Seven Minutes
The Dalton-Dobry prom may have been the event of the academic year, but the unspoken knowledge between the students was that the real party came afterwards. Spencer wasn’t sure who’d suggested Seven Minutes in Heaven, but it seemed to have been effective enough in finally getting some of the pent up feelings out of his friends.
The Dalton-Dobry prom may have been the event of the academic year, but the unspoken knowledge between the students was that the real party came afterwards.
Usually held in Hanover, figuring that their teachers would be least suspicious of any untoward behaviour taking place there, and that the covering of trees would shield any visual or audible activity; the Brightmans would provide an abundance of alcohol from an unknown source, sitting back and watching the chaos ensue with wide grins on their faces.
Spencer wasn’t sure who’d suggested Seven Minutes in Heaven, but it seemed to have been effective enough in finally getting some of the pent up feelings out of his friends. The aim of the game involved spinning the bottle and escaping to some hidden away corner of the building to make out for seven minutes with whoever it had landed on. Justin and Charlie Amos had been on each other the moment the bottle had stopped spinning, and Spencer wrinkled his nose at the realisation that his sister and Hope Clayton had been gone for about half an hour.
He took a sip of his drink – something fruity – and looked across to where Merril was sat cross legged in the circle, laughing with some of the Dobry girls. She, like everyone else, was still in her prom dress, but along with the other girls, had long ago discarded her heels, as the boys had discarded their jackets. She’d placed her crown in Spencer’s room as soon as they’d gotten back to Hanover, the two of them taking five minutes to share kisses and laughs between themselves before joining the party. Spencer smiled to himself at the memory, and suddenly found himself lurching forwards as someone thumped him on the back.
“How’s it going, Spence?” Danny grinned as he sat himself down beside him. “Not worried she’s gonna get stolen away during this, are you?”
Spencer rolled his eyes.
“I’m not worried about her. I’m worried for her, if anything,” he side-eyed Danny, who was looking around the circle, taking in the participants still left. “I just want her to be comfortable.”
“I understand that, dude. But she’s strong, she can hold her own. And besides,” Danny added. “Everyone here knows for a fact that they’d be dead if they tried anything too far. Plus, she’d tell you to stop worrying so much, if she knew.”
He shook his head. “You know she’d step out of the game in an instant if you asked her to.”
“I know she would,” Spencer replied, eyes fixed again on his girlfriend. “And I would if she asked. But – we talked about it, and agreed that we’re fine with it, for the game.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yeah, dude. We’re both completely cool with it,” Spencer shrugged, and looked down again at Danny, who’d taken to stirring the straw in his cup. “What about you?” “What about me?”
“You hoping for that bottle to land on anyone for your turn? Or,” he smirked. “Are you hoping for a certain someone’s spin to land on you?”
Danny sighed, and bit his lip.
“You know exactly what my answer is to that,” he eventually muttered, and Spencer looked around the room until he finally found Wes Hughes, who was sandwiched between David Sullivan and Reed van Kamp. Danny swatted at his arm.
“Don’t stare!” He hissed, and Spencer slung an arm across the swimmer’s shoulders.
“You gotta make a move, my dude. Or he’ll never know.”
“What if he doesn’t want me?” Danny’s voice was quiet. “He’s the one who moved out after all -”
“You know that that was nothing to do with you,” Spencer cut him off. “And hey, you guys have still had a great friendship since then, haven’t you?”
Danny nodded, and sipped at his drink. Spencer continued.
“Even if it doesn’t work out that you do anything tonight – you’ve got a whole year ahead of you. Just – don’t regret not taking the chance sooner.”
Danny smiled at that, and placed his cup on the floor to wrap his arms around Spencer.
“I’m gonna miss you, Spence.” “I’ll miss you too, buddy.”
“Prom Queen!” A voice, Spencer couldn’t tell whose, yelled from across the room, and he broke apart from his friend. “Your spin!”
Merril giggled, and looked over to Spencer for confirmation. He shot her an assuring look and a nod, and she blushed, smiling back with a sense of nerves. She set down her drink, reached forward, and twisted the bottle.
The room held their breath, as they had done for any player who they knew to be in a relationship – or at least, knew to have a thing for someone.
The only sound that could be heard over the music was the grind of the glass against the marble floor of Hanover’s common room, everyone’s attention focused as the bottle came to a slow.
Merril bit her lip and smiled when it came to a stop, and the whole room roared. Spencer felt a warmth rise in his face.
Danny jabbed him in the side, a grin on his face. “Of anyone it could have been, huh?”
“Yeah, of all the people,” Spencer muttered, doing his best to look unbothered. Riley Paige shot him an uncertain look as he stood up; an unusual expression to see flicker across the usually so cool and composed demeanour the Lancaster prefect gave off.
He supposed it could have been worse. He trusted Riley, and he liked Riley, and he knew Merril felt the same. But at the same time… he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous whenever Riley was around. Maybe he thought he was just a bit too friendly whenever he hung out around them.
Spencer forced himself to maintain the smile plastered across his face, keeping his eye contact with Merril. She was looking at him with an expression that, despite all their time together, and all their understanding of each other, he couldn’t read. It was only then, out of the corner of his eye, he realised that Riley was walking towards him, rather than Merril.
