Realistic or Modern Something There

[objection]

Liam was staring at himself in the mirror, with his glasses on the bathroom sink. His green hues looking over all his blemishes. It was a ritual of his, to find all his faults and wish it could be better. He'd look at his eyes and think, 'Wow you're fucking so blind, you're lucky you can see yourself at THIS distance.' or he'd look at his chest, which was in a between place, he didn't work out crazily, but he'd still do a little work out every morning to keep his body at least slightly toned. And he’d remind himself, ‘This is why you’re not on any sports team. Hell, even if you did apply you’d probably be on the bench.’ It was a stupid ritual, but it was the only time he allowed himself to be THIS negative.

Heck, he shouldn’t be this hard on himself, and he knew that. He actually is a very attractive male. He had that perfect type of hair that he really didn’t have to put any hair product in it to make it look amazing, it just swooped perfectly on his face. He had to die for green eyes that you could just melt in. They were the kind of eyes that you knew you could trust him with your deepest secrets. And when he wore his glasses, they didn’t take away much of his face, if anything it somehow helped compliment his eyes, gave them a softer look. He wasn’t the tallest guy in the world, but he was at least taller than his girlfriend and he saw that as plus in his life.

Liam ran a hand through his soft fluffy post shower hair, it slowly just went back into place and he closed his eyes. He let out a sigh of relief thinking of his girlfriend. It was that type of thought where you knew you stepped in over your head, but God was it worth it. She was so amazing and beautiful. He loved every minute he spent with her, knowing he didn’t deserve it, but boy would he enjoy it. He’s been with her for 3 months now. At first it was downright terrifying. His heart would be racing like crazy just thinking of spending time with her. He was a nerd, drawn to a book. She was the over talkative beauty. Somehow it just worked. They met at college, taking a course together. He would always steal glances at her while he read a book. He wasn’t brave enough to go up to her and say some sly line about having coffee some time, so he just dreamed it up in his head. One day she did come up to him and said, “Are you going to invite me out sometime?” She’s always been that way since, very abrasive and outgoing. Which is something Liam needs, he’s too soft spoken, often times scared to speak his mind.

But, Liam was excited about his date tonight. It was a stay at home date, he would be going to her house. She has been dying to try making Liam something to eat, saying her cooking skills were some of the best. So he decided to bite, and here we are today. He was getting ready now to go over there and meet with her. He put on some slacks and a maroon polo shirt, the first two buttons undone. He put his black vans on to put the whole outfit into order. Semi casual look. Maybe not. But he wanted to impress her parents if they were there. Heck he wanted to impress her as well. He liked the shirt just because it made his arm muscles stand out, when he didn’t even really knew he had any to begin with. It gave a nice illusion. He grabbed his jacket just incase and headed out.

Driving to the house in his black mazda, listening to Brand New. It was a simple drive, his heart would skip a beat thinking of his date though. He finally arrived. When he got there he looked at himself in the car mirror, moving his hair to the side slightly. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. And he patted his shirt. He took a breath of courage and stepped out of his car. He wondered what she would say about how he looked. He had one hand in his pocket as he walked up to the door. Not ready for anything he was about to encounter. He brushed his hair to the side one more time before knocking on the door, he had a slight smile in anticipation for his girlfriend.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was curling up on the living room couch; Jane Eyre clutched in his hands. He was re-reading the book for the umpteenth time and still was utterly engrossed in the world as if it was the first time reading. No matter how crappy of a day he had, he knew he could always count on books to be there. And today had been especially rough, sighing Sam closed the book before throwing his head back fully laying down on the sofa. Pushing his neatly styled blonde hair out of his face, his eyes floated up the ceiling. Nothing was working. First, his chemistry class by far the most challenging thing he had ever done and the usual A+ student was struggling.

He laughed bitterly. As if that was the worst of his problems. It wasn't hard to be openly gay at school, well at least not for him. What was hard was that no matter how much he was trying, no guy seemed to be interested. His phone was loaded up with all of the usual dating apps; he always was putting himself out there. Holding up his phone, he looked at his face in the camera. Blonde hair and blue eyes stared back at him. Was he too ugly for other guys?? Thoughts like this had been crossing his mind a LOT lately. It wasn't harsh, but realistically, Sam knew he wasn't a prize. He wasn't fat at all, but he didn't have the muscles most gay men seemingly possessed.

So what was wrong with him? Why was he so off-putting to other men? "Maybe I'm just destined to be lonely" He murmured, his arms crossing over his chest defensively. Well, there was one guy who kissed him once. The memory came back much too bright as he was rubbing his lips. Sam had been walking in the hallway after school when he saw his bully, football jock, Jack coming towards him. Turning on his heels, he practically ran into the locker room. Catching his breathe as he leaned against a locker, the door had opened. Sauntering in was Jack. "Why are you running little I'm uncultured?" He teased, moving closer towards Sam. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" He asked, his eyes scanning for any possible escape routes. Punching his fist directly to the side of Sam, the bully merely said: "Because I like to have fun." The fun usually meant that Sam was in for a beating or a swirly in the school toilet, but he noticed something was different this time. Jack's face was much too close to his, and he could feel the slightly older student's hot breath on his face. For a moment they just stayed like that, staring at each other. Then he pounced, Sam braced himself and closed his eyes. Only he didn't feel pain, and he wasn't being punched or kicked. Instead, something warm hit him lips were touching lips. Jack was kissing him! It was a surprising turn of events, to say the least, and he knew he should have pushed the guy off, but it was lovely. So Sam made out with him for a while. Of course, there was a blow-up afterward in which Jack proclaimed he "wasn't a I'm uncultured" and stormed off. Sam hadn't seen him since.

He sat up, bringing himself back to reality. Tonight was going to be a "special" night. Somehow his annoying sister had landed a boyfriend, and the guy was coming over tonight to meet Sam's parents. The cruel cosmic joke didn't even begin to cover the situation. His sister was so much more overbearing, and high maintenance than he was and yet, Sam was the single one. He was interested in meeting the guy who agreed to date her. Poor guy must be a schmuck.

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Who could that be? Standing up, Sam made his way towards the front door, but not before stopping to look at himself in a mirror. His blonde hair was styled pretty well, and his blue eyes were popping with the white and blue striped shirt he had on. Wearing the pair of skinny jeans that hugged his butt in just the right way, Sam nodded at himself in approval before moving towards the door. Taking a breath, he reluctantly opened the door. "Can I help you?" He was starting to say, but his voice stopped when he caught sight of the cutest man he had ever seen. He was now staring at a beautiful guy with the prettiest green eyes. Swallowing, he asked the question again.

 

[objection]

As the door opened, Liam expected to see Olivia, but instead was greeted by a guy. It made Liam stop for a second. His lips parted, not knowing what to say. This guy literally took his breath away. His heart started pounding, thinking of what to say to this beautiful person. He quickly tried to remember what the guy said to him a second ago, because he was not paying attention at all. His heart was pounding louder than any voice coming his way. He moved his glasses back up his nose. They may not have fallen down at all, he just had a nervous tick to always do that when he was nervous or stressed. “Um...I..” Liam started to say, he felt his words getting stuck in his throat.


