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actionreactionYes they're back again. This is chugging along incredibly quickly, isn't it? Anyway, Pembroke, part 7. It has to get worse before it gets better.
Eckarts Aren't Afraid
Torrance left Wyatt alone. It wasn’t like that week the taller boy ignored him. This was worse.
The first time, Torrance just hadn’t been around. This time he was painfully there, speaking to a few other students, very pointedly leaving Wyatt alone. Just as he’d asked.
Wyatt would not admit he was starting to regret what he’d said.
Not when Torrance sat behind him in English. Or was on his team in basketball again. Or said nothing to him when they passed each other in the cafeteria. Wyatt kept telling himself it didn’t bother him.
That didn’t work quite as well the first time Wyatt saw Torrance talking to Kyle Francis, leaning far too close. In Wyatt’s opinion.
Wyatt’s opinion didn’t matter. He held his head high and brushed past Torrance, not noticing when those gold eyes watched him from their corners. No, all Wyatt noticed was Torrance’s arm resting against the locker above Kyle’s head and the casual tilt of his body. His hand tightened on his notebook. He swore it didn’t bother him. Why should it? He wasn’t gay.
It was getting harder and harder to believe that.
It was also getting harder and harder to feign normalcy around Larsen Reis and most especially Daphne. She was petulant and pouty, warily accepting Wyatt’s apology for his behavior. It was enough for now. She was mildly appeased.
After Daphne left, Reis pinned Wyatt with a dark look and said, “You’ve been acting strange for a while now. Not just this past weekend. Or week.”
Larsen hit the nail on the head. “You’ve been acting weird since Torrance Storm showed up.”
Wyatt choked on his soda.
Reis continued. “It was weird enough that you suddenly started… hanging out with him. Now you’re ignoring each other, like you had a big fight.”
Larsen paused a minute before adding. “And you’re practically pouting about it.”
The soda can crunched in his hand. Larsen and Reis exchanged glances. Maybe that was a step too far. “I am not pouting. I am not acting weird.” I am not gay. “Torrance Storm is a conceited self-assured bastard and I’ve merely decided he doesn’t deserve my time.” Yeah I believe that.
“Really?”
Wyatt froze. Larsen and Reis had identical expressions of deer caught in headlights. That voice belonged to neither of them.
In the amount of time it took for Wyatt to turn in his chair, the other two spouted mumbled excuses and left almost comically quickly. Wyatt swallowed, but said nothing.
“I don’t deserve your time?”
Wyatt stared up into eyes gone a cold, cold dark gold. “That’s… not what I meant.”
“That’s what you said. If that’s not what you meant why did you say it? What did you mean?” There was nothing in Torrance’s voice. It was devoid of cold, warmth, anything.
Wyatt’s palms started sweating. “I just meant-”
“If anyone’s the conceited bastard here, Eckart, you are. You can’t possibly change your sheltered constructed little world and entertain the possibility that there’s something about you that you didn’t know. That someone else does. That I figured out for you.” Torrance leaned forward as he spoke, hands on either side of Wyatt, looking down into hazel eyes.
“You presume too much, Storm,” Wyatt growled, unflinching.
“I presume just enough. You’re not fooling me; you’re not fooling yourself. Why don’t you just suck it up and deal with the fact that you’re interested in a guy?”
Because… because…. Wyatt darted eyes around the empty courtyard. Everyone had left. Gone home perhaps. Because… There was no because. Because I’m not was a flat out lie. The real because… no, that one he was not going to admit. Especially not to Torrance. Eckarts weren’t afraid of anything. “….I’m n-” Lie. Try again. “I don’t know.” Slightly less of a lie.
I don’t know was far better an answer than I’m not. Torrance straightened, standing up straight. “You’d better start thinking and figure yourself out, Eckart. I don’t know how long I’m going to wait around for you to make up your mind.” He turned to go.
Wyatt’s hand snaked out faster than he thought possible, catching Torrance around the wrist. “Wait.” The word fell from his lips just as hastily. “Don’t... don’t leave.”
“What?” Torrance sounded as though his patience were running thin. In a manner of speaking it was. Interested as he was in Wyatt, he was not going to wait around if the blonde couldn’t admit reciprocal interest. He turned back, looking down at Wyatt.
Wyatt bit his lower lip, the only outward sign of hesitation – Eckarts didn’t hesitate – before he stood swiftly and before he could lose his nerve – Eckarts weren’t afraid of anything – wrapped a hand around Torrance’s neck pulling him down for a kiss. It was slightly awkward, full of apprehension and surprise. And then Torrance was kissing him back, hand at Wyatt’s hip, a deep, forceful, confirming kiss.
It was certainly unlike any other Wyatt could remember. He certainly didn’t remember enjoying one so much either. The thought bothered him. He couldn’t help it. But right now he just didn’t care.
