Puzzle

Will tipped the pieces of the jigsaw onto the floor eagerly, much to the amusement of Simon, as the two sat cross-legged on the floor. Simon laughed quietly to himself as Will began to sort the pieces into categories, biting his tongue as he concentrated.

“What?” Will asked.

Simon looked at him innocently. “Nothing.”

Will went back to his sorting, and Simon snickered. “What?”

“You’re cute.”

Will made a face. “I am not.”

“Yes, you are. Look at you, sorting out your pieces,” he laughed as he gestured at the two neat piles.

Will looked at Simon as if he’d just said something terribly offensive. “This is how you’re supposed to do it.”

“I never said there was anything wrong with it,” Simon said as Will sniffed in what he thought was a dignified fashion.

“I just think it’s cute is all.”

“I am not cute!” Will whined in as manly a way possible.

“Of course you’re not, sweet pea.”

“Sweet pea?”

Simon looked at him innocently again, much to the bother of Will. “What?”

“Don’t call me sweet pea! Since when do you call me sweet pea?” he asked, his voice shrill.

“Does it threaten your masculinity?” Simon asked, trying to keep a straight face. After a few seconds, though, he couldn’t help but let his face split into a grin.

“I will not dignify that with a response.”

“Alright then,” Simon grinned. “Keep going with your puzzle, don’t let me stop you.”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Good.” Will continued his sorting, the two piles getting larger until all the pieces had been sorted. He began to build the border, starting with the top left-hand corner, then continuing on in a clockwise direction.

“Can I do some of the picture in the middle?” Simon asked, breaking the silence.

“Not yet, we have to finish the border.”

“But I have two pieces that fit together!” Simon said, holding them up to show the older boy.

“We have to finish the border!”

“Puzzle Nazi,” Simon muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“I said, would you like some water? I was going to get some.”

“Oh, um. No thanks.”

Simon got up and walked to the kitchen slowly. He opened the nearest cupboard, it was filled with bowls. He tried to remember where the glasses were but he couldn’t, and so proceeded to search every cupboard until he found what he was looking for. By the time he got back to the living room, Will had finished the border and was now working on the middle, currently constructing a tree trunk.

He glanced up as Simon sat back down next to him. “Can I have a sip?”

Simon passed him the glass. “I could have just got you one.”

“But I don’t want a whole glass,” Will said, took a sip and then continued on, “Just a sip.”

Will laughed. “Sorry. Do you want me to pay you for it?”

“It’s your house.”

“Then don’t complain about me taking some of my water then,” he teased.

“Fine,” Simon sniffed, putting his nose in the air.

Will laughed silently at him, then continued on with his beloved puzzle.

“I hate puzzles.”

“How come? They’re wonderful!”

Simon laughed. “Puzzle fanboy,” he teased as Will scowled at him. “They’re so frustrating and they make you want to give up, but then at the same bloody time, you just have to finish them. But I never can. They’re bloody boring.”

“But!”

Simon petted Will’s shoulder. “Keep going with your puzzle. I’ll watch, I don’t mind.”

“We can do something else, if you want.”

“What d’you wanna do?”

“...This puzzle.”

Simon laughed and rolled his eyes at the older boy, who went back to doing the puzzle.

After a few minutes however, Simon begun to grow bored. He set down his water and crawled across the floor until he could sit behind Will, putting his arms around his waist and leaning against his back. One of hands moved to Will’s belt, where he started to play with the buckle. “Still wanna do the puzzle?”

Will shivered when Simon spoke, his breath tickling his neck. “In all honesty, yes.”

Simon clicked his tongue in annoyance as Will kept on fitting more pieces into the puzzle. “William, are you saying you’d rather do pieces of cardboard than me?”

“At the moment, yes.”

“Ugh.” Simon got up from the floor and went to stand by the window. He started to pace, all the while staring intently at Will. “I thought straight boys were supposed to be horny,” he said after a time.

“I’m not straight,” said Will, not looking up.

“Yes, but you thought you were till about six months ago.”

“Si, that doesn’t make me straight.”

“Yeah, I know,” said Simon. “But you see my point?”

Will ignored him; Simon guessed he was rolling his eyes.

Simon sighed and went back to sit beside him. He started to pick at the blue carpet, finding loose bits and pulling them up. “How’s the puzzle going?” he enquired lightly.

“Fine. I’ve almost finished half the sky.”

“How thrilling for you,” Simon replied drily, slightly annoyed at his boyfriend. He wanted attention. Silence fell upon the boys and Simon went back to picking the carpet. “Can I do some?”

Will looked at him. “I thought you said you hated puzzles?”

“Oh, well, yeah. I do. But I want to help.”

Will looked at him suspiciously, Simon gazed back with an innocent smile on his lips.”Sure then. D’you wanna do that tree then?” He pointed the tree on the front of the puzzle box.

“Okie dokes.” Simon began searching for the piece that had the red bird sitting in the tree on it. “Can you see the bird piece?” He squinted at the box. “I think it might be a rosella? It’s red, anyway.”

Will searched around for a bit, and located the piece near his foot. He picked it up and held it to Simon, twisting his body around so he could face him.

Simon reached out to take it, then pounced on Will, knocking him down so his back was flat on the floor, his legs uncrossed.

“Oops, must have slipped,” Simon said as he placed his knees on either side of Will’s hips, and his palms on the carpet either side of his head.

“Must have.”

Simon lowered himself, bending his elbows so his warm breath tickled Will’s face. “The puzzle still more interesting?”

Will laughed shortly. “If I said yes, would you believe me?” he asked as his eyes darted all over Simon’s face that was so close to his own.

“Nope,” Simon grinned as he leant down further so he could kiss Will’s lips.

“You’d be wrong,” Will smiled as he put his hands on Simon’s waist, drawing him closer.

“You shouldn’t lie, William,” Simon kissed him again. “You’ll go to hell.”

“We’re already going there, apparently,” Will said quietly as Simon kissed his ear, his cheek, along his jaw line to his chin.

“Well, at least I’ll be with you,” Simon said and Will shivered again as Simon’s breath stole across his neck, making Simon chuckle softly.

“William, you are adorable.” Simon kissed his neck, feeling his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed.

“I am not.” As if to prove his point, he pulled Simon closer, kissing him almost violently.

“Look at that pout,” Simon teased breathlessly. He laughed softly as he shifted his weight onto one hand, the other creeping down to Will’s waistline where he started to undo the other boy’s belt.

He had only started to unzip his jeans when they heard keys in the front door.

“Shit,” Will muttered as he struggled to sit up. Simon quickly scrambled off Will and helped him sit up.

“Do up your pants,” Simon reminded Will in a whisper.

“Hi boys!” Will’s mother called out once she’d gotten through the front door. “Have you two had fun?”

“We were about to,” Will muttered so only Simon could hear.

“Yes, Missus Langford,” Simon said, stealing a quick grin from Will. “We’ve been uh, doing a puzzle.”