Slacking Off (Gavin/Andy)

[Andy Moreau]

"Yeah," Andy said. His next breaths came a little faster than normal, and it took him a moment to open his eyes. They remained unfocused, his mind wrapped up in trying to memorize every detail of his first kiss. "Um, that was amazing," he admitted, blushing. He dared to look up at Gavin, and the sight of that vibrant blush curved his lips. Was that the whole thoroughly kissed look he'd heard about?

[Gavin Kent]

Gavin's eyes fluttered open completely, then a shy smile pulled at his lips. "Yeah," he echoed. "I can't believe my first kiss happened on the side of a street." He forced himself to look away from Andy and at the space around them, belatedly searching for prying eyes. Unsurprisingly, he found no one watching.

[Andy Moreau]

"Oh, wow," Andy breathed. "I'm sorry?" He hadn't been thinking of where they were, or what they'd been doing moments before. He hadn't been thinking of anything, really. Just that things felt right, and felt really good. "Um... do you want to go somewhere else?" It wasn't the invitation it sounded like. Or maybe it was. But really, they couldn't stay here forever.

[Gavin Kent]

Gavin's eyes locked onto Andy's. Somewhere else. What other places were available to them? Perhaps there were a hundred options, but did that mean that his thoughts were less valid? "Can I just be frank?" Gavin asked without actually waiting for a response. "I kind of want to just be alone with you."

[Andy Moreau]

Oh. That simplified things. It didn't matter what Andy meant if Gavin kind of wanted to just be alone with him. "Um, yeah," Andy said a little breathlessly. "I don't know where, but like... yeah, that sounds good." Whatever they ended up doing, if it was talking or maybe holding hands or another kiss, it would be good. "I kind of like it when you just say what you're thinking," Andy admitted. He paused, then pushed to his feet without releasing Gavin's hand.

[Gavin Kent]

Gavin had no complaints when it came to their hands staying in contact, and he stood with barely a thought of removing his hand from Andy's. "I don't know the general layout of the castle, much less Hogsmeade," he said. Really, he just anted to hide somewhere and kiss Andy, but it felt entirely inappropriate to say so.

[Andy Moreau]

"Me neither," Andy said. "But like... we could look around." He couldn't believe this! School had just started and he'd been approached by two guys, one of which was super sweet, smart, and polite. He'd never have imagined that a classy prep-school type would even look at him, and here they were holding hands, heading off wherever together to just talk and maybe kiss again. "I really like you, Gavin," Andy said.

[Gavin Kent]

Was the flutter in his chest in response to that comment the butterflies he'd read and heard about? "I like you, too." It was too soon for Gavin to like Andy, but the guy was so different from the ones he normally spent time with. Short and slender and cute and definitely not a classy prep-school type. He didn't think about where to walk, and just let his feet wander. "I've mentioned how strange this is, haven't I?"

[Andy Moreau]

Andy looked forward and nodded. "But it's a good strange, right?" he asked. Were they dating because they'd kissed? Was Gavin even okay with it? Andy looked aside, but Gavin wasn't one of those people who was all openly emotional. He was so cool and level and stuff. Andy suddenly wished he had someone to talk to about this stuff. He was at Hogwarts, or close enough at the moment, and didn't even have internet to Google stuff. He thought of Jory and Rhys, but he didn't have a phone, and he'd probably get in trouble if he tried the Knight Bus thing and left school.

[Gavin Kent]

Gavin didn't respond immediately. It wasn't a bad strange, but he also wasn't sure if it was a good strange. "I'm not certain, to be entirely honest. I like it, but then I think of my parents, and I don't think they would." Oxford, job, marriage, children, comfortable retirement, grandchildren. Perhaps that was one good part of having foster parents, maybe they wouldn't have such a distinct outline of Andy's life. Gavin made a mental note to keep that last thought to himself.

[Andy Moreau]

"If your parents wouldn't like it, then don't tell them," Andy said. "It's none of their business anyway. You don't tell them everything, right?" Andy made himself forget about that I'm not certain. Maybe it was just because of his parents? Andy couldn't imagine really caring what a parental guardian type thought about anything, but he'd cared enough to try keeping out of trouble. It was kind of sad and kind of made him angry that his being friends and maybe more could get Gavin in trouble with his parents, but Gavin had said that he liked it, so that was what mattered.

[Gavin Kent]

Gavin's parents were so supportive, even though they pushed him, and they paid for his schooling. They'd let him switch to magical schooling and agreed to pay for it, though they'd obviously have preferred he stay in muggle institutions. "I've never had anything to keep from them, really," he admitted. He played by the rules, did well in school, and performed well in sports. There had never been anything questionable until that kiss.

Andy's foster parents were gay, so they likely wouldn't mind. "Perhaps I don't know how to keep things from my parents." It seemed like his parents knew everything before he even told them about it anyway, so why would this be different?

[Andy Moreau]

"You just don't tell them," Andy said, looking at Gavin again. "What are they going to do, make you take a lie detector test? I mean, we're not doing anything bad, right? We were talking and we hung out and like..." I kissed you. He looked forward again to watch the school gates approach. "There's nothing wrong with it, right?" Right? But there was nothing wrong with wearing girls' clothes either, because they were just clothes, but he kept that hidden because it was weird.

[Gavin Kent]

"I don't think so," Gavin said. "I've never really thought anything was wrong with it." Maybe he underestimated his parents, though, and they'd immediately approve and accept. He glanced down at their hands. It was comfortable, and he somehow didn't mind the thought of someone seeing them.

[Andy Moreau]

They didn't talk about much else on the way back to the school. Everything they tried came back to reassuring themselves and each other that this was okay, that holding hands was nice and talking was nice, and that whatever they were going to do once they were alone again would also be nice. The gates opened for them again, and the grass was just as green as it had been an hour or so ago, when they'd first come this way.

"Do you know where we're going?" Andy asked after a while.