James realizes he kind of really wants to fuck Alex one day when when they're filming a video. It's not like it comes out of nowhere, he's thought about it casually before, but it really only hits him then just how much he wants it. They're about to get started, James is setting the camera up when Alex says something from behind him.
"I'm cold," he complains.
"Should've brought a sweater," James mutters.
"It was warmer this morning," Alex says. James turns around and sighs.
"Well what do you want me to do about it?" He asks.
"Let me borrow a sweatshirt," Alex suggests. James snorts.
"Fine. Though, you know the fans will have a field day with this one, right?" Alex shrugs and digs through James' drawer. James finishes setting up the camera and when he turns around Alex has got on one of his sweatshirts, it's enormous on him. Practically a dress. James swallows and stares for a minute.
Seeing Alex in his clothing gives him a strange feeling of possessiveness that sends a rush of heat to James' stomach.
"You're huge," Alex mutters.
"Maybe you're just tiny," James says, too flustered to make the easy dick joke. "Here." He grabs Alex's arm and rolls the sleeve up, his finger tips brush against Alex's slender wrist and his breath catches for a moment. He does the same with the second sleeve, not looking up.
Throughout the video, he stares distractedly at Alex even more than usual. It's a wonder the other man doesn't mention it.
...
Late one night they're sitting around in George and Alex's living room with a few friends, there's too many people and not enough furniture so Alex ends up sitting on the floor.
"It's my house," Alex grumbles, crossing his arms. "I shouldn't have to sit on the floor." He then proceeds to stand up, approach James and plants himself in his friend's lap. James freezes and it feels like he leaves his body for a minute while Alex settles in. George snickers. James just doesn't know what to say, he opens his mouth but no sound comes out.
Alex leans back comfortably against his chest. James just continues to sit there stiffly, if he tells Alex to get off it'll be weird, but surely he can't just sit there. Alex keeps shifting a little, just readjusting his position the slightest bit and James can feel himself getting hard.
He panics and does the weirdest thing possible, he stands up abruptly, dumping Alex out of his lap and onto the floor. James expects his friend to at least be a little annoyed, but Alex is grinning up at him, showing off his stupid fucking pointy teeth that James inexplicably finds attractive.
He knows, he must've felt James under him. If James could just evaporate into thin air and simply cease to exist right then he would. Instead he quickly excuses himself to the bathroom and books it out of there.
It's no big deal, he tells himself as he sits trembling on the edge of the tub, he'll just have to cut off all contact with Alex and all of their mutual friends. And possibly move to another country.
It's not as bad as all that of course. James goes home that night and stays up thinking about it. He falls asleep early in the morning, when he wakes up around noon there's a message from Alex on his phone, just some stupid meme he's already seen before.
He laughs in relief. Maybe he was being paranoid, maybe Alex hadn't felt it. But then, there was that grin. That wicked, knowing grin. There was no way he hadn't. Should he bring it up? He could make some sort of excuse.
In the end he decides that if Alex isn't going to mention it, neither is he. He simply sends Alex a meme in response and hopes for the best.
...
So it's business as usual after the incident. They text a few times. James decides he doesn't have to stop talking to anyone or leave the country. At least it seems like business as usual at first.
The first time they film a video together after the incident Alex just won't keep his hands off James, he keeps touching his leg under the table, moving his hand dangerously high on James thigh. James' mind absolutely short circuits, but Alex just keeps making jokes at the camera like nothing's going on.
Alex keeps doing things like that, touching James, making suggestive comments. The worst part is, James is pretty sure Alex isn't really attracted to him. He's just teasing, he must like to watch James squirm, the cruel bastard.
If James wasn't such a coward he might just bring it up and try to have a discussion about it like a reasonable adult, but he is a coward and an idiot so he just lets Alex continue to torture him until things inevitably come to a head.
He and George have just gotten done filming a video when they walk into the kitchen to find Alex sitting on the counter in boxer shorts and a hoodie eating cool whip out of a tub with his fingers. James falls silent mid sentence, staring at Alex. He must know he being obscene? Scooping up whipped cream with his long fingers and licking it off. George groans.
"For fuck's sake," he says. "This is getting ridiculous. And Alex? You're being disgusting, not all of us want to watch you eat whipped cream with your fingers as much as James does."
"Wh-what?" James says, flustered by being called out so frankly.
"James, we all know you want to fuck Alex, you've not been very subtle about it. Alex wants have sex with you too, and honestly, you must be a fucking moron not to have realized because he's done just about everything but yell 'fuck me'." Alex is blushing which is completely ridiculous considering how he's been acting the past few days.
"Is he...? Do you really?" James says. Alex rolls his eyes.
"Yes you idiot," he says.
"Okay," James says, taking a step towards Alex. George shakes his head and wisely decides to get out of there before things can progress any further.
James grabs Alex's hoodie and drags him into a rough kiss, all heat and teeth and tongues. Alex wraps his legs around James' waist. They break apart both panting.
"Why couldn't you have just told me what you wanted?" James mutters.
"Too fun to tease you." Alex grins.
"You're an asshole," James says.
"I know. Want to take this up to my room?"
"God yes," James says breathlessly.
