makinglies | There are no cats in America

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There are no cats in America

Moving to a new country is difficult but if you're a child it seems impossible. True, things had been terrifying with the bombings and soldiers and the news of that their government had been doing behind the country's back. Thirteen years old, but Albert still reads the news, still listens to the radio. Soon after they're on a boat, crammed in with other emigrants chattering in a cacophony of languages, pushing and shoving. There were other children, but mostly Albert opted to keep to himself, helping his mother but otherwise holed up in their tiny shared cabin and waited to see the spines of Lady Liberty's crown welcoming them to what his mother calls "a land of new opportunities". Albert, always a practical child, just hoped it would be a land of fresher air.

It's been a few months since then. They'd arrived at the start of summer with New York City sweltering. With his mother working two jobs and a little saved up, they'd managed to get a small fan and some other things for the little apartment, but despite the hardships they'd managed to make a nice little life for themselves in this new country. Their community on the lower east side is friendly and breathes of home in Dresden, or so Albert feels. He even made friends with the old man who runs the bookshop on the corner, his son having been claimed by the war on the side of the Allies. He'd also been named Albert, and the man would often reminisce in German and sometimes share the haribo candies he'd always have around. He may be the only friend Albert had made, but he was content with that.

Even so, as the weather turned colder and fall set in, Albert's mother enrolled him in school. Albert had always liked school back home, strict as it was, but here in America it seemed all the other boys were so loud and tall and frightening. He'd mostly stayed away from other children since arriving, but now he's been thrown in the front of a class and as the teacher pushes him to introduce himself to the room every eye is on him and he can't help but fidgit and look anywhere except at all the unfamiliar faces.

"Ha-hallo, I-I am Albert Heinrich..." He trails off, brutally self conscious at his accent and flushing a red which he knows reaches his ears. The teacher - Miss Jones - waits for an interminable moment to see if he'll say something else, then simply shoos him to an empty desk with some annoyance and begins to write the day's lesson on the blackboard. Safe for the moment, Albert sinks as low as he can in his seat and pulls his oversized newsy cap down around his ears in an attempt to hide the fact that they're still pink.

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He should have known Jet would ask. He should have known a question like that is tantamount to giving himself away. This entire conversation is like playing with fire. "I-I'm just curious."

There were trace amounts of nervousness in Jet's tone when he asked. Was that just Albert projecting? Or was it really there? Was he worrying Jet somehow? Come to think of it, it's not the best question to ask someone who just told you they like to get with other guys when they had to watch a whole stupid film on it in health class. Really that entire reel was more of a cautionary tale against going off with strange adults than anything else, but the teacher made it clear his thoughts about 'deviancy' as he put it. "I mean, I might, um..."

Were they deviants? Did it matter if they weren't hurting anyone? At least he knows Jet won't condemn him for it, but the fact that Jet is the very reason he's having all these feelings in the first place makes it so much harder to talk to him about it. "There's a guy..."

Too late he realizes Jet is going to want to know who and Albert ducks under his comforter again.

So there was someone. And now here came the butterflies and the swirling thoughts of who and just how long Albert had felt like that and why couldn't it be him--? He gathered the comforter tightly around him and sat up, scooting so he could lean on the side of the bed and peek over at the blanket-lump that was his best friend.

"Who is it, Al? And don't try and get out of this, you're the one that brought it up." Albert had dug his grave by asking Jet all this and asking him about Leo when Jet hadn't wanted to talk about it for the next fifty years at least, so now he had to lay in it.

His mind sped through a list of all the guys it could be, some in the music program at school, some who drifted around the library more than most and some who were in their classes. There were a few possibilities, but none of them stood out overly much.

"...It's not Scott is it?" His thoughts caught on a relatively gorgeous guy in one of their classes, blond, tall, bright green eyes and ridiculously clever without being overbearing about it. Jet could see him being attractive to Albert...they could go off and be brainy together and Jet definitely couldn't compete with a guy like that.

Jet hoped it wasn't him.

"Scott? What makes you think Scott?" It's enough of a surprise guess that Albert removes the blanket from his head to look at Jet as if the other teen suddenly declared himself president of space. "He's so boring! All he talks about is his car and his family's house in the Hamptons, which I'm pretty sure he's lying about. I mean, what's he doing in public school if they have a house in the Hamptons?"