Eckarts Aren't Afraid
Torrance left Wyatt alone. It wasn’t like that week the taller boy ignored him. This was worse.
The first time, Torrance just hadn’t been around. This time he was painfully there, speaking to a few other students, very pointedly leaving Wyatt alone. Just as he’d asked.
Wyatt would not admit he was starting to regret what he’d said.
Not when Torrance sat behind him in English. Or was on his team in basketball again. Or said nothing to him when they passed each other in the cafeteria. Wyatt kept telling himself it didn’t bother him.
That didn’t work quite as well the first time Wyatt saw Torrance talking to Kyle Francis, leaning far too close. In Wyatt’s opinion.
Wyatt’s opinion didn’t matter. He held his head high and brushed past Torrance, not noticing when those gold eyes watched him from their corners. No, all Wyatt noticed was Torrance’s arm resting against the locker above Kyle’s head and the casual tilt of his body. His hand tightened on his notebook. He swore it didn’t bother him. Why should it? He wasn’t gay.
It was getting harder and harder to believe that.
It was also getting harder and harder to feign normalcy around Larsen Reis and most especially Daphne. She was petulant and pouty, warily accepting Wyatt’s apology for his behavior. It was enough for now. She was mildly appeased.
After Daphne left, Reis pinned Wyatt with a dark look and said, “You’ve been acting strange for a while now. Not just this past weekend. Or week.”
Larsen hit the nail on the head. “You’ve been acting weird since Torrance Storm showed up.”
Wyatt choked on his soda.
Reis continued. “It was weird enough that you suddenly started… hanging out with him. Now you’re ignoring each other, like you had a big fight.”
Larsen paused a minute before adding. “And you’re practically pouting about it.”
The soda can crunched in his hand. Larsen and Reis exchanged glances. Maybe that was a step too far. “I am not pouting. I am not acting weird.” I am not gay. “Torrance Storm is a conceited self-assured bastard and I’ve merely decided he doesn’t deserve my time.” Yeah I believe that.
“Really?”
Wyatt froze. Larsen and Reis had identical expressions of deer caught in headlights. That voice belonged to neither of them.
In the amount of time it took for Wyatt to turn in his chair, the other two spouted mumbled excuses and left almost comically quickly. Wyatt swallowed, but said nothing.
“I don’t deserve your time?”
Wyatt stared up into eyes gone a cold, cold dark gold. “That’s… not what I meant.”
“That’s what you said. If that’s not what you meant why did you say it? What did you mean?” There was nothing in Torrance’s voice. It was devoid of cold, warmth, anything.
Wyatt’s palms started sweating. “I just meant-”
“If anyone’s the conceited bastard here, Eckart, you are. You can’t possibly change your sheltered constructed little world and entertain the possibility that there’s something about you that you didn’t know. That someone else does. That I figured out for you.” Torrance leaned forward as he spoke, hands on either side of Wyatt, looking down into hazel eyes.
“You presume too much, Storm,” Wyatt growled, unflinching.
“I presume just enough. You’re not fooling me; you’re not fooling yourself. Why don’t you just suck it up and deal with the fact that you’re interested in a guy?”
Because… because…. Wyatt darted eyes around the empty courtyard. Everyone had left. Gone home perhaps. Because… There was no because. Because I’m not was a flat out lie. The real because… no, that one he was not going to admit. Especially not to Torrance. Eckarts weren’t afraid of anything. “….I’m n-” Lie. Try again. “I don’t know.” Slightly less of a lie.
I don’t know was far better an answer than I’m not. Torrance straightened, standing up straight. “You’d better start thinking and figure yourself out, Eckart. I don’t know how long I’m going to wait around for you to make up your mind.” He turned to go.
Wyatt’s hand snaked out faster than he thought possible, catching Torrance around the wrist. “Wait.” The word fell from his lips just as hastily. “Don’t... don’t leave.”
“What?” Torrance sounded as though his patience were running thin. In a manner of speaking it was. Interested as he was in Wyatt, he was not going to wait around if the blonde couldn’t admit reciprocal interest. He turned back, looking down at Wyatt.
Wyatt bit his lower lip, the only outward sign of hesitation – Eckarts didn’t hesitate – before he stood swiftly and before he could lose his nerve – Eckarts weren’t afraid of anything – wrapped a hand around Torrance’s neck pulling him down for a kiss. It was slightly awkward, full of apprehension and surprise. And then Torrance was kissing him back, hand at Wyatt’s hip, a deep, forceful, confirming kiss.
It was certainly unlike any other Wyatt could remember. He certainly didn’t remember enjoying one so much either. The thought bothered him. He couldn’t help it. But right now he just didn’t care.