This is my crap little story developed from the exercise (not the Read My Mind one:lol:) in da group (so cool, I don't even have to use 'the':awesome:). Yes, it's short, and bad and just typed into the text box thingy as I thought of it. Just before I went to bed, so you can tell it's gonna suck more than usual!:P

 

we shall call him squishy and he shall be my squishy!

 

 

It's time. Everything's in place. Jonny and Will are here; Guy's on his way.

We will reunite.

It's our destiny.

We're all sitting on the small - which Will likes to call cosy, though we all know it is nowhere near cosy - and uncomfortable couch, and an awkward silence is in the air. We're just sitting down idly until Guy comes knocking at the door with a hooker on his arm. We slammed the door on her.

Anyway, Jonny, Will and I stand up to join Guy, and, once there, we form a tight little circle.

We click our rings together, and shout simultaneously, "Tickle, Forgetful, Lazy, Jelly; Mr. Men powers. Now we are ready!"

The four of us spin around like lunatics until we've transformed.

"Uh...guys?"

We look at Guy, who - instead of being Mr. Forgetful - is a tangled ball of mess.

We all laugh.

"Let's not tell anyone about this."

 

 

 

 

 

That was just a random title, by the way:P From Finding Nemo:awesome:

 

 

Conduisez-vous?

 

 

 

"It's time," Jonny said, throwing some sort of sharp, pointy object to Chris, "for you to learn." Chris was caught off guard, though, and the object smacked him violently in the face.

 

"Ow!"

 

"Sorry, man," Jonny apologized as he walked over to Chris and picked the object off the ground. This time he simply handed it to Chris, who stopped rubbing his injured cheek to grab it.

 

Chris hesitantly groaned. "Do I have to?" Jonny nodded. "Do I really have to?" Jonny nodded again. "Are you completely sure that it's absolutely necessary-"

 

"Chris, you're freaking learning this and that's final!" Jonny barked. Chris blinked a few times, then gave in.

 

"Fine," he muttered.

 

A few minutes later they were both outside, Chris still trying to snake his way out.

 

"Oh, look, these aren't working," he sang as he tried to jam the keys into the car door. "I guess we'll have to call it quits." Jonny narrowed his eyes and walked around the side of the car. He grabbed the keys out of Chris's hand and hit the button to electronically unlock the car.

 

Jonny opened the door and said, "There," then gave the keys back to Chris and walked back to the passenger side. Chris sighed and reluctantly sat in the car.

 

"Now, the first thing you want to do is put the key in the ignition," Jonny began.

 

"Jonathan, I'm not a complete idiot," Chris sneered. "I know how to start a car."

 

"Really? Because you couldn't even get it unlocked." Chris shot a dirty look at Jonny, then set about putting the key in the ignition. He had a bit of trouble finding it, though, and did not appreciate it when Jonny grabbed the keys from him again and started the car himself.

 

"You know what, Jon, why don't you just drive the car for me?!" Chris exclaimed, then took a short pause. "Actually, that's not a bad idea." Chris tried to open the car door and escape, but a hand on his thigh stopped him. That and the weird feeling in his stomach when he felt the touch.

 

"You're not going anywhere," Jonny firmly said, and Chris slowly turned to him. They just stared at each other for a few moments. Jonny's hand was still on Chris's leg. Chris quickly leaned forward, but Jonny pulled back before any sort of contact could be made. "Chris, what are you doing??"

 

Chris pulled back, too, and he could feel his cheeks getting hot. His eyes were wide with embarrassment and disbelief. He was so sure that that was where all this was leading too, not just Jonny leaving his hand on Chris's leg for a bit longer than perhaps he should have, but just their friendship in general. Apparently, he was wrong.

 

He gripped the steering wheel as tightly as he could. For a moment, and for the first time in his life, he wished he could drive so that he could just kick Jonny out of the car and speed off by himself. "Uh, let's not tell anyone about this."

 

 

 

Okay............so it isn't better than the others.:P

 

Monday

 

 

 

"It's time," Will said, staring at the clock on the wall.

"You can't be serious," Chris said, staring at him with big blue eyes.

"We already discussed it," Jonny said, scooting his cap back onto his head.

"I told you I don't want to do it," Chris said.

"But we always do it on Monday morning," Guy said, "Just shut up and go with it."

Chris looked around at the other three.

"I'm not going to be a part of this," he said.

Will sat down and flipped the computer screen open.

Jonny took out his paper and pen.

"Okay," Will said, reading the screen.

"That's one for Chris and Jonny."

Jonny made a mark.

"Ooohh and two for Guy and.....a variety of people."

Jonny made two marks.

"Really?" Guy asked, looking over Will's shoulder at the screen.

"And.....two for me!!!!!!!!" Will said, in shock.

"WHAT???" Chris asked, suddenly interested, "How can you have more fanfiction stories than me and Jon? We always have the most. No one writes about you!"

He was shrieking.

Will shrugged.

"I guess we will have to flirt more," Jonny said, with a slight wink, "The fangirls are getting bored with us."

Chris looked at Jonny.

He grabbed him by the ears and kissed him really hard.

Will fell out of his chair.

Guy slapped both hands over his eyes.

"Ah Chris," Jonny said, looking a bit pale, "There are no fangirls around here now."

Chris blushed and realized what he had done.

"Oh yeah," he said, "My mistake."

Guy and Will looked at each other.

"Let's just forget it," Will said.

 

 

My response to Anna's challenge.;)

 

How I Feel

 

 

 

"It's tiiiiiime!" screeched Chris in a shrill voice, to no one in particular. He had been waiting for this day for nearly a month.

 

"Time for what?" asked Guy, sticking his head in the door.

 

"Woah Guy, don't sneak up on me like that! I could've been naked for all you know!" Chris shrieked, laughing.

 

Guy just gave him a bored look. "Yeah, sure you will be." They were all used to Chris's typical early morning hyperactivity. Although today, Guy thought Chris seemed extra hyped up.

 

"What is with you today? Have you had....chocolate?" He shuddered at the word. Chris plus chocolate did not go well together. He walked into Chris's room, looking in the garbage for wrappers.

 

"No, not yeeeeeet," he sung. "But hopefully I will get some!"

 

"Nobody is going to give you any chocolate Chris. I will make sure of that myself. You clearly don't need it."

 

Chris pretended to pout. "Not even on.....Valentine's Day? Surely Dr. Love hasn't forgotten that today is Valentine's Day?"

 

"Dr. L-no, I'm not even going to ask. But what's so special about Valentine's Day? It's not like you have anyone to celebrate with." He crossed his arms and smiled smugly.

 

"Maybe not yet, but in a little while I may have someone after all! Just wait and see!"

 

Guy just shook his head and left the room. Chris was clearly off of his rocker.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

Chris was pacing back and forth in the front hall.

 

"Chris, stop that. You'll wear a hole in the floor."

 

"I can't help it Will, I'm nervous!"

 

"About what?" he asked grouchily.

 

"About my package! I am supposed to be getting a package in the mail today! What if it doesn't come? What if it never comes!!??"

 

"I'm sure it will come. Stop being so paranoid. Who is the sender?"

 

"Jonny!" giggled Chris excitedly.

 

"But isn't he coming back from his vacation next week? Why does he need to send you something now?"

 

"Well....he might stay an extra couple of days," replied Chris, shrugging.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

An hour later Chris finally heard a knock on the door and ran to answer it. He saw the brown package and squealed with delight. He quickly singed for it and was already opening it before the delivery man had made it down the driveway.

 

After mutilating the packaging, he peered inside the box. His heart leaped. Inside was a box of chocolates and a letter. He didn't even need to read the letter to know what it would say. The chocolates told him everything he need to know. But he read it anyways, just to be sure.

 

Chris,

 

Thank you for sending me that letter. I needed to hear that. I never would have had the courage to tell you how I felt. I admire you for that.

 

As you probably already figured out from the chocolates I sent you, I do feel the same way as you, and accept your proposition. I mean, of course I would. The only reason I came to this damn island in the first place was because I couldn't bear to look at you and not have to courage to say how I felt.

 

Please come in two days. We can spend a whole week together, before we have to return to London to start recording again and all of that. But don't think of that now. Just think of you and me, together at last.

 

With all the love in the world(it feels so good to finally say that),

Jonny

 

P.S.-I agree, let's not tell anyone about this.

 

 

Dream News

 

 

So, this is the result of a small thing on Twitter between myself, Brooke and Marisa :P It just came out. It's not very good, and I might have to explain myself a bit more, but anyway, here it is! :escaping:

 

 

 

”You guys…” Chris sighed and threw himself down on the sofa in the Beehive. “I can’t do this anymore. I mean, look at my hands!” He held up his crooked hands, slender fingers bent in two claws. “I thought being ambidextrous would be helpful.”

 

“Ew, put them away.” Guy shivered.

 

“I can’t write anymore songs.” Chris pouted.

 

Will nodded. “He’s probably right. This is getting out of… hand.” He snorted. “Sorry, Chris, poor choice of words.” Chris tried to pick up a pillow to throw at Will, but soon realized he couldn't and tiredly sighed.

 

“So what should we do?” Jonny asked. “We can’t let the fans down. Have you seen the fangirls on the forum? They’re really enjoying the daily songs. I’m kind of afraid of them…” He glanced towards the window.

 

“I knew that business with the fans wishing for news on the site would come back and bite us in the ass.” Will grumbled.

 

“Ok, hear me out.” Guy stood up and started to pace in front of the couch. “What if we give them something else to focus on? Something really juicy.”

 

The other members shrugged. “That could work.” Chris said, miserably looking down on his hand. “I’ll pretty much do anything.”

 

Guy smiled slyly. “Good.” Chris really didn’t like the evil gleam in his eyes.

 

-*-

 

Jonny stood in front of the large mirror, adjusting his tie. There was a knock on the door and Chris poked his head in.

 

“Hey.” He greeted.

 

“Hi.” Jonny answered softly.

 

“So… You look great!” Chris said with an awkward smile.

 

Jonny blushed. “Thank you. So do you.”

 

“I brought you this. You don’t have to wear it, it’s corny, I know… But I just thought…”

Chris held out a small corsage with light blue flowers. Jonny looked from the flowers to Chris.

“Oh, you don’t like it. I’m sorry, I just... I don’t know. I thought you’d like it. Don’t worry you don’t have to we-“

 

“Chris?” Jonny interrupted Chris. “Shut up.”

 

“Sor-“ He didn’t get any further due to Jonny fastening his lips to Chris’ and pushing him up against the wall.

 

They broke apart with a sigh.

 

“Just so you know, I’m keeping my last name.” Jonny said, eyes twinkling.

 

Chris laughed and kissed Jonny again.

 

 

 

This came out of the empty news update on Coldplay.com and me suggesting that it could be some sort of "wish-news". We get to decide what will happen :P Daily new songs and a Bucking marriage was up on the list and made it into this "story". ;)

 

Don't You Shiver

Chapter 6

 

 

 

Will walked slowly back to the stage. He didn't expect anyone to still be there, but Chris and Jonny were sitting towards the front, whispering to each other. Will cleared his throat and they looked up.

 

"Chris, Guy told me everything. I think he is being ridiculous. I'm going to go find him and smack some sense into him."

 

Chris jumped up with lightning speed, his eyes burning with determination. "No! I mean, let me go find him please. I am shocked that he finally found the courage to tell even you. And now I need to speak to him." He spoke this last words with an air of finality.

 

"Of course," Will replied. Chris started to jog, but quickly burst into a near sprint. He would not let Guy get away this time. He would speak with him before he could retreat back into his shell again. Chris knew he didn't have much time. Soon Guy's courage would be worn down by his paranoia. His thoughts were interrupted when he collided with someone.

 

"Jesus Christ what are you doing man?"

 

Chris realized who that someone was. "Guy!" he practically shouted.

 

"Chris?" His anger subsided completely when he realized who he was speaking to. Instead it was replaced by horrible feelings of apprehension and guilt combined. The feelings he always carried inside whenever Chris was near. But now they were closer to the surface than ever before.

 

"Will told me you had gone off somewhere, so I went running to look for you. I really need to talk to you."

 

"There is nothing to say." Guy's face was completely expressionless. It was either that or have another breakdown.

 

"Guy, there is everything to say. I cannot bear any longer this pain. The pain of avoiding you and pretending like nothing is wrong. And most of all, I am tired of dropping nothing but achingly subtle hints as to my feelings on this. I am tired of playing defense."

 

"So what do you want to say then?"

 

"I want to tell you....that I think you made good progress today, telling Will about us. And before you lose all that courage you found, I want to tell you one final time that we can make it through it all together. Any criticism we receive, we can easily combat. Because we will have each other to lean on."

 

He moved closer to Guy, causing the thin man to press himself against the side of the narrow hallway. Guy thought he might still be speaking, but all he could focus on was that beautifully sculpted face just inches away from his own. He had a sudden strong, almost urgent desire to press that face up against his own. He felt his breathing quicken. His hands were clammy and sweat was beginning to form around the ape of his neck.

 

He wanted to....so badly. Just to feel how his body felt one more time. And he might have given in too, if one of the stage crew hadn't at that moment appeared in the hallway, lugging some sort of equipment. Guy quickly shoved Chris away from him. The man gave them an odd look, but kept walking.

 

"Do you see why?" Guy whispered in frustration. "That look he gave us -"

 

"Was just a look. And despite popular belief, looks cannot kill a person. Unless you are Will. But you told him about us, and he was fine with it wasn't he?"

 

"There is an immeasurable distance between a friend and a million or so fans."

 

"You're right, there is. Your friends matter and the fans don't. It doesn't matter what they think about us. Are you really going to deny yourself true happiness just for the ignorant opinions of people you haven't even met?"

