Bentley’s eyes slowly began to flutter open. He was in pitch black darkness, and his entire body felt stiff. Not only was it dark, but it was quiet, too. Realizing he was sweating, he pushed the soft blanket from his body and groaned as he sat up.

It slowly hit him that he was on the floor of his best friend’s dorm room. Bentley remembered that he had plans of staying awake and aggravating both Noah and Kit until they couldn’t take it anymore, but he’d fallen asleep before Kit had even gotten out of the shower. He was such a lame. It wasn’t even ten at night at the time, and he was out like an old man well into retirement.

Noah was snoring softly, but there was a small white light coming from Kit’s side of the room. Bentley rubbed at his eyes before nudging the mattress.

“Kitten?”

“Go back to sleep.”

Bentley scratched at the beard forming on his face. “Why are you up?”

Kit placed his phone on his chest. “I slept for like twenty minutes after you guys passed out, but then I started tossing and turning. I couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Bentley rubbed tiredly at the nape of his neck. He could remember his first night in his dorm room. It wasn’t easy to sleep for him either. “Being away from your bed takes some getting used to. Would you like me to sing you to sleep?”

“Can you sing?” Kit asked.

Bentley shook his head in vain. “Not really.”

“Then, no,” Kit answered. “I don’t want you to sing to me.”

“Were you up there texting Popcorn? Is that why your phone was lit?”

Kit laughed.

“Make better decisions, Kitten.”

“I wasn’t texting Paulie. I was switching between this fashion blog and a BMX blog I found. It’s teaching me all about bikes so that when you quiz me, I’ll be able to pass and get your number.”

Bentley smiled. “Really?”

Kit laughed. “No. I was just on the fashion blog.”

Bentley rolled his eyes, tossing one of the pillows he’d slept on at him. “Forget you, too.”

“Why don’t you try to get some more sleep?” Kit asked. He grabbed the pillow and threw it back to him. “I know you have competitions to get ready for.”

“Meh.”

Kit could tell by the rustling noise that Bentley was now standing to his feet.

“I think I’m going to go for a walk. It’s stopped raining by now, for sure.”

Kit picked his phone up from his chest and looked at the time. “It’s almost three in the morning, Bentley.”

“And?” Bentley tippy-toed over to the front of the room and felt around for the light switch. He was hoping to stay quiet, not wanting to disturb Noah. “I don’t exactly have a job or classes later on. Would you like to join me, or do you want to try and go back to sleep?”

Kit let his eyes get adjusted to the light as he sat up in bed. He could pretend that he didn’t want to go on a walk with Bentley when all night he’d been hypersensitive to the fact that this guy was a matter of feet away from him, sleeping shirtless on his floor. Or, he could acknowledge the fact that walking around campus with Bentley Williams excited him a lot.

“Where do you plan on going?” Kit asked.

Bentley shrugged. “Not far. Just wanted to get some air. Chat. Tire ourselves out.”

Kit smiled at him. “Let me pull on a sweater.”

Bentley nodded as he grabbed his blanket off the floor and began to fold it. He watched Kit walk over to his drawers and bend down, ruffling through his things for something to wear. The pants he wore now were thin, and if Bentley focused hard enough, he could see the outline of the boy’s briefs underneath them. He looked away, dropping the folded blanket next to Noah’s bed and looking through his things for a t-shirt to put on.

Kit grabbed a dark crew-neck sweatshirt from his bottom drawer and pulled it on. Maybe this walk would be just what he needed to get him nice and tired for bed like Bentley suggested. While he didn’t have to work later, he still would’ve liked a nice night’s sleep. Classes didn’t begin until the following day, but he and Noah did have an orientation to attend, and messing up his sleeping pattern would’ve been a bad idea.

They slid into their slippers, and Kit grabbed his keycard, all before the two turned the light off and exited the room. As expected, the dorm building was relatively quiet. Bentley let Kit board the elevator first, and they shared a quick smile before staring ahead at the doors.

A cool breeze met them when they stepped outside. Bentley shivered dramatically, mentioning something about needing someone to cuddle with, all before he was playfully shoved off by his new friend.

“You’re an idiot,” Kit said, but his smile gave him away.

Bentley nodded. “But I’m your idiot.”