Wait. Why was he here? Why did he knock on this cute guy’s door? Oh yeah, Olivia. How stupid could he be. He got so lost in this guy’s beautiful blue eyes that he lost control of what he was doing here. Liam let out a quiet breath, “I’m here to see Olivia, I’m her boyfriend, Liam.” He said with a smile. Liam wanted to know more about this guy, at the very least his name. “I don’t think we’ve met yet?” He said, prying for his name the best way he knew how. “That’s my kid brother, Sam.” Olivia said as she came down the stairs. She looked great, as always. She was wearing a red summer dress, with flowers adorned on it. She wasn’t wearing shoes, since she was only in her house. “Move!” She said as she pushed her brother aside. Olivia put her arms around Liam, standing on her tippy toes as she embraced him. Liam held her back, taking one last peek at Sam before closing his eyes and enjoying the embrace.


“Let me show you around. Give you the grand tour.” She said as she took Liam’s hand and started showing him around the house. It was weird. This was probably the first time, he wasn’t in awe of Olivia, wanting nothing to do but be surrounded by her. Liam couldn’t take his mind off of Sam. He had never felt that way about another guy before. It was very foreign for him. He wouldn’t admit this to anyone, but he kind of liked it. They finally made it back to the living room and sat on the couch right next to each other, no space between them. “My parents should be back any second. My mom wants to make dinner, since you’re here and all. Don’t be nervous! You’ll love them!” She stated. Since this whole arriving at the house, he hadn’t even paid attention to the fact that he was going to have to meet her parents. Oh god. Liam wasn’t ready for this realization.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was waiting with bated breath to hear why such a handsome man was on his family's doorstep when the guy spoke, and Sam immediately wanted to die. My sister's boyfriend?!?! He tried to scream. Opening his mouth to introduce himself, his voice was stopped by Olivia, his sister, who rudely gave his name to Liam. He wanted to say anything to keep talking him, but as soon as Olivia bounded down the stairs, she pushed Sam out of the way. Crossing his arms in silent annoyance, he watched as the two embraced, but not before seeing Liam look his way. Sam turned his body away from them. His heart was beating so loudly that he was afraid it would be heard throughout the entire house.

Now he knew that he was cursed because the most handsome man he had ever laid his eyes on was dating his sister. Olivia dragged Liam along for a "grand tour," Sam couldn't help feeling envious of his older sister. Why did she get everything? Resigning himself, he quietly followed the two from a distance. Dinner flew by unusually fast, his parents asking Liam basic questions; Dad made some awful dad jokes, you know, the works. Sam couldn't help it, but he would sneak glances whenever he could at Liam. Olivia didn't seem to notice; it was a blessing. After they had all finished their food, his parents excused themselves to bed. Warmly, they bid goodnight to Liam and went upstairs.

"Babe, why don't you just sit here while I go use the restroom." Olivia cheered at Liam brightly, but before he could object, she floated out of the room heading to the bathroom. Rolling his eyes and sighing, Sam walked towards the couch and sat opposite Liam on the love sofa. "I'm sorry about her. I know she can be a lot." Sam said, his voice slightly mischievous. Even now, just sitting across from his sister's boyfriend caused his heart rate to go up. He also felt lightheaded from thinking of anything to say, but nothing was coming to him. Saying "I'm incredibly attracted to you," probably wasn't the best course of action, but he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to kiss Liam and run his fingers through that beautiful dark hair.

 

[objection]

Liam spent the rest of the night kissing up to the parents as much as possible. He wanted to put a good impression on them. Liam definitely was the type of guy you could bring home to your parents. He made them both laugh multiple times and enjoyed the conversation and dad jokes. Liam did steal glances at Sam throughout the night, not being obvious about it. He just wondered if his jokes made him laugh as well, or if he could see a smile.


When dinner was over and it was just Olivia, Sam and Liam, he felt like he could finally breathe. It was pretty stressful for him to put on a show for two older adults. When Olivia said she was stepping away, Liam freaked out slightly. He didn't want to be left alone in a house he didn’t know. Liam looked over at Sam. He didn’t know what to say to him, this wouldn’t go well. It was awkward to him at first, desperately trying to think of what to say to him. He had this moment to say anything, but he didn’t. Instead Sam started the conversation, Liam was glad for this. “That’s okay. I can handle a lot.” Liam said with a smile, in a joking tone. He almost felt like he was flirting, was he? ‘No, I’m just being friendly.’ He thought to himself.


Liam realized this was the time to say anything to learn more about how he felt towards Sam. He had never felt this way before. Not even about Olivia. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding as he sat there. “Would you ...possibly want to hang out sometime? We could get coffee or something.” Liam said, feeling very courageous at his own words. He knew this was where he’d know if he could even get to know Sam more. Liam gave Sam his number before Olivia came back.


Olivia walked Liam out to his car. She leaned against his vehicle, having a very mischievous grin. “So what’d you think about the fam?” She asked as she held his hand. “Very interesting night.” He said with a half smile. “Your parents seemed to like me. Your brother seemed really cool.” He said, adding in the part about her brother very slyly. “What Sam? No way! He’s a total dork. It was so fucking awkward when he came out to the family. I wanted to die.” Olivia said. That hit a chord in Liam. He wasn’t expecting her to say that. It made Liam’s heart skip a beat. He felt a connection to this guy he knew nothing about. Was that weird? He wanted to know why he felt this way towards another male. Towards another person in general. Liam thought Olivia was everything to him, until Sam stepped into his life. Suddenly everything got so confusing. Maybe it was all in his head. Having coffee and talking with Sam would clear this up for him. He knew it. Then things could go back to the way they were. Liam felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, not sure who he got a text from. He kissed Olivia good night and got in his car.


When he got in his car he saw the text message was from Sam, his heart jumped again. He didn’t respond until he got home, and basically set up to meet the next day at a local coffee shop around 12pm. Liam couldn’t believe he was about to have coffee with a total stranger. He felt like he was going behind Olivia’s back. Was that weird? Probably because he didn’t tell her anything about this. He would explain it all to her that it was a huge misunderstanding on his part after he realized he was being stupid about all this.


The next day, Liam got ready as usual for his meet up with Sam at the coffee shop. He put a dark red v-neck on and jeans. He drove his car to the coffee shop, which wasn’t too far away from his apartment. When he parked his car there his nerves kicked in again. Liam walked up to the coffee shop, waiting outside for Sam to appear. Liam was so nervous that this was just going to be awkward and weird and that they’d have nothing to talk about. He leaned against the building as he waited.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam had not expected to get Liam's phone number. He had to practically cover his mouth from screaming with glee at having a way to talk to him. But why did Liam want to hangout? Maybe he wants to get to know the family, Sam thought. Whatever the motivation Sam wasn't complaining that a handsome man wanted to talk to him, and besides, getting coffee with him couldn't hurt anything, right? He didn't hesitate to text Liam after he left for the evening and they set up a time to meet the next day.

As soon as Sam woke up the following morning, his heart began to thump. Holy crap. "I can't be catching feelings for my sister's boyfriend" He muttered as he made his way to the bathroom. Even though he hated how he was feeling, it couldn't be denied that he wanted to see Liam again. Looking at himself in the mirror, a complete bed head and mess from head to toe greeted him. "He probably just wants to talk about Olivia or something, calm down Sam" He was saying to himself, his eyes closed to breathe deeply. If he could ground himself, or at least knock some reality back into his head, he could get through this hangout without exploding.