 

"I'm sorry Chris," Guy whispered sorrowfully, "but it matters."

 

Chris watched in agony as Guy pushed away from him and continued to walk on. But unbeknownst to him, Guy was in just as much agony.

 

He did not know what to do. He was prisoner to his own fear. The only thing he believed he could to was not to resist it. If he tried to fight back, the consequences would be worse than anything he felt now. Or so he thought.

 

He hurried quickly to the hotel they were staying at. He needed a calm place to think.

 

 

I have been writing a LOT lately.:uhoh:

 

The iPod

 

 

 

When Chris got his first iPod, all he did for weeks was dance around listening to it. Well, after he finally figured out how to fill it with songs. That took a while. But once he finally learned, he took that iPod everywhere.

 

He listened to it during car rides, out shopping, at restaurants, and even at Will's birthday party. Will was not pleased about that. I think it's a fair bet to say that Chris will never do that again.

 

One day, I got really curious as to what was on that contraption that could possibly be so addictive. So I casually asked him if I could look through it.

 

But he abruptly turned defensive. He completely stopped dancing and gave me a good, hard stare. It was difficult for me to keep from laughing. If you've ever seen Chris try to be serious, you'd know what I mean.

 

He told me, in the most somber tone he could manage, that it was his iPod and that nobody could touch it but him. He actually wagged his finger at me as he said this. I had to turn my face to keep from going into hysterics.

 

Chris was not pleased with my weak attempts of hiding my laughter. He frowned and put his hands on his hips. "I mean it! Jonny-boy, if you touch this iPod I will be forced to use...well, force." I just snickered. Chris made some sort of huffing noise. And then he begun to cradle his iPod in his arms, like it was an infant or something! I had to tell him that he was crazy. And then-I am not joking- he actually kicked me. Right in the shin. I tell you, that man is as crazy as I told him he was, and maybe even more so.

 

A couple of weeks later though, I saw him showing it off to Guy. Guy did not seem impressed, by the way. Which is understandable. Someone that lives and breathes music from bands like Pink Floyd is likely not going to be impressed by Beyonce's latest hit single.

 

Back to the point. I was now insanely curious. Chris had told me that nobody was allowed to touch it. I realized that must have been a lie. He just didn't want me to see it.

 

I have to admit I was upset that he would show it to Guy but not me. I felt a little bit like a reject. Truthfully, I remained heavy hearted about the whole incident for weeks afterwards. I know that probably seems like an overreaction. So what if he wouldn't let me see the songs on his iPod? But it hurt me. I had always thought we were best friends. I wondered what had changed.

 

After a few weeks of feeling like a loser, I saw the iPod sitting on a table one evening. Chris wasn't around. I couldn't help myself. Curiosity got the best of me. I had to know what Guy could see, but I couldn't.

 

I quickly snatched it up from the table and turned it on. It was under the playlists section. I scrolled through them, but none of them seemed to be special in any way. But one of them caught my eye. I stopped scrolling and stared at it. A playlist called "Jonny".

 

Now I was really curious. Why would he name a playlist after me? I clicked on it, and upon looking through the songs, I was shocked by what I saw. And heard. I had to listen to a few of them to believe it. They were all love songs. I quickly put the iPod in my pocket.

 

That night I listened to every single song on the playlist. The one called "Jonny". The one he made with my name. The one that expressed all his feelings for me. I fell asleep with a smile.

 

The next day, Chris was freaking out. He frantically asked me if I had seen his iPod. I had forgotten that I still had it. Of course Chris was freaking out, he loves that iPod like his own son. I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him.

 

He looked shocked rather than angry. I expected him to be angry. Encouraged, I told him that I had been curious and spent last night looking through it. I told him that I had seen his playlist for me.

 

His face turned so red right then. He looked completely stricken too, and wobbled like he was going to pass out. I realized how much it meant to him that his feelings were kept secret. But luckily, he didn't have to worry.

 

I pulled out my own iPod and showed him one of my own playlists. It was called "Chris".

 

 

C&J in the same bed, ooh!

Day 1/Night 1/Morning 2

 

 

Ten o'clock in the morning, the four-door car rolled into the driveway of the small manor house. The engine quieted, and the driver's door immediately opened. A long leg stretched its way onto the gravel below, another leg soon to follow. The man stood up, carefully removing the sunglasses that protected his eyes. He folded the stems and slipped the glasses over his collar.

 

Then the passenger side door opened, and another man revealed himself. He was not nearly as tall as the first man, clocking in at about 5'10" as opposed to 6'0". He wore the same style sunglasses, though, which he decided to leave on. He turned around as he shut his door and peered into the back window. There were yet another two men still in the car, but both were sound asleep, with one man's head resting on the other's shoulder.

 

"Aw, look at them, they're napping. How cute," the second man said. Then he looked over the top of the car at the first man. "Honk the horn and wake them up."

 

The first man laughed and momentarily held onto the door. He looked at the two sleeping men, then slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. The roaring blare jolted one of the men to consciousness, and he fuzzily looked around. He twitched his shoulder to wake up the other man, who opened his eyes much more peacefully.

 

"Jonny, we're here," one of the men said to the other. The first two men were already walking towards the house. The man called Jonny sat up, straightened his dark green cap, and unbuckled himself. As he and the other man climbed out of the car, the front door of the manor house opened.

 

"Will, you're finally here!" an older woman exclaimed, striding towards the first two men. She stopped first at the taller of the two, kissed him on the cheek and wrapped her arms around him. When she pulled back, she placed her hand on his left cheek and stared at him. "I can't believe you're so grown up."

 

"Mum, I'm only twenty," Will replied, laughing. His mother smiled at him and released him of her hold. Then she turned to the shorter man, and smiled at him, too.

 

"It's nice to see you, Guy," she nodded first at the shorter man, then to the other two men who were standing behind him, "Chris, Jonny."

 

"It's nice to see you, too, Mrs. Champion," Jonny politely replied.

 

Chris beamed at her and said, "Thank you for letting us stay in your beautiful home."

 

"Oh, it's nothing," she waved Chris's gratitude away. "Melissa is very fond of all of you, so she's extraordinarily pleased that you could all make it."

 

"Of course, graduating is a big thing," Guy said. "We wouldn't want to miss something this important."

 

"Well, I'm glad." She turned to Will and reached her arm around him, placing her hand on his shoulder blade. "Come on inside, now, I've prepared some tea for you guys. We'll worry about luggage later."

 

She guided Will into the house, with Chris, Jonny, and Guy following closely behind. Guy had been to the house before, but Chris and Jonny had not. Chris was utterly stunned by the sheer brilliance of the carpentry inside, all of the carved doorways, smooth ceilings, and hardwood floors. It was much nicer than he could have imagined, which was saying a lot. Jonny found the interior decorating to be something noteworthy; most of the rooms were painted and draped in various shades of blue, giving the house a distinct relaxing quality.

 

The kitchen was small, but one doorway through it let to a much larger dining room. There was a long, elegant table in the middle, clothed in navy blue with a marvelous floral centerpiece. The light fixture that hung in the center looked a bit older, but it was still flattering. The four men took their seats at the table while Mrs. Champion fetched a pot of tea.

 

"There you are, dears," she crooned as she finished pouring the last cup of tea. The men all thanked her, then she left them to converse amongst themselves. Jonny sipped at his drink, eyes locked firmly on Chris. Chris swirled his cup around, amused by the ripples it created in the liquid. Guy ran his finger around the edge of his cup, thinking about the purpose of them visiting Will's family. Will downed most of his tea in the first swallow, and it only took him another half-gulp to finish it off.

 

"I'm gonna go bring in the suitcases and stuff," he mumbled as he carried his cup out of the room. The other three paid hardly any attention to his departure, and carried on with their absentminded ways.

 

"Do you guys think Will would hate me if I tried to hit on Melissa?" Guy finally spoke. Chris looked up at him, questioning, and also slightly disgusted.

 

"Really? We're not here ten minutes and already you're thinking about sex?"

 

Guy sat up in a bit of anger, and held his hands out in front of him. "Whoa, whoa. I never said I wanted to have sex with her. Although..."

 

"Guy," Jonny interrupted. Guy shot a look to Jonny, and though he knew what Jonny was going to say, he listened anyway. "Will wouldn't like it."

 

"See? And Jonny knows what he's talking about," Chris said, speaking almost entirely with his hands. In fact, there were several times where his exaggerated movements nearly caused him to knock over his cup. Chris moved his cup off to the side in order to prevent it from being spilled, and Jonny smiled to himself.

 

"Thanks, Jon," Guy said. He stared off across the room. "Still, I wonder what she'd be like in be-"

 

"Guy!" Chris shouted. "Stop it."

 

"Oh, Chris, just 'cause you're not gonna get any doesn't mean the rest of us have to hold off," Guy replied, rolling his eyes.

 

"You know what?" Chris stood up and began to walk around the table to the exit. "I'm gonna go help Will."

 

Once Chris was out of sight, Guy turned to Jonny. "Can you believe him?" Guy slowly shook his head in disbelief.

 

"Yeah, actually, I can," Jonny replied with a laugh. "And I think we should probably help them, too."

 

Guy reluctantly agreed, and the two men shifted their presence to the side of the car, where Will was removing large suitcases and traveling bags from the trunk and handing them to Chris. Chris was having a bit of difficulty lifting all of them, as his strength was not nearly as great as Will's, so Jonny offered to give him a hand.

 

"Thanks, Jay," Chris said as Jonny grabbed a bulky bag from Chris. It was even close to being too heavy for Jonny to carry, but he managed.

 

"No problem," Jonny muttered in return, and began to heave the bag up towards the house. He left it on the porch, where a few other pieces of luggage were, and turned to find Chris right behind him. They almost bumped into each other, but Chris swiftly dodged to the left before collision. Jonny continued walking back to the car as Chris dropped off the suitcase he'd been carrying, and before Jonny even made it halfway, Chris sprinted past him. The entire time, Guy was just leaning against the side of the car, looking dreadfully bored. Or dreadfully boring.

 

"Are you gonna help or what?" Will sneered at Guy as he handed off another suitcase to Chris. Guy tilted his head to Will, blinked a few times, then turned back. "I take that as a 'no'." Guy sighed and decided to take up an interest in his fingernails.

 

Annoyed by Guy's blatant disrespect, Chris blurted, "Guy wants to sleep with Melissa." Guy broke his concentration to stab Chris with an angry stare. Chris smiled at him, then ran off to the porch. Jonny patiently waited for Will to continue unpacking the trunk, and he laughed to himself.

 

Will gaped at Guy for a few moments, then decided it wasn't worth his time. He gave Jonny the last bag that was in the trunk, then slammed it down with a bit too much force. When they walked back to the house, a young girl was picking up the other suitcases and such, and dragging them inside.

 

"Melissa, put that down," Will ordered. "Chris can't even pick those up, you think you can?"

 

"I'm a lot stronger than he is!" she laughed. "It's been a while since you saw me last, dear Willy, I've got some muscle on me now." She reached for the handle of the nearest suitcase, but stopped before she touched it. "On second thought, why should I do this work if you don't think I'm fit to do it? These are your guys' anyway." She returned inside, her long, wavy hair swinging over her shoulders as she turned. Will caught Guy staring for a little too long, and so he smacked Guy's arm as hard as he could.

 

"Hey!" Guy shouted, rubbing his sore arm. Will ignored him and stormed up the stairs, grabbing as many bags as he could on his way inside. Chris and Jonny eagerly followed him, and Guy grunted as he trudged along.

 

"Oh, my, you boys did all that work already?" Mrs. Champion asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

 

"It wasn't so bad," Will shrugged. "So, where are all these going?"

 

"Oh, well, we've only got the two spare rooms, so I'm afraid you four will have to split and share," she replied.

 

Chris nudged Jonny and said, "Jay?"

 

"Sure," Jonny answered.

 

"OK, me and Jonny will share," Chris announced. Mrs. Champion looked a bit surprised in the quickness of their decision, but she was also pleased by it.

 

"Well, that works, then!" She clapped her hands together joyously. "So, Will, just bring those to the rooms upstairs. I think you know where they are," she added with a small wink.

 

-

 

"Jonathan," Chris sang, quite literally, "Buckland!" Chris hopped, also quite literally, onto the bed next to Jonny. "With a Mark in between."

 

Jonny blankly stared at Chris for a minute, then laughed. "Turn off the light, crazy."

 

Chris heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Ugh, I'm trying to serenade you, and all you do is bark orders at me?" He sighed again, then swung his arm over to the lamp and clicked it off. "There, is that better, master?"

 

"Yes." Jonny felt Chris slide under the covers, then silence filled the room. But there was this air that kept pushing itself onto Jonny, and it wasn't sitting too well with him. "Chris, could you not lay so close to me?"

 

"Why?" Chris innocently asked.

 

"Because I can feel you breathing on me."

 

"Oh. Sorry!" Chris moved over, and the air stopped hitting Jonny. He felt kinda bad about making Chris move, but he didn't give it another thought, just closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Suddenly, a humming came from the other side of the bed, similar to Chris's earlier serenade, and Jonny let the melody soar through him and fly him to dream land.

 

When he woke up the next morning, Chris was still sleeping peacefully beside him. He thought so, anyway. But as he lifted the covers off and sat up, a voice gently said, "Good morning, Jay."

 

Jonny turned to look at Chris, whose eyes were still closed, smiled to himself, and said, "Good morning, Chris."

 

"I thought you'd never wake up," Chris said with a smile as he lifted his eyelids. "I've been waiting for hours. Then again, I guess I wake up early." Jonny looked around in search of a clock, but he couldn't find one.

