Jack pushed off of the brick building as I sat nervously in my car. He was bold and confident and quirky and my heart skipped a beat as he strolled to my car. The last hour had been the biggest realization I had come to in my entire life. I can look back and see the exact outfit he wore, the way the light hit the little donut shop as he walked up to the car. I swallowed hard and looked up out of my open window at him, peeling my sunglasses off. "Hey there Hic." He said in a low soft voice with a widening grin. Arms folding, that came to rest on my window sill, he looked directly into my eyes. Even through his dark wayfarers I could see his crystalline blue eyes. The rose tattoo at the base of his neck poked through, relieving his colored skin. I had seen Jack's tattooed torso a few times at pool parties when they threw them. I enjoyed that even more than the pasty white boy back in college.

"Hey Jack." I smiled back, his smile encompassing making my smile widen a genuine sense of pleasure I hadn't felt in awhile. My fingers fiddled with themselves as he leaned deeper into my window. His face was close to mine, I could feel the soft cool breaths against my cheek. I turned up a little more, neither of us saying a word just looking at each other. After a minute like this I couldn't bare it and broke the silence."Wha-What happened Jack?" He let out a snort, lightheartedly and playful as he dipped his head in the pool of my car a little deeper. He opened his mouth exposing a piece of gum, his tongue sticking out as he chewed it. Jack never chewed gum. I could feel my face was hot, either from the tension of the situation, or the pure proximity of him, or I was just aroused. It was probably all three.

"This is what happened last night." He leaned in a little more, I didn't move back or flinch. I accepted it. His lips met mine, and soon his hand was at the base of my skull in my hair. I could hear the soft moan I made into his kiss, like I was removed from my body entirely. His lips were soft and wet and full of passion and his hand pulled me into him. His tongue cracked my lips open and ran along my teeth. I moaned a little louder and Jack giggled into me before pulling back with a wicked grin. My heart felt like it had broken through my chest and the windshield of my car and flown off on its own. With a loud sigh I threw my head back against the headrest. "Oh yeah?" I heard him ask as he had already walked around the car and was getting in. "How long have you wanted to do that?" I turned to look back into his eyes.

"Honestly way too long." He smiled and reached his hand out to mine grabbing it. His long delicate fingers stroked along my palm as he interlocked them with mine. I gently squeezed his hand as his mouth slipping up to my ear, and two simple words made me smile. Remember now were those two and I nodded as the blank gap in my memory filled itself in.

I threw my messenger bag over my shoulder, scanning over my desk one last time. It was almost 9 p.m. and I had a slew of unanswered texts from Astrid as well as from Jack. I thumbed over the papers that I hadn't gotten to grade, and with a shrug I turned on my heels and headed for the door. I'd come in Sunday and do them, or finish them on Monday r maybe even Tuesday . The drink Jack was proposing sounded rather nice. I sent a text to Astrid saying I would be home late, and one to Jack saying I would be there in a few minutes. Locking the door to my room I walked down the empty hallways, I saw the light on at the end by the door and smiled. It was Punzie's room, she was the best art teacher this town had seen, and one of the best artists I had ever met. I poked my head in "Hey Jack and I are grabbing a drink, wanna come?" She was sitting in the middle of the floor, cross legged as if she was meditating. Her head didnt turn but she spoke clearly, everything about her had made me smile and laugh since we were kids.

"Are the wifes coming?" she held out her hands, one had a paint brush in it the other a was empty. "Nah, just us. We both have kids remember? They are home" She turned and gave me a sly smile as if she, or I, was hiding something. I tilted my head matching it. "So you two boys are on a date?" I snorted, blushing a little bit as I turned and toward the door to hide my uncomfort.

"No, it's not like that it's just a drink, or two." She rose, the smirk still on her face and crossed the room to me. "Are you sure 'Hiccie"?" she mocked Jack and the way he added a 'Y' sound on my name, the way he had since we were students in this very school. "God, Punzie stop. As much as you would like to fantasize about Jack and I...together, it's not happening, it's never happening. What I told you in college was just childish curiosity. I'm a happily married straight man with two adorable kids." She leaned up and kissed my cheek, patting the kiss lightly, it was a friendly gesture. Punzie and I had been friends since our first class together in High School, she was close, my confidant, more than Jack or Astrid in that regard. She was the only one who knew about the way my mind had thought about Jack from time to time. "You're blushing Hic, don't let your words betray you." I rolled my eyes and walked toward the door. "Have fun though!" I could feel the beaming smile on her face. "Thanks" I laughed back as I exited the building.

I threw my bag and the few books I had into the back seat of my little Toyota. Jack owned a slew of small business on the main drag in town including the bar we were headed too. His main property was a tattoo and piercing parlor. All through college he would show me pictures of tattoos and piercings on his cell phone, and draw up his own designs. I thought he just wanted them, not wanting to give them. But now eight years later, his art had been so popular he had been featured on several show and in magazines, and his punk band. HiJack had opened for Fall Out Boy on a short tour in the Midwest. He had started a coffee shop, a small record label, and a bar all within walking distance of each other. I helped him decorate and move into each one. Every year he had a new plan. Every year he said he would complete his plan, and every year he somehow did it. This tall, skinny, pale, emo kid with spiked brown hair, gages, and a body covered in tattoos was the greatest thing that had happened to this town, its people, and me. Five minutes of driving and thinking about Jack I was stepping out of my little car headed to the back entrance of the bar where Jack stood waiting with a cigarette in his fingertips. "Those things will kill you." I said weakly. Knowing he only smoked these days when something was really troubling him.