He took a quick shower and followed his usual morning ritual, which included moisturizing. Might as well look cute even if Liam is straight anyway. He put on a light blue sweater and some khaki's and practically ran down the stairs. Luckily, no one was home, so he didn't have to explain his absence. The drive to the coffee shop wasn't too awful, just about two miles from his house. Streets were so bumpy and in desperate need of construction, but he couldn't help notice his heart mirroring the jagged and jerky roads. He honestly didn't know how he was going to get through an entire conversation with Liam without blurting something stupid like "I love you,"

Parking quickly, he found that he wasn't able to move. The thought of getting out of the car and spending time with Liam just seemed too much. From his spot, he could see that Liam was standing up against the building waiting; waiting for him. "You're going crazy over nothing. Get it together, Sam!" He yelled at his reflection. Now that he was feeling a bit better, he stepped out of the car and headed towards the entrance. Sam waved as he got closer to Liam, who practically almost fell over, trying to stand up straight. He had to chuckle. "Shall we go in?" Sam asked, smiling. Liam nodded while opening the door for him. Guess chivalry isn't dead after all, he thought to himself.

They both placed their orders, tea for Sam and coffee for Liam. After getting their drinks, they took a seat at a somewhat secluded booth. Not knowing what this was about, Sam just stared into his mug of piping hot tea. Liam sipped his coffee silently. Only a minute had passed, but good god had it felt like an eternity. Taking a quick sip of his own, he found the courage to speak. "So what did you want to talk about Liam? I have to admit that I was a bit... surprised when you gave me your number and asked to hang out. If it's what I said about my sister last night," He paused to laugh, "It was a joke. I wasn't trying to rat on her or anything. How's your coffee by the way?" He had avoided eye contact up until this point, but no longer could he resist looking into Liam's vivid green eyes. As soon as he did, he nearly choked on his tea. The green eyes had so many different layers and shades; it was like seeing spring.

 

[objection]

As Liam sat at the table sipping on his coffee he thought long and hard about Sam’s question. It was a good one. Why was he there? Why did he ask him to come for coffee. He knew the real answer was to understand this deep underlying feeling he had every time he looked at Sam. Why right now it was hard for him to even look at Sam straight in the eyes. Liam wanted to understand why his heart was pounding so fast just by Sam giving him any slight of attention. Liam just didn’t understand where his head was at right now.


“I just wanted to get to know you better.” Liam said as he looked into Sam’s blue eyes. Feeling himself melt as their eyes met. ‘Don’t think about it!’ He thought to himself, trying to concentrate on the conversation. “Nothing wrong with me getting to know my girlfriend’s brother, right?” He added as he leaned against his chair, taking another sip of his coffee.


That finally felt like the ice breaker, Liam could think more clearly now. After that it was like the conversation ran on it’s own. They were asking each other first date type of questions. Time seemed to just fly by as they talked. It was so easy for Liam to talk to Sam. Even on his first date with Olivia, heck, even a date now he couldn’t talk this easily with her. It was like they were on the same wavelength. It was an amazing feeling. “Holy shit, we’ve been here for like two hours.” Liam said as he looked at his phone. Was it possible to just sit there and talk for two hours? “Do you want to go see a movie or come back to my place, we can watch Netflix or whatever.” Liam said, he just didn’t want to stop talking with Sam. He was enjoying himself to the fullest. He had never gotten to hang out with anyone that made him feel this way. Then he realized, maybe he felt that way, but to Sam this could be the most boring time ever, and he was just doing it because he felt bad for his sister’s boyfriend. “I mean, we can just call it, we did talk forever.” Liam said in a joking tone with a light laugh. That way if Sam wanted to call it, he could without it being awkward or dragged on.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was utterly amazed at how easily the two connected. Sure it had been awkward at first, but once they got to talking, it just seemed like the best thing in the world. He wasn't quite sure when he had laughed and had such a good time. Sam hadn't come out of his shell to many people and the fact that he felt so open and free with Liam; it was kind of like a dream. He found himself pinching his arm here and there to make sure he wasn't dreaming this day. When Liam mentioned that two hours had passed, he was stunned. "Two hours?!" Sam responded, laughing and smiling dazzlingly.

Sam was considering Liam's offer to continuing hanging out. Was it strange to be getting along this well with his sister's boyfriend? He knew rationally that it would be smart to call it a day here and now, but Sam never thought logically; he felt with his heart. And what it was saying right now was that he was having too good of a time with Liam to say no. "Sure! I'd love to keep hanging out." He beamed, his heart thumping as he saw Liam smile back at him.

Now it was settled they would keep hanging, but the boys just had to decide between going to a movie or back to Liam's place. Talking would be kind of impossible if they went to an actual film, but if they watched something on Netflix that allowed them to keep getting to know each other. When Sam brought this up, Liam agreed, and he made plans to follow him to his apartment. The car ride there was somewhat of a break for Sam. Now that Liam wasn't in front of him, he questioned if this was okay again. He knew nothing wrong was happening, but at the same time, he still didn't want to cause any drama between Olivia and Liam. "You're thinking about this way too much," Sam chuckled as he parked next to Liam's car. Liam led him up a flight of stairs before turning left to the first apartment door. He couldn't help but blush when Liam held the door open again for him. "Wow," Sam uttered as he stepped inside the cute apartment. For a straight guy, Liam had style. "I love the atmosphere here!" He exclaimed as he began to scope out the surrounding. When Sam spotted the comfy leather couch, he didn't even ask permission to plop down on it. Looking up and smiling at Liam, he asked: "So what are we gonna watch?"

 

[objection]

As Liam drove in the car his mind was racing. He couldn’t believe he invited him over to his house. He was a total neat freak, and he didn’t like people stepping in there and judging him for how he lives his life. He felt like he didn’t have to worry about that with Sam. But it always creeped on the back of his mind. He really couldn’t believe how well they got along. It scared him. It was like meeting someone you knew could be your best friend, you just connected. Your jokes made sense to them, and they would actually laugh. The different topics you brought up were relevant to them and you could bounce ideas off one another. Liam just wanted to spend the rest of the night with Sam, learning more about him. It was exhilarating.


When they got to the apartment building and Liam unlocked it, he bit his lip afraid of how Sam might perceive his home. It went really well though. As soon as you walk in your in the little hallways and as you walk in you land in the living room, which had a bar connected close by which was connected to the kitchen. And then there were two bedrooms. “Oh, thanks.” Liam said, glad that Sam liked his place. “I’ll make some tea for us.” He said as he went into the kitchen to put water in the kettle and place it on the stove top.


He walked back over to the living room to set up Netflix, he turned it on and pulled up the movies tab. The water started screeching so he threw the remote gently at Sam. “You pick.” He said with a mischievous smile. He walked back over to the water and put the tea bags in the coffee cups and poured the hot water in. He grabbed the two cups and brought it over to the coffee table, setting them down, seeing that Sam had picked a movie. Liam sat next to Sam on the couch. “You’re a lot of fun, Sam. Your sister doesn’t give you credit.” He said with a grin, looking into Sam’s blue eyes.


Just as he said that, as though she could hear the entire conversation, Liam’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his back pocket. It was Olivia. “Hey! What’re u up to?” It read. Liam bit his lower lip, thinking of how to respond. It was stupid to not just tell her the truth, it was just her brother. It was completely innocent and he knew that. They were just getting to know each other. “Hanging out with your brother.” He responded back. Liam had a sudden realization, wasn’t the reason he wanted to hang out to help him realize his heart fluttering was all an illusion and hanging out he would not feel that way anymore. He’d find out that Sam was some terrible person, or that they didn’t get along at all. Only the opposite happened, and he was great in every way. And on top of that, Liam connected with him on a different level. Liam let a light breath out. He knew what this meant. He had feelings for Sam. But he’d have to just let that go. Put it at the back of his mind because he was with Olivia. “That’s so weird!” She responded. Liam pouted at this and put his phone away.