 

"What time is it?" he asked.

 

"Meh, who cares? Time is an illusion." Chris buried his head in his pillow and mumbled, "I'm still tired, Jonny."

 

"Why don't you go back to sleep?"

 

"No, I can't," Chris whined. "Once I wake up, that's it. And I woke up, like, five hours ago."

 

Jonny narrowed his eyes a bit. "How do you know it was five hours?"

 

"Well, I don't really, that's why I said, 'like.'" Jonny found himself laughing, though Chris sounded painfully exhausted. "Mm. Jonny, wake me up."

 

"How am I gonna do that?" Jonny skeptically asked.

 

"I don't know! You're my best friend, you should know what to do to cheer me up and stuff like that," Chris said.

 

"Chocolate?" Jonny said with the beginnings of laughter. Chris sat straight up and glared at Jonny.

 

"I like the way you think," he grinned, and Jonny laughed along with him. "Thank you, Jonny. Maybe tonight, I'll sleep better."

 

"Good, because tired," Jonny shook his head, "not a good look for you." Chris scrunched up his nose and folded his arms across his chest.

 

"I'm sorry I can't always be the gorgeous ray of sunshine that blesses you with its warmth and attractiveness until you melt into a pile of envious goo," he facetiously ridiculed. Jonny just laughed at him and began to walk out of the room, all the while being watched by a smilling Chris.

 

As Jonny walked past the room Will and Guy shared, he could hear voices trying to speak loudly over each other. He didn't break from his path to the bathroom, though.

 

"No, Guy, I'm pretty sure that I didn't."

 

"Oh yeah? Then how come I was shivering half the night?"

 

"I don't know, you're built like a freakin' twig! Don't you get cold easily or something?"

 

"Well... yeah. But that doesn't change the fact that- hey! Get back here!" The voices were growing fainter, and the thundering of footsteps told Jonny that Will must have been storming downstairs.

 

"I'm not gonna stand there and..." Will's voice faded completely, leaving nothing but total silence. Then came a humming slipping under the door. Jonny finished washing his hands and checked his reflection. The humming grew louder and louder, and Jonny thought it sounded quite nice. Unsurprisingly, when he opened the door, Chris was waiting right outside.

 

Chris stopped humming and widened his eyes. "Seems like Will and Guy are having quite a row."

 

"Oh, is that what that was?" Jonny sarcastically asked. "I thought someone was killing cats."

 

"Maybe that's how it started. Maybe Will accidentally ran over Guy's cat-slash-best friend, and so to get back at him, Guy is going to try to take advantage of Melissa, but now I've gone and ruined it, so Will is angry with Guy for thinking that way." Chris stared off into space, caught up in his own crazy world. "Yeah."

 

Jonny raised his eyebrows at Chris with a bit of concern, then walked away to let Chris use the bathroom. He came downstairs to find Will and Guy silently- though they were both shooting each other violent stares- eating breakfast in the dining room.

 

"Jonny, would you like something to eat?" Mrs. Champion asked. She was already holding a plate filled with food out to Jonny, so he felt he couldn't deny her offer.

 

"Thank you," he said as he grabbed the plate and sat beside Guy. He took a few bites and decided that Mrs. Champion knew how to cook.

 

Guy set his fork down on his plate with a massive clink, and turned to Jonny.

 

"Hi, Jonny," he mumbled.

 

"Hey, Guy."

 

Guy blinked a few times, then inquired, "Does Chris steal the blankets from you?"

 

"Oh, no, do I?" Chris interrupted as he arrived at the doorway. "If I do, Jonny, I'm sorry. I don't mean to."

 

Jonny chuckled and replied, "No, you don't, Chris. Don't worry."

 

"Oh, OK. Good." Chris sighed a breath of relief. He walked fully into the room and took the seat on Jonny's other side. "You would tell me if I did, right?"

 

"Yeah, I would." Chris smiled his thanks. Mrs. Champion rushed to his side with another full plate.

 

"Ooh, this looks great," he hungrily said, rubbing his hands together. Mrs. Champion laughed and ruffled his hair as he began to scarf down the food. Jonny laughed, too, and then Will finally spoke.

 

"You're lucky, Jonny," Will informed. "You get a nice blanket covering you all night long." He flung his eyes at Guy, then returned to his breakfast.

 

"Oh, stop your bickering," Mrs. Champion ordered. "And finish eating up, boys, we've got some work to do today."

 

Mrs. Champion wheeled around and left for the kitchen. After she was out of sight, Will looked up and threw a bit of toast at Guy.

 

Newbies :blush:

 

 

 

 

Could it be that what they say is true?

Have you all prepared for us a magic little tune?

Right along this way, my sirs,

If you'll follow me, please.

Somewhere back behind these people

There's a place for you to rest.

Open that door, my dear, to the left.

Past these dreadful drunks we'll go.

Here, right next to that bed is a table, you can set your things on there.

Ever so sorry about the tight space,

Really, if we could, we'd give you a mansion to stay in.

Lay down for now, it'll be a long night if you don't.

Oh... no, you're not on until 3.

Very sorry, I was sure that you were told...

Erm... that is rather unfortunate.

See, it's just that we've booked you for the night shows, and well...

Just a moment, I'll go talk to Marcus...

Oh my, gentlemen, it appears as though you were given the wrong information.

Now, we'll try to sort things out, but no promises.

And might I add, Marcus is no longer with us.

Threatening? No, I just meant he was fired.

How about a nice tea while you're waiting?

A nice tea, not iced. It could be iced, though, if you like.

No, it's not a problem, really, and you shouldn't worry,

You're not at fault, we are, remember?

Everything will be settled soon enough, though,

So just lay down for now.

Here we are, boys, it's your time to shine!

Even though we've had to reschedule that poor old woman...

Don't you think it's more profitable if we put you guys on, though?

Oh, she's only 89, she'll get her time to shine eventually.

Evening, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to a great new band.

So here, they are, the magnificent Coldplay!

:cheesy:

 

 

My response to Katie's challenge:

A bit on the :wink3: side.

 

A Pleasant Afternoon

 

 

 

"Chocolate again???" Guy asked in a plaintive voice.

His handsome face showed his obvious disappointment.

"What's the problem?" Chris asked, as he stood up from Guy's lap.

"It's just so flamboyant," Guy said, shrugging his shoulder and moving them back and forth.

Chris bent down and kissed him on the neck.

"Too tight?" he asked, as he checked the ropes that bound Guy to the wooden chair.

"No," Guy said, "I was just stretching a little. You have kept me tied up longer than usual."

"Sorry," Chris said, taking the whip down from its hiding spot in the top of the closet.

Guy smiled at him and winked.

"A special treat today I see," he said, as he watched Chris uncoil the black leather.

"Yes," Chris said, snapping the whip down hard on the floor near Guy's worn brown boots.

"Well, don't keep me waiting," Guy said.

Chris laid the whip across the bed.

He walked slowly to Guy, stripping off his shirt as he went.

Guy was watching him.

His eyes feasting on Chris' slender waist and flat stomach.

His stomach was a seething pit of rage and desire and utter wanton lust.

Chris grabbed his head and pushed it back hard against the chair.

"Have you been a bad boy?" he asked.

"Maybe," Guy said, in a sassy tone.

"Well what would you like as your reward?" Chris asked, straddling Guy across the chair.

"Make me feel dirty," Guy directed.

"How dirty?" Chris whispered into his ear.

"Dirtier than the whores down on Easy Street," Guy said.

Chris stood up.

"Only if you beg," he said.

Guy smiled at him.

"Please," he said, making a sad look come into his pretty brown eyes.

"Not good enough," Chris said, shaking his head.

"It's the best I can do," Guy told him, "Isn't there any other way I can get what I want?"

"Sure," Chris said, "Just give me what I want."

"Never," Guy said, pretending to be offended.

"Oh come now," Chris said, looking at him with shocking blue eyes.

"It isn't that difficult is it?"

He walked toward Guy as he began to unbutton his jeans.

"You know what I like," he said.

Guy winked at him and opened his mouth wide.

"That's right," Chris said, "That's exactly right."

 

The End

 

 

 

C&J in the same bed, ooh!

Day 2/Night 2/Morning 3

 

Mrs. Champion had them setting up a giant tent in the backyard. She told them to, anyway, but they weren't actually doing it. Will was reading instructions, trying but failing to forget his anger. Guy was laying in the grass, trying to get a tan. Chris had decided to hop on an old swing set in the far corner of the yard.

 

"Come push me, Jonny!" he shouted to Jonny, though he needn't have because Jonny was standing right next to him.

 

"Seriously?" Jonny laughed, and Chris narrowed his eyes.

 

"Fine, I can do this by myself." Chris began to pump his legs. He managed to get the swing up 5 feet before Jonny left to help Will.

 

"No luck with those instructions, eh?" Jonny casually asked. Will looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

 

"Oh, look, someone who actually wants to help. Thank you, Jonny," he said. He flipped the paper he held to the other side, but he still wasn't understanding the whole thing. "This stuff is, like, gibberish to me." He threw the paper to the ground and walked over to the poles and tarp. "I think I'll do better with trial and error."

 

"Maybe we should start by shoving the poles in the ground," Jonny jovially said. "Might help."

 

"Probably. Here," he lifted one of the poles and offered the opposite end to Jonny, "take that, and then I'll lift this side and try to force it into the dirt." He paused for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, should work."

 

Jonny held the end of the pole, which was quite heavy, while Will raised his arms. Slowly, Jonny lowered the pole to the ground, and Will put down as much weight as he could on his end. Eventually, the pole stood successfully on its own.

 

"All right!" Will said after admiring their work for a while, and he high-fived Jonny. Then quite suddenly there was another body right next to Jonny's. Chris, after deciding that he'd tired of the swing, had jumped off and landed as far away as he could. It just so happened that this destination was also as close to Jonny as he could get without pommeling into him.

 

"Whoa!" Chris exclaimed. Jonny turned his head to find he was a mere three inches away from Chris's. "That was close."

 

All Jonny could think to do in response was laugh, and so he did. Chris took a step back to give Jonny some space, then looked at the single pole emerging from the ground.

 

"Nice work, guys," he grinned.

 

"Yeah, you wanna help with the next one?" Will replied with a hint of bitterness.

 

Chris grunted disappointingly and stared at the ground. "I might drop it or something."

 

"Hmm, touche. Perhaps you'd be better off tanning with Guy."

 

"OK!" Chris chirped, running to and collapsing down beside Guy. He turned his head to look at Guy, who was wearing his sunglasses. He looked like he could have been asleep. "Guy," Chris whispered. "Are you asleep?"

 

"Hardly," Guy whispered in return.

 

"You know, if you tan with those glasses on, you're gonna have a line," Chris said.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I mean, it won't be tan where the sunglasses were. You'll have a line."

 

Guy took off the sunglasses, but quickly put them back on. "I can't see without these. Besides, I always wear them anyway, so this 'line' will be hidden."

 

"OK," Chris replied in defeat. He switched his view to Jonny and Will, since watching them was more interesting than watching Guy. They were a lot nicer, too.

 

Will and Jonny managed to get another pole up. They were working on a third one, but Jonny accidentally let go too soon, causing Will to practically throw the pole down, where it met the acquaintance of his foot. Will cursed up a storm, and Jonny apologized profusely. Chris laughed.

 

-

 

The lights were off and the room was quiet. Chris laid with his head resting on his hands against the pillow, staring into the darkness where he saw a faint outline of Jonny.

 

"Jonny, do you feel tired?" Chris quietly asked. Jonny shifted a little bit.

 

"Not really, why?"

 

"Can we just stay up for a bit and talk?"

 

"Sure," Jonny replied. "Did you have anything to talk about?"

 

"No, not really. I just thought it would be nice." Jonny didn't respond right away, but after a few moments Chris felt him turn on his side. The room was mostly dark, but one single beam of moonlight dancing through the window struck Chris's blazing blue eyes and made them sparkle.

 

"Chris, can I ask you something kinda... personal?"

 

"Sure, what?" Chris replied in a sweet voice. He patiently waited for Jonny, who took his time to continue, deeply breathing several times and eventually shifting into an upright position.

 

"Well..." he began, "have you ever wondered what it would be like if, you know... if we... you know..." Chris sat up, too, and looked directly at Jonny.

 

"If we hooked up?" he finished.

 

"That's one way to put it," Jonny muttered.

 

"Sometimes," Chris honestly replied, blushing a little, which was luckily not visible in the dark. "I assume you have."

 

"Sometimes," Jonny agreed.

 

Chris enlarged his eyes and curiously asked, "What do you think it would be like?"

 

Jonny thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know."

 

Chris fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He knew what he wanted to say, but nervousness was holding him back. He tried to push through it as best as he could, and therefore successfully said, "We could always try it out. Then we'd know what it was like."

 

Jonny looked over to the dark shadow of Chris and also fought through nervousness. "Yeah, we could do that."

 

"How long are we here for?" Chris asked as he locked his eyes with Jonny's.

 

"A week," Jonny replied. "Well, six more days, now... no, five? Something like that."

 

"Then maybe we could try, but... take it slow."

 

"Slow works," Jonny said, nodding. Chris momentarily looked away, forging an idea.

 

"Like, now... just... just a kiss, right?"

 

Jonny croaked, "OK."

 

"OK." Chris scooted over a bit and leaned in towards Jonny. His eyes darted back and forth between Jonny's bright green ones and his lips. He was lucidly hesitant, but he urged himself to go on regardless. Jonny bent forward, too, and soon their lips met. It was like nothing either of them had experienced before, in a good way. Chris let out a shaky breath as they pulled away from each other. "Goodnight, Jonny."

