Alexander glanced at Christian. He looked sleepy now.
“Can I ask you something?” Mila said.
When Christian made a sleepy noise, she asked, “Why don’t you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend? I mean, you’re probably the most popular guy in school, everyone loves you, but you never go out with anyone. You just sleep around. People say you’re afraid of commitment.”
“Nope,” Christian muttered, yawning. “It’s actually the opposite. My parents love each other—their love is epic and shit—and I basically grew up knowing nothing else. Settling for anything else seems kinda shallow. So I just fuck. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince and all that. I haven’t met anyone I wanted badly enough to quit sleeping around.”
There was a wistful look on Christian’s face. He didn’t look all that drunk anymore.
“I really want to meet that person,” Mila said.
Christian caught Alexander’s eyes and averted his gaze. “You and me both, sweetheart.”
“All right, let’s have a little quiz!” Mila said.
“A quiz?”
“Uh huh. A woman or a man?”
“Easy,” Christian murmured. “A man.”
“Why are you so sure?” Mila asked, a trace of annoyance in her voice. “You might fall for a woman.”
Alexander glanced at Christian again. He had his eyes closed.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like women,” Christian said. “You’re nice to touch, nice to talk to, but I can’t really— can’t really see myself falling for a girl. There are things women can’t give me.”
“Like what?” Mila said.
Don’t want a girl. Want a man. Wanna be held down and fucked.
Alexander shifted in his seat slightly, fixing his eyes straight ahead.
“Being with a man is different from being with a woman,” Christian murmured. “The dynamic is different. I’m all for gender equality and everything, but there are still some things you just can’t—” He cut himself off with a frustrated noise. “It’s hard to explain. I feel different with men and want different things, you know?”
Mila giggled. “Just say you like dick better.”
Christian snickered. “That too, but it’s not that simple, actually.”
“Fine, whatever. So the person will be most likely a man. Tall and built or short and slim?”
“Dumb question. Do you like short and slim guys?”
“Not the same thing! I’ve heard some gay guys like twinks.”
“Not me. Like them tall and built. Someone stronger than me.”
“I get it,” Mila said, a smile in her voice. “Let me guess: you like, um, to be on the bottom?”
Christian laughed. “I’ve done both.”
“But you prefer bottoming,” Mila pressed.
Alexander shot a sideway glance at Christian.
“Yeah,” he said, meeting Alexander’s eyes. There was a blush on his cheekbones.
Alexander looked back at the street. They were almost at the address Christian had given him.
“But I don’t actually do it that often,” Christian said. “I usually only do one-night stands, and you don’t really go that far with some strangers. And it’s a bit too intense and makes you feel too vulnerable and shit when the guy—”
“Too much information,” Alexander said.
The silence that fell in the car was almost deafening, and Alexander realized he had practically snarled the words out.
“Why?” Christian murmured at last. “Does it make you uncomfortable, Alec?”
Alexander kept his eyes on the road. “There’s such thing as over-sharing.” Alexander stopped the car in front of the building. “Is this the right building?”
“I—Yeah.”
“Then get out.”
“Thanks for the ride, I guess. Bye, Mila.”
“Bye, Chris.”
Alexander didn’t watch as Christian opened the door, but he had to look when the guy stumbled and fell down.
“For fuck’s sake,” Alexander said and got out of the car.
“The world is spinning,” Christian said. “Weird. I don’t feel all that drunk anymore.”
Alexander hauled him up. “Come on.”
Christian slung an arm around his neck and leaned heavily against him.
“You need help?” Mila called out from the car.
“No,” Alexander said and started walking. “Where’s your apartment?”
“There. Fifth floor. The elevator isn’t working.”
It figured.
When they finally reached the apartment, they leaned against the door, catching their breaths.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Christian said.
“Don’t,” Alexander said.
“Very helpful, dude.”
“You can manage the rest on your own, right?”
“If I say no, will you carry me inside?” Christian was smiling slightly, but his eyes were oddly serious.
Alexander straightened up. “If you’re back to flirting, you’re fine enough to get your ass inside.” He turned to leave, but a hand grabbed his jacket.
“Alec.”
He inhaled and looked at Christian. “What?”
Christian let go of his jacket. He bit his bottom lip, a strange expression on his face. “It’s, like, the last time we see each other, right?”
Alexander shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and shrugged. “We’ll probably run into each other at your school.”
“You know what I mean.”
Christian’s eyes were like melted chocolate.
Averting his gaze, Alexander tugged at his collar. “Maybe. So?”
“I hate leaving loose ends,” Christian said.
“What loose ends?”
“You know what I’m talking about. Look at me.”
Alexander knew he shouldn’t. He knew it.