“Sorry, that was Olivia.” Liam said, looking over at Sam. He just now realized how close they were to each other. He didn’t mean to sit this close, he hadn’t even realized. It made him blush lightly, he quickly looked away. “D-Do..um..” He started to say, trying to calm himself down, “Do you think us hanging out is weird?” Liam asked. He didn’t think it was weird when he did it. But this whole day had been weird, nothing he would normally do. But what Olivia said really bothered him.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam couldn't help but blush when Liam said he was fun. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Here the two were, sitting very close together watching a movie, drinking tea, if Liam were gay, this would have been the best first date of Sam's life. Well, it would have been the only best first date since Sam had never actually gone on any such thing with another guy. He was feeling so light and free; it indeed was exhilarating. Sam glanced over when he heard Liam's phone buzz, watching as the other's face sink a little bit as Liam bit his lip. The thought of asking Liam if were okay crossed his mind, but he also didn't want to intrude. Sooner or later, he would have to wake up and realize that what he was feeling wasn't okay. How could he look at Olivia then when he went home?

Sam's gut dropped when he heard it was indeed Olivia that had texted Liam. Looking away from him quickly so he wouldn't see Sam's disappointment, he glued his eyes to the screen. Olivia always had a way of ruining his life. Now that the mood had shifted, Sam was becoming hyper-aware of the closeness of their two bodies. If he only tilted and leaned his head would be sitting perfectly on Liam's strong shoulder. It was so tempting, but he continued to hold himself up. He's not your boyfriend. The burning thought rang inside his head.

Sam was choking on his tea when Liam asked about their hanging out. "No!" He said between coughs, "Why would this be weird?" Fully turning to face Liam, Sam continued, "I mean, do you think it's weird?" He asked, genuinely. While watching Liam's face ponder, another darker thought him. Something that Sam felt his heart begin to break at, "Am I making you uncomfortable because I'm gay?" His voice almost a pained whisper. Oh god. Memories of being bullied and people that ended their friendships with him came to the forefront of his mind. What if he had weirded Liam out?

Hurrying away from Liam, every bone in his body was screaming at him to get and leave; his anxiety was swinging in full force. He saw Liam's mouth moving to respond, but Sam couldn't hear it over the screaming in his head. So many people had told him that he was strange or a creep or weird, Olivia included. How foolish was he to think that it was okay to do something like this? At this moment, he felt like the biggest fool of all time. "I think I should go." He said definitively, shooting up from the couch at an inhuman speed. If he could get to the door, then he could leave and stop being such a menace to Liam and everyone else in his life. The front door was slowly coming out of focus, his vision quickly becoming blurry. Wetness, most likely tears begin to fall, but he didn't care. He wouldn't be caught dead showing someone else his pain. Damn it! Everyone who made him feel bad for being himself was right.

All he ever tried to do was be a good person, a good friend, and look where that landed him — chasing after his sister's straight boyfriend who he had weirded out. Drums pounded in his head; his heart rate was at an all-time high. "I'm sorry," His hand was finally grasping the door handle, he could finally escape everything, everyone. But as he turned it to leave, another hand grabbed his free one. "Don't go." The voice, Liam's voice spoke.

 

[objection]

Everything felt like it was going so fast in that moment. One question, that Liam didn’t even think would hurt Sam, had done exactly that. Liam wished he had thought about the question before he asked. Liam jumped up after Sam, “I didn’t mean it that way.” He said, realizing his words weren’t reaching Sam at all. He quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him from going further. Liam pulled Sam to his body and he embraced him in a deep hug. “You couldn’t ever make me uncomfortable. I’ve loved spending every second with you.” He said softly to Sam. He pulled back still holding Sam’s hand. They were basically inches apart from each other. “Please don’t go.” He said, with a warmthness in his eyes.


Liam felt the urge to kiss Sam, he really did. It took everything in his power to pull back and remind himself he was with someone else. Liam held on to Sam’s hand and brought him back to the couch sitting right next to him. “Let’s be weird together.” He said with a smile as he let go of Sam’s hand not realizing he was still holding on. The warmth just felt so nice. They continued to watch the movie and talk throughout it. At first it was slightly awkward as they tried to get back on track. But eventually they were joking through the whole thing.


When they finally got done, Liam looked at his phone, “Shit it’s 11. We’ve been hanging out forever.” He said with a laugh. He couldn’t believe he had hung out with someone for so long. “I’ll walk you to your car.” He said as he got up, guiding Sam to the front door.


When they finally got to Sam’s car, Liam turned around to face Sam. “This has been way too fun. We have to do this again. Seriously.” He said with a smile, being as truthful as possible. He couldn’t stop his urge he put his arms around Sam again with a close embrace, taking in his scent this time, and the close warmth of his body. It never felt so right to be this close to someone. As he pulled back, Liam looked into Sam’s eyes, seeing the same exact want from him. Liam pressed his lips against Sam’s for a passionate kiss. He pulled back suddenly, “Shit. I can’t believe I did that. Please ignore that.” He said as he started to back away. “I-i’ll...um..i’ll see you around.” He said as he ran back to his apartment not wanting to be in that situation anymore.


When he finally got back to his apartment he closed the door, locking it and he slid against the door. Liam put his hand against his lips. That kiss held so many sparks and attraction for him. He had never felt that before. That kiss was everything he wanted, needed. But it could never happen again. Liam was with Olivia. He couldn’t just break up with her and start dating her brother, not over a kiss. He’d just have to keep his distance for a bit and think this through. He could feel his phone vibrating, but he didn’t dare look right now. It was probably just Olivia saying good night. He felt so ashamed to even text her right now. Liam collapsed on his bed and fell asleep without even taking his clothes off. He was too stressed to think any further of this situation, that was for the next day.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was shocked that Liam had stopped him, but what confused him was the hug that he was being pulled into. Warm, Sam felt so warm and safe under Liam's strong arms. And then there were his soft sweet words. He could hardly believe that Liam loved spending time with him. The words meant far more than Liam would ever know. He quickly wiped his tears away; Sam was always an ugly crier. Now that Sam was looking back into the green haven of Liam's eyes, he felt an overwhelming calm settling over him. Liam's eyes twinkled, something filtering across his face, a stray thought perhaps? But it vanished in an instant and Sam once more felt safe as he was being led back to the couch.

It was a bit difficult at first to get back into the rhythm they had established earlier, but as soon as Liam cracked the first joke, Sam's heart began it's flutter again. "I'm sorry that you had to see me have a breakdown, haha," Sam said, trying to make fun of himself, while also trying to apologize for the insane behavior sincerely. The rest of the movie passed by very pleasantly, so much so that when Liam had mentioned, it was 11 that Sam could hardly believe it. Again, time just seemed to feel infinite and fast in the best way possible when he was with Liam. He nodded at Liam's offer to be walked to the car and followed him.

He knew as he stepped closer to his car that he would be sorrowful when he left, but the time the two had spent together was some of the best in Sam's life. Smiling brightly at Liam, he agreed, "Yes! I had the best time. I'd love to do it again". Sam was allowing Liam to be pulled back into another embrace, and hey, he wasn't complaining. The warmness from earlier returned. It just felt so right, like the two were meant to be like this forever. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible and like the one before Liam pulled back, ending the hug. Sam couldn't help it, but all he could think about as his eyes returned to Liam's was that he wished Liam would lean in and kiss him. He had never wanted someone else so badly.