Point made, Albert has time to notice just how close Jet is to him now and he shrinks some, the blanket covering his nose. "A-anyway, it's not Scott. I-I don't really want to talk about it because I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me back like that even if he's my friend."

Jet shrugged, inwardly relieved it wasn't Scott, Jet admittedly found him boring too and wouldn't have wanted to hear about him if that had been the case.

But Albert's refusal to spill was frustrating. 'His friend' narrowed the list already in his head since Albert's list of friends was pretty small and a lot of them were girls to boot, so who the heck was it?

"Look, you picked at things I didn't want to talk about, just tell me, it's not like I'm gonna rat you out or anything, you should know better than that." Jet didn't tell secrets that weren't his to tell.

He scrabbled through the list again, hating every name that ran through his head more and more. And then it stopped and all the names fell away as an idea tore through and left an agonizing mix of excitement and nervousness in its wake.

"Al...is it me?" He wished he could eat the words the second they were out of his mouth but his filter had always kind of sucked so it was inevitable they'd surface eventually. Why would it be him? After everything Albert knew now it just seemed too unlikely. But he had to ask or he'd just sit around wondering forever.

Why did Jet have to be so perceptive? Why did he have to open his mouth in the first place? Why'd he get dragged to America anyway?! Why anything?! Not that it matters. He's not the kind of person Jet goes for. He's not tall or dangerous and he's kind of a square a lot of the time.

"It's okay if you don't like me back." The stutter is gone in favor of a sharp quickness, Albert backpedaling furiously in an effort to preempt the awkward letdown he's so certain is in his immediate future. "It's really way more important that we're friends and I really didn't want to say anything because so much happened today already and I don't want to add to it or make you feel bad at all so we can just forget it and pretend nothing happened and go to bed."

He mangles the edge of the blanket in his hands, looking at it instead of at Jet. He couldn't stand to see that shocked face of his best friend turn into one of pity or even resentment.

Jet's face was definitely one of shock and that previous mix of emotions exploded and turned into something so tangled and convoluted that he didn't even dare try to name it.

Slowly, he extracted his arms from the cover of the blanket and reached for the hand covered in bandages. His eyes found his own fingers, tentatively brushing along the bandage before growing bolder and curling around his friend's hand.

"We're always going to be friends, no matter what....but d'you know why I changed my mind with Leo? He wasn't the person I wanted to be with....He wasn't you."

His face caught fire at the declaration, but he managed to force his eyes up to see Albert's face, heart in his throat and butterflies in his stomach, but a little more sure than he'd been before.

"I like you too, Albert. Have for a long while now...I just never thought you'd like me back so I never..." He shrugged, his words running out on him.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when Jet's hand covers his but instead he's perfectly still, barely even breathing out of the fear that he'll break the moment somehow, that he'll wake up and things won't be this way at all. It's more likely it's a dream, that has to be it. There's no way things would turn out like this and Jet reciprocates and actually always did. He raises his left hand to pinch himself just to make sure, letting out a hoarse 'ouch!' and then his eyes go wide.

Not a dream, then. This is real. Jet's really telling him this and Albert's stomach turns into a knot of nerves and happiness, butterflies rattling like a tilted pinball machine inside him. He wets his lips nervously with the tip of his tongue. "Really...? But... but why? I'm not, I mean-"

It doesn't make sense.

The fact Albert felt the need to pinch himself to check if he was dreaming made Jet smile and scattered one or two butterflies, though hardly enough to really make a difference.

His face only heated more--if that was possible--when asked why. How could Albert not know? Really? He wasn't any good at explaining stuff like this, but he'd do his best because his best friend deserved to know how amazing Jet thought he was.

"Because...you're really smart and good at a lot of things and you're kind and care about others and always seem honest about that. Some people would be bullied like you've been and shrink away but you got stronger because of it, braver...hell, a lot more than I even realized. You're kind've awesome."

He looked away, choosing the blanket to spill the more intimate reasons to rather than those light eyes.

"And...even beyond that...you've always had my back and been there for me. I-I don't know where I'd be without you...and I mean that, so don't laugh or anything. Plus, you're pretty good looking and that sure doesn't hurt."

He gave a half smile, pausing as those butterflies decided to fly in loops for a little while. "I know...you probably think someone like Leo's more my style but...he was just the guy that came along...it's always been you, Al. Guess quiet egghead's more my style." His voice turned teasing at that last bit in an attempt to lighten things after he'd pretty much just put his heart out there.

