This is a cont. of that chapter in THS where Zach notices that Arnold doesn't wear underwear to bed. Idk, I just can't stop thinking of boys going commando. Fight me.
Zach stared at his ceiling. He did not know why his thoughts still plagued this image, this idea of him.
He was right there and he could kiss him now. If he wanted to. He could go over there and kiss him and Arnold would not say a word of protest. Zach felt something blossoming in his chest just thinking about it. He could hold his hand, kiss his fingers, breathe in the scent of his hair. He was his.
Zach rolled to the other side of the bed. But why couldn't he go over there and kiss him now?
It was still early in the night. Lights off just a few minutes ago, and he could practically feel the glow of Arnold's flashlight from this side. He was reading one of his library books again, squinting in the dark and Zach was truly unsurprised that he needed glasses.
Those round glasses that perched on the bridge of Arnold's nose, that he liked to scrunch up his nose to pull close to his eyes instead of using his hands.
Zach wanted to touch those glasses now, pull them aside and press his mouth to Arnold's. He couldn't stop thinking about his soft lips and gentle hands. Fingers that caressed his skin like Zach was made of the same parchment in his books.
He twisted around again. There was no way he could go to bed with these thoughts in his head. Impossible.
"Hey," Arnold whispered. "Are you awake?"
Zach's heart skyrocketed through the roof. He swallowed and licked his lips. "Yeah."
Neither said anything for a while.
Then Zach slipped out from underneath his covers and padded over to Arnold's bed. "Hey. What are you reading?"
Arnold put the book away. "Doesn't matter."
His fingers found Zach's wrists, tugging gently until Zach relented and snuck eagerly under Arnold's warm covers.
"Hey," he said again when their faces were so close together that Zach felt cross eyed.
He smiled. "We should push our beds together."
Arnold hummed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You're too big for my bed?"
"Never," Zach hurried to say.
Arnold grinned, so Zach snatched his glasses and put them away.
"What'd you do that for?" Arnold asked, trying to get them back but Zach set them on the bedside table, well out of his reach.
"This." He leaned in and kissed Arnold, gently and softly.
Arnold smiled against his lips, applying just the same amount of pressure back.
They tangled their legs, pushing their chests together to feel closer. To feel their heartbeats against one another.
"Careful," Arnold breathed when Zach almost fell off the side of his bed. He pulled him even closer to him. "Maybe we should push our beds together."
"Maybe we shouldn't," Zach said as he used their proximity to his advantage and pressed more kisses to Arnold's skin.
Arnold pushed harder against him. "I like the way you think."
Zach huffed a laugh. "I bet."
He climbed over Zach, straddling him but still pressing their chests together. Their hips brushed and he was suddenly reminded of that time. When he'd learned about Arnold's special bed time routine.
He felt heat travel between his legs, pressing his hips harder against Arnold's just to feel it.
Arnold moaned, stretching his neck out as he bucked his hips.
"Fuck," Zach hissed, moving his hips harder.
They hadn't done anything like this before. Only small things like rubbing against one another or palming one another over their school pants.
It thrilled Zach to the core, feeling the thin material of Arnold's pants against his own. He wanted skin against skin.
"Can I?" He reached between them, teasing the hem of Arnold's pants.
He nodded, lifting his hips up. Zach held the hems gently, tracing his thumb over the skin underneath before pulling it down.
It was too dark to make out much of what he would have seen in the light, but Zach couldn't care less.
He was touching him now. Feeling his shape with his fingers and holding him gently in his hand.
"Zach-"
"Do you always sleep without?"
Arnold nodded, eyes hooded.
"Do you ever leave them off?" his voice had gone low, vibrating his throat as he spoke.
"Sometimes."
Zach's hips moved involuntarily.
"Zach, please."
So Zach reached between them with his hand and worked his way up and down while rolling his hips until Arnold had to bite his own tongue to hold back a cry.
"Ar-" his breath shook with release.
Arnold pulled him in for a kiss. "You like that I don't wear it," he said, sounding amused and breathless at the same time.
"Only idiots would let that pass." Zach kissed him back passionately.
"Stay," Arnold locked their fingers together in a solid grip.
Zach stayed in his bed until the morning, where they both had to get up for a much needed shower.
Idk.
