... Later that night ...

After an evening of surfing, beach volley-ball, sharing stories, catching up, and of course pigging out on a devilish mix of Hawaiian and So-Cal cooking, everyone was passed out cold. Or so Lars thought when he had snuck out of his tent and returned to the fire-pit.

It didn't take him long to have the fire roaring again. He sat in the sand and lounged back against one of the large logs that they had drug over to use as make-shift seating. He peered around the beach and then back to the camp-site, making sure that he was alone before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He plucked one from the package, lit it up, and took a deep inhale.

He didn't particularly like smoking, and he knew it wasn't good for him or his athletic performance, but as could be said true about many other aspects of his life: old habits died hard.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the ocean and the fire. The calm waves ebbed in and out as the tide washed back against the shores. The fire crackled, sending tiny sparks up and off into the night as the breeze off of the water blew in and tussled the embers about. The moon was gleaming down brightly, making what would be a deep, dark abyss appear even more mysterious and inviting. He was considering going for a swim when he heard foot steps coming from behind. Half a moment before he had the chance to snub out his cigarette and hide the evidence, a voice spoke up and a warm body settled down next to him.

Otto.

Otto Rocket. His ex-rival and his little brother's best friend. Over the years, the heated bickering and tension had died down between the two, but they still weren't the best of friends. Lars generally kept his distance. Which Otto didn't understand and at times it irked him, a lot. Otto went out of his nature and actually tried to be friendly, well, to the best of Otto's abilities, mind you. The rest of the squad seemed to get along rather well with Lars at this point, and of course it bugged Otto that Lars still seemed to have some beef against him. So, the tension was still there, it had just... shifted.

Lars had known the Rockets for as far back as he could remember. He watched them grow up. And now none of them were little kids anymore. Reggie was 16 and recently had been learning to drive. And Otto had just turned 15 a few days before they left for the camping trip that they were currently on. They used to bug the ever living shit out of him, but now he really didn't have an issue with either of them, well, not one that he would willingly discuss, anyways.

It started around two years ago. Reggie, Otto, Twister, and Lars were all at the beach surfing. Otto caught a massive wave and was riding it out like the pro he often liked to imagine he was. And that was when Lars actually noticed. He wasn't a little boy anymore. His hair was almost to his shoulders, his voice had deepened, and he wasn't the 'puny' twerp he once was. He was still a couple inches shorter than Lars, but he had filled out and was well toned and defined. Otto had gotten hot. He couldn't believe that he was noticing this. About a boy. About Otto. Otto Rocket. It really freaked him out. And that was when he started distancing himself from Otto without making it super noticeable to the rest of the crew.

"No point in putting it out now. I already know. Secret's safe with me."

Otto was sitting on the log rather than in the sand, he looked down at Lars whom merely shrugged and took another long draw.

"So... couldn't sleep either?"

Otto questioned, still looking down at Lars.

Lars refused to make eye contact as he mumbled. "Nah, guess not."

Lars shifted slightly away from Otto and was about to bring the cigarette to his lips again when Otto reached down and snatched it, catching Lars completely off-guard, again.

At this point, Otto was quickly growing frustrated.

"What's your problem, man? I'm keeping your secret, you're on a vacation with my family, I haven't done anything to you and you're treating me like I'm a fucking shoebie or something."

That got Lars' attention. He looked up, locking eyes with the youngest Rocket for the first time in.. well.. damn near two years. "I'm sorry, you're right. I have a lot on my mind, but I'm still acting like a punk towards you and I guess that's not cool."

Otto paused for a moment. Was he being a bit harsh? He did kind of invite himself into Lars' personal space. But he wasn't being loud, mouthy, challenging, or showing any real forms of malice. He was actually being polite. Which caught even himself by surprise. Why was being nice to Lars of all people when the guy had been acting shady as fuck towards him for the past few years? And did Lars just apologize and own up to not being cool? Something was definitely whack here, and Tito's pineapple punch couldn't be blamed, this time.