Edited 2014-01-29 07:10 (UTC)

"Well I just- I mean- Th-that's what decent people do..." He can't get any more words out, it's as if the blush in his own cheeks puts out a static that drowns him out with how intense it is. Jet likes him. Like likes him. And not because he ever had to do anything different but just because he is the way he is.

Jet likes him for the same reason he likes Jet; for being himself.

"Jet, um..." Albert tightens his fingers in Jet's, the bandages tightening and stinging his bruised knuckles with the tension but it's a badge of honor, a testament to how far he'd go to protect Jet, to how much he cares about him no matter what. His voice drops to an embarrassed whisper but there's something reverent in his hesitation. "Can I... can I kiss you?"

Jet looked up slowly, a little surprised by the question, not for what was being asked, but the fact he was being asked at all. His first kiss and any kisses after had been taken, not asked for--not that he'd protested at all at the time--so it hadn't really occurred to him that that wasn't just 'how it was done.' After all, people almost never asked in movies or comics or anything either...and yet Jet found he actually kind of liked the fact Albert had asked, it made him feel like he was actually giving what he wanted to give instead of going along with it.

He smiled a bit. "Yeah...I mean...I'd like it if you did."

His free arm braced on the mattress and he leaned in a little more, his eyes already starting to close in anticipation of finally having Albert's lips on his.

Albert tries not to be overeager but he meets Jet halfway, all the reasons why he should have waited racing through his mind. His lips are chapped, what if his breath smells? Oh god they had fish for dinner his breath definitely smells even though he's brushed his teeth and what if he's not a good kisser? He's never kissed anyone romantically how is he supposed to know and what if he's so bad that Jet laughs at him?? Maybe this was the worst idea ever and he should just find some hole to crawl into where he can waste away and rot in peace!

But then his lips are on Jet's. And his lips are soft and warm and very gently parted and every thought but that goes flying out of Albert's head leaving a blanket of blissful white and gentle awareness that his hand is still in Jet's and that's perfect.

It's not an explosion of sensation like he was expecting, it's something warm and comfortable. Something real. It's enough to make his eyes sting all over again, but he just closes them tighter for a moment until the sensation fades--he's already cried once tonight he doesn't need start acting like some chick.

Gently, he moves his lips against the older teen's, coaxing and showing what he knew and the emotions behind them rather than try to explain.

The kiss was still soft, but he pressed into it a little harder in a desire for more, his free hand coming up to rest lightly on the back of Albert's neck.

Cheeks burning red and chest feeling light and squirmy, Albert almost ducks out of the kiss in a bout of sudden shyness. He'd only today realized he liked Jet as more than a friend and already here they are, Jet's hand brushing the hair at the nape of his neck and Jet's lips moving to part his, to show him how it's done. It's enough to make him want to blush and giggle and hide his face like a girl.

He's got the blushing part down, anyway.

Instead of pulling away, instead of giving in to his psyche suddenly reminding him that he's shy and this is way outside his usual comfort zone, he listens to something else instead, the urgent voice that had him punch Leo, that had reminded him just how important Jet is to him, the one that's telling him this is exactly where he wants to be and Albert kisses back a little more boldly, his heart so far in his throat he's certain Jet can taste it on his lips.

Albert's kissing back more and Jet wants nothing more than to lose himself in that, but the angle's a little awkward and he wants to be closer to Albert anyway so...

He paused, pulling away a moment and answering any confused look with a light kiss on the lips--a silent promise he wasn't done just yet. He stood, pulling his hands back to him to catch the blanket and keep it from falling away from his chest. Carefully, he climbed onto Albert's bed and laid half next to and half on his friend, their chests pressed together with Albert's blanket acting as the only barrier between Jet's exposed skin and the other boy.

Then his hand was back on Albert's and the other back in silver hair as he leaned in to continue the kiss, this time full of affection and confidence rather than timid exploration.

Jet's movements hypnotize Albert. The way he presses a small kiss after the long one to Albert's lips. The way he holds the blanket up in a gesture of decorum that seems out of place for someone so bombastic but still perfectly natural all at once. The way he somehow looks graceful as he presses his knee on the mattress, making the wrought iron bed frame creak quietly as he adds his weight.

