Pizza-Date

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POV: Bible

The moment Jes had said, "An old friend of mine," Bible felt it, that faint, creeping sensation crawling up his spine. Not jealousy, not exactly. More like... a warning. An instinct. Something in the way Jes shifted in his seat, in how careful his tone suddenly became, was off. Too careful. Too polite. Bible had seen Jes be flustered, annoyed, even bratty—but not this. This was the kind of restraint people used when they were guarding something personal.

And then there was her.

Natty—soft-spoken, elegant, glowing in that effortless way. Her long hair fell in waves like something out of a shampoo commercial, her skin clear and radiant, and those round eyes framed by lashes that looked almost cartoonishly long. There was something calming about her, something unbothered. A kind presence. He could see why someone like Jes, who always had to be strong and composed, might've once leaned on someone like her.

Meanwhile, Bible thought, What am I in comparison?

And yet that subtle little pang kept echoing in his chest, especially when he caught the way Natty looked at Jes. Like she saw something fragile in him. Something tender. Something Bible was sure Jes never showed him.

He didn't blame Jes. If they had something real once—if they still had something now—well, then that was that. Bible had walked into this arrangement with no expectations. Fake rings, fake smiles, fake future. He could live with that.

But then Jes glanced at him with a flicker of guilt, and that stupid little sting deepened.

Damn it, Bible thought, this isn't supposed to matter.

But it did. More than he wanted to admit.

Still, Bible schooled his face into something casual, cool—leaning back like he was completely unaffected. Like his heart didn't just hitch at the sight of Jes sitting next to that girl, all comfortable and nostalgic.

He told himself he'd get over it. That he wasn't the type to get hung up on someone who didn't even belong to him.

Old friend, my ass, he thought.

"I'm happy you're here Bible," Jes said, his voice careful. Like he was trying to defuse a bomb he may or may not have wired himself.

Bible tilted his head slightly. Oh? That was... new. Jes's cheeks were pink, and he couldn't quite meet Bible's eyes. Suspicious. Very suspicious.

"I think we interrupted something," Natty said with a little laugh, glancing at Bas like maybe they should leave.

But Bible, oh Bible, was a natural-born chaos machine. And when chaos called, he delivered.

"We just came to say hi. Don't want to keep you from catching up after all this time," Bible said smoothly, grabbing Bas by the arm. "We were gonna go race anyway."

Bas blinked. "We were?"

"Yeah. Definitely." Bible tugged again.

Jes stood, a crease forming between his brows. "Wait—no, you two can come with us. Let's grab something to eat."

"We just ate," Bible replied flatly, cool as ever.

"No, we didn't—" Bas started, before Bible pinched him hard.

Bas yelped. "Right. Yeah. Super full. Couldn't eat another bite."

Bible nodded solemnly. "But there's a really cute pizzeria downtown. Perfect for two old friends reconnecting." He shot Jes a grin. "I'll send you the location."

Jes blinked. "I don't even like pizza."

"It's really good pizza," Bible said, already pushing Bas toward the door. "You'll like it. Promise."

Jes opened his mouth to protest, but Bible was halfway gone already.

"But—"

Bible heard it. Loud and clear. But he didn't stop. Didn't turn around. He just kept walking, jaw clenched, fingers tight around his phone like maybe that would stop them from curling into fists.

Behind him, Jes stood frozen in the doorway. God, Bible was infuriating. Impossible. Unreadable.

And Jes hated that a stupid part of him still hoped Bible would turn around anyway. But he didn't. And Jes was left staring after him, heart thudding, wondering what the hell just happened.

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As they climbed back onto the motorbike, Bas didn't even bother hiding his glare. He looked at Bible like he'd just committed a felony.

"You're such an idiot," Bas said, shaking his head in pure disbelief.

Bible buckled his helmet with a frown. "What? What did I do?"

Bas scoffed. "Are you kidding me? Did you not see the signs?"

Bible blinked. "What signs?"

Bas threw his hands up. "The signs all over Jes's face! The 'please don't go' sign. The 'I'm so glad you're here' sign. The 'I like you, you emotionally stunted moron' sign!"

Bible rolled his eyes. "You're reading too much into it."

"Am I?" Bas shot back. "Are you sure you don't like him?"

"I'm sure," Bible said.

He wasn't. Not even a little. He'd told himself he didn't, but watching Jes sit there next to Natty with that soft look in his eyes? That hurt. More than it should have.

