Unearthed (The Dungeon Black Duology 1)

They arrived at their usual spot, dropped their fishing poles and tackle boxes, then shouldered off their backpacks. Max tugged out his old plaid navy blanket and draped it over the grass.

Kevin plopped down atop it. “You hear that, Max? All those large mouths calling our name?”

Max sat down beside him, so close their shoulders brushed. “Hell, yeah. Hear some pretty fat sunfish, too.” He pulled out a container of earthworms from his sack as Kevin popped open his box.

“Here.” Kevin smiled, handing Max a lure. “It’s my all-time favorite bait. But I… want you to have it.”

Max looked at the small, shimmery, fish-shaped lure. “But you love this one, Kev. Use it every time we fish.”

Kevin shrugged a little. “Yeah. I know.” He dug back into his collection of bait. “I’ve got others, Max. It’s no big deal.”

Max eyed Kevin’s gift. It was a big deal. Kevin’s tried-and-true prized possession. “Thanks.” He smiled, feeling all kinds of special. “I’ll take good care of your fishy.”

Kevin laughed. “Your fishy. And you frickin’ better. I’ve yet to meet a bass who could resist its alluring charms.”

Max slid Kevin a smile. He knew all about alluring. His best friend exuded the stuff. Which made Max incapable of ever getting enough. Even after all these years. Despite how they constantly always hung out. How they slept at each other’s house every weekend. Not to mention all the weeknights when they couldn’t, but snuck out to see each other anyway. Max loved being with Kevin, spending every spare minute with him. And he knew Kevin felt the same.

Best of friends. Thick as thieves. Nothing could tear them apart.

Max snipped off his hook to replace it with Kevin’s, his fingers fumbling to tie a new knot.

Kevin chuckled softly. “Here. Let me.”

His hands grazed Max’s as he helped secure the lure, the point of contact sending current up Max’s arms. Max savored the feeling, like he always did, any time their bodies happened to touch. His eyes rose to Kevin’s, watching his friend’s features. So focused when he worked. So perfect. Max itched to touch him. Just a thumb across his cheek. Maybe a quick rake of fingers through his hair.

Kevin glanced up and caught him staring. His skin flushed. “What?”

Max blinked, then chuckled awkwardly and looked away. “Nothing.” But the weight of Kevin’s curious eyes didn’t budge. Max fiddled with his lure, the moment’s lingering vibe making him restless. Restless with a need to act, but in a way he didn’t quite understand. “Dang. Nice knot.” He gave the fish bait a tug. “Learn that from boy scouts, too?”

Kevin laughed. “No. Learned a bunch there, but I taught myself this one. It’s the Pitzen knot. Holds a ton of a fishing line’s breaking strength. It’s trickier, but I really like it.”

Max eyed him. “When’d you become such a knot-tying know-it-all?”

Kevin chuckled and tied a lure to his line also. “Started messing around with them back when I was a cub scout, after learning the main six. I’d practice them for hours in my room at night as a reason to steer clear of my parents. After that, whenever I spotted another kind, I’d teach myself how to tie that one, too. There are a ton for fishing lines besides just the clinch knot.”

Max grinned and got to his feet. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were showing off.”

Kevin laughed and stood up as well. “Are you saying you’re impressed?”

Max scanned the pond, then shrugged a little. “Maybe.” Totally. “Just a tad.” He stepped back and deftly cast his line, loving its quiet whizzing as it traveled.

A soft kerplunk met their ears a second later.

“Nice cast.” Kevin smiled and sent his out, too.

“Thanks. Now, hopefully they’ll bite.”

And boy, did they ever. Kevin hadn’t been kidding. The fish in that pond all but duked it out to get a healthy chomp of Max’s lure. An hour later, with almost a dozen catches between them, they took a break and settled back onto the blanket. Kevin swapped out their bait for a pair of wiggly worms, then set down their poles and grabbed a Coke. Max grabbed one, too, after pulling out the rum he’d managed to sneak from his mom’s liquor stash.

Pop went his soda can as he kicked back on the blanket, face tilted up toward the sun. Kevin settled in beside him and again their shoulders brushed. Max looked at his friend, at where their bodies touched, tempted to inch a little bit closer.

He took a swig from his rum-filled water bottle, then handed it over to Kevin. Kevin took a drink, too, chasing it like Max had with his Coke.

“Damn.” He winced. “That stuff burns.”

Max laughed with a nod. “Be grateful I didn’t grab the one-fifty-one.”

“I dunno.” Kevin grinned. “That kind’s fun to light on fire.”