Love 'n' Stuff

Freddie

‘Where are you going?’ I demanded as Jack stood up in the middle of The Jeremy Kyle Show and shrugged on his leather jacket. We’d been sitting in a sort of aggressive silence for the past twenty minutes, both mentally daring the other to snap and leave.

‘Off licence,’ Jack grunted, grabbing his keys from the table. I stood up, turning off the TV and trailed after him, knowing it would annoy him.

‘I’ll come too,’ I said cheerfully, grabbing my own jacket from the end of the couch and putting it on as I followed him out the door. Jack scowled at me but said nothing, and we walked in electric silence as I considered striking up some random conversation just to piss him off more.

‘How’s Law?’ I asked, grinning like we were good friends. Bringing up college was a sure-fire way to get his hackles raised; Med was currently inching ahead in the “we’re-the-smarter-course” competition.

Jack grunted, staring straight ahead.

‘That’s nice,’ I went on, feeling smug. ‘Medicine is good too. I’d tell you all about it, but you wouldn’t be likely to understand.’

Jack glanced at me, and I knew I’d gotten him; he was about to spit out some retort. ‘Can you define Tort?’ he asked mildly.

I stayed silent; I could not.

‘How about scienter? No? Sic utera tuo ut alienam non laedas? Hm. I’d tell you all about it, but you wouldn’t be likely to understand.’

‘Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum,’ I said sulkily, naming the most complicated-sounding term I’d learned so far. All it meant was a scar on the shin, but he couldn’t know that.

‘Breaking out the Latin just because I did? Sad.’

I didn’t know whether it was Latin or not, so I couldn’t say anything as we reached the off-licence and walked inside, pulling out our student cards without even needing to be asked. There was no way we weren’t getting ID’d; we both looked under 21.

Jack bought three naggings of vodka and I stared at him. ‘You’ll end up in hospital,’ I told him sceptically.

‘One is for Benny,’ he muttered, shoving them into a plastic bag as I turned to the shop assistant to order. Loathe as I was to admit it, it was a good idea and I grudgingly bought one for Matt as well.

‘I thought Matt was eighteen,’ Jack muttered as we began walking home.

‘He is,’ I said, surprised.

‘Then why’d you bother? Benny’s only seventeen.’

‘Doesn’t that count as statutory rape then?’ I asked, quick as a flash. ‘Mr Lawyer?’

‘Nope. Has to be under seventeen.’ Jack was smirking.

‘Well doesn’t that just make you an upstanding citizen,’ I said sarcastically as Jack unlocked the door and let us back into the apartment. Benny looked like he was about twelve. ‘Isn’t buying alcohol for minors illegal though?’

‘You gonna report me?’ he asked, shrugging off his coat and raising an eyebrow at me questioningly.

‘No,’ I admitted grudgingly, scowling to myself.

‘Then don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,’ he said patronizingly, and walked into the sitting room with his plastic bag, placing the three glass bottles in the freezer. I followed suit.

Jeremy Kyle was just finishing up when I switched the TV back on, and I glanced at my phone to check the time. Five pm.

‘So...’ I started, glancing at Jack where he was sitting on the other couch.

‘Yeah,’ he muttered, and we both stood up at the same time to grab a bottle each back out of the freezer, along with two glasses and a bottle of Coke for mixer. When Matt and Benny got home fifteen minutes later, we were both sitting there in silence, slowly getting hammered.

Matt

‘Seriously?’ I asked Freddie quietly, sitting down beside him and taking my shoulder bag off over my head to set it down by the side of the couch. ‘Already?’

‘He’s driven it to it,’ Freddie muttered, glaring at Jack, who was talking with Benny. ‘There’s a bottle in the freezer for you,’ he added, tearing his gaze away from his nemesis and looking at me as he nodded towards the kitchen.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. ‘Really?’ I asked, grinning and reaching for my bag. It was only a fifteen minute walk away but it was still easier to not have to bother going to the off licence. ‘How much?’

Freddie waved me off. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said, taking another drink. ‘Just get a glass and get started so I don’t feel like such a loser.’

I made a face but obliged him, grabbing a bottle from the freezer for Benny as well while I was at it.

‘You know Benny’s only seventeen?’ Freddie asked as I rejoined him on the couch.

