Who: Sebastian and Hunter Where: High School / on the road When: After school, Tuesday, Nov 14 Status: Complete
Sebastian knew that if he wanted to see his boyfriend during school hours, he needed to be the one to approach him. He knew that it wasn’t that Hunter didn’t want to, but that he never knew if it was okay to do so or not. Being the one in the closet, Sebastian had to decide if it was worth the risk. He knew people had noticed them talking more often, but if they’d picked up on more, then he wasn’t aware. He just knew he wanted to see Hunter today, even if it was just for a few minutes, so he swung by Hunter’s locker after the last bell rang, hoping to catch him. When he saw he’d caught him in time, he smiled and leaned up on the locker next to his. “Hey, you got a few?” he asked, hoping it looked and sounded casual.
Hunter gave him a heartfelt smile before he caught himself and reined it in a bit, zipping his bag closed and slinging it over his shoulder. "Yeah, what's up?" he asked, discreetly looking around to see who might be around to witness this sudden approach. Of course he was happy to see him, he was just living in a state of constant paranoia that Sebastian might get caught and for some reason blame Hunter for it.
“Walk with me,” Sebastian said with a nod towards the exit. “I’ll give you a ride home.” Because they were friends, if anyone asked. He could totally be friends with Hunter. Why wouldn’t he be? Despite all his reasoning, it still made him nervous, hyper aware of how the both of them were acting, like they might give something a way. “I was wondering what you were thinking about the dance,” he said, glancing over at Hunter, both hands tight around his backpack straps.
"I might show up," Hunter replied. "Stag, probably, it's not like you have to have a date, I don't think." He closed his locker and headed down the hall with Sebastian, feeling like he should be handing him homework or something to make it look less suspicious. Then again, doing too much to make it less so probably just made it more so. He just needed to relax. They were both working on the play now, they had mutual friends and they had multiple reasons to talk to each other. "What about you?"
“Same, probably. You don’t have to have date,” Sebastian said. He always had had one, but knew it wasn’t necessary. The dances were social things and the only time it really mattered if you had a date was when a slow song came up and people coupled up. But that was a good time to try the punch and chat with the other people who’d gone stag. “I was hoping you’d go. It’d be weird… it’s still probably weird,” he said with a quiet little laugh. Why couldn’t he make this work? He wanted to spend the evening with Hunter, not watch him from across the room.
"Mak offered to be my date and you could steal her girlfriend to be yours," Hunter told him with a little smile once they were outside and out of earshot of the two kids standing by the exit. "But she wanted to 'queer up the dance' so it didn't feel right to accept." Someone should queer up the place, double so since Hunter couldn't. "Are you okay?" he asked with a little sidelong glance at Sebastian.
Sebastian had to smile at Mak’s offer, even though he thought that might make it more obvious what was going on. No one would believe Sabrina had asked him, plus there were people that knew she and Mak were dating. It wasn’t difficult math. But it was a sweet offer. Outside, away from so many ears, Sebastian felt more comfortable talking openly. “I’m just… so ready. And so not,” he sighed. “I told myself I’d take you to the next dance, and then this one popped up, and I… I’m just disappointed. In myself.” He chewed on his lip for a moment, the cold air starting to turn the pale skin of his cheeks pink. “How did you tell your parents?”
"With mom? I just assumed she knew," Hunter replied with a little smile. "With dad I just came out and said it, like oh hey, by the way, you know I'm gay, right?" The big difference was that Hunter wasn't afraid of his parents' disapproval. They might not be thrilled he was gay but they wouldn't kick him out or somehow punish him for it. "I moved here because mom's husband wasn't cool with it, we were always kinda at each other's throat."
“Really?” Sebastian asked with a little frown. He recalled Hunter mentioning once that his mom’s husband wasn’t cool with it, but he hadn’t realized that was part of what made him decide to move to Point Pleasant with his father. “Did you fight about that? Or just everything?” He kind of imagined that it influenced everything, even though it shouldn’t. It had to have been bad for Hunter to move right before his senior year. “Did Jen came with you for moral support?” he asked, smiling a little.
"Everything," Hunter groaned and then laughed a little. "I'm pretty sure Jen just hitched a ride. She loves this place." Hunter never really understood why, she spent so much time alone when they visited in the summers. At least he had Mak and he always looked forward to hanging out with her. "But no she didn't really like Mitch either." It was hard to tell but Hunter could tell, his sister might be a bit of a mystery to him at times but he recognized when she was pissed at someone, even when it was the kind that nobody else noticed.
The big difference was that this was Hunter’s step dad, not his actual dad. And that he had somewhere else to go. If his own parents flipped out, things would be hard for a while, maybe until he left for college, but he had to keep telling himself that at some point he’d be able to leave too. It might take longer, but this couldn’t last forever, no matter how bad it got. “I’m glad you’re here, but that sucks,” Sebastian said, giving Hunter a sympathetic smile. “And I’m glad your dad is cool with it. I’d like to meet him again sometime. I feel like I made a horrible first impression.”
