Chapter Three

For Science

Jared wasn't sure if he was simply going through some kind of second phase of puberty, or if he was slowly going insane. On top of being insatiably hungry, and irrationally angry all the time, there was also the Paul situation. They didn't talk about it – maybe because they were afraid of it, or maybe because it simply wasn't the manly thing to do. They hadn't kiss again since the one they had shared in the woods only days ago, but something between them was… shifting. They sat closer, their hands lingered with every passing touch, and they would find themselves staring at each other without speaking for longer than was probably deemed appropriate. Jared had always considered himself a heterosexual man. After all, he liked women. He enjoyed the softness of their skin and the way they smelled. But lately… he had also enjoyed the woodsy smell that seemed to cling to Paul and the callousness of his hands. He wasn't sure what it meant for him… for them. His eyes flickered to Paul where he sat across the island of Jared's kitchen, dark brows furrowed as he read over the homework. Jared was sure that if he ever admitted out loud that he found Paul's pouty lips and long lashes pretty, the older boy would kick his ass. Not that he ever would. Even if there was something substantial to these new feelings, nothing could ever come of them. The tribe would never accept it.

"You stuck on calc again?" Paul's question caused Jared to blink out of his thoughts, realizing that once again, he had been staring at his best friend.

"Yeah." Jared gave a short laugh. It was an easier explanation, and calculus had always been his worst subject.

"We've been over this, man." Paul rolled his eyes as he stood. "You're gonna flunk the class unless you start paying attention, and I can't be friends with an idiot."

Despite how harsh Paul's words would seem to an outsider, Jared heard the tenderness behind them. Not many people bothered to find out that Paul was actually smart – when he tried. In middle school, he got made fun of for answering a question correctly when no one else knew the answer, and ever since then, Paul had publicly dumbed himself down. It drove his teachers and Jared's mom crazy that he purposefully would leave answers blank on tests, if only to keep his average at a respectable C. Jared's eyes moved to his textbook – probably for the first time today – as Paul rounded the island and leaned over his shoulder. He wondered silently if Paul noticed the way his body hovered closer than it used to, or the way his large hand came to rest on Jared's lower back. It was a touch that would seem out of place to anyone outside of the two that happened to be looking on. But since it was just Jared in Paul sheltered in the quiet warmth of Jared's kitchen, he took the opportunity to bask in the feel of it.

"You're making stupid mistakes, Jare." Paul scoffed as he took the pencil from Jared's hand to correct where he had been off by one simple number. Jared swore his fingers still tingled where Paul's hand had brushed them. He didn't look down at his work as Paul corrected him, choosing instead to look at the angular lines of Paul's profile. His nose, sharp and slightly crooked from when he had broken it during a fight in the seventh grade. The way his chin came into a shadowed point below full lips that often laid in a crooked smile causing Paul's singular dimple to make an appearance. Whatever he had been feeling for Paul was something new… something terrifying. They didn't talk about it – too afraid of what they might discover. On the rare occasion that Jared worked up the courage to lead the conversation in that direction, Paul would simply deflect and change the subject. He had always been so worried about self-image. Jared knew him well enough to know that Paul was taking this even harder than he was.

When Jared didn't respond to a question he didn't hear, Paul's gaze turned to him. Their eyes met and lingered, whatever Paul was going to say next forgotten when he realized just how close their faces were. Jared could practically see the struggle behind Paul's charcoal gaze as he rubbed his nose alongside Jared's, the forgotten pencil falling to the notebook with a dull thud. He wasn't sure what it was, but kissing Paul… touching Paul… It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Jared tilted his chin up, because he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that Paul wouldn't make the first move – that he only justified it to himself when Jared was the one to initiate. But when he did, Paul didn't hesitate to catch his lips. Each kiss with Paul was a new experience. This wasn't heavy and needy, nor was it searing. This kiss was slow and careful. Jared turned on his stool slowly so that they were facing each other, his hands winding around Paul's back to pull him forward to stand between his open legs.

Lately, Jared's world seemed to be spinning faster than normal. His emotions were out of whack, and there was a constant feeling of unease that he wore like a blanket. But when he was with Paul… Paul was familiar and comforting. He grounded the younger male in a way nothing else could. As if he knew that he was slowly becoming Jared's happy place, Paul cupped Jared's narrow face in his large hands, his teeth nipping at Jared's bottom lip. Jared moaned into Paul's open mouth as the older boy bucked forward slightly, proving that this wasn't all just in Jared's head.

