Drawn to you

After my mum and dad thoroughly inspect my new home, they reluctantly leave to let me settle in. Elliott and Anthony have been on their best behaviour, so I’m pretty sure my parents feel as though they’ve left me in good hands. Although as soon as we hear their car drive off, Elliott yells, “PARTY!” as he throws his hands in the air and dashes to the kitchen, returning with a bottle of butterscotch schnapps and three shot glasses.
“Seriously Ell? We’re starting at lunch time?” Anthony laughs. “Didn’t you drink enough last night?”
“The best way to beat a hangover is to just stay drunk,” he explains, pouring the sweet liqueur into the glasses. “Plus, we need to celebrate.” He hands us both a glass and holds his to his lips. “To new friends and lots of drunken nights together,” he toasts, lifting his glass upward slightly before tossing it down his throat.
“Cheers,” Anthony and I say, as we do the same. The thick sweet liquid is like mouthful of nectar as it slides down my throat.
“Wow, I think I just got a cavity from that,” I laugh. “It’s like drinking a liquid lolly.”
“It is, I love it,” Elliott laughs, sliding his tongue inside the shot glass to lick away the remnants.
“Are you finished unpacking?” Anthony asks.
“Almost. I just have a little more to do,” I explain, prompting us all to head up to my room while I finish.
They help me a little, but mostly, they just keep me company while we chat and get to know a bit more about each other.
Elliott takes it upon herself to leaf through the things in my wardrobe, complaining that he won’t be able to steal my clothes from me due to the huge difference in our heights.
“Oh, you have to wear this out tonight!” she exclaims, pulling out my chocolate mocha colour jeans and ripped black vest “It will look amazing with your hair and eyes,” she says.
““Where are we going anyway?”I ask pulling my boxers into my wardrobe
“Oh, there’s a party at number four,” Ant explains.“Cute boys, a BBQ and loud music. It’s going to be fun”
“You should invite Aaron,” Elliott intimates, nudging me lightly with his elbow as he re-hangs my jeans “And maybe he could bring Jeremy.”
“You liked him huh?” I laugh, remembering how every time I saw him on Thursday night he was hanging off him.
“Very much. I need another chance. So call him – please,” he begs, holding his hands together like he’s praying.
“Who’s that guy you went home with on Thursday, Frank?” Anthony interjects. “He came over to where we were sitting and demanded your jacket. Then he just carried you out like you were a baby.”
“Oh my god! That’s right. He was HOT. But very unhappy,” Elliott adds, turning his mouth downward. “Who was he? Please tell me he’s your brother or a relative of some sort. Otherwise, there’s no chance for the rest of us.”
“I thought you were into Jeremy?” I respond, setting out my black nail varnishes on top of my dresser.
“I am, but if things don’t work out…”he shrugs as if it’s all no big deal. “I have to keep my options open.”
“His name is Gerard and he’s my…” I shake my head and bounce my shoulders. “I don’t know what he is at the moment. It’s all very new.”
“Well then, invite them both,” Elliott shrugs.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I start to say when we hear a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Anthony says, jumping up from where he’s sitting on the end of my bed and bouncing down the stairs,
“I don’t know where that boy gets so much energy,”bElliott comments, shaking his head as he moves over to my chest of drawers and starts inspecting the nail polish. “Can I borrow this one?” he asks, holding up a black bottle with silver glitter mixed through it.
“Sure,” I agree.
“We’ve got a visitor,” Anthony sing-songs, as he reaches the top of the stairs. Looking out my door, I can see that he’s followed by Aaron.
“Hey, happy moving day,” he smiles, handing me a small wrapped gift as he leans in to kiss my cheek.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to get me anything,” I exclaim, pulling open the package to reveal a hook for my wall.
“It’s to go with the key chain,” he explains, tilting his head as he shrugs a little. “I’m just losing my keys all the time. So I thought this might save you from the same problem.”
“This is great Aaron,” I tell him, opening up the packet and removing the film from the adhesive side before sticking it on the wall near my door. After holding it on the wall for the required ten seconds, I release it and step back. “There. Perfect.”
