The wheels hummed on the wet pavement, the bus around Nolan mostly dark and quiet now. A few screens glowed blue, reflecting off the windows, but most of the guys on the team were sleeping. 

​

They’d won their game tonight and were on their way home now. It was late and Nolan had skating practice in the morning, then school, but he couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t focus on the dumb videos he’d been watching either. 

​

Annoyed, he hit the power button on his phone, the screen going black before he stuffed it in his hoodie pocket. 

​

Next to him, Kyler stirred, whispering, “Can’t sleep?”

​

“No. You?”

​

“Nah, not really. I was thinking about the game.”

​

“That was a pretty dope goal,” Nolan admitted quietly, glancing over at his best friend.

 

The lights of a passing vehicle lit up Kyler’s grin. “I know, right?”

​

Nolan snorted. “Okay, big shot. What do you want to do since we’re both awake and we’ve got like an hour before we’re home?”

​

“I dunno. Cards?”

​

He shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”

​

“You don’t sound that excited about it, dude.” Kyler nudged Nolan’s knee with his own.

 

“It’s fine, I’m just kinda bored with it, you know?”

​

“Yeah, I get it. Honestly, me too.”

​

They shared a smile and Nolan’s heart leaped. 

​

Since he’d talked to Jesse about it, he felt both better and worse about his crush on Kyler. Better, because Jesse was so nice and like … he really got it. He didn’t make Nolan feel dumb for being nervous about talking to Kyler about it. But he’d made it seem like he had a real shot at asking him out. 

​

Which reminded him …

 

Nolan dug his backpack out from under his feet, dragging it onto his lap. 

​

“Hey, um, I got you a treat.” He rooted through the backpack until he pulled out the little bag he’d ordered online. 

​

 Kyler inspected the salted licorice, then shot him a big grin. “Dude, my favorite! You’re awesome.”

​

“I know,” Nolan said with a smug confidence he didn’t feel at all. But like, it totally worked for Jesse, so why not him?

​

Kyler laughed—too loud—and one of their teammates hissed, “Would you shut up, dude? Trying to sleep here,” from a few rows ahead of them.

​

Kyler snorted, burying his face against Nolan’s shoulder, his laughter muffled by the hoodie fabric. 

​

Fluttery warmth filled Nolan’s chest and he had to ball his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and pressing his lips to the top of Kyler’s hair. 

​

It got both better and worse when Kyler lifted his head, his breath warm against Nolan’s ear as he whispered, “Oops.” 

​

Nolan had tugged a beanie on over his wet hair after the game but it had slid up and the feel of Kyler’s lips so close to his bare skin made him feel all shivery. 

​

“We need to be quiet,” Kyler reminded him softly, which sent another chill through Nolan. 

​

“Okay,” Nolan croaked. 

​

Thankfully, his words were quiet enough and his voice only cracked a little. Ugh. He was glad the bus was so dark because his face was probably super red now. 

​

“Hey.” Kyler shifted closer, his knuckles grazing the side of Nolan’s thigh. “You sure you’re okay? You’ve been kinda weird lately. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

​

“Yeah, I know,” Nolan admitted automatically. 

​

Although he definitely hadn’t been telling Kyler everything lately. 

​

Hadn’t told him about the way his heart raced every time Kyler slammed into him on the ice or how his skin went all prickly hot when Kyler touched him. He definitely hadn’t told Kyler about how often he pictured kissing him or the things he’d been thinking about late at night, under the covers. 

​

“So talk to me.” Kyler pulled away, turning to stare straight ahead. 

​

For a moment, Nolan stared at the shape of his nose and his jaw, the little curve of his lower lip, confused and wanting, before he realized Kyler was giving him a chance to lean in and talk softly in his ear. 

​

Honestly, this wasn’t the best place to do it. 

​

Nolan should probably wait until they were nearly home or—better yet—when they were actually home and Kyler could get some space if he wanted it. Nolan was pretty sure Kyler wouldn’t get weird about it, but what if he did and …

​

But Nolan was tired of not saying anything, so he leaned in, gripping the front of Kyler’s hoodie and speaking directly in his ear. 

​

“I—I think I like you,” Nolan admitted, his voice barely even a whisper. So quiet that Kyler could probably pretend like he’d never heard it at all. 

​

Nolan pulled back, just a little, in time to catch the weird look Kyler shot him out of the corner of his eye.

​

“Yeah?” He said it like it was obvious, like he already knew that.

​

Nolan wanted to curse because of course Kyler knew he liked him. Duh. They were best friends. 

​

“No, like, I wanna take you to the movies,” he admitted. 

​

Kyler shot him another weird look. “Okay, like … with the guys? Because we were talking about going to see—”

​

“No!” Nolan hissed. “Like you and me. Just the two of us. Like … I buy you a ticket and popcorn and snacks and stuff. And we, um, we hold hands.”