 

Chris smiled and laid back down. Jonny too slid down and closed his eyes. "Night, Chris."

 

The next time Jonny was conscious, he was facing the window. The sun was really, really bright so he flipped over to face Chris. Chris was unsurprisingly already awake, just watching Jonny with a faint smile etched on his face. Jonny could feel Chris's eyes examining every inch of his face, and he wasn't sure quite how to feel.

 

"Hey," Jonny said to fill in what he was afraid might become an awkward silence.

 

"Hey," Chris smiled. "Looks like it's time to get up now, huh?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"I wonder what we'll be doing today?" Chris pondered. He looked around the room for a bit, then laughed. Quickly, though, he stopped and stared at Jonny, rather embarrassed.

 

"What?" Jonny apprehensively asked.

 

"Nothing," Chris said in a timid voice. "Do you think we'll be helping Mrs. Champion more?"

 

"Uh, probably." Jonny sat up, stretched and yawned, and threw his legs to the floor. Chris stood up at nearly the same time, and they walked out of the room together.

 

No sound was coming from Will and Guy's room, which could have been either good or bad. Maybe they were still sleeping, or maybe Will had strangled Guy at some point during the night. Jonny slipped into the bathroom and went to close the door behind him, but Chris was standing in the way.

 

"Chris," Jonny whispered as if to ask him what the hell he was doing.

 

"Listen, Jonny," Chris said in a hurried and worried tone, ushering Jonny further into the room so he could shut the door. "Nothing's weird between us now, right? Because, I mean, it's not like we even really did anything last night."

 

"No, things aren't weird between us," Jonny reassured Chris. Chris skeptically looked at Jonny for an abrupt moment, then seemed relieved.

 

"OK," he said, and left Jonny alone in the room. Something on the wall stuck out to Jonny, and he wondered why there was a clock in the bathroom, but not the guest room. The time read six, so while being surprised at how early it was, he also assumed that Guy was still alive, just sleeping.

 

When he was finished, he expected Chris to be waiting for him outside the door, but the hallway was completely empty. He yawned again as he walked to the room, deciding that he'd try to get more sleep.

 

He laid down on the bed, where Chris was also laying with his eyes closed.

 

"Still tired?" Jonny laughed. Without a response, Jonny looked over at Chris. Chris's breathing was deep and steady, and for a second he thought Chris was just messing with him. A few minutes later, Chris still hadn't answered, and Jonny smiled to himself.

 

An Apology

 

 

 

 

There was a fanfiction writer

She wound herself up tighter and tighter

She confused Will with Guy

She ate cake instead of pie

She saw a photo of a long-curled Chris

And..snap..thought he was a Little Miss.

 

She posted in the wrong thread

She saw black instead of red.

She reached for chips and got glue

Boo hoo, Boo hoo!!!

She slapped her own hand

And quoted "Politik" on demand

 

So give her a break

Give her real, don't give her fake.

Give her love over, love over this!!

 

 

 

Don't You Shiver

Chapter 7

 

 

 

In his hotel room, Guy was laying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. He wished he had his record player with him. He figured a time like this called for some Joy Division. But instead of hearing the beautiful sorrow-filled singing of Lou Reed, John Cale, or Dug Yule, all he had were his thoughts.

 

And there were so many of them. They circled around and around inside of his head. His mind was a battlefield, but neither side was winning. It was World War I at the western front all over again.

 

Exhausted by this, Guy drifted off into a restless sleep. He dreamed of many things, most of them unsubstantial. Just bits and pieces of this or that. These did not stay with him long and he forgot them even before he awoke. But there was one recurring vision in his head.

 

It was of a man; a poor, ragged man. He was in a cage and he looked miserable. The view switched suddenly, and now Guy was inside the cage looking out. There was a crowd of people, all laughing and quite happy together.

 

Music started up from somewhere and suddenly the people in the room were paired off with another person. They all danced as couples and each couple looked supremely happy. The man called out to be set free, to be included in this dance. But he would receive only one answer.

 

"You are the one with the key." Frustrated, the man let out a cry.

 

Guy awoke suddenly and found that he was the one who was crying out. His shirt was soaked in sweat, and he was shivering. It was the worst dream he had ever had. More accurately, it was a nightmare. But now he knew what he had to do.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

The crowd was loud and enthusiastic. They bounced up and down to the faster numbers and swayed back and forth to the slower ones. They sung at just the right times, whenever Chris commanded it and even sometimes even when he did not.

 

In a strange way, they were preparing Guy for what he was about to do. It was as if they were all making all the noise they could to encourage him. Or maybe to just numb his brain and keep him from thinking long enough for him to actually go through with this.

 

Chris sung the ending bars of "Lost!" and then they all prepared to walk out to the c-stage. Before he had time to back down, Guy marched up to his microphone. He coughed into it, and thousands of eyes looked at him in wonder of what was going to happen next. A few people whispered to each other, no doubt saying that this is not what usually happened. Chris, Jonny, and Will raised their eyebrows in question.

 

"Before we...uh....go to the c-stage, I'd like to say something very quickly. Chris, come over here...please." Chris shot him a "what are you doing?" glance but walked obediently to the left side of the stage.

 

"Before we continue I would just like to say one thing about Chris, because I cannot contain it all to myself any longer. I....am in love with him....and have been for a very long time. And I no longer care who knows it." He started out quietly but his voice slowly grew in volume until he was practically shouting. He then reached over and grabbed a surprised Chris, kissing him hard on the lips.

 

The crowd was silent, but after a few torturous moments they burst out cheering. There was the occasional call of "fag", but Guy didn't pay any mind to it. He was staring at the man of his dreams, who stood there open-mouthed and blushing. But he managed to whisper an "I love you too" before Guy grabbed his hand and dragged him off to the c-stage.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

The hotel room was dark, but Guy could still make out the beautiful profile of the man sleeping peacefully next to him. It was very late, nearly dawn. But Guy didn't mind, despite that fact that they had to catch their plane that morning. He had to catch up on all he had been missing for ten years or so. He couldn't possibly sleep for sheer joy, so he laid in bed and thought.

 

Sure, he knew that things would not always be easy for them. But ironically, everything seemed twice as easy now than when he had concealed the relationship. He stroked Chris's hair lovingly.

 

If Guy had been able to make it a decade or so without the warmth of Chris next to him in bed every night, then he felt he could certainly make it through anything. Besides, now they had each other to lean on, and that was all they needed.

 

 

 

Sail To The Moon

 

Part 1

 

 

 

The breeze coming off of the water was warm, almost tropical. It felt good against Jonny's face as he sat in the sand. It was still warm from the sun beating down on it all throughout the day, and probably wouldn't get much of a chance to cool down before the sun shone on it again; a constant cycle of heating and reheating.

 

The waves gently licked the shore and produced a most soothing sound. This was the ocean's lullaby. At least, that's the way Jonny thought of it. He stared out at the black water and wrapped his arms around his legs, bringing his feet in closer and wriggling his toes in the sand. This was truly a way to spend a vacation.

 

But there was a noise that didn't fit in with the soothing sounds of the water. A pair of feet, in a pair of sandals, which were not his own by the way, shuffled down the beach and stopped next to Jonny. Jonny looked up at the man, who looked like somewhat of a giant from this particular angle. No they were certainly not his sandals. Chris didn't own anything but sneakers.

 

He also did not appear to own shorts; he was wearing loose fitting black pants even though it was the middle of summer. This made Jonny chuckle.

 

"What? "

 

"Oh, nothing."

 

"Having a party without me, I see."

 

"Not necessarily without you, just...with myself only."

 

"Oh, okay. I'll leave then."

 

"No, stay."

 

"Okay," he replied, sounding confused. "So....why are you here?"

 

"Why are you here?"

 

Chris blushed and ran his hand through his curls his ever lengthening curls. Haircuts were not part of the ideal vacation, it seemed. "I came here looking for you. It's not much of a party without you, to be honest."

 

"It wasn't much of a party with me either. Girls and drinks might be Guy and Will's idea of a good time, but not mine."

 

"What is your idea of a party, Mr. Parties-A-Lot?"

 

"Mr. Parties-A-Lot?"

 

"It sounded better in my head."

 

Jonny laughed again. "This is my idea of a party. This is the most fun I've had all night."

 

Chris returned the laugh. "Can I sit down?" He was, however, already sitting.

 

Jonny rolled his eyes. "Well you kind of already are."

 

Chris let out a nervous chuckle. "True, true."

 

For a while after that they sat in silence. Without saying anything, they both knew that the other was thoroughly occupied with taking in the scenery.

 

The sky was as black as the water and cloudless. The soft white light from the full moon danced across the water in a random yet seemingly conventional way. It was like watching a performance in a theater. Except this performance did not cost any money to view and was completely unrehearsed.

 

Jonny admired the way nature could appear so unorganized, but at the same time know exactly what it was supposed to be doing. He wanted to know what he should be doing right now. Perhaps he should be speaking. Not everything could be deciphered through silence.

 

"Chris?"

 

"Yes Jonny?"

 

"I'm glad you are here. Actually, when I left earlier I was hoping you would follow."

 

"Hmm...and here I was thinking that I was bugging you. Yet it turns out that you want me around, eh?" He gave Jonny a playful nudge with his elbow. But Jonny was serious. Chris turned his to see a pair of green eyes looking directly at him.

 

"Yes, I want you around me. I always want you around me. I don't think I made it clear before....I am only enjoying myself when I am around you."

 

Chris was silent for a long moment. Jonny couldn't look at him again; it was agonizing to wait for a break in the silence. So much unlike the peaceful silence of a few minutes ago. Finally Chris cleared his throat to speak.

 

"I'm glad we feel the same way," he said quietly.

 

They fell back into silence again. Jonny laid on his back in the white sand and put his hands behind his head. He felt completely at peace. He stared at the moon and was fascinated by it. After a while he stole a glance at Chris and was far more fascinated. Chris's eyes seemed to reflect the moon's light just as the water did. But even more intriguing than that was Chris himself.

 

He was tapping his feet and his fingers on the sand, shifting about and never staying in the same place for more than a few moments.

 

"Are you having a problem Chris?" he asked, laughing.

 

"Don't the reflections on the water look like they're dancing?" Chris blurted out, rather than giving an answer to the question.

 

"Yeah...they do," replied Jonny, surprised. "I was just thinking that earlier."

 

Chris stood up abruptly. "I'll be right back okay?"

 

Before Jonny had time to open his mouth in reply Chris was already dashing up the beach and to the vacation home they were staying in. Jonny just laughed again and wondered what Chris could possibly be up to.

 

 

 

Part 2

 

 

 

He didn't have to wait long to find out. Soon he heard the swooshing noise of sandals on sand and a split second after that there were those long legs clad in those black pants again, standing next to him. Jonny slowly brought his eyes upwards. He frowned in question of the items Chris was now holding.

 

"What is that, a battery powered radio or something?"

 

"Yes!" shouted Chris excitedly.

 

"And you brought beer too?"

 

"Just a six pack. I thought you might want some. And Guy certainly has plenty of it to spare," he added, rolling his eyes.

 

"Thanks," Jonny replied, suspiciously. But he sat up and grabbed a beer. He discovered he truly had a taste for it at the moment, and soon he was reaching for a second one.

 

"So what's with the radio? Are we going to have some music or what?" he asked, smiling.

 

"Oh yeah!" he replied, excited again. He leaned down in front of the small black machine and fiddled with the dials until he was satisfied. Soon a sweet little melody was filling their surroundings.

 

"This doesn't sound like party music," Jonny teased.

 

"It isn't. Well, it is. But it's music for our kind of party."

 

"And what kind of party is that?"

 

Chris smiled giddily and reached down and grabbed Jonny's hand without warning. "Come oooon," he whined. " Stand up!"

 

"Stand up for what?" Jonny asked, sitting up and smiling widely at Chris's antics.

 

"For dancing!" he bleated childishly, quickly pulling off the sandals.

 

"Dancing?" he repeated, laughing yet again. He let himself fall back in the sand.

 

"Yes, dancing. Now get uuuuup!" He grabbed hold of Jonny's hand again and pulled as hard as he could, but to no avail. Jonny just kept laughing. He loved it when Chris acted like a spoiled child. Chris began to pout.

 

"If you don't get up I'll...I'll tickle you!"

 

"You wouldn't."

 

"I would."

 

"Don't do it!"

 

"Too late!!" he cried playfully, and fell on his knees and began viciously tickling Jonny's stomach.

 

"Stop, please stop! Stop it!" Jonny cried, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

 

"I will stop only if you agree to dance with me!"

 

"Okay, okay, I will!" he gasped. Chris retreated and Jonny wiped tears from his eyes. That was the hardest he had laughed in months.

 

He slowly stood up. Chris immediately grabbed his hands and began to dance with Jonny all across the beach. At first Chris did most of the work but soon Jonny felt himself joining in more. He swayed in time to the music. He realized that they were basically slow dancing right now. Not once in his life did he ever think he'd be doing this with Chris. And never once in his life was he going to regret doing this.

 

They danced for hours on the beach, leaving their footprints in the sand to be washed away at high tide. Eventually the sun peered it's head over the water's edge, and they both collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

 

Chris turned to Jonny. "Thank you for dancing with me" he said sleepily. Jonny smiled and stared at Chris as he slipped into unconsciousness. He wanted to believe to believe that it was the alcohol that was stirring these feelings for Chris up inside him, but he knew that wasn't true. He hadn't even had that much to drink.

 

No, the truth was that would do anything if it meant being with Chris. Because he liked Chris very much. And in the brand new light of the day, he could admit this to himself.

