Title: Eyes Wide Open

Author/pseudonym: Caroline Crane

Fandom: Dead Man on Campus

Paring: Josh/Cooper

Rating: NC17

Status: new/complete

Archive: yes to list archives

Series/Sequel: probably, not sure how many parts though. Let's call it the "Senior Year" series.

Disclaimers: don't own 'em, and all I ever hear about at home is all the time I spend not making money off them. I'm not kidding.

Note the First: this is an AU, it's my first ever DMoC AU and basically it's just a "what if they met in high school instead of college and Cooper wasn't a giant pothead" take on the characters. So if that's not your thing, I understand completely. If it is, I hope it's enjoyable.

Note the Second: I don't actually know anything about the Mock United Nations, I never participated and I don't know anyone that did. I've just heard of it and it worked well for my story so I made up everything in here about the program. Therefore if you participated and I got something really, really wrong, I apologize.

Summary: Josh leaves Indiana for the first time to participate in the mock United Nations in New York and meets a different Cooper than the one that accosts him at the beginning of the movie. Romance ensues.

Warnings: first time, AU, and a small PSA snuck in there thanks to the fact that I watched "The Laramie Project" twice yesterday. I tried not to let it take over the story. No movie spoilers though! Woo hoo.

Eyes Wide Open
By Caroline Crane

"Hey! Watch it, man."

Josh swallowed nervously as he looked down at the owner of the legs he’d tripped over, his heart racing as he mumbled an apology.

"Leave him alone, Nick," another voice said, startling Josh into looking up again. His gaze locked on a guy about his age with dark hair and wire-rimmed glasses, his mouth turning up in a grin that made him look younger than he probably was. "Give him a break, it’s probably his first time."

"Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to look where he’s going," Nick grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Josh.

"Well get your legs out of everybody’s way and people won’t trip over you. It’s not his fault you’re a freak of nature. If they’re gonna hold these things in auditoriums this size they should have some kind of height limit."

"Hilarious, Cooper." Nick turned his glare on the boy sitting next to him for a moment before he glanced up at Josh again. "You just gonna stand there all day, kid?"

Josh shook his head and took a step backwards, only to collide with the back of another chair. He rolled his eyes as he felt his cheeks flush, suddenly wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. It was bad enough that he couldn’t figure out where he was supposed to be, but now he was standing there staring at two strangers like a complete idiot. "Sorry."

"Forget it," the one named Cooper said, drawing Josh’s attention away from Nick’s menacing glare. "What country?"

"What? Oh. France," Josh answered, blushing an even deeper shade of red as he realized what Cooper was asking him.

"You’re France?" Nick said, shaking his head as he looked Josh up and down. "I can’t believe they gave you France. The last France was at least a babe."

"Ignore him," Cooper said, elbowing Nick in the side as Josh turned back to him. "He’s just pissed ‘cause he hasn’t gotten any and we’ve been in town almost 24 hours. Listen, you’re all the way over in Asia, you need to head back to Europe. See the geek squad down front? There’s your World Power section. France is down there someplace."

Josh glanced over his shoulder in the direction Cooper pointed, swallowing hard as he realized that he was going to have to sit right up front. When his Government teacher first told him his essay had won him a spot at the Mock United Nations he’d been thrilled at the chance just to get out of Indiana, but now that he was actually here he was starting to wonder what he’d gotten himself into. How was he supposed to represent France when he couldn’t even find his seat? "Thanks," he said as he turned back to Cooper.

"No problem. See you around, France," Cooper called after him as Josh turned toward the front of the auditorium and slowly began making his way down the steps. When he finally found his seat and mumbled some kind of greeting to the kids representing Germany and England he glanced over his shoulder, his heart skipping a beat when he found Cooper staring at him. He managed a weak half-grin when Cooper waved at him, his cheeks blazing as he turned back toward the front of the room.

~

Cooper glanced at the boy sitting next to him, shaking his head as he watched Nick making a list of the countries represented by hot girls. Granted he was more or less bored too, they never really got a chance to participate in these things. Not that he was here for the chance to argue trade agreements or NATO policy, if that was his ambition he’d have worked harder to get himself assigned a better country this year. He didn’t have anything against Taiwan, but it wasn’t exactly a world power and that meant he didn’t have to do much.

He sighed inwardly and slumped a little further into his chair, trying to concentrate on what they were going to do tonight and not the fact that he was bored out of his mind. The thought of hanging out at some rave watching Nick hit on every girl that hadn’t already passed out didn’t really appeal to him, though, even though he knew there would be a steady supply of recreational drugs to keep his mind off whatever his cousin was up to. He could think of better things to do with his time, although he wasn’t sure if the person he wanted to do them with would be interested.

His gaze landed on wavy dark brown hair and a pair of angular shoulders and he smiled in spite of himself, picturing the deer-caught-in-headlights look on the new kid’s face when Nick had snarled at him. There was something about the gangly awkwardness of the kid representing France; Cooper didn’t even know his name yet but he was definitely interested in finding out as much as he could. Not to mention that he must be smart to have beaten out that stuck-up chick that had been France for the past two years, Cooper had just figured that she’d be France until she graduated.

As he watched the action down front the new kid cleared his throat and started talking, all the nervousness gone from his voice as he argued something about free trade with Germany. A bright grin lit up Cooper’s features as he nudged his cousin, ignoring Nick’s growl of protest. "Check out the new kid," he whispered, his gaze glued on the back of Josh’s head, "he’s pretty smart, huh?"

Nick glanced toward the front of the room and then back at his cousin, groaning as he registered the look on Cooper’s face. "No way. That geek? You’re not ruining my whole week mooning about some kid that doesn’t know his ass from his elbow. Have some self-respect, you’re a Frederickson for God’s sake."

Cooper scowled as he finally tore his gaze away from the scene at the front of the room long enough to glare at his cousin. "Fuck you, Nick. You’re just pissed because you didn’t get in France’s pants last year and now she’s gone."

"What, so you’re gonna get in France’s pants this year instead? Take a hit for the family?"

A mischievous grin lit up Cooper’s features as he glanced toward the new kid again. "Maybe."

Nick groaned again and shook his head at his cousin, but he didn’t quite manage to suppress his amusement. "Whatever. Good luck, you’re gonna need it."

"What? You don’t think he’s into guys?"

Nick shrugged and glanced toward the front of the room again, pausing long enough to listen to Josh argue eloquently about the European economy. "Like I would know. Seemed like he was looking at you before, but you were doing that whole knight in shining armor thing so who knows. No matter what he’s into, though, I’d bet good money that he’s never actually done anything with anyone."

"Yeah, well, this is supposed to be an educational experience, right?" Cooper grinned as his cousin laughed at him, stealing another glance at the new kid.

~

Josh stood at the back of the tour group, only half-listening to whatever the tour guide was telling them as he scanned the crowd in the lobby. Part of the reason he’d been so eager to take part in the mock United Nations was for the chance to see New York, but he was starting to wonder if they were ever going to actually leave the hotel. So far they’d been lectured on safety in the city, sticking with the group and what to do if they got lost, but there was no mention of where they were going or what they were going to see. At least if he knew any of the other kids he’d have someone to hang out with, but he didn’t know anybody and he was starting to miss his friends back home.

He hadn’t expected to be homesick; it was only four days away from home, and besides he’d been saying he couldn’t wait to get out of Indiana for as long as he could remember. The actual debate part of the day had been okay, at least he’d managed not to totally humiliate himself. In fact the kids around him had all been pretty cool once he’d started arguing world politics, once they realized he knew what he was talking about they’d been nice. He’d looked around for the guy that had helped him find his seat, but Cooper and his friend must have left as soon as the day’s debate was over. Not that he was disappointed, it wasn’t like he knew the guy or anything. He appreciated the fact that Cooper had taken pity on him, though, and he wouldn’t have minded thanking him again.

Actually he wouldn’t have minded the chance to prove to Cooper that he wasn’t a complete moron, or at least the opportunity to string two words together in front of him just so Cooper would know he could actually talk. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pictured Cooper grinning up at him, but it faded as quickly as it surfaced. It just figured, the first guy that bothered to be nice to him and he had to act like a total idiot. He forced himself to focus on whatever the tour guide was saying, letting out a relieved sigh when the group finally began to move toward the door. At least he could distract himself for a couple hours while they toured the city before he started obsessing about some guy he didn’t even know.

Once they were all congregated on the sidewalk their tour guide started talking again, and Josh stifled a sigh as he glanced back at the hotel and wondered if he should just skip the tour. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do, though, and he couldn’t go all the way to New York and not at least take a picture of the Statue of Liberty or something. He resigned himself to putting up with the snail’s pace the tour guide had set and crossed his arms over his chest, thankful that it was at least still pretty warm for early October.

"Hey, France."

