#crutchiealbert

Either way, he’d spent the better part of an hour kissing Charlie and hesitantly running his hands over his arms and back and trying not to think about how he’d enjoyed his very awkward first kiss with Charlie more than any of the more successful times he’d kissed his last girlfriend.

(He’d also tried not to think too hard about the feeling of Charlie’s hand halfway up his thigh, his thumb tracing patterns as he tried to haul Albert into his lap. He’d felt like his blood was rushing everywhere, and it was too scary, too much to consider moving that quickly.)

(Luckily, Charlie had been understanding, though Albert had a feeling that if he asked Charlie to do that again he’d immediately say yes.)

Albert took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Contrary to what his former religion seemed to think, he didn’t look any different now that he’d kissed a man. His lips looked a little puffier, maybe, but that could’ve happened from making out with anyone. He certainly didn’t look happier–if anything, he looked a little alarmed. The most significant difference, he concluded, was that every time he let his mind wander, it immediately went back to hands on his waist and tangled in his hair and the feeling of Charlie’s lips against his.

Albert was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock at the bathroom door.

“Can I come in?” Charlie called. “I still need to brush my teeth.”

“Sure,” Albert said.

The door opened, and Charlie apparently noticed the unused toothbrush in Albert’s hand, because he said, “You good?”

“Yeah! Yeah,” Albert said quickly. “Just–”

“Right.” Charlie propped one of his crutches against the counter and hesitantly slid his arm around Albert’s waist. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah.”

They ended up brushing their teeth like that, Charlie leaning against Albert for support and Albert trying not to get distracted by the feeling of Charlie’s hand hovering at a ticklish spot on his waist. When they’d finished, Charlie said, “Do you want…um…”

“I thought you could stay over tonight since we have plans tomorrow anyway,” Albert’s last girlfriend before the show, Ellie, had said casually. It almost seemed like an innocent suggestion until she added, “my roommate’s away for the rest of the weekend,” and–

“I-I think I’ll just go home,” Albert stammered. “I need to–um, there’s some stuff I–” 

He was supposed to be back at Ellie’s apartment the next day anyway, but he still–he couldn’t–

What is wrong with me? he thought, not for the first time.

Ellie looked a little hurt, but mostly confused. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Albert leaned down to kiss her, pushing the vaguely uncomfortable feeling that crept in every time he did so out of his mind. “See you tomorrow.”

Back in the present, Charlie was looking at him concernedly.

“Hey,” he said. “I was just asking if you wanted to sleep in the same bed tonight.”

For a moment, Albert let himself imagine it–waking up with his head on Charlie’s chest, maybe, or starting his day with a kiss, or–

The thought wasn’t as scary as when Ellie had implied why she’d wanted him to stay over, but it was still a little–

“Not tonight,” Albert managed to say. “Sorry.”

Charlie shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m not–it was just an idea.”

He seemed genuinely unbothered, so Albert leaned in and kissed him. “Ready for tomorrow?”

Charlie laughed quietly. “Something like that.”

Albert passed Charlie his second crutch, and they left the bathroom together.

“Light off?” Charlie murmured when they’d gotten into bed.

“Sure.” Albert smiled at Charlie across the gap between their beds. “Thanks.”

For asking first. For taking the last step when I couldn’t. For being patient.

Albert’s hand was warm in his, and Crutchie could feel their palms getting sweaty, but he didn’t want to move at all. He wanted to stay on the roof and see how well he and Albert could aim his new slingshot while sitting down and hope that Jack would be too busy with Katherine and Davey to come up for another few hours. He wanted to make Albert smile like he had after he and Race had stolen Oscar Delancey’s hat. He wanted to never let go of Albert’s hand.

“I missed ya too,” Albert said. “Forgot to say it earlier.”

“Yeah?” Crutchie asked cautiously.

“’Course.” Albert sighed and turned so he was finally, finally looking Crutchie in the eye. “I–you’re the best friend I ever had.” He looked down at where they were holding hands and blushed. “And I–”

Crutchie reached out to catch Albert’s chin on his free hand, pulled him closer, and kissed him. After a moment of hesitance, Albert slowly–awkwardly–kissed him back. He brought his own free hand to Crutchie’s cheek and pushed back just far enough for his fingers to land in Crutchie’s hair.

Crutchie remembered Race dreamily talking about his and Spot’s first kiss, how perfect and romantic and exciting the moment had been. He had no idea if Race had been lying, but either way, this kiss was much clumsier–in fact, Crutchie was pretty sure it was Albert’s first kiss given how disinterested he’d been in relationships in the past.

The angle they were sitting at was a little awkward, so Crutchie tried to turn so he was facing Albert more fully. The movement jostled his leg, and he was forced to pull away as he hissed in pain. He leaned forward to rub at his muscles.

“Ya good?” Albert asked.

Crutchie frowned. “Not really. I–” He tried to stretch his leg out, but that just made it hurt even more– “Hurts ta keep it straight.”

Albert shuffled away from the wall until he was sitting where he could put Crutchie’s legs over his own.

“S’better,” Crutchie murmured. “Thanks.”

“Doesn’t burn anymore,” Albert said quietly.

“Huh?”

“S’why I kept–” Albert gestured vaguely– “I had a dream ya kissed me the same morning Davey showed up. After that, I–every time we touched, it was–it was too much.” He rested his arms on top of Crutchie’s shins. “And I–I never wanted to kiss anyone before you, so it–it was a big change.”

Crutchie had barely had time to process what Albert had said before Albert shoved a hand in his pocket and pulled out a slingshot.

“Anyway, thought you woulda lost yours,” he muttered. “So–here.”

Crutchie laughed as he took the slingshot and tucked it in his chest pocket. “S’that why you was talkin’ to Scope earlier?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.” Crutchie leaned over to kiss him again. “How much did that thing cost ya?”

Albert laughed, then groaned. “A whole quarter,” he admitted. “I had to sell a bunch’a extra papes. Worth it, though.”

“I’m still gonna hit ya with it,” Crutchie teased, and Albert blushed furiously.

“I know.” He laughed again. “And I might hit ya back.” He absentmindedly ran his thumb over the right leg of Crutchie’s dungarees. “But not today.”

“Tomorrow?” Crutchie suggested jokingly, and Albert shook his head.

“When ya leg’s a little better,” he said. He wrapped his arm around Crutchie’s waist again. “’Sides, there’s other stuff I wanna do right now.” He grinned with a look that reminded Crutchie of all the shenanigans Albert and Race had gotten up to together.