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Moonlight reflected off the windows of the mostly powder blue Nissan Stanza parked on the curb in front of the Fischer residence. A quick flick of firelight illuminated the car’s interior, then the red-orange glow of a smoldering cherry lit up the two men within. There came a burst of coughing; thin wisps of grey smoke curled up from the cracked passenger window and dissipated in the clear night air.
“Dude! Out the window, remember?” 24 took the pipe from Gary, and tapped the ashes into a crushed soda can in the center console.
“Sor– coff– sorry, I– coff coff– I ate like ha-half the b-bowl!” The violent coughing fit had indeed been triggered by a wad of hot, flaky ash in Gary’s lungs. In the darkness, he hadn’t noticed the bowl was cashed, and had sucked the burnt contents right down his throat.
“Want me to pack a fresh one?” 24 asked, already in the process of picking apart a sticky bud, and pressing it into the bowl with his thumb.
“Fuck.. I wasn’t planning on getting this high tonight, dude.” Gary wiped a tear from his bright red cheek. He folded his arms and let his dizzy head rest against the window.
24 stopped packing and glanced up at Gary. “Soooo, is that a no?”
Gary sighed, his breath fogging the widow slightly. “No– I mean yes– I mean…” He sighed again, and drew a smiley face on the patch of fog on the window with his finger. “You think the DARE lion could beat Scruff McGruff in a bare-knuckle fight?”
“Dude, you’re already too high for this. McGruff is an old man, he wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s so obvious.” 24 teased. He knew his own tolerance was higher than his friend’s, but he had enough experience to know what Gary’s limit was. He could take a little more. He finished packing, and held the pipe out to his partner-in-crime. “Green hit’s yours this time since you ate ash.”
“Thanks.” Gary grabbed the lighter off of the dash and lit it up. He took a long draw from the pipe, attempting to hold his smoke, but failing in short, spasmed bursts of coughing.
“Out the window. Out the window. Out the window!”
Gary managed to blow most of the smoke outside, but coughed and gagged until 24 was worried that he might throw up in his car. Face red, tears streaming down his cheeks, hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. He looked like he might pass out.
24 took the pipe. He gave Gary a few firm pats on the back. “You good? Man, you’re such a lightweight.”
“Dude, shut up! It’s just really harsh stuff! Where did you get that?”
“New guy. Someone Doug introduced me to.”
Gary grinned at his friend with tears in his eyes and a little snot on his upper lip. “Your dad introduced you to his weed guy?” 24 smirked, and held up the baggy. “Yeah, and he’s got really good shit.”
Gary sniffed and wiped his face with the back of his wrist. He cleared his throat, then warily eyed the pipe as it was passed back his way. He shook his head and held up his hand. “Nah, I need a minute.”
24 leaned up, blowing his stream of smoke perfectly out the window crack. He frowned at Gary, who was still swiping tears from his cheeks with his thumbs. A comfortable silence blanketed the private bubble inside the Sanza as he gave his friend a moment to recover.
…
“Hey, I have an idea.” 24 broke the silence.
“Hm?”
“Let me shotgun it to you. You know, to cut the harshness.”
Gary shifted in his seat to face his friend, and gave him an inquisitive look. “Huh?”
“You know–“ 24 flapped his hand around as he spoke. “–blow it into your mouth?”
“Really?” Gary was curious now.
Deciding it best just to do it, and not dwell on it or over explain things, 24 lit the bowl and took a quick, small hit. He beckoned Gary closer, but Gary hesitated. 24 beckoned more urgently, indicating the breath he had been holding. Gary leaned over, startled as 24 suddenly grabbed him by the face and squeezed his chubby cheeks to force his mouth open. The next moment was a blur of shock and confusion as 24’s lips made full contact with Gary’s. Heat flushed Gary’s cheeks, and he forgot to inhale as 24 exhaled, allowing all the smoke to escape the gaps between their lips.
“Duuude!” 24 pulled back, annoyed. “The car’s going to smell like weed now! What if I get pulled over?”
“Did you just kiss me?”
There was another silence between them, though much less comfortable this time.
“I–“ 24 fidgeted, searching for an appropriate explanation as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “No? It’s called a shotgun. I just didn’t want smoke in the car, so I…” Now that he thought about it, it was kind of weird to actually touch lips like that. He crumpled in on himself, ears burning red with embarrassment. “Sorry…”
“No, it’s cool…”
Another heavy silence fell, charging the air with tension. 24 inhaled, held his breath for a couple of seconds, then spoke. “What do you mean “it’s cool”? Did you–“ He winced, awkwardly. “Did you like it, or something?”