For Chris, he would leave a party full of girls and beer to sit on a beach. He would dance all night by the light of the moon. Quite likely, he would even follow Chris straight to the moon.

 

 

 

By the way, the whole tickling thing was my idea, Brooke just stole it for her story:P

 

 

 

 

HEATHCLIFF

CHAPTER 3

 

 

 

 

A few days later, I finally showed my face at the Beehive. Will had asked me to, saying something about Jonny and Chris wanting to talk to us. I had scoffed under my breath and agreed to show up. To be honest, though, I was quite interested in what they were going to say.

 

When Jonny walked in, I automatically narrowed my eyes and stiffened. Will and I were sitting close; nearly shoulder to shoulder. Chris was lying silently on the couch, staring at the clock on the wall. Every tick seemed unnaturally loud. “Jon,” Will said coolly. “How are you, mate?”

 

“Fine,” he said, shrugging out of his coat. He was nervous, and tried to avoid looking at me for a while. But finally, he walked up to us, stopping pointedly in front of me. I looked up at him and swallowed. “Guy,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. You too, Will. I’m so sorry.”

 

“I really don’t think ‘sorry’ is going to cut it, Buckland,” I hissed.

 

“We were going to tell you.”

 

“Is that true?” I asked Chris. The other man looked scared and deeply ashamed. “Were you planning on telling us? Or were you going to leave us in the dark?”

 

“We were afraid of how you’d react,” said Jonny. “Please, try to understand.” He knelt in front of me, practically begging. His soft green eyes were trying to dig into my heart, but I shut them out.

 

“Why would you be afraid of that?” I cried. “Who the fuck do you think I am?”

 

“I would’ve wanted to find out that two of my best friends are seeing each other from either of you. Instead, I hear it from Guy, who’s extremely pissed and rightfully so,” added Will carefully. “This is big, Jon,” he whispered. “I still can’t believe you two are actually...”

 

“Shagging each other?” I spat.

 

Chris’s head snapped in my direction. “We’re not,” he defended quietly.

 

“Right, I’m sorry. That makes it okay,” I said, my voice dripping with bitter sarcasm. “Screw you, Chris. You don’t even have the balls to get over here and explain yourself.”

 

“Don’t talk to him like that!” warned Jon.

 

“I can take care of myself!”

 

“Calm down!” hissed Will. “Everyone shut the fuck up, now! “ I went silent, trembling with anger. “Do you love him, Jon?” I glanced up at Will, my stomach clenching. It was obvious that Jonny loved Chris. He always had, whether that love was romantic or not.

 

“Yes,” he sighed helplessly. “I love him.”

 

“And I love Jonny,” said Chris, tugging at his hair. Somehow, hearing them say that dampened most of my immediate resentment. I still cared about those two. No matter how angry or betrayed I felt, I couldn’t stop loving them. They were like brothers to me, and their happiness was more than important. Something twisted in my chest, and I lowered my head into my hands.

 

“We were going to tell you,” repeated Jonny desperately. He put a hand on my knee and squeezed it. “Please...Guy. I’m so sorry. I know we hurt you, but I never meant to. Please try to understand. This hasn’t been going on for long!”

 

“How long, then?” asked Will.

 

“Only a month,” answered Chris. “The feelings were there for much longer...but we only realized we were sharing them about a month ago.”

 

“How fucking sad.” I hadn’t meant to say that; it just slipped out.

 

“Jesus, Guy, stop it,” Will said gently. “Stop. That’s Chris you’re talking to. Your friend?”

 

“Some friends they are.” Again...it just slipped out. God, I hated myself.

 

Jonny moaned, his grip tightening. “If I were in your position, I would hate us too. I deserve it, I know. But this isn’t his fault. Don’t take your anger out on him. If you do, obviously you’re not a good friend either, are you?”

 

I shuddered once and stood up, leaving him far below me. Jonny sank back, and for a moment, he looked scared that I was going to kick him or something. Ignoring him, I looked at Chris for a moment, then at Will. They were both staring at me like I was some unstable teenager, except Chris actually seemed afraid of me as well. Then I looked at Jonny.

 

“Cheers,” I said. I stepped around his curled form and left the room.

 

 

 

for katie's challenge...

 

 

 

 

 

I have this pair of socks. I love them with my life. I like to wear them everyday.

 

My socks are pretty neat. My socks are very bright pink. My socks are flamboyant, says Will.

 

BUT WHAT DOES WILL KNOW? But what does Will wear all the time, a purple scarf? But what does that make him, also flamboyant?

 

They are a little dirty, my socks. They haven't exactly been washed yet. They have only stayed on my feet since I got them.

 

Guy told me to wash them. Guy ripped them off my feet when I refused. Guy threw my socks into a seething pot of water.

 

Then my socks shrank. Then I couldn't wear them anymore. Then I cried.

 

"Stop crying, pansy!!" Will shouted.

"Your yelling only makes me cry more!!" I cried.

"We'll buy you another pair of socks!!" Guy said.

"IT WON'T BE THE SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!!" I screamed.

 

A dream came to me that night. A thing floated from the sky, an angel. A package was in its hands.

 

This is for youuuuuuu

 

I grabbed the package. I opened it carefully. I stared inside.

 

My socks were inside! My socks, the same ones I'd worn for ages! My socks and I were reunited!

 

When I woke up, it was morning. When I opened my eyes, an angel was in front of me. When I blinked a few times, I realized it was just Jonny.

 

"Chrissssss," he hissed.

"Jonny?" I replied.

"Here," he said.

 

Something landed in front of me. Something very bright pink. Something that looked like socks.

 

And socks they were! And surprised I was! And Jonny told me something.

 

It was all a dream. It was some sort of strange nightmare. It was OK now, though.

 

Jonny only took my socks from me during the night. Jonny just washed them PROPERLY for me. Jonny is a nice friend.

 

I am wearing my socks now, though they are clean. I promised I would wash them every now and then. I am just glad to have them back, even though they weren't really gone.

 

Yeah.

 

 

 

C&J in the same bed, ooh!

Day 3/Night 3/Morning 4

 

Five large boxes were sitting downstairs in the living room later that morning. Chris prodded one of the boxes and asked what they were for.

 

"Tables," Will answered. "We have to set them up under the tent."

 

"Oh. OK!"

 

Will grabbed one of the boxes and began to lift it outside. It was heavy, but he was strong and managed to get it by himself. Jonny struggled to lift his own box, so Chris gave him a hand. Guy poked one of the boxes, and it moved about a centimeter. He decided that was enough work for him, and followed the others outside.

 

Upon seeing that Guy hadn't done anything to help, Will yelled, "Thank you, Guy! I'm glad your here, otherwise stuff would never get done."

 

"Hey, it's not my fault I have no strength!" Guy motioned at his body and said, "Look at me, I'm tiny. I can barely lift air, look how slow my hand is moving right now!" Will just stared angrily at him, and suddenly there was a girlish laughter from behind them. Will slowly turned around to see Melissa standing nearby, laughing her head off.

 

"I'm sorry, Will, but it's just so funny when you're angry," she giggled. Will ignored her and turned back to Guy.

 

"Fine, but when it comes time to set up the party- food and stuff- you're helping," Will commanded.

 

"OK." Will began to walk inside to get another box, and Guy tried to quietly add, "Bossy." He said it a bit too loud, though, and Will stopped dead in his tracks. Guy knew he was in for it, but Melissa just laughed harder. Guy looked at her and winked.

 

Then something unexpected happened. Instead of decking Guy, Will just took a deep breath, smiled, and continued walking away. Guy was thankful, though surprised, as was Melissa.

 

Inside the tent, Chris and Jonny were trying to set up the table they'd carried together. They weren't having the best of luck, but they were at least enjoying each other's company.

 

"OK, the legs are supposed to fold back more than that," Jonny said as he observed the lop-sided table.

 

"Yeah," Chris agreed, "but I tried, and it wouldn't move." Jonny turned the table on it's side and grabbed the rebellious leg. Chris was right; it didn't want to budge at all. Jonny struggled with it for a minute or so, then just before he'd given up completely, Chris stood on the opposite side and pushed the leg with all his might.

 

"Come on, you... freaking... jerk!" Jonny yelled at the leg. There was a loud crack right after that, and it almost sounded like they'd broken the table. They didn't, though, they just fixed it. The leg finally popped out into it's proper position, and when Jonny stood the table back up, it was perfectly even.

 

He turned to Chris and smiled, and Chris held his hand up for a high-five. Jonny laughed and halfheartedly placed his palm to Chris's. Then Jonny walked over to the other box, and began to set up the next table. He and Chris had a much easier time with the second one, and they finished unfolding the legs and had moved it over to a corner before Will had even brought the third box into the tent.

 

"No sarcasm this time," Will said as he looked around at Jonny and Chris's work and dropped the third box in front of himself, "really glad you guys are here. Especially you, Jonny. Uh... no offense, Chris."

 

"None taken," Chris smiled. "Jonny's a lot better than I am at basically everything."

 

"That's not true, Chris," Jonny said. "I may be better than you at a few things, but not everything. And, certainly, you're better than me at quite a lot."

 

Chris tutted and shook his head. "Jonny, Jonny, Jonny. You are crazy." Will laughed, and Chris stared at him questioningly.

 

"Chris, you're about a thousand times crazier than Jonny is," he explained. "In fact, Jonny's the most normal out of all of us."

 

Chris smiled sweetly and turned to Jonny, affectionately pawing at his cheek. "Jonny's our rock." Jonny blushed as Will mumbled an agreement.

 

-

 

"Man, did you see Melissa hittin' on me today?" Guy asked as he and Chris walked upstairs to the bedrooms. Will and Jonny had already gone upstairs, as Chris and Guy had been held up by Mrs. Champion. Guy didn't mind so much, though, because Melissa was in the room, too.

 

"No," Chris laughed.

 

"She was flirting with me like crazy! You didn't hear all that laughing?"

 

"I did, but I would hardly call it hitting on you. Or flirting." Chris stopped outside the door of his and Jonny's room, and Guy turned to him and waved his hand.

 

"Well, what do you know, anyway? You never even talk to girls," he said.

 

"I talk to girls sometimes." Guy just laughed and shook his head.

 

"Mrs. Champion doesn't count." Chris narrowed his eyes, but joined in on the laughter shortly. Guy saluted Chris and left for his own room, and Chris turned around to open the door.

 

"Jonny," Chris called, leaping over to the spot where Jonny was sitting. "Why are you sitting at the end of the bed?"

 

Jonny looked at Chris for a few moments with some mild confusion strewn about his face, then replied, "I don't know. That's a good question."

 

"Well, I will sit with you!" Chris exclaimed as he collapsed backwards next to Jonny. He was contentedly quiet afterward, though he started to tap his fingers on his leg. Jonny watched him intently, a sort of chill burning in his chest.

 

"So..." Jonny began, and he thought it had been a mistake, because he had no clue how he was going to follow up. Chris must have read his mind, luckily, because he looked up at Jonny and nodded.

 

"What comes next, then?" he quietly asked. "By the way, last night went pretty well, I think." Chris's cheeks flushed a little, and he averted his eyes. The sight of Chris sent the burning feeling into overdrive, and Jonny tilted Chris's head back towards him. After one second of the hardest stare Jonny could have ever given anyone, he crushed their mouths together. Chris was taken aback for a fraction of a second, then a love for the abrasive side of Jonny he'd never seen before took over.

 

Chris let himself relax, and his mind was so wrapped up that he decided he'd let Jonny do whatever he wanted. Jonny's present desire only consisted of making out with Chris, but Chris wouldn't have minded if it had been more.

 

"I think that went well, too," Chris panted a few minutes later.

 

"Yeah," Jonny breathlessly agreed. He tried to reconstruct himself from the pile of debris that his insides had collapsed into, a difficult- but not impossible- task. "All right... taking it slow. Good night, Chris."

 

"Wait." Chris grabbed Jonny's arm. "We- we can take it a little faster, if you want." Chris began to crawl backwards into the spot where Jonny would sleep. He leaned against the wall a little, waiting for Jonny to follow him.

 

Jonny stood up and walked around to the side of the bed. He sat down on the little space that was left between Chris and the edge of the bed. He was silent for a while, and Chris feared that Jonny didn't want him anymore. For those brief seconds he felt abandoned and used.

 

But Jonny still wanted Chris. He reached over, grabbing the bottom of Chris's shirt and lifting it up. Chris felt a relief spread through him and he raised his arms above his head to help with the removal of clothing. Jonny ran his hand down Chris's bare chest, sending a rush of excitement throughout Chris's body.

 

He closed his eyes as Jonny's lips slowly found their way across his skin, all the way from his neck to his stomach. When he had reached just below Chris's belly button, Chris stopped him.

 

"Jonny." Jonny looked up, and Chris wiggled his finger to beckon him. Jonny leaned over Chris until they were almost touching. Chris's eyes lit up as he whispered, "You're turn."

 

Chris pushed Jonny onto the empty side of the bed with much more force than he thought Chris was ever capable of using. Unlike Chris's, Jonny's shirt was button-up, so Chris took his time slowly undoing the buttons and kissing the skin each one left exposed. Once the shirt was completely open, Chris moved up and reached over Jonny to turn off the light. He laid his head down on Jonny's chest and closed his eyes.

 

"Goodnight, Jonny."

 

-

 

"Jon, you have to help us," Guy said, wide-eyed, as he stood in front of Jonny's door. Jonny had just barely woken up, so it took a few seconds for him to process what was going on.

 

"With what?" he tiredly asked.

 

"Chris won't shut up, he's been jumping around singing all morning."

 

"He always does that."

 

"Yeah, but this is like, twenty times worse than usual."