The hand that landed on his shoulder startled him, and he flinched and glanced over his shoulder as he realized someone was talking to him. He found himself staring into warm brown eyes, recognition hitting him at the same time as a surge of adrenaline. The first time they’d spoken he’d been too nervous to really pay attention to the way Cooper looked, but now that they were standing barely a foot apart he couldn’t help noticing the spark of amusement in his eyes and the fact that he was expensively dressed.

"Josh," he said, wincing at the strangled quality of his voice. "That’s my name…you know, in case you were wondering."

A bright smile lit up Cooper’s features and Josh wasn’t sure whether to be uncomfortable or flattered by the fact that Cooper had bothered to stop to talk to him at all. "Cool. I’m Cooper," he said. "Listen, I hope Nick didn’t scare you too much earlier, he can be an asshole when he’s bored but it’s mostly show. I think he was hoping for another shot at Miss France, to tell you the truth. Once he hooks up he’ll forget all about her."

"No, it was fine. I mean he was fine…I mean it didn’t bother me," Josh stammered, his cheeks burning a little more with each word. He took a deep breath to steady himself, reminding himself that he’d earned the right to be there as much as any of them had. "Are you going on the tour?"

Before Cooper could answer Nick appeared at his elbow, barely glancing at Josh as he tugged on his cousin’s sleeve. "Let’s go, I’m sick of these lame high school girls. Ronnie’s meeting us at a rave downtown, we gotta get on the subway or we’ll miss him."

"Yeah, no problem," Cooper answered distractedly, his gaze still locked on Josh. "Hey, you wanna come with us, France? You can blow off this whole tour thing, they’re just gonna drive the bus past the Brooklyn Bridge and Penn Station anyway. You wouldn’t be missing anything."

"Oh," Josh said, glancing in the direction of the tour guide as he started herding the group onto the bus. "I appreciate it, really, but I better not. I mean we’ve got another session early tomorrow, I probably should just stick with the group."

"You sure?"

"Come on, man, he said no. Let’s go," Nick said, rolling his eyes as he stared down the street in the direction of the subway station.

Cooper scowled and turned back to Josh, something about his expression making Josh’s heart skip a beat. Part of him wanted to say to hell with the tour group and go with them, but he’d never been in New York before and the thought of going to some club downtown made him nervous. Still, Cooper really looked like he wanted him to go. "Thanks. Really, thanks, but I’m gonna pass," he forced himself to say before he changed his mind.

"Alright, but you’re missing out," Cooper smiled and began backing away in the direction of the subway station, finally turning and catching up with Nick. Josh let out a small sigh and forced himself to catch up with the tour group, his gaze still fixed on Cooper’s back as he climbed onto the bus.

~

At lunch the next day Josh found a seat at a table by himself, glancing around at the kids around him for any sign of a familiar face. Not that he really knew anybody, he’d talked to a handful of the other kids but he hadn’t really made a connection with any of them. In fact the person that seemed the most interested in befriending him was Cooper, and if his friend Nick had anything to say about it Josh was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen.

So he was shocked to look up and find the two of them making their way across the lunchroom in his direction, Nick leading and Cooper right behind him. Nick cast a disdainful glance at Josh as he sat down across the table from him, then proceeded to scowl at his lunch tray while he ignored Josh. A moment later Cooper sat down next to Nick, flashing a bright grin at Josh. "Hey, France. You missed a great party last night," he said. "So how was the tour?"

Josh flushed and looked down at his own lunch, suddenly fascinated by the contents of his tray. He wasn’t sure why he was embarrassed that Cooper and Nick knew he’d gone on the tour yesterday, but he had a feeling it hadn’t helped Nick’s opinion of him at least. "It wasn’t that exciting," he admitted, stealing a quick glance at Cooper before he turned his attention back to his spaghetti. "My mom would kill me if I came home without any pictures, though."

"Aw, how sweet," Nick muttered, growling as Cooper jabbed an elbow into his ribs. "Fuck off, man."

"Shut up, Nick," Cooper snapped before turning back to Josh again. "Ignore him, he’s just pissed because he’s North Korea and everybody always rags on the Communist countries."

Josh laughed nervously, venturing a quick glance at Nick. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he caught the other boy smirking, realizing that it was the first time he’d seen him come close to smiling. "What country are you?" he asked when he turned back to Cooper, thankful that he at least hadn’t stammered since they’d sat down.

"Taiwan," Cooper said. "It’s not glamorous like France or anything, but at least I don’t have to do much and I get an excuse to come into the city that my dad can’t give me shit about."

"You’re from New York?" Josh asked. He was sure he sounded like a hick but he couldn’t imagine living so close to New York City; the closest city to his hometown was Indianapolis and it was still a three hour drive.

Cooper nodded, setting his soda back down on the table as he gestured toward Nick. "Yeah, we’re from upstate so we come into the city every chance we get. The night life here definitely beats the social scene back home. Usually if I say I’m going with Nick my dad’s not a total asshole about it since he’s family and all, but I don’t get down here that often."

"You guys are related?" Josh asked, glancing from Cooper to Nick and then back again. He never would have guessed that they were anything other than friends, Nick was as fair as Cooper was dark and he was at least six inches taller than Cooper.

"We’re cousins. You think I’d hang out with this moron if he wasn’t related to me?" Cooper asked. Nick growled but didn’t look up, evoking a laugh from Cooper. "Like you haven’t said the same thing a hundred times."

Nick shook his head and stood up, grabbing his tray and glancing down at his cousin. "Whatever. I’m gonna go see what that cute chick from Somalia’s up to. Catch you later."

Cooper waved absently as Nick walked away, his attention already focused back on Josh. "So where you from?"

"Sandborn, Indiana," Josh answered. He set his fork down on his tray and wiped his palms on his thighs, hoping Cooper wouldn’t notice how nervous he was. Part of it was being alone in a big city for the first time in his life, but a lot of his nervousness had to do with the guy sitting across from him.

"You’ve never been to New York, have you?"

Josh shook his head slowly, his heart pounding even harder against his rib cage as he glanced up to find Josh staring at him. "To tell you the truth this is the first time I’ve ever been out of Indiana."

"Yeah?" A smile tugged at the corners of Cooper’s lips as he watched Josh blush. "Hey, what are you doing tonight? You’re not going on another tour of the Big Apple, are you?"

"No," Josh answered, smiling shyly as he stole another glance at the boy sitting across from him. "I don’t know, I think I might just hang out here."

"Well come on up to my room, we can watch a movie or something. Nick upgraded with Uncle Tino’s Platinum card, we’ve got a VCR and the whole nine yards."

Josh took a deep breath and pressed his palms into his thighs, willing himself to calm down so he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of Cooper again. He wanted to say yes, he didn’t want to hang out in his own room alone and spending the evening with Cooper definitely sounded better, even if it was just hanging out and watching movies. The thing that made him nervous was that he wasn’t sure if that was what they’d be doing, though; if Cooper and Nick had been at a rave downtown the night before there was no telling what they’d be doing in their room.

He knew he wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping his nervousness out of his expression when Cooper leaned across the table and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly before he pulled away again. "No pressure or anything, just think about it. Nick’s hooking up with some chick he met last night so I’m gonna be by myself anyway. Room 342, if you feel like it just stop by."

"Yeah, okay," Josh said, praying that his voice wouldn’t crack on two little words. He wasn’t sure why Cooper was so determined to be his friend, but if it was just going to be the two of them maybe he’d at least stop by. He smiled nervously as Cooper stood up and picked up his tray, managing a weak grin as the other boy walked away.

~

"Dude, would you quit with the fucking pacing?" Nick shook his head as he watched Cooper cross the room again and stop in front of the mirror, checking his hair for the tenth time since they’d gotten back from dinner. "What’s the deal anyway, it’s a rave. Nobody’s gonna be able to see your precious hair in the dark."

"I’m not going," Cooper said, still staring at his reflection.

"What do you mean you’re not…oh no. No way, do you have some kind of date with Geekboy?" Nick didn’t bother to check his laughter, shaking his head as Cooper finally turned to glare at him. "Oh Jesus, you do. What are you gonna do, buy him some flowers and take him to a movie?"

"Fuck off, Nick," Cooper snapped, turning away again as he searched the room for something to do besides wear a hole in the carpet. There was no guarantee Josh was going to show up anyway, chances were he was going to spend the night alone in his hotel room staring at the TV. Nick didn’t need to know any of that, though, and anyway he’d just laugh at Cooper for being such a sap. He couldn’t help it, though; if there was any chance at all that Josh was going to show up he’d take it. "I just don’t feel like going out and watching you try to get in some chick’s pants."

"Well nobody’s stopping you from hooking up when we go out," Nick said, his tone telling Cooper how bored he was with the conversation already.

Cooper shook his head but didn’t answer, throwing himself down on his bed to flip through the channels on the TV. He didn’t really want to talk about it either, he knew if he told Nick why he didn’t want to go out he’d just call Cooper a pussy. It wasn’t like Cooper had anything against casual sex, but it wasn’t really his thing. He liked to at least know the person’s name before they hit the sheets, and doing it up against a wall in some club just wasn’t safe. That thought didn’t really appeal to him anyway, not the way it did to Nick. Cooper was looking for something different, something Nick didn’t understand or maybe just didn’t want. He just wanted to make a connection with a sweet kid with a great smile from some town in Indiana, even if it was only for a couple days.

