"So, this is it," you say, lying on the couch of your living room, your legs spread out with a cup of coffee between your hands.

Another sunny, perfect summer afternoon yet there was nothing to do. His parents were as usual, busy with work so he was home alone. At fifteen, he could bear it no more. He crossed the door and spent the next half hour walking aimlessly through the city. Buildings, discmans, beepers, cars, and billboards, all made him feel both special and small at the same time.

Finally, he'd had enough. He raised his head, saw a cab, and whistled at it. He'd be damned if he was going to let another sunny afternoon go to waste. The cab stopped several meters away from him.

"Oh, so you are going to make me walk?" Although it was tempting to let the cab go for showing such a lack of respect, his feet started moving on their own.

As he got inside the car, he realized he had no idea where he wanted to go. What do you do when you are alone in the city? What is...?

"Excuse me," a voice came from his side, "what are you doing?"

"Oh, shit. Didn't see you there," he moved away, startled: there was another person inside the taxi, sitting mere inches away from him. He didn't wait, his mouth reacted faster than his brain: "Sorry, but this is my cab, I whistled it."

"Well, it stopped in front of me when I waved at it so I think it's actually mine," the stranger replied.

He passed a hand through his hair, trying to appear confident. "You are a kind and comprehensive person, right? See, I'm in a hurry and headed quite far from here."

The taxi driver, who had remained silent all this time, took a peek through the rearview mirror. Obviously, the driver didn't care who was in the backseat but he did care about one thing: money. And in that business, further away meant more green in his pocket.

"I'm going to Starmall Center," the stranger remarked. "So there's no way you are going farther away than that."

He got nervous. Starmall was on the edge of the city, near the foggy forest, and old manors. It was the biggest outdoor mall in the state: banks, cinemas, blockbusters, and food courts. Now both the stranger and driver had their eyes on him. If he didn't reply something fast, he was going to get kicked out so he played the only card he had left:

"Actually, I'm also headed to Starmall," he faked a surprised expression. The stranger gave him a death stare. Bold move. He played it off as cool as he could: "Well, the solution is obvious, isn't it? I mean, the same destination, we are both already in, and, besides, we'll be paying half the usual price."

He wasn't asking, he was demanding. Now it was the stranger who had two pairs of eyes on him.

The stranger let out a big sigh. "Let's go to Starmall." The cab driver nodded and they were on their way.

***

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name," he turned towards the stranger. It was weird how little mind he had paid to the person next to him but just now he was noticing it was a boy, a year or two younger than him.

"You don't need my name," the boy didn't even look at him. "We are just sharing a ride, not becoming friends."

"Very private I see, okay," he smiled, suddenly deciding to make another bold move. "In that case... nice jacket, crimson, isn't it? Looks good on you. Well, why don't I just call you that, eh? Crimson."

"That sounds like a whore's name."

"Well then, how about Scarlet?"

The boy didn't reply.

"Scarlet, very nice to see you again," he shaked an invisible hand. "How are things going, Scarlet? Feeling better Scarlett? Yeah, I like the sound of it."

"I'm starting to miss Crimson," the boy gave him half a smile.

"Crimson it is, then!"

There was a pause after that. He was good with words and the lack of shame combined with his boldness created a sweet taste in his lips. Now the only thing he needed was for Crimson to make the next move.

He waited, and waited for several silent seconds. He looked out the window, trying to, on purpose, look uninterested. Naturally, the boy fell into his trap:

"What about you?" Crimson moved an inch closer.

He smiled for himself before turning around. "Blue," he replied immediately. "You can call me Blue. It's my favorite color."

That, of course, was a lie. Blue wasn't his favorite color but it was the right answer. Why? Well, he knew that he wasn't the... Well, as any mirror would put it, he wasn't the fairest of them all. Yet, he had three things going for him: his silvertongue, his boldness and his piercing ocean blue eyes. You could see the waves roaring like beasts inside them, a riptide crashing its way through the sand; not even the sky could evoke a deeper, wilder feeling. And now, Crimson was staring at them, getting lost in the sea of his sight. Blue grinned.

By the time Starmall appeared on the other side of the windows, the drive had proven to be too short. The two boys had started to talk, yeah, but not enough to make that something more than an unexpected ride.