Kit shook his head. “Are you always this much of a flirt or am I lucky?”

“You’re a cutie with a booty,” Bentley answered with a straight face. They slowly made their way towards the main path. “Emphasis on that ass, Kitten. I mean, congratulations.”

Kit couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “So you’re that much of a flirt.”

Bentley smiled. “Should I stop?”

“You couldn’t if you wanted to, Bentley. I mean, look at me.”

Bentley accepted the invitation, smiling as he looked Kit up and down.

“That’s enough,” Kit said. 

They laughed as Bentley led them towards the rec center. Kit held his arms close to himself as another breeze hit them. This was the quietest he’d ever seen the campus, and it made sense with it being three in the morning and all.

“You mentioned earlier that you moved here with you dad,” Bentley said. He turned and faced Kit. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with your mother?”

The question caused Kit to sigh. “Cancer happened. When I was eleven.”

“Shit,” Bentley stopped walking. “Kit, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Kit nodded. “It was hard at first. We didn’t even get the opportunity to fight because they’d caught it so late, you know? It was like, one day she was there and we were one big happy family, and then my parents were sitting me down on a Friday night to tell me I was about to lose my best friend. Dad and I … neither of us knew how to cope.”

Bentley shook his head. He knew what it was like to lose a parent. Life was much too short.

“Losing her caused my dad and I to do a lot of growing up. He’s my rock. I depend on that man a lot.”

“That’s how it should be,” Bentley said. “I know that despite whatever stupid thing I do, I’d be able to go to my mom and she’d still love me. I honestly believe that.”

Kit smiled, nudging him with his shoulder. “I didn’t come on this walk to cry.”

“I’ve got another question,” Bentley said quickly. “You mentioned earlier that you were the only out person in your town. How was that?”

“So hard,” Kit answered.

They started to walk again, and Bentley moved a little closer as he listened.

“People knew I was different before I did. They treated me differently because of it. I was bullied by grownups and my classmates, and for a while I just took it.”

Bentley shook his head.

“My father didn’t tolerate it, though. He’s one of those ‘I’ll own this fucking school!’ parents.”

Bentley laughed. “The best kind.”

“Yeah.” Kit smiled. “If it wasn’t for him and Tawny, I don’t know how I would’ve survived that town. I might not have.”

“And eventually Peter…”

Kit thought about that. “What?”

“Peter? Prostate? Jeez, what was his name again?”

“Yikes,” Kit said with a laugh. “Paulie, Bentley. His name was Paulie.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Bentley shrugged. He didn’t give a damn.

“The most I learned from Paulie was that I don’t want to get involved with anyone who isn’t certain of their sexuality ever again. I don’t want to be used as a sexual experiment. The rejection threatened to seriously fuck me up. A boy had noticed me, and he’d made me feel wanted. That was something I didn’t think I’d experience until I was much, much older. Especially not in Junction. But he’d done it, and then he told me it was all a mistake.”

Bentley could hear how unsteady Kit’s voice was and he wasn’t sure he wanted to see the face that matched. He continued to walk with him for a few seconds until they eventually came across some benches outside one of the halls. Kit didn’t fight him when he was dragged over to the seat, letting Bentley pull him down close.

“He’s in denial, Kit. You know that.”

Kit nodded like it was obvious. “This isn’t to sound arrogant or anything, but he loved every minute of what we did. The turning point was when one of his hockey player friends showed up to his house while we were hanging out there. Alone.”

Bentley knew where this was headed. “He told him that you were coming on to him, huh?”

“Not only that,” Kit said with a faux smile. “But that I was taking him being polite to me in public to mean that he wanted to be with me. In reality, he’d been the one doing all of the chasing. He wanted to kiss me, and for me to touch him, and… well you get the drift.”

Bentley looked straight ahead to Hedrick Hall. He definitely knew Patrick’s type, and now Patrick was messing it up for other guys who may have wanted to get with Kit. Guys who would actually treat him right.

“I said I didn’t want to talk about him, yet I’m throwing all of our drama on you.”

“To be fair, I did start prying.” Bentley took a deep breath. “It sucks that you went through that. You deserve someone that knows just what to do with not only dat ass, but dat heart as well.”

Kit laughed. “Thanks. I think.”