He closed his eyes and told himself to stop being such a sap, that this wasn’t some great romance. He knew why he’d invited Josh up to his room tonight, and it didn’t have much to do with making small talk about where he grew up. His stomach clenched and he wasn’t sure anymore if it was anticipation or guilt for being such an asshole.

"Whatever, sit here by yourself all night, doesn’t make a difference to me. Don’t wait up." Nick flashed a grin at Cooper as the other boy looked up, watching as his cousin pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway. He didn’t bother to say goodbye, he knew it would just give Nick another excuse to call him pathetic. Maybe he was being pathetic, but if Josh actually showed up it would be worth it.

An hour later not only was he sure that he was pathetic, but he was starting to think that Josh really wasn’t going to show up. He looked over at the clock between the beds: 8:30. "Fuck this," he muttered under his breath as he pushed himself off the bed, standing up and smoothing out the wrinkles in his pants before he headed for the door. If Josh wasn’t going to show he was at least going to salvage part of the night. He grabbed his wallet and room key and yanked the door open only to stop short, his breath catching in his throat when he found himself face to face with Josh.

He was wearing a gray sweater with little snowflakes on it over a pair of jeans; Cooper hadn’t thought it was possible for him to get any cuter, but the dorky clothes pushed it over the top. He stifled a groan and pasted on his friendliest smile, leaning against the doorframe of his room as he stared at Josh expectantly.

"H-hi," Josh stammered, his hands in his pockets and looking so nervous Cooper knew it was going to kill him to keep his hands to himself. He waited more or less patiently while Josh struggled to find his voice, occupying himself with wondering what Josh looked like under all those bulky clothes. "I thought if you still wanted to hang out…but I guess you’re going somewhere."

As soon as Cooper realized that he was about to walk away he reached out, going for Josh’s arm but misjudging the distance and grabbing his hand instead. He suppressed a grin at the look of shock on Josh’s face and lingered for a second longer than he needed to before he let go and closed the door to his room. "I wasn’t sure if you were gonna show," he said when he’d relinquished Josh’s hand. "I was gonna go get something to eat. You hungry?"

For a second he thought Josh might actually turn around and walk away, and he found himself wishing he’d just waited another minute before he let pride get the better of him and decided to go out. If he had they’d be inside right now, and maybe Josh wouldn’t look quite so nervous. Cooper wasn’t sure what the other boy was expecting exactly, he almost looked like he thought Cooper had some ulterior motive. Which he did, but it wasn’t a bad one. At least he didn’t think so, but he wasn’t sure what Josh’s feelings about that were yet.

"Yeah, I guess I could eat," Josh finally said, and Cooper let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He smiled and resisted the urge to grab Josh’s hand again, putting his arm around the other boy’s shoulders instead and steering him in the direction of the elevators.

"Great," he said as he pushed the down button and turned to look at Josh again. "You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten at the place I’m taking you. You’re gonna love it."

~

Josh followed Cooper into the crowded, noisy deli, squeezing his way through the crowd toward the counter. He glanced up at the menu long enough to order the first thing he recognized, his senses on overdrive as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Cooper and listened to him shout directions to the guy making their food. The prospect of hanging out with Cooper had been daunting enough to make him change his mind at least a dozen times before he finally forced himself to go down to the third floor, and when he saw Cooper getting ready to leave he thought for sure he’d screwed up his chance. Then Cooper had invited him to tag along and the way he’d grabbed Josh’s hand…he shook his head to clear the unsettling image from his mind, reminding himself that his jeans were too tight to let his imagination start wandering.

Still, Cooper smelled so good, and he kept touching Josh every time he wanted to point out something on their way to the deli. Josh couldn’t help wondering what those hands would feel like in other places, but for all he knew that was just Cooper’s idea of being friendly. Casual touches on the arm and the occasional arm around his shoulders didn’t mean anything, but this was all new to Josh and he was starting to wonder if he was in over his head. New York was nothing like Indiana, and Cooper was nothing like anyone he’d ever met before.

Finally their food was ready and he picked up the Coke and sandwich Cooper handed him, letting the other boy lead him to one of the only empty tables in the dining area. He sank into his seat and stared down at his food for a long time before he realized that Cooper had paid for both of them, and he reached in his pocket for his wallet.

"Forget it," Cooper said before Josh even got any money out. "It’s on me, least I can do is buy you authentic New York food on your first trip to the city. Besides, you shouldn’t wave your money around in public. That’s the one thing those tour guides get right."

Josh returned Cooper’s grin with a self-conscious smile of his own, putting his wallet back in his pocket before he turned back to the food he was too nervous to eat. Instead he picked up his soda and took a sip as he looked around the deli, studying the people at the tables around them so he wouldn’t be tempted to stare at Cooper. When his gaze landed on the couple a few tables away from them he forgot to be nervous, though, his jaw dropping slightly as he watched a gorgeous guy a few years older than him lean over and kiss the guy he was sitting with.

He had no idea how long he’d been staring, but when he felt Cooper’s hand cover his again he flinched and looked up, his cheeks burning as he realized his new friend must have seen him staring. "Does that bother you?" Cooper asked, his voice low and…no, that couldn’t be hurt in his eyes, could it? What did he care what Josh thought of those guys kissing in public?

"N-no," Josh answered, wincing as his voice wavered on a single syllable. He took a deep breath and willed his raging hormones under control, wishing that Cooper hadn’t pulled his hand away as soon as Josh looked at him. "It doesn’t, it’s just that I keep forgetting where I am, you know? Things are so different here than they are back home. If those guys did that in Sandborn they’d get the crap beat out of them."

Josh wasn’t sure how he’d expected Cooper to react, but when the other boy leaned back in his chair and shrugged Josh’s heart fell. He was totally handling this wrong, not that that was a big surprise. He was out of his element, he had no idea what to do or say or what the right answer to Cooper’s question had been. Maybe he wanted Josh to say that it did bother him, maybe he wasn’t that much different than all the guys back home that Josh had to be careful around all the time. The trouble was that Cooper didn’t seem like that kind of guy; his cousin, maybe, but not him. He’d been so nice to Josh from the first second they met, but instead of starting to understand Cooper he was even more confused now than he’d been a few hours ago.

"It’s not that easy here either, you know," Cooper finally said, his expression serious for the first time since Josh met him. "I mean somebody could see those guys and get pissed off and beat the crap out of them just as fast here as they would where you come from. Maybe there’s more chance that somebody would stop it here, but people are the same pretty much everywhere you go. They’re afraid of stuff they don’t understand, you know? But that same guy could practically do a girl in one of the booths and nobody would say anything." He stopped talking and shrugged again, glancing over at the couple in question one more time. "People just have to live their lives and hope they luck out and nobody hassles them that day."

"I always thought New York was where people came so nobody would hassle them about being themselves," Josh said. "I mean I always heard that nobody here cared what you did."

Cooper smiled and shook his head, leaning forward again to reach for his drink. "Hate crimes are just as popular here as they are in the rest of the world, it’s just that there are so many of them here that it’s not a big deal. Just another day in the big city, you know?"

Josh’s shoulders fell and he rested both elbows on the table, staring down at the food he still hadn’t touched. He felt exactly like someone had just punched him in the stomach, not only because of the pity he’d just seen in Cooper’s eyes but because he’d been naïve enough to believe that things weren’t as bad all over the world as they were back home. He felt like crying suddenly, partly because Cooper thought he was just some dumb hick from Indiana and partly because he’d been wrong all this time. He’d always assumed that once high school was over he wouldn’t have to hide anymore, he could go somewhere where he was just an anonymous face in the crowd and start over. He’d been looking forward to exploring who he was for the first time in his life instead of just wondering, burying a bunch of feelings he had no idea what to do with. The way Cooper talked about New York he wasn’t sure if that was possible, though, at least not without living in fear.

"Jesus, Josh, I’m sorry," Cooper said, and Josh realized for the first time that he was cradling his head in his hands. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Josh mumbled without looking up. He took a deep breath and pulled himself together, forcing down the urge to cry and clearing his throat before he looked up again. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just dizzy all of a sudden. Sorry."

"No problem," Cooper said, his forehead creased with worry as he watched the other boy try to smile reassuringly. "You seriously don’t look so good. Maybe we should go back to the hotel."

"Yeah, maybe," Josh said, a jolt of regret rocking him as soon as the words escaped his mouth. He didn’t want to ruin the only chance he might get to hang out with Cooper, but the truth was that it didn’t really matter anyway. He’d be heading back to Indiana the day after tomorrow, and Cooper would go back to clubbing with his cousin and whatever his life was like upstate. It wasn’t like they were going to stay in touch, Cooper was probably just amused by the naïve kid from the Midwest.

