Secondhand

Austin and I had continued kissing on the couch until we were completely out of breath and our lips were swollen against each others.

“I'm surprised you let me kiss you,” Austin muttered after pulling away to breathe.

“Why?”

“Well, with, you know, the bad things that happened to you and I didn't really think that you liked me and I don't even deserve to be friends with you because you're so perfect.”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his once again before hugging him as tight as I could without hurting him.

“Crushing my bad arm. I repeat, crushing my bad arm.”

“Oh! S-sorry. I didn't mean t-to.”

“You're far too cute for your own good and mine.”

I blushed and looked at my lap, smiling. Austin took my hand in his and kissed the top of it.

“Let me take you out?”

“Wh-what?”

“I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to it's just that I thought you might be hungry because I kind of am but we can stay here if you don't want to-”

“Austin, shut up. I'd love to.”

“You would?” His eyes lit up like a kid's on Christmas.

“Of course.” I smiled at his happiness.

“Do you want to go now?”

“If you're hungry, sure.”

“Okay. Shayley and I go to this pizza place on the beach sometimes and it's amazing. Does that work?”

“Sure.”

~

We had driven about half an hour out to the beach, Austin having to give me directions since he couldn't drive. From the outside, the place was cute and surf shop looking. It didn't look as if many people were there, but it isn't like it's the weekend or anything. Plus it's only lunch time. We walked inside, hand in hand, and I couldn't contain my smile. Austin's smile mirrored my own and my happiness only increased.

He looked around for someone who worked there and his happy demeanor disappeared when his eyes came into contact with a muscular blonde boy who was only slightly shorter than him. The boy noticed us and crossed the room.

“I don't believe it! Is that Austin Carlile?”

“Hello, Dylan.”

“Still swinging for that team, I see,” he said, motioning to our intertwined fingers.

“Leave me alone, please.”

“Aw, poor Aussie got his feelings hurt.”

“Hey, he asked you to leave him alone. Leave him the fuck alone.”

“That's cute. Get your little boyfriend to stand up for you.”

“He's not my boyfriend.”

“Just a random fuck, then? Even you could do better.”

Before I could control myself, I threw a punch. Through my shock at my own actions, I noticed he was holding his jaw.

“What the fuck?!”

“I told you to leave him alone.”

“Come on, Alan. Let's just go,” he said and pulled me off in the direction of an empty booth.

“What faggots!” Dylan yelled from behind us before a hostess escorted him out the door.

She came over to where we had sat down and offered up a sincere smile.

“I'm sorry about hitting him,” I apologized.

“Hey, don't be. He deserved it. I think that you two are adorable. Your waitress should be over soon,” she smiled and walked off.

“I can't believe you hit him.”

“I can't either. Who was he?”

“He, uh, he used to bully me in high school; made my life hell. He's an asshole. Thanks for sticking up for me.”

“You took a bullet for me. It's less than the least I can do.”

“I'd do it again, you know. As long as you're here with me, I'd do anything.”

I felt warmth creep across my face.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hi there!” came the voice of our waitress. “I have some menus here for you. What can I get you two to drink?”

“Uhm, I'll just have water,” Austin said.

“Can I get a Mountain Dew, please?”

“Of course. I'll be back with those in a minute.”

“I meant what I said, Alan. I really would.”

“I-I don't know what to say.”

“That's okay,” he smiled as the waitress came back.

~

After we had finished lunch, Austin and I had decided to go for a walk on the beach. The weather was perfect and the water was surprisingly warm on my now bare feet.

“The water's actually pretty warm,” I told Austin, who was out of the way of the waves.

“Really?”

“Yeah. See?”

I pulled him with me further into the water.

“Alan! My shoes are soaked!”

“Take them off, then. Come on!”

Austin slid his damp shoes off then raced into the water after me.

“You're such a pain!”

“Hey, you're not all rainbows and butterflies either, my friend.”

He somehow picked me up with one arm and carried me deeper into the water as I squirmed.

“I know what you're going to do and you better not.”

“What am I going to do?”

“Austin.”

“What?”

He tossed me into the deep water but I had a hold of his good arm, so I was able to pull him down with me. It was shallow enough to stand, yet deep enough to swim and I planned to use that to my advantage. I swam towards Austin and pulled him close to me, lifting myself up and wrapping my legs around his waist.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he put his uninjured arm around my neck.

I pulled his waist closer so that there was no part of my body that wasn't connected to his.

“I'm kissing you in the middle of the ocean.”

“We're hardly in the middle of the ocean.”

“Shut up, Carlile,” I replied before crashing my lips against his.