 

"What do you want me to do about it?" Jonny asked.

 

"I don't know, tell him to shut up or something," Guy replied. "He listens to you!" Jonny was going to respond, but a loud voice interrupted him.

 

"'Cause IIIIIIIII! looooooove! the way you say good morning! And yooouuuuu!- Oh, hey, Jonny!" Chris stopped momentarily, waved, then continued to walk and hum. Jonny watched him and laughed.

 

"I'll tell him to stop," Jonny told Guy. Guy thanked him then left, and Jonny went to follow Chris. "Chris!"

 

"Yeah, Jonnyboy?" Chris replied as he turned around.

 

"You have a lovely voice, do you know that?" Chris smiled, and Jonny continued, "But some people don't appreciate it as much."

 

Chris frowned. "Guy's been telling me to shut up all morning." He sighed, then took a second before brightening up again. "But Mrs. Champion said she wants me to sing at the party tomorrow!"

 

"Really?" Jonny excitedly asked. "That's awesome."

 

"Yeah! But I'm kinda nervous." Jonny placed his hand Chris's shoulder, then decided to go for a full embrace.

 

"Don't be, you're gonna be great." Chris wrapped his arms around Jonny and smiled into his shoulder.

 

"Thank you, Jonny. You always make me feel better."

 

"Hey!" Will called from down the hallway. "I know you two are totally gay for each other, but you've got to cut the lovey-dovey crap and start getting ready. The ceremony's in a few hours."

 

Chris and Jonny broke apart, laughing at Will, but secretly their hearts beat faster. Jonny offered to let Chris into the bathroom first, and Chris kindly bowed his head in thanks.

 

:cheesy:

 

All You Ever Wanted

 

13

 

 

 

"You're really determined, aren't you?” Jonny asked Chris. Chris was bent over that day's newspaper, viciously circling almost the entire page. Jonny wondered how Chris didn't tear through the paper with the pen.

 

“Yep,” he simply replied, and continued with his marking. By the time he finished, there were only about four ads that had been left alone. He held the paper up eye-level and scanned it. “Well, hopefully I'll find something.”

 

“Looks like you've already found everything,” Jonny sarcastically noted. Chris brought the paper down and turned his head to Jonny.

 

“Hopefully, I'll be employed sometime soon.” Chris narrowed his eyes at the newspaper and called to the other room. “Hey, Walter? Can you get me that notepad on the table by the door?”

 

Retaw appeared within seconds, his humanly hands carrying the tiny pad of paper. He walked over to Chris and set it beside Chris's elbow. He quickly glanced at Jonny before turning to leave.

 

“Thank you, Walter!” Chris said. He picked up the notepad and flipped it open. Something on the first page caught his eye. He read it over and over for a few minutes, then looked at Jonny, mystified.

 

“What?” Jonny asked quite innocently. Chris glanced quickly at the paper again, then back to Jonny.

 

"You wrote this?” Chris quietly asked. He placed the notepad on the table and spun it around so Jonny could see. Jonny read the paper, and his cheeks flushed a reddish hue.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Jonny mumbled. He slowly reached out for the paper and tried to rip it from its home, crumpling it slightly in the process. Chris's hand caught his, though, and stopped him.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I'm trying to destroy it.” Chris let go of Jonny's hand and sat back in his chair.

 

“Why?” Chris looked sad, like he was a little kid whose favorite teddy bear had mysteriously disappeared. Jonny looked down at the half-attached paper in his hand, then at Chris.

 

“Because it's terrible,” he cautiously replied. Chris sighed and smiled.

 

“But I love it. And I love you. And I love that you would do something like that for me.” Chris placed his hand on Jonny's once more. “It's very sweet, Jonny. You shouldn't be embarrassed of it.”

 

Jonny blushed and hid his head. “I'm not nearly as good as you are.”

 

“I think you are.” Jonny slowly looked up, and Chris smiled as he continued. “And even if you aren't, who cares? It's the thought that counts.”

 

“I love you, Chris.” Chris widened his smile and turn Jonny's hand over so he could interlace their fingers. Suddenly, there was an 'awwww' coming from behind him, so he turned to look. Retaw was standing in the doorway, watching them with envious eyes. He looked a little embarrassed as he realized he'd been caught, and he walked into the room and over by the table.

 

“You two are very lucky to have each other,” he quietly said. He thoughtfully paused, then continued, “Can you two help me with something?”

 

“Sure, what is it?” Chris replied. Retaw moved around to the other side of the table and took a seat. He fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers as he tried to think of exactly what to say.

 

“You know that girl we met at the mall?” he asked.

 

“Um, yeah,” Chris said. “Logella, is that it?” Retaw nodded and messed with the shakers some more.

 

“I'm going to an art thing with her tonight.” Chris and Jonny exchanged glances, then Chris cleared his throat.

 

“OK. So-”

 

“It's a date, isn't it?” Retaw bluntly interrupted and looked up. “She asked me out on a date?”

 

“It certainly sounds like it,” Chris replied, honestly. He shifted a little in his chair. “Do you want it to be a date?”

 

Retaw nodded almost instantly, which surprised himself a bit. Not the answer, just his quickness to respond. “Yes, I would like very much for it to be a date.”

 

Chris smiled, but was held back from replying by a snort of laughter coming from Jonny's direction. Chris slowly turned to Jonny and blinked a few times. “What is so funny?” he asked.

 

“Hmm?” Jonny responded, unconvincingly playing dumb. “I don't know you're talking about.”

 

“Jonathan, Walter,” Chris gestured across the table, as if Jonny was unaware of who Retaw was, “likes a girl, and you're laughing at him. It's not easy to like someone and be in a situation where you're not sure if they like you back.”

 

“Sorry,” Jonny said, sinking into his seat a little. He knew that Chris was very sensitive about things of such a nature, but he had trouble holding his laugh back. “It's just... weird, that he would like a girl. A human girl.” He turned to Retaw and said, “Walter, it's good to like someone- better if they like you back- but the thing is... sooner or later, she's going to find out you're not human.”

 

“Oh. I hadn't thought about that,” Retaw muttered. He bowed his head and frowned at the shakers. It seemed like he just wasn't destined for love. Every time an opportunity arose, there was always some problem standing in his way, some obstacle he just couldn't overcome.

 

Then, as if he could read Retaw's mind, Chris said, “Don't give up, Walter. Maybe she won't mind, or if she does, you'll find someone else who doesn't mind...” Chris paused, probably thinking of how dumb that sounded, but he spoke with so much passion that Retaw didn't mind if his words hardly made sense. “The point is, you can't give up looking for that one person. And when you find them, tell them as soon as possible. Don't wait three years.”

 

“Three years?” Jonny repeated, sounding rather surprised. Chris quickly gave him a look that said Forget about it, then continued his speech to Retaw.

 

“You will find someone, I promise.” He shrugged, “Maybe it'll take a while, but you will. I know you will.”

 

“Thank you,” Retaw quietly said, and Chris nodded.

 

“Walter, what exactly did you want help with?” Jonny asked. Retaw was silent for a few moments, and he pushed the salt and pepper shakers into their original positions.

 

“I need to know how to act on a date. I thought maybe one of you could teach me before tonight,” he replied. He looked back and forth between Chris and Jonny. Jonny turned to Chris, too, and Chris snorted.

 

“Don't look at me,” he laughed, putting his hands out in front of him and backing his chair away. Jonny chuckled and turned back to Retaw.

 

“Fine, Walter, I'll help you.”

 

“Thank you, Jonathan,” Retaw beamed. He clapped his hands together and jumped up from his seat. “So, where do we start?”

 

Jonny shot a look at Chris with a little bit of hope that he'd get at least a speck of help, but Chris was just staring blankly at him. Then he gave a smile, sort of smug, but also sort of encouraging, and Jonny rolled his eyes and stood up with Retaw.

 

“First things first,” Jonny said, clasping Retaw's shoulder and leading him out of the room. “We need to work on your wardrobe.”

 

“My wardrobe?” Retaw repeated as they walked to Chris and Jonny's room.

 

“Yes. You see,” Jonny began, “some girls like that redneck look, and maybe the girl you're going with likes it, but it's not really the sort of attire you want to wear to an 'art thing.' After all, you want her to think you have class, right? I mean, you do have class, so you want it to show.”

 

“And wearing different clothes will do that?” Retaw asked. Jonny nodded. “Interesting.”

 

Jonny and Retaw stopped in front of the closet filled with mostly Jonny's clothes, as Chris only had a few select outfits that he wore. “Now, Chris doesn't have many clothes, so most of these are mine. But I know for a fact that there are somewhere in here some really, really nice-looking clothes that Chris refuses to ever wear. You can borrow some of them for tonight.”

 

“Chris won't mind?”

 

Jonny shook his head, “He probably doesn't remember owning them. The last time I saw him wear anything that was really fancy was when we got married.”

 

“Oh, OK.” Jonny searched through a pile of clothes that were shoved into the corner of the closet, and pulled out a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt. It was a bit wrinkled, but had no imperfections otherwise.

 

“Here, try this on,” Jonny said, handing the shirt to Retaw. “I'll try to find some pants, too.”

 

Retaw observed the shirt as he held it out in front of him. He thought it might look good on him, and that thought sent his excitement soaring. Date or not, he was just happy to be spending time with Logella. And if he could look stunning while doing so, then that was even better.

 

The Outside

 

 

 

 

Guy sighed.

 

The mansion echoed the footsteps of maids walking up and down the halls. Guy sank down in the arm chair that was three times his size.

 

Guy was spoiled rotten. He was thin and bony, sour, and talked like an old man. He had no friends, all he knew was his maid, Carol. There were other maids and gardeners or chefs, but Carol was sent to see him most. The older maids didn't have time to take care of he.

 

Carol was a sixteen year old girl and was ever so kind. She would always talk on and on about her brother and how Guy would probably love to see him sometime. But he never went outside the mansion.

 

Guy had never been outside the mansion and always fell ill. On another note, he wouldn't be able to last a minute outside on his own, he can't do as much as put on his own shoes! As said before, spoiled rotten.

 

-----

 

"Oh Guy, it's such a lovely day," Carol threw open the curtains, allowing the sunshine to fly into Guy's bedroom. "Why don't you go outside?"

 

He shielded his eyes from the light, "I don't want to!"

 

Carol sighed. "Guy, you don't what your missing do ya'?"

 

Guy disagreed. What more is out there than there is in here? He thought. "Apparently not."

 

Carol sat beside the edge of the bed and faced him. "You are an eleven year old boy, Guy. When you are elven, there are so many different things ya' can achieve outside this house. You can stand tall, go on your own, do whatever would please you!" Carol sang as the birds chirped outside the window.

 

"I don't know my way around here!" He was stubborn. "I'm completely lost on my own." He admitted.

 

Carol smiled at him. "You should meet me brotha'. He tumbles about the moor all day. He is twelve, about your age, yeah? He's a kind lad. Animals like him. He made friends with one of the wild horses around the moor and now she follows him everywhere."

 

Guy had never had a pet of his own, He thought he would like to have one. Maybe meeting this boy wouldn't be such a bad idea. He thought to himself.

 

"What is his name?"

 

Carol turned away from him and walked towards the window. "His name be Jon. Jonny Buckland."

 

 

 

 

Don't worry, there is much more to this. :heart:

for kyra's challenge...

 

bah baaaaaah!

 

dah dah dah dah dahhhh *xylophone*

 

 

"Chris, uh, I'm not so sure about this!" Jonny said in his tiny, nasally voice.

 

"Oh, come on, Jonny, it's not so bad," Chris replied in his squeaky voice.

 

"But what if I fall?" Jonny worried. He nervously fidgeted with his fingers, and Chris stumbled over and put his hand on Jonny's shoulder.

 

"It's OK, Jonny, would I ever let anything bad happen to you?"

 

"I guess not." Chris smiled, then turned to Will and Guy.

 

"OK, guys, let's do this!" Will and Guy nodded, then Guy climbed up on Will's back. They wobbled a bit, but the counter next to them kept them from tumbling. Then Chris climbed on top of Guy, and patiently waited for Jonny.

 

But Jonny was still frightened. He just stood in front of Will, looking up at where Chris was. It was a long way up, and consequently a long way down. The already established baby tower didn't look stable as it was, and surely adding him to the mix would only make things worse. And he didn't want it to be his fault if any of them got hurt.

 

"Come on, Jonny, we don't have all day!" Will cried. "My shoulders are starting to hurt."

 

"Jonny, it's OK!!" Chris shouted from all the way up. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"

 

Jonny looked up at Chris and sighed. Then he said to himself, "Come on, Buckland, don't be such a baby... oh, wait... Come on, Buckland, don't be such a scardey-cat. Be brave, like Chris. He's not afraid of anything!" He looked back at Chris again and shouted, "OK, I'm coming!!"

 

He clambered over Will and Guy and nearly fell as he climbed on top of Chris. The stack of babies was really wobbling, so Jonny reached onto the counter as quickly as he could. He grabbed the precious jar and started to climb down, but as he reached Guy, the babies all tumbled to the ground.

 

The jar laid in between Chris and Jonny, and as Jonny tried to sit up, he started to cry.

 

"I'm sorry, guys!! I told you I didn't want to do it!"

 

"It's OK, Jonny," Chris said, walking over and hugging Jonny. "You did good. Look, we got it!" Chris went to reach for the jar, but another hand grabbed it before he could.

 

"Ah ha!" a voice said. Chris looked up to find the hand's owner.

 

"Phil!" he gasped. "Go away!"

 

"I don't think so," Phil sneered. He picked up the jar and opened the lid. It was almost completely filled with cookies. He took one out and munched on it. As he talked, he spit cookie crumbs at Chris. "Looks like you dumb babies are good for something after all!"