He looked out to the ocean, letting himself get lost in the shifting tides as he thought back to earlier that evening. For whatever reason, he couldn't get the empty cup out of his head. It was why he couldn't get to sleep. Was he just over thinking things? Or was there secretly more to it? And why did it even matter to him? Why was it keeping him up when he should be dead to the world like everyone else? But, if there was more to it... Lars would have been taking that shot in response to the last question asked, which was Otto's question, and that would mean...

Not being able to contain his curiosity any longer, Otto blurted out the next thought that popped into his mind. "So... Did you?" He quickly asked, his eyes still locked on with Lars'.

Lars stammered for a moment in confusion and tried to gather himself before responding. "Did I what?"

"You know.. earlier... the shot glass... the game..."

Shit. Otto had noticed. Out of all of the times and things for the Rocket dork to notice.. Guess he wasn't as aloof as he often let on to be. Which would explain even more as to why Lars had these un-explainable feelings in regards to him.

No point in trying to hide it any longer.

"Yeah... I did. I have... I'm... I don't know."

Lars was panicking and it was written clearly across his face. The usually stoic and well composed bad-boy was crumbling to pieces right before Otto's very eyes. A sight that, in the past would have tickled Otto beyond pink, but now? Now it tugged at him in a way he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to acknowledge yet. He took a sharp drag off of the cigarette before handing it back to Lars, knowing he probably needed it right then.

Otto nodded quietly and looked around hesitantly.

"So... How was it?"

"What?" Lars responded, trying to stall for as long as he could. He took a few drags and snubbed the cigarette out before lighting up another one and passing it to Otto. Trying hard not to stare as the younger teen brought it to his lips in inhaled deeply.

"Lars. I'm not stupid, contrary to popular belief. And I'm not going to run and tell the others everything either. We're both old enough to be mature, especially in sensitive and private situations."

Lars was taken back. He knew they were all growing up, but with his distance, he hadn't noticed just how mature Otto had truly become.

Lars nodded and sighed as he drew his arms up, resting them behind his head. "First time was at a party, about a year and a half ago. It was ... awkward, at best."

Otto stared blankly at him. "Details, man. And first time? How many times were there? How many different people? Were any of them any good?"

Lars cocked a brow and almost smiled. "Geez, twerp, if I didn't know any better I'd almost say you were actually curious. There were a few times. First time was on a dare. Second time was later that night with the same guy. We were both tipsy and locked ourselves in the bathroom together. There was one other guy, about a year ago... but I'm not going there right now."

Lars raised his head slightly to move one arm enough to snatch the cigarette back from Otto, whom was chain smoking it as he became more and more engrossed with the tale.

Otto huffed in disagreement as the cigarette was taken from him. Curious? Was he curious? He twinged with something that he couldn't quite place a finger on. He and Lars had known one another since they were kids. And though they couldn't stand each other as youths, things had mellowed out between them over time. Well, sort of. Lars seemed totally chill with the rest of the group, but he still seemed leery when it came to Otto. Was he worried that Otto would find out about this stuff and bash him over it? At that thought, Otto felt a bit hurt. Yeah he could be a jerk at times, but even he wouldn't judge someone over something like this. Something that they didn't choose to be or feel.

"Is it really that different from kissing girls, or have you not kissed any girls?"

Otto found himself asking before he even realized that he was asking.

Lars smirked and rolled his eyes as he passed the cigarette back to Otto. "Yes I've kissed girls, quite possibly more than you have, Rocket-dork. And I dunno, kinda? It's one of those things that really depends on how a person feels or what their preference is. If you like girls, of course kissing girls would be better. If you like guys, kissing guys would be better. If you like both.. then I guess it would come down to the individual person? So it's not really something I could tell you because it would just be my personal opinion from my own experience."

Otto mockingly scoffed at the first part of Lars' statement, causing them both to look at one another and grin for a brief moment before quickly going back to avoiding gazes. Otto just quietly nodded after that and tried to focus on the burn from the smoke as it filled his lungs before exhaling it and watching as it dissipated into nothing. He couldn't help but wonder why he wanted to know any of this. Or why he cared about how many people, how many girls or guys that Lars had made out with. What in the world was happening with him?

