Frustration -SERIES- [Part 1] [boyxboy]

Chapter Six

'Are you sure maybe Joey and Arthur weren't swapped at birth?' I asked, mildly amused, as Conor and I made it back to our hotel room.

'What?' Conor asked, distracted.

I laughed. 'I've never met two people more alike than you and Arthur! He even looks a bit like you.'

Conor gave me a weird look. 'No he doesn't!'

'He does, a bit,' I told him sceptically. 'And anyway, it's not an insult. You love him.'

'I don't.'

'You do. He is your soul mate.'

'I already have a soul mate, thank you very much,' Conor told me, coming over to wrap his arms loosely around my waist and lean his forehead against mine. I smiled goofily as the butterflies stirred in my tummy.

'You have to admit that went a whole lot better then you expected though.'

Conor shrugged, letting go of me and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. There is nothing my boyfriend hates more in the world than admitting he was wrong. I waited patiently, one eyebrow raised, until he eventually laughed and groaned, 'Oh alright! It went well. He's nothing like I expected him to be. Are you happy now?!'

'Delighted.' I folded my arms and leaned against the set of drawers by the door.

Conor and Arthur Rollings had gotten on like old friends and it was pretty obvious the tour was going to go a lot better than expected. Even though Conor had arrived grumpy and making no effort to hide it, he'd been as easily charmed and coaxed by Arthur's electric personality as other people usually are by his own. What I couldn't ignore was the small spark of chemistry that seemed to go off between them. Both gorgeous, both on the precipice of overwhelming fame – and both gay. Where there should have been a note of rivalry, there instead seemed to be a hint of mutual admiration.

Of course, it didn't help that Arthur's eyes had zoned in on Conor and lit up as soon as we'd walked into the room. I guess when you're famous you lose the need to play it cool.

'You clearly aren't,' Conor said, in response to my previous statement.

'I am!' I tried to defend myself. 'I'm really happy for you.'

'Argh,' he said. 'Tyler. What's wrong? I can't fix it if you don't tell me what it is.'

'There's nothing wrong!' I tried to convince him. I swear, I'm usually a much better liar. Only Conor and Josh can tell when I'm lying, and it's really inconvenient.

Conor studied me closely for a second, and the surprise lit up his face. 'You're jealous!'

'I'm not.'

'Yes you are, I can tell from all the way over here.' His expression changed to one of complete bewilderment. 'But why?'

I sighed and let my shoulders slump; there was no point in denying it any longer. 'I mean, Arthur made it pretty clear that he's interested. In you,' I qualified when Conor continued to look perplexed.

'In me?'

I nodded.

'Are you sure?'

I nodded again.

'I didn't notice.' He held out his hand and flexed his fingers at me, beckoning me over. Grudgingly, I went, and laced my fingers through his, sitting down beside him. 'Want to know why I didn't notice?'

'Because almost everyone who sees you reacts the same way?' I asked dryly. 'And you're so used to it that you don't even register it anymore?'

Conor blinked his big dark eyes at me once, then grinned. 'No, I always register it,' he teased arrogantly. 'I didn't notice because aside from being completely and fully and madly in love with you,' butterfly alert – every freaking time! – as he put one hand on my shoulder and pushed me backwards gently onto the bed, leaning over me, 'I also am not even minutely attracted to anybody who isn't you.'