“Almost,” Antony says, rushing out of the room and returning with my new house keys. “This one is the front door, and this one is for your bedroom door.” he shows me each key before handing them over.
“Will you attach them to the key chain for me?” I ask Aaron, moving over to my desk where I had sat the key chain he gave me for my birthday.
“Of course.” He takes them from me and bows his head as he pries the metal ring open and winds the keys in place.
"can I have frank why the fuck you have nail varnish"he laughs his blue eyes sparkling in the sun
"shut up its emo dude"I smirk grabbing his butt playfully
“So, there’s a party in our complex tonight. You busy?” Elliott asks Aaron, as he spins from side to side on my desk chair.
“Um, I was going to go out with some friends – you were invited by the way,” he says to me separately. “But I can stop by later on if that’s ok.” He moves over to the hook and hangs the keys in their new spot.
I thank him as he and Elliott continue to talk. “You can come any time you want. We’ll be here,” he drawls. “You can bring your friends.”
“Ok,” he says politely, before turning his attention back to me. “Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and check you were all good. I might see you later ok?” he says, touching me lightly on my arm as he leaves, telling Elliott and Anthony that it was nice to see them again on his way out.
“Spill. We want to know exactly what the deal is with these men in your life,” Elliott says, leaning back in my desk chair as she prepares himself to paint her nails by laying out a tissue and borrowing my nail file.
I shake my head slightly, laughing a little at how comfortable he is with other people’s things and make a mental note to keep my door locked whenever I’m not home.
“I’d like to know this too actually,”Anthony adds, as he once again sits down on the end of my bed.
Having nowhere else to sit, I join her as I wonder where to begin. I start by explaining that Aaron and I were friends first, and that we dated each other for only a couple of months before my father found out and put an end to everything.
“I’m lucky he’s such a great guy, because he didn’t make me feel weird around him when things cooled down between us,” I say.
“So you’ve slept with him before?” Elliott asks, blowing on his now freshly painted nails.
“Yes,” I confirm.
“Was he your first?”Anthony adds dreamily. I can tell he has a fairly major crush on him.
“No,my first actually was a girl her name was Jamia anyway I had one other boyfriend before him. But that didn’t last long either.” I explain how strict my father always was, and how it made it impossible to have a normal relationship with anyone.
“So how does Gerard fit in to all of this?” Elliott asks.
As I explain how I met Gerard , I start to realise that the only information I have on him, came from other sources. When he met me, he must have realised who I was. How could he not? He trains with my father, he knew my brother. He must have known who I was. Then why not say so? Why behave as though everything between us has been completely coincidental?
“Geez, sucks to be you,”Elliott says stroking my hair
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You’re eighteen. You’re less than a year away from finishing your degree, and you have two very good looking men interested in you, and all you have to do is choose,” he lists.
“I’d choose Aaron,” Anthony chimes in.
“Yeah, but did you see Gerard?”Elliott replies. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, but what’s with all the secrets? Aaron is just as good looking, and he’s so thoughtful. Look what he did for him?” As they continue to argue the pros and cons of each man, I stand up from the bed and move toward my jacket to get my phone. The sound in the room seems to dull around me. It’s as if I can sense it’s about to ring.
Staring at the screen, I jump a little when it actually does, and Damien’s number appears.
“Come outside,” he says, without waiting for me to say hello, before disconnecting the call.
For a moment, I’m frozen with the phone still against my ear. I’m still a little weirded out be the whole sensing the call thing. And now he says he’s here? But I haven’t even given him my new address…
“What’s up?”Anthony asks, looking at me curiously.
“I just… hang on,” I say, pocketing my phone into the back of my jeans as I leave the room to go downstairs. When I reach the front door, he’s there. Of course he’s there, I can feel him.
“You going to let me in?” he rumbles, his baritone entering my ears and absorbing into my body, sending gentle ripples coursing through me
“Without saying anything, I unlock the screen door and let him inside.
“Boys,” he nods, directing his greeting toward Anthony and Elliott, who are both standing directly behind me, mouths open as he enters, the top of his head barely making it under the doorway.