With a groan that matched the pained look on Paul's face, he pulled away just far enough to rest his forehead against Jared's. "We… we can't do this…" Jared wasn't sure if Paul was talking to himself or him. "We were… we were drunk that night. This isn't right… I'm not… we're not…"

When Paul couldn't voice the word that was the root of both of their fears, Jared's hands tightened in the back of his shirt. "We were drunk, but… it was good, right?" Sure, Jared wasn't as experienced as Paul, but good sex wasn't that hard to identify, was it? He suddenly felt self-conscience as all these doubts flooded to the surface. What if it hadn't been as good as he remembered?

Paul let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, Jare. It was fucking great." Paul admitted, his lips brushing Jared's again in a soft, fleeting kiss.

"Well… we should do it again. I mean, what if it was only good because we were drunk and we're worrying about nothing? We should give it a real shot – no holding back." It was an out – Jared knew it was. He needed a reason, and Paul needed an excuse.

Paul's lips quirked in the smallest of smiles. "So we should do it again to make sure?" He asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, for science and shit." Jared's smile widened as Paul chuckled.

"For science and shit." Paul echoed as his hand wove through Jared's shaggy hair, yanking his head back gently before covering his mouth with those full lips that could be equally distracting and addicting.

Jared moaned into the kiss as his hands released Paul's shirt to dip under the hem and dance along the heated skin of his back. He followed the tug on his hair until he was standing, their bodies pressed together. It was easy to forget that this was wrong when Paul made his toes curl and his heart race. They only broke the kiss to toss their shirts off to the side before practically slamming back together, a tangled mess of hot kisses and wondering hands. Jared had never been the most dominant of men, especially since he was used to Paul taking the lead, so when Paul flipped him around to press his stomach into the island, he didn't fight it. His eyes closed tightly as Paul's teeth grazed the sensitive flesh of his neck.

"It was so fucking good, Jare…" Paul breathed huskily in his ear. Jared had heard the girls at school talk about Paul's sexual prowess. Apparently, he was very vocal during sex, which alluded to a confidence Jared wasn't sure he would ever possess. "I can't stop thinking about your tight ass." He admitted, making Jared hiss as Paul ground into him, proving his point. His head fell backwards as Paul's hand pushed past the waistband of his jeans to grasp him. He shuttered once as Paul's skillful hand worked over him. "Does that feel good, baby?" Paul purred as he caught Jared's ear between his teeth. It shouldn't have felt so natural, and the new term of endearment shouldn't have made Jared's knees buckle. His voice was long since lost, so Jared simply nodded, a whimper pushing past his lips. Jared had said that they shouldn't hold back, and it seemed Paul was taking that to heart.

He nearly cried out in disappointment as Paul's hand left him to undo the button of his jeans. Before Paul's hand found him again, Jared heard the distinct sound of a zipper. "We don't have any lube…" Jared croaked as Paul rubbed his ridged length between his cheeks. Jared's body moved of its own accord to press back against him. He had been worried about being penetrated previously, but it hadn't been as bad as he expected. In fact, it had been the best orgasm of his life.

"We'll improvise." Paul's voice was short and gruff as he reached past Jared to snag the bottle of olive oil that sat there. If it wasn't for Paul's hand slowly working him towards his end, Jared might have laughed. He certainly would never be able to look at olive oil the same way again.

Paul fumbled behind him for a moment before a hand hooked under Jared's thigh and lifted it so that his food found purchase on the bottom of the barstool he had just been sitting on. As Paul's now slick finger began to probe him, Jared turned his head to catch Paul's lips in a sloppy kiss. The sensation of being filled was one Jared wasn't sure he would ever get used to. Paul didn't rush him though, only adding a second finger when his body relaxed. This position was different from being in bed. His body was stretched tighter, but at least this time he knew what to expect. Shortly after Paul added a third finger, he brushed that magical spot inside of Jared that made him moan like a hooker with rent due. Paul's deep chuckle vibrated through Jared's back as he withdrew completely. He knew that Paul would drag it out – that it would only be good for Jared if he was still hard and squirming when he entered him.

Much like their first time, Paul showed more control than Jared would have. He sheathed himself inside of his best friend slowly, and for that Jared was thankful. This angle was indeed a different story and even the wet kisses placed across his shoulders and neck couldn't distract from the burning sensation of being stretched. The air seemed to still along with their bodies as their panting filled the silence. A muscled arm wrapped around Jared's chest to hold their bodies pressed together. There was something so primal and fulfilling about having Paul buried inside of him. Like… like this was how it was supposed to be. Jared wouldn't say so out loud, but it was the only time he felt tethered and complete.