The two were standing there gazing at each other, and then Sam felt it before he saw it. Liam's lips were crushed against his, the need matching Sam's own as he began to kiss back, but then the warmness, the fireworks that had erupted were extinguished when the boy pulled away from him. Reflexively, Sam brought his hand up to his lips and covered his mouth as Liam asked him to ignore the kiss. Liam somewhat awkwardly and nervously began to back away, saying something Sam couldn't quite hear and proceeded to run away back into his apartment. Sam had wanted to stop him, but even after Liam slammed his door, he still stood outside of his car. His feelings too jumbled to make sense of what had happened. When he finally sat down in the car, habit and instinct took over as he turned the engine on. There was no time to think, feel, or process. He had to leave. It wasn't until he was pulling out of the complex that the tears began to fall again. Were these tears happy or sad? He honestly didn't know.

On the one hand, he was thrilled that Liam kissed him. The thought that there was a connection between the two men made Sam want to scream with joy. The reality of it all was so cruel, Olivia was Liam's girlfriend of all things. Was Liam even gay? Whatever had transpired between them would never happen again, Sam decided. No matter how much it killed him, he couldn't hurt his sister like that. It's too late; his subconscious was saying, the tears now falling like a waterfall. It was much too late because Sam was irreversibly and irrevocably in love with Liam.

 

[objection]

A couple of days went by, it got easier to cope with everything. At first, Liam was set with a horrible sense of dread. He couldn’t even text Olivia, it was too hard to think about. So he’d just end up making an excuse about work or meeting his family so that he didn’t have to see her yet. When he did finally hang out with her he always made sure there was no way he’d come to her house. They’d always meet at his apartment or at a different location. He couldn’t deal with even seeing Sam at this point. He knew his heart would burst if he even laid eyes on him.


To say that Liam never thought about that kiss was a lie. It was literally all he thought about. He wished he could do it again. Kissing Olivia wasn’t the same either. Not only did he have this horrible sense of cheating on her, even if it was for a second. But there was no spark like there was with Sam. It was like something special he couldn’t have with anyone else. It was just for Sam. And he knew he couldn’t see him again, it would hurt him too much. Liam never thought he’d fall for a guy, all of this was so new for him. But how did he get rid of these thoughts? He couldn’t stop it.


Much against his own will, Olivia asked for him to pick her up at her house. At first, Liam was completely against it, and tried his hardest to say no, but Olivia being Olivia convinced him to do it anyways. When he parked his car at the house his heart was pounding just thinking of Sam being only a couple of steps away. Maybe he wouldn’t be there? Maybe he had a hot date and he was out there falling for someone else. That thought just made Liam angry, which was so irrational. Sam should find someone, as what could Liam do in this situation.


Liam texted, ‘i’m here’ to Olivia and she quickly opened the door for him, and they embraced. “Come on in!” She said as she grabbed his arm and closed the door. “I’ve missed you.” She said in a soft voice. “Look, I’m still getting ready so just go in there and I’ll grab you when I get done.” Olivia said, as she ran back up stairs. Liam took a small breath out. It was all clear so far, he was fine. He’d go wait in the living room for her and it would all be okay. As he got in there he noticed the object of what he was avoiding was sitting in there perfectly. Liam parted his lips, “Sam…” He said under his breath. Liam’s heart started awake at a fast rate. It was pounding so loud he felt like he couldn’t hear anything. “I didn’t know you were here…” He said as he sat down on the other end of the couch. Trying to stay as far from Sam as possible. He knew if he got too close he couldn’t trust himself anymore. “How have you been?” Liam asked, innocently. When secretly what he wanted to say was, ‘I’ve missed you, have you missed me?’ But obviously after hanging out with a person one time and kissing them for a second didn’t imply you should say something like that or that he could even trust himself to say something like that.

 

[broadwayboy223]

The days dragged on and on for Sam, Every tick on the clock was another reminder of what had happened. Liam's kiss filled his every waking moment. He knew Liam was just a text away, a breath away, but he couldn't see him again. It was too risky with Olivia, and besides Sam didn't want to hurt his sister. If she ever found out that he kissed her boyfriend? Well, Sam wouldn't let that happen. Except she had caught him the other day crying and he made some bullshit excuse about it being school-related. Luckily she seemed to buy it, even offering to help Sam with his homework.

The school was worse than ever. He was feeling more anxious and nervous during the day. Deep down, it was stupid to be this upset about one kiss, one moment. Low and behold, he was more than upset. His heart would burst at thoughts of Liam. He was sure it was love, but how could that be? After all, it was just one kiss, and he didn't know Liam. Getting Liam out of his system was proving to be impossible. So many "if only's" floated through Sam's head. Like if only he weren't dating Olivia if only he were gay; it was maddening. The only reprieve was that Liam hadn't come by the house, at least Sam wasn't burdened with that. It would be only a matter of time, though. Olivia was his girlfriend, and they'd have to come to hang out again over at the house.

For the first time since the incident, Sam was feeling well enough to go downstairs and watch some TV. It was a bit strange since no one but Olivia, and he was at home. Above him, the sounds of Olivia's rather large footfalls were running about. "What the hell is she doing?" He murmured, trying to get invested into the episode of Forensic Files. The thumping continued as the narrator was trying to tell the story of another murder. It was hard to admit, but Sam's guilty pleasure was true crime. Like a whirlwind, Olivia bounded the stairs looking half-dressed, and half made up. "Is there a reason you're currently looking like a psycho?" Sam asked, attempting to give his big sister a hard time. She rolled her eyes and made her way to the front door. "If you must know Liam is here to pick me up for a date, but I'm not quite ready, so he's going to come in." She intoned a matter of factly. "Wait your joking, right?" He immediately sat up from his previous relaxed position. She turned her head and laughed, "Nope. Don't be weird, Sam!" With that, she opened the door.

Sam didn't have to turn around to know Liam had entered the house. He just knew. Breathe, breathe, the quiet mantra floated into his mind. Focusing his eyes on the television in front of him, he ignored the footsteps heading towards the living room. Damn it! If he had known this was happening, Sam would have run-up to his room, but now it's too late. Maybe Sam could ignore him if he tried hard? That plan went out the window as soon as Liam sat at the opposite side of the couch. "Well, this is my house. Where else would I be?" He responded to Liam without looking away from the TV. His heart seized up when the boy asked how he was. How was Sam to answer? Not only that it was killing him to not look at Liam, he so desperately wanted to look into those green eyes. "I've been....well, I've seen better days." He said quietly and honestly. Betraying his goal, he couldn't help but turn to look at Liam as he said this. If Liam was feeling similarly, he wanted to know. "What about you?"

 

[objection]

Liam thought long and hard about how he had been these last couple of days and how he would respond to Sam. In his heart he wanted to say, ‘I’ve been miserable, I wanted to see you so much.’ But he knew he shouldn’t say that. He knew he had to play this cool and act like everything was okay, “I’ve been good.” He lied out loud. Liam hated himself for saying that, he really didn’t want to lie to Sam, but he couldn’t tell him the truth. He couldn’t let him know how he really felt.


He knew this might be his only time to ask Sam what was on his mind. Liam knew he couldn’t say what he wanted to with Olivia so close by. But he had to say something or he would miss his opportunity. “I’ve missed you.” He said, innocently. That much had been the truth. He kept thinking about all the things they talked about, and what they laughed about. Liam could never forget that kiss. No kiss had ever meant more to him then that one. “Can we hang out again?” He asked, hoping the answer would be yes. But he would understand if Sam said no. Liam knew he should stay as far away as possible from Sam, but being this close to him he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to see him again. To be around him again.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam wanted to die when Liam said he was good. The sick and cynical side of him was hoping Liam would be in just as much pain as he was. As if synchronized, Sam's heart began to hurt in response; he turned away from Liam to watch the TV. Yes, he thought, If he could distract himself then he wouldn't feel anything. Surely the urge to kiss Liam and run his fingers through his hair would abandon quickly. Please God; he prayed silently.