Albert's hand clutches at Jet's when he finally places it back in the German's grip, clinging for life even as the rest of him tenses up, heart pounding at being so close, his trouble in the shower coming back to haunt him with a vengeance. After all, this is what he'd thought of. Being able touch and taste and feel, but somehow like this it makes something in his head pop and every shred of confidence he's built since coming to this country falls in a scattered pile of bewilderment that it could actually come true.

He realizes he's breathing hard when they break to breathe again and tries to calm down, though it doesn't work so much as make him sound all the more nervous. "I-I don't... um... I've never..."

It's ridiculous and Albert hides his tomato face in Jet's shoulder with an utterly helpless laugh. "I don't know what to do."

Jet's own confidence ebbs a bit but he pulls back to kiss Albert's forehead lightly in an attempt to cover. "I don't really either..I mean I guess I have an idea but I've never...you know..either. We could figure it out together...if you want? I mean, if you want to wait that's fine, I understand, it's probably kind've sudden and I'd be just as happy just doing this too, I just..."

His eyes fell to the blanket, a nervous slightly self deprecating laugh escaping him. He was talking in circles and he realized if was because he didn't know how to say. 'Id like to sleep with you, but I don't want you to regret it in the morning.' After all, Jet had wanted this for a while, but that didn't mean Albert did, what if he was just doing this because he'd thought he was going to lose Jet? People always panicked and clung on to things when faced with the possibility of losing them.

He didn't doubt Albert cared about him, but that didn't mean he was ready for this.

"I just...want to make you happy."

"I am happy." He says it shyly and without eye contact, but it's the truth and it comes with a little snuggle of his cheek into Jet's shoulder. He'd thought Jet would be more boney; he had been when Albert had fallen asleep on him on the bus when they'd taken a class field trip to the Natural History museum a couple years ago, but time had passed since then and they'd both grown. Albert's been noticing that about Jet all night in spite of himself and he's still noticing it now.

"But I think..." He should stop being such a loser and sound cool, right? He should make Jet feel the same way he's feeling, safe and wanted. And God is he wanted. Sex is a big step when they'd only just confessed minutes ago but his body keeps thrilling every time Jet looks at him, let alone touches him and he's incredibly grateful for the thick comforter that lets him hide the thoroughly distracting problem.

Right, okay, sound cool. He looks at Jet, trying for a roguish grin and dropping his voice a bit to sound husky. "I think we'd be happier naked."

Only his voice cracks and he's too stiff and it all comes off as so childish and ridiculous that he bursts out laughing and has to stuff his face in the pillow so as to keep quiet and hide his complete humiliation. "Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

Jet can't help but try and bury his own embarrassed laughter in Albert's shoulder. He appreciated the effort but that was so not Albert, it was just ridiculous. "Sure...no problem."

He took pity on his friend and leaned in to kiss him again, half for want of the contact again and half to distract as Jet threw the comforter around him on the floor and climbed under Albert's blanket instead.

He curled in close to Albert's side but then hesitated. Now that he could actually touch like he wanted, his nerves were ten times worse. What if he wasn't any good at this? What if they did this and Albert decided he actually didn't like it?

Jet swallowed the lump of insecurities and slowly brought his hands up to lightly touch Albert's chest, each brush of fingers gentle, but growing bolder with every centimeter gained. His hands curled at Albert's sides and he leaned in for another kiss, this time accompanied with a subtle shift that allowed him to rub their hips together. The feeling of Jet's already excited body in contact with the older boy 's sending sparks shooting through his lower half and then through the rest of him.

Edited 2014-01-29 19:44 (UTC)

Jet's touching him. Jet's touching him and it feels so perfect and warm to have those long fingers against his skin, calloused from playing guitar. Every nerve sparks where those fingertips brush, goosebumps rising and causing Albert to have to force himself to stay still not because he's nervous but because each shiver is so good he wants to savor them but they're mingling together with every slip of skin on skin.

Tentatively he brings his hands to Jet's sides as they kiss, carefully placing them just above the redhead's hips and letting each finger fall individually. The volume of him, the way Jet's body curves and contours seems to fit perfectly against the natural hollow of his palms, like that's where his hands belong. His hold tightens just slightly as Jet moves, pressing against him, rubbing against his already stiff length through their pants and dragging a soft and breathy moan of pleasure, marinated in want and hormones that forces Albert's face to turn brilliant shades again all the way to his ears.

