sheriffskid (sheriffskid) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-03-12 05:09:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #october 2017, hunter, hunter x sebastian, sebastian |
Who: Hunter & Sebastian
What: Getting to know you~
Where: Moxie’s + a drive
When: Afternoon, Sunday 10/08
Status: Complete, part 2
Warning: Overbearing cuteness
Sebastian laughed and bit his lip, a blush climbing up his cheeks at the thought of it. Living with guys all the time. Sharing a bedroom. Fuck, there was even a giant bath, wasn’t there? “Yeah, ‘cause I’d totally fare well in that situation,” he said. “I’m like… the homeschooled wizard whose parents slack off. I get stories occasionally, but no practical use. They took my wand.” Saying that made him laugh more and he took another bite of ice cream. He was feeling rather immature at the moment, but it felt good. Way better than the dark and depressing conversation they’d wandered through earlier.
"That's just mean," Hunter said softly and smiled at him again. "You need like a cool wizard to come steal you away and teach you to be a witch... Do you call it witch or are the guys wizards?" Sebastian had said 'witch' and maybe there was some grand difference Hunter didn't know about. "Or warlocks... Sorcerers?"
“I think we’re all witches,” Sebastian smiled back at Hunter. This was such a wild conversation to have that he was sure anyone who overheard would think they were talking about some kind of a fantasy game. It didn’t even sound real to his own ears. “The girl--woman who gave us the bags is going to teach me though. So I can make them in the future, which will be nice.”
Hunter licked his spoon and laughed. "Okay, okay," he murmured, pursing his lip and giving Sebastian a suspicious look. "You've gotta have flaws too, right? Like you're not just a football hero, waterbender and protector of haunted idiots." And stupidly cute. "Tell me something you suck at." Maybe not the right word because that definitely put ideas in his head, but for now they were easily pushed away with another bite of cold mint ice cream.
Sebastian laughed, running his fingers up the back of his hair. “I have plenty of flaws. I promise,” he said. He wanted to tell Hunter something, but at the same time felt like there was a laundry list to choose from and, really, why would he want Hunter to know things like that? Then again, if he stuck around, and Sebastian really, really hoped he did, he’d find them out eventually. “Um… I’m claustrophobic. Like, I’m good if I know I can get out, but if I’m actually trapped?” He shook his head. Hopefully Hunter would never have to deal with him in a situation like that. “And I… I worry a lot.” It was a bit of an understatement, but he’d really rather not list all the reasons why Hunter shouldn’t like him.
Hunter made a motion like he was actually writing this down. "Too... helpful," he muttered to himself then shot Sebastian another grin. "No elevators for you." He could easily picture Sebastian taking the stairs every time without a problem though, add 'fit' to the list of things that made him freakishly perfect. "I think being trapped would freak anyone out," he added though he really didn't need Sebastian to list his flaws. Let him be perfect for a while longer. "When's your birthday?" he asked instead. This felt like a date - was it a date? - and if they were gonna do it again Hunter needed to know these things.
“Elevator rides aren’t long enough to get to me,” Sebastian said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “But you’re right. Anyone would be freaked out by being trapped in one.” He was just that one that would have a panic attack. No sweat. Not worth mentioning. “March fifteenth. Beware the Ides of March,” he grinned. “When’s yours?” He liked this back and forth, even if he hadn’t gotten a flaw from Hunter. He didn’t really need to know them. He wasn’t sure he cared. It was the good things he liked, the way he made him feel just by being there with him, the way he smiled. And he was hot. Definitely a plus.
Hunter honestly couldn't remember what the Ides of March stood for though he remembered the phrase but he didn't want to out himself as stupid by asking. Fortunately Sebastian asked him a different question, one that had a very easy answer. "Eight of August," he replied. "And let the record show I was born first. By like twenty eight minutes and that's really long in twin time." It felt so normal to talk about that and Hunter noticed he was a lot more relaxed now, not just compared to how he'd been feeling with everything that had been going on but also with how it felt to go out with a hot guy. It really helped that Sebastian was just so nice, it was hard to feel on edge with him, even if the mere thought of even kissing him made Hunter's stomach drop like he'd just jumped off a roof or something.
“That’s a big responsibility, being the eldest,” Sebastian grinned, as if he had any knowledge of it at all. He was a middle child through and through, even if he hated it every time he saw it in himself. “What’s it like, having a twin? Are you close? You seem so different.” Different was an understatement. Even from afar, Sebastian had a hard time believing the two were even related. Hunter could be bright and bubbly, hot without even trying. Jen… she was just different. Not in a bad way, but not like Hunter at all. “Do you talk about boys together?” he asked, teasing lightly. That would be different. He couldn’t quite imagine him and his sister thinking the same person was hot.