They tossed the remains of their dinner and worked their way back through the crowd, and as soon as they stepped back out onto the sidewalk Josh took a deep breath to fill his lungs again. Some of the anxiety began to fade when they were out of the claustrophobic deli, and he started to feel stupid for reacting the way he did to seeing a gay couple kiss in public. He couldn’t imagine what Cooper must think of him, he wasn’t even sure what the other boy’s opinion on the subject was. Obviously he’d thought a lot about it, though, and Josh was starting to wonder if he really had been wrong about the reason Cooper seemed so interested in him.

"I’m sorry about the way I acted back there," Josh said, his gaze glued to the sidewalk in front of him so he wouldn’t have to look at Cooper. "I don’t usually freak out like that."

"It could happen to anybody," Cooper said. "It’s your first time in a big city, you’re bound to see some stuff that freaks you out."

Josh shook his head, stopping as they reached the entrance to the hotel and leaning against the side of the building. "It wasn’t that…I mean it didn’t freak me out, seeing those guys. It’s just that my whole life I’ve lived in this little town, you know? And everybody’s the same there, they all expect you to be a certain way and if you’re not what they think you should be…" He trailed off and took a deep breath, looking up at Cooper only to find that the other boy was standing less than a foot in front of him. His pulse picked up speed and he shifted almost imperceptibly, although he wasn’t sure if he was trying to move away from Cooper or get even closer. "I just thought things would be different here."

"They can be," Cooper said, his breath warming Josh’s cheek as he spoke. "It’s not all bad, you know. Most people leave you alone, pretty much everyone here is too wrapped up in themselves to pay attention to what anyone else is doing. You’ve just gotta be careful, that’s all."

A nervous grin lit up Josh’s features as he willed himself to relax, but the heat radiating off Cooper’s body wasn’t helping. He was almost positive that Cooper was thinking about kissing him, but he wasn’t sure if it was pity or if he really was interested. "I don’t even know why I’m telling you this," he whispered.

Cooper smiled almost gently and reached up, cupping Josh’s cheek. "I think I do," he said, a nervous laugh escaping his throat as he met Josh’s equally nervous gaze. "At least I hope so."

The hand on Josh’s cheek slid behind his neck to pull him forward, and before he knew what was happening Cooper’s mouth was moving against his. Josh’s lips parted automatically, his hands closing around the front of Cooper’s jacket and yanking him forward. Cooper groaned as he found himself suddenly flush with Josh’s body, his free hand landing on the other boy’s waist as he did his best to press Josh into the concrete behind them. The chill in the air and the unyielding surface behind him was quickly forgotten as Josh sucked Cooper’s tongue into his mouth, his hands moving on the other boy’s chest without any real sense of purpose. He had no idea what he was doing, this was the first time he’d ever kissed anyone and the sensations were almost overwhelming.

None of the times he’d imagined this had lived up to the real thing, and the fact that he’d wanted to kiss Cooper since the first moment he laid eyes on him just added to the sensations threatening to short-circuit his brain. His hands slid around Cooper’s waist to tug his shirt out of his pants, evoking a growl from Cooper as he tore his lips away from Josh’s. "Josh, do you…Jesus, I’ve been dying to kiss you, but if we don’t go back up to my room we’re gonna get arrested."

Josh blushed as the fact that they were still outside began to sink in, and he reluctantly let Cooper pull away from him. He knew he was panting and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to walk all the way to the elevator, his mind was still reeling from his first kiss and he wasn’t even thinking about what "go back to my room" entailed. He had a pretty good idea, it wasn’t like he’d never watched a movie or surfed the internet. Still, he didn’t know exactly what Cooper had in mind and as much as he wanted this he couldn’t help being a little nervous.

"Hey, we don’t have to do anything," Cooper said, his hand landing on Josh’s cheek again.

Josh turned into the touch automatically, his eyes closed as his cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red. He shook himself and forced his legs into submission, pushing himself off the building and straightening his clothes. "Let’s go," he said, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. Cooper grinned and reached for his hand, and Josh couldn’t help smiling as he entwined his fingers with the other boy’s.

They stopped in front of the elevators, both of them shifting impatiently as they waited for one of the doors to open. Josh’s mind raced as he focused on the feeling of Cooper’s hand in his, Cooper’s thumb tracing circles on the back of his hand while they waited. He heard voices behind them and looked over his shoulder, eyes wide as he recognized some of the kids from their group. A rush of panic hit him and he started to pull his hand out of Cooper’s, but the other boy held tight and looked over at him. Josh sucked in a sharp breath as he registered Cooper’s expression, and he steeled himself against the urge to pull away and tightened his grip again.

Cooper grinned and turned away just as the elevator in front of them opened, pulling Josh behind him as he moved toward the back of the elevator to make room for the rest of the kids that were waiting. "Three," he said when the girl nearest the controls glanced over at them, smiling his thanks when she pushed the button for their floor. Josh kept his gaze focused on Cooper, glancing down at their joined hands occasionally so he wouldn’t have to look at any of the other kids. He didn’t want to know what they were thinking, he knew he’d probably never see any of them again but this was all new to him and as exciting as it was, it was a little scary too.

*

It was obvious how nervous Josh was, and Cooper wasn’t at all sure if he should be taking him back to his room. The guy had never done anything like this before, that much was clear by the way he reacted to those two guys in the deli. In a way Cooper was grateful that they happened to be there, because he wasn’t sure if it would have been this easy to figure out where Josh was coming from if he hadn’t reacted the way he did to seeing two guys make out in public. At first Cooper was terrified that Josh was going to turn out to be a homophobe, but the look of misery on his face when Cooper started talking about hate crimes tugged at his heart in a way Cooper never would have believed if he hadn’t felt it. He couldn’t remember ever wanting anybody the way he wanted Josh, but he knew he had to go slow and he wasn’t sure if he’d survive the pace.

He decided to ignore Josh’s reaction to holding his hand in front of people that might recognize them, it was probably the first time he’d ever even considered coming out so it was a natural reaction. He wasn’t about to let Josh duck back into the closet, though, for one thing he was pretty sure Josh didn’t really want to. What he really wanted to do was get Josh back to his room where he could work on getting him out of that stupid sweater, but he was glad they hadn’t had the elevator to themselves. Granted it was a tiny step, holding hands in front of people that knew them, but it was a step anyway. Besides, if things went the way he hoped they would tonight he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off Josh the next day.

Finally they made it back to his room and he fumbled in his pocket for his key, opening the door and gently pushing Josh inside. He paused long enough to close the door, taking a deep breath and reminding himself not to rush anything before he turned around to face Josh again. When he did his stomach flipped and a surge of desire sent blood rushing to his extremities, and it was all he could do not to push the other boy down on the bed and fuck him senseless. Josh had already taken care of the sweater for him, it was folded neatly over the back of a chair and Josh was sitting on the edge of his bed in his jeans and tee shirt. He’d kicked off his shoes and something about the sight of him sitting there in his socks made Cooper even harder. His lips were parted and his face was flushed, the evidence of his arousal clearly outlined by the denim covering his crotch.

Cooper swallowed convulsively and crossed to the bed in a few long strides, peeling his jacket off and tossing it in the direction of the chair where Josh had left his sweater. Josh in a pair of fitted jeans and an equally fitted tee shirt was a much different sight than Josh wearing khakis and a work shirt or a bulky sweater, and Cooper smiled his approval of the other boy’s angular frame. He knew he was going to enjoy the view even more minus the rest of his clothes, but it was a start and he wasn’t going to screw up what might be his only shot at Josh by moving too fast. He sank onto the mattress next to the other boy, one hand landing on Josh’s thigh. "I meant what I said down there," he said, barely daring to breathe for fear that Josh would take him up on the opportunity to back out. "We don’t have to do anything. I mean I want to…God, do I want to."

He could feel Josh’s thigh twitching under his fingers, some of the other boy’s nervousness infecting him. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what he was doing, but as hard as he tried to tell himself that this was just sex he knew it wasn’t true. He liked Josh; sure he was cute and sexy in a farmboy way and he definitely wanted him, but he found himself actually meaning it when he said it was okay if Josh wanted to back out. He wasn’t sure how exactly he’d manage it, but if Josh said that he wasn’t ready to do anything Cooper would still want him to stay just so they could be in the same room for awhile.

He was about to pull his hand away and move to a safe distance across the room when Josh leaned back a little, supporting his weight on his arms as he looked over at Cooper. The invitation was unspoken but it was as clear as if Josh had said the words out loud, and Cooper grinned as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Josh’s again. Slowly Josh sank down onto the mattress, pulling Cooper with him as they kissed. It was slower this time, more deliberate as Cooper explored Josh’s mouth and memorized his taste. His hand left Josh’s thigh to grasp his hip, pushing him gently onto his back. Josh’s hands left Cooper’s shoulders to wrap around his back and pull Cooper on top of him, their mouths still fused together as they began moving in a slow rhythm.