Actually, scratch that. He'd come there to see Jes. Just to check in. But now? Now he found himself wishing Jes would follow him. Say his name. Stop him.

But of course he wouldn't. Not after Bible practically shoved him into a date with someone else.

"So..." Bas asked, raising an eyebrow. "We going on a race?"

Bible stared straight ahead. "No. I'm going home."

His voice was short. Clipped.

"See ya," he muttered, and then he took off, the roar of the engine cutting through the air like a frustrated scream.

He didn't know what he was doing anymore.

He just knew he needed to clear his head, because somewhere between pretending not to care and pushing Jes away, he'd lost the plot.

And now he had to find his way back. To himself.

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Back at home, Bible tossed his keys onto the counter and dropped onto the couch with a loud sigh. A moment later, he grabbed his phone and, without adding a single word, sent Jes the location of that damn pizzeria.

Jes saw it.

Read.

No reply.

"Tch." Bible scoffed bitterly, flinging the phone face-down on the table. "Yeah, sure. No time to text back, huh? Too busy with your ex-lover, right?"

He hated the way that sounded. Hated that it hurt.

In a desperate attempt to shut down the hurricane in his head, Bible tried everything.

Gaming? Lasted five minutes before he started imagining Jes laughing over pizza, maybe wiping sauce from Natty's lips.

Home workout? Did three sit-ups and had to stop when the thought of Jes possibly holding Natty's hand gave him a sudden burst of irrational push-up energy and then a minor cramp.

Reading? The words blurred together, and before he knew it, his brain had replaced the book's couple with Jes and her.

He couldn't take it.

He ended up pacing around the kitchen island like some restless ghost. Maybe cooking would help?

Nope. Appetite? Dead and buried.

He caught himself opening random cabinets, not looking for anything—just moving. Just not thinking. But of course, his mind had other plans.

Maybe they kiss, he thought, his stomach twisting so hard he had to grab the counter for balance.

Maybe... they—

"GOD DAMMIT!" he shouted, and before he could stop himself, his fist hit the cold stone wall with a sharp crack.

"Fuuuck—" he hissed, cradling his hand as tears sprung to his eyes. From pain. And frustration. Mostly pain. Maybe.

He turned toward the wall, slapped himself lightly on the cheek. "Don't be a drama queen, Bible."

But it was no use. His mind was a mess, his chest a battlefield, and Jes was out there, on a pizza-date—while he was here losing it.

In the end, Bible found himself at the kitchen table, elbows on the surface, chin resting on his folded arms, gaze locked on the front door.

Waiting.

Wishing.

Hoping, against every ounce of logic, that maybe, just maybe, Jes would come home.

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And then—the door opened.

Bible's head shot up and his eyes locked on the figure stepping inside. For a moment, he just stared, blinking as if unsure Jes was real and not some mirage conjured up by his desperate imagination.

Wait. That's it? Bible glanced at the clock on the wall.

Only one hour? That was... a fast date. His stomach gave a small smug. Not that he cared. Obviously.

Jes stepped inside. Slowly. Quietly. He shut the door with more gentleness than Bible thought necessary. Then he bent down to take off his shoes.

Bible stood up, not sure what he was planning to do, confront him? Hug him? Start a passive-aggressive performance piece?—but mostly to get a better look at Jes's face. He wanted to read him. Crack the code. Scan for signs: regret, guilt, indifference... anything.

But Jes didn't look up right away.

When he finally did, eyes meeting Bible's across the room—something shifted in the air. No words. Just the sound of their breathing, the distance between them, and something heavy pressing down on both of their chests.

Jes's eyes flickered, like he'd expected Bible to be exactly where he was—waiting.

And Bible?

Bible felt that stupid lump rise in his throat again.

He swallowed it.

Of course Jes came back. Of course he did. But what the hell had happened out there?They just stood there, caught in that silent pull between what if and what now.

"You're... already back?" Bible asked, voice low. He stood still, the muscles in his chest tightening, flipping nervously as if trying to prepare for whatever came next.

Jes didn't answer right away.

"Mmh," he just hummed, lips pressed into a tight, unreadable line. His whole body was tense.

Bible's tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Was the pizza good?"

He regretted the question the second it left his mouth.

Jes looked up sharply, his eyes locking onto Bible like a storm targeting its eye. Angry. No—furious. But then, almost in the same breath, the rage cracked, revealing something else beneath. Sadness. Frustration. And then—that flicker. That raw, flickering heat in Jes's eyes that made Bible's pulse jump into chaos.

