He leaned forward, further into Mateo’s space. A shaky hand reached out, connecting with his jaw. Gentle, so gentle. “You sure?”
Mateo didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded in the dark, under the stars, and hoped that Bobby could just feel his answer.
Bobby leaned even closer, stopping before they touched. He was so close, Mateo could feel the warmth, the damp, of Bobby’s exhale. He hadn’t expected it to be so… intimate.
Another inhale and Bobby finally closed the gap, pressing his lips to Mateo’s.
They were softer than he expected, plush. He was only just starting to get used to the feeling when Bobby pulled away and rested his forehead against his.
“I’m gonna open my mouth now, okay? Just copy what I do.”
Mateo nodded, but Bobby had already found his mouth again. When he opened his lips, Mateo followed.
He wasn’t sure what to expect, but a tongue caught him by surprise. Bobby must have known it would, his hand tightened on his jaw for a moment, keeping him in place.
After the initial shock, Mateo ventured forward with his own tongue, always eager to claim a little bit more of Bobby, eager to taste him.
They explored each other’s mouths for minutes. Maybe hours. Maybe an eternity. When Bobby finally pulled back, Mateo’s lips felt like they’d been rubbed off.
“That’s how I kiss,” Bobby announced, breathlessly. He pulled his knees up and sat on Mateo’s stomach.
“Whoa.” Mateo couldn’t even complain about how uncomfortable it was to be trapped between the heavy teenager and the ground, because it would’ve been absolutely mortifying if he sat any lower.
“If that really was your first kiss, you’re super good at it.”
Mateo huffed in disbelief. He probably said the same thing to all the girls too.
“No, honest. Like, it doesn’t usually go like that.”
“Like what?”
“I’unno, all natural-like. It felt really easy. Didn’t knock teeth or nothin’.”
Luckily it was too dark for Bobby to see Mateo’s flushed face. “Maybe you’re just a good teacher.”
“I guess.” Bobby shrugged. “Hey, if you ever wanna practice some more, we can do that. You know, for when you meet a girl you want to impress.”
Girls again, always girls.
Still, Mateo wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”
Years later, Robert will climb on top of Matt in that very same position, only lower. They won’t be under the stars, they’ll be under the pipes and wires that run over Matt’s driver’s room.
Robert won’t kiss Matt, he’ll punch him until his nose is broken and his pride is shattered.
No longer gentle.Roberthas never been gentle.
But Matt will still get hard, because his body will never let him forget all of the times they practiced together, back when they were still Teo and Bobby.
“Who is your best friend on the grid?”
Laurent lifts his microphone and says, “Oh it’s Matt, for sure.”
No one cheers, because it’s just one unpopular driver picking the other. Still Laurent looks proud of himself, smirking over at Matt.
“‘For sure’?” the announcer repeats. “What makes him such a good friend?”
Their mutual unpopularity, mostly. Their cynicism. Their general dislike of anything but racing. Matt’s embarrassed already, and Laurent hasn’t even replied yet.