Hunter laughed, cringing a little inwardly at that. "I think whatever impression you made was nothing compared to me blurting out you should stay the night," he mumbled, rubbing at his face self-consciously. "I mean... I don't even know what I was thinking, just... Flooded roads, I didn't want you to leave, it was so stupid." He'd been so caught up in wanting to snuggle down and watch a show with Sebastian, having to see him leave so soon had sucked but it was still a stupid thing to suggest.
“Maybe,” Sebastian laughed softly. “But it also took balls. And if it had worked, it’d have been worth it. I’d have made all kinds of promises to be good.” At least in his head he would have. He didn’t get the impression that Grady was that kind of laid back though. Most parents weren’t. Greg’s were an exception. As they approached his car, Sebastian unlocked it, forcing himself to head towards the driver’s seat rather than opening Hunter’s door for him.
Hunter laughed a little at that, relieved to hear Sebastian hadn't been mortified by it. "I would have been okay with you sleeping on the couch," he said as he got in. "I mean, then we could have spent a little more time together." Even if it was just an hour of watching something goofy and hanging out. "He totally ruined our plans." Hunter couldn't really feel angry about it, his dad was really cool about everything, all things considered.
“Yeah, but he was being all fatherly and concerned about the weather,” Sebastian said with a little smile, looking over at Hunter once they were in the car. “I really wanted to tell him my parents wouldn’t care if I stayed, but I didn’t want to lie to him either.” They might’ve cared, if they knew, but it was hard to say considering everything they didn’t know. “Do you think he knows?” he asked, starting the car so they had the heat, but waiting to drive so he could talk to Hunter. “Like… If I pick you up Saturday night, is it going to be a problem when you stay out?”
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Hunter replied. "I mean, he can't really ground me, it's not like he's ever home to like... make sure I'm there. I mean, if he was crazy he could put some kind of ankle monitor on me." He had to laugh at that outlandish idea, shaking his head softly. "And he's not crazy. I'm telling him I'm spending the night with Mak, I'm her alibi too so she can be with Sabrina." Of course Grady could insist on Hunter moving back to Portland but it'd be such a hassle with school and everything, Hunter was beginning to doubt it'd come to that.
“If he puts an ankle monitor on you, we’re going to have to get a lock for your door,” Sebastian laughed. He knew his own parents accepted the lie without question. In fact, his father had assumed he was sleeping with girls for years whenever he said he was sleeping at Greg’s. He’s slipped him condoms just in case, but never called him on it. Which was kind of amusing, since Sebastian had been telling the truth. “I want to pick you up. And I want to drive you home in the morning,” he said softly, reaching for Hunter’s hand. “And I know we might not dance, but… you’re the only person I want to be there with. We don’t have to stay long. I told Jules I’d get the fire ready.”
Hunter squeezed his hand, a mix of nervousness and incredible warmth filling his insides. "That's really risky," he murmured with a little smile. "Showing up together, leaving together... You sure?" His reluctance was not because he didn't want to do it, he hoped that was obvious and he was pretty sure it was. Sebastian just wasn't being careful and he'd made it clear so far that he was terrified of his parents finding out about him being gay. Why risk it for one dance?
Sebastian bit his lip and looked towards the school, at the distance between his car and the doors. It wasn’t that far, but it may as well be a mile. They wouldn’t be walking in hand in hand, no matter how much he might want that, but someone might see them get out of the same car. But the whole night was like that— If Sebastian didn’t give his boyfriend a ride, he’d be someone else’s third wheel, from his house to the dance, to the beach, to Greg’s. It was just so shitty that it felt worth the risk. The dance itself might not be worth it, but Hunter sure as hell was. “I’m sure,” Sebastian said. “If they talk, I’ll deal with it.”
Hunter was watching him with that flutter in his stomach that he had come to associate with Sebastian because it seemed to be a constant when they were together. "Can we drive somewhere?" he said quietly. "It's really hard to not kiss you and we're still at school." It made him wish they had a van, one of those creepy ones with no windows so they could just park somewhere and be invisible to the world for a while.
As much as he doubted himself and the risks he was taking, Hunter’s response was enough to tell him he’d made the right choice. It felt right through and through, despite the fear that surrounded him. He wanted more than anything to be the kind of boyfriend Hunter deserved and this felt like a step in the right direction. “Yeah,” he said with a little smile. “I think I can find some place where you can do that.” Not the beach though. Having been caught there once, he knew he had to think of someplace different, but he could think while he drove.
Hunter had no ideas either, all he knew was that he wanted to get away from school. He thought about his own place but maybe two accidental run-ins with his dad was pushing it. He wanted him to like Sebastian and while unlikely - Grady might come home. "If it wasn't so cold I'd drag you for a walk somewhere... We could go a little out of town maybe, just enough to, you know... Not be around a lot of people."