They both had way too many clothes on and Cooper was dying to feel Josh’s skin under his hands and mouth, but he didn’t want to relinquish the other boy’s mouth long enough to get his clothes off. Part of him was scared that if Josh had a second to think about what they were doing he’d run scared, but the rest of him just couldn’t get enough of the way he kissed. For being as inexperienced as Cooper guessed he was Josh was a natural, he had the most amazing mouth and his hands were strong and the calluses on his palms sent shivers of pleasure down Cooper’s spine every time they made contact with his skin. He was pretty sure he’d never get tired of kissing Josh no matter how many times he did it, but he wouldn’t get a chance to find out because in a day Josh would be headed back to Indiana and Cooper would probably never see him again.

As soon as the thought occurred to him he tore his lips away from Josh’s and trailed his mouth down his jaw line, stopping when he reached Josh’s neck and latching onto the soft skin there. He sucked as hard as he could as Josh whimpered and bucked up against him, his hands busy pulling Cooper’s shirt out of his waistband to slide his hands over the bare skin of Cooper’s back. Somewhere in the back of his mind some shred of rational thought made him wonder if Josh would be mad when he woke up with an angry-looking mark on his neck where everyone could see it, but for now he wasn’t complaining and that was enough to encourage Cooper to keep going. He wanted to mark him, even if it was only for a week until the bruise faded he wanted everyone that looked at Josh to know that this was his.

Only Josh wasn’t his, not really. Not in the way Cooper would like; if they’d met back home in Buffalo he knew he’d be entertaining the idea of trying out an actual relationship for the first time, but the fact was that all they had was two days. He moved back up to capture Josh’s lips again, doing his best to push thoughts of what would happen tomorrow out of his mind. "Josh," he gasped when they broke apart to gasp for air, "what do you want? We can do whatever you want, all you have to do is tell me."

For a second Josh looked confused, but his expression shifted to embarrassed as the meaning behind Cooper’s words sank in. "I don’t…I mean I’ve never…" he stammered, closing his eyes as his cheeks flushed again.

Cooper swallowed against the surge of lust that rose up in him whenever Josh got that wide-eyed innocent look, pulling away long enough to yank his shirt over his head before he settled back down next to Josh and pushed his tee shirt over his chest. He pressed his lips to Josh’s forehead, then his cheek and finally his mouth again, tracing a pattern on the other boy’s smooth chest as he waited for him to relax again. "It’s okay," he said when Josh’s breathing began to even out again, "we’ll just go slow, okay?"

Finally Josh opened his eyes and looked at Cooper, his eyes wide as he realized that Cooper wasn’t going to stop and kick him out of his room for not knowing what he was doing. He nodded mutely and reached for the hem of his own tee shirt, sitting up long enough to pull it over his head and drop it on the floor. Cooper was pretty sure this whole ‘slow’ thing was going to kill him, he was used to seeing what he wanted and just going for it without thinking about the consequences. Something about the misery in Josh’s eyes when he admitted that this was his first time made Cooper glad he’d already made up his mind to take his time, though, because he didn’t think he could live with himself if Josh’s first time scarred him for life or something.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and reached for the waistband of Josh’s jeans, slipping the button out of its hole before he slid Josh’s zipper down and slid a hand inside. He watched Josh’s face as he stroked him through his boxers, careful not to apply too much pressure and end things before they got started. When Josh tensed and bucked a little harder against his hand Cooper pulled it away, smiling reassuringly and leaning over to plant another kiss on Josh’s lips when the other boy opened his eyes questioningly.

Once he released Josh’s mouth again he pushed himself into a kneeling position, his gaze locked with Josh’s as he took hold of Josh’s jeans and pulled them down over his hips. He tossed them on the floor next to the bed and pulled his socks off before he ran his hands back up Josh’s bare thighs, his fingers skimming the edges of his boxers before he took hold of the cotton and carefully pulled it down. It turned out that Josh’s tendency to blush wasn’t limited to just his face, and Cooper grinned and took another deep breath to stop himself from leaning over and swallowing him whole.

His hands shook with anticipation and an overwhelming need as he reached for his own zipper and pushed his pants and boxers down, getting tangled up in the fabric momentarily before his brain caught up with him long enough to remind him to take his shoes off. When he finally managed to get all their clothes off he crawled back over Josh, leaning down to plant a trail of soft kisses down Josh’s neck to his collarbone. He grinned and worked his way down Josh’s chest as the other boy tried in vain to pull Cooper back down against him, ignoring Josh’s frustrated whimpers. When he reached Josh’s stomach and dipped his tongue into his navel Josh bucked off the mattress, letting out a startled gasp as his hands flew to Cooper’s hair to urge him further down.

Cooper complied happily, leaning over Josh’s straining erection and letting out a hot breath. He smiled at the shiver of pleasure that rolled through the body underneath him and ran his fingers up Josh’s length, his thumb sliding across the sensitive tip. Josh moaned and thrust up again, and Cooper gripped his hip with his free hand to hold him down as he finally closed his mouth around Josh’s length. He teased Josh mercilessly with his lips and tongue, one hand wrapped around the base to keep him from losing control too soon. A stream of incoherent words escaped Josh’s throat as he arched into Cooper’s mouth, beyond the ability to control his body’s reaction to what Cooper was doing to him.

"Oh fuck," Josh ground out between clenched teeth as Cooper scraped his teeth gently along the length before taking Josh as deep as he could and hollowing his cheeks. He finally pulled his hand away from the base, and as soon as the pressure was gone Josh moaned low in his throat and came hard. Cooper’s mouth kept working up and down his length until the shudders subsided, and he swallowed around Josh one last time before pulling his mouth away. Josh sighed at the loss as Cooper crawled back up his body, his mouth covering Josh’s and his tongue teasing the other boy’s lips open.

As soon as Josh regained the use of his motor functions he wrapped his arms around Cooper and pulled him close, tasting himself on Cooper’s tongue as the body on top of his thrust against him. Cooper swallowed a gasp as Josh’s hand slid between them to close around him, a strong, callused hand stroking him as their tongues slid together. Before long Cooper was moaning into Josh’s mouth, tensing in Josh’s grip as he lost control. When the last wave of pleasure subsided he collapsed on top of the other boy, laughing quietly as he buried his face in Josh’s shoulder.

"What?" Josh whispered, tensing underneath Cooper as he listened to him laugh.

As soon as he realized that Josh was misinterpreting his laughter Cooper summoned the energy to push himself up, looking down at the nervous-looking boy under him. "Sorry, I was just thinking that I can’t remember the last time I came that fast. I should be embarrassed by my lack of stamina but I’m having way too good of a time to care."

A timid grin tugged at the corners of Josh’s mouth as Cooper slid off him and reached for the sheet, pulling it over both of them. He knew he was going to wake up itching and possibly stuck to Josh but even that idea appealed to him, and he pressed a soft kiss to Josh’s shoulder blade as he closed his eyes and pressed his chest against the other boy’s back.

~

Josh woke up to the feeling of something warm and soft enveloping him, and for a moment he thought maybe he was still dreaming. Then the source of the warmth shifted and murmured into his shoulder, and the events of the night before came rushing back to him. He shifted as carefully as he could so he wouldn’t wake Cooper while he looked at the clock, a soft sigh escaping his throat when he realized it was already 5:00 AM. That meant in a couple hours he’d have to get up and go back to his life, and he had no idea if Cooper was still going to be interested in him after last night.

Cooper shifted against him again and Josh froze, tensing slightly as he realized that Cooper was hard. Slowly he shifted back a little, his heart skipping a beat when Cooper thrust forward again. He hadn’t had an answer for Cooper the night before when he’d asked what Josh wanted, his senses were on overdrive and he’d been too worried about not knowing what he was doing to think about what he wanted. Now that Cooper was pressed against his back, his hips moving minutely in his sleep, Josh knew what he wanted. He wasn’t sure how to ask for it, though, and the thought of actually going through with it scared him as much as it turned him on.

An image of Cooper buried inside him made his cock twitch almost painfully and he thrust back again, part of him wishing Cooper would wake up and the rest of him terrified of what would happen when he did. A hand slid over his hip and across his stomach, dipping lower to grasp his erection as Cooper’s mouth began moving against his shoulder. "Josh," he whispered, sending a fresh jolt of desire down Josh’s spine, "you awake?"

"Yeah," Josh answered, beyond caring that his voice was coming out in a breathy gasp. He thrust back experimentally, shuddering as Cooper slipped easily between his cheeks. "Cooper, would you…? I mean, I want you to…you know." He stopped talking and closed his eyes, his entire body flushing furiously as he stumbled over the words. "I want you to be the first."

He felt Cooper shudder convulsively against him, the hand that had been lazily stroking him tightening almost painfully for a second. "You sure?" Cooper finally asked.

"Yes. I want to," Josh said, irrationally pleased with himself for sounding a lot more confident than he felt.