They paid and got out of the taxi. As it drove away, a moment of silence emerged between them. Neither of them was sure of what to say now. Crimson looked at the watch on his right wrist. "Well, that was..."

"Okay, I admit it, it was a lie," Blue showed his hand. It was another bold -some may even say too bold- move but it was the only thing he could think of to make him stay. "I just said it so you wouldn't get mad at me for stealing your cab."

"Oh," Crimson had a sprinkle of annoyance in his voice. "So you weren't headed to Starmall in a hurry?"

"I was headed here," Blue thought quickly, half lying. "I just wasn't in a hurry."

Crimson stared at him, suspicious. Blue resisted the tension.

"Actually, quite the opposite. It's summer so there isn't much to do. I was planning on catching a movie, but nothing else. What about you?"

"Ah," Crimson shrugged. "Mostly errands."

"You didn't come here to meet friends or something? People don't normally come to the mall all by themselves."

"Well, you do, apparently."

"Yeah, but that's because I'm handsomely unique."

"Shameless, liar, bold, good with words... you would be quite the salesman, but unique?" Crimson chucked with that. "I'm not so sure."

"Being a good salesman doesn't make me unique" Blue took a step towards him. "But coming alone to the mall does and, in that sense, you are handsomely unique too."

Now it was Crimson's turn to look away. Blue's heart was racing. That had been a rather risky move to make on a stranger, yet that was the only way Blue knew how to play: high stakes. Was it paying off? Well, he didn't even know if Crimson was into boys too but, so far, he wasn't turning him down.

Blue looked at Crimson the same way a lion would a lamb. Fuck, he thought. I'm really in the mood for a lamb.

"Tell you what," Blue persisted, he wouldn't accept another awkward silence, it was time for the bomb, time for the big, bold move. "I don't have a lot to do, so if you want some company I can help you run those errands."

Crimson didn't reply, he stared at the floor and then at the buildings.

"Hey," Blue added, as innocent as he could. "I'm not one of those guys who can't take no for an answer. If you think you'll be more comfortable by yourself, it's okay, I'll go see my movie. But if you feel like chatting, laughing a little, having some company... Well, I'm right here."

Crimson rolled his eyes, his lips sealed. Then, slowly, while moving his head from side to side, a little grin appeared on his face. "Okay, let's run some errands."

Blue jumped mentally, the lion inside him roaring as they walked towards Starmall. Does he know I'm flirting with him? A part of him asked. It's a good thing to be discrete but, too discreet isn't good either. Blue shook that thought out of his head. I'm not sure but, deep down, I think he knows.

***

Starmall was an immense, modern-looking complex. It contrasted with the manors around it, a mixture of old and new, town and city. The entire area looked expensive. The only downside was the amount of fog that area would get, however that summer day, it was all sunny and clear.

"So, what's the first thing on the list?"

Crimson took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "First... the bank."

"The bank?"

"I told you, I came to run some errands. Most of them aren't fun."

"But why the bank? Aren't you a little too young to have an account?"

"I am," Crimson then took a folder out of the backpack he was carrying. "But I didn't come for an account, I'm just the delivery boy."

"I see," Blue wasn't interested. Maybe running errands with a stranger wasn't his greatest idea.

On their way to the bank, Crimson stared at one of the storefronts, his eyes set on a baseball cap. Blue noticed, inspecting the store. There, on exhibition, there were several jackets, similar to the one Crimson was wearing.

"Looking for a jacket of a different color so I'll stop calling you Crimson?" He pointed at them with his chin. "I could call you Navy with that one, or Cerulean. Just not the one on the front because even if you buy it I won't be calling you Black."

Crimson giggled. "What's wrong with Black?"

"People are going to stare," he then got closer, whispering. "I mean, look at those old ladies, they get supper weirded out whenever they hear me calling you Crimson."

Crimson stepped aside, chuckling. "Are you trying to be funny so I'll like you more?"

"Depends," Blue took a step back. "Is it working?"

Crimson didn't reply, he just kept walking, yet Blue could've sworn he saw a smile vanish as soon as it appeared on his face. No need to respond, Blue thought. The answer... I think I know it.

