, black shorts finally wandered over and they both ordered drinks, Micah producing his ID with a resigned sigh.
"It wasn't that she was a bad date or anything," he said as he put his wallet away. "She was very nice. She hated that our parents had set us up like that, too. Turns out she has a boyfriend, but her parents don't approve of him, so they want to find somebody else for her to date."
"Thinking you're a perfect choice, of course." Dune shook his head sadly.
"Yeah. Anyway, after the movie we decided we'd made enough of an effort and went our separate ways. So I came here. It's early yet." He grinned and stretched out his arms across the back of the booth. "Plenty of time for dancing."
"Don't tell me you went on a date with sweet Bonnie Harris wearing this," said Dune, fingering Micah's black mesh shirt that left nothing to the imagination about his physique. His body was slender but strong, his chest and arms with just a hint of definition, his stomach smooth.
"Oh, no," Micah said. "I wore a regular shirt. I had this in the car."
"I like it," Dune said quietly, and smiled at the waiter who had finally returned with their drinks. The young man winked at Dune as he placed their glasses on the table, with an extra enthusiastic "Thank you!" when Dune paid him and told him to keep the change.
"So. Tomorrow. Most of my stuff is packed." Micah sipped his beer.
"What do your parents think?"
"My mom just said 'We'll talk about it.' That's all she ever says. I think the only way she's going to take me seriously is if I actually do it."
Dune nodded and tasted his martini. "And if you're drinking tonight you ought to stay with me, anyway," he said and wondered why it felt like saying "Come up and see my etchings, little boy." "Are you going to be okay on the daybed?"
"I'll be fine. I've been sleeping in little beds most of my life."
"Okay. So we'll get you moved in tomorrow morning."
"Cool. It's not much stuff, mostly books and games." Micah was nearly bouncing in his seat. "I'm going to live with you. I'm so excited."
"Me, too," Dune said, smiling at him. "And if we need more people I'll call Jamie and Dad and we'll pay them with beer and pizza. Tomorrow night we're invited to movie night at Ben and Jamie's, by the way. Want to go?"
Micah drank more beer and muttered, "Okay."
"We don't have to if you don't want to."
"You should go, if you want. I just -- Ben doesn't like me. I'm not really comfortable around him."
"Jamie likes you and I like you, so that's two against one. And Ben's a teddy bear, really. You just have to know how to handle him."
"Okay, so how do you handle him?"
"Just let him think he's getting his way." Dune smiled at Micah and played with his shaggy hair. "Let's at least get your hair cut this weekend, too."
Micah shook out his head. "I like it like this. I'm thinking
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