"Dude, what the hell was that for?"
Maybe it was just the beer talking, but Gus could have sworn that merely seconds before, Shawn had kissed him - right there in the dormitory hallway. Gus looked up at Shawn to see the smug smile playing across his lips. A smile which was practically screaming "yeah, dude. That totally just happened." Gus rubbed his eyes. The smirk was still there. Damn it.
"What? Are you saying you didn't like it?"
"Of course I didn't like it. We're two straight guys, Shawn. Straight guys don't kiss each other. It's just... wrong."
Or at least, Gus was straight. Shawn didn't really know what he was, nor did he particularly care. He knew he liked girls - really liked girls, even, but then why did this seem like such a good idea?
"Come on, Gus. You're in college. This is your time to experiment. Live a little. Don't be such a fluffernutter without the peanut butter."
Gus was annoyed. His friend had made a habit of disappearing for months at a time and then suddenly reappearing when he least expected it, without even a postcard for warning. This time, Shawn had made his grand reappearance the night before Gus's organic chemistry midterm, and he had dragged a very reluctant Gus away from his textbooks to his very first college party.
"What do you know about college, Shawn? Last time I checked, the closest thing you've done to being in college is bike past the University of New Orleans on your way to work at Barrett's Mardi Gras Universe."
"Actually, Gus, you're wrong." Shawn beamed proudly, "I recently spent four days working as a janitor at MIT."
"And then what, they fired you?"
Shawn's smile transformed into a sheepish grin. He'd been fired for pulling a Good Will Hunting - that is, attempting to solve open problems left by professors on the hallway chalkboards. Unfortunately, Shawn was no Hunting, and the professors had been less than impressed.
"I don't know why! The Spencer Awesomeness Axiom should totally be a thing!"
Shawn blamed Gus for the fact that he even knew what words like 'axiom' meant to begin with. Silly Guster, always getting him in trouble.
"That doesn't even make any sense."
"Your face doesn't make any sense!"
"Your mom doesn't..." Gus stopped mid-sentence, but it was too late. Shawn's parents had been separated for years and then recently divorced, and it was still a touchy subject. He watched as Shawn's face fell for just a second before it brightened again in an attempt to mask the hurt.
"Hey Gus."
"Yeah, Shawn?"
"I would like to propose..." he paused for a bit of dramatic flair, "an experiment."
Oh no. This could not mean anything good. Gus could see that Shawn had a mischievous glint in his eye, but then again, when didn't he?
"If you really didn't like it when I kissed you, then you won't let me do this."
Do wha-? Gus thought. But before Gus had time to react, Shawn was on him again, lips pressed up against his own for the second time that night. He tasted of pineapples and mint chewing gum, and this time, there was no question about it. This was definitely happening.
-----
The next morning, Gus awoke alone in his bed, groggy and slightly hung over. Shawn was nowhere to be seen, and the events of the previous night were nothing more than a blurry haze in Gus's mind. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table and did a double take as he confirmed that the glowing numbers did in fact, read 10:53 AM.
"Shit! My chemistry midterm!" Gus quickly scrambled out of bed and pulled on yesterday's button-down and khakis, which were lying strewn across the floor, crinkling his nose as he did so. Gus hated re-wearing clothes, but if he ran, he knew that he could slide into his seat just as the professor finished handing out the last of the materials for the 11:00 AM exam.
Gus got an A- on his midterm. For the next three years of college, he would blame Shawn for the minus - the only blemish on his otherwise flawless transcript. And for the next three years, Gus would never be able to fully recall exactly what had happened after the party that night, nor could he for the life of him figure out why a particular spot in the hallway near his dorm room always brought up thoughts of Shawn.