Paul pumped him slowly as his hips began to move, and Jared was glad his mother wasn't home. His moans filled the house as he looked for something – anything to grasp onto. He settled for the edges of the island, not caring as the textbooks and papers cascaded to the ground. The sounds of flesh slapping flesh were erotic when paired with the sensation of being filled over and over again. Paul's hand hooked under Jared's thigh as it wavered, holding his leg aloft as his hips picked up speed. Jared might have moaned Paul's name, but it was all flashing lights and new sensations as far as he could tell.

"Come on, baby." Paul all but growled into Jared's ear as he folded his body over his. Another shutter wracked Jared's body as Paul's thrusts grew erratic. "Cum for me, Jare…" He moaned deep and low.

And as if a switch had been flipped, Jared's body obeyed, spilling himself down the front of the island and onto the floor with one last, long moan. He felt Paul pump into him once more before holding himself there, a hiss ghosting past Jared's ear as he joined him in insanity. "That was…" Jared's voice was as weak and shaky as his legs.

"Better than the first time…" Paul finished his thought in a whisper. As their hearts and breathing slowed, the boys stayed where they were, contemplating just what that meant.

Paul glanced up from his phone as Jared paced in front of him. The streets of Port Angeles were busy, as was the theater they were standing outside of, but that was typical for a Friday night. It was a secret only known by the two of them and Jackie Cameron that Jared hated scary movies. Normally, Paul would throw his friend a bone and opt to see something else, but he was trying to make up flaking on their last date to Stacy. The chick had a serious lady-boner for horror films. Besides, if she brought her slutty friend, Jared probably wouldn't be watching much of the movie anyway. If he were being honest with himself, he wasn't sure which outcome was less appealing. A couple of weeks ago, he would be up for making out with a random chick in a dark movie theater, but after this afternoon… he was still trying to wrap his head around his newfound desires.

"They're not coming." Paul sighed as he pushed off of the wall he had been leaning on. "It's her payback for me not showing last time." Paul rolled his eyes, but otherwise seemed unbothered by the information.

"Oh well." Jared's shoulders relaxed. "Guess we won't have to see the movie."

"Dude, we already bought the tickets." Paul leveled him with a look and held up the stubs. "We have to at least see the movie or it'll be a complete waste."

Jared frowned, his nerves returning. When he was younger, his father thought that showing him the goriest of horror movies would be a good way to 'toughen him up'. It had the opposite effect and scared Jared shitless. "Can't we trade them in for one of the other movies?"

"They're all chick-flicks." Paul gestured to the row of posters. "Besides, tomorrow's Valentine's Day, they're all going to be sold out." He clapped Jared on the shoulder, his hand lingering a bit longer than necessary. "Let's just get in there. If it's really bad, we'll leave."

Jared begrudgingly agreed as Paul's hand fell away. Much like Paul had predicted, every other theater but theirs was packed. It seemed like not a lot of people wanted to see a horror film that was weeks old the day before Valentine's Day. The only other people in the theater were an older man and a couple of teens that sat towards the front. Climbing the stairs, the boys sat in the back row so that if they had to get up to leave, they wouldn't disturb anyone. They settled in their seats just as the last of the previews ended.

Jared jumped a little as the movie opened with an ear-piercing scream, his wide eyes moving across the screen as the camera focused on a running blonde. She screamed again, and Jared tensed. His eyes moved away from the flashing lights of the screen to his arm as Paul's hand settled there, but his friend's eyes never left the movie. Jared looked around the theater at the other five people that sat there, but they didn't care that Paul was touching Jared's arm. Hell, they probably wouldn't have even been able to see it.

As the killer appeared on screen with blood dripping from eyes, Jared sunk back in his seat. Slowly, as if he were second guessing himself, Paul's hand slid downward until his fingers were laced through Jared's. Neither looked away from the screen to acknowledge the gesture. Instead, Jared simply tightened his hold as the title lit up the theater.

They stayed like that for the remainder of the movie, only speaking once when Paul leaned over to make fun of the lead actress. Halfway through, Jared felt his body begin to relax. It still wasn't his favorite genre, but it was a hell of a lot more bearable with Paul's warm hand wrapped around his own.

AN: So I usually like to pick a song for each of my fics that works as kind of like inspo/a theme song for it, and I decided for this one, it's Marshmello ft. Bastille – Happier. It's so fitting!

Special thanks to YaleAceBella12 for reviewing! It's nice to know that someone is enjoying this story lol