"So.. which do you prefer?"

And... boom... there it was. The one simple not so simple question that would slap a label on him to at least one prominent person in his peer group.

Lars closed his eyes. Did he really want to answer this? Was he ready to answer this? But he already knew that by pausing to think about it, he already had answered the question. So he simply looked back up at Otto and stared, waited for Otto to nod, and then took the longest drag from the cigarette he could muster.

"How did you know? I mean.. that you.."

Lars thought about the question carefully before attempting to form an answer. He knew the real answer here, but dare he say it? Otto hadn't seemed too wigged out so far, but would telling that part of the truth be too much?

What the hell. Not much left to lose at this point.

"Honestly? No judgement?" Lars looked up, his eyes swirling with hesitation.

Otto nodded. "The full truth, yes, no judgement. Promise."

"I knew two years ago, after seeing an extremely hot guy with a killer body and equally killer surf skills tearing up the beach. I couldn't take my eyes off of him and have spent the past two years avoiding him and trying to deny what was set in stone in my mind that day."

Otto said nothing. He didn't know what to say. It was him. He knew it was him. Unless there was another guy that Otto had never seen surfing that Lars had been avoiding for two years.

The silence was killing him. Yelling, screaming, throwing things, anything, he'd take anything other than the silence. Lars was about to get up to go find somewhere to himself to go panic when..

"Kiss me."

"Excuse me?" Did Lars just here him right? There must be sand in his ears..

"You heard me. Kiss me."

"What? Why?"

That was the last thing Lars expected as a reaction here.

"I've kissed girls. I know what that feels like. I don't know what kissing a guy feels like. You've made-out with both, so has Reggie, Trish, and who knows who else from our friend group.. So how else am I supposed to know which is better for me? I mean.. I'm obviously curious, which is as much of a surprise to me as I'm sure it is for you. So.."

Otto slipped down off of the log and was kneeling next to Lars. They stared at one another for a long time, quite possibly longer than all of the looks that were exchanged over the past two years combined. Or, that's how it felt to both of them, anyways. All of that tension that had been mounting between them was finally at a boiling point. Lars knew this was his one chance and that if he walked away, he'd most likely never have this chance again. So without anymore hesitation, he reached up and tugged Otto's head down level with his own. Their lips crashed together in a fiery wave and suddenly everything that they'd both questioned over the prior years was falling into place. Lars wasn't sure what to expect from Otto. But when he prodded at the younger male's lips with his tongue, he was quickly given access to explore. Otto let out a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a moan, either way, it was sexy as fuck and an obvious plea for more.

Otto twisted himself around and re-positioned so that he was straddling Lars' lap with both of his arms draped around Lars' neck. Lars instantly reached out with his other hand and possessively grabbed his left hip hard enough to leave a mark. With one hand on his hip, and the other still tangled in his dreads, even from the bottom, Lars was in complete control of the moment. His nails trailed along the other's scalp before he fisted a handful of hair and gave an experimental tug. Otto sharply arched back but didn't break the kiss. Instead, he bucked his hips forwards and against Lars', wanton for as much physical contact as possible.

The kiss was escalating as swiftly, and heatedly as a California wildfire. Hair was being pulled, lips and tongues were being bitten and sucked on, flesh was being groped, grabbed, and clawed at. Neither of them were really sure how long the kiss had lasted. Or who pulled away first. But both found themselves panting and gasping for breath as their foreheads now rested against one another's.

Otto was the first to move, after his sense returned to his head, that was. He reluctantly slid off of Lars' lap and settled next to him on the sand. Not wanting to have to answer any questions that would follow if anyone were to wake up and see him on top of Lars.

They both sat there quietly as they cooled off and attempted to regain their composure and sanity.

"So... How was it?

Lars was the first to speak up this time.

Otto replied with one word and a cheeky smirk.

"What?"

...

~ End ~