The salt air still clung to your skin as you wandered the boardwalk the following night, the neon lights painting everything in electric pinks and blues. You hadn't planned on coming back so soon, and a part of you had expected the four strange boys to move on after last night's collective strike-out.

Most guys did.

But something about them—the way they'd watched you leave with more fascination than bruised egos—kept pulling you back.

You spotted them almost immediately. They weren't hard to miss: four leather-clad figures leaning against the railing like they owned the night. Paul's wild blond hair caught the wind first. When his eyes locked on you, his face split into a massive grin.

"There she is!" he called, already pushing off the railing and striding toward you with that golden-retriever energy. "Back for round two, babe?"

You raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at your lips. "Round two implies I played round one."

Paul laughed, loud and bright, falling into step beside you without asking. This time, he didn't sling an arm around your shoulders. He kept a respectful distance, hands shoved in his pockets like he was trying not to spook you.

"Fair. So… what are you into, if it's not midnight bike rides and bad decisions?" He glanced sideways at you, genuinely curious instead of just flirty. "Arcade games? Cotton candy? People-watching?"

You considered him for a moment. "All of the above. As long as no one's trying to get in my pants."

Paul's cheeks actually flushed. "Shit. Yeah. Message received. Loud and clear." He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. "I can do that. C'mon, I'm unbeatable at Skee-Ball."

He was not unbeatable. You destroyed him three games in a row, and his dramatic cries of betrayal had you laughing harder than you had in weeks. When you finally let him win one on purpose, he lit up like you'd handed him the moon.

"You're trouble," he declared, handing you the ridiculous oversized tiger he'd finally won. "The fun kind."

Not long after, Marko appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, curls bouncing as he fell into step on your other side. "Paulie bothering you?" he asked with a mischievous smirk, biting his thumb. "I can take him out if you want."

You shook your head, amused. "We're good. He's on his best behavior tonight."

Marko's eyes sparkled with surprise. Instead of doubling down on charm, he started pointing out the best graffiti spots hidden behind booths and told you wild stories about the boardwalk's history—some obviously exaggerated, some strangely believable. When his hand brushed yours 'accidentally,' he pulled back immediately, flashing an apologetic grin.

You found yourself relaxing. The guys were… different. Persistent, but listening.

Dwayne joined next, quiet as ever. He didn't say much, just walked beside you with that steady presence that somehow made the chaotic noise of the boardwalk feel calmer. At one point, he bought you a hot chocolate without asking, handing it over with a small nod when you looked surprised.

"You seemed cold," he murmured.

You weren't, but the gesture was sweet and thoughtful, so you took it gratefully.

David was last. He waited until the others had drifted a few paces ahead, cigarette smoke curling around him like a second shadow. He didn't try any lines this time. He just fell in beside you, his ice-blue eyes studying your face.

"You came back," he said eventually, voice low.

"I did."

"Why?"

You shrugged, clutching the giant tiger under one arm. "You four are interesting. And surprisingly… decent about boundaries once they're spelled out."

David's lips twitched into something almost like a real smile. "Most people don't make us work for it."

"I'm not most people," you whisper, glancing at him, hoping that, unlike most, he would get it, that they would understand this wasn't a 'keep trying' scenario.

"No," he agreed softly, almost reverently. "You're not."

The five of you eventually wandered down to the beach, away from the crowds. A small fire was already crackling in a pit the boys must have set up earlier. You sat on an old log, the giant tiger propped beside you like a ridiculous chaperone. Paul flopped dramatically at your feet, Marko perched on the log next to you, Dwayne leaned against a nearby rock, and David stood with his hands in his coat pockets, watching the flames.

"So," Paul started, grinning up at you, "you gonna tell us the secret? How the hell did you shoot down all four of us in one night?"

You laughed lightly, staring into the fire. "There's no secret. I'm ace. Asexual. I don't feel sexual attraction. But that doesn't mean I don't like people. Or… enjoy spending time with them." You glanced around at the four of them. "I do romance, just no sex stuff. I'm polyromantic, if that means anything to you."

The boys went quiet for a beat, processing.

Marko tilted his head. "So… you can still like us? Like, like us. Just without the…" He gestured vaguely.

"Yeah," you said simply. "Just without the 'taking clothes off and getting down to it ' part."

Paul let out a low whistle. "That's… kinda badass, actually."

David's gaze hadn't left your face. There was something new in it now—respect, fascination, and maybe the first spark of something deeper. "We're not exactly used to slow burns," he admitted. "Or any burns that don't end in… well... fucking."

"But we can learn," Dwayne added quietly, his dark eyes warm in the firelight as he cut over David almost as if he didn't want the blond scaring you away.

Marko bumped your shoulder gently. "So what do you want, then? Late-night boardwalk walks? Arcade wins? Someone to listen to you talk about whatever's on your mind?"

You looked at each of them—the wild blond with the golden energy, the mischievous curly-haired artist, the quiet protector, and the cocky leader who was watching you like you were a puzzle he suddenly wanted to understand rather than conquer.

"I want to see where this goes," you said honestly. "No pressure. No expectations. Just… this. But if sex is like a deal breaker for you guys then-"

Paul sat up, resting his chin on your knee like an overgrown puppy. "We can do that."

Marko grinned. "Best kind of chase there is."

Dwayne gave you a small, rare smile.

David flicked his cigarette into the fire and stepped closer, crouching so he was eye-level with you. "You really are something else," he murmured, echoing his words from last night. Only this time, it sounded like a promise instead of frustration. "And we've got all the time in the world to figure this out."

The fire crackled as the waves rolled in, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like maybe you'd found people who could want you exactly as you were.

𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙

Rejecting the boys advances.