↔IMPULSE↔

↔Avoidance↔

↑Image of Gabriel Escott above↑

Everything was fine until it wasn't.

Blake and Reese stuck together like usual, but slowly Blake started putting distance between them. At first, it seemed like he was being stingy with their time "together", but it was slowly getting worse.

After the second week, Blake stopped sleeping over at Reese's. Sleeping in his bed alone was lonely and was weird considering sleeping in the same bed with Reese had become a habit. Reese kept asking him if everything was okay, Blake would brush off the question with: "Of course."

The third week, they stopped clinging to each other, not for lack of trying on Reese's part. Reese would walk up behind him and drape his arm around his shoulder her wrap his arms around his waist and Blake would jump and pry away from his touch. 

Nikki pestered him asking him if everything was fine with Reese, even Dory and Gabe noticed something was up with the two. Reese went back to spacing out with the 'head-in-the-clouds' look. 

Halfway into the third week, Reese asked, "what happened?"

"Nothing, I just need some distance." Blake responded, edging away even though ever fibre of his being was being drawn to him like a magnet. Adjusting to sleeping alone again was taking way longer than it had taken for his sleep schedule to become completely dependent on Reese.

They were never alone either. When they hung out, Blake made sure to invite Dory, Nikki, and Gabe. All of this was to prevent Blake from blurting out that he wanted to fuck Reese. It was becoming exhausting, avoiding being alone with Reese like he was the plague.

 Even worse, it was really getting to Reese.

Their gang of friends were all at Reese's house. Nikki and Dory were on the couch watching a game show, both trying to play along loudly, arguing, joshing each other. Gabriel was sitting next to Dory quietly, his fingers toying with his braided string bracelet.

Blake sat on one side of Nikki and Reese tried to sit next to him so Blake bounced to his feet, "I'll go get drinks."

It didn't even take a second for Reese to get back to his feet, following along closely, "I'll help."

Blake groaned and walked to the kitchen faster. Reese wasn't making this any easier for him.

...

Gabriel was in hell.

Lately, Blake had been inviting him, Dory, and Nikki to hang out with him and Reese. It started about two or three weeks prior and it was driving Gabe insane. Sure, he was happy to spend time with everyone but "everyone" included Nikki.

He had nothing against Nikki, he liked her, but Dory liked her and Gabe liked Dory. Before Blake started using the three of them as a shield between him and Reese, Dory and Gabe would spend their weekends together, they would hang out after school, but now that Nikki was there, Gabe was just third-wheeling.

The three were sitting on the overstuffed, smelly couch while Dory and Nikki passive-aggressively flirted. Gabe sighed and stood up to go to the bathroom, it wasn't like he'd be missed much in the living room and Reese and Blake looked like they were playing tag in the kitchen.

Gabriel got lost in Reese's house. Fucking hell, how embarrassing. He opened a door that he thought was the bathroom. It was the bathroom, but it was currently occupied. A guy older than him and a girl were shirtless and looked like they were trying to swallow each other.

They broke apart quickly, Gabe dropped his head and sighed, "sorry 'bout that." He backed out and closed the door and leant against the wall. This day keeps getting better and better, Gabe thought with another heavy sigh. 

The door opened and the girl tossed him a dirty look before leaving, the door opened again and the guy walked out, still shirtless. He had clear, blue eyes with an amused, lazy expression. His hair was dark and tousled  and his skin was pale as snow. His lips a nice shade of red from kissing.

He laughed breezily, "that wasn't the best first impression." Holding out his hand, "Archie Vaungh. I'm Reese's big brother."

Shaking his hand, "Gabe Escott. Sorry about just now, didn't know anyone was in there."

Waving his hand dismissively, "Meh. It was just a chick from the other night. What are you guys up to downstairs?"

Gabe gave a little smile, "I'm not too sure. Your brother's been acting funky."

Archie brushed his hair from his face, "Reesey and Pierce are just working through something. Best friends and all. Are you alone down there?"

"Third-wheeling."

"Wanna hang with me?"

He slowly, reluctantly nodded his head, "Um, sure." Archie grinned and began walking to the basement, Gabriel followed a couple steps behind. Archie was good-looking but didn't look much like Reese besides the eyes.

Gabe had never been to the basement, it had a fold-out couch and beanbag chairs, multiple, multi-coloured rugs on the cement floor instead of carpet. The walls were painted tan, where you could see the walls through the layers of posters. 

Archie plopped on the couch, it was already folded out to a crappy bed. He reached under the bed and pulled out a six pack of beer. "Want one?"

"I'm a minor."

He winked and gave a sneaky grin, "so am I. You've drank before."

"How can you be so sure?" Gabe asked defiantly.

He laughed, his hair fell away from his face, "there's a reason I babysit at Reese's birthday parties. That brat has been drinking from my stash with Pierce since he was twelve."

Gabe relaxed a little and sat on a squishy chair, "so you aren't aiming to be a good role-model."

"That ship has sailed."

Gabriel accepted the beer, it was room temperature and had the usual shitty taste. Archie sat up to drink his. In the stretch of silence, Gabe thought about Reese's thirteenth birthday party when he and Blake kissed. That had been the first time he'd seen two guys kiss, let alone his friends. 

A couple weeks later, Gabe was spending the night with Dory while Blake and Reese were off camping on the beach without them. Dory was asleep and Gabe couldn't help but stare at him. He kissed Dory. Not knowing what on Earth possessed him to do it, but thankfully Dory was asleep and would never ever know about it.

What jarred him from his thought was a coin hitting him, he picked it up and Archie asked, "penny for your thoughts?"

Gabe smiled softly at the coin as he turned it over in his fingers, "reminiscing about one of Reese's parties."

Archie smirked, "reminisce? What are you, an old man?"

"Merely a troubled young soul."

The blue-eyed boy laughed, "Why a young soul?"

"If I had an old soul I think it wouldn't be so easily shaken up."

Taking another drink of the lukewarm beer, "what has shaken up your soul?"

Gabriel gave a gentle smile and took a drink, "a secret I'll be holding onto."

"Will you ever share the secret with me?"

The younger boy's smirk was a little playful, "of course not."

"I guess from here on out I'll have to try harder."

"Wasted effort, I assure you."

Archie looked like a breath of fresh air, sitting on the fold-out with one knee brought up, the other on the bed as he leant back one hand supporting him, a beer in the other. Shirtless and barefoot with messy hair and what seemed like a permanently amused look, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

Archie gave him a peculiar look, "I have a feeling nothing will ever be considered 'wasted' on you."