His palms went slick. His breath stuttered.

Jes said nothing, just kept staring at him like he was both the problem and the only possible solution.

Then suddendly he moved. He walked toward Bible with a force that felt like a threat, like he might throw a punch or start yelling.

But instead—

Jes kissed him.

Hard. Fierce. Desperate.

Bible gasped, stumbling back from the sheer intensity of it, his lower back hitting the cold edge of the kitchen island with a hiss. He gripped the counter for balance, but Jes didn't let him go. One hand wrapped behind Bible's head, fingers weaving into his hair, gripping like he wasn't planning on letting him breathe until he understood everything.

Bible didn't move away. He couldn't. He didn't want to. All that tension, all the jealousy, all the confused longing exploded between.

Jes tasted like frustration, like pain, like everything he couldn't say with words—and Bible kissed him back just as fiercely, fingers gripping Jes's waist, needing him close, finally.

It kind of... hurt.

Their lips mashed together with more heat than finesse, more hunger than grace. Bible felt the sting of teeth, the roughness of their mouths crashing. And the scent—Jes's scent, one he'd come to know without even realizing—was suddenly everywhere. It was in his nose, on his tongue, it was like eating him, consuming him.

He sucked on Jes's lower lip, not caring how messy it got, and Jes let out a breath so ragged it bordered on a growl. The kind of sound that made Bible's knees weak. Made him moan into Jes's mouth, clutching the fabric of his shirt like he might float away if he didn't.

They were burning.

Hot. Desperate. Clumsy.

Neither wanted to stop, and yet—eventually—the kiss broke. Slowly. Just enough for Jes to lean his forehead against Bible's, both of them breathing hard, eyes closed like they were catching their balance on a cliff edge.

Bible nearly sighed—exhaled with longing and regret—because he didn't want it to end. Not even for air.

Jes's hand stayed at the back of his head, fingers woven into his hair, like he was afraid Bible would slip away if he didn't hold on.

"Took you long enough," Bible murmured, breathless, voice low and almost smug—but his eyes said something else. Something softer.

Jes opened his eyes, locking with his, pupils blown and lips swollen.

"Never send me to eat pizza with anyone again," Jes whispered, equally breathless.

Bible's lips twitched into a lopsided grin. "Mh. Promise."

Jes's breath ghosted over Bible's lips, their noses brushing, that electric tension still dancing in the small space between them. And then—

Jes kissed him again.

Slower this time.

And Bible smiled into it like it was the first real breath he'd taken all day.

It wasn't enough.

They kissed like they were trying to memorize each other. Tongues exploring, lips tugging, teeth grazing in that messy, hungry way that blurred lines and made everything else disappear. Jes kissed over Bible's cheek, his nose, even his closed eyelids, each one like a quiet promise. Bible gasped when Jes's mouth found his neck, hot and wet, then sharp as he bit down, marking him, nibbling. He giggled—actually giggled—when Jes moved back up to press a kiss to his temple, only to nip at his ear.

Their bodies were flushed, close, touching everywhere they could in the cramped space between the kitchen counter and the weight of their shared breath.

And then Jes stilled.

His hand hovered against Bible's jaw, his eyes serious—burning—but there was hesitation there too. That look. The one that said, If we do this now, I won't hold back.

Bible froze a little, breath catching. His cheeks turned a deep red, hot and splotchy.

"I never—" he mumbled, barely audible.

Jes leaned in, brushing the softest kiss over Bible's lips. Just a whisper of contact.

"Me either," he confessed, voice quiet and just as unsteady. The tension snapped again, but this time it felt different—more fragile, more honest.

Bible swallowed hard, nerves and fire warring inside him.

"I don't mind to try..." he said, voice trembling but sure.

That was it.

Jes moved before Bible could rethink it—hands slipping low, under the curve of his thighs, lifting him like he weighed nothing. Bible let out a surprised yelp as he was hoisted up onto the cold marble of the kitchen island, the chill biting through his clothes and pulling a shiver from him. Jes stepped in close, slotting perfectly between his legs, warm and steady where Bible suddenly felt like he was trembling.

Their foreheads touched again, breathing the same air, hearts pounding like they were in sync.

Jes's hand pressed against Bible's hip, firm, grounding.

"I'm not rushing this," he whispered.

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POV: AuthorFUUUUUCK—finally!!! I was screaming. Kicking my feet. Biting a pillow. Do you know how long I've been waiting for these two idiots to kiss?