"I'm going to check the store, you go to the bank," Blue had another bold idea. Crimson gave with a puzzled look. "I'll catch you up there, okay?"

"I won't take long at the bank, I'm just..."

"I'll catch you up, just... can I borrow your jacket?"

Almost instinctively, Crimson moved away. "What for?"

"Please?" And then Blue saw how it all looked. A stranger you just met, asking you to borrow your jacket? Of course, it looked suspicious so Blue took out his wallet and gave it to Crimson. "In case you think I'm running away with your jacket."

Crimson didn't answer, he looked at the wallet, let out a big sigh, and took off his jacket. "Not a scratch on it," he warned. "I love that jacket."

"Not a hair out of place," Blue raised his hands while putting it on. "See you in a bit."

***

It took him longer than expected. Blue was walking as fast as he could through Starmall. He had to admit, he looked good wearing the crimson jacket, yet it didn't feel right on him.

"It looks better on him."

By the time he got to the bank Crimson was already outside, walking impatiently in circles. No doubt he was thinking it had been a huge mistake to give his jacket to a stranger. Blue could almost hear him sigh in relief when he saw him.

"What did you want my jacket for?"

Blue turned to one of the storefronts to see his reflection. "I wanted to see how it would look on me."

"Really?" Crimson shook his head.

Blue laughed a little, "no, not really. I just wanted to see if you'd trust me."

"I did. But then you showed up late and now I don't."

"I didn't show up that late!" It had been almost twenty minutes. Blue conceded and took off the jacket. "Okay, I'm sorry. It took me longer than I thought but here's your jacket."

Crimson took it and gave Blue his wallet back. "Longer than you thought?" He put on the jacket. "What were you...?" Then he felt it. There was something in his left pocket. Crimson gave Blue a confused look as he put his hand inside only to find the baseball cap he had been checking out was there.

"Happy birthday!" Blue raised his arms.

"It's not my birthday!" Crimson quickly pushed the cap to the bottom of the pocket. "What is this? You bought this?"

"Buying is a generous word for what I did."

Crimson took his hands to his head. "Oh God, did you... did you steal it?"

"I saw you looking at it, figured you might want it so I put on your jacket and went to the store and asked about repairs," Blue noticed a drop of sweat falling from Crimson's forehead. "Okay, relax. If it makes you feel better the owner was a dick to me, quite rude, and that store is owned by a multi-million company. An overpriced cap is nothing to them."

Crimson looked at his sides as if he thought someone might be looking for them but no one appeared, no one was even paying attention to them.

"God," he almost fainted. "You really stole this just because I stared at it?"

Blue smiled, shrugging.

"I can't believe you," Crimson smiled too, shaking his head. "I really can't. You really are bold and stupid, you know that, Blue?"

"I can own bold," he smirked, proud. "You know, for a second I thought you were going to get mad at me."

"For a second I thought so too. Maybe I am, don't know yet, I need to think about it... but one thing I do know is that I won't look at anything now, else you might steal it and get it for me."

Blue turned towards him, cheeky. "Is that why you can't stop looking at me? You want to get me for you?"

And, like his name, Crimson turned the deepest shade of red. The lion in Blue's chest roared once more. He put his arm around Crimson's shoulder and both of them walked away from the bank.

Does he know I'm flirting with him? The question popped up again. This time, a smile appeared on his face. I think he knows.

***

The rest of the errands were quicker than the bank. However, there were quite a few of them that, by the time they got to the last one, several hours had passed.

"Are you hungry?" Blue spot Crimson eying the menus as they passed through the food court.

"A bit. You want to eat something?"

"I like french fries but that's not really a full meal, let's see..." searching through the stores until he found the one he was looking for. "Do you feel like pizza, Crimson?"

"Sounds good. Just don't steal it."

"Very funny, but I had something else in mind," Blue walked towards the far end of the food court. "Here, come on."

They passed through all the locales until they got to a big metal door. It had no signs on it but it didn't look like customers were meant to open it. Yet, Blue pushed it and got inside.

"What is this place?" Crimson, slowly, following him in.

Inside there was a long, windowless hallway. The walls looked old and there were several pipes sticking out of them. It seemed to be a maintenance tunnel.

"I really meant it when I said don't steal it."