Hunter tittered through the array of questions and shook his head to most of them. "She's really weird," he said though there was affection behind those words. "She has weird taste in people and things and we rarely agree on that kind of stuff. But she can be fun, she's a great dancer and she'll do stuff like be my designated driver when I'm feeling down and want to go to a homecoming party." He grinned softly and poked at his ice cream. "But yeah I used to call her my evil twin 'cause she's like totally the opposite of me. I think she called me her evil twin too though so I don't know. We're good though, we get along okay. Do you have any other siblings?" Sebastian had mentioned a brother but he hadn't exactly said anything about him.
“There’s nothing wrong with weird,” Sebastian smiled. “I like…the things in people that make us different. If we were all the same, it’d be pretty boring.” It was hard for him to explain, but he found that he tended to like the weird in people more than the ways they conformed. It was something he aspired to himself, to feel strong enough to break out of the mold and be his own person. “Yeah, so Trip’s my older brother. He’s off at college. Kind of the golden child, if that makes sense. We’re not super close? And then there’s my sister, Ophelia, who’s barely eleven months younger than me. Mom always called us Irish twins, though I know that’s not at all the same as having a real twin. We could pass for ‘em though.”
Hunter wasn't all that big of a fan of 'weird', but he supposed he was lucky that Sebastian liked it since Hunter had now, against his will, been thrust into the category of very fucking weird. Then again his tolerance for odd things was probably getting better and there were definitely different types of weird. Good kinds of weird, bad kinds. Making tiny whirlpools in a glass of water had to be the good kind, but then he had a hard time imagining lumping Sebastian into the bad category in any capacity. "Okay yeah, eleven months wins over twenty eight minutes," he murmured. "Do you guys get along?"
“I’m sure your mom would argue that there’s a huge difference,” Sebastian said, nudging Hunter’s foot with his own, unable to tell if that was a mutter of displeasure or not. He didn’t really like the idea that he’s said something wrong, even if he wasn’t sure what it was. “Kinda? I mean, we’re really different people. And I feel like we’re really good at arguing with each other, like we know just the right thing to say to get on each other’s nerves. Nobody can get me riled up like my sister. But at the same time, I know she’d be there for me if I needed her, which I guess is what matters.”
"Weirdly enough, Jen and I like never argue," Hunter said. "Or we haven't for a while... She's really good at giving me a death glare when she's not happy though." It probably helped that they had their own seperate rooms and different hobbies so they were rarely in each other's way. It was such a weirdly casual conversation to be having with everything else that was going on, he couldn't help but grin again as he got himself another spoonful of ice cream. "You're not... worried? About people, you know, assuming stuff? Being here with me?"
“I would so take a death glare from my sister anyday,” Sebastian smiled. “It’s not bad, though. Mostly stupid stuff.” He’d always thought that that’s just how siblings were. They stepped all over each other, but they loved each other anyways. Sebastian took another bit of ice cream himself, sucking on the spoon for a second afterwards. “I am,” he said, his smile tiny, his eyes darting to who might be watching before back at Hunter. “But… I dunno. It feels worth it?” He bit his lip. “I’m more worried about tomorrow, from the party. Here, there’s only Ruby. But…” He had no idea who’d seen them at the party. He just had the feeling that, even though they hadn’t done anything, people would pick up on what was going on.
Hunter tried not to stare too much at the way he was sucking on his spoon and then he couldn't help the coy smile that curled his lips when Sebastian said it was worth it. "Wasn't everyone super drunk though?" he said, even if worried everyone had noticed too. "My friend used to say there's nothing as gay as straight guy so... I bet a bunch of your friends were doing way more gay stuff than putting a crown on a guy's head." Not that that was the extent of what they'd done, but everything else was pretty innocent unless someone was watching them the whole time.
Sebastian liked that little smile. It made his heart do flips. He decided it made it worth the admission, even though he felt like he was putting too much of himself out there. “Most of ‘em were, yeah,” Sebastian smiled. “I feel like Greg would’ve said something to me if he noticed and he was the person most likely to, sooooo we’re probably okay. They were all being idiots. Not that we were being idiots, but-- you know,” he laughed softly, then took a deep breath. “I’m trying not to worry, but… I haven’t figured out what I should do if someone says something, you know?”
"Just tell them gay boys need cheering up too and if they've got a problem with that they're totally homophobic," Hunter suggested jokingly though that would probably just make Sebastian sound even gayer. "I bet nobody will ask," he added with a shrug, but it was more to make Sebastian feel better about it for now since it was very much a later time problem and Hunter just hoped he'd know what he wanted to do if the moment ever came.
“I didn’t know you needed cheering up at the time,” Sebastian said with a little smile. “But they really shouldn’t have an issue with me talking to you.” It was all the other things he wanted to do with Hunter that he could see them taking issue with. And he couldn’t imagine getting there without putting up with a certain amount of bullshit. “Maybe not,” he nodded. “But I guess… if they do… I wasn’t planning on hiding it forever. It’s just taking that step that seems… daunting, you know? Like jumping off a cliff.”