They needed some place they could park because Hunter was right, it was too cold to just go for a walk. “That works,” Sebastian said, smiling over at Hunter. He could pull off into the woods somewhere and chances were no one would bother them so long as it didn’t look like they were causing trouble. And it wouldn’t take long to get there. It didn’t take long to get anywhere in Point Pleasant. He held Hunter’s hand the whole time, feeling a little bit giddy just to have time to spend with him, wanting to kiss him at every stop sign and stop light. When he finally found a place to pull off, it felt like it had been forever when it was probably less than ten minutes.
It wasn't really that isolated but they weren't right on the road so if anyone came by they'd have to turn in on that road to actually see what they were up to in that car. Not safe for sex but definitely safe for kissing. Hunter didn't waste any time, as soon as Sebastian had put the car in park, Hunter leaned over and pulled him in for a kiss. "I miss you so much," he whispered against his lips because even if then saw each other every day, they couldn't even touch without looking suspicious.
Sebastian hummed happily into the kiss, their surroundings forgotten as soon as Hunter’s lips touched his own. His hands reached for Hunter, wanting as much contact as he could have, even while he knew there was a limit out there in the open. It felt like they were starving themselves from each other, so that when they could finally be together they couldn’t get enough of one another. “I miss you, too,” he murmured back between kisses. “I wish I could make this easier. I want to. Please, please know that.”
"I know," Hunter reassured him as he gently ran his fingers through Sebastian's red hair. "I don't blame you, I'm not upset about it." Maybe a little but it was more being upset at the situation and certainly not Sebastian. It was like being upset that it was cold out, there was nothing they could do about it so why dwell on it. "I just wish I had a secret hideaway somewhere we could go and be together."
Sebastian wasn’t sure he’d be as patient if he was in Hunter’s shoes. He wasn’t even that patient with himself at this point. It felt like something he should have done by now and that putting it off was just making his life more difficult, but the unknown of what it would really be like once he came out kept holding him back. “Me too,” he said as he kissed him again, his hand coming up to caress Hunter’s neck, his thumb running along his jaw. “I could even make a treehouse work,” he said with a little smile. “Find a way to contain heat or make it ourselves.”
"I never built a treehouse before," Hunter murmured and the thought of doing so was distant and unimportant when Sebastian was right there, touching him with that much affection. Why would Hunter want to be anywhere else? Aside from the whole 'safe place to get naked' part. Damn, he wished it was summer, that they could just go spend time together somewhere outside and not freeze. He tilted his head a little into the gentle touch and gave Sebastian a dreamy little smile. "You should come to my place more often after school, even just to hang out."
Sebastian had a treehouse once, way in the backyard. It had been taken down as they all got too old for it, and even if it hadn’t been it wouldn’t have helped. If he couldn’t have Hunter in his bedroom, he couldn’t really have him in the backyard either. Hunter’s place really was the best option and Sebastian smiled at the suggestion, kissing him again and then nipping at his lower lip. “I should. I will,” he said with a little grin. “Even just to hang out.” There was always a risk that his dad might catch them at Hunter’s house, but it seemed a little easier to control and not as bad as being caught in the car again. “We need to get a lock on your door,” he teased.
"Hey," Hunter admonished him teasingly. "Don't knock that wedge, it's very efficient." Getting a lock on the door would raise suspicions and he didn't really want to deal with that. His dad was probably mortified enough that he had a boyfriend. "Com'ere," he murmured, wanting to use the time to kiss Sebastian rather than fret about locations. At least for a few minutes. He needed that closeness, he had too much time to make up for.
“I know,” Sebastian laughed softly. He knew that putting a lock on the door would raise attention to the fact that Hunter needed a lock on the door, and that’s something they wanted to avoid. It was one thing for Hunter’s dad to think they might be fooling around another another to advertise it. It was a problem for later though, because right now Hunter wanted to kiss him and Sebastian had a hard time imagining he would ever say no to that.
Hunter smiled before he kissed him, moving his hand to the back of Sebastian's head, stroking the short hair there with his fingers. He tried to keep it from being too heated, not wanting to end up like last time, with a cop showing up and making them flustered - or worse. At least they hadn't gotten into trouble that time but that was no guarantee they'd keep being that lucky. Thankfully there were many ways to kiss and emotional and gentle kissing were just as awesome as fevered and desperate kissing.
It might not be the kind of kissing that got him all hot and bothered, but Sebastian still couldn’t get enough of kissing Hunter. He hummed softly into the kiss, fingers light as they slid over Hunter’s neck and chest, gently petting. Moments like this made him feel the connection between them, a bond that grew stronger with each passing day. He could get through anything if Hunter was with him, kissing him like this after all was said and done. Maybe he was crazy, but he had faith in them, even when everything else felt like it was falling apart, and that felt like everything.