I shrugged. ‘Yeah. He’s got his brother’s ID though.’ I glanced at Freddie, who was looking at Jack, and read his mind. ‘You can’t even say anything,’ I laughed, elbowing him. ‘You slept with that fifteen year old!’

‘Shh!’ Freddie hissed, shooting me a warning look. ‘And I didn’t know he was fifteen. He was bigger than either of us.’

‘And he had a beard.’

Freddie groaned. ‘Don’t remind me.’

I laughed again, taking a big gulp of my drink, which was more vodka than Coke, and leaned against my best friend as we sat back on the couch. Freddie put his arm around me and rested him head on top of mine. I guess we don’t really do a lot to convince people we’re not secretly in love, but that’s just the kind of friends we are.

‘Let’s play a game,’ Benny announced suddenly, and I glanced up to see him looking at Freddie and I, a weird expression on his face.

‘Like a drinking game?’ Freddie asked.

‘Yeah, we could play Kings.’

‘Shouldn’t we have more people for that?’ Jack asked, unconvinced.

‘Nah,’ Benny replied, grabbing a packet of playing cards from the top of the fridge. ‘Once we get tipsy it’ll be fine. Who wants to go first?’ he asked, placing the cards in the centre of the coffee table.

I reached out and picked a card up off the deck. ‘Five,’ I told them. I knew there were several different variations on the rules of the game, but unless I was mistaken, a five meant-

‘I Never,’ all three of them declared lazily, indicating I would have to tell them something I had never done and, if they had done it, they would have to drink.

‘I’ve never... played Kings before,’ I finished lamely. Even Freddie gave me a look as the other three all sipped from their glasses.

‘Your go Freddie,’ Benny said, clearly taking charge of the game.

Freddie picked up a card and turned it over. ‘Queen.’

‘Question Time,’ Benny muttered, looking quickly away from Freddie, obviously not wanting to be asked anything.

I bit my lip, hoping Freddie wasn’t gonna use this to torture Jack some more; luckily, he seemed to be feeling magnanimous and instead picked on Benny, who was staring pointedly at the wall, as if a teacher was asking questions about homework he’d neglected to do.

‘Benny,’ Freddie said evilly, and I think Jack and I both exhaled a little in relief. Benny reddened and reluctantly met Freddie’s gaze. ‘If you had a chance to get back at those guys who bullied you, what would you do to them?’

I looked at my best friend in surprise; I had expected something sexual or at least embarrassing. Freddie knew, from Benny’s mild outburst when we’d been grilling him about Jack, about the bullying, but I hadn’t told him the details, and I doubted Benny had either. I couldn’t help wondering if Benny wouldn’t maybe strap the guys to a lab table and cut off their dicks with scalpels.

‘Um,’ Benny said tentatively as we all stared at him expectantly. Freddie and I had never really been properly bullied so we couldn’t understand the pain he must have gone through, and I was pretty sure nobody would have dared bullying someone like Jack. We were all pretty curious about his answer. ‘I haven’t really thought about it.’

‘Bullshit!’ Jack exclaimed, making a face. ‘Of course you have.’

‘Your darkest fantasy,’ Freddie pressed. ‘Go on, we’re all drunk anyway, we won’t remember it in the morning.’

‘I guess... I guess I’d have someone beat the crap out of them every day for six years so they knew what it felt like,’ he started. ‘Then I’d torture them by freaking them out and scaring them, doing things to them at night when they think they’re safe. Then I’d turn them gay.’

‘The ultimate revenge,’ Freddie grinned. ‘Butt rape.’

‘They’d enjoy the butt rape,’ Jack countered. ‘Best to turn them gay, and then force celibacy on them.’

Despite himself, Freddie actually looked impressed. ‘Good idea,’ he agreed, nodding, and Jack looked surprised.

Benny

‘Um, your turn Jack,’ I interrupted before this revenge thing could go too far. He reached out to turn over a card.

‘Six,’ he groaned and set down his drink. Strip.

Matt and I both glanced surreptitiously at Freddie as Jack pulled his t-shirt off over his head, revealing his ripped and toned chest, then reached forward to take a drink.

Freddie

Holy Mother in Heaven.

My throat went dry suddenly and I had to gulp at my drink, my eyes darting around the room to stop myself staring at the boy across from me. Or more accurately, at the chest across from me.