Moments went by before when one of them spoke again. Again, it was the dark-haired boy that initiated the conversation. His word's pierced right through Sam's walls and went straight to his heart, but he was confused too. "Are you joking?" He said, whipping his head around to face Liam again. The boy shook his head. Thump went his heart. Sam quickly scanned the room before speaking again, this time, his voice substantially quieter, "I'm not sure that would be a good idea, Liam." Liam's face fell in response as he leaned back into the couch. Feeling bad about it, Sam instinctively scooted closer to him. "Of course I want to hang out with you again, there's nothing I'd love more." He watched as the life came back into Liam's face. "But, you kissed me Liam and then ran away. What am I supposed to do or think?" Liam was looking puzzled like there was something he needed to say, but couldn't. Sam knew what needed to do, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to kill him. "I think it's best if we not see each other for a while and then see what happens. Okay?" Liam nodded, his face unreadable. Just then Olivia floated down the stairs, Sam moving away from Liam in response. "Come on, babe, let's go!" She shrieked, pulling Liam up from the couch forcefully. "Bye, Sam."

After they left Sam cried his eyes out, the world turning black and white. Days later, when he finally emerged again from his room, he was but a ghost of the person he had been a week ago. Even his parents had begun to worry, and they hardly noticed him most of the time. How could he tell them that he was feeling twisted and torn about being in love with Olivia, his sister's boyfriend? There was no way. Instead, he said to them he was sick, and that seemingly appeased their faux concern. If anyone had seen his phone, they'd know he had written and then promptly deleted several different texts to Liam. Was he thinking of Sam now? Did he regret the kiss? Headphones on, Mariah Carey on full blast couldn't even block out his overanalyzing mind.

He didn't know he fell asleep until he saw his sister standing over him. "What do you want, Olivia?" He asked, pulling off the bright pink listening device. She crinkled her eyes and scanned her brother's face. "Something's wrong with you." He chuckled, standing up and moving away from her, "No shit, sherlock." Walking over to the mirror, Sam cringed at what he saw, staring back. His hair unruly, dark circles, he even looked paler than usual. "You may have fooled mom and dad, but I know something is wrong with you. You're not sick. You're depressed! And I have the perfect cure for it!" She exclaimed, pulling Sam back towards the bed. "I have three concert tickets for Beyonce and you, Liam and I are all going!" The mere mention of his name caused Sam to spit out "No way! I'm not going." He said, crossing his arms. His heart couldn't take Liam anymore. Olivia frowned at this momentarily, but then quickly smirked. "Too bad mom and dad have already agreed that you're going. There's nothing you can do about it, little bro!" And like the hurricane she was, Olivia ran out of the room. He later found out the concert was to be this weekend and the three of them would drive and spend the night at a hotel. As much as he didn't want to see Liam, the gay boy in Sam couldn't deny that he HAD to see Beyonce.

Somehow knowing that the concert was ahead of him, it helped to propel Sam to get somewhat out of his funk. He returned to school and made sure to catch up on all of his assignments. Finally, when Friday came, Sam was ecstatic. Coming in from his car, he practically ran up the stairs to get ready to see Queen Bey. Suddenly, moaning coming from Olivia's room filled the house. Following his brotherly instinct's, he pushed her door open and saw his sister sprawled out on the floor near her toilet — the stench of vomit permeating the air. Immediately covering his mouth, he walked over to Olivia. She waved rather weakly, struggling to pull herself up from the floor. "There's no way I can go to the concert, Sam." She croaked out, her voice dry and weak. Disappointment filled him, but how could he be mean about Olivia being sick? "I guess you need to tell Liam that we aren't going then?" Sam asked quietly. Olivia's eyes burned at the question, and she fired back, "Are you kidding?!! You two have to go and tell me all about it!"

"But I-," He started to say only for Olivia to cut him off. "Nope, no butts! I've already texted Liam, and he agrees. He'll be here in a few to pick you up." Sam left the room, stunned. He was going to be alone with Liam. Not only at a concert, but a hotel room too. Isn't that what he wanted though? He didn't have an answer for himself as he changed into a beautiful blue polo button up and put on his cute khaki's. It was undoubtedly a bad idea to be alone with him again, but his sister wanted them to go so badly. And Beyonce was a big deal. "You're overreacting Sam." He told himself as he fixed his hair. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd have to keep his distance tonight and try to focus on the music solely. It was then that the doorbell rang and with it, Sam's heart. As if it were a movie, Sam walked down the stairs and opened the door. Liam stood there, leaned up against the side of the house looking hotter than hell in his button-up with a suit jacket and jeans. He swallowed at sight, "Are you ready?"

 

[objection]

Liam looked down as Sam berated him for his suggestion to hang out. He knew it was a stupid idea, but he couldn’t stop his urge to be around the other male. He knew he should have just kept it inside instead of actually vocalizing it. What was spending time with Sam going to accomplish anyway? It would just make things harder for Liam then they already were. He needed to let that feeling go, and try and move on. It was easier said than done, he felt like. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He said with soft eyes. Then Olivia came down the stairs being her usual loud self and not reading the room at all. Liam looked back at Sam one last time before deciding that was the last time he’d look at him that way.


The days at first went by very slowly for him, the first couple of days he would pull out his phone and pull up Sam’s number, just holding it there. Wishing he could call him and apologize for his behavior the other day. And tell him there was no hard feelings and he wouldn’t say things like that anymore. But he would just end up putting his phone away, and knowing distance was the best route right now. It got easier to cope with as time went on, he’d try his hardest to put everything at the back of his mind. Which he excelled at the more time went by. Spending time with Olivia really helped with that too. Although it was hard for him to feel the same way he felt for her before, at the end of the day she was his best friend.


One day, Olivia came over to his place and exclaimed, “Guess what!” She said, happily, barely able to hold her excitement. “I got tickets to Bey-on-ce. Do you hear me?! Beyonce.” She said, waving the tickets in front of Liam. “We’re going, whether you want to or not.” Liam wasn’t the biggest fan of Beyonce, but he still respected her good music. Liam noticed that she was holding three tickets instead of two. “Who’s your plus three? Is it Jen?” He said, cringing slightly at the name, one of Liam’s least favorite friends of Olivia’s, but was also her other best friend. Olivia chuckled slightly, “Nooo.” She said bashfully which wasn’t like her, “It’s Sam. I already invited him so you can’t say no. He’ll be cool.” She said, and Liam’s heart dropped. He didn’t know if he was ready to be around him yet, things were just now starting to get normal in his head again. “That’s not like you to invite your brother.” He said jokingly, “What’s the occasion?” He pried. Olivia made a face, and let a slight breath out, her face softening at the thought. “I don’t know..he’s just been real..sad lately. I’m kind of nervous someone is making fun of him or something. Maybe he got dumped. I don’t know. I just want to be there for him.” She said, as she looked into Liam’s eyes. Liam’s heart sank again, he felt so bad that Sam was in such turmoil right now. He felt responsible, and didn’t know what to do. “You got me, I can’t say no to that face.” He said, with a light, warm smile.


