#jayjens

17. Cheek Kiss

“No, no way, I definitely won.”

“You did not,” Jayden protests, waving his hand at the screen. “It’s there in plain writing. What more do you need?”

Jens tosses his controller aside, blowing a breath out through the corner of his mouth. “I would say a rematch, but I’m sure you’d just cheat ahead.”

Jayden squawks, hitting his chest, and Jens laughs, raising his brows at him challengingly. “I’d never cheat,” Jayden protests. Then, smugly, “Don’t need to.”

“No?” Jens raises a brow. “You definitely have it rigged. That’s why you begged and begged to play this one, isn’t it?”

There’s a moment of silence in which Jayden considers him with narrowed eyes, before his lips stretch into a wide smile. “I think,” he says slowly, “that you’re just a sore loser.”

Jens scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest as he slumped against the back of the couch. “I am not.”

“Aw, look at you, you are,” Jayden cooes, reaching out to pinch his cheek. Jens half-heartedly bats him away and he laughs, poking Jens’s side as he sags closer, grin having gone utterly cheeky. “Come on, admit it. You’re just sad because I’m the best.”

“I will do no such thing,” Jens mumbles, clearly sulking.

Jayden laughs, and then he’s saying, “It’s cute,” and sweeping in to press a kiss to his cheek, lips soft and lingering even as Jens freezes up under the touch.

He feels heat creep into his cheeks as Jayden quickly retreats, cringing slightly as his expression turns apologetic. “Sorry. Was that weird? I wasn’t trying to make it weird.”

It’s a little weird, a little too soft, too intimate, to match their interactions so far. They’re friends, at the center, and maybe a few benefits have crept in on drunken, high nights recently. Maybe they always drift a closer together than necessary, maybe Jens pays too much attention to Jayden’s hands and lips when they’re in the same room to be considered ‘friendly’.

But cheek kisses...are nice.

“It was a little weird,” Jens admits, and Jayden’s face falls, his gaze flitting away before Jens adds, “but I’d be okay with it, if it ever happened again.”

2. Gentle Peck

Jayden leans away, right until his back hits the counter and he can go no further. He can’t move back, but he can’t go forwards, not now that Jens has followed him, and he can’t go sideways, because Jens matches his every step. He can’t look at him. He can’t move and he can’t look and he can’t think. He can’t even feel anything beyond his rapid pulse and Jens’s proximity.

He has no idea what’s gotten into him. He doesn’t understand why he suddenly can’t breathe.

He grasps at the counter behind him in an attempt to find something grounding, but it’s useless. He has nowhere to go and nowhere to look. No escape. He has to face it.

Jens doesn’t give him a choice as he carefully grasps his chin and tilts his head up. Jayden drags his eyes away from their feet, up Jens’s chest, the strong lines of his throat, over the sharp jut of his chin before quickly skipping over his lips. There will be no going back, if he lingers there, if he lets himself give in.

“Jade,” Jens coaxes softly. “Just stop thinking.”

“One of us needs to at least try to use our heads.”

Jens huffs, and his smile is too soft, too fond. “Maybe you should be more specific.”

Jayden flushes, can’t even bring himself to scowl. He can barely manage to roll his eyes before finally flicking them up to Jens in exasperation.

Jens’s smile twitches, and Jayden’s eyes drop to his lips.

He hears Jens’s breath catch, watches his tongue dart out and lick over his lips, licks his own in response. His heart is thundering from just this simple action and it kicks his mind into overdrive, begging for a reprieve. His fingers twitch against the counter, aching for something to smoke, and then Jens’s hands come up to cover his and he goes entirely still.

“Do you trust me?” Jens breathes.

Jayden swallows thickly and finally manages to meet his eyes. They’re sincere, and soft, and this is familiarly comforting, but what finally cracks him is the surety. He gives a short, shaky nod, and then Jens is leaning in and connecting their lips, soft and slow and gone too quickly.

He bumps his nose against Jayden’s, not straying far, lips almost brushing as he speaks. “Well?”

It takes a moment, but Jayden clears his throat and managed to find the words. “I’m still not sure it’s for me. Think you need to test it again.”

Jens grins.