In The Air

Johnno scooted down on the still hot seat, helped by a strong tug on his bare thighs.

He laughed. "My butt's stuck to the seat. I'm sweatin'." He slung one slender calf over the back of the seat, and wriggled a bit further and rested his head back on the chrome trim of the window. They'd parked under the deep shade far from the road. On the radio Mick Jagger was singing to all the "pretty, pretty girls" and the air was buzzing. It was a long, long summer.

"You right?" Johnno asked as Ricky bumped his head on the roof; his own cut-off clad butt was near hanging out the open door.

"Yeah". Ricky scrubbed roughly at the top of his sandy coloured head and settled back between Johnno's legs with their dark swirls of fur, thickening as it went up. He cleared his hair from his eyes with a toss of his head and moistened his lips. His fingers curled over Johnno's where they held the edge of the backseat. "I will be."

******

"I can't believe you let the battery run flat."

"Me?!" Ricky protested. "You little shit!"

Ricky swiped at Johnno's butt, the slap on denim loud in the air between them. Johnno danced away, laughing.

"Now, now. Don't be doin' that if you want me to help push", he grinned.

Ricky's ribcage expanded and contracted as he breathed a bit harder. Things shifted, beyond all proportion. Jeez, what was he? He looked away, pulling the hem of his tee up to wipe the sweat from his face and school his features.

"Right", Ricky coughed. "Push."

They both put their weight against the metal. They had to at least get back up on the road itself before walking for help, not down in their spot.

"God, this car is heavier than hell."

"Yeah. But this car is gonna get us out of here."

*********