The Art of Love.

For Liza, who continues to awe and inspire me with her courage, humour and impeccably flawless writing. Thank you for being you and continuing to be the amazingly supportive person you are. I'm honoured to call you my friend. <3

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3rd person POV

His hands shook as he ran his fingers through his hair, his obvious nervousness clearly evident as he paced back and forth in the small yet somehow spacious room.

He'd spent countless nights here, joking and laughing on Tumblr with him, lazing about on their days off, holding important meetings, filming videos, holding twitcam and younow sessions for the annual Trevor Project fundraisers... So many memories, and none of them even came close to the one he was about to create now.

He exhaled loudly, trying, and failing, to calm himself for what they were about to do. He was sure he was ready... He knew he was, it was just... Well, it was HIM, and he didn't want to do anything to screw this up!

What if I do something wrong? What if he didn't enjoy it? What if I don't enjoy it? Or we don't end up really going well together like that?

Everything that could go wrong swam through his head as he continued to pace the now familiar path through his best friends bedroom, anxiously waiting for said friend to hurry up so they could get started already... Not that he was in any rush, nor did he just want to get their first time out of the way... He was just anxious to get started, to fall into the sense of security the other boy always seemed to provide.

As outgoing he was in all his online media platforms, he was generally a quietly spoken person around those he didn't know very well... Those that knew him well enough knew he was always insecure, constantly questioning his own body image despite the positivity he put out to his followers.

Sure, he'd struggled with his figure throughout his relatively short life, and sure, he was more comfortable with his appearance than he'd been a few years ago, but he was still insecure, and he'd still catch himself looking at his naked form in the mirror, questioning each and every flaw that others swore wasn't there.

It was the same for the boy who was most likely wearing down the carpet in the current room he occupied. He'd struggled too, and at times he'd find himself doing what his best friend was known to: standing in the mirror and picking at things he wished were different. It hadn't really mattered what he'd done, he could never get himself to look the way he wanted.

He heard the water shut off in another part of the apartment and his feet rooted themselves to the carpet mid stride as his head shot up to look towards the closed bedroom door.

His heart rate picked up.

Was he finally ready? Goodness knows he'd taken his sweet time already!

He licked his dry lips as he wiped his now sweaty palms against the sides of his jeans, suddenly very unsure of himself.

Do I stay where I am?

Do I get in the bed now?

He wouldn't get dressed after a shower, surely... should I be naked too?!

The floor boards creaked in the small apartment as the boy he'd loved for as long as he could remember finally started making his way through the apartment.

This was it. The moment they'd been waiting for.

Sure, it would have happened sooner, but with all the travelling and differences in their suddenly demanding schedules, it was hard to find more than five minutes to be in the same place at the same time. And sure, at one point they'd called the whole relationship off, and they'd both dated other people for a time (both of which were other well known youtubers too!), but that was the funny thing about love, it bought people together, made you realise how short life really is, and how important it is to make the best of the cards life has dealt you.

And if all of that added up to having to have a long distance relationship to stay together, then that's what they had to do, because yes, they'd been separated. And yes, they'd dated other people. But maybe back then, it hadn't been the right time for them to have been a couple. One of them was, arguably, too inexperienced in many things for the relationship to last, and the other was just launching new pathways in his career, his schedule becoming so hectic that half of their skype talks were almost pointless due to the boy falling asleep out of exhaustion from the long 12-14 hour days full of press conferences and meetings.

Despite all of this, they were both more than ready and willing to take this part of their relationship to the next level; to explore and get to know each other in an intimate act of love... ok that sounded cheesy as all hell, but it was the truth!

They knew each other so well they finished each others sentences, or answered for their missing half when their friends asked after the other - the answers all truly adding up to what the other would have said had they been present - they knew each other, it was a fact. A statement that none of their friends could deny. But this kind of knowledge would be new to them both.

Finding out what each one liked, discovering sensitive spots - both in the most obvious and random of places - exploring the taste and scent and texture of each others bodies... the young boy could hardly wait, and wished his boyfriend would just hurry up already!

As if his silent prayers had been answered, the door was slowly pushed open, and he was there. Standing in the doorframe in all his glory. Droplets of water falling from his still-wet hair to land, and slowly roll, down the planes of his chest and stomach before disappearing under the bright blue cloth of the small towel cinched loosely at his waist. He was delectable with a capital D, and the the other boy, who stood stock still in the centre of the room with a look of admiration and awe plastered across his face, couldn't wait to explore every nook and cranny of the beautiful man standing before him.

***

They'd fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, their bodies moving together as one as they took their relationship to new levels. Their love for each other showed in the slow caresses and whispered praises, and, as the night wore on, their love for each other grew.

Neither one could deny that this was what it was to love, and that this boy, this man before them, this was who they would spend the rest of their lives with, no matter what life had to throw at them, they would survive.

Because they had each other to hold on to.

To create memories with and grow old together.

To live a long happy life filled with joy and laughter, good friends and family.

For that was the true art of love.