Jack

I smirked to myself as I caught Freddie staring, hiding it behind my glass as I took my obligatory drink. He wanted me.

Benny

‘You’re turn, Oh Wrathful One,’ Matt nodded to me, and I reached out for a card. That wasn’t even the worst fantasy I’d had about getting back at Austin and the others. Nowhere close. Probably better I hadn’t told them the more violent ones if they thought the whole beating-them-up, scaring-them, making-them-gay thing was bad.

‘Four,’ I said, putting the card down again.

‘Whores?’ Matt asked, frowning. There was a pause, and Freddie and Jack both grudgingly brought their glasses to their lips; after a second, I did too. Matt laughed.

‘I’m seriously the only guy in the room who can keep it in his pants?’ he asked incredulously.

The game went on for a another two hours as we proceeded to get more and more wasted, until eventually we were laughing at giggling at the silliest things, Matt and Freddie had told each other they loved each other about ten times, and I was on the verge of breaking down and throwing myself across the table at the former to kiss his lips off.

‘Guys, it’s ten,’ Freddie said eventually, pulling himself out of a giggling fit he’d been having with Matt. ‘We should go or we won’t get in.’

‘We might not get in anyway,’ Jack pointed out. ‘I doubt you can even stand.’

‘You’ve had twice as much to drink as me!’ Freddie protested, getting shakily to his feet.

‘Yeah, but I can hold my liquor,’ Jack smirked, standing up easily and poking Freddie in the shoulder so he wobbled and fell back onto the sofa on top of Matt.

‘Oof,’ Matt mumbled. ‘Get off me.’

Freddie struggled back upright, glaring at Jack. ‘If I could see any less than three of you I’d punch your face in half,’ he threatened, quite seriously, and Jack laughed.

‘Whatever, Chuck Norris,’ said, rolling his eyes. ‘Let’s go.’

Jack

Jesus, he’s sexy. Fucking hell. Look at the way he moves... God, look at his ass... I wanna grab it. Fuck...

I shook my head, forcing my eyes away from Freddie’s butt and taking a sip of my beer. I was leaning against the bar while the other three made fools of themselves on the dance floor, all being considerably drunker than me.

I focused instead on Benny. Despite the whole sleeping-with-him thing, I’d kind of started to think of him more like a little brother; I think we all had once we’d found out about the bullying. He was so little, and so cute, it would be so easy for somebody to hurt him or take advantage of him. As soon as we’d walked in a lot of eyes had gone right to Benny; he was feminine, adorable, and so small that it was pretty clear he’d be tight – even if he was a self-confessed whore.

My gaze slid back to Freddie – the three of them were dancing together – and I growled in the back of my throat when I saw a larger guy grind up on him from behind. Freddie glanced around and took in the guy’s messy blonde hair, his height and weight, his loose white wifebeater and skinny jeans, and turned back to the other two, making a face at them that caused me to snort, but dancing with the guy anyway.

Then he grabbed Freddie’s hips and started pulling him closer I forced myself to look away again, keeping an eye on Benny, who was backing away with Matt through the crowd, both laughing at Freddie. They found another place on the floor and started dancing again, and I grinned, wondering if Benny would strap on a pair and go for it with Matt.

A guy leaned against the bar beside me and touched my arm; I glanced up at him and he grinned, making a drinking motion with his hands. I held up my beer and smiled tightly, returning my gaze to the dance floor, but he tapped my arm again.

‘What?’ I asked, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me above the music. He pointed to the dance floor, his gaze questioning, and I shook my head, not smiling this time. He got the hint and wandered away, and I glanced back at the crowd, trying to find where Benny and Matt had gone. I soon saw them not far from where they’d been, and dropped my bottle down on the bar as I threw myself into the crowd. Benny – tiny, weak little Benny – was tugging angrily on the arm of some bigger, beefy guy who had his arms around an obviously distressed Matt, grinding into him from behind and slipping his hands to places they clearly weren’t wanted.

I grabbed Freddie’s shoulder as I passed him, yanking him further into the crowd towards Benny and Matt.

‘What the fuck is your fucking-’ he started yelling in my ear until I shoved his past the last couple of people blocking out path and swivelled him by the grasp I still had on his shoulders so he could see his best friend.

