“I thought you quit,” Tyler said.
Nick made a noncommittal gesture with his shoulders and took a long drag, his gaze dark and intent on his face. “So you’re fine with being into men now? That’s sudden.”
Tyler shrugged, trying to gauge Nick’s emotions. “I’m not fine, not exactly, but someone made me realize that at this point it’s kind of useless to deny that I’m a bit gay. So I must be bi, right?”
Nick’s eyes seemed to bore into his face. “Are you asking me?”
Tyler pouted. “You don’t take me seriously, either.”
Nick’s inscrutable expression didn’t change.
Tyler sighed exasperatedly. “Stop doing that! It’s driving me crazy!”
“Doing what? I’m not doing anything.”
Tyler glowered at him, pointing at his unreadable face. “This! I can’t understand you at all! You blow hot and cold all the goddamn time. You go from being my nice, understanding best mate to being this asshole who looks at me like he wants to fuck me or fight me—I don’t even know anymore!” He deflated, frowning in confusion. “It’s messing with my head, Nick.”
A strange expression crossed Nick’s face. He dropped his cigarette and carefully extinguished it with his boot, all the while looking at him with that weird intense look Tyler couldn’t quite read.
“I’m ‘blowing hot and cold’ because I don’t know what the hell you want from me,” Nick said at last. “One day you say you’re straight and all you want is my cock to get off. Next day, you say that you get jealous over me and don’t want to share me. The day after that, you say that you’re straight but then you kiss me. Then you say you’re bi, but that you’re going to experiment with other guys.” Nick laughed, the sound rough. “Who is messing with whose head?”
Tyler opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with anything to say. When put that way, he could see where Nick was coming from. He would probably be really pissed off if he were in Nick’s shoes, too.
“I didn’t mean to,” Tyler said, looking at him earnestly.
A muscle flexed in Nick’s jaw. “I know. That’s the only reason I’m still here. But look, you need to bloody decide once and for all what you want me to be, and then nobody’s head will get messed with. Do you want me to be your best mate, Tyler?”
Before Tyler could say yes, Nick said, “Just your best mate?”
Tyler’s stomach clenched. Unable to speak, he shook his head.
“Fuck-buddy?” Nick said without much inflection.
Biting his lip, Tyler could only stare at him uncertainly. “What…what do you mean by a fuck-buddy?”
“It means I’ll fuck you, but I’ll date other guys and you won’t get to be jealous.”
Tyler dropped his gaze, frowning. He wished he could agree to this, but his stomach hurt at the mere idea of Nick fucking, kissing and touching another guy. Hell, he didn’t want Nick to look at other guys.
He shook his head. “Is it…is it possible to be best mates who fuck and kiss, but exclusively?”
There was dead silence.
Finally, Nick took Tyler’s chin in his hand and tipped his face up. Nick’s expression was a little pinched. “Are you looking for the word ‘boyfriend,’ maybe?”
Tyler swallowed.
“Do you want to be my boyfriend, Tyler?” Nick said, studying him.
Tyler licked his dry lips, his face uncomfortably warm.
Nick suddenly grinned, looking more relaxed and carefree than Tyler had seen him in months. “You totally do, don’t you? Look at that blush!”
“Fuck off,” Tyler muttered, punching him in the chest a little.
Nick dropped his smile and, leaning in, kissed him on the cheek lightly. Tyler shivered, enjoying the feel of Nick’s stubble against his skin.
“Do you want to be my boyfriend, love?” Nick said, his voice husky and intimate. He pressed another kiss against Tyler’s cheek. “I’ll treat you so well, I promise.”
“Um, okay,” Tyler said, feeling far too breathless from such an innocent contact. “I feel funny, Nick,” he murmured, burying his fingers in Nick’s thick hair.
Nick kissed his ear. “In what way?”
“Like, all fluttery on the inside and shit,” Tyler said, whimpering a little as Nick licked his earlobe. “Like I’ve swallowed bubbles and they’re tickling me from the inside. It’s fucking weird.”
Nick laughed, pulling him closer against his body. “You’re such an idiot. It’s a good thing you’re so pretty.”
“Hey!” Tyler said, pouting.
Nick kissed the pout off his lips.
Tyler sighed happily, soaking it up. It felt so, so good. Kisses had never felt so toe-curlingly good until Nick.
He whined in protest when Nick pulled back a little.
“I don’t mind,” Nick said hoarsely, looking him in the eye and stroking Tyler’s cheek. “I fucking love everything about you.”
Tyler licked his lips, the bubbles in his chest becoming so bad he was almost afraid he’d start floating. “Like, like a mate?”
Nick smirked, his eyes hooded. “Not quite like a mate.”