Sparks

Twenty-Seven

Chris greeted his band members with open arms and the largest smile he'd worn in weeks.

"So this is LA, eh?" Guy asked, looking around at the neighborhood from which Chris had rented his flat. It was a nice neighborhood, as he was quite rich, but it still didn't compare with the large house that Gwenyth was now in full possession of.

"Well, it's my part of LA," Chris replied with a giggle.

"Your part? As in you own it?" Will laughed. "What are you doing in this tiny flat, then?"

The rest of the band laughed.

Cautiously, he looked over at his green-eyed love. He was looking down, and biting his lips, a Jonny-way of saying he was stressed.

My poor Jonny. I'm so sorry.

"Well, since we don't have to work today I'm going out for lunch. You chaps wanna come?" Phil asked everyone.

Chris wanted to take this time to talk to Jonny, but when Jonny nodded in agreement to lunch, Chris sighed and offered to come as well. Guess he'd have to wait until later to spill things.

Lunch would have gone better if Jonny would've looked at Chris at all. Chris wanted to sit by Jonny like he usually did at restaurants, but Jonny quickly took the seat next to Guy, leaving Chris to sit across from him, and yet the green-eyed man still refused to look him in his own deep blue eyes.

At one point, Chris even reached over to attempt to grab Jonny's hand, but he flinched at the touch and quickly moved his hands away.

What had Chris done wrong?

The whole thing was really hurting Jonny. He didn't want to act like this towards Chris, but his therapist said that his feelings might have been caused by too much intimate contact between the two of them throughout the years. Of course, he didn't believe that nonsense for even a minute, but Chloe, who had been angry with him for telling her that he was in love with his band mate and best friend, encouraged him to succumb to the therapist's suggestions.

He didn't want this for himself or for Chris. He knew he was just hurting Chris more than he was already hurt, by making it seem that Jonny had no feelings for him whatsoever. In truth, his need for the singer was growing inside of his chest, his desire nearly outgrowing his will to be strong for his family. He loved Chris, with every ounce of his heart, body, and soul, he loved that man with the blue eyes as deep as the ocean and personality as bubbly as a puppy.

He bit his lip all throughout lunch, barely eating anything. He knew that Chris could see his stress, and he knew that they'd probably have a talk afterwards. Still, he did his best to talk with the other three guys and act as though nothing was wrong, even though all of the guys could see how hurt he really was.

When lunch was over, Chris offered to pay the bill, and Will was the only one who refused, even though Jonny was usually the one who refused and always ended up paying for it himself.

"I guess Jon was tired of paying for us," Guy joked, trying to lift his mood. He won a small chuckle from Jonny, but his small smile quickly turned back into a worried chewing on his lip.

Guy frowned and patted Jonny's back. "Are you okay, Jon?" Will and Phil  looked back at Jonny, who sighed and gave a nod.

"Jonny, please come to my flat. I'd like to talk with you about some things," Chris blurted, simply because he felt that he wouldn't get another chance to. Jonny was being unresponsive with him, and he needed to get answers.

Again, Jonny sighed and nodded, and with another pat on the back and a quiet, "Feel better, mate," Guy left with Will and Phil.

Chris made Jonny look into his eyes, which he did, and all the feelings that Jonny was trying to put away once again resurfaced.