The worst part about being in that awkward maybe-a-teen-but-also-sort-of-an-adult high school age isn't the stress. It's not even the acne, the loose fitting jeans after exams, or the sudden urge to live off of hamburgers and energy drinks while double fisting coffee and Pepsi at three am before a big test. No, the worst part is that there is the prospect of dating and dating is such a confusing thing. Your head says yes but your loins say no but then maybe and also sometimes and other times you want to kiss someone and then not, maybe? Not really. But on this particular day, after five months of on and off flirting behind the sets in the auditorium, Durbe decided he wanted to kiss Ryoga. They are, in theory, dating so this is a reasonable activity to engage in. Right?
What Durbe forgets when he nearly smashes his forehead into Ryoga's in a panicked attempt to kiss him with some semblance of grace, is that precisely ten months and four days ago, he'd been fitted with a set of braces to correct a slight overbite. This wouldn't be a problem… if Ryoga hadn't already had his own set of wires since grade nine.
That leads them to now, with Durbe texting Mizael to come help him unhinge their wires in the boys bathroom. He sits on the floor with Ryoga, keeping his eyes averted while Ryoga plays with the ring on his finger. The taps drip. Pipes run from the bathroom beside them and the stalls creek from time to time as if someone is going to suddenly appear in the empty bathroom.
"Sorry."
"Stop talking it hurts my mouth."
Their words are muffled and spit drips down their lips. This is the closest that Durbe has gotten to a french kiss and it's because of orthodontics. Durbe looks to the side and tries not to make eye contact, only looking back when Mizael comes into the bathroom wielding a nail file, a pair of tweezers, and a mechanical pencil.
"Let's do this. I have mouthwash and hand sanitizer in my backpack."
Durbe's running through a hundred different ways to win back Ryoga's heart while Mizael works between them, swearing under his breath while wires click and one of them snaps. Durbe winces. Ryoga barks a 'fuck off' which pulls at Durbe's teeth and makes them ring.
"Ryoga you're drooling."
"I can't help it!"
Spit flecks across Durbe's glasses and he sighs. He regrets letting his teenage hormones jump ahead of his reason. Kissing. Kissing was an awful idea. No more of that nonsense after this fiasco.
At least it can't get any worse.
"Okay, just a few more to go and -
The bathroom door bursts open and there's a resounding yell of 'I GOT IT" rings out through the empty stall. With his arm out and iPhone in hand (is that a Death Note phone case?), Vector snaps a series of photos of Mizael sitting between the two maybe-sort-of-but-not-really-boyfriends with their wires still partially locked. Durbe jerks his head back, his wire snaps, and he and Ryoga tumble backwards.
"Ooooh look at you two luv-ah birds! This is going on my instagram, tagged and everything!"
Durbe has two thoughts that strike him from either side. The first is why they're still on the term 'friends' with Vector. The second is when the fuck did Vector get an instagram account.
"Don't you dare -!"
A loud, wheezing laugh comes from down the hall. Durbe assumes it's Alit (he's too nice a guy to not follow Vector on every social platform). While Ryoga struggles to get up and grab his things, Vector happily sits on the edge of the sink with his feet swinging.
"So make out gone wrong, huh?"
"Shut it, asshole."
"Hey, hey, it's not my fault you got some crossed wires going on. No need to get so attached to my insults."
"My fist is going to be permanently attached up your ass in a minute!"
"Kinky. Is that what you and Durbe get up to in here all alone?"
"Fuck you."
Durbe grabs his bag and snatches the hand sanitizer from Mizael. With his cheeks burning, he storms out of the bathroom and hurries down toward his locker. If he can escape before Ryoga -
"Durbe!"
Keep walking, maybe he'll think you didn't hear him.
"Durbe I know you hear me, stop running away!" Ryoga grabs his upper arm and spins him around. Durbe prepares for the earful he's about to get but to his surprise…. to his great surprise, he gets a mouthful. Er, lipful? Ryoga's kissing him, teeth away from his braces this time, and it feels nice. It feels really, really nice.
"Do you… want to go see a movie tomorrow?" he mumbles. "You know, I get my braces off next week."
"Can I kiss you in a week?" Durbe blurts out before clapping his hands over his mouth in embarrassment.
"You can kiss me after school just watch your teeth… idiot."