​

“Oh.” 

​

That was it. Just an ‘oh’ that made Nolan feel like his heart was on pause and might not restart again until Kyler said something else. 

​

The bus went over a pothole, jostling them a little, and Nolan realized he still had a grip on Kyler’s hoodie. Nolan unclenched his fist, meaning to pull away, but Kyler settled a hand over his, palm warm and a little sweaty. 

​

“Okay.”

​

For a moment, Nolan wasn’t sure who had said it and then he realized Kyler had and ohhh there his heart went again, beating way too fast now like after the sprints his Grandpa O’Shea made him do.

​

The sprints his Grandpa O’Shea still beat him at sometimes, if he was honest. But why was he thinking about his grandpa when Kyler was holding his hand and saying “okay” to a date?

​

“You mean it?” Nolan whispered. “Like … you’d go on a date with me?”

​

“Yeah.”

​

“Really?”

​

Kyler muffled a laugh with the back of his free hand. “Yeah, dude. I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you for like two months.”

​

“Oh shit,” Nolan said, and then he had to muffle his laugh too. He buried his face against Kyler’s neck and went a little dizzy at the smell of him. 

​

Kyler’s skin mostly smelled like the soap at the arena, but his hoodie smelled like the laundry detergent and body spray he wore, and it was really good. So good it made Nolan have to shift in his seat. 

​

He lifted his head and Kyler turned his too and they were suddenly staring at each other, mouths just inches apart. 

​

Kyler’s breath kinda smelled like black licorice, which was objectively gross, but Nolan licked his lips anyway, thinking about it. 

​

“Maybe we should practice?” Kyler said softly.

​

“Kissing?” Nolan blurted out. 

​

“Um, well, I meant holding hands.” Kyler wiggled his fingers until they slotted between Nolan’s, his palm still cupping the back of Nolan’s hand. “But like, yeah, I wanna kiss you too. I’ve got licorice breath right now though.”

​

Nolan huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, dude, I can smell it from here. Still wanna kiss you though.”

​

He didn’t know how he’d gotten so brave but maybe he really was channeling Jesse right now. Besides, Kyler wanted to go on a date with him! He wanted to kiss him! 

This was honestly the best day ever. 

​

“So kiss me,” Kyle taunted. 

​

Nolan was already moving, sliding his free hand along the side of Kyler’s cheek, feeling the soft tickle of Kyler’s patchy facial hair before he curled his fingers around the back of his neck. He pressed their lips together, just a soft, quick peck before he pulled away.

“That okay?”

​

“Yeah. Do it again.” 

​

Kyler sounded just the way he did when they were horsing around on the ice, practicing stuff just for the fun of it, and Nolan was still smiling as he pressed their mouths together a second time.

​

Kyler let his lips part a little and he tasted like licorice and the energy drink he’d had earlier—fruit punch—and it really was kinda gross but it was awesome too and by the time Nolan drew back, his lips were tingling. 

​

“Hey,” he rasped. “You—do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

​

Kyler shrugged but he was grinning. “Umm, I dunno, dude. How good is our first date gonna be?”

​

“Epic,” Nolan promised, smiling too because that wasn’t a no. 

​

“Ask me after,” Kyler shot back. 

​

“Okay. I will.” Nolan was feeling a little cocky now. Like this was a game where there was no way he could lose. 

​

From a few rows up, someone called out, “Look, I’m happy for you guys, but will you friggin’ shut up? I’m trying to sleep here!”

​

“Sorry!” they both answered, speaking in unison.

​

Embarrassed but laughing, Nolan shoved Kyler up against the window, then rested his head on his shoulder, letting go of his hand so he could drape an arm around his waist.

 

Kyler wiggled to get comfortable, then wrapped an arm around Nolan’s back, holding him close. 

​

Kyler dragged his thumb slowly across Nolan’s upper arm and Nolan closed his eyes, his body rising and falling with the slow rhythm of Kyler’s breathing. 

​

Nolan didn’t sleep on the rest of the ride back, but he did kinda dose and he couldn’t stop smiling as he got off the bus and found Kyler’s dad waiting in the parking lot. 

​

“Well, you’re both in a good mood tonight,” he said cheerfully as Kyler and Nolan slid into the back of the SUV. 

​

“It was a good night,” Nolan blurted out. “Kyler got a goal.”

​

“Congrats! How’d you do, Nolan?”

​

“A lot better than I expected,” he admitted, and he definitely wasn’t talking about hockey.

​

Under the cover of darkness, Kyler reached out and hooked their pinkies together. Nolan tucked his chin into the collar of his hoodie to hide his grin as they rode like that the rest of the way home. 

​

It wasn’t until they pulled up in front of Nolan’s house that either of them let go.