“What?” Anthony giggles, scrunching his face up in confusion.
“Not the old david cassidy , the young one,” Elliott clarifies
“Oh yeah his hair and eyes holy fuck he does"Antony gasps holding his chest
“yeah but David Cassidy is horrible ”
“But Gerard is stunning?”
As they continue yet another debate, Gerard takes my hand and leads me up the staircase. “Which one is yours?” he murmurs, as we reach the top.
“Just in here,” I say, pointing to the first door on the left.
Our eyes connect momentarily, and he tugs me inside, closing the door behind us and flipping the lock.
“We don’t need any more David Cassidy references,” he informs me as he moves toward me and takes me in his arms, burying his face in the crook of my neck as he inhales deeply. My head seems to swim as I lean against him, feeling drunk on whatever it is that his presence does to me. He turns his head a little, kissing me gently on the skin behind my ear, on my jaw, my brow and my forehead, before stepping us toward the bed and guiding me so I’m laying down next to him.
“I just need to hold you,” he explains, kissing me on my forehead as he pulls me against him.
I curve my body into his, my arm sliding around his firm waist. “Is everything ok?”
“It is now,” he says, pressing his lips in my hair.
Closing my eyes, I listen to the steady beating of his heart, and the sound of his breath as it filters through his lungs, and before I know it, I’m fast asleep.

When I wake I’m still wrapped in his arms. For a while, I just lay there quietly, enjoying being with him as I think about the events of my day. Eventually, the questions that surround him fill my mind, and I want some answers.
“Gerard,” I whisper, twisting in his arms so that I’m facing him. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew Craig?”
Sighing, his eyes open, an expression of sadness in them as he focuses on me. “Because… it’s not my proudest moment.”
“What do you mean?”
He sits up on my bed and shakes his head like he’s trying to shuck the memories. “Do we have to talk about this?” he directs over his shoulder at me.
“Yes Gerard. We do. This is important. I want to know why you didn’t tell me you knew him. I mean, the moment I said my brother fell in the river and drowned, you must have known – especially after I told you who my dad was. Why have you kept it a secret?” He grips his head with both hands and brings his knees up, leaning his elbows on them as he lets out his breath slowly. “Because he was with me, and I was too busy trying to get this girl to take a walk with me to notice that he’d gone missing. If I had have been paying attention…” he pauses, his voice going hoarse as he shakes his head. “I just… I didn’t think you’d want to know me if you knew.” His voice is almost a whisper as he looks at me beseechingly.
“Oh Gerard,” I cry, reaching out for him and wrapping my arms around his toned shoulders. “Please tell me you don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just an accident.” He inhales sharply, pressing his finger and thumb to his eyes before releasing his breath slowly, trying to stay in control.
“Gerard,” I say again, moving so that I’m kneeling next to him. I reach out, smoothing my hand down the side of his face. “It wasn’t your fault.”
He lifts his gaze to meet mine, his eyes rimmed red with emotion. Suddenly, his arms are around me holding me to him as he continues to apologise to me for not noticing Craig had gone missing. I clutch at him in return, assuring him repeatedly that it wasn’t his fault.
In between apologies, he plants soft kisses on my face, in my hair, on my shoulder – anywhere I have some exposed skin. I’m slowly going insane with desire. I want him to kiss me properly. I want to feel his mouth on mine.
“Why won’t you kiss me?” I whisper, gripping my hands on either side of his face so he looks at me.
“Because I don’t think I can stop if I do,” he states, running his fingers through the length of my hair.
“Maybe I won’t want you to stop,” I return, my eyes moving between his eyes and his mouth, my body screaming for him to connect with me.
Just as his resolve seems to slip, and he edges toward me, Anthony calls through the door.
“Frank? We’re going to start getting ready. Are you still coming with us to the party?”
“You’re going to a party?” he asks, pulling back from me.
“Um, yeah,” I call back, effectively answering both questions at the same time.
“Where is this party?” he responds, his brow furrowing as he runs his fingers through his now messy hair.
