Jared's Just a Friend Ch. 01

// Hello everyone! This is my first time submitting, although I have been a reader for some years now. I can't wait to see how you all receive this story. Please, let me know if it is worth continuing as well as any other comments that will help me develop my writing. I hope you enjoy! //

*

I took the stairs two steps at a time, huffing like the Big Bad Wolf the whole time. I hated that David lived off campus, I hated that his apartment's elevator was down for maintenance, and I hated that David lived on the fifth floor. I wasn't exactly out of shape, but it had been some time since I had last hit the gym. I resolved to get back to working it after finals.

When I finally reached David's door I collapsed against it heavily. I heard his squeaky voice on the other side, "Who's out there?"

"Josef." I huffed out.

He started the process of unlocking all his bolts, but I was powerless to stand away from the door. As soon as David pulled it open I fell inside. His ruddy face appeared over mine with barely concealed laughter.

"The elevator's down again, isn't it?"

I could only groan in response as I turned over onto my hands and knees. I looked up and felt my chest constrict. I was staring into the most captivating blue eyes I had ever seen. David caught and followed my gaze to the newcomer.

"Oh, hey Jared, this is Josef. Jared's been coming to my finals study group. I figured the guys would want a little break, so I invited them over to chill."

His slight frame remained just beyond the foyer, one hand on the wall as if he were afraid I would sweat all over him. He nodded his acknowledgement of my presence before turning and walking away. Of course, my eyes trailed his every move until he was out of sight.

"Are you done undressing him yet?" David's voice broke in.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "But, you know he's just my type."

"I know. I'm hoping he'll distract you enough to let me beat you at Mario Kart tonight."

I patted his shoulder. "In your dreams, bud. No one beats Waluigi."

As the night progressed, I tried to keep my cool, but found my eyes always straying to a certain blue-eyed beauty. He mostly stayed on the fringe of the action. David was able to get him in on at least one round of Mario Kart against the reigning champ (the champ being me, of course). He was surprisingly good. I still won, of course, but I didn't sweep the board like usual. He revealed a cutely dimpled smile when everyone commended him for making me sweat first place. I found myself rising to stand in front of him. He peered up at me from beneath his dark curls, confusion written across his face.

"A worthy opponent is always appreciated. We seem to be lacking that around these parts." I chuckled amid the booing from the sore losers.

The laughter that spilled from his lips made my insides flutter. He grasped my hand in a firm shake.

"Same to you," his surprisingly deep voice flowed through me. "Although, next time, I won't go so easy on you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Go easy on me, huh? From what I recall you couldn't hold first place for more than five seconds."

My comment sparked a heated round of trash talking through the night. I vaguely remember the controllers being snatched from our hands, but I was more than a little lost to Jared's blazing eyes. Each time we cooled to watch the others or grab a bite to eat I couldn't help but dig at him one more time, just so I could watch his face flush from the impassioned back and forth that was sure to follow. I couldn't help but imagine his face flushing under more intimate conditions.

By the end of the night I had snagged a promise from Jared to a rematch after finals. He had two more tests to go before he'd be free. The other guys from the study group opted to accept David's invitation to crash for the night, but not Jared.

"I had some note cards I wanted to finish tonight. I didn't plan on staying so long."

While everyone wished him a good night I followed him to the door.

"Can I walk you to your car?" I questioned.

"I walked here from the dorms."

"I did too. We can walk back together. Safety in numbers."

He looked at me curiously for a moment before shrugging. My heartbeat kicked up a little at the prospect of being alone with him. Then I remembered how many stairs I was about to take on again.

Jared was decidedly less sweaty after we left David's building. He was kind enough to walk slowly while I tried to catch my breath. The chilly night air felt electrifying as it cooled my skin. Although, that could've been from walking beside a guy I was insanely attracted to. I wasn't entirely sure.

I watched Jared out of the corner of my eyes. He held his head high and kept his eyes forward. I noticed he was just a little shorter than my own 6 feet, making him the perfect height for kissing. I wondered if his pink lips were as soft as they looked. I watched them move before realizing I hadn't heard a word he'd said. I shook my head.

"What'd you say?"

"I said, it seems like someone should spend less time trash talking other people about games and more time in the gym." He commented lightly.

My eyes cut over to his smug face. "I could bench twice your weight at the gym."

"So, you're an all strength and no cardio type of guy? I hate to think about how little endurance you have."

