All The Ways We Touch [MxM]

sixteen - gay panic

Elliot stood outside his house, his phone pressed to his ear as he looked up and down the street for the cab he'd summoned. "Jamison's gone!"

"What?"

"He's gone, Vera, he ran off!"

"What happened? Why? I'll get everyone and we'll come over."

"Don't bother, I'm gonna go look for him. We were going to go swimming and then he started throwing up and then he literally ran away."

"Did he say anything?"

"He said he had to get away, that he needed me to stay away from him, that he was sorry, and that it wasn't my fault." Heart pounding in his chest, he was on the verge of screaming if he had to wait another minute for the cab to arrive.

"Well, that's weird," Vera sighed. "Hurry up and get in the goddamn car, Jack!"

"The cab's here, I gotta go." Hanging up, Elliot got in and gave the driver Jamison's address. Looking out the window, he scanned the streets for any sight of Jamison as they drove across town, though he suspected he probably knew shortcuts that didn't involve sticking to the sidewalk and main streets.

At the apartment complex, he had the driver wait for him before he got out and bounded up the stairs.

"Jamison?" Knocking on his door, he tried to look in the window to see if there was light or any sight of him.

"Jamison, please, if you're there, just let me know you made it home," he begged. "I swear that I'll leave if you just tell me you're okay and safe."

After he'd banged on the door again, he sighed and headed back down the stairs. Despite the wait for the taxi, he'd arrived pretty quickly; maybe quick enough that he'd beaten him. Jamison was fast but running a few miles, especially up a hill, still took time.

"Let's just wait here for a bit."

Time lapsed by as they sat and waited, Elliot looking all around them in case Jamison approached and spotted him. After an hour of idling, Elliot told the guy to leave. There was one other place he could've gone.

When they arrived at The House, he got out and hurried inside.

"Hey, is Jamison here?"

Tyler looked up, raising a brow. A random man trying to find someone well after midnight was cause for suspicion. He didn't know Jamison very well, just that he was a good employee, but maybe he had a stalker. "Uh, who're you?"

Despite wanting to yell, Elliot tried to keep his voice casual and turned up the charisma. This guy was already suspicious of him, he didn't need to give him a reason not to answer. "I'm his best friend, Elliot," pulling out Jamison's phone, he held it up. "He left his phone at my house but he's not home yet. I thought that he may've stopped here first."

"You missed him. He stopped by about an hour ago. Said he was running, made some tea, and then left," he shrugged. Apparently, a name and a flimsy story were all he needed.

"Did he say if he was going anywhere?"

"Uh, no..." Tyler narrowed his eyes on Elliot, looking him over again. "Who'd you say you are?"

"Elliot," he sighed. "Thanks."

Unsure where else to look, Elliot had the taxi take him home. Vera's car was parked out front and he walked into the house, gripping the sides of his head as he tried to think of other places he may have gone.

"Did you find him?" Vera called out as she and Jack raced to meet him.

He stopped and just shook his head. "No, he's not home. I stopped in at work and—Wren!"