Liam got ready for the concert, showering, fixing his hair and putting on his clothes. He wore tight jeans, and a black and blue plaid button up shirt with a suit jacket. He looked at himself in the mirror before heading out. As he drove his heart was beating loudly in his chest. He told himself this wouldn’t be as bad as he was thinking, Olivia would be there for damage control. She could keep them apart and be the life of the party like always. And Liam wouldn’t have to worry about not acting weird. When he pulled up to the house, he let a breath out before getting a text message. He pulled his phone out and read the text message, ‘I’m sick, you’ll have to take Sam to the concert. Remember this is for his own good. You can’t say no.” Olivia had texted him. Liam gritted his teeth, and looked at the house. Well this is great, he thought to himself. There was no other choice but to go to the door and accept this challenge.


Liam rang the doorbell and leaned against the house, his heart pounding, not ready for whatever this night held for him. When Sam answered the door, Liam tried to calm himself down. “Hey, long time no see” He said, as chill as he could be with his heart pounding so loudly he was sure Sam could hear it. He looked so cute in his outfit, Liam wanted to say something, but thought it was best not to, especially if he was keeping this casual like he promised himself. “I’ll get that for you.” He said as he grabbed Sam’s bag with his stuff for the hotel and change of clothes tomorrow, Liam guessed. He placed it in the back of his car with his own bag. He got into the driver’s seat and started the engine, watching as Sam got in the car too.


They started for the interstate to go a couple of cities over to go see the concert tonight. Liam thought of what to say in this moment, his mind drawing a complete blank, glad the radio was on so it wasn’t completely awkward. “So…” He started, thinking desperately for something to say. “Olivia has the worst timing.” He said, talking about how she got sick right before the concert. “I haven’t been to a concert in a while, this’ll be alot of fun.” He added, trying to keep it very casual with everything he said. He would keep these two days as normal and as far apart from Sam as he possibly could. Liam believed he could do it.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam nodded, "It has been a while, I guess." So far, so good, he thought to himself. If he keeps the conversation to a minimum and tries to not think about the explosions happening in his chest than surely, this trip would go by fine. Looking at Liam for the first time in day's was like drinking a glass of water when your thirsty, and boy was Sam thirsty. The bags in his hand's had all but left his mind until Liam kindly grabbed them for him. He turned his head at this, not wanting to show Liam his blush. Even the simplest of gestures made Sam's heart happy.

The two then promptly got into Liam's car and headed for the concert. The drive would take a while considering the show is a couple of cities over. Besides the crinkle and pop of different 90's pop hits coming from the radio, the two men were silent. Don't look at him. Sam kept repeating in his head over and over. Instead of trying to make conversation, he stared blankly outside the window. Not much to see out on the interstate, it was a rather a bleak view. The tires, going at such a high speed were crunching everything beneath them. It was almost as unnerving as Sam's stomach-the butterflies back in full swarm. Sam and Liam's bodies were so close now, just a reach over and their hands could touch. Shit. Obviously, the distraction wasn't working whatsoever, considering Sam wanted to say anything and everything to Liam. Casual wasn't something that he was good at, and the way he felt about Liam wasn't casual.

Liam's voice started to speak, and with it, Sam's heart resumed its symphony. He had to give him props, Liam was trying to make things casual and not awkward. The least Sam could do was play along. "Yeah, she's the biggest mess." He said, trying to smile. "I feel bad you got dragged into going with me though," Sam admitted, and he was honest. Aside from whatever the kiss was between them, it was just strange of Olivia to make Liam take him when Sam could have driven himself if he wanted. "You don't strike me as the Beyonce type haha" He chuckled, leaning back into his car seat. For the first time during the trip, the mood felt lighter, and he felt like he could relax a bit. Perhaps Sam could get through the two days without any significant issues after all. Somehow after that, the conversation seemed to come more natural; they were laughing within minutes.

 

[objection]

Liam was actually starting to enjoy the ride there. It was becoming more peaceful now that he broke the ice. It wasn’t as awkward as it could have been. He was enjoying the time he got to spend with Sam, even though they were both ignoring the giant elephant in the room. “I wanted to come, it’s okay.” He said with a slight laugh, it was a hard truth for him. He wanted to be there desperately to be around Sam, but he also wanted nothing to do with the situation since he was in such a hard position with it all. “I’m not going to lie, I’d prefer to go to a rock concert, honestly. But Olivia said you can’t miss this. So here I am.” He admitted, with a smile.


The two hours spent in the car together were extremely nice. It was just like the day they spent together. It was full of the two getting to know one another and learn things. It made it feel like the two hours just went by so fast, Liam had wished the city was even further away. They were laughing and having such a good time. But there was Dallas.


“Oh shit, we made it.” He said, with a smile as they saw the sign arriving in Dallas. It was still a ways to their hotel, at least 30 minutes with traffic and all. “Hey, I don’t know if Olivia told you, but she booked us in a room together, with two queen beds.”Liam said as he scratched the back of his neck. “I can see if they’ll change it when we get there if you’d like.” He said, trying to not make it awkward but it was already an awkward conversation, there was no way to get around that. She booked it without his knowledge of it anyways, or Liam would have never been okay with it. It would have been less awkward with Olivia there, but here they were without Olivia. The plan right now, was to go to the hotel, drop their stuff off and get ready for the concert, go eat dinner somewhere and then head to the concert tonight.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was sad to see that they had reached Dallas so soon. The rest of the car ride had been almost exactly like when the two had hung out before. Well, except for the kiss they were choosing to ignore, but besides that it was delightful. When Liam brought up the subject of the rooming situation, the mood turned cold once again. "Oh," Sam started; he was searching for what to say. "I honestly didn't know.." He wasn't sure what the right solution was. It would be dangerous for them to share a room, but there were two beds, so maybe it would fine? And what if the kiss was just a fluke? Yeah, maybe Liam was just curious and had to get it out of his system.

"I mean, would it bother you if we shared a room?" Sam questioned, his blue eyes staring right into Liam's green. His words were innocent enough, but he hoped the subtext of what he was asking would come through. "There are two beds so it should be fine, plus it's already paid for anyway," He finally said, and he meant it. Sam wasn't one to try anything, and besides, as glorious as their kiss was Liam did run away. Sleeping in separate beds shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Liam seemingly agreed though Sam thought he saw some hesitation when he responded. In a matter of minutes, they pulled up to the Hilton hotel that Olivia had booked. A crystal chandelier and the smell of lavender greeted them as they walked into the lobby to check-in. Liam handled the talking portion; it also helped that Olivia had sent him all of the confirmation stuff. "Your room is located on the eighth floor, please let us know if you need anything and enjoy your stay." The friendly desk lady said, handing Liam the room cards. Sam grabbed a small luggage cart and helped pile the bags in it before heading towards the elevator.

When the two finally got to their room, Sam audibly gasped "Oh wow! This is so nice." The bed closest to the door looked so inviting that he couldn't help but plop down on it as soon as he saw it. Liam murmured in agreement. "I have to freshen up, and then I'll be ready to get dinner. What about you?" He asked, brushing past Liam to grab his bag. The contact was unexpected, almost like a shock. Sam was trying to ignore how right it felt, good even, before locking himself in the bathroom. Closing his eyes, he slid against the door and just breathed.

 

[objection]

When they got there Liam went to the counter and talked with the receptionist about their room, confirming the numbers that Olivia had given him. When he got the room keys, he smiled and accepted them. He walked over to the elevator, to catch up with Sam, and they took it up to their room. They talked about how nice the hotel was on the way up, not too shocked in Olivia’s taste.