Without even saying anything else, Freddie shoved his way roughly past them and grabbed the other guy by the hair, reaching up slightly to do so, tugging his head back and pulling him off Matt. I quickly got between him and his dance partner, pushing both he and Benny behind me as Freddie punched the guy in the gut. He doubled over, clutching at his stomach, but reached out and grabbed Freddie by the shoulder, pulling him closer and moving to knee him in the same place. I caught the guy’s arm and pulled him around to face me, then punched him in the jaw. Still slightly winded, he clutched his jaw and backed away, just as Security emerged from the crowd and placed a hand each on my and Freddie’s shoulders.

Benny

I’ve never been escorted off a premises before.

Freddie

As soon as we got outside, Matt started crying.

I’ve seen him crying before but this time was kind of awkward cos I knew he’d be embarrassed in the morning that anyone other than me had seen him. If he remembered in the morning, that is.

I rushed us across the street to the taxi rank and pushed Matt into the back seat, getting in beside him and feeling Benny climb in beside me. Jack took the passenger seat and told the driver our address quietly, who was glancing into the rear-view curiously at Matt. I caught his eye and scowled at him, wrapping an arm around my best friend and trying to shush him.

I don’t think he was really upset, he’s had persistent guys come onto him before, but then again none of them ever got their hands down his pants. All the same, I’m pretty sure it was mostly shock, so as soon as we got back, I dragged his drunken ass down the hall – not that I can talk. I was still hammered – and put him to bed.

Then I walked back up to the sitting room where Jack and Benny were sitting and talking quietly. They stopped and looked up when I walked in and went to sit on the other couch, draining one of the still-full glasses on the table.

‘Is he okay? Benny asked, biting his lip.

‘I think so,’ I said, unconvinced. ‘He usually passes out when he’s drunk so he should be asleep soon. Hopefully he won’t even remember it in the morning.’

‘You’re not gonna tell him?’ Jack asked dubiously.

‘Dude, there’s a strong possibility I won’t remember this in the morning. But no, if I do, I won’t tell him. It’s not something he needs to know.’

‘If you’re sure...’ he trailed off, his eyebrows knitted together.

‘Um. Thanks, you know, for grabbing me... I wouldn’t have noticed.’

Jack shrugged, and I think he actually even blushed a little. But that might have been my dodgy, drink-affected eyesight playing tricks on me.

‘No problem,’ he muttered. ‘You’re the one that punched the guy out.’

‘Um, no. I provoked him. You punched him out. Which you would have done anyway even if you hadn’t found me in the crowd. And since I’m hoping Matt won’t be able to thank you, I just did it instead.’ I smiled tentatively.

‘It’s fine. You’re welcome.’ He paused. ‘I still think you’re a douchebag.’

‘Oh good,’ I said, grinning. ‘Night Benny.’

I left the room, closing the door behind me, and stumbled down the hall to my room, banging into the wall once as I tripped over my own feet. I stopped in my doorway to steady myself, blinking like a mole when I switched on the light.

‘Fuck this,’ I muttered, switching it off again and undressing in the dark, collapsing into bed without bothering to wash my face or brush my teeth.

Seconds later, the door creaked open.

‘Freddie?’ I heard Matt’s small voice ask, and I sat up.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked worriedly. I’ve never been assaulted like that in a nightclub before, but I remembered it happened to Asha once and she was pretty traumatized. I seriously hoped Matt wouldn’t remember; he wasn’t exactly your average tough guy like Jack and I to begin with, and I didn’t want him to be upset about it when he woke up.

‘Can I sleep in here tonight?’ he whispered.

I looked dubiously at the small single bed, but scooted over the wall anyway. ‘Of course.’ We’ve slept together in a single bed before and it was no big deal, we just go top to toe. I expected him to get in at the other end and started grabbing one of my pillows to give to him, but he walked right up to the top of the bed and climbed in beside me.

‘Thanks,’ he whispered again, and I could smell the strong, sweet scent of alcohol from him even with his back turned to me. I’d have to come up with some excuse about why he was in my bed in the morning, but anything I told him would be less likely to freak him out than the truth. Unless I told him we slept together. I wonder how long I could keep that going for? That would scare him shitless.

I heard his breathing regulate and let my head lol into the pillow as I drifted towards sleep. Even with the strong smell of alcohol in the room, Matt still smelled really good. It was a nice smell to fall asleep to.