Gary shrugged. He’d gone back to staring out the window with his arms crossed, hugging himself almost defensively. “Would you hate me if I did?”
“No!” The response was fast, almost frantic. “You’re my best friend, dillweed! I wouldn’t hate you for enjoying a kiss. Especially one from me.”
“So–“ Gary turned, locking eyes with 24. “You’re saying it was a kiss?”
“Well–“ 24 paused to think through his next words. “It wasn’t supposed to be a kiss, but if you’re “cool with it”, then you can call it one, if you want. I don’t mind” He smiled, and hoped he’d fixed the awkwardness of the situation.
“Oh…”
24’s smile wilted at the unexpected sadness in Gary’s response. He hadn’t meant to hurt him. Had he hurt him? He wasn’t actually sure. This was so confusing. “Hey, 21?”
“You can call me Gary. We’re not henching right now, you know.”
“Gary?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
Gary scooted around to face 24 fully this time, intrigued. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. If you can guess my name, I’ll kiss you for real.”
The way Gary grinned all lopsided and dorky actually made 24’s chest tighten. What the hell was he getting himself into?
“What are you, Rumpelstiltskin? Okay, is it, um, Michael?”
“Nope.”
“Johnathan?”
“No”
“Damn–“ Gary snapped his fingers in defeat. “Those are the most common ones! Okay, Scott?”
24 shook his head with a grin. He leaned just a bit closer, getting a better look at the excitement sparkling in his friend’s bloodshot eyes.
“Paul? Ryan? Nathan? Peter? Daniel? Travis? Raymon? C’mon, dude! Give me a hint?”
They were nearly nose to nose, 24 inching closer with every wrong guess. His grin widened with every shake of his head until he was peering down at his frustrated friend like a Cheshire cat. 24 touched Gary’s slightly stubbly chin with the tips of his fingers, tilting his head, and closing the space between their lips.
The kiss was clumsy. Gary gasped and flinched in surprise, nearly bashing their teeth together. Once reality caught up with his intoxicated brain, he deepened the kiss with all the awkward enthusiasm of a guy who’d never been kissed before. 24 murmured against Gary’s chapped lips. “Here… Like this.” He cupped Gary’s face in his palms to guide him, and Gary followed his lead into a more natural rhythm. 24 let Gary’s bottom lip slip between his teeth, biting gently and tugging, producing a groan from the younger man.
Gary broke away first, pressing their foreheads together. Eyes closed and panting, he looked absolutely wrecked from nothing more than a sloppy make out. 24 chuckled, but before he could say anything, Gary grabbed him by the shoulders, and his lips were on him again.
The younger man kissed him like it was the last time he’d ever kiss anyone, sucking and nibbling, and pressing his tongue in, begging for entrance. 24 parted his lips, letting Gary’s tongue explore his mouth and dance with his own. Gary groped at him, his shirt, his neck, his hair, frantic. He needed to slow him down. This was a little too much too quick.
“H-hey. Hey, hey, hey, stop. Gary, stop.” 24 grabbed Gary by the wrists and eased him back. Both men locked eyes, dazed, flushed, and breathing hot and hard into each other’s faces. “You good, dude?”
“Shit. S-sorry. I’m so fucking sorry–“
24 cut him off. “Don’t be. I take it you enjoyed that?”
“Dude…” Gary raked his fingers through his sweaty hair, and slumped back in his seat. Sheepishly, he spoke. “Is okay that I have a boner? Is that weird?”
24 snorted in amusement. “No, that’s normal. Especially with how into it you got.”
“D-do you have one too?”
24 shrugged and seesawed his hand. “Like halfway. It’s not a full chub, but it’s definitely not soft.”
“Wow…” Gary fixed his gaze on the ceiling, trying to bring himself back down from the high of the kiss and the still-present buzz of the weed. “So, what do we do now?”
“Wanna get Taco Bell? Wait…” 24 turned the key once in the ignition, lighting up the stereo face to check the time. “Yeah, they’re still open. Sound good?”
“Hell yeah, dude, I’m starving.” Gary clicked on his seatbelt, and 24 started the engine.
“Hey, 24?”
“Yeah?”
“So, none of my guesses were right? About your name?”
“Maybe you guessed it correctly. Maybe not.” He winked and grinned like a big doofus. “It’s Daren, by the way.”
“Your name’s Daren?”
“No, the DARE lion’s name is Daren.”
Gary gave his friend a playful punch in the arm. “Not cool, dude.”