Anthony once again calls through my door. “Do you want a shower? I just need to know so we can work out our bathroom times.”
“Yeah. I’ll go last.”
“Ok.” Listening, I hear him move down the hallway and into his room, which is the one next to mine.
“The walls are thin,” Gerard notes as we can clearly hear him move around.
“They’re thin at your place too,” I comment, remembering how clearly I could hear conversations from within the hallway.
“When we hear the shower turn on in the bathroom, he focuses his attention on me again.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, the party. It’s in number four. It’s a BBQ or something. Are you going to come with me? Make sure I don’t get into too much trouble?”
“Tempting. But I can’t. I have plans.”
“Oh,” I say, now frowning myself. “I… I didn’t realise. Sorry, I just…” I stop there, feeling as though I’m bumbling. A sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I realise that he made plans that don’t involve me. “You’ve made other plans. Fine.” I state, trying not to sound too bitter about it.
“I’ll call you when I’m through though. Just don’t drink too much this time. I won’t be around to carry you home.”
“I’ll be fine,” I bite out, annoyed at myself more than I am at him. I had envisioned spending the night with him after the closeness we developed just now. But instead, I’m attending a party, on my own, after experiencing the most emotional and sexually frustrating afternoon of my life.
Cupping my chin in his hand, he lifts my head. He wants me to meet his eyes, but I’m refusing to. I’m acting like a spoilt child. I know that. But I don’t want him to go out. I see the way women react to him.
“What’s wrong,” he asks me, tilting his head to catch my eyes.
“I don’t want you to go,” I tell him quietly.
Sighing, he releases my chin. “Would you look at me please?” Shaking my head in response, I keep my face turned away. My eyes are burning as I fight tears. Tears I shouldn’t even need to fight. Shit. What the hell is it about him that has me acting like this?
“Franklin. I need to go. This has been set up since last weekend.”
“Is it a fight?” I ask.
“Yeah. It’s in Darling Harbour. I can’t take you with me.”
“Why? I won’t do anything. I’ll just watch.
“It’s not safe, and I won’t be able to concentrate if I’m worried about you. Please stay here. I’ll call you when I’m through.”
“Maybe I won’t answer,” I tell him defiantly, attempting to worry him on purpose in the hope that he’ll change his mind and stay.
“Maybe I’ll take you to my place and deadbolt you inside.”
“You wouldn’t!” I cry, horrified at the idea.
“Try me.”
We stare at each other for a moment, each one challenging the other. In my mind, I’m trying to figure out how to get my way. That’s when it dawns on me.
Launching myself at him, I press my lips to his, urging to him to respond as I wrap my arms around his neck, and suck on his lips. At first, he places his hands on my hips as if he’s about to push me away, but I feel his resolve melt away as his body relaxes and his hands slide around to my buttocks, pulling me into his lap as his mouth works voraciously against mine. Sliding my hand underneath his shirt, I run my fingers over his toned stomach, loving the smoothness of his skin versus the hardness of his nipples
When he hums into my mouth, I take it as a good sign and boldly slide my hand further, tucking my finger beneath the waist of his jeans.
“Not yet,” he murmurs, closing his hand over mine and bringing it back up to his mouth, sucking gently on my fingertips.
“But I’m ready,” I pant, feeling like I’ll die from the throbbing his kisses are creating to my cock.”
“Not yet,” he repeats, sliding me off his lap and onto the bed. As he stands, there’s a knock on my door.
“Shower’s free,”Elliott calls out.
“Come on,” he says from the doorway.
My heart starts to thud in my chest as images of showering with him make my already aroused body light on fire. I can’t wait to run my fingers, laden with soap over the top of his well-defined torso.
As I step inside the bathroom, I watch as Gerard walks over to the shower and twists the taps to start the shower running.
“There you go,” he says, testing the water before retreating toward the door.
“You’re leaving?” I blurt out, all my fantasies evaporating before my very eyes.
“Yes. Have a nice shower.” He smiles knowingly as he leans in and kisses my cheek, before quietly retreating from the bathroom. Leaving me on my own.

Notes