Page 74 of Felix

Christian’s expression softens, and he sits up at the same time as he leans forward, snagging my bottom lip between his teeth. It’s a kiss, yes, but there’s bite to it. It feels very much like a claim. “All right, Specs,” he says against my mouth. “Ready when you are.”

I nod, we disentangle, and after putting on our shoes, Christian and I head out the door.

Henry is sitting at the top of the porch steps when I pull up to my parents’ house. He hops up and sticks his game inside his pocket as he comes jogging over to the car. He opens the door and drops onto the backseat with all the finesse of a teenager.

“Do Mom and Dad know I’m stealing you?” I check.

He nods, hair flopping over his forehead. “Yup.”

“Okay, then.” I back out of the driveway, waiting until we’re going forward to make introductions. “Henry, this is my boyfriend Christian.”

“Hey,” Henry says.

“Nice to meet you,” Christian replies.

“You didn’t have a boyfriend the last time I saw you,” my brother informs me.

I snort. “No, I didn’t.”

“I’m telling Bec,” he says, pulling out his phone.

Christian raises a brow, but I shake my head. “It’s fine,” I tell him more than my brother, knowing the text has likely already been sent.

It doesn’t take long to get to the arcade near my old apartment building. The parking lot is fairly empty tonight, and Henry bursts from the car before I’ve even turned off the ignition.

“Never stops, that one,” I say wryly.

Christian looks amused.

We catch up with Henry inside of the arcade. The pinging and clanking of various games echo off the walls as we walk up to the attendant, neon lights giving the place a futuristic feel befitting the theme. Henry is engrossed in his phone as I fork over enough cash to get us a small bucket of tokens. When my brother finally pulls his face out of his game, he notices Christian’s skirt.

“Are you nonbinary?” he asks my boyfriend.

“I… No, I’m not,” Christian answers, seemingly taken aback by my brother’s bluntness.

“He/him, then?” Henry asks.

“That’s right.”

“Okay. Me, too,” my brother says, grabbing the bucket of tokens and hustling away.

Christian looks at me, eyes wide. “Kids these days, am I right?”

I bark a laugh, grabbing his hand and twining our fingers together. “We’re all woke.”

He snorts, and I tug him along after Henry, curious what my brother wants to say to me that he hasn’t yet worked up the courage for. He’s at a Skee-Ball machine, and I take up position next to him, letting go of Christian’s hand to send a ball flying.

For a while, we simply play, hitting all of my brother’s favorite games and a couple of my own. Christian doesn’t seem as familiar with them, but he joins in, smiling the whole while. He even manages to beat my brother on the dance pads, a sight that has me wanting to drag Christian back to the club to see what he’d look like really letting loose. We only slow danced together, and I didn’t realize it at the time, but I think I was missing out. Christian is sexy as fuck, which, sure, I already knew. But damn. Maybe he’d show me some of his less PG moves later.

When Christian heads off to grab us all drinks, I catch Henry glancing at me. I know that look.

“Want to talk about it?” I ask, taking a seat at a nearby table.

He sits across from me and shrugs. “It’s nothing.”

I wait him out.

“It’s just… I think Mom and Dad are disappointed in me.”

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