Cooper groaned and let go of Josh’s cock, running his thumb over the slick tip before he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his thumb. Josh turned his head slightly and watched Cooper’s tongue dart out to taste Josh on his thumb, his groin tightening as Cooper slid a finger into his mouth and coated it with saliva. When he was satisfied that it was wet enough he pulled his finger out of his mouth and slid his hand down Josh’s side, his fingers dipping between their bodies and across the entrance to Josh’s body. He ignored his own urgent need as he slowly slid one slick finger inside the other boy, pausing for a moment as he watched Josh squeeze his eyes shut.

He held his breath as he waited for Josh to adjust to the new sensation, feathering soft kisses on the other boy’s shoulder until Josh began to relax. When Josh thrust back experimentally Cooper began to move, slowly stretching the opening so he wouldn’t hurt Josh any more than he had to. "Cooper," Josh breathed after a few minutes, the increased force of his thrusts letting Cooper know what he wanted.

Slowly he withdrew his finger and shifted away from Josh, stopping long enough to brush his lips against the other boy’s. "I’ve gotta get something, don’t go anywhere."

Josh chuckled softly and turned onto his back, pushing himself up on his elbows as he watched Cooper cross to the bathroom and rummage through a small bag on the counter. When he came back he straddled Josh’s legs and unscrewed the cap from a small tube, squeezing some lube onto his fingers before he dropped the tube and a condom onto the nightstand and pulled the sheet back with his free hand. He nudged Josh’s hip until he rolled over, spreading his legs as Cooper stretched out next to him and ran his hand down the smooth planes of Josh’s back. Josh shuddered as two slick fingers probed his opening, forcing himself to relax as Cooper carefully worked his fingers in and out of him. He’d expected it to feel weird, maybe to hurt a little even, but he’d never imagined it could feel this good. Then Cooper buried his fingers as deep as he could and brushed against a spot deep inside him, a jolt of pleasure blinding Josh as he clamped down on the fingers inside him.

"Like that?" Cooper asked, smiling as Josh gasped and tried to nod. He pulled his fingers away again and reached for the lube, ignoring Josh’s protests as he coated a third finger and carefully worked it in with the first two. Josh hissed at the burning sensation of being stretched wide, but even the pain felt almost good as he thrust back to meet Cooper’s fingers. He was helpless against the sensations overwhelming him, all he could do was rock between Cooper’s fingers and the blessed friction of the sheet underneath him. Every time Cooper found that spot inside him he was blinded by a jolt of unbelievable pleasure, and he practically choked on a sob when Cooper’s fingers disappeared again.

"Shh," Cooper whispered, raining down soothing kisses on Josh’s shoulders and neck as he knelt between Josh’s legs and pulled him onto his knees. Josh vaguely registered the sound of Cooper sucking in a sharp breath just before something much bigger than three fingers slid inside him. He tensed at the unexpected feeling of being completely filled, then slowly began to relax as Cooper’s hands stroked his back. He dropped his forehead down to rest against his arms as Cooper slowly slid the rest of the way in, hesitating when he was as deep as he could get. Josh sighed at the amazing sensation of having another person inside him, almost as though he and Cooper were part of the same body.

When he realized that Cooper was waiting for permission to move he moved forward, clenching his jaw as Cooper groaned and took hold of his hips. He pulled almost all the way out, pausing for one agonizing moment before he slammed back into Josh again. Josh heard a tortured moan fill the air but he didn’t even recognize the sound of his own voice; every cell in his body was centered completely on the wonderful, mind-blowing onslaught as Cooper brushed over his prostate with each stroke. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and every time Cooper hit that spot inside him he was sure he’d pass out from sheer pleasure.

He wasn’t sure he could take any more, but as soon as he thought he’d explode from all the sensations coursing through him Cooper reached one arm underneath him and began stroking him again. All Josh could do was thrust into Cooper’s hand, each stroke bringing him closer to losing his mind. He gasped as his prostate was stroked again and his whole body tensed, clamping down hard on Cooper as he came all over the other boy’s hand and the sheets. He heard Cooper groan and thrust one more time, burying himself as deep as he could before he moaned his own release.

Josh collapsed against the mattress in a boneless heap, summoning up enough energy to avoid the wet spot before he closed his eyes and waited until he could breathe again. He was vaguely aware of Cooper reaching over him to toss the condom into the trash can, their sharp breathing punctuating the silence in the room as Cooper slid down next to him and pressed their lips together. He was beyond caring that both of them needed to brush their teeth, he couldn’t even remember where he was or how he’d gotten there. All he knew was that he’d never felt so complete or so sated in his entire life, and he never wanted that feeling to end.

As soon as the thought formed in his mind a new sound filled the room, and they both looked up as they heard the lock click. "It’s just Nick," Cooper murmured when Josh tensed and tried to pull away. "He doesn’t care, don’t worry about it."

Josh blinked as he watched Cooper close his eyes again, obviously unconcerned that they were lying in a naked, sweaty heap in the center of the bed. Before he had a chance to react to that the door swung open, and he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Cooper’s neck so he wouldn’t have to face Nick. He was sure Nick hated him, or at the very least thought he was a complete idiot, and the idea of Cooper’s ill-tempered cousin finding them this way wasn’t appealing at all.

He felt Cooper shift against him and push himself up on one elbow, but he didn’t look up to see what Nick thought of the situation. He didn’t want to know, he just wanted to lie there and die of humiliation. Evidently Cooper took pity on him because he felt a blanket land on top of both of them, followed by a low chuckle from somewhere in the vicinity of the bathroom.

"Guess I was wrong," Nick said, and Josh blushed even harder as he imagined what they’d been saying about him. "Looks like Geekboy moves faster than I thought."

"He can hear you, asshole. Don’t be a dick," Cooper shot back, although Josh could tell by his tone that he was as amused by the situation as his cousin.

"Aw, and here I thought you liked dick."

"Depends on who it’s attached to," Cooper answered, chuckling softly as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of Josh’s neck.

Josh knew he should be bothered by the fact that they were talking about him as though he wasn’t there, but part of him was just grateful that Nick hadn’t showed up ten minutes earlier. He knew he never would have lived through that, and the thought of dying of a heart attack in some hotel room in New York wasn’t appealing at all. He could just imagine how they’d explain that one to his mom, starting with what he was doing in somebody else’s room and ending with why all his clothes had been on the floor when he died. A nervous laugh escaped his throat as he pictured his mother’s face, he knew Cooper would probably think he was crazy but it didn’t matter.

"Whatever, I’m gonna hit the shower. Getting close to showtime, France might wanna get a move on. Can’t have one of the world powers showing up late and covered in you on the big day."

"I’d tell you to go fuck yourself but I’m afraid you’d do it in the shower and I’m gonna wanna use it when you’re done," Cooper said, stretching lazily as Nick laughed and closed the bathroom door behind him. "He’s gone," Cooper whispered in Josh’s ear as he latched onto an earlobe and sucked.

Josh shivered and opened his eyes, scowling at the amusement in Cooper’s features when the other boy pulled back to look at him. "Very funny."

"Aw, Josh, I’m sorry," Cooper said, but the grin he couldn’t quite manage to wipe off his face ruined any sincerity he was hoping to pull off. "He really doesn’t care. Besides, I’ve had to lie here and listen to him and enough girls to make up for it, believe me."

A soft sigh escaped Josh’s throat as he pulled out of Cooper’s arms and sat up, scanning the mess of discarded clothes on the floor for his boxers. "It’s not just that," he said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as he reached for his boxers and pulled them back on. He bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder, wishing he could just tell Cooper the truth. The last ten hours had been the best hours of his life so far, and even though he was only seventeen he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to top this. Tomorrow he was going to have to go back to Indiana and go back to pretending that he was the guy his mom and his friends wanted him to be, and the idea of never seeing Cooper again bothered him more than he thought it would. "Forget it. He’s right, I should get back to my room and get cleaned up."

"Yeah, okay," Cooper said, frowning as he watched Josh pull the rest of his clothes on. "Look, I really am sorry about Nick, I know he’s a jerk but he doesn’t mean most of it."

Josh shook his head and forced himself to smile as he pulled his tee shirt over his head. "It’s fine, Cooper, really. I’ve just gotta get going or we’ll be late."

He followed Cooper’s gaze as he glanced at the clock, sighing as he realized how late it really was. Cooper climbed off the bed and reached for his own boxers, pulling them back on before he followed Josh to the door. "So I’ll see you later?" he asked, making Josh’s heart skip a beat as he registered the uncertainty in the other boy’s voice.

"Sure, of course," Josh answered. He reached for the doorknob just as Cooper’s hand closed around his, and he let himself be pulled back into the other boy’s warmth. Cooper’s hand landed on the back of his neck to pull him forward, and Josh swallowed against the tightness in his throat and fused their lips together. When they finally parted he cleared his throat and pulled the door open without looking at Cooper, afraid that if he looked into those eyes again that he’d blurt out everything he was feeling.

~

Cooper looked over at his cousin long enough to glare at him, but it only made Nick laugh even harder. "Oh man, you are so far gone it’s pathetic. You were just supposed to nail him, not fall for him."