 

"Phil, why are you so mean?" Chris cried.

 

"Because, it's much funner this way," Phil laughed. He walked away, still holding the jar that the babies had worked so hard to retrieve.

 

"Man, that Phil is a jerk," Guy said. The other three babies all nodded their heads and agreed.

 

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Will asked.

 

"I know!" Chris exclaimed. "Let's go play Reptar!!"

 

The babies are squealed with delight, and ran off to their playpen.

 

 

 

 

:awesome:

For Kyra's challenge:

 

The Playground

 

 

 

"Man, school sucks," Chris said to Jonny as they sat on the playground.

Jonny nodded as he ate his sandwich.

"My teacher is mean," Chris said, nibbling on his chocolate bar.

"Who do you have this term?" Jonny asked.

"That one...you know...Miss Lestrade."

"Oohhh," Jonny said as he made kissing noises.

Chris blushed and knocked Jonny's hat off.

"Everybody thinks she is good looking," Jonny said, smiling with his bright green eyes.

Suddenly, Chris was lying on the ground.

Jonny looked up in fear.

"Leave him alone," he told the big bully standing over Chris with his shoe planted in the middle of Chris' skinny chest.

"I told you not to come back to school until you get a haircut, Martin," the bully said.

Chris was wriggling back and forth and was unable to remove the big foot from his body.

"I can't help it," Chris said, "My mum..she likes my hair lke this."

The bully laughed hysterically as he crossed his arms and mimicked Chris.

"My mum likes it," he said.

"Let's go," one of the bully's friends told him, "I am bored with these nerds."

"Not yet," the bully said.

"Oh no," the friend said, "Come on, Guy. Here he comes."

Guy stood up quickly and looked around.

Then he saw the other boy walking slowly toward them.

Guys' eyes flew open and he ran in the opposite direction.

A big, gentle hand reached down and picked Chris up.

"Thanks, Will," Chris said.

Will didn't say anything.

He just handed his dessert cup to Chris and walked away.

Chris looked at it.

"My favorite flavor," he said, excitedly to Jonny, "Strawberry Swing."

"Hey thanks Will!," Chris yelled.

Will turned around and smiled at him.

"He's a nice boy," Chris told Jonny.

Jonny nodded.

"I bet he isn't really as dumb as everyone says," Jonny said.

"Well I don't care if he is dumb," Chris said, "I would rather be him than that nasty Guy any day."

 

 

*Ahem*

Just a little reminder that it's nice to read some real action sometimes.;)

 

REPEATERBEATER

 

 

 

Once upon a time, there was a band. This band consisted of four young, good-looking men. Two of these men are of special importance to this particular story.

 

The first thing you should know about these men is their names. One was named Chris, and the other Jonny. The one called Chris, or Christopher if you prefer, was tall and lanky, with curly golden hair and killer blue eyes.

 

The other man, the one known as Jonny, or Jonathon if that tickles your fancy, was even taller than Chris. He had short blond hair and bright green eyes.

Now these two men, they were friends. And not just plain old friends either. No, these two humans were best friends.

 

They were very close, yes very close indeed. Their closeness led many people to believe that they were more than just friends. More than just best friends even.

 

To the one called Chris and the one called Jonny, this entire notion was completely, utterly, and ridiculously preposterous. Why would they, as friends, as best friends, as people who had been together in the same band and had often shared the same room together and even the same bed, be anything more than just best friends?

 

It was such a crazy thing to think. But yet, some people thought to think it anyhow. The two men, the two best friends, still called Chris and Jonny in case you were wondering, thought the people that thought such things were insane.

 

There was absolutely nothing going on between the two of them. They were simply two best friends. Two best friends that were happy when they were together, who were sad when they were apart. Two best friends who were laughing nonstop whenever the other was near, but if the other was not near, they would wear the most serious of expressions.

 

Chris and Jonny were just two young men who just happened to be each other's best friend. And if when one touched the other's hand or looked into he other's eyes and felt their heart skip or their stomach flip well that was just a part of being friends for so long.

 

Surely that must be it. What else could it possibly be? Certainly there was not any physical attraction involved. None whatsoever. The fact that each of them would begin to sweat when the other one was near and suddenly become nervous and begin to stutter, that was just, well, they must have had too much to drink the previous night. Or maybe they just hadn't been getting enough sleep lately.

 

That had to be the case. And certainly they were not drinking to get constant thoughts of the other one out of their mind, or losing sleep do to those kinds of thoughts. No, that wouldn't make any sense. It could not possibly be logical. Best friends could not like each other in such a way.

 

Or is like the correct word? Perhaps love is more accurate? No, of course not. Hah. Now that is truly ridiculous. Love was definitely not the word to use.

 

Really, how could it be? Jonny and Chris were just best friends. Best friends who thought about each other all of the time. Who just happened to notice when the other's eyes hit the light in just the right way and made them shine. And who also happened to notice when the other was wearing a shirt that was stretched just a tad bit tightly over their chest.

 

Or, even more commonly, happened to notice when the other was not wearing a shirt at all, it being the middle of summer and all. And boy does that Beehive get hot in the summer. Yes indeed. Is it hot in there, or is it just them? Well certainly it's not just them.

 

No, everybody in the place is sweating. Oh wait, they aren't? A new air conditioner, just installed last week, keeps the temperature in the sixties at all times? Well that's odd. Very odd indeed. Then why all of the sweating?

 

Certainly not because the one man was watching the other man looking at him, and vice versa. And because both of them were shirtless, because damn it, it is WARM in there! And because each man's eyes were staring at the other with longing.

 

Longing, no that cannot be. What? Lust you say? What are you mad? Clearly you are off of your rocker sir, you need to get that brain of yours checked out. Everything you are saying is absolute rubbish.

 

Don't you roll your eyes at me. Just because they happened to both need to use the bathroom at the same time does not mean a thing. Not one single solitary thing. Like mentioned previously, it is very hot in the Beehive. They obviously had just been drinking a lot of water, to stay hydrated. You've always got to be wary of dehydration in such heat.

 

Would you please SHUT UP about the air conditioning already! It's broken. It must be broken. Clearly it is broken, or else why would they be so warm?

 

By the way, just so you know, if they happened to enter the bathroom at the same time, and happened to turn off the lights, well that just means that they are trying to conserve electricity. And time as well. Time is money after all.

 

And if it just so happened, that while they are in said bathroom in the dark, that their lips happen to meet, well that is purely accidental. These things happen. Certainly it would also be accidental if one of them were to strip the other's trousers off. Remember, it is dark. Who knows what can happen when you are practically blind.

 

And if the one who is already stripped happened to take off the pants of the one who is still wearing them, then that is just a crazy coincidence. Two accidents in a row, who would have guessed it? But these things happen.

 

If they happened to be standing there, kissing and pants-less in the dark of a small bathroom, and somehow their bodies ended up pressed against each other, you just need to know that it could happen to anyone. Little accidents like that.

 

And suppose they went further than that, purely accidental mind you. Well, then that would just be alright. Because of course these little mishaps are just a part of life.

 

Another common accident? Forgetfulness. And look here, it seems that some details were left out of this little tale. Terribly sorry. Perhaps you wanted a better description of what went on? Well, sorry about that. Next time maybe.

 

 

 

This is a response to one of them challenges. It's a little late but better late than never I always say. :lol:

 

January 28th

 

 

“It’s time!!!!!! :dance:” shouted Jonny from the sitting room.

“Chris, it’s that time of the year again!!! I had completely forgotten!” Jonny ran into the recording studio, almost tripping over the various wires scattered about the room. Jonny and Chris were the only ones in the recording studio, Will couldn’t make it because his great Aunt Hilda’s cat was stuck in a tree and he had to get it down, Will is a very horrible tree climber and Aunt Hilda has a very tall tree, he’d be a while. And Guy? Well Guy had to go be handsome somewhere and who knows how long that would take.

 

“I’m a little busy here Jonny boy.” said Chris, attacking a piece of paper with a sharpie in hand. Jonny was all to excited and didn’t pay attention to what Chris had just said, although he was a little taken back by Chris actually using a piece of paper this time.

 

“Chris how could you be writing at a time like this?! Don’t you know what day it is?!!! :stunned: ” said Jonny, not able to contain his excitement at all.

“Christmas?!!! :cheesy: ” said Chris, who’s face lit up like a very bright light bulb.

“No…… :\ ”

“Oh…. :sad2: ”

“It’s even better than Christmas Chris! :awesome: ”

“What?! Nuh uh! What is it?! :dance: ”

“January 28th!!! :smug: ”

“….. Yes… keep going….”

“That’s it! Isn’t it wonderful?! :cheesy: ”

“It would be… if I knew what exactly you were talking about Jon…. :confused:” said Chris, he was thoroughly confused.

“What? Don’t you remember? Today is the day we had our very first kiss. :D” said Jonny.

“No we didn-” and before Chris could even finish his sentence Jonny placed both his hands on Chris’ lovely face and a kissed him. Chris didn’t even know what had happened until it was over and stared at Jonny in disbelief. Jonny’s cheeks were red and he had taken an interest in the floorboards. After a long moment of silence Chris finally said:

“Jonny….”

“Yeah?”

“Am I dreaming? :thinking:”

“No.”

“Good. :dozey: ” Chris grabbed Jonny by his shirt and kissed him hard. The kiss was like nothing either man had ever felt before. It was hard and aggressive, filled with love and lust, and it said what neither man could ever say with words. After the kiss there was no sound that could be heard in the room besides heavy breathing. Jonny had his forehead against Chris’ and both of them were looking deep into the other eyes.

Suddenly there was the sound of a key turning and a door opening. They both separated quickly just as Guy entered the room.

“Hey guys! I’m back from being handsome! Ok well, it’s actually a full time job but….. Hey! Where’s Will?”

“He’s uh….rescuing a cat from a tree. :uneasy: ” answered Chris.

“Again? His aunt really needs to get a leash for that thing! :laugh3: What time is it? Oh shit! House is on! Where‘s the remote? :inquisitive: ” said Guy as he searched the room quickly.

“Oh yeah!… uh…. I’ll help you find it, go look for it... somewhere else.... I'll look around here.” said Chris as he pretended to look for the remote. Guy shrugged and left the room. Once he was sure Guy had left the room Chris gave Jonny a quick kiss on the cheek.

 

“Let’s not tell anyone about this.” :dozey:

 

 

C&J in the same bed, ooh!

Day 4/Night 4/Morning 5

 

 

There were a lot of people there, as expected, graduates and their families, friends, families' friends, and friends' families. Having a last name very close to the beginning of the alphabet, it was not long before Melissa was called up.

 

She looked terrifically stunning on this particular day, which she was glad about, since she'd taken so long to make herself look terrifically stunning. He might have done it regardless, but Guy kept his eye on her the entire length of the ceremony. She really was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. Will glanced at him every now and then with a bit of contempt, but Guy just couldn't look away.

 

When all was said and done, Melissa walked over to the group and was instantly hugged by her crying mother. Melissa was crying a little bit, too, as was Chris. But no one was paying attention to Chris, anyway.

 

Will gave them both pats on the back in a very manly way, and shot more threatening looks at Guy, who was trying to get in on the emotional hug. Jonny stood back from all this, not wanting to cause a fuss, and Chris stood by him, trying to conceal his quiet weeping.

 

"They grow up too fast, huh?" Jonny muttered to Chris. Chris looked at him and smiled.

 

"Yeah, they do. I remember when she was afraid of even starting high school." He chuckled and added, "I remember when I was afraid of starting high school."

 

"I remember... when I met you. And you were afraid of picking the wrong major and screwing up your life."

 

"Oh, I'm still afraid of that." Jonny laughed a little, and though Chris was being serious, hearing Jonny laugh made him feel better.

 

"Don't worry, even if you did pick the wrong major, you still won't screw up your life." Chris was giving him an odd look, so he continued, "You could be a singer or something."

 

"Really, you think I could be a singer?" Jonny nodded his head, and Chris tried to smile, but his lips trembled. "Jonny, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Chris turned his head to hide, because he was afraid that he was going to completely break down.

 

Will called to them to leave and head for the car, and they did so, quickly catching up with the rest of the party. They'd actually taken two cars, since there were so many of them, so Chris and Jonny sat in Will's car with Will and Guy, while Mrs. Champion and Melissa drove off in another car. It was a short drive back to the Champion place, probably around ten minutes.

 

Chris talked the entire time. No one was even sure that he was talking about anything in particular, but he found a way to ramble for the whole ten minutes. Just before Will pulled the car into the driveway, Guy turned around and snapped at him. It didn't work, though, so he shot a look at Jonny. Jonny silently nodded, then slowly lifted his arm.

 

Chris let out a squeal as Jonny's finger jabbed him in the stomach. He looked at Jonny, mouth open, and just stared disbelievingly for a few seconds. "Anyway, there was this thing that I saw in a magazine one time, and it said that it wasn't really true at all, but I'm not entirely convinced, because then I saw this other magazine where it said the first magazine got it's information wrong, and that it was true. Then there was this third magazine that said they were both wrong, and I'm not sure how that works, since one of them has to be right if they're both saying the opposite of what the other is saying, right? I mean, it's only-"

 

The proceeding laughter was more of a screech, and was the result of Jonny trying to tickle Chris to death. Chris's legs were flailing all over the place, as much as they could with the space limit, anyway. His arms were busy swatting at Jonny, but to no avail.

 

"Jonny!!!!" Chris laughed, but Jonny didn't stop. "Fine, I'll shut up!"