"I know," Hunter agreed quietly and he hadn't really had the kind of problems Sebastian was looking at, but he could still relate to a certain point. "People might surprise you though. Like I thought my mom and everyone already knew and wouldn't care but they were shook but then I had to tell my dad and I was really nervous and he was really cool about it. Don't get me wrong, he was kinda 'what the fuck' too but way cooler about it than mom's boyfriend was."
Sebastian took a deep breath, nodding as he listened. There really was something comforting about knowing someone else had survived it, knowing them in person. “I hope they surprise me,” he said softly. He really hated the idea of being a disappointment, especially when it was something he couldn’t change. “I’m just nervous,” he said, trying for a smile. “It’s nice to talk though. And this is fun.” Whatever this was. It felt like a date, but it had also been heavy at times and he wasn’t sure it was meant to be one in the first place.
Hunter was possibly not the best person to judge what it was like coming out as his whole family was fairly liberal, save for the idiot his mom was dating and he hoped that wasn't a permanent thing. Still, he knew it could help just to talk about it and he couldn't imagine having nobody to confide in. "Yeah, I'm having a good time," he agreed though he also didn't know if this was a date. He decided it wasn't. It was more of a hanging out to decide whether to go out on a date. That made sense, he hoped. He nudged Sebastian's foot under the table, much the same as Sebastian had done with him. "You should tell someone, your sister or a friend... Someone you think you can trust. It feels really good."
Sebastian smiled shyly back at Hunter, relieved to hear that he was having a good time and feeling rather hopeful that even if this wasn’t a date, that maybe there would be one in the future. It made him wonder if he was supposed to ask or if Hunter might. It was a role he’d always known in the past, where the girls expected him to do the asking. “I might. I should,” Sebastian nodded, finishing off his ice cream. “I’d really like to. It’d be a good first step.” And he really wanted to tell someone about Hunter. He’d never gushed about a girl before, but he was kind of dying to tell someone he’d met a guy and it was disappointing that there was no one to tell. “Yeah, Ophelia or Greg. Or maybe Jules,” he said with a little laugh. “I promised to tell her if I met someone.”
Hunter's eyes widened for a second because there really was no telling how an ex girlfriend might react to the news. Maybe she'd be relieved because she'd traded out a boyfriend for a gay bestie, maybe she'd freak out and wonder if she turned him gay, people were weird when it came to their exes. "Were you guys together for long?" he asked and wondered about the sex. Of course, he wondered about the sex. A lot of guys had sex with girls even if they weren't super into it, but had Sebastian? Did it matter? Hunter honestly didn't know how he felt about all of that, but lately he wasn't sure how he felt about much of anything anyway.
The more Sebastian thought about it, the more he realized that he couldn’t tell Jules before Greg. It didn’t feel right. If it turned out Greg was okay with it all, then he could end up being upset that he’d told Jules first and Sebastian didn’t want to risk it. Jules could wait. Besides, she might not take it as well as she thought once she realized it was a guy. “About three months, end of last year. We didn’t speak most of the summer because of it, and I was really worried for a while there, but we’re on pretty good terms now. We work better as friends.” For so many reasons. The more he got to know Jules, the more he realized that it wasn’t just him being gay that was an issue. But friends they could do.
"Yeah no shit," Hunter said with a little grin since dating a girl when you were a gay guy was kind of doomed from the start. "I never even tried dating a girl, I've kissed a girl during like... truth or dare and it was okay but no way I'd even try, you know?" Then again he was out and he didn't have the pressure of family and a football team to keep him locked up in a closet. "Must have hard, keeping up appearances."
“Never? You always knew?” Sebastian asked, a little bit surprised. “I guess I thought, at first, that I just hadn’t met the right girl. And then when I figured it out… I dunno, I still wanted to be close to someone? I liked kissing ‘em, it just… I never really…” He sighed, laughing nervously as he ran his fingers through his hair. “People assume a lot, even when you don’t say anything. I don’t really like lying, but I didn’t make a point to correct them.” He frowned, picking up his spoon and sucking the last bit of ice cream off the end. “I’m not very proud of it, but it felt easier than telling them the truth.”
Hunter understood and he nodded knowingly at Sebastian's words. "No judging," he promised and was a little pleased that Sebastian had indirectly answered the question he hadn't asked. "But no I knew when I was like... Nine? Maybe? There was this guy at school I had a major crush on and I remember watching Glee and being like "Yes, this makes sense to me." He laughed at that and shook his head. "Some people would probably say Glee turned me gay because you know, that's totally how being gay works."