"We are not stealing anything," Blue was already halfway through the concrete hallway. It was long and curved, there were several doors on both sides, some of them open and others closed. "This is the back entrance of the food court, those are the restaurants," he pointed at the doors.

Blue was right, the hallway was full of all kinds of smells: tacos, sushi, Thai food, Chinese, salads, hamburgers... Crimson could even see the kitchens through the doors that were open. "What are we doing here?"

"Oh, it just so happens that I know a girl who works at the pizza place. We are paying her a visit."

This time, Blue wasn't lying. As soon as they got to the backdoor of the pizza place, Crimson saw a blonde girl about their age, and watched as Blue approached her, giving her a hug. They chatted a bit, Crimson stared at the floor until he noticed Blue pointing at him, saying they needed a pizza. Blue ended up paying half the usual price and, five minutes later, the boys had their food served on the food court.

Crimson tried to pay his part but Blue didn't let him so he went and got a couple of sodas for them.

"You didn't have to," Blue shaked his head. "I was happy buying it for both of us."

"I wanted to," Crimson insisted, pouring the sodas on a pair of glasses filled with ice. "Besides, I had to show you my thanks somehow."

"So you decided to thank me with a soda?"

"Oh, it's not just the soda," Crimson squinted his eyes and then, out of his jacket, he took out a napkin filled with two dozen french fries.

"What? Are those..." then it all clicked. "Did you steal them?"

"Maybe I don't look like it but I have my bad boy moments. Besides, how else was I going to thank you for that baseball cap?"

"So you are bold and stupid too," Blue was impressed.

"I have my moments of boldness. But I'm not as good with words as you, and certaintly not as stupid."

Crimson started eating but Blue couldn't take his eyes away from the boy. Maybe Crimson isn't a lamb but another lion, he thought.

The pizza was magnificent: the cheese was melted just right and the pieces of pepperoni were thick and full of flavor. Blue wasn't sure if it was the pizza or just the fact that he was eating it while looking at the boy in front of him.

Crimson was devouring a slice yet, the bite he took proved too big for him, making a string of melted cheese fall through his lips. Crimson tried to catch it when he noticed Blue's eyes on him. "Enjoying the show?"

Blue simply shook his head and turned towards his own plate. All his flirting, his teasing, and compliments. I think he knows.

Yeah, maybe Crimson was a stranger... heck, Crimson wasn't even his real name, but still, he felt something was different about the boy, something was special. A lion falling for a lion, when had that happened before? He didn't mind running errands with him, Blue had even smiled all the way through, so much so in fact that his cheeks were starting to hurt.

I think he knows. The whole show on the cab, the stealing of the cap, every moment of boldness Blue had displayed...

I think he knows, he repeated in his mind. Why else would he do that cheese thing? Blue raised his eyes only to find Crimson doing it again, a single string of hot cheese connecting his mouth and the pizza, resting softly on his lips.

He knows that whenever he does that... I can't look away, Blue thought. And he has that boyish look I always fall for.

The shape of his mouth, the curve of his soft pink lips, the softness of his cheeks. Was all that already there? Even the shape of his hands, soft yet strong and firm, around the cold glass was starting to drive him crazy: the way the water slipped off the glass and into his skin as if it was melting just by having him touch it...

"Oh, and who are you, cutie?" Blue heard Crimson's voice but stared confused until he noticed a small dog had sneaked inside the food court. "Are you hungry? Here, take a slice, oh you are such a good dog!"

To be honest, Blue had never liked pets, he prefered to take care only of himself. A dog needed food, attention, time, love... nightmare. Yet, Crimson seemed to be natural, caring and loving. For some reason, Blue liked that in him.

"Take it, and don't let the guards see you." Crimson waved the dog goodbye, happily. "Let's run that last errand."

Blue nodded and followed the boy. The last errand, the words echoed in his head. It couldn't be the last, Blue didn't want it to be the last. It had been an unexpected and incredible day. It couldn't end. Not yet. He needed to think of something.

For the last errand Crimson had to pay a card at a clothing store. While he was doing that, Blue walked through the store, his mind was that of an architect: drawing up the blueprints, coming up with a plan. Finally, an idea -albeit a rather unusual one- came to mind.

"Okay, that was the last..."

"Let's play a game," Blue cut him.

