Fic - 'Right'
Right.
by Fern
"Ow!" Cooper cradled his stinging cheek. "What’d you do that for?"
"Because you’re a slimeball?"
Cooper stared in disbelief at the pretty co-ed he’d been, until a moment ago, flirting quite happily with. "I don’t understand, Lisa.."
"Liesel!"
"I’m sorry. Liesel. What the hell just happened? All I suggested was that we take this conversation someplace quieter." He waved his arm to encompass the dorm party going on around them.
"Flirting is one thing, Cooper; but coming on to me when you’re involved with someone else is pretty scummy. I thought you were a nice guy."
"Involved with someone else?" he repeated incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh come on! Everyone knows you and Josh are together."
"No. No, we’re not." Cooper denied; a little exasperatedly. This is out of hand. "It’s just a stupid misunderstanding."
"Look. Cooper. Don’t worry about it. Really. We all think it’s sweet. You guys make a great couple."
"You’re not listening to me." He looked around until he spotted Josh and Rachel in the corner, involved in an intense discussion. He pointed to them. "Look. See that girl. That’s Rachel. She’s Josh’s girlfriend."
Liesel was edging away. "Sure, Cooper. Whatever works for you guys. Just count me out, okay?"
Cooper realised he wasn’t going to win this one. "Hey it’s your loss," he threw at her retreating figure. In a moment she was swallowed up by the crowd. Cooper retrieved a beer from the icebox and chugged it down. He stared morosely at the corner where Rachel was gesturing furiously at sullen-looking Josh.
Time for some judicious intervention. Grabbing two more beers he sauntered over to the corner and slid into a free chair. He placed the bottles carefully in front of the pair. "Hey, what’s with the gloomy faces? Good beer, good music, good friends…"
"Speak of the devil!" Rachel spat. She surged to her feet and grabbed her bag. She looked down at Josh, who slouched still in his chair. "You should have told me, Josh." With a last poisonous look at Cooper, she turned and strode away.
Cooper waited for Josh to say something, but his friend just fiddled with the beer bottle in front of him, picking the label off in untidy little scraps. Finally Cooper leaned forward and took it out of his hands. Josh just reached for another bottle and took a long swallow. Then he started picking the label off that bottle.
"Josh? What just happened?" Cooper kept his voice low and soothing.
"I’m guessing I just got dumped."
"What? Why?"
"Rachel just found out about ‘us’."
Cooper stared incredulously at him. Josh sounded so matter-of-fact. "But there is no ‘us’!"
"Isn’t there?" Josh asked, as though Cooper should know what he was talking about. Cooper realised his mouth was hanging open and shut it fast, shooting a quick look around the room to see if anyone was listening
"Josh, are you drunk?"
"No…yes…a bit. So?"
"There is no us!" Cooper felt it bore repeating, because this conversation was making no sense. Unless Josh was implying…
He couldn't be, surely?
Josh was just looking at him, patiently. Like he was waiting for Cooper to catch up.
"Josh?" Cooper felt a bit lost.
"Kiss me."
"What? No!" Cooper heard his own voice, loud and a little hysterical. "No." he repeated more quietly.
"Kiss me." Josh insisted. "Then we'll know."
"Know what, Josh? What will we know? Tell me something that makes sense, cos if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you should be freaking out about now. Why aren't you freaking out? Cooper's heart was beating faster in his chest, he could feel it, his breath speeding up, hiccuping, and his palms going damp with sweat.
It's panic. Nothing else.
Isn't it?
"Maybe because you are," murmured Josh. He looked amused. "And because I've had time to think about it?"
"You've been thinking about it? About us?"
"Every fight Rachel and I have had has been over you. About what a bad influence you are on me. About how much time you and I spend together. About whether I'd rather be with you than her".
Josh was sounding way too sober. "And she's right. About everything. So I figure, what the hell? Let's give it a go."
Cooper gaped at him, "What, kissing?"
"Why not? If we don't like it, well, we'll know that everyone is wrong about us."
Cooper's throat felt tight and he swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure, he realised. He wasn't sure about anything anymore.
Josh shifted his chair closer to Cooper's and curled a big hand gently around Cooper's neck. Cooper shivered at the sensation. He didn't think he could move now if he tried. Josh leaned in and looked Cooper intensely. "All right?"
Cooper nodded jerkily, swallowing around a dry throat.
And then Josh kissed him, surprisingly gently. Pulled back a bit and looked at Cooper again. Cooper closed his eyes. And was kissed again, too briefly. And then again. And then Cooper leaned forward and kissed Josh back and Josh's mouth opened under his a little and Cooper stroked his tongue forward over Josh's lips and Josh moaned and suddenly Cooper was on familiar ground really, and he looped an arm around Josh's back and pulled him closer still and took possession of Josh's mouth.
This felt good. Better than good. He was rock hard from just the kiss and how had he not known about this before?
Josh was the one who broke the kiss finally, and leaned back, smiling at Cooper. Cooper looked at him, at his slightly swollen lips and flushed cheeks and his goofy smile that Cooper loved, all because of him.
And he knew.
Someone loomed over them, Cooper looked up, still dazed from the kiss and from his epiphany. Liesel stood a few feet away, glaring. "Not together? Yeah. Right."
Cooper looked at the gorgeous girl he'd been trying to pick up earlier, then back at Josh.
Josh was staring at him as though there was no-one else in the room. Cooper had no idea what to say for once. Then Josh leaned forward and took his hand and said "So are we?"
"Together?"
"Yeah."
Cooper smiled.
Yeah. Right.
The end.