“Thanks,” Sebastian said softly. It was the judging that worried him the most, not just from Hunter, but from everyone. He’d been lying so long that he knew there were some people that would be angry at him for it. There were girls that would say he led them on. And he really couldn’t deny it, even when he’d never meant to hurt them. After Jules though, it didn’t seem worth it. “Nine,” he smiled. “I can’t even imagine what that would be like.” He hadn’t seriously crushed on anyone he knew until, well, now. “Glee didn’t turn me, but it did seriously influence my love of musicals,” he grinned. “Which I know some people would say is gay, but I’m used to that.”
"I'd watch it with my sister and we'd sing and dance along," Hunter said with a little titter. "You'd think my parents would have caught on but no. They probably thought Jen was making me do it or something but I mean, I was having fun." He did know some straight guys who were totally into the musical thing too, but to be fair he'd always doubted their heterosexuality a little. Maybe that was stereotyping, but stereotypes tended to exist for a reason. "I guess going into musical theater would have outed you on the spot, huh?" he said and wondered if Sebastian could sing or if his love for it all was purely as an audience.
“Yeah, if anything has outed me to my family, it would be that,” Sebastian chuckled softly. Somewhere along the way he’d learned to tone it down though. Or his parents weren’t paying enough attention. “Probably,” he said with a soft snort. “But I never intended to stay in the closet forever. If I thought I was actually good enough to be in a musical and I had the chance? You bet your ass I’d try out.” He grinned, sitting back in the booth, propping his feet up on the other side, next to Hunter. “What’s your favorite?”
Hunter had to think about it. "I love Crazy Ex-Girlfriend but that's a show so I don't know," he said. "Probably Hairspray, I watched that all the time when I was little." And the main character was super cute so that totally helped. "If you come and see the world I'm from I bet your heart is gonna feel it too," he sang quietly and then laughed shyly. "And you know, I pretty much lived and breathed the Disney channel for a while there. Descendants rocked and I won't hear any argument about it."
“Hairspray is super cute,” Sebastian grinned, and it widened even more when Hunter sang. He would have joined in, but he didn’t know all the words in that instant, even if he was sure he’d have had them with the music playing. It was super cute, though. Hunter, this time, rather than the musical. Hunter was way cuter than the musical. “I’ll play some in my car on the way home and sing with you,” he said, smiling. “Descendants is the only time I’ve wanted to be evil, but I kinda liked the girls best.”
"Maleficent was my favorite," Hunter replied enthusiastically and while he hadn't exactly expected Sebastian to hate the film, knowing he would play it and sing along was kind of amazing. "It kinda got boring when everyone turned good." But cartoon evil was very different from real evil so he didn't exactly feel embarrassed about it. "You are... so not what I thought you were," he admitted, gazing warmly at Sebastian. Just about the only thing Hunter had been right about him had been that he was hot. The rest? Nope. "Like a ninja gay."
“It made me want purple hair, which would look horrible on me,” Sebastian laughed. He even remembered playing around with a picture on his camera, just to see for sure. Absolutely horrible. Red was definitely his color. Sebastian bit his lip, his cheeks heating up. “I’m just quiet about it. And I have a best friend who… I dunno, we’re both dorks,” he smiled. “Plus, it helps that I like football and video games, but… is ninja gay a good thing?” He wasn’t sure, but the way Hunter was looking at him he was inclined to think yes.
Hunter laughed because he could easily imagine purple hair on Sebastian and yes, it was not flattering, even if he thought Sebastian could pull anything off if he wanted to because he was ridiculously hot. Maybe it depended on the shade of purple too. Hunter nodded then at the question. "In your case, absolutely." He wouldn't say being in the closet was cool, but finding out Sebastian was more than just a hot football player had been awesome so ninja gay was good this time around. "Who's your dork friend?"
Sebastian smiled back at Hunter, warmed by his response. He knew the ninja part was a problem, and likely annoying to someone that was out, but hopefully he could find his way through it. It was just so damn intimidating. “Greg,” he laughed. “I mean, he’ll sing and dance with me, but more because he knows I like it and he’s being silly. But he does paint these little battle figures? I forget what he calls them. It kind of reminds me of Dungeons and Dragons, but not.” They were both closet dorks was what they were.
"Huh," Hunter said and he supposed this was yet another lesson in not assuming things about people before you got to know them. Mak had done a pretty good job of prodding him about that in the past but he still kept running into instances where he still did it and was wrong. "I guess I can see him singing and dancing when he's really drunk," he admitted. "But only 'cause I've seen him go crazy at parties." He still couldn't imagine being best friends with a guy like that and having to come out to him, no wonder Sebastian was nervous about it. "Has he ever like... said homophobic stuff?"
