"Ah, don't talk shit, Ed. You wanna fool around with a guy, that's one thing but you don't gotta sweet talk me like those morons at school. I ain't fucking gorgeous. I know you learned a lot but these tricks don't work on me." He wanted to tell Edward that he had always been charmed by him, in his own way, but he felt it was far too sappy to put into words. He pulled back and returned to where he was sitting, picking up the bottle and taking a long sip, trying to decide what move to make next.

"I don't like being an experiment. To anyone. Ever. I'm not something to test with."

Not any more. He didn't want to be a guinea pig - not for his father, not for Edward. "You wanna play this game, it'd get real. You wanna get real with me, Edward?" He turned and met his eyes, not challenging or shaming Edward, not afraid either. Just serious about what he was saying.