Status: Completed.
Apple Juice
1/1
Joshua tore his eyes away from Tom yet again. For the last hour and a half of band practice, he kept finding himself staring at the synth player with what felt suspiciously like a dreamy expression. Luckily, nobody seemed to have noticed. At least, Faris didn’t, and he usually pointed out whatever he happened to notice, regardless of the level of impropriety.
Josh had caught himself doing this a lot lately. He snuck unnecessary glances at Tom near-constantly, sometimes without even realizing it. He was more likely to stutter and his laugh was even more fucked-up than usual whenever he spoke directly to Tom. It’d even gotten to the point where he caught himself following Tom outside to smoke just to admire the way his lips curved around the cancer stick.
You are not crushing on one of your best mates, Joshua told himself firmly, his knuckles whitening around the neck of his guitar. This is not happening.
Oh, yes it is, said a subconscious voice inside Josh’s head as Tom began to chew on his lower lip.
Oh, God, I’m staring again.
“I’ll be right back,” Joshua stood up abruptly from his spot on the floor of Joe’s living room-turned-practice space.
“Yeah, I suppose we could all use a break.” Faris closed his lyric book. Joe and Rhys followed Faris outside, pulling cigarettes from their pockets.
Joshua turned to go into the kitchen, glancing curiously at Tom on his way out. Instead of following the others out for a smoke, Tom remained at his keyboard, fiddling intently with something. Josh shrugged to himself and strode into the kitchen, the clacking noise of his favourite Beatle boots following.
Almost immediately, the wooden bowl where Joe kept his fruit caught Joshua’s eye. He pawed through it, ignoring the other treats until he found the very last Granny Smith apple. With a self-satisfied grin, he plucked the bright green fruit from its place and took a large bite out of the side. With his thumb, Joshua wiped some juice off his chin.
“Is that the last one?” The sound of Tom’s voice occurred so unexpectedly that Josh nearly hit the ceiling. Tom chuckled. “Sorry.”
“Oh, Tom, it’s just you. Ha. Yeah, this is the last one,” Joshua blathered, trying to regain his composure. His heart was drumming out erratic beats against his ribcage. He held the piece of fruit out. “Want some?”
Instead of taking the apple from Josh, Tom leaned down and took a bite out of it. “Thanks” he said, licking some juice off his lips.
The sound of Joshua’s “You're welcome,” was drowned out by the sound of Rhys’ bass from the next room.
“Oh, they’re starting again,” Tom said distractedly, “c’mon.”
He hurried back into the living room, leaving Joshua alone. He stared at the spot where Tom had stood seconds earlier, then looked down at the apple in his hand. With a secret smile, Josh took a bite out of the mark Tom had left, and trailed back into the living room.
Josh had caught himself doing this a lot lately. He snuck unnecessary glances at Tom near-constantly, sometimes without even realizing it. He was more likely to stutter and his laugh was even more fucked-up than usual whenever he spoke directly to Tom. It’d even gotten to the point where he caught himself following Tom outside to smoke just to admire the way his lips curved around the cancer stick.
You are not crushing on one of your best mates, Joshua told himself firmly, his knuckles whitening around the neck of his guitar. This is not happening.
Oh, yes it is, said a subconscious voice inside Josh’s head as Tom began to chew on his lower lip.
Oh, God, I’m staring again.
“I’ll be right back,” Joshua stood up abruptly from his spot on the floor of Joe’s living room-turned-practice space.
“Yeah, I suppose we could all use a break.” Faris closed his lyric book. Joe and Rhys followed Faris outside, pulling cigarettes from their pockets.
Joshua turned to go into the kitchen, glancing curiously at Tom on his way out. Instead of following the others out for a smoke, Tom remained at his keyboard, fiddling intently with something. Josh shrugged to himself and strode into the kitchen, the clacking noise of his favourite Beatle boots following.
Almost immediately, the wooden bowl where Joe kept his fruit caught Joshua’s eye. He pawed through it, ignoring the other treats until he found the very last Granny Smith apple. With a self-satisfied grin, he plucked the bright green fruit from its place and took a large bite out of the side. With his thumb, Joshua wiped some juice off his chin.
“Is that the last one?” The sound of Tom’s voice occurred so unexpectedly that Josh nearly hit the ceiling. Tom chuckled. “Sorry.”
“Oh, Tom, it’s just you. Ha. Yeah, this is the last one,” Joshua blathered, trying to regain his composure. His heart was drumming out erratic beats against his ribcage. He held the piece of fruit out. “Want some?”
Instead of taking the apple from Josh, Tom leaned down and took a bite out of it. “Thanks” he said, licking some juice off his lips.
The sound of Joshua’s “You're welcome,” was drowned out by the sound of Rhys’ bass from the next room.
“Oh, they’re starting again,” Tom said distractedly, “c’mon.”
He hurried back into the living room, leaving Joshua alone. He stared at the spot where Tom had stood seconds earlier, then looked down at the apple in his hand. With a secret smile, Josh took a bite out of the mark Tom had left, and trailed back into the living room.