A RISK WORTH TAKING

The cute boy in the oversize black hoodie has been sitting alone in the backyard for the good part of the last two hours. Leo has sacrificed his Friday night out just to watch him – not that there was something better to do, anyway. He fucked half the people at this party and there is a very good reason if he didn't fuck the other half.

He came here hoping the universe would gift him with some new faces, and the universe just delivered.

The boy seems totally oblivious to the music blasting from inside the house and to the people coming and going out of it. At some point he even took out a scrapbook and started drawing as if he was at the park and not at a frat house party. Leo has no idea if he came here alone or with someone – he didn't see him arriving because he was probably making out with the captain of the football team in that moment – but he doesn't look like someone who belongs in a place like this.

“What are you doing here? It's half past one, you should be cruising and risking STDs by now.” Adam approaches him with a beer in his hand and a genuinely surprised face that would be offensive if Leo wasn't busy with something else. And also if he cared. “I thought you were being kissed stupid by that girl of the Lacrosse team. What is her name? Lucille?”

Leo reaches out for his beer and takes a sip of it. “It's Lucinda and that was at least three hours ago. I've been with two other people since then.”

“Right, that's exactly the type of thing I would broadcast,” Adam comments, and then he shakes his head when Leo tries to give him back his beer. “Keep it, I don't know where your mouth has been tonight.”

“Unfortunately not where I wanted it,” Leo says dreamily as he goes back staring at the mysterious stranger.

“What are you looking at?” Adam leans forward, following Leo's line of sight.

“Do you know him?”

Adam squints his eyes for a moment and then nods. “Yeah, that's Cody Petersen. He's in my life drawing class.”

Leo looks at him with beady, hopeful eyes. “Did he come here with someone?”

“I don't really—Leo, no!” Adam instantly engages damage control mode, which is his personal containment system to prevent Leo from doing something stupid. So far it has never ever worked. “Forget him.”

Leo whimpers as if all his desire of going there to Cody couldn't be contained in his body anymore. “But look at him! He's so tiny and cute,” Leo says, his hands making a grabbing motion in the air as if he could already feel the boy's body in his hands. “He looks like a doll!”

“He also looks like someone you could destroy,” Adam scolds him. “He's not even your type. You like people who can slam you into walls. He can't do that, so leave him alone.”

“It is true that I enjoy strong handling,” Leo says honestly, “but I could settle for doing someone like him for a few days straight. I can be versatile when I want to, Adam.”

“That's exactly why you should turn around and find someone else,” Adam insists, he looks really anxious now. “He's nothing like you. He's gone through some stuff and he doesn't need you to take him and leave him over the week end.”

Leo rolls his eyes. “I'll be nice with him, alright?” He offers. “Besides, it's not like I ever forced anyone. If he comes with me, it'll be because he wants to.”

“It's not that easy,” Adam frowns. “Not everybody works like you, Leo. Sometimes things get confused if you don't pay attention and you never do. Can you please let it go and find someone else? If you really need to have sex tonight, I'm sure all you need to do is take a step in the living room and someone will drag you to one of the bedrooms upstairs.”

“Jesus! What's wrong with you tonight?” Leo snorts. “I never said I'm gonna have sex with him. I just wanna talk!”

“That's how sex starts with you!”

“Yeah, well, even if happened, it would be none of your business, don't you think?” Leo frowns, but then he realizes he doesn't want to fight with his best friend and sighs. Besides, fighting puts him off the mood and he hates that. “Listen, I promise I'll be my best self, alright? I'll be the nicest guy he ever met. I'll ask him out, nothing more. I'll be totally PG, safe for kids and everything."

"Leo—"

"Can you trust me?" Leo looks at him, meaningfully. "Please."

"I trust that you won't force him," Adam explains, trying to be conciliatory. "But he's fragile and you can be... overwhelming sometimes. You don't know him."

"Know him is exactly what I wanna do. So, please, now go get another beer and have fun in whatever way you artsy jocks have fun," Leo turns around and marches straight towards the backyard. "I have an acquaintance to make."

Leo slides gracefully into a chair near Cody, startling him a little. "Hi," he says with an open smile. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Cody looks up at him, with big frightened eyes. "You're already seated," he notices in a whisper.

"Good point," Leo offers him his hand. "My name's Leo. Nice to meet you."

Cody backs off, swallowing. "I know who you are." He grabs his sketchpad and shoves it into his backpack.

Leo frowns, a little hurt. "Wait, you said it like it's a bad thing. Have you heard something bad?" Leo knows he probably has. People don't embrace his policy of one-night-stands.

"No, it's just that—" Cody shakes his head quickly and then he stands up, like a little alerted animal. "I should go now."

"Please," Leo refrains from reaching out and grabbing him only because he noticed the way Cody cringes every time he moves too quickly. "I just want to talk. I promise I won't bite."

Cody hesitates but then, slowly, he sits back down.

This is going to be a challenge – that is pretty clear – and Leo is risking to receive the biggest pullback of his entire flirting career (is that a career?). But looking at Cody's baby blue eyes and at the dainty features of his doll-like face – he's the cutest boy Leo has ever seen, he looks unreal, like the main character of Japanese comic – he decides that Cody is a risk worth taking.