“Oh, he’ll do it when he’s sober,” Sebastian laughed. “I’m the one that usually has to be a little bit drunk to make that big a fool of myself in public. Though I was serious when I said I won’t pass up a chance to dance.” He had trouble standing still when music was playing. He’d start bouncing on his toes, or tapping his fingers on things. It just took a lot more to turn him all the way up, whereas Greg tended to operate at twice his volume always. Sebastian sighed, thinking about it, smile fading a little. “Not… not homophobic. But it sometimes feels like a joke, and I don’t… I don’t know that he realizes it can be seen as offensive. Like, I worried about the comment he made to you at the party. I wanted to smack him upside the head.”
Hunter had to laugh at that because he remembered how red Sebastian had gotten when Greg came in ranting about asses. "It was harmless," he reassured him. "Like straight boy acceptance kind of harmless." He at least hadn't gotten the feeling that Greg was purposefully trying to insult him or make him uncomfortable. "And he did pretty much say he doesn't care who's gay or straight, right?" Of course that could be all talk too. Some people were fine with people being gay as long as it wasn't their best friend or family member. "But yeah I get what you mean, he's going to make a great frat boy one day."
Sebastian sighed, giving Hunter a relieved smile. “I wasn’t sure. I mean, I knew he didn’t mean anything but it, but I don’t always know how he comes across to people who don’t know him as well.” He’d known Greg so long that he couldn’t actually remember the first time they met. They had to have been three or four, maybe five. It felt like he’d always been there, a brother that lived next door. “He did,” Sebastian nodded. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard him say that, so… it’s good to know. It’s not something we talk about?” Because he’d been busy avoiding it. He didn’t think he could talk about how Greg felt about homosexuals without telling him he was one. “Oh, a fantastic frat boy. But he’s a good guy, and some of them can be real jerks.”
"There are actually some LGBT friendly frats," Hunter said because of course he had looked into that. Joining a fraternity was a great way to make friends and have some support in a new environment, but he wasn't about to join a house where he wouldn't be welcome. "Not that I think Greg would join one of those." But then what did he know. He hadn't guessed Sebastian was gay until they were having some very intimate eye contact going on that a straight guy wouldn't be caught doing. "I hope he's cool about it though, when you do tell him and if you, you know, do... You can always join Sabrina's group."
“Really?” Sebastian asked. “I didn’t realize. That’s good to know.” It was something to think about, among all the other things that he had to worry about in the future. Not that this was a ‘worry’, but it felt like step 200 when he was on step 1. “I hope so, too. I want to tell him. I just have to find a way to do it.” He knew it wasn’t really about the words. It was getting them to come out of his mouth. “I’m not sure I’m Sabrina’s favorite person, but… it would be nice. To have that support.” Especially if he ended up dealing with his parents, plus the rest of the school. “You’re in it, then?”
"Of course I am," Hunter said with an almost scoff because duh. He then gave Sebastian a curious look, idly poking at what little remained of his ice cream. "You've been helping Sabrina, and you know, all of us. Why do you think she wouldn't like you?" That wasn't strictly what Sebastian had said, but it was the way he said it, like maybe it might be an issue joining Sabrina's club. Being new at school meant Hunter had a lot of catching up to do when it came to people's histories and at the moment he felt like maybe he was missing something.
Sebastian shrugged, trying to put his finger on where that feeling came from. “I dunno. Because she told me, like, twenty times not to tell anyone what was going on? Like I would make fun of her? I know she doesn’t trust me.” The only reason she had was because of the situation. He’d been offering to help when no one else had. “It’s just a feeling,” he admitted. “I don’t know her very well. Returning the board was the longest conversation we’d ever had at that point.” They’d talked more since then, but all because of that night.
"Well, when you don't tell anyone what's going on she'll see she can trust you," Hunter said and he had a weird sense of 'she doesn't know you like I do' which made no sense since he'd only just started getting to know Sebastian but there it was. He did know more about him than Sabrina did, that was for sure, from the gay thing to the witch thing Hunter felt pretty well in the loop. "I don't think that was personal, you know? She's just scared." He hesitated before adding a quiet, "We're all scared."
Taking a deep breath, Sebastian nodded. He’d told Greg about returning the board, but left it at that. He didn’t think that was betraying her trust, nor did he think Greg would breathe a word of that to anyone, so he should be good. “I know,” he said softly, and wanted to hold Hunter’s hand again. More than that, he wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Which wasn’t helpful and wasn’t even something he knew for sure. “We’ll figure something out. I don’t know what, but… we will.” He had to be optimistic. The opposite was too dark to give in to.
It wasn't really something Hunter wanted to talk about or think about right now. He was more than happy to just babble about musicals with a cute boy and forget about his problems for a little while. "The salt seems to be working," he said quietly, squinting at Sebastian. It felt weird to say those things out loud and he was still getting used to the fact Sebastian was the one who recommended it in the first place. "I still have bad dreams but they're not... As bad."
