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“And it’s not–I mean, I don’t–I know you don’t–” Kris turns their lip under their teeth, flutters their eyes and looks at the dragonfly puttering over the dry summer grass. “But–I really–” They groan, throw their face into their knees. “Ugh. Sorry.”
Susie leans back on one arm, raises the other to block the sun from her eyes. “Take your time.”
“Mhhhgnnn,” they mumble. “I can’t.”
She bumps their shoulders. “You’re good, dude. Can I guess?”
They sit up, squint at her. She moves her hand over so she’s blocking the sun from their face instead.
“You,” they say indignantly, and stand, casting her in shadow.
She looks up, tilts her head, grins. “Nice view.”
Their face goes red and they push her down into the grass, lay on top of her and bury their face in her neck. Safely not looking her in the eye, they say,
“Was trying to say, I just, I really like you.”
She reaches lazily up, runs her hand down their side, leaves it resting on their lower back where their sweater is pushed up. Their skin is sticky with sweat.
“You gonna say anything back?”
They sit back on her legs, cross their arms.
“Sorry,” she says earnestly, and pats them on the leg.
“Come on.” They put their palms on her shoulders, press into the hollows below her collarbones. “Come on.”
She kisses them. They mmm into her mouth and then pull back, stand up and scream up at the late afternoon sky. She stands to follow them, leans her head on their shoulder, wraps her arms around their waist, but they shimmy out from under her arms and take off into the field.
“Hey,” she calls, and chases after them. “C’mere.”
“No,” they shout back over their shoulder, and run into the tree line.
For a while she pretends not be fast enough to catch them. Once they get tired out she runs up behind them, grabs them by the scruff. They squeak and bat at her.
“Got you,” she says, and sets them down. Leans forward.
They cross their arms and turn their face to the side so she can’t kiss them. “Nuh uh.”
“Why not?”
“Cause you won’t say anything.”
“You’re not telling the truth,” she says, and shrugs. “So neither am I.”
They narrow their eyes, slump back against a tree. “What?”
“You said you liked me.”
“That is the truth.”
“Nope.”
They sigh, turn their bottom lip under their teeth so it doesn’t wobble. “I’m not gonna make myself look stupid.”
“Hey,” she says, and leans forward again.
This time they sigh, tip their head back, then relent. They kiss against the side of a fir until she’s pulled the breath from their lungs. When she leans away they take a gasping breath, cross their arms, and look at the ground.
“Do I gotta say it?” Susie asks, and sits at their feet.
They look down at her, frown. “What?”
“I love you.”
They open their mouth. Close it. Sink down the side of the tree and sway into her, barely hiding the ridiculous brightening of their face in her shoulder.
“I’m gonna wait a bit to say it back,” they say, with a forced huff. “So you know how it feels.”
“I love you.”
A brief pause. A furious sigh.
“Ugh. Whatever. I love you too.”