"Is this another one of your reckless...?"

"Just hear me out, then judge, okay?"

"Okay, I'm listening," Crimson conceded. "What's the game?"

"Well, judging by that fantastical crimson jacket you obviously have a refined fashion sense," Blue teased while walking through the rows of fabric. "So why not put that fashion sense to the test? This is the game: You have to find two whole outfits for me, one in which you think I'll look fantastic and another in which you'll think I'll look absolutely ridiculous. Okay? I'll do the same for you."

"Two outfits, one amazing and one ridiculous."

"Precisely. We'll have... let's say, ten minutes? Then we'll meet in the changing rooms and, well, try it on and see who wins."

Crimson almost couldn't open his mouth. "Try it on? If this is supposed to be a clever way to get me to undress? You are becoming more stupid than bold."

"Guess my sweet words aren't going to let me get away with this one," Blue played along. "Fine, we'll change in different changing rooms, no hidden intentions, let's do it just to have fun, okay?"

"It's nice to witness your honeyed words fail for once."

"That means you are backing down?"

"Hell no! I'm so going to crush you, you'll look ridiculous in my outfit, consider it payback for stealing my taxi," Crimson looked at his watch. "Ten minutes you said? Okay, get ready, Blue. We start in three, two, one... go!"

Blue ran through the store. The game had been his idea so he already had some clothes in mind. He picked something here and something there. He actually wasn't great with clothes -something that actually made him feel proud of himself, since he defied the stereotype- but still tried his best.

When the ten minutes were over, Blue and Crimson got to the changing rooms and, with a weird look from one of the employees, they got inside.

"Are you ready?" Blue showed him the pile of clothing he had collected.

"You are going down," Crimson smirked. "Let's do the ridiculous one first."

They gave the other the chosen outfit before getting inside their respective changing rooms. Even before they got out, they were already laughing.

Crimson was wearing a shirt completely covered with mini Chuck'E Cheese logos, a horrendous pink vest with fake pockets, and a pair of leather shorts.

Meanwhile, Blue had neon-yellow leopard print pants, a teal t-shirt with a knight mounted on a unicorn over a rainbow, and an orange Hawaiian shirt on top.

"Oh, wow," Blue glanced at himself in the mirror. "This is the most horrendous outfit I've ever seen in my whole life. I feel tacky, childish, and embarrassed, all the same time. And you look... surprisingly less charming. I didn't know that was possible."

"Well, your horrendous taste can manage that," Crimson was also staring at the mirror. "Where the hell did you find leather shorts? Who buys this stuff?"

"Okay, those shorts are not groovy at all but your leopard print is worse, you win this round," Blue took off the Hawaiian shirt. "But I'll defeat you in the next one."

The curtains of the changing rooms closed and then opened once more. This time, however, there was no absurd stuff on display, quite the opposite.

"Oh, fuck."

Crimson was wearing a pair of camel pants, a grey, almost white long-sleeved t-shirt, and a black jacket on top. That, along with his white sneakers, and his watch in his right hand, the boy looked straight out of a magazine. Blue could've sworn Crimson wasn't a real person because no one could ever look that good.

"You look..." The words, trying to come out, tripped on his mouth. "Fuck."

Blue's body moved on its own, pushing Crimson into the changing room, closing the curtain behind them. The boy didn't complain but by the time Blue realized what he was doing, his face was inches away from Crimson's.

"Sorry... I just... you look..." damn it when did talking become so hard? "You look gorgeous."

"You look really good too. Blue... really does suit you."

Blue had been so caught up with Crimson, he hadn't even taken a look at his own outfit. Black jeans, grey hoodie, navy blue jacket on top. He liked it, not as much as Crimson's, but he liked it. Yet, by the time he looked up again, he realized he and Crimson were still face to face, inches away from the other.

"Hey."

"Hey," Crimson replied.

"Are you okay with this?" Blue drew an impatient, confident smile on his face.

"I..." Crimson froze. "Well, if you don't want to... it's okay, I..."

"Oh, for God's sake," Blue leaned forward and destroyed those few inches between them, the boy's lips meeting his. Crimson didn't react, he couldn't react. His brain couldn't understand what was happening. A lion had taken another lion by surprise.