“Good,” Sebastian nodded, though he hated that Hunter was still having them at all. There had to be a solution to this. There had to be, but he didn’t even know where to begin to look outside asking Reagan for help. But Sabrina hadn’t pressed that point, and so he wasn’t sure if he should either. He couldn’t even imagine what it might cost. “Hey,” he said, giving Hunter a little smile. “Wanna go sing with the top down?” It wasn’t a solution, but he thought they might both enjoy it more than sitting there worrying.
It might not be a permanent solution but it definitely was a temporary one. Hunter couldn't imagine feeling too blue when riding around with Sebastian McCarthy with wind in his hair and music blasting. It kinda sounded too good to be true if anything. "Yeah," he said with a refreshed grin and pushed his ice cream bowl aside. "And maybe if we tip Ruby really well she won't tell anyone what she saw," he added knowingly.
“It could definitely help,” Sebastian laughed and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. Picking out a twenty, he set it on the table. That should cover the ice cream and then sooo much more. “Come on,” he smiled, nodding towards the door. “I got this.” Maybe it wasn’t a date, but he could still offer to pay. They could argue about it another time. Maybe on a real date. He wondered what that would be like. Just like this, probably, he thought to himself. It reminded him that he’d wanted to ask Hunter if he’d dated a lot of guys before, but he hadn’t gotten around to it and now it felt weird to ask, too out of the blue.
Hunter hesitated only a second when Sebastian put the money down since he had been the one to suggest they get ice cream, but if Sebastian wanted to pay? He could live with that. It wasn't like he had a job yet and his dad was definitely not the kind of rich that lived in Overlook. He gave him an amused grin before they headed out, but that was as close to protesting as he got. He really wanted to hold his hand as they walked to the car, but it felt like the world was watching even if it probably wasn't. "Where do you wanna go?" he asked once they reached the car. Driving aimlessly could be fun but if they really wanted to just let loose maybe getting out of town could be fun.
Sebastian turned to watch Hunter as they walked towards the car, not sure what to say if the decision was left up to him. He wasn’t good at leading, tended to be extremely indecisive, in large part because he often wanted to make the decision that made the person he was with happiest. But he had no idea what Hunter might want. “Um… We could drive to Scarborough and back?” he suggested with a little smile. “Or we could just drive around. Do you have to be home soon?” He felt better by giving Hunter an out. He might not want to spent the next half hour driving around with Sebastian, though he really hoped so.
Hunter shook his head at the question because no, he didn't want to go home anytime soon if he had a say in it. "We can just drive out of town and see where the road leads," he said and it wasn't like they couldn't turn around at any point if if they felt like it. He got in the car when Sebastian did, feeling pretty happy and excited but God, so nervous too. "There's some really cool scenery just outside of town," he added and shrugged, as if he'd be paying any attention to the scenery when he could be looking at Sebastian.
“I like that,” Sebastian smiled, starting up the car. His fingers drummed on the wheel for a second, then he opened up his phone to the music app and handed it to Hunter. “Play DJ for us?” It felt like one of the most daring things he’d ever done. More than breaking into the shop, even. He didn’t often give people access to his musical tastes, sure that they’d figure out he was gay, but Hunter already knew that. As he pulled onto the main road, he let his free hand rest on the armrest, his hand itching to take Hunter’s, yet it felt like too much to just reach out and take it. Just thinking about it made his heart pound and he was glad when Hunter finally put the music on, giving him something to focus on other than his nerves.
It was easy to find something he liked as they obviously had very similar taste in music and Hunter couldn't help but keep looking once he'd found a good song to start with. "No pressure," he teased. "At least I know I won't play anything you hate, unless you have like a self loathing playlist on here." He gave Sebastian a sidelong glance and grinned shyly before looking at the phone again. That was another huge show of trust too, handing him his unlocked phone. Not that Hunter would actually do anything with it but he definitely knew people who'd have a field day with that kind of power.
“No,” Sebastian laughed. “I have some Nickelback though. Don’t hate me.” Some of them were addictive! He couldn’t help but sing along. His musical tastes had always been extremely varied. The only thing he wasn’t into tended to be country music. He glanced at Hunter again as the music came on and realized that he’d committed to singing in front of a guy he liked. Why had he thought this would be a good idea? It was easier with music though, and he didn’t have to look directly at Hunter when he did it. Sebastian started quietly, not at all like he had the night before, but as they moved further into the song he got more confident. This was fun, and if Hunter hadn’t judged him for being an idiot last night, hopefully he wouldn’t start now.
