Yep, insert disclaimer here. You all probably know the drill, so, if you're too young, leave, and if you're straight and offended by this, why are you in the gay male section?
A Heartbeat Relationship
Chapter II-This Time Imperfect
I probably should have known that day was going to be anything BUT normal. Meeting an outstandingly good looking guy that I automatically hit it off with wasn't necessarily my luck. No, my luck was what happened 20 minutes afterwards.
Now, I also should have known Hunter would show up at my practice. Most people would assume this was a good thing; after all, he was my best friend. But whenever I'm trying to concentrate and Hunter is around, my priorities get all smeared and he comes first.
Sputtering, I surfaced from the water, pulling my goggles up onto my now messy, sopping hair.
"Adams, what is up with you today? You swim a lap and start acting like Nemo or something," coach insulted.
I swallowed my pride. Sometimes I really hated being called out on every little thing, especially when Hunter was around.
"I've just got some stuff on my mind. Can I go get some water?"
He just shook his head and replied with a sighing "Yeah..."
Without looking at him, I pulled myself out of the warm water into the cool indoor air, my eyes meeting Hunter's sparkling eyes.
"I did it, dude, I finally did it!" he whispered excitedly.
"Did what?" I questioned skeptically, taking in his appearance.
As usual, his hair was spiked upward in a "faux-hawk" style, resembling a row of short blond needles. His eyes were alight with a fire I hadn't seen a while, which made his bluish-green eyes radiate brighter than usual. It didn't help that his enviable body was hugged nicely by a pair of blue jeans and his immoveable letterman jacket.
"Me and Kim, we hooked up," he answered ecstatically.
Immediately, my interest levels plunged. I really didn't want to hear another success story from him, or anyone else for that matter. I'd been in love with him since we were old enough to distinguish feelings. He was my best friend, and though we'd gone through changes, both physically and emotionally, he'd always been my rock. Always. Yet, lately, everything was about partying and girls. Sure, it had always been that way once we found a comfortable place in the high school hierarchy of popularity, but there had also been days when he would feel like just sitting at my house or his own.
"Shocker there," I said, my voice almost inaudible.
"What's wrong with you lately? You act like you don't care about anything anymore," he said softly.
It was hard to get or stay angry with the guy. At least for me it was, as I knew many a person who despised Hunter.
"Nothing," I answered too quickly.
"You really trying to pull that one on me?" came the inevitable question from his perfect lips.
I looked away from him, trying not to make eye contact for fear of everything spilling. His eyes had a way of coaxing anyone into anything.
"It's the partying, right?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Sighing, I nodded.
"You act like it's the only thing that matters. I know it's senior year, but damn dude; chill out some. In the past week, you've hooked up with like 10 different girls."
"Four, Gabe. What's that have anything to do with us?"
The words echoed a few times before they began to process. Us. I was pretty sure that's what he'd said. My mind grasped at the millions of possibilities before finally grabbing a logical one.
"Cuz we never chill anymore, man. It's either party here or party there, and when it's not that, it's some bitch or another," was the response it had grabbed.
He gave me a weird, befuddled look, almost like he was trying to read me.
"What?" I asked.
"You're acting like a girl," he finally replied.
That did it.
"What?!" came my half-screamed reply.
"You want me to spend more time with you and blah-blah. Don't go all pussy on me, dude," he half-begged.
I almost punched him. Really, almost. I had felt my fingers roll into a mighty fist and could almost picture my knuckles paling.
"Whatever Hunter. Is that all you came up here to tell me?" I asked impatiently.
"I came to ask you if you wanted to go to my parents lake house this weekend. Their anniversary is this weekend and they want me out of the house, so I figured we could go up there."
It was times like those that made me wonder if Hunter even listened to half the things I said, or even a fourth of what he himself said.
"You goin' all pussy on me?" I asked, a grin spreading across my face.
The predictable play-punch came at my shoulder, which I blocked easily before returning my attention to him.