Is he flirting with me? I wondered.

Daringly, I sidled up next to him and whispered, "If you want to know how long I can last, I can show you."

His cheeks reddened instantly. "No, I'm sure you can last long enough." I laughed as he blushed even harder. "I mean, I'm sure you have great endurance. Maybe you're just a little too used to watching people race rather than hitting the track yourself."

I was silently thankful that he took my teasing so well. I decided to go a little further.

"Maybe if I had a coach that looked as good as you I'd feel more motivated to hit the track."

"I'm sure you would." He replied demurely. I watched the blush creep down to his neck.

All too soon we reached the dorms. I found out he was only a few doors down. When I asked how it was I had never seen him before today he said it was because he only went out for a run at dawn, classes right after, then secluded himself in his room to study. I decided I would make time during the week to visit him.

Jared touched his doorknob before turning to me. "It was nice meeting you, Josef."

I put on my most sensual smile. "The night doesn't have to end here, y'know."

He smiled back and shook his head. "For me it does." He chuckled at my pout. "I'll see you around."

"See you around."

Only after he went into his room did I enter mine. I leaned against the door with a heavy sigh. My roommate looked over at me from where he was sat at the desk pouring over a textbook. I clapped his shoulder on the way to my bed. I dropped onto it and kicked off my shoes. I called out a "goodnight" before burying my head in my pillows and drifting off to sleep.

Since I didn't have class the next day I slept in a little longer than usual. When I did wake up the sun was beaming into the empty room. A quick shower later and I was off to run a few errands. I ended up at the mall to pick up some clothes better suited for the cold. My grumbling stomach demanded I hit the food court before I left; unexpectedly, I spotted David's messy orange hair amidst the crowd. I dropped down at his table with my lunch.

"So," he ventured after I settled down. "Did you and Jared end up having wild monkey sex after you guys left?"

I spat out my drink at that and he started cracking up. I glared at him as I mopped up the remnants of my soda.

"No, you idiot, I just walked him back to the dorms."

"But, you wish you could've had wild monkey sex with him?" David wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"I wish I could unhear you say that," I smiled at the absurdity of his phrasing. "But, yeah, it crossed my mind once or twice."

"Once or twice, huh? We could all tell you were devouring him in your mind last night."

"Was I that bad?" I winced while I unwrapped my burger. "Fuck, I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable."

"Nah, I think he was too busy yelling at you about karts handling better than bikes to notice."

I smiled, remembering the fire in his eyes last night. David clearing his throat brought me back to the present.

"So, what's your deal? Do you want just one night with him or something more?"

I looked away. "I don't know about anything serious right now."

David tutted. He knew about how my last relationship had wounded me.

"So I don't want to jump back into a relationship so soon, sue me."

"You can't just keep hopping from guy to guy either," David murmured.

"What are you, my mother?"

"Nope, but I am your best friend and I want to see you happy."

I frowned at him before taking a bite of my burger. We finished our meal in silence. I cleared the table before rejoining him with a sigh.

"Look, David, I know you're just looking out for me. And I appreciate it, I do. It's just..."

"You don't want to get hurt again." David finished for me.

I nodded.

"But, you want to be happy too, don't you? Fucking random guys won't heal that hole in your heart."

A chuckle bubbled forth from me even as I thought about how much I hated that he was right.

"Just give Jared a chance, okay? He isn't like Shawn, he knows who he is and what he wants. And he certainly doesn't deserve to be tossed aside after one night."

"Okay, okay. I'll give him a chance, alright?"

"Good, that's what I want to hear," He clapped his hand on the table then rose from his chair. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "More important than helping your best friend sort out his life?"

"Yep. I'm meeting a guy about this sweet 4k monitor for my gaming rig."

Whatever," I laughed. "I don't need your advice anyway. I can manage on my own just fine."

"Sure, bud. Tell Jared I said 'hi' next time you see him."

After we said our goodbyes, I went back to my dorm to think about what David said. It also got me thinking about my last relationship. It had been a year ago, but I thought Shawn and I were in it for the long haul. Or at least, I was.

During the Thanksgiving break he went to visit his parents while I stayed behind. His parents weren't the most open-minded people, and mine weren't around anymore, so we agreed to have our own celebration when he returned. Only, when Shawn came back he was completely different. He was never in his room when I came around and refused to