"Oh my God, stop the car right now," Hunter said but he was so obviously joking it didn't need any clarifying. Nickelback was not a favorite but he still didn't get the intense hate they got. Then Sebastian was singing and he forgot all about Nickelback, grinning at him before joining in. He sometimes sang with Mak and Jen but that was different, it didn't feel scary and it didn't make his heart beat too fast. This was fun though, even if it was kinda terrifying and he worried his voice would do something stupid even if he could normally sing just fine. It was different from singing one line jokingly in a restaurant, the volume was up for one.
Sebastian grinned back at Hunger, biting his tongue between his teeth. When Hunter started to sing along, his confidence went up, and by the third song they were cruising down the road, top down, singing loudly. The words were mostly lost in the wind, but Sebastian didn’t care. He had butterflies like he’d never had in his life, a smile so big it hurt his cheeks, and would categorize it as the best non-date he’d ever been on. It was the kind of thing he didn’t want to end, even as the sun sunk lower in the sky. It forced Sebastian to head back towards home, wanting to get there before dark so they wouldn’t freeze.
It was the perfect way to forget all about doom and gloom. Music really did have a healing power and Hunter couldn't help but want to bring Sebastian to the karaoke bar. He'd been so happy that night with Mak but they hadn't gone back yet. He was a little sad that it had to end but they'd been out a while and they did have school the next day, and in Hunter's case, homework to be done before then. When they were getting too close to home he lowered the volume and tried to gear up to ask Sebastian questions, though he kept fumbling with the wording of said questions. "So uh... School," he mumbled. "You're not gonna be like... weird, are you?"
It was a fair question, but not one Sebastian had thought about until that moment. He’d enjoyed the chance to forget about the outside world, where he wasn’t worried about anyone’s opinion of him other than the guy next to him. The entire school was something different. When he’d left on Friday, he’d been homecoming king. He was going to the dance with Jules. He’d managed to fit perfectly into the mold he’d been taught to strive for. He wasn’t sure how to walk into school on Monday and tell everyone that he’d been faking it. “I’m not gonna be weird,” he said after a moment. “But… I’m not sure I’m ready to tell everyone.” He hated that, that he couldn’t take that step. It made him feel like such a disappointment. “Can you be patient with me maybe? I’ll get there, just… Maybe I’ll tell Greg first.”
"You don't have to tell anyone," Hunter said a bit hurriedly and he didn't even fully know what it was that Sebastian could tell people. He was gay, yes, but was this something? More than friends? God he didn't know and it made him feel so naive and dorky. "I just mean like... I really don't think I can handle it if you just don't even talk to me. I mean I could probably handle it but everything is just so... shitty lately." He was really revealing all his cards, wasn't he? It was kinda pathetic but Sebastian made it so easy to just blurt it all out and hope for the best.
Sebastian’s brows drew together and he started shaking his head before Hunter even finished talking. He realized that he hadn’t really answered the question Hunter was asking because it hadn’t even crossed his mind not to talk to him. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Or anyone. That’s not-- I know some people do that, but that’s really shitty and I wouldn’t.” He finally did what he’d wanted do to the whole car ride and took Hunter’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. “I promise I’ll talk to you. I just might not do this.” Yet, his brain supplied. If he tried this on Monday, he might have a heart attack, but he really hoped to get past that.
His hand was so warm and soft, Hunter just felt like melting when he felt it on his own. "You don't have to do that at school," he murmured contently and it was probably better if he didn't because Hunter wasn't sure how he was supposed to focus on anything if Sebastian was holding his hand. "And you know, you don't have to be all chummy or anything, just... say hi?" He gave Sebastian's hand a little squeeze and grinned faintly. He was probably being needy, but he thought he could be excused for that when he was literally haunted. Maybe that shitty thing was becoming an excuse for a lot of things but it was pretty big so he didn't care.
“I would say hi,” Sebastian said with a little smile. “I’d do more than say hi.” He didn’t know what he’d say, that was hard to determine, but he considered Hunter a friend at the very least. Something more, if he was truthful. He didn’t usually hold his friend’s hands. And the other thoughts he’d had about Hunter? Definitely not something he thought of his friends. He wished this was easier, that he had the confidence he’d had with girls, but he felt like he was doing well enough to hold Hunter’s hand. “Would you want to hang out again?” he asked, the car slowing as he pulled up in front of Hunter’s house. “Like… Are you busy Thursday after school?”
Thursday felt like light years away but at the same time right around the corner and Hunter both wanted to see him sooner than that and... also not. "I have no plans," he said and glanced up at the house. The usual lights were on regardless of whether someone was home or not so he couldn't tell if Jen was home but he knew for sure his dad was working. "You wanna do something?" Of course he wanted to hang out, he'd be crazy not to want to do something with Sebastian.