"Sure man. But no girls, no one else. I don't think I can handle being around even more people to--"
Before I could finish my sentence, coach was yelling my last name.
"Get your ass over here, you ain't exempt!" he bellowed.
I knew he was just kidding, but something made me want to throw a hard item at him. Probably because he'd interrupted my conversation with my life. Yeah, that was it.
"Call me about it," I ordered Hunter as I began to walk off.
"Sure thing dude," he hollered back.
"Later!"
I heard the same salutation from him as he departed. I never knew that his eyes had longingly watched me walk away.
As I reentered the water, thoughts of the upcoming weekend floated through my head almost like I was doing in the water. I couldn't really process everything that had just happened with Hunter. I was always like that after coming into contact with him. It would take me several minutes, sometimes hours, to analyze everything that had happened and piece things together.
"Boyfriend?" asked a familiar voice.
My head snapped in the direction of the mockery of an assumption.
"Hah! Hunter?" I asked Brad, the asker of such a ridiculous question. "Hunter's my best friend."
"Oh," he laughed nervously, "Sorry `bout that. I, uh...didn't know."
"Eh, don't worry about it. If you'd said that to someone else, your ass would be grass by now," I joked.
"You two listening?" Coach interrupted, yet again.
I shot him a glare. "Yeah."
"Good. Now, we're swimming against..." his voice slowly faded out.
I couldn't stay focused on him any longer as I imagined my weekend with Hunter, as it had seemed like such a long time since we'd been alone for an extended period of time.
"You look totally love-struck, dude," came Brad's voice, yet again.
This time, I was a little frustrated at his outburst and interruption of my private thoughts.
"Hah, yeah right. I haven't dated in a while," I said bitterly.
"Maybe the new guy can give you some pointers," he joked, squeeze/shooting water at me through his palms.
I rolled my eyes. "And what would you know about dating here?"
"Here? Is it different here or something?" he asked.
"Only a lot," I replied solemnly, now trying to pay attention to the coach.
I was beginning to get uneasy. I didn't know Brad very well and he seemed to see right through any bull-shit I threw at him. When lies and excuses didn't work for me, I definitely tried all I could to escape.
"Well, what girl do you have your eye on?" he questioned persistently.
"No one. Dating is gay, I just like hook-ups," I covered.
"Ah...I see. You get hurt in a relationship or something?"
I almost blanched. What would lead him to that conclusion? Did I lead on like some broken-hearted, sentimental fool? I certainly hoped not.
"Pft, yeah right. Nah, it's just not my thing. Girls are too clingy."
"So you prefer guys?" he asked without a smirk visible on his defined face.
The question hit me like a silver 6 inch bullet. So you prefer guys? Reeling, my mind grasped several times for a response that just wouldn't come.
"Yeah," I finally said.
He smirked and finally the realization of what I'd said sunk in. What. The. Fuck. Instantly, my autopilot went on and I turned into frat form. I smirked cockily, grabbed his jammers, and pulled them down in a swift, underwater motion.
Several people around me gasped, he laughed hysterically as the blood rushed to his face, and my eyes shot instantly to the more than ample semi-rock attached to his pelvis that bobbed happily in the water.
"Gabriel what the hell are you doing?" Coach demanded, outraged.
I muffled a laugh, "Just fooling around."
I sobered up quickly, the panic still rushing through my veins.
"Won't happen again," I offered as my apology.
Brad made no attempt to pull his jammers up.
"Pull your shorts up, for God's sake son," Coach insisted, shaking his head.
Brad chuckled, pulling his jammers up and looking at me.
"Nice stunt," he prodded.
"Told you, I'm interested in guys," I bantered.
But for a second, our eyes locked, and somehow I knew that he'd figured me out. He knew everything; my hidden desires, my immense longing for Hunter, and my intense and burning attraction towards him.
"Yeah, I bet," he replied slowly as he turned around to at least try listening to coach. Both of us knew he didn't hear a word that was said.