That day had started as boring and uneventful as any other summer day, yet he was there now, hiding in a changing room with a crimson boy hanging on his lips. Blue's eyes were wide open, and soon his mouth followed, taking Crimson by the back of his head, pushing them even closer together.

How long did they stay like that? He had no idea. When they parted they were in a completely different world. Neither of them could stop smiling, neither could look at the other in the eye without blushing.

"You are..."

"Bold," Blue completed proud, both grinning with that. But then, Crimson pushed him against the wall and dived into his lips one more. Harder, faster, hungrier this time. Blue was taken by surprise but embraced the lust when, suddenly, a stinging pain invaded his lip.

Blue stepped away. It took him a second to realize Crimson had bit him.

"See?" Crimson winked. "You aren't the only bold one in here."

"You wouldn't guess that by looking at us like this," he pointed at the mirror with a nod of his head. Blue instantly fell in love with their reflection, the picture of them, standing in a changing room, staring at a mirror, one behind the other, so close they could be hugging. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. And just like that, he could feel the hunger, the lion inside him craving for more, craving for his favorite food: sweet, young, innocent lamb...

Only this isn't lamb, Blue thought, tasting the blood in his lip. Lion, another lion. I have never had lion before. Suddenly, he needed more.

"Careful," he pressed his chest against Crimson's back. "The fabric of that t-shirt is expensive, you are going to ruin it if you throw yourself at me like that again. Maybe... you should take it off."

Crimson gave him a suspicious glance. "You have no shame," but didn't object when Blue's hands slid through his shoulder, taking off his jacket and holding his shirt, raising it above the boy's shoulders. No protest. In fact, Crimson started to take Blue's jacket off.

Even though Blue had been rin charge ever since they got into the taxi, when he tried to unbutton Crimson's pants, the boy stopped him. Blue thought Crimson was about to back down but then the boy pushed him against the wall of the changing room and started to kiss him again.

Blue could feel the buttons of his shirt coming off, his lips were on fire. When his shirt fell to the ground, he felt Crimson's hand taking hold of his boyhood through the denim. Blue almost moaned into Crimson's mouth.

"Feels like you are liking it," Crimson whispered, feeling up the erection in his hand. Then, kissing his way up to Blue's earlobe, in a soft, tender murmur, Crimson added: "Let's see what's under that bold attitude."

His jeans then came off and, before he knew it, Blue was wearing nothing but his briefs, making out with a boy he had just met.

He knew he was supposed to close his eyes and enjoy it but he couldn't look away from the mirror: there was the image of two teenagers feeling up every inch of their bodies. Their hands exploring every hidden secret in their skin, their lips and tongues sliding over every part of their mouths, chests, and necks.

It was fire, it was lust, it was desire. Blue almost came when Crimson moved his hips forward, smashing their erections together. He could feel the boy's bulge against his, the two boyhoods, anxious to touch each other, to meet each other.

Crimson slid his hand inside Blue's briefs, taking a firm hold of his hardness, squeezing it, owning it when out of nowhere the curtains opened and a store employee started screaming at them.

"Fuck," Blue and Crimson put on their clothes as fast as they could and ran out of the store, the employee screaming behind them. Their hearts were racing, skipping while they ran through the mall, big smiles on their faces.

***

Blue laid down on his bed. When he got home his friend -the girl from the pizza place- called and asked who Crimson was. Blue hesitated at first but in the end, decided to tell her. Boys dating boys wasn't something widely accepted, much less talked about, yet Blue felt he could trust her.

He recounted the details of that afternoon, everything from the cab, the bank, the errands, the food court... only skipping the part of the changing room. That memory was for himself.

"Will you be seeing him again?" The girl asked. "Does he know that you like him?"

Blue brushed off both questions, changing the subject.

At first, he had thought he was just a lion on a hunt, this lamb being just any other lamb. Yet, now, laying on top of his bed, the questions came back to his mind.

"He told me which school he goes to," he replied to himself. "So chances are we are going to be seeing a lot more of each other. As for if he knows that I like him..." the memory of the two boys, almost naked, making out in front of a mirror, exploring their bodies, their lust, and desire, came back to him. Two lions devouring each other. That image wasn't going away anytime soon. "I think he knows."