“Yeah, um…” Sebastian laughed nervously, realizing he hadn’t really thought farther than asking Hunter out. He racked his mind for something to do, something that wasn’t going to the movies because he wanted to talk to Hunter, not just sit next to him for hours in a dark theater. Though that could be nice too. But talking and laughing would be better. “You wanna go to that costume store?” he asked, almost cringing at the suggestion. “I know it’s closing soon, but I don’t have anything for Halloween yet and-- and it might be fun.”
Hunter hadn't even thought about Halloween for much the same reasons he hadn't gone to the dance. It was completely out of character for him not to participate in fun things but he'd been totally down lately. Since Sebastian suggested it he decided he would power through and not let this stupid demon thing ruin things for him. "Sounds great," he said with a little laugh and it meant they could try on silly costumes and have a laugh. Hunter loved stuff like that, to the point where he probably should have joined the theater club. "But only if you promise to try on something ridiculous."
Sebastian relaxed, glad that Hunter liked the idea. “I’ll try on whatever you want me to,” he laughed, immediately hoping he wouldn’t regret that offer. Hunter didn’t seem like the type to abuse it though. He seemed like the nicest, sweetest, cutest guy that Sebastian had ever met and he knew he was being a tad ridiculous when he found he didn’t want to let go of his hand. “I had a really good time,” he said softly. “I’ll talk to you soon?”
Hunter nodded and found he wanted to lean over and kiss Sebastian goodbye but it was like his body didn't want to move at all. Which might be a good thing, he honestly wasn't sure how Sebastian would react. "You've got my number," he reminded him. "And my Snapchat if you want to send me something." He should, Hunter thought, anything at all. He licked his lips and grinned faintly, suddenly nervous again. How did people get through dates in one piece he wondered again and gave Sebastian's hand a little squeeze again.
It was that little squeeze that gave Sebastian the courage he’d been trying to muster. He squeezed Hunter’s hand back, then leaned in and gave him the briefest of kisses on the lips, the sort that reminded him of his very first kiss back when he was, what? Thirteen? But not a single kiss made him feel like this, all nerves and excitement and fear that he might not want it mixed up with an overbearing desire to do it again. He knew he was blushing, that his hand would’ve been shaking if it wasn’t holding Hunter’s, and he licked his lips as he pulled back, sure his heart was going to explode out of his chest. “I will,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure what, but he’d send Hunter something.
It was such a brief kiss, and so chaste, it really shouldn't have made Hunter feel this crazy good but it did. He licked his lips too, feeling like he could taste Sebastian on them. "Okay," he said and there was a tightness inside him that had nothing to do with nerves. "I'll see you tomorrow." It was going to be crazy hard, seeing him at school and not fucking touch him. This really wasn't anything like Hunter had pictured it going the first time he kissed a guy. He'd always assumed he'd be very drunk because alcohol helped with quelling nerves but this was... perfect. It was only a brief little kiss and it was still perfect.
“‘Kay,” Sebastian said with a little smile. “Sleep well.” It seemed silly to say after he said it, it was likely hours before Hunter would go to bed, but it was getting dark and for some reason it was what came out of his mouth. He smiled, closed his eyes and gave his head a little shake, embarrassed, then opened his eyes again. Could he get any redder? “Goodnight.” He knew it was going to be a good one for him. He had the feeling he’d be playing this moment over and over in his mind. Thursday felt like years away.
Hunter didn't want to leave but it would be kinda stupid to sit there and keep saying bye. He took a shaky deep breath and it helped a little how red Sebastian was turning, like he wasn't the only one omgdying at the whole thing. "Drive safe," he mumbled as he blindly found the door handle and forced himself to open the damn door. "And you know... sleep well too." He laughed quietly as he got out of the car because he was feeling so awkward it was actually funny. It kind of felt like nothing could really hurt him right now because he was floating on some happy cloud where he was untouchable. "Night..."
Sebastian didn’t really want him to leave, but unless he was going to get back in the car and kiss him again, it probably made sense. He was a little surprised at how shy Hunter seemed as well, figuring this wasn’t something new to him, but it did make him feel better about the kiss. Like maybe it wasn’t the worst one he’d ever given, even while it felt like the best. He smiled back at Hunter and gave him a little nod, not sure he’d sleep at all, but he wasn’t going to say that he planned on laying in bed and thinking of him. Gah. “Night,” he said and bit his lip, waiting till the door was shut to take a breath. Next time he’d do better, he thought, almost giddy about the idea that there would be a next time.
Hunter knew he was going to be calling Mak the second he walked into the house because there was no way he could be secretive about this. Not with his best friend. He needed someone to gush at before his head exploded and she'd better be there to listen! He couldn't help but look back at Sebastian's car as he walked up to the house, almost as if to remind himself that it was real and had really happened. He gave him a little wave before fishing out his keys and then grinned like an idiot to himself as he turned away again. It was probably a good thing his dad was not home or he'd have realized something had happened just by looking at Hunter.