I belong with you

Henry felt pretty much at home when he was at Shan's. Maybe more so than Shan did.

And Shan's little sister, Bree, adored Henry.

Yet, there were the little obstacles to contend with.

1. Don't tell Bree about us. Shan's first rule.
2. Shan's questions about Derrick.

"You aren't upset..you know..about..about Derrick. Right?" Henry finally got around to asking when they were alone.

"No..no..not..at all..its just.." Shan winced so that Henry thought it was kind of cute. Maybe. "Uh..just..just you are lot more experienced ..than me."

"Experienced?" That was a good laugh.

He watched Shan's awkwardness. His hands in his pockets of his summer kakis as he nursed his bottom lip, stammering slightly in front of him. Henry leaned against his car. Here they were in the school parking lot. Such a quiet time. Only football practice prevailed in the distance, and there were echos of the drum corp still a steady rhythm from the band hall.

"Derrick..was ..is... a whole different level than me. We..we didn't want the same things. Exactly." Henry hugged himself as if that was a good explanation.

"Oh." Shan nodded. He finally leaned next to the car as if they might be on the same playing field. "Its just, you know, I always thought, I'd get through high school, kind of like..you know..getting by under the radar. And..and.." He winced hard. "You..." He scratched the back of his neck in thought. "... made me go into women's restrooms."

"What?" That cracked Henry up at Shan's little confession.

Shan smiled shaking his head.

"Believe me, no one has..ever..made me do something..so stupid. It was like, you consumed me or something. I dunno whats wrong with me. But I really thought..I was..you know, totally weird."

"You, are not weird." Henry promised.

"Who goes on about Eragon as much as I do?" Shan shrugged.

"Just a ploy to seduce me, I suppose." Henry grinned as he lightly chuckled.

"Yeah, that's real seduction." Shan rolled his eyes as he smiled back at him.

"Look, I was so wrong about Derrick. I picked him out, thinking he was perfect. And he wasn't. He's got issues. And..and..he..he hit me. And well... he just wanted sex." Henry told him.

Shan squinted hard as if that alone disgusted him.

"I didn't want to go..that far..." Henry wanted to explain.

"But he hit you." Shan festered an intense frown. "How could he?"

"It was an accident. I'm just glad-" Henry looked at Shan then.

"Hey, I'm glad he's history. Really, I am." Shan took Henry's hand, as if Shan would be here for him in ways Derrick never could be.