Albert's moan gets a pleased hum in response and Jet's fingers continue dancing around that broad chest. He wanted to touch every inch of Albert, but he also wanted to get straight to causing more of those wonderful sounds. His thumbs found the older boy's nipples and circled around and over them while his lips moved to find that soft patch of skin just below his ear.

He was half working off guess and daydreams and half off things he'd seen mixed with some things Leo had shown him. All in all he hoped it was working. "Al...try and keep quiet."

The last thing they needed was for Albert's mother to find them.

Of course, Jet was hardly being helpful on that front when one of his hands slid down pale skin and slipped under fabric to gently curl around hard flesh with the sand care someone might handle something fragile.

Those fingers draw a rough gasp as they circle his nipples, Albert being forced to literally bite his lip as Jet's own work at his neck, sending a visible shiver up his spine and making him tense, his hands gripping perhaps a little tighter than they might normally on Jet's sides.

"Y-you're making it... difficult.." he breathes in a hissing whisper, trying desperately to keep his head from spinning and his volume low. He gasps again at Jet's hand, forcing him to hide his face in Jet's hair just at the feeling of any contact with his already twitching heat. He feels as if he might burn up and the intensity of it -- the fluttering in his chest, the feeling of Jet taking care of him, the nervousness that he'll do something wrong and wreck everything -- is completely overwhelming. "J-Jet I want to, I just... c-can we go a little slower? Please?"

He seems to shrink just a little, curling into Jet with red cheeks and an anxious expression lest Jet be disappointed. "I don't want to mess this up."

He pulls his hand back and moved both palms to Albert's back, his face burning at his own over-eagerness. "Yeah...sorry."

Jet paused, hesitating on what he should do, but also giving them both a chance to breathe. His lack of knowledge was painfully obvious to him and was making him falter. "I don't think you can...but I don't want to mess this up either."

He pressed in close again, just letting skin touch skin and their legs tangle together while his thoughts spun. A tiny frustrated part if him wondered if he shouldn't have just let Leo do what he was going to do so maybe Jet would actually have an idea of how this was supposed to go, but it got pushed aside easily enough with the visual of Albert still having come to find him only to find that instead. No he definitely wouldn't have wanted that, even awkward and hesitant, he preferred this.

His lips found Albert's in a gentle, slow kiss. "What do you want me to do?"

Edited 2014-01-29 21:03 (UTC)

"I don't know, but that feels nice." He keeps his lips close, hovering over Jet's so when he licks his lips out of nervousness his tongue accidentally brushes his friend's lower lip.

Eyes dropping closed, he presses in again, a slow kiss of exploration, trying different movements of his head and tongue to see what gets the best reaction. Albert's hands hesitantly also begin to move, palms running from Jet's sides and up his back, pulling the younger teen to him in an embrace to where he's certain Jet can feel his heart pounding in excitement. He hooks one foot behind Jet's ankle, pressing up bodily just enough so their hips meet again and his breath hitches; it's the hand that was too much right away. This, though. This is a slow and steady grind and it sends tingles through Albert from head to toe.

A small mewl of desire and pleasure escapes into the kiss and one of his hands slides down to grip at Albert's hip. He definitely didn't want that particular sensation to stop.

His other arm crept further up Albert's back so his hand could grab at his friend's shoulder and hold him close. One particular angle Albert experiments with has Jet responding a little more, deepening the kiss with enthusiasm but still laced with that care; a side effect of not wanting to go too fast again or make the older teen feel uncomfortable.

Once he had to break for them to breathe again, however, he doesn't go far, keeping close enough for their lips to brush still, but brandy eyes open to see Albert's face and he places a few more light kisses on and around Albert's lips.

"...I'm glad I decided to wait for you. Even this...just being close..I like this a lot more."

"You sound like a girl." He says it as a defense against the beats Jet saying so made his heart skip, against his face going a dark red again and his neck and ears going pink to match. He likes the attention, the way Jet focuses only on him, the way the redhead places his hands to be sure that they're comfortable. The way Jet makes him feel like something special. He likes it so much it's embarrassing and makes Albert just a little self conscious. Well, more than a little.

But he would still give anything for this night to last forever.

"I'm glad too." His face remains flushed but Albert forces himself into eye contact, looking up with silver eyes. "I think I was jealous even before I realized I was."

Albert reaches up to brush Jet's bangs out of his face and watch them fall right back in the younger teen's eyes, reveling at how the coppery sheen catches even the dimmest of light in the room. "It was a weird feeling."

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