Riley’s expression was just as unreadable as Merril’s, eyes wide, and he extended an arm out to Spencer when he reached him. Spencer placed his drink on the floor, took Riley’s hand, and stood up.
They didn’t release each other’s grasps immediately.
“Is this okay, Willis?”
Spencer blinked.
“Well – yeah, it’s okay, we talked about it, but you should be asking her, dude.”
“I know,” Riley gave a slight nod. “But – I wanted to ask if you wanted to join us?”
Join them?
“Join you – what, you mean like, watch?” Spencer asked, bewildered by the question.
“Only if it makes you feel better!” Riley pulled his hand away, and held it up in defence. “I mean – just – I know you worry, okay? I thought it might – ease the mind.”
Riley looked over his shoulder at Merril, whose mouth was slightly agape at the exchange. Everyone else who was in the room still had their attention on the three of them; the bottle on the floor still stationary where it had stopped, music still playing, the lights still flashing rainbow strobes. The only other voices that could be heard were those of the people elsewhere in the building.
“I -” Spencer’s words caught in his throat. It was such an out of the blue proposition, he didn’t know what to make of it. He looked at his girlfriend, who herself was looking between the two boys. Her eyes finally settled on Spencer, and he swallowed. “Merril?”
For the second time that night, everyone in the room was looking at their prom queen. Merril’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the words. She took in a sharp breath, and stood herself up, brushing down her lilac gown.
“Well - if you’re okay with it, Spencer?”
Spencer felt his heart rate increase. He looked at Riley, who turned his eyes back to him, and gestured out his hand again.
“Yeah?” Riley’s voice was hesitant.
He took a breath, and placed his hand in Riley’s, with a smile, “Sure.”
Riley grinned, and they looked over to Merril, who had a cautious, but pleased expression on her face. Spencer’s confidence levelled as he realised that she was more than happy he was going to be there – whether for her sake or for his, he wasn’t sure.
Riley led him over to Merril, who tucked a lock of wavy hair behind her ear. She blushed again, and took Riley’s other hand before pressing a kiss to Spencer’s cheek.
Spencer heard the party liven up again as Riley led them out of the room - excitable chattering and drunken laughs, and one yell of “Seven minutes, set your alarms!” that had his face flushed, and he buried his face into his shoulder.
Riley took them both up a set or two of stairs, Spencer wasn’t sure how many, and around a few corners until they were hidden at the end of a hallway. He stopped, turning to look between the both of them.
“This is definitely okay?” He asked again, and Spencer could hear the quivering layer of caution he had buried in his voice. He still held both of their hands in his own, and Spencer ran his thumb over the back.
Merril nodded.
“Completely okay with me,” she said, softly, and the two of them looked at Spencer together for his final consent.
He tore his eyes away from Riley, and took his gaze to meet Merril’s, her deep brown eyes giving off the warm and genuine expression he knew so well. He swallowed, and took a deep breath in.
“One hundred percent – it’s okay with me,” he finally said, shooting the both of them a smile in reassurance. He leant back against the wall, and pulled his hands away.
“Just, one thing,” he said, frowning, and pointing a finger at Riley, “You do what she says. She says she doesn’t want something, you listen.”
Riley gave a small smile, and Spencer was almost taken aback by the other boy’s attitude – he was usually so headstrong, and yet, right now, he seemed almost – nervous.
Well, he supposed, he was about to make out with another man’s girlfriend.
“Of course I’ll respect her, I’m not an asshole,” Riley said, looking at Spencer in all earnest. “You trust me?”
He took his hand from Merril’s and placed it lightly upon her shoulder. Spencer wasn’t sure if the question was directed at him or at Merril, but he nodded all the same as Merril said “I trust you.”
She looked up at Riley, who smiled at her, and the two of them turned to Spencer, expectantly.
“Oh, right, I guess I’ll set a timer then,” Spencer muttered, taking his phone from his pocket. “Okay… and – there.”
He placed the phone back and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his full weight against the wall. Riley lifted his hand and tucked his fingers under Merril’s chin as she leaned in just a little to his touch, tilting her head up to reach his height better. Their faces moved in slowly, closer together, and before Spencer knew, he’d blinked, and their lips were touching, eyes closed.
He watched as Riley brought his other hand to the back of Merril’s head, fingers moving through her hair, and their mouths parted as they deepened the kiss, Merril bringing her own hands to cup Riley’s face and pull him in closer. Riley slid a hand down to her waist, moving it around slowly to her lower back, gently stroking his thumb up and down. Spencer had been almost ready to step in when he realised that Riley’s hand was as low as it was, but Merril hadn’t spoken up, and her face had been void of any tension, so he had left them to it.
In fact, Merril was shifting her hands too, one of them coming to settle on Riley’s hips. Spencer recognised the familiarity in her positioning, reminiscent of her tentativeness in the early days of their own relationship. Though, he realised, she was moving with more eagerness, more confidence in who she was, in what she was doing. She pulled Riley in a little closer, sucking on his bottom lip in the same way she knew Spencer loved, and Riley let out a short gasp at the sudden change in sensation. Spencer saw Merril smile a little through the kiss, her eyes creasing at the corners, and her expression was content as Riley moved to press kisses down her jawline, down her neck.