It was true that Nick didn’t mean half of what he said, and Cooper knew him well enough to know when he was serious. They’d grown up together, they were only born two weeks apart and they’d practically been raised as brothers. That didn’t stop the sudden irrational urge to punch Nick square in the face, though, and it must have showed on Cooper’s face. "Shut up," he hissed, turning back toward the front of the room to stare at the back of Josh’s head.

"Dude, I’m sorry. Seriously, you know I didn’t mean it. I mean I don’t get it, but if you like the guy that much…you know, good for you or whatever. I just don’t get why you’re acting like your best friend just died. I mean he’s obviously into you too, so what’s the problem?"

Cooper considered ignoring Nick for the rest of the day just to teach him a lesson, but about thirty seconds into that plan he relented and leaned toward his cousin without looking away from Josh. "I don’t know, I mean the way he left this morning was weird. There was something bugging him but he wouldn’t say what, and he hasn’t looked back here once all morning. You’d think he’d at least look back here, I mean come on, after last night…"

"Whoa." Nick held up one hand, effectively silencing Cooper as he cast a quick glance around to make sure the rest of their section was pretending not to listen to them. "Dude, you know I love you more than my own brothers but I so do not need to hear the details about whatever you two did last night. I’ve still got visual left over and believe me, it’s not pretty."

"Sorry," Cooper said, although the look on his face let Nick know that he didn’t mean it for a second. In fact it was the first time he’d seen Cooper smile since his new boytoy left their room that morning.

"Whatever, the point is that you went and set your sights on some virgin from the sticks. He was bound to get all attached. Never sleep with a virgin, way too many strings."

Cooper shook his head without ever taking his eyes off Josh, scowling as he wondered what the hell he was thinking down there by himself. Every time Josh shifted in his chair he could tell that he was feeling Cooper inside him again, and the surge of propriety that hit him every time he pictured it took him by surprise. "That doesn’t make any sense." He finally tore his gaze away from Josh long enough to glance over at Nick. "I like him, he likes me, where’s the problem?"

"The problem is you’re a complete moron," Nick said, rolling his eyes without looking at Cooper. "Didn’t you say he lives in Iowa or something?"

"Indiana."

"Whatever. The point is he’s going back to the middle of nowhere tomorrow and you’re probably never gonna see him again, man. So you either play nice and tell him how much you like him and you get one more night between the sheets, or you act like you don’t care and break his little heart. Personally I’d go for door number two, because if you offer to keep in touch or something crazy like that he’s just gonna write you sappy letters about how much he misses you and then you’re gonna feel guilty hooking up with anybody else while he’s out in the Bible Belt pretending to hate fags."

"I don’t think Indiana’s in the Bible Belt," Cooper said absently.

"Like I care." Nick snorted and stretched his legs out into the aisle, rolling his neck on his shoulders as he tried and failed to get comfortable. "Holy fuck, I am beat. Isn’t it lunch time yet?"

As soon as he said it the moderator stood up and announced that it was time to break for lunch, and Nick let out an exaggerated sigh as he unfolded himself from the tiny chair. "It’s about goddamn time," he snarled, glancing around at the kids closest to him as someone muttered something under their breath about why certain people bothered to show up. He stifled a laugh and glared a little more menacingly as he followed the reason he bothered to show up at these things through the crowd. Not that he’d ever admit it even to Cooper, but he knew the only time his cousin ever really felt like himself was when they got a few days of freedom in the city. He knew how much Cooper’s father hassled him about responsibility and being a man, so he put up with stuff like this for Cooper’s sake. He still wouldn’t admit it to Cooper, of course, but there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his best friend.

Out of the corner of his eye Nick glimpsed the opportunity to do something else for Cooper, and he reached through the crowd and closed his hand around an arm clothed in possibly the ugliest sweater he’d ever seen. "You’re in New York, go shopping for fuck’s sake," he muttered as he pulled the sweater and its owner out of the crowd.

Josh glanced down at his clothes, confusion marring his features for a moment before he flushed and looked up again. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could answer Cooper stepped in front of Nick, oblivious to whatever his cousin has said as he focused on Josh. "Hey. You wanna eat with us?"

"Yeah, sure," Josh answered, swallowing nervously as Cooper looked him up and down.

"You guys aren’t seriously gonna hang around here all day," Nick said, careful to sound as disinterested as possible as he glanced meaningfully at his cousin.

"We’ve still got a whole session this afternoon," Josh said, glancing between the two boys as he tried to decide what they were driving at. "We can’t just leave."

Nick rolled his eyes and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, digging through its contents until he found the slip of paper with the phone number he was looking for. "What are they gonna do if you blow it off, kick you out of the program? Who cares, right? You’re both seniors, aren’t you?" Josh nodded when Nick glanced at him, his raised eyebrows indicating he expected an answer. "So there you go. The only reason people do this crap is to look good on their college applications. It’s not like the school’s gonna call to make sure you did everything you were supposed to while you were here. All they care about is that you got selected."

He dug around in his pocket until he found his cell phone, flipping it open and punching the number into it before he looked at Cooper again. "I’m outta here, I’ll meet you tomorrow before check-out. I’d tell you not to do anything I wouldn’t do, but I don’t wanna spoil the rest of your vacation." He glanced at Josh one more time and laughed, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to his cell phone and walked away.

"He’s got a point, you know," Cooper said, leaning close enough to Josh to breathe in the scent of shampoo and spearmint.

"Yeah, but it’s the last day," Josh answered, although the idea of spending the rest of the day with Cooper instead of sitting in a stuffy auditorium sounded more tempting every second.

Cooper shrugged and glanced in the direction of the door, watching as the last of the group disappeared into the hall. "It’s up to you," he said, sighing for affect as he turned back to Josh and affected his most innocent smile. "But if we bail on the last session we could go out and take in some of the sights. There’s this great store in the village, really cool vintage clothes. Come on, Josh, live a little. When are you gonna get back to New York?"

Josh hesitated for a long moment, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he considered the consequences of bailing on the end of the program. Cooper reached out and eased Josh’s lip free with his thumb before he leaned forward, teasing the other boy’s mouth open with his tongue. When he pulled away again Josh was breathless, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to say no. "Okay. But I can’t…" He trailed off and looked down at the floor between them, closing his eyes as he tried to decide the best way to say something like this to someone like Cooper.

"What?" Cooper asked, his hands on either side of Josh’s neck as he tried not to panic.

Finally Josh let out a frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes, telling himself he didn’t have any reason to be embarrassed. And anyway it wasn’t like he was going to see Cooper after tomorrow, so if he laughed at Josh or thought less of him it didn’t matter. "I haven’t got a lot of money," he finally admitted. "My parents split up when I was a kid and my dad took off, so we’re pretty much broke all the time. The only reason I’m here is because the school gave me a scholarship."

"Jesus, Josh, I thought you were gonna tell me to keep my hands to myself or something," Cooper said, a relieved grin lighting up his face as Josh looked up at him. "Don’t worry about it, it’s on my dad. Whatever you wanna do today, I’ve got it covered. Okay?"

"I can’t let you do that," Josh said automatically, shaking his head at the idea of Cooper paying his way.

Cooper laughed and leaned forward to plant another kiss on Josh’s lips. "You’re amazing, you know that? Stubborn and a little jumpy, but you’re pretty cute when you’re all nervous. Just think of it as a date. You’re in my neighborhood so I pay. When I’m in Indiana you can take me out."

"Yeah, like you have so many reasons to go to Indiana," Josh said as Cooper took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the door. He hoped Cooper couldn’t hear the nervousness in his voice, but the thought of Cooper actually wanting to visit him made blood pound in his ears and his palms sweat.

"I only need one," Cooper answered softly, casting a meaningful glance over his shoulder as he pushed the door open. Josh stifled a gasp and followed Cooper out of the auditorium, his grip tightening on the other boy’s hand as they headed for the elevators.

~

"Hey, hey, watch the shirt," Josh said as Cooper pushed him back on the bed, a wicked grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as Cooper stopped to glare at him. "Well I didn’t say stop."

Cooper rolled his eyes and eased the buttons of Josh’s new shirt out of their holes, careful not to loosen any of them in his haste to get the other boy out of the clothes they’d picked out for him. He’d never actually taken anyone shopping before, and until he met Josh he couldn’t imagine wanting to. Sure, he cared how he looked, but he’d never paid much attention to what other people were wearing until Josh had walked out of the dressing room in his shiny blue shirt and the black pants he was still wearing. He’d never seen anyone that shocked that they could look fashionable, and he had to admit that playing sugar daddy was sort of fun. It was even worth his dad making him work off the credit card bill on the weekends, which he was pretty sure was exactly what would happen.

