Sucker Love

Stefan’s parents were home early, much to his distaste, and he and Brian had spent the evening talking with them in the living room. It amused Stefan at how charismatic Brian was being, as every second word that slipped from his mouth was a lie.

“Yeah, I love sport. That’s how I met Stefan, isn’t that right?” He nudged Stefan in the side.

“Ohh…yeah.”

“How come Stefan hasn’t had you over before sweetie? Stef, Brian is a lovely boy! Much better than that Calen…”

“What’s wrong with Calen?” he asked, but received no verbal reply. His mother pursed her lips before returning them to a smile for Brian.

“So are you staying the night then? You can sleep on the spare mattress on Stefan’s floor.”

“Yeah, I’m staying.” Stef stared at him blankly, expecting some sort of explanation.

“Uhh, we’re gonna go jam for a bit now…” Stefan said quietly.

“It was nice to meet you Brian.” He gave them his best smile before following Stefan up the hall and into his room, closing the door behind them.

“So, what makes you think you can just invite yourself over like that? I told you I have a busy weekend ahead, Brian…” Brian looked to have tears in his eyes for a moment, but he turned away from Stefan’s view before he could be sure.

“I…Well, I can’t go home now can I? I just need a place to crash tonight, then tomorrow night I’ll be at that party, and Sunday I’ll go to Heidi’s place. It’ll all work out,” he said, more to himself.

“You’ll have to go home eventually,” Stefan pointed out.

“Yeah, I know.” Brian didn’t seem to wanna talk about it as he proceeded to change the subject. “So, have you written any music?” Stefan sighed in defeat before turning to rummage through a few draws, producing a piece of paper with a song he’d written scribbled on it.

“I can play it for you, if you’d like?” Brian simply nodded and took a seat on his soft bed, waiting to hear what Stefan had created.

The two boys played all night and into part of the morning before one too many yawns told them they were ready for bed.

“Brian, can you help me with this?” Stefan grunted as he struggled to push a bulky looking mattress in through his bedroom door for Brian to sleep on. Brian rolled his eyes before getting up to help.

“Well I’m obviously not going to be any help here. I’m as weak as a kitten,” he admitted, helping out none the less. They finally had it laid out on the part of Stefan’s floor they’d cleared.

“Man, I’ve not done this in years.”

“What?”

“Like, had a…sleepover. I guess you’d call it that.” Brian giggled.

“I’d not call it that. You sound like a prat.”

“Whatever, Brian,” Stefan muttered, throwing a blanket his way. He turned the light off before Brian was ready, resulting in a lot of cursing coming from the floor where Brian had tripped and fallen to. Stefan stifled a laugh before changing into a pair of old track pants and crawling beneath the covers of his bed. Brian laid moaning on the floor as he attempted to find which way the blanket went in the dark before eventually giving up and stripping to his shirt and briefs, fidgeting some more as he realised he couldn't sleep.

“For Christ's sake Brian, can't you sit still for a few minutes so I can get to sleep?”

“I can't get comfortable,” Brian muttered, moving around some more. “Can't I sleep with you?” Stefan could imagine him beating his lush eyelashes up at him in the dark. “Come on Steffie, your bed's heaps comfortable.”

“Brian, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with that...”

“Fine.” Brian's pout was evident in his voice. He turned some more and Stefan could tell he was now just doing it to annoy.

“Okay Brian...hurry up then.” He was on his feet almost before Stefan had finished speaking, crawling up a little too close beside him. “But can you like, keep your distance?”

“I guess,” he replied, a little offended. Why did Stefan have to make him feel so unwanted when he knew already that he wanted him? Brian thought of asking, but decided against it. He assumed he'd not wish to know why, really. There couldn't be a good reason behind it.

“Sorry that came across a little harsh...”

“Mmm...” What if Stefan had decided he didn't like him anymore? Brian couldn't figure out why that hurt a little. He was always being rejected and cast away by people, and he never usually cared.

“Look, I'm sorry...”

“Don't you like...like me anymore?” Brian asked, turning to face Stefan. Stefan's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't answer that, could he?

“Look Brian...”

“Forget it, I don't care anymore.”

“Don’t be like that, just, you're...well, you're not different to how I'd thought you were, that’s for sure. You're exactly as you came across at first. You're a little...wild.” Brian scoffed.

“Then why did you like me to begin with?”

“I never told you I liked you Brian –”

“Ohh please hun...”

“I guess I thought you were misunderstood.” Brian didn't reply for a while. Stefan was beginning to think he'd fallen asleep until he felt him shift a little.

“And now you think I'm not? That I'm some prick wanting constant attention? That I drink, smoke, do drugs and sleep around because I want to?”

“Well, yes, Brian...”

“I'm not like that.” Stefan remained silent, not wishing to upset Brian any further. “I'm not like that,” he repeated.

“I'm sorry, Brian.”

“I'm tired.” Nothing further was shared between the two boys that night.

“Morning sleepy head,” Brian cooed, a smirk adorning his face. It was way too early to be faced with that, Stefan thought, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. At least Brian wasn't upset anymore. Something of a reply escaped Stefan's lips, but it could've passed as a moan. Brian giggled before briefly pecking Stefan on the lips, just softly, just enough to make Stefan's heart skip a beat. He looked across at Brian confused, receiving a wink for his explanation of what he was doing.

“Brian –”

“So, are you going to that party tonight then?”

“Ahh...yeah. Calen's?” Brian nodded, before bouncing up and out of bed. He was already dressed.

“Guess I'll see you there then,” Brian said as he was making his way out of the room. “Catcha, love.” Stefan laid awake for a little while as he took in Brian's strange mood. He cursed the butterflies as they continued to swarm his tummy from Brian’s sweet lips being against his own, not taking well to the idea that he was falling deeper for Brian, despite his obvious problems.

“So, opinion?” Brian did his best pose against the bathroom doorframe as he came out, licking his lips for added affect.

“You’re gonna get beaten, Brian,” Heidi said whilst smiling, “but you’ll look gorgeous all the while.”

“Thanks, hun.” He kissed her on the cheek as he passed her to help himself to her makeup, furrowing his eyebrows as he couldn’t make his mind up on which colour eye shadow to wear. Heidi didn’t notice his dilemma as she hurried to hide her burning cheeks from his view. She’d kept her feelings from him for this long, why give in now? She knew it’d do them both no good if anything were to happen between them. She was so sure of it, but still, she wondered ‘what if’? She wondered if it were possible Brian could grow to love her the same.

“Hey, Brian?”

“Mmm?”

“I love you.”

“Aww, I love you too hun. Now be a darl and hand me that box of tissues, yeah?” She knew how he’d meant it, and he hadn’t meant it quite the same as she had.