-------------------------------------

My eyes snapped open. I was disorientated for a minute; why was it still dark? Why was I awake if it was still nighttime?

Then I felt something press against my waist and I remembered what had woken me up. The sound of rustling and a quite groaning wouldn’t ordinarily have been enough to wake me from a post-drinking coma, but the fact that Matt was sleep-grinding me certainly was.

‘Um, Matt?’ I said in a voice just above a whisper. ‘Ma- hn!’ Oh god. I grabbed his hips to try and push him away from me. ‘Matt, wake u-ugh!’ Hard. Fuck. And still drunk. ‘Matt, if you don’t stop- Hng! Uhn... Huh...’ Instead of pushing him away I pulled him back towards me, pushing my hips forward and grinding onto him as hard as he was doing it to me. I knew in some small, sober part of my mind that I needed to stop, that this was my best friend, and that, as the only one awake, I should be taking control of this situation, but it just felt so fucking good. He has a really sexy ass...

‘Freddie?’

I froze.

‘What are you doing?’

I couldn’t even take my hands off his hips. ‘Um. You were grinding me in your sleep. I tried to get you to stop, but well, I’m still drunk...’

Matt rolled over and faced me, dislodging my hands in the process. ‘So you started dry-humping me?’ he asked. His face was really close to mine on the pillow as he looked up at me and I couldn’t read his expression. I could feel his breath on my lips though, and it wasn’t helping that I was still hard.

‘Pretty much. Yeah.’

‘Huh. Is this the sort of thing that will be embarrassing in the morning?’

‘To be honest I’m finding it pretty embarrassing right now,’ I admitted.

‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ Matt whispered, as his lips touched off mine. ‘There. Now we’re even.’

I swallowed, not sure where he was going with this. So I took a stab in the dark. ‘We’re hardly even,’ I said, in a voice displaying an arrogance I didn’t feel. ‘That was nothing in comparison to what I did to you.’

‘Good point.’ Matt pushed himself upwards on the bed and pressed his lips to mine again, harder this time, and I kissed him back. My tummy flipflopped pleasurably as our lips moved in sync and I felt lust spreading throughout my body. I pressed his shoulders onto the bed and climbed over him, nipping gently at his bottom lip with my teeth so he whimpered and opened his mouth. I slid my tongue inside and probed him slowly and methodically, tasting him and, I think, becoming addicted.

Matt grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him, then slipped his hands inside my ragged t-shirt and touched my skin. I gasped and moaned into his mouth as he slid his hands inside my boxers to my ass, and pulled back, slipping one hand between his legs. He was still fully dressed; I’d put him to bed without bothering to change his clothes.

Matt moaned as I started massaging his bulge, and I leaned down to kiss him again. I brought my other hand down and start unbuttoning his jeans, barely able to believe I was about to sleep with my best friend.

‘No, Freddie, don’t,’ Matt whispered suddenly, and I froze again, after pulling my hands away.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered back, sliding off him. ‘Fuck. We shouldn’t have-’

‘I’m a virgin,’ he blurted, and I stared at him.

‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Like, an ass-virgin right? You’ve never been on the bottom?’

‘No. Like a full virgin.’

‘Dude,’ I said, running a hand through my hair.

‘I’m sorry,’ Matt said quietly. ‘I’m just... Not... Really ready.’

‘Don’t apologise for not being ready,’ I admonished him distractedly. How had I not known that my best friend was a virgin? Had he really never brought anyone home those nights we went to the gay club in the next town?

‘I feel like an idiot,’ Matt muttered, shuffling down in the bed, and I tugged him closer to me so we were spooning.

‘Don’t. It’s fine. It’s a big deal, especially for the uke. It’s okay not to feel ready.’

Matt mumbled something and I put my head on his shoulder and kissed the side of his head, holding him close.

‘This is gonna be really weird when we both sober up, isn’t it?’ he asked after a moment.

‘Nah. It’ll be fine. Girls kiss their best friends all the time, and it’s just a bit of a joke. We’ll laugh it off tomorrow.’

Matt sighed contentedly and I knew he was falling back asleep.

‘Just don’t start sleep-grinding me again or you might not be a virgin for much longer,’ I joked, snuggling my face into his hair.