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“There you are.”
Simon looked up and saw Jeremy approaching. It was New Year's Eve and the party was doing very well at Robbie's house: music, drinks, games and even a karaoke machine and a small photo booth in a corner of the living room.
“Hey,” Simon said, putting his phone in his pocket.
“Scoot over,” Jeremy said and sat next to Simon on a corner of the big living room sofa. “How many messages of New Year's greetings have you got, already? I stopped looking at my phone, honestly.”
“Quite some. I just got one from my mum, I had to reply or she'd get worried...you know mothers,” he chuckled.
Jeremy narrowed his eyes. “Mmmh...you're not hiding a lover or something, are you?” he joked.
“Dammit, you got me!” Simon replied and then had to raise his hands to parry Jeremy's punches.
“Oh, did I?” he asked as his boyfriend was laughing and eventually the punching became tickling; Simon's squeals were hilarious and Jeremy let Simon begging for mercy for a while before stopping.
Simon wiped away the tears for too much laughing. “Of all boys I had to be with the national tickling champion,” he said.
“National? You better say worldwide! Do I have to show you again?” and Jeremy threateningly waved his hands towards Simon, who backed off on the sofa.
“No thanks, I believe you!”
Jeremy quickly moved closer and put his arm around Simon's waist, making him flinch. “No more tickling, don't worry!” he cackled. “All I'm gonna do is smooching you a little,” and he planted a kiss on his cheek.
“You better,” Simon replied, cuddling up with him and enjoying his boyfriend's kisses on his head and the caresses on his back.
“So, it's almost midnight,” Jeremy said as the tv, tuned to one of the many celebration events, was showing the time.
“Is it?”
“Yep. And you know what that means...”
“That it's New Year.”
“Not just that, you silly!” he cackled. “The New Year's kiss! Someone already started,” he nodded at Lilette and Robbie who were smooching at the other end of the sofa and weren't paying attention to anybody else.
“Right, the kiss,” Simon pulled away and his eyes went immediately to Jeremy's lips. “It must be cool,” he added, unable to look away. He didn't even care to get caught.
Jeremy furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? Wait. You've never had a New Year's kiss?”
Simon reddened. “Me? Well, actually I...” he sighed, eventually, feeling like a complete loser. “No. I didn't.”
“Me neither,” Jeremy said with a shy smile.
Simon couldn't believe his ears. “Really? I thought you -”
“It's not like I've always been surrounded by guys eager to kiss me at every New Year's Eve party,” he laughed.
“They don't know what they miss.”
“Do you think so?” Jeremy asked, flirty.
“Yeah, I mean you're handsome and funny and...when you enter a room you make everyone else disappear,” he blushed.
“Aww, thank you. That goes for you too.” He moved closer to him and stared at him. “What if our first New Year's kiss was meant to be with someone special, someone who makes us happy not just one day or one moment, but all year round?”
Simon was glad to be seated, because when Jeremy looked at him in the eyes that way his legs became like jelly.
“That's romantic...”
“Well, kissing IS romantic!” Jeremy laughed.
Simon was about to reply something about how much he loved romantic guys, when everybody started shouting the countdown as the tv was showing the ball drop live from Times Square. Robbie had stood up, but was still holding Lilette in his arms, Francis and Clark were in charge of popping the prosecco bottles. Maashous seemed to be the most excited and, together with Michael, he already had his party blower ready.
“So...are you going to kiss me or not?” Jeremy asked when the countdown reached the three.
Simon smiled and at the stroke of midnight he leaned in and kissed him. Jeremy tasted of coke, the only thing he had been drinking the whole night because he had to drive; his lips were addictive and Simon – as he always did – wished kissing his boyfriend was the only thing he had to do every day.
It wasn't, unfortunately, but he finally got the reason why doing it on New Year's Eve made it special: it was the very first thing you did with the person you loved in the year that was just beginning, with the wish for keeping on spending together each day to come. Now that he had found that person, it felt even more thrilling.
All around them their friends were screaming and cheering, filling their glasses to drink at the new year. Not that Simon and Jeremy didn't care to join the others in wishes, just they weren't in a hurry and they had every intention to keep minding their own business for a while.
Too bad someone turned a confetti cannon and the sudden noise made them jump and pull away.
“It's new year, lovebirds!” Jolene uttered, holding the now empty cannon. She was wearing one of those plushy happy new year top hats and a golden garland around her neck.
“Thanks for telling us, Jo,” Jeremy said. “Looking good,” he added, pointing at her outfit.
“I'm sexy and I know it,” she crooned and then left to grab some prosecco.
Jeremy shook his head amused, before snuggling up to Simon again. “Happy new year! I really liked the way it started, you know?”
“I can't think of a better way,” Simon giggled. “We have to make a toast! Hold on a sec,” and he went to take two glasses of coke.
“I didn't want to leave you alone, so I took the same. There you go,” he handed Jeremy the glass.
“So...what are we drinking to?”
“To the new year, of course, and to many more to spend together.”
“Always starting with a kiss.”
“Always.”
“Cheers!” Simon said and they clinked glasses.
Someone had turned up the music volume again and Jolene was trying to get everybody joining the conga line; all those people being in the same room for hours it was warm and, despite the occasional opening of the garden door, the air was stiffy. Simon was also tired of the chaos.
“Do you want to dance? Or what about the conga line? It's fun.” Jeremy said, putting his empty glass on the coffee table.
“Actually...I'm tired of this. Aren't you?”
Jeremy looked around. “Same. Why don't we go my place? My parents are staying with their friends and my brother too won't come back before morning for sure, so we can have a little alone time. I won't drive you home too late, pinky promise,” he smiled.
“But I like to be late with you...” Simon flirted, interlacing fingers with Jeremy's and gently brushing one of the palms with his thumb.
Jeremy's eyes lowered to their hands first and then to Simon. His heart pounded and a lopsided smile cracked on his face. “'C’mon, let's get out of here,” he said.
A quick goodbye to everybody and then, still holding hands, they left.
“This is the best New Year's Eve ever, you know?” Simon said as soon as they got in the car.
“And ending it just the two of us is better than the best,” Jeremy replied glancing at him, before starting the engine and driving towards home.