Kiss Me (yaoi / boyxboy)

Chapter 16

I blink blearily, forcing my tired eyes to focus on the front of the class. In the end, we stayed in the park till the light turned pale and the birds were starting to sing again. Despite my pestering, Drake just shrugged off my offer to stay round for whatever time remained till we had to get up for school.
I feel weird, like everything's kind of surreal. I don't really know why either, it might have to do with the fact that I'd seen a different side of Drake or it might just be the lack of sleep but the day seems to pass in a hazy blur and before I know it, it's lunch time and my two best friends are chatting about... well, about boys.

"...just so freakin' hot. I mean, seriously, how does anyone even manage to get a body like that?" Corey sighs dreamily and for some reason I automatically jump to the conclusion that he's talking about Eli. I narrow my eyes,

"Who're you talking about?" I say suspiciously.

"Oh, you've decided to join us then?"

I shrug and stifle a yawn which I accidently pass on to Jonah.

"He was talking about you're brother." He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "It was... uncomfortable."

"Homophobe." Corey mutters.

I roll my eyes but I grin at him, despite not really feeling massively comfortable hearing Corey describing how hot my brother is. I'd always had an inkling that my brother is at least bi, he's just one of those guys who flirts with anyone and completely gets away with it. That thought worries me slightly though and I cross my fingers that he isn't just flirting with Corey.

"You should be careful around my brother, he can be a right tosser sometimes." He waves off my concern,

"Psh, I can handle myself, Greyson." I don't even bother trying to tell him that that's not my name, he'd just tell me that he knows anyway.

"Well, now that you're back from whatever planet you were on, you can take my place as attentive listener." Jonah gets up, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Wait- why do I have to listen to how hot my brother is?"

"Uh..." He shuffles his feet uncomfortabley, "You'll be better at you know.. understanding where he's coming from."

"And why is that?"

"Well, you're gay aren't you?"

"Oh.. Right." This may sound stupid but I hadn't really thought about it. It was always something that I knew so I never had the conscious thought of; I'm gay. And I knew that whether or not I was actually gay never mattered to Simon, he would always have his jabs at me so I didn't have to come out to my parents. My reply comes out more like a question, "Yeah...?"

"There we go then." He turns to leave the room but Corey catches his arm, frowning,

"Where are you going?"

"Tutoring."

"You're being tutored?"

He raises in an eyebrow, gently shrugging off Corey's grip, "I'm tutoring someone."

"Who?"

"Someone." Jonah turns on his heal and dashes out the room as if his tails caught fire.

I let out a confused breath, "Is it just me or is he acting really weird?"

Corey sighs, "Don't you worry. I'll find out." His James Bond bad guy impression makes me laugh but I know fully well that by last lesson he'll know everything.

"So... Eli talking to you yet?"

"Nope." I grumble, crossing my arms across my chest. "I just don't know what he thinks about me," my voice takes on a whinging tone (one that I'm not especially proud of), "I mean, one minute he's all intense gazing and acting like he's about to kiss me and the next he's looking at me like I just told him I'd been shagging his dad."

He nods at my slightly strange analogy, "Call him."

"I can't." I grumble, pouting.

"Can't or won't?"

"Ca-"

He jumps up, slamming his hands suddenly onto the desk we're sitting at and towering over me, "Look here, Grey. We are independent, strong, powerful people. We do not need any guy fucking us around- we need to stand up and take control." His voice gets louder, grabbing the sides of my face and staring with fiery intent into my eyes. "It doesn't matter if they just bumped into you after getting out the shower- we will not let our hearts be rules by their sexy, tanned, muscular, obviously well endowed-"

"I'll call him!" I squeak, holding my hands up in surrender. His previously serious frown relaxes and he drops back into his chair, smiling- all sweet and innocent. For a 5" tall guy that wears girl's hair clips, he can be freakin' scary when he wants to be. And fuck that, I'm not going to sit here and listen to him reel off every little thing that turns him on. Especially when all those little things apparently make up my older brother.

"Do it now." He orders. I pull my phone out obediently and dial the number, not really wanting another supposedly 'empowering' outburst.

Eli

My phone vibrates from my back pocket and I draw it out. Ah. My stomach clenches slightly, it's not that I don't want to talk to him- actually, that's precisely the problem. I'm perfectly aware that I'm behaving like a dick and every time I think about him (which is pretty much every other minute) I become increasingly aware of what I've started. I didn't mean it- fancying him- I never thought that he would even remember me. And when I saw that he did, I guess it just made me fall even harder, made me forget that I can't ever be with him. Not for the usual reasons- not because my parents wouldn't approve, not because I'm scared of what people would say, because I know what would happen. I know the danger I would be putting him in. So I don't answer the call. I can't.

After five minutes, my phone buzzes again and I give in,

"Hey..."

"Why're you answering like that?" The deep voice of my father sounds from the phone. I can't help the dissapointed sinking feeling in my stomach as I walk away from my group of friends that I didn't even bother to say goodbye to. Call me paranoid, but if dad's calling me then I shouldn't really be letting anyone overhear my conversations.

"Sorry, thought you were someone else."

"Ah, okay." After a moment of silence, he clears his throat, "Look, son. There's a reason I called you." My breath hitches in my throat, his tone is so serious that I stop dead, freezing in the middle of the bustling corridor.

"What is it?"

"I don't want you to worry, but the group... they've found some information which seems to suggest that you're being followed." The way he says it makes my stomach churn.

I curse under my breath, "Who's following me?"

"It's.. Well, there's no way to beat around the bush. We believe it's a group working under the instruction of Joshua Hadley." I nearly let the phone fall from my fingers. I never thought I'd hear that name again, never thought I'd have to look into those eyes so full of hate and loss and feel the results of the hurt my family could inflict. "Eli, we'll destroy the son of a bitch, I can promise you that."

I can't keep talking, I keep thinking that this is a dream and that I'll wake up. This proves me right, I really can't be with him, it would only put him in the firing line. Then another thought hits me, causing my brain to go into a tailspin, only coming out of it when someone barges past me.

"We won't let anything happen. I won't let anything-"

I shake my head, cutting him off, "Has he been watching anyone else?"

"No, not that we're aware of. Why, has something happened to worry you? " My stomach relaxes slighlty, but my gut doesn't. I can't push that feeling away- the one that told me I'd put the person I cared most about in danger.

"No, I just- I just- I can't..."

"Can't what, son?"

"I can't lose him, Dad."

A/N

Okay, so... It's been ages since the last update for good reasons.. I really couldn't work out where and when everything should happen so I was debating whether or not I should publish the chapter I'd written. In the end I just re-arranged some things so it's all good! Woo!