Reverse Rivalry

Sweet II

"Why do I always feel like you're kidnapping me?"

Skylar's fingers played on the wheel as he hummed to the music playing in the car. Jale had the window down and his blonde hair was being blown by the wind out of his face. He looked relaxed and naturally radiant as the night lights around them reflected on his skin. A small smile played on his lips and his shirt rippled across his chest in symmetry with the breeze.

"Because I am kidnapping you,"

"Funny, Mr Lain,"

Skylar stepped on the breaks gently causing them to slow down a little. He looked over at Jale silently for a second before responding with a smile.

"What? Do I need to be more convincing?"

"You're plenty convincing just sitting there with that devilish smirk on your face,"

"I can be even more convincing," Skylar answered in a lower octave this time. Jale's eyes moved from the city streets and finally settled on him. His smile was gone as he gazed at Skylar as if he was playing with fire, a raging one.

Skylar's smirk stretched. He pressed on the breaks even more slowing down the car to a stagnant pace. The road was empty as it always was at this time of night.

Jale lifted his hand to rub over his throat while he did a pathetic attempt at clearing it out loud. He didn't keep eye contact for long, returning his eyes to the windshield. His hands moved to his shirt neck and he tugged at it as if it was choking him.

Ah, the car wasn't even hot but the bead of sweat that rolled down Jale's neck indicated that somewhere Jale Kierson was feeling incredibly feverish.

"Aren't you taking me out on a date? Or are you going to eat me?"

Skylar debated his answer as he stepped on the gas again and sped up passing a yellow light before it turned red.

"A late-night date can only mean one thing Jale,"

"Sex,"

"No," Skylar chuckled wondering if this frazzling, tense but calm atmosphere around him and Jale was even real. The surrealism made him feel even more lightheaded than yesterday.

The smile spread wider on his face. His lips hurt but to stop smiling was impossible. Jale's eyes were on him again, sinking into the side of his face, observing him with an intent he could feel all too clearly.

"You're just doing it on purpose now," Jale said very low. If the car wasn't quiet, Skylar was sure he wouldn't hear it.

"Oh, art thou my lover, what am I doing on purpose?"

"Ruining me,"

Skylar stepped on the breaks as he approached a red light and looked over at Jale. For a second, that statement lingered between them like a static synoptic charging the air.

"Do you want me to ruin you even more?"

Jale didn't answer but turned back to the windshield again while letting out a shaky exhale.

"Greenlight,"

Skylar resumed their journey with a knot in his stomach that kept getting tighter and tighter as the day went on. His grip on the wheel tightened. He tried to remind himself that he had an agenda today. If they were to be a couple, he had many things to fix, too much in fact that it was haunting him.