Once they’d found Josh the perfect outfit they’d stopped long enough to eat and then pretended to be interested in the sights in Manhattan until neither of them could stand it anymore. By the time they got back to Cooper’s room he was so turned on that he had no idea how he’d managed not to just rip Josh’s clothes right off him, but he was pretty sure that would ruin the mood. Besides, he liked the idea of Josh wearing his new outfit back home in Sandborn; he had a feeling the snowflake sweaters were a lot more acceptable in Josh’s hometown than electric blue would be, but if Josh was going to take a few baby steps out of the closet Cooper was going to help him however he could.

When Josh’s shirt was safely unbuttoned and tossed as carefully as Cooper could manage onto a chair he pushed the other boy backwards, taking a moment to admire the mark on the side of his neck before he leaned down and latched onto the other side. Josh moaned and thrust up against him, earning a chuckle from deep in Cooper’s throat as he let his hand wander down over Josh’s stomach. He eased Josh’s zipper down and slid a hand inside, teasing the other boy with his fingers as he moved down to Josh’s collarbone and began to suck again.

"You’re not a vampire, are you?" Josh gasped, his hands in Cooper’s hair as he arched into the other boy’s touch.

Cooper laughed and pulled back, straddling Josh’s waist and looking down at his work so far. "Considering we just spent the whole day out in the sunlight I think you’re safe," he said, trailing his fingers over the bruise that was already forming on Josh’s collarbone.

Josh grinned and sat up, yanking Cooper’s shirt open far less carefully than Cooper had done for him. He pushed the cotton off the other boy’s shoulders and leaned forward, latching onto an exposed nipple and using his tongue to tease it until Cooper was gasping for breath. "Fuck," Cooper hissed as he tried unsuccessfully to find some friction to relieve the ache in his groin. "Fast learner."

He gripped Josh’s hair and pulled his face up, capturing the other boy’s mouth with his as they fell back against the mattress again. Josh groaned and bucked up against him, spreading his legs until Cooper was flush against his body. They rocked together, moaning into one another’s mouths as their hands explored every inch of exposed skin. Finally Josh tore his mouth away from Cooper’s to gasp for breath, and Cooper moved down the expanse of exposed chest to suck on the smooth skin of Josh’s stomach. He could feel Josh straining against the fabric of his pants, bucking up uselessly as Cooper held him down on the mattress. When he was satisfied that the fresh mark would last awhile he pulled away, sliding down Josh’s legs as he pulled his pants and boxers down in one fluid motion.

As soon as Josh was undressed he stood up, crossing as quickly as possible to the bathroom to fumble in a drawer for a fresh condom. Finally he just grabbed the whole box and made his way back to the bed, pulling one out of the box before he tossed the extras onto the nightstand. Josh glanced over at the nightstand and raised his eyebrows, reaching for the lube they’d left there before he turned back to Cooper.

Cooper laughed at the look on Josh’s face and tore open the condom wrapper, tossing it in the direction of the trash. "I wasn’t planning to go through the whole box or anything," he said, his eyes widening a little as Josh reached out and pulled the condom out of his hand. He watched as the other boy slid the latex down over his straining erection and coated it with lube, his breathing erratic as he somehow closed his hand around the tube Josh handed him. "We do have all night, though."

A shiver rolled through Josh at the implication and he let Cooper push him back against the mattress, suddenly wondering if he was going to be able to walk tomorrow, let alone sit on a plane. Then Cooper began working his way down Josh’s chest again and he lost any ability to think, focusing on the warm, wet mouth planting soft kisses on his stomach before it finally slid down his length. He gasped at the first touch of Cooper’s tongue on his sensitive head, his eyes rolling back as Cooper worked his mouth up and down the length of Josh’s shaft. A moment later that wonderful sensation was gone and Josh’s eyes snapped open, but Cooper was already moving lower and then his knees were being pushed toward his chest.

He barely had a second to register what Cooper was doing before he felt something soft and wet push into him, and he moaned at the unbelievable new sensation. Before long he was panting helplessly, he could hear himself begging Cooper for something but he wasn’t sure what he was asking for. Then Cooper’s tongue was gone and he felt a familiar burning sensation at the much larger intrusion, but as soon as the pain started so did that amazing feeling of completion. Cooper leaned over him to fuse their mouths together and Josh couldn’t care where his tongue had just been, he parted his lips automatically as he relaxed and thrust up to draw Cooper as far inside him as he could.

When Cooper finally broke the kiss Josh opened his eyes to find the other boy watching him, bright eyes studying his every reaction as they rocked together. He fought the urge to close his eyes, wanting to watch Cooper when he came this time. It was probably going to be one of the last times he got the chance, no matter what Cooper said about visiting him in Indiana. He knew better than to believe promises like that, even if Cooper meant it now there was no telling how he’d feel tomorrow or the day after that. Once he got home and went back to his life he’d probably forget all about Josh, so he’d just have to make tonight count for as much as he could.

Too soon Cooper tensed and let out a low moan as he thrust one last time into Josh, his whole body shaking as he squeezed his eyes shut and came. Josh clamped down as hard as he could to pull Cooper even further into him, smiling as Cooper shuddered against the new sensation. He was definitely going to be sore tomorrow but in a way he was glad, because that meant he’d be able to feel Cooper inside him all the way home. He bit his lip to keep from moaning when Cooper pulled out of him and leaned over the edge of the bed to toss the condom, his teeth sinking even further into his lip when Cooper knelt between his legs again and leaned over.

He closed his mouth around Josh’s still aching erection, his lips working as fast as he could up and down the other boy’s length. Josh’s orgasm took him by surprise, and he thrust forward reflexively as Cooper swallowed around his length. When the last wave of pleasure subsided he melted into the mattress, eyes closed and chest heaving as Cooper stretched out next to him and trailed one hand down his chest to finger the bruise already forming on his stomach. "That’s a really weird place for a hickey," Josh said without opening his eyes. He smiled at the sound of Cooper’s laughter, fighting off a wave of sadness as he wondered if he’d ever hear that sound again.

"I want to see you again," Cooper said, his other hand in Josh’s hair as he carded his fingers through the dark strands.

"I’m right here," Josh said, frowning as he wondered if Cooper wanted him to leave. He wondered suddenly if maybe Cooper had plans for the night that didn’t involve Josh, but he was the one that said they had all night. Besides, Josh was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stand up right now even if Cooper wanted him to.

Cooper shook his head against the pillow, leaning forward to press his lips to Josh’s forehead. "No, I mean after tomorrow. I don’t know how this stuff works, I’ve never actually done anything like this before. I really like you, though, Josh. So I want to see you again, if you want."

Josh finally opened his eyes to focus on Cooper, shaking off the last fingers of sheer exhaustion as Cooper’s words finally sank in. "Yeah, I’d like that," he said, all his nervousness returning as Cooper gazed back at him. "It seems pretty impossible, though – I mean you live here and I’m going back to Indiana tomorrow."

"I’ll figure it out," Cooper said, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. The truth was his father was probably going to ground him until college when he saw the damage Cooper had done to his credit card balance, but he couldn’t make himself regret it when he remembered the way Josh had looked when he tried on those clothes. And anyway it was just one outfit and an admittedly expensive lunch in the village, he could pay his dad back from his savings account. He looked down at Josh again, smiling as he reminded himself that it was definitely worth getting grounded. "One of the advantages to being a spoiled rich kid."

"You’re serious," Josh said, but it wasn’t so much a question as it was a confirmation. He couldn’t believe anyone would go out of their way to see him, especially not someone like Cooper. "Why?"

"I just told you," Cooper answered, pushing himself up to crawl over Josh and settle between his legs again. He fused their lips together, his hands moving in slow circles on Josh’s hips as Josh slid his arms around Cooper’s back and did his best to get their bodies into the same space. When they broke apart again Cooper reached up to push a lock of hair away from Josh’s forehead, his heart in his throat as the other boy stared up at him expectantly.

"I’ve never had a boyfriend before," Cooper said, his heart racing as he prayed he wasn’t pushing things too far too fast. "I mean I’ve gone out with guys and fooled around some but I’ve never liked anybody enough to want to keep things going long-term. Figures the first guy I meet lives in another state."

Josh matched Cooper’s nervous grin with one of his own, their hearts pounding in tandem as he realized what Cooper was telling him. Maybe he’d change his mind in a week, it was possible – hell, probable – that Cooper would get over the charm of having a boyfriend when Josh wasn’t around to have sex with him on a regular basis. Still, it was a nice idea, and he was pretty sure that Cooper meant it at the moment. "Well I’m going to college in Massachusetts, that’s pretty close to New York," Josh said, his smile widening. "Don’t tell me you’re going to Berkeley or something."

Cooper laughed and shook his head, leaning forward to press his lips to Josh’s again. When he pulled back he smiled as innocently as he could manage and ran his fingers over Josh’s kiss-swollen lips. "What college are you going to?"

"Daleman, it’s right on the coast. It’s pretty small but they gave me a full ride so I’m not complaining."

"Huh." Cooper smiled again and rocked his hips against Josh’s, grinning at the breathy gasp that escaped the other boy’s throat. "That’s great, Josh. You’ll love the East Coast, it’s a great place to live."

The End