He nodded and they headed out. Trevor kept a keen eye out for their adversary, but she was nowhere to be seen. Had that all really happened? His heart was certainly still pounding like it had. God, he couldn't believe he'd done that. But Chase had looked so ... Trevor had needed to do something. Chase obviously hadn't been about to stand up for himself.

They were quiet for a while, as Trevor's thoughts raced around his head and he got his pounding heart and shaking hands back under control. The shock of his own brazen behavior was slowly wearing away. He might have stunned himself by acting out, but he didn't regret a word he'd said. The woman had no right to go around touching people. Not just her, but everyone. What ever happened to respecting people's space?

He had definitely done the right thing.

A block later, he had calmed down was just about ready to really dig in and enjoy his smoothie, when Chase cleared his throat. "Hey, uh ..."

Trevor waited, but Chase just stared intently at his cocoa. "Yeah?"

"Listen, I don't want to sound ungrateful, and I'm glad you told her off, but --" another pause, this one joined by a raspy inhale "-- I also don't want you to think that I need a knight in shining armor or anything."

"No! Of course not!" Trevor chuckled awkwardly. "I think it's sometimes easier to do that sort of rash thing when it's not about you, you know? I don't think I'd have said anything if it were me. Don't want to make a fuss and all that. Especially with an elder we should respect. But I just couldn't let her get away with that attitude."

Chase nodded, took a sip of his drink, and said, "Okay. Just wanted to make sure you knew."

"Definitely. If anything, you seem like you're the knight."

Chase flashed a shy smile over to him, and Trevor's heart began racing again for a very different reason. "Does that make you the fair maiden I rescue?"

The sidewalk was uneven (that was definitely it), and Trevor tripped, body jarring and feet scrambling to save himself. He managed to not fall or drop his drink, but he could feel his face was red when he straightened up.

"Dude, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine." He sucked hard on the straw. "Um, what did you ask?"

Chase had a cruel streak, because he didn't give Trevor a break. "If you're the fair maiden I rescue."

Trevor's cheeks heated more. "Only from myself."

Chase laughed (oh thank God). "I hear that."

And perhaps it was because he'd already maxed out his embarrassment levels (or his blushing had broken the indicator), because he found himself saying, "Do you want me to be your fair maiden?"

He didn't look at Chase, so he couldn't see whatever his reaction was. But silence hung heavy between them, like Trevor had just erected a wall between them.

Oh God, don't think about erections.