The room was rather nice as well, Liam watched as Sam jumped on the bed. Liam laughed slightly at this. He grabbed his bag and brought it over to his bed. “I’m pretty much ready, just need to make sure I don’t have car hair.” He said. When they brushed up against each other, Liam lost his breath for a second. That was the closest they had been so far. That alone sparked something inside Liam. He gulped slightly, and moved over to his bed, next to the mirror to check himself out, trying to forget that even happened. All that time separated and he still had the same feelings, the same desires that he had tried to suppress. What is wrong with him? He didn’t want to hurt Olivia, but he didn’t know what else to do at this point. He had more feelings for Sam then Olivia at this point, and that just felt so wrong to Liam.


After checking himself in the mirror and readjusting his hair, and making sure he smelled and looked good, he waited for Sam to get done, he sat on the end of his bed, and pulled out his phone, checking all of his notifications. He had one from Olivia saying, “Have fun! Sorry I couldn’t make it.” Yeah, Liam was also sorry she couldn’t make it. Now all these feelings were coming back to the surface. These feelings he was trying to hide. He was happy to spend time with Sam, but he knew he shouldn’t. They should just stay opposite of each other. But if he really felt that way, he would have ended things with Olivia by now. Then he really could have cut all ties. But he just couldn’t do that. He wanted to spend more time with Sam.


When Sam got out of the bathroom, Liam jumped off the bed, “Ready?” He said, as he walked to the door. “I found a nice restaurant.” Liam said as he grabbed the door for Sam. They walked to the elevator and out the door again. Back in the car once more to head to the restaurant. Listening to the GPS leading the way there.


It didn’t take long until they arrived there. It was a little Bar and Grill. Liam was trying to keep it as casual as possible, so he didn’t want to make it too nice of a place. “This place has really good reviews.” He said, stepping out of the car with Sam. They walked inside and seated themselves in a booth. When the waiter came over, Liam ordered a beer. Literally the first one he saw. He just needed something to take off the tension this whole event might hold. The waiter looked at Sam waiting for his order.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam meekly nodded when asked if he was ready — blushing still as once more Liam held the door for him. Sam wasn't worried about the restaurant; he trusted Liam enough to pick an affordable and decent place to eat. He took note of the quiet and calm atmosphere of the little bar and grill and was grateful. He hated trying to talk over a loud or nosy place. Once inside, the two quickly seated themselves at a booth.

His eyes had barely scanned the menu before hearing Liam order a beer. Oh my, he thought. If Sam could legally drink, he probably would. The waiter was now staring at him, eyes squinting as he waited for a drink order. "Dr. Pepper please" Sam blurted, biting his lip as he resumed his menu perusing. "Hmmn" He was murmuring out loud. There were so many options, anything from burgers to pizza and beyond. When his blue eyes found chicken strips, he couldn't help but chuckle. Might as well be safe than sorry right?? "I think I'm gonna have the chicken strips, what about you?" Just as he asked Liam, the waiter returned with their drinks. Sam furrowed his brow in concern when he saw Liam swipe the beverage and take a long sip.

Was he stressed? Annoyed that he had to be with Sam? The thought immediately started making him feel bad as they both ordered their entrees. After the waiter had gone, it was dead silent-whatever trust that had been built back up in the car was gone. Sam sighed, taking a sip of his lousy soda. This was indeed going to be a long night. Screw that. "Liam, I appreciate you going with me. Even if you were forced, it means a lot," His blue eyes sparkled honestly at Liam's before returning to gaze at the brown fizzy liquid below him.

Liam smiled, and Sam almost choked on his soda. He was beautiful, so much so that Sam's heart was beginning to race again. Sitting here was torture, pure torture. He needed to get over Liam; the sooner, the better. It was pointless to be in love with someone you could never have, especially someone who was dating your sibling. And yet, his eyes couldn't help but continue to gaze at the dark-haired man. He and Liam just seemed so right for each other, and that was probably the most upsetting part. If only he knew what Liam was thinking right now...

 

[objection]

Liam ordered a burger with fries to go with his beer. He took a sip of it, as Sam ordered his food. He set it down when Sam thanked him for coming, even if he was forced. Was he forced? He guessed that maybe a little bit. But at the end of the day he was having a great time and wanted to be there. He’d give anything at this point to spend more time with Sam. But he knew he needed to play it cool He couldn’t let on that he had any feelings for Sam. “It’s no problem at all. I’m really enjoying myself.” He admitted, before taking another sip of his drink.


By the time he finished half way through his beer, he was already starting to feel a lot better. Losing that feeling of anxiety. He looked over at Sam. He couldn’t help but notice how cute the guy was. He had the best features, and the most beautiful eyes. Liam bit his lip trying to let those thoughts away from his head. No matter what he did, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking like that, and how he desperately wanted to kiss him again. “You must be excited for tonight.” He said, even he was a little excited to see Beyonce in concert. “Thanks for coming with me, it would have been boring without you.” He said with a smile on his face before taking another sip of his drink. “I just hope I don’t bore you.” He admitted.

 

[broadwayboy223]

Sam was relieved to hear that Liam was at least having a decent time. That lifted a lot off of his shoulders. Curiously, he watched as Liam drank his beer, and then watched the man's gaze as it traveled to Sam. Was he staring? Unable to concentrate, Sam shifted and turned away from the all-consuming green eyes, he couldn't breathe when Liam looked at him like that. He knew it was stupid, but he wondered if Liam thought about the kiss they shared as much as Sam did.

Sam grinned, "I'm honestly really excited!" He scratched his head, blushing slightly as he admitted the following. "I've been a Beyonce fan since I was 11." He nodded at Liam but slightly frowning as he heard his next comment. "Oh, you don't bore me at all. Seriously, I'm glad we are here together." He was beaming, perhaps a bit too honest. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by the return of the waiter with food, a welcome distraction from his beating heart. The two carried on pretty well after that, becoming the loudest booth in the restaurant with their laughs. The food was pretty good for a reasonable price so Sam couldn't complain, and the company? Well, he loved that he was getting to spend time with him. The decision was easy when looking at Liam; Sam would enjoy their time together even if it meant getting hurt again when they went home; when he went back to Olivia.

Somehow dinner was over, and they had already paid for the food. "Are you ready?" Sam asked, standing and smiling at Liam

 

[objection]

Liam had finished his last bite of food before finishing off his drink. He knew he wasn’t bad off yet, he could still drive. He was a little tipsy and that was it. “Yeah.” He responded to Sam before getting out of his seat. He grabbed the door for the two of them before leaving back out into the night sky. They walked to the car together, and getting back inside. He started the car back up with ease, before looking over to Sam. “That was really good. Now to the concert.” He said with a smile before pulling out.


The drive there was nice and comfortable. They talked about different things, and mostly about Sam’s love for Beyonce. When they got there, Liam undid his seat belt and waited for Sam outside the car door. He enjoyed the expression upon Sam’s face about the excitement he was feeling for the concert. There were people traveling on foot to the concert near them. They stuck with them and headed to the concert


The concert itself was amazing. It was a lot of fun, even for Liam who didn’t care for Beyonce. He enjoyed how much fun Sam was having during it all. They would brush arms against one another, and it felt like an electrifying calling from his body. But ignored that urge. It was a pretty crazy concert, but ended up being a time he wouldn’t soon forget.


They went back to the car together, ready to head back to the hotel for the night. Adrenaline still rushing from the concert. “That was a lot of fun.” He said with a smile. Enjoying the look on Sam’s face. “Was it everything you thought it would be?” He asked before starting the car up, and pulling out of the parking lot.