More Than Just a Friend

‘The fuck, Mar?’ I hissed as I pushed him against the side of his tour bus.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ he asked, as cool as ever.

‘Make up your fucking mind!’ I growled through gritted teeth. ‘One minute, you give me your undivided attention, next you’re half-flirting with the girls outside the venue. First you act like I’m amazing, then like I’m just some random tag along!’ It was taking all of my effort not to yell at him. I didn’t want the others who were already back on the bus to hear me.

Martin opened his mouth to retort but I continued, ‘I’m here because you invited me, but I’ve no fucking clue why?!’

There was a slight pause then as I watched the clouds of Martin’s breath float of through the freezing dark of the night.

Boys Like Girls had just performed yet another sold out show on their tour. Martin had asked me along for the ride, and it was no secret I had had a crush on him since I first sat next to him in math class. I thought, maybe, he’d asked me along because, like me, he was tired of us being ‘just friends’. But maybe he just wanted to taunt me.

Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and spun me round so now I was backed against the bus and he was leaning into me, his hands just above my shoulders supporting him.

‘You know exactly why,’ he half whispered, the sound was so seductive, I almost forgot why I was being mad at him.

I quickly remembered myself though and growled at him through gritted teeth: ‘I thought...’ I started, but a finger over my lips told me to stop.

‘My turn,’ said Martin, that frustratingly sexy half smile gracing his lips. ‘You really want to be a bit more subtle about these things.’

‘What...’ I started, but was cut off yet again.

‘Stop fucking shouting at me,’ Martin laughed.

‘I didn’t shout,’ I said in an exasperated voice.

‘Ok, can you keep your mouth shut long enough for me to speak?’ he asked, and received nothing but silence in response. ‘I think we both know why I asked you to come, and fuck knows it’s been a long time coming, but one of us needs to do something about this.’

‘About what?’ I asked, but no sooner had the words left my lips, Martin answered. In the most perfect way only he could.

Marty’s lips were now pressed passionately against mine, my body sandwiched tightly between his body and the bus. It was everything I had thought it would be and more. He had one hand back on my waist and the other cupping my cheek, his lips moving against mine.

As soon as I registered what was happening I placed one hand on the small of his back keeping him as close to me as possible, the other entangled itself in his hair. His tongue ran across my bottom lip, driving me crazy, so I allowed him entrance. For a few seconds our tongues swirled together, fighting for dominance, but it was a fight I knew I was going to lose. If Martin wanted me this way, I was not going to say no, I just hoped...

‘What?’ asked Marty, as he sensed my hesitation.

‘This isn’t just you being the cocky Martin Johnson, who knows he can charm any girl he wants and then ditches her the next day is it?’

All he did was laugh in response.

‘What?’ I asked, feeling slightly hurt that he found my question amusing. ‘Do you know what, fuck you.’

I tried to walk away, but Martin quickly pushed me back against the bus.

‘I’ve liked you since the first moment I met you and you had the unfortunate and impossible task of trying to help me understand algebra,’ said Martin, ducking down slightly so that his sky blue eyes were level with my dull hazel ones. We both smiled at the memory of how hopeless he had been at math before he lent towards me placing his lips back on mine; softly this time, romantically, letting me know he really wanted me, and not just for the night.

‘Do you believe me now?’ he asked.

I nodded, my hands still placed firmly on his neck as though still scared I would lose him.

‘You’re perfect for me,’ he began to sing under his breath, ‘and more than just a friend so we can just stop pretending now, I gotta let you know somehow.’

‘I’ll be your shelter,’ I whispered back, a smile on my lips.

‘I thought you might have worked out why I wrote that,’ he said, his voice still no more than a whisper.

‘What do you mean?’

Martin sighed, sending a large cloud of condensed breath off into the night. When I looked back at him he was smiling at me, not his seductive half smile but an actual, proper smile.

‘Be Your Everything? I figured if you worked out that was for you we’d be good.’

‘You wrote me a song?’ I asked, my voice breaking slightly.

‘Yeah, I guess I did,’ Marty said, chuckling slightly as he wiped a tear from my cheek that I didn’t realise had fallen.

‘Thanks,’ I said, causing Martin to chuckle again.

‘I write you a beautiful, romantic song, declaring my love for you to the world and all you can do is cry and say thanks?’

I giggled nervously.

‘I’ve had a crush on you forever, how am I supposed to react?’

‘Tell me I’m wonderful and amazing and perfect and that you could never ever love another man and all you want to do is go on to that bus and have sex with me right now,’ Martin replied, the wonky smile returning to his lips.

‘Martin,’ I groaned and hit him.

‘What?’ he asked, trying to look innocent.

‘We were having a perfectly nice moment and you had to ruin it with your god-damned ego!’ I complained.

‘So, you don’t want to sleep with me then?’

I simply glared at him in such a way that he knew he was taking things too far but that I didn’t hate him yet.

‘Ok, I’m sorry,’ he smiled.

‘You better be, Johnson,’ I smiled back, and pressed my lips against his. ‘I will however, happily lay in your bunk and snuggle?’

‘Sounds perfect,’ he smiled as he took my hand and led me onto the bus. I had never been so happy.