“After I qualify for preliminaries, we’re going out for Hawaiian Pizza. Don’t make any plans on Saturday. I told you about the cute boy that works there.”

“I’m not interested.”

“How do you even know that?” Bentley smiled. “You may be totally into him. He’s got this mysterious thing going on. Kind of reminds me of Alfred Enoch, just a little less nerdy –”

“There’s nothing wrong with being single. You’re doing it.”

“Because I have to focus on riding.”

“Well, I have to focus on class,” Kit answered.

Bentley rolled his eyes. “You’re still hung up on that dickhead, Pikachu.”

“His name is Paulie. And just because you’re still hung up on Zoey doesn’t mean I’m hung up on anyone.”

“I’m not hung up on Zoey.” Bentley stood to his feet. “In fact, I’m positive that she was with me because I was a promising running back, shoe-in for the summer Olympics, and was guaranteed a future salary at least in the six-digit range. As soon as I walked away from all of that, she left me quicker than Brad Pitt left Jennifer Aniston.”

Kit winced.

“Too soon?”

“Too soon.”

“Sorry.”

“If those were her intentions, I’m sorry. When you’re a huge BMW star, she’ll try and worm her way back in. Mark my words.”

Bentley smiled. “BMX. And that’s too bad. I’m done with her.”

Kit stood up now, too. “Sure you are, Bentley.”

“I am.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his basketball shorts. “My next relationship will be with someone who is interested in me for me. You should aim for the same.”

They began to walk back towards the building. Kit didn’t want to admit it, but he wasn’t in a rush to go back. He could stand to walk around with Bentley for a few more minutes. But, he thought better of it. It was rather late. They both could use a few more hours of rest.

Bentley yawned as if on cue.

“You can’t hang,” Kit teased.

“You have no idea,” Bentley told him.

He stretched his arms out, and Kit glanced over at him. The t-shirt he wore hugged his arms in all the right ways.

“I was ready to tease you when you got out the shower, because I knew there was no way in hell you were getting out of those jeans you wore yesterday. I knew you’d have to come out and get one of us to help you. But as soon as my head hit those pillows, I was out like a light.”

Kit laughed. “Bentley, those jeans were barely tight.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m not.”

“You were one naughty thought away from me seeing a dick print, Kitten.”

Kit doubled over laughing as Bentley went on.

“I texted Noah’s brother like… wait until you see this guy’s body. Insane.”

“You’re a fucking creep,” Kit said between laughs. He straightened up, trying to walk like a normal person. “But it’s flattering.”

Bentley nodded. “I’m pledging to behave myself from here on out. I don’t want you applying for a new dorm because Noah’s friend is a weirdo.”

Kit perked up. “I could do that? Ouch,” he said with a laugh, swatting Bentley’s pinch away. “I’m kidding.”

The rest of the walk was had in companionable, comfortable silence. Both boys walked with a smile on their faces as they approached the dorm building. They didn’t want to ruin the moment with trivial words. Bentley did stop Kit before he could walk inside, though. He grabbed him by the hand and smiled.

“Come here.”

Kit raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “What do you want?”

He pulled his cell phone out and opened the camera app. “I want to memorialize this moment. Our first of many late-night walks together. Smile.”

Kit shook his head no. “I know my hair looks like shit.”

“You look edible. Shut up and take the pic.”

“You’re so fucking gay,” Kit whispered, smiling at Bentley’s laugh and leaning in to his side. He looked at the camera and waited patiently. “Hurry up, Bentley. Before the sun rises.”

“I’ve got to get the last of the giggles out,” Bentley said. He took a deep breath and pulled Kit closer around the waist, pushing their faces together.

Kit held his pose as Bentley took a couple pictures, but then pulled away quickly.

Don’t do it, he told himself.  You don’t want a Paulie repeat.

Bentley looked down at the screen with a smile. “Aww. We look adorable, man. I’ll post this on my Facebook.”

Kit watched him open the app and post the picture to Facebook as promised. Reading the caption over Bentley’s shoulder, he rolled his eyes. “You’re such a cornball, Bentley Williams.”

Bentley gave a cheesy smile in response. “But I’m your cornball, Christopher Edwards.”

Me & my Kitten exploring the wild. 3:17am.