It felt like the pin finally dropped.
He knew, albeit, subconsciously, that it wasn’t even from the alcohol in their respective systems, nor from the emotions running high from it being the end of the year, but Spencer realised, with what should have been horror, that Merril was enjoying this. But perhaps what was horrifying him more, was that he was enjoying it too.
He was enjoying watching his girlfriend kiss - and be kissed by - another guy.
He realised he was staring at the two of them in shock, and he stood himself up from the wall. He didn’t know what he was about to say, but his mouth opened–
And the alarm went off.
Merril and Riley broke apart, standing in each other’s arms for a moment longer, Merril laughing softly under her breath as she brought her thumb to Riley’s face in an attempt to wipe where her lipstick had smudged pink around his mouth. They turned to Spencer, who had already switched off the alarm and placed his phone back in his pocket.
“You’re still okay, Willis?” Riley asked, after the three of them had spent a moment too long in silence. He looked between the two of them and took a step back, taking his hand away from Merril’s waist. He looked down at the ground, likely with guilt, Spencer recognised.
Merril was watching Spencer with concern.
“Spencer?” her voice was soft. “Are you oka-”
Spencer stepped over and cut her off with a kiss, running his tongue over her bottom lip as she let out a small sound of pleasure. He took in the strange scent of Riley that had mixed with the perfume he was so used to smelling on her, and pulled her in a little closer as he inhaled. When he broke away, he could see the array of emotions coursing through her face, and he turned to Riley, who raised his eyebrows.
“I’ll leave you guys to it,” he said, making to turn away, before Spencer caught his shoulder.
The two boys stared at each other for a moment, and Spencer saw him swallow, glance flicking over to Merril. Spencer looked back at his girlfriend.
“Spencer?” she began, touching her fingertips to his back, and he sent her a smile, trying to look as reassuring as he possibly could. She smiled back, and nodded her encouragement. He turned back to Riley.
“Can I kiss you now, Paige?”
Riley flushed a deep red, but nodded all the same, looking like he was fighting back a smile. “Okay.”
And Spencer looped his hand around his neck and pulled him in.
It was a strange sensation to be kissing someone other than Merril. To be kissing someone taller than him, too. And damn, Riley was a good kisser. His lips pressed back against Spencer’s own, more forcefully than Spencer had expected, and they let their tongues slide together, teeth occasionally grazing gently against each other’s lips. It took a few moments for Riley to place his arms around Spencer, holding his face with one hand, the other snaking around his waist and up against his back, splaying his fingers across the plane of Spencer’s shoulders. Spencer dragged his own hands up Riley’s front, and tugged him closer by his tie before they came apart, breathing heavily.
Well, shit.
Spencer looked back at Merril, reaching one hand out to her whilst his other dropped to Riley’s hips. An almost ear-to-ear grin split across her face, and she took Spencer’s hand in her own before moving to cup his face, crashing their lips together. She turned back to Riley, who was biting his bottom lip in attempts to hide his equally as delighted expression.
“Oh, so we’re doing this?” he asked, as Merril reached a hand to his neck and he was yanked back down to kiss her.
“We’re doing this?” Spencer repeated the question, a little breathless, looking to Merril for confirmation.
Merril smiled, one hand holding Riley’s shoulder, the other at Spencer’s jaw, touching him just slightly with her fingertips.
“We’re doing this,” she affirmed.
Spencer licked his lips, and suddenly both Merril and Riley were going in to kiss him, the three of them moving together, a mess of tongues and lips and hands and Spencer’s mind felt like it had been turned to liquid, not knowing who was kissing him where.
There were lips trailing down his neck, hands pulling his shirt out from where it had been tucked into his dress pants and then they were trailing up his chest, skirting his waistband, another hand sliding beneath his collar and tracing down his back. He found his own hands at Riley’s tie again, fumbling while he tried to undo it, and someone else was undoing his own shirt buttons.
His mind finally caught up to him at that, and he stopped, pulling away and opening his eyes. When she realised Spencer had stilled, Merril moved her hands from his shirt, and Riley pulled away from his neck, sporting some red marks on his own throat that made Spencer smirk in pride of his girlfriend.
Merril coughed when she saw what Spencer was looking at, hiding her smile into his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. Riley finished Spencer’s job, fully undoing his tie, letting it fall and drape down his front.
“We should probably get out of the hallway,” he said to them once he’d caught his breath, running up and down their bodies with his gaze.
If Spencer wasn’t already red from what the three of them had been doing, he probably would have blushed even further, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
“Probably,” was all he could reply, his head still recovering a little from its nonsensical thoughts.
Merril looked up at him, and pressed a slow kiss to the corner of his mouth.
“I love you,” she whispered against Spencer’s cheek. She took Riley’s hand, Riley smiling back at the two of them as he intertwined his fingers with Spencer’s.
Spencer grinned at the two of them, giving both of their hands a slight squeeze.
“Well then, let’s go to my room.”