"Not if Elsa doesn't kill me first." He joked throwing the half smoked cigarette on the ground and motioning me to come in for a hug. "I missed you, Hic." He said softly as his arms gently wrapped around me. We had a interesting relationship. We were best friends, but a lot of people mistake us as a couple, mostly because Jack was very affectionate with me and I blushed easily. But not even Astrid could make me blush the way Jack did most of the time. I think she was jealous of that, but I also think she was pretty certain I was pretty straight. He squeezed me tight and slowly released looking down on me with his soft blue eyes, piercing my sole and making my heart beat quicken. "Let's get that drink?" his smile grew as he pushed open the door and we entered.

The place was practically empty. I nodded to Merida who was playing pool with a few others in the far corner. Her red hair illuminated by the blue neon sign out front. A couple sat at a back table, huddled closely together snickering. The bartender, a young goth girl with short green hair and a nose ring that Jack had put in greeted us as Mr. Overland and Mr. Haddock. Jack corrected her that she was an adult and should call us Jack and Hic. She had been in my first ever class and I smiled it was so weird that she was graduating college. I had just graduated college I thought. I leaned on the bar top and watched Jack as he asked her if she had gotten "It" and she nodded. He leaned over the bar, searching until she held whatever it was up to him. He pulled up a bottle, a fancy label on it, with a light red liquid inside. Holding it to me he smiled. The label showed a snowy landscape and a black dragon flying low with the words Dragonboy coming out of the creature. I raised my eyebrows and looked to the girl who did the same. "This Hic," Jack started, "Is my newest endeavour, sparkling wine!" I let out a soft snort, he had named a wine after me. A wine! What was Jack thinking? He pushed it into my hands.

"Its umm, it's pretty, I like how I'm the subject of the label" I laughed softly as the girl took a rag and turned from us. I looked up and Jack was holding two glasses. I smiled as he grabbed the bottle, my fingers still wrapped around it and led me over to a table. I sat down and Jack pulled the cork off and poured two glasses, both full. "Jack, I have to drive home." I laughed he knew I was a lightweight, and he always tried to get me to drink more.

"It's your wine Hic, you have to try it." He smirked as I took the glass, he clanked his against mine and we raised them to our lips. It was sweet and a little tart and fizzy and delicious. "Jack, I have to hand it to you, you are a true renaissance man." He smiled and took a long drink of his glass.

"Drink up Hiccie, You need to taste yourself." He laughed at his joke with hidden meaning turning the bottle to me, showing me the label. It made me blush, and bring the glass up to my lips. I took another sip, and pretty soon my head was swimming. I looked deep into Jack's face as he began to talk about home life and how Elsa had been stressed with the new baby and the 3 year old had been a pain lately. He vented and we drank, a few hours slipped by and we just enjoyed each other's company. Jack looked up at me after awhile and just smiled. "Thanks for listening" He said softly. The other patrons had cleared out. Merida had taken somebody home, as she always did. I couldn't tell if it was a college boy or a college girl. My mind foggy from the drinks. The only person left was the girl at the bar, Jack turned to her. "I'll close up okay? Go home get some sleep, there is a nice tip in your apron." She gave us a quizzical look and picked the black cloth off the counter a hundred dollar bill slipped out.

"Who did this? Jack?" He just shrugged his shoulders, and I looked to him. My smile grew as he gave me a wink. Five minutes later I was at the bar and Jack was behind it pouring himself a whiskey sour. "That was a nice gift." I said softly taking a large gulp of water my words slurred. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip, His tongue licking the sweet liquids. I watched his tongue, it aroused me. I chalked this up to the drinks, and the four months of not having sex with my wife. Still his tongue was sexy. "Why did you do it?" I leaned up on the bar so our faces were closer. Jack leaned into me a little bit, my heart began to speed up again.

"So I could be alone with you." He smirked. The smile spread over his face and seemed to envelope me. I giggled softly and smiled back. Pushing myself up a little higher, knees now firmly on the bar stool. "And why do you want me to be alone with you?" I felt my face hot, the sheer proximity of Jack's face made it hotter. I heard the ice clink in his glass as he set it down. His hands slid across the counter, I didn't move, just looked into his eyes. They lifted, and grabbed my hips pulling me in. I nervously sucked my bottom lip in my mouth, Jack's eyes were doing that thing again, making me feel like jello. Nimble fingers pulled as my sweater as they slid up my torso, up and over my chest. The rate of my breaths increased, in a sort of aroused snort. They slipped back behind my head, those fingers linking in my hair. I closed my eyes. I then felt soft, tender, juicy lips meet mine. I tilted my head emitting a noise I didn't know I could make as I leaned into the kiss. I felt my gut twist as my hands rose, clinging to Jacks t-shirt. Our lips felt like they were locked for an eternity. When they parted I let out a long sigh, one of relief, one of excitement. He pressed his forehead to mine, his fingers swirling in my hair. "I've waited too long for this." He whispered.