Simon pulled into the parking lot of the clinic. Damian was already waiting, legs swinging like a little kid. Simon swallowed hard, feeling more like a lecher than usual. It didn’t help that Damian was dressing less like a hooker these days. Currently, he was in jean cut offs that stopped above is knees and a loose, clingy v-neck shirt.

He stood and slipped into the car. “I get the results in a few days.”

Simon nodded. “Uh… Have you ever gotten a STD before?”

Damian ducked his head but nodded. “Chlamydia. Twice.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Damian shrugged. “Once was from Bob. The only time I didn’t use a fucking condom. The other time the condom broke.” He sighed and yanked a hand through his hair. “I thought I had caught HIV for awhile. From Bob again. He was screwing five of us steadily and still slept around. Fucking sex drive was unbelievable.”

Simon stayed silent, unsure what to say. Damian didn’t seem to have the same problem. “I didn’t care you know. That he slept around. I don’t think I’ve ever been with anyone who wasn’t screwing other people. I mean, I was a whore for over three years and then ended up in high school.” He snorted. “And slept with horny students who really just wanted a body underneath theirs.”

Simon glanced at him. “I-”

“Don’t bother.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t really care anymore. About sex. I don’t remember the last time I really got off on it. I mean, when it was first starting, it was terrified and later, I was just- just numb, I guess. At least people pretended to care about me when I had sex with them. Well, everyone that wasn’t paying and Bob. Johnny was probably the sweetest out of all of them. Doctor Opus’s son, Johnny,” he clarified. “Although we never actually had sex. Probably just as well…” He trailed off.

Simon remained silent.

Damian shake his head violently. It seemed to knock him out of his contemplative mood. He uncrossed his arms and looked over at Simon.

“So who did you do today?”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, Simon flushed violently. “What are you talking about?” He congratulated himself when his voice came out even.

Damian was unimpressed. He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I totally didn’t notice the fucked up hair and swollen lips. So, was it good?”

Simon just flushed darker, flashing back to earlier. He had called Damian’s name as he came. He couldn’t blame it on sexual tension, not anymore.

Damian snickered. “That was either very much a yes or very much a no.”

Simon waited for the next dig, but it didn’t come. He risked a glance over and found Damian  staring out the windshield, eyes glassy and distant.

When he spoke, his voice was once again soft and vague. “I hope it was good. Do you like the person?”

Simon hesitated for a long moment, but finally answered. The young man already seemed pretty positive he had made love with someone so he supposed there was no point in denying it. “Yeah, I like him.”

“Do you love him?”

“No.” There was no hesitation on Simon’s part. Damian was too jaded to think sex only happened when you loved someone.

“Have you ever fallen in love, Simon?”

Simon shook his head, realized Damian was staring out the front window and not even looking at him, and answered aloud. “No, I’ve never fallen in love.”

“Do you believe in soul mates? You know, one person for everybody.”

Simon stayed silent for a long time, lost in thought. Eventually, as they were pulling into his driveway, he said, “Yes. Do you?”

Damian shrugged. “I don’t know anymore.” He laughed softly. “When I was a kid- and I mean a really little kid- I did. Then… stuff happened and I didn’t. Didn’t even believe in love. I think I might now though.”

Simon wavered, unsure if asking another question would be pushing too hard. He decided to risk it in the end. “What changed your mind?”

“I think I might be falling in love with you.”

Simon froze as Damian unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped out of the stopped car. He stayed immobile, too shocked to move, eyes trained on Damian’s retreating form, but not seeing anything.

Light spilling out of the open door and the loud happy greeting of Lord and Lady knocked him out of his daze. He scrambled out of the car, not bothering to lock it, and hurtled to his house. “What?”

Damian looked up at him, tilting his head to the side. Simon knew that gesture. It generally meant he was curious about whoever he was  talking to or about because he thought he or she were being stupid. “That’s all you have to say?” His voice dripped with disdain and disbelief. “’What?’ The right answer when someone confesses to you is normally rejection or acceptance. Not ‘what.’”

Simon flushed, eyes narrowing into a glare. “If this is one of your attempts to-”

“I’m not ‘attempting’ to do anything.” He looked affronted. “I meant it. All of it. Including the ‘think’ and ‘might’ bits too, so relax. I haven’t decided yet if I’m actually falling in love or not.”

Simon gaped, before snapping his mouth shut and forcing his brain to stop running in circles and cooperate. “I’m sure this is just the first time you’ve felt safe and taken care of-”

“Naw, Jett took pretty good care of me. This is the most sheltered I’ve felt in awhile.”

Simon refrained from glaring and pushed on. “Fine, well, I’m probably the closest you’ve come to a father figure-”

“Nope. Your nothing like my daddy.”

“Father figure. As in what father’s are actually supposed to be like. You’re probably just confusing thoughts of comfort with-”

“Love? Hardly. Once again, perfectly comfortable around Jett and not feeling particularly warm and fuzzy around him.”

“Warm and fuzzy?” Simon snorted, temporarily side tracked.

“Figure of speech. Easier to describe.”

Simon took a deep breath. “Can you try? Describing what you feel?”

Damian gave him a startled look. “Wha-” He cut himself off. “Wow, I sort of  expected you to go on another rant about you being twice my age, a teacher besides, and not interested. What changed?”

Simon blushed furiously. “Ah- uh… Well, you see…”

Damian gave him an incredulous look and Simon realized it had been a rhetorical question. His face turned even darker.

Damian stalked closer, ignoring the still happily jumping and running dogs. He closed the distance between them and leaned against Simon’s chest, looking up at him through thick lashes. A smirk played along his petal pink lips. “You’re interested now, aren’t you?”

Simon’s brain short-circuited. Later, that was the only explanation he could come up with for his subsequent actions. He grabbed a handful of Red hair and yanked the slender boy up to his height, attacking his soft lips single-mindedly.

The redhead’s mouth went slack underneath the assault, his lips parting compliantly and his hands slipping to his sides.

The swift complete submission stunned him and took the wind from his sails. He jumped back as if burned, leaving Damian to blink after him as he fled to his bedroom upstairs and the privacy offered.

He collapsed against his door, sliding to the floor, eyes wide and unseeing. He had just- “Fuck!” he muttered, smacking his head backwards and feeling more like an out of control teenager than he had in years. “Fuck my life.” He smacked his head against the door again and sighed gustily. “Fuck.”

He staggered to his feet and trudged over to his desk before collapsing on the chair and shoving the keyboard out of the way before crossing his arms and leaning his head on them. He took a deep breath and then let his mind whirl out of control, rationalizing what he had just done, explaining away his actions and thoughts, giving reasons for Damian’s words and how they had affected him, searching for solutions.

His little tête à tête had obviously not helped him calm down. It was like a bite of food when someone was starving- just enough to wet the appetite Simon groaned and smacked his head hard against the desk. He was attracted to Damian and on more than just a physical level.