 

Jonny paused thoughtfully, went, 'hmmmm,' then continued to torture Chris. As nearly painful as it was being tickled, Chris actually loved it. It sounded immensely dirty, even in his own mind, but he loved Jonny's touch. Guy turned back in his seat, almost regretting silently asking Jonny to stop Chris. Chris's laughter was getting to the point where it was too loud and plentiful, and not much better than his speaking.

 

Luckily, the car stopped, and Guy was free of the insufferable personality contained within Chris. Guy flung the door open with great speed, and sprinted out of the car, nearly forgetting to close the door when he was finished exiting the giant hunk of metal. Will left, too, though much more gracefully, and Chris and Jonny stayed behind.

 

"OK, I think that's enough," Jonny said once he'd stopped. "Let's go back inside." He and Chris climbed out of the car and began to slowly walk to the house. It was a lovely and warm day, so they tried to enjoy the weather for as long as they could.

 

"Ah, why can't every day be as nice as this one?" Chris was smiling at the clear blue sky, then at Jonny. His eyes sparkled with the vitality they always had, but there was also something else in them. Something new, and something completely breathtaking.

 

"Because then there would be no bad days to compare it to, and then it would just seem boring instead of nice," Jonny smartly replied, and Chris smiled brighter.

 

"Jonny, how are you so smart all the time?"

 

"What do you mean?" Jonny laughed. Chris kicked at some of the dirt below his feet.

 

"I mean, how are you so smart all the time? You're always thinking. Before you speak, unlike myself." Chris sighed. "With me, it's always act first, think later."

 

"That's not a bad thing, though," Jonny reassured him. "You'll have a lot more adventures in life than I will because you don't always take the time to think first."

 

"I'd rather be smart than adventurous," Chris muttered. He stood still, and Jonny stopped with him. "I wish I were like you, Jonny. Or I wish I were you."

 

Jonny didn't expect Chris to say such a thing, but it was so sweet and kind, especially with the cute, loving voice Chris used to speak. "Really?"

 

"Yes, of course." Chris smiled and started to walk again. "Did you know, Jonny, that you're not just my best friend, you're my hero, too?"

 

"I am?" Jonny was just getting hit with shocking information all over the place. He and Chris had been friends for a few years, and they were certainly close, but he didn't realize that Chris thought that highly of him.

 

"Definitely." Jonny had a feeling that Chris meant to say more than just that, but before he had a chance, he was being called by Melissa, who had just returned to the house. He walked over to her, and she began to arrange his singing for the party the following day.

 

-

 

Jonny was in the room not two seconds before Chris's tongue was in his mouth. He did thoroughly enjoy it, at least.

 

"That's a little forward, isn't it?" Jonny laughed as he rested his forehead against Chris's.

 

"No, forward would have been me already clothes-less when you got in here," Chris replied in a whisper. "But I didn't want to rob you of any sort of fun."

 

Jonny smiled as Chris tauntingly bit his lip. "Well, thank you. But, uh," Jonny reached out and grabbed a handful of Chris's shirt, "does that mean we're past going slow?"

 

"We could still go slow," Chris said, dragging out the word "slow" in such a sexily uttered way that Jonny thought he might drop dead right then and there, "after all, we've got all night."

 

Jonny gathered some oxygen and leaned forward to kiss Chris, but he was interrupted. He quickly let go of Chris's shirt as Chris took a step back, and he turned to answer the door. It was Will.

 

"Jonny, follow me," Will said, then abruptly walked away.

 

"Uh...OK," Jonny sarcastically replied, shot a confused look at Chris, then followed Will.

 

Chris figured that while Jonny was gone, he'd lay down in the bed and wait. There wasn't really much else for him to do, and he wanted to keep his earlier statement of not ruining Jonny's fun true. So, he just stared at the ceiling and waited for Jonny to return. After what seemed like an eternity, the bedroom door finally opened.

 

"Hey, Jo-" Chris turned his head to the door, and had begun to sit up when he came upon the knowledge that he was sadly mistaken. "Guy, what are you-"

 

"Will doesn't want to share a room or bed with me anymore," Guy said, casually strolling into the room. "So, I'm bunking with you now."

 

"And Jonny's sharing with Will?" Chris asked, trying to hide his disappointment. Guy grunted affirmatively, and Chris's heart sank a little. "OK."

 

"Hey, man, you got the better end of the deal," Guy consoled, and Chris knew his emotions were showing too much. "Will is such a blanket hog."

 

"Oh. Good thing I got you, then." Chris was really, really trying to sound relieved, but he felt like it was coming out more as indifferent. Guy hadn't noticed, or just wasn't paying much attention to Chris, so it went out the window anyway.

 

Guy jumped onto the bed, and while he was a petite man, he ended up sending Chris about four inches into the air. Chris sighed, refraining from whining while doing so. He could already tell he was not going to enjoy this new sleeping arrangement.

 

-

 

Those were Jonny's footsteps Chris was hearing. It was his slippers, they'd always made that weird scratching noise. Sometimes Chris would wake up early in the morning and hear that sound, and he figured out after a while that it happened only when Jonny walked from his bedroom to the bathroom, and the other way around. It was actually comforting after a while, and this time was no exception. Plus, Chris could just feel Jonny's presence inching towards him.

 

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Chris asked even before Jonny had made himself known. Jonny sat down beside him and stared out into the yard.

 

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Chris eyed Jonny and shook his head.

 

"I couldn't sleep."

 

"At all?" Chris shook his head again, and Jonny sighed sympathetically. "I got, like, maybe an hour or two."

 

"Guy told me that it was Will who took the blankets. He was wrong." Jonny opened his eyes alarmingly wide.

 

"No, Will does," he said. "I don't think he was even asleep before he wrapped himself in the entire thing."

 

"It was the same way with Guy!" Chris exclaimed. His face lit up for a second, then returned to a saddened state. "I hate not being able to sleep with you, Jonny. And not in that way... well, not just in that way."

 

"Yeah, me too," Jonny quietly agreed. He looked back out at the yard, and saw a tiny bit of light emanating from the horizon. "So, why'd you come out here, anyway? Are you planning on watching the sunrise or something?"

 

"Well, I figured since I'm already out here, I may as well. But I just didn't want to stay inside anymore."

 

"Ah. I heard you walking- well, I don't know, I figured it was you. Just... the way you walk, you make, like, this distinct sound." Jonny decided that he was rambling and turned to Chris. Rambling or not, though, Chris was listening intently and watching Jonny with his sparkling eyes. "And then I waited a few minutes and decided to come find you."

 

"Cool," Chris replied, rather honestly despite the indifference the phrase gave off. He motioned toward the sky. "Would you like to watch the sunrise with me, Jonny?"

 

"Yeah." Chris smiled brightly, and Jonny couldn't help smiling in return.

 

"Listen, Jonny, I was thinking..." Chris began after a few moments of silence. "We're only here for another two days, and I don't see that we'll get the chance to be together again. But, you know, we do share an apartment. You don't always have to sleep in your room."

 

Jonny carefully examined Chris. "Right."

 

"You don't have to sleep in my room, either," Chris calmly continued. "Or, if you want, we could sleep in the same bed, but not do anything. You sleep on one side, I'll sleep on the other, and that's it. Just sleep. That's fine. Or we could talk. That's fine, too."

 

"Thanks." Chris quickly glanced around, then gently kissed Jonny.

 

"I like kissing you, Jonny," Chris whispered, and Jonny laughed a little.

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah. I get, like, this tingly-ness," Chris replied, wiggling his fingers around. "But I get that sometimes even when we're just sitting like this. Like now, I can feel it," Chris innocently said, but he was soon struck with a realization. He let his hands fall into his lap and raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean I'm in love with you?"

 

"Um, I-I don't know," Jonny nervously stuttered. He wrung his hands and searched on the ground for some invisible distraction.

 

"Jonny, it's all right if you're not in love with me, too." Jonny looked at Chris and tried to pretend that he didn't know what Chris was talking about, but it was no use.

 

Jonny sighed. "It is?"

 

"Well, yeah." Chris's eyes glittered with warmth. The sun was a little higher in the sky now, and was bathing them both in orange. "As long as we're still best friends, I don't care what does or doesn't happen between us."

 

"All right," Jonny said in a hushed voice. He moved over a little bit closer to Chris, and wrapped his arm around the other man. Chris smiled and rested his head on Jonny's shoulder.

 

"I've never been in love before," Chris mused as they both watched the sun slowly trudge up the horizon. "So I don't really know what it's like. I don't think I have, anyway. I guess, then, that I also don't know now if I am. But I do like you more than I've ever liked anyone else before."

 

"I like you, too," Jonny said, secretly relishing the feel of Chris's long curls hitting his skin. "I think I've liked you for a while, actually, but I was afraid to. 'Cause I didn't know how you'd feel about that, and I didn't want to risk anything."

 

"You were afraid, but you were sleeping on me in the car the other day." Jonny rolled his eyes up, scanning his memory for such an event. He quickly remembered it, then quickly wished he hadn't.

 

"I guess I was, huh? Maybe I was letting myself like you, then..." Jonny looked down at Chris. "I can't believe you remember that. You were asleep before I was, and you only woke up a minute before I did."

 

"I remember everything, Jonnyboy," Chris grinned. "Like, I remember how pretty you look in the sunrise. Because I was watching you the other morning, after I had already woken up and couldn't get back to sleep, and the sun was rising, and you were very pretty. That sounds creepy, doesn't?"

 

"A little," Jonny laughed.

 

"Well, just think of it as platonic. Then it's not so creepy." Chris paused for a moment, and swirled his eyes around. "No, it's still kinda creepy... Oh well. Hey, Jonny, guess what!"

 

"What?" Chris sat up, and Jonny let his arm fall to his side.

 

"I get to sing today," Chris beamed. "Melissa wants me to sing Don't Stop Believing."

 

Jonny chuckled. "She would."

 

"Jonny, will you be there with me?" Chris asked. "I'm kinda nervous about it."

 

"Yeah, of course I'll be there," Jonny replied.

 

"I mean, like, will you stand next to me while I'm singing? You're the only person who doesn't make me feel self-conscious when I sing." Jonny ran his eyes over Chris's face. He looked almost frightened, like a wee little kid on their first day of kindergarten. He really wasn't in love with Chris, and he felt kinda bad about that, but he certainly liked him a hell of a lot.

 

"Yeah, absolutely. I'll always be there for you, Chris." Chris nearly teared up as he smiled, and he could feel his heart swell. It was love, definitely.

 

 

tangled

 

 

 

or Tangled, for katie :P

 

 

 

 

 

I had my fingers on the piano keys, just resting while my mind tried to pull together some sort of action for them to execute. Everything was silent, except for the sound of two pairs of lungs working strenuously and unceasingly to keep their owners filled with oxygen. I kept my eyes down, but I could sense Jonny's movement as he walked closer to the piano.

 

I pressed a few of my fingers down, and the resulting sound was similar to someone vomiting. I thought so, anyway. So, I moved my fingers over to some other keys, and hit those ones. It wasn't much better.

 

Jonny strummed a chord. I looked up from the keys. He strummed it again, then looked at me. I tried to mimic the sound with the piano. It took a few times, and he replayed it to help. Once I got it, music just started to flow. It came from somewhere inside me- my soul, maybe, or my heart- and spread out to my fingertips, infecting the piano as well.

 

It sounded lovely. I looked at Jonny and played it again. Then I played it a third time. He accompanied me, picking some strings every now and then. I watched him working out some sort of deal with the guitar, and I hardly noticed that my fingers had begun to play the little tune once more.

 

Jonny struck the guitar more confidently this time, and much more often. His riffs nearly drowned out my ballad in some parts, but that wasn't a problem. Our tired minds and musically bewitched hands were joining forces to construct a most magnificent harmony. We were each in our own little world.

 

Then we stopped playing. Jonny and I stared at each other. Before I knew it, more music was playing. But it sounded so distant, and so close at the same time. I knew it was coming from me, but I couldn't believe that it was. I had no control over my hands, and I kinda liked it that way.

 

My eyes moved with Jonny's body as he walked around the piano and sat next to me on the bench. He bent his head down briefly to fix his fingers on some of the frets. My fingers kept moving without my permission and without wanting to stop. Jonny attached his gaze to mine. The piano started to sound more heavily and my hands increased their rapidity. Jonny's fingers took control over his guitar, too.

 

The room vibrated with the coexistence of guitar and piano, two instruments colliding their spirits together. Really, it was Jonny and I who were the instruments. We were being played by so many things, least of all the piano and guitar. My hands were moving, but I wasn't moving them. This raw emotion inside of me, it was moving them. And the emotion just kept spilling into every tiny particle of space in my body that it could, pumping my heart more quickly with every second that passed. My hands moved with my heart, and the music played louder and faster.

 

Jonny was clenching his jaw. The emotion was taking him over, too. His fingers gracefully slid over the neck of the guitar, producing the most amazing melody I've ever heard. I was drowning, basking in its stunning waters, and I didn't want to be saved. I let it wash over me, cleansing me of everything that felt wrong.

 

All that was left felt right. So, I let myself be taken away into this world where existed only Jonny and I, and the music. It was distant in our ears, but so close in our hearts. In fact, it was our hearts- beating and chiming and expressing everything without fear. And as the guitar and piano had collided, so Jonny and I became one. One unstoppable, unbreakable bond that strengthened with every minute, every heavy breath inhaled and exhaled and repeated until it was even heavier, even deeper than ever before.

 

And then my hands pounded the keys and stopped. Instantaneously, Jonny's hands stopped. We stared for only a second longer, then I turned away.

 

As the last echo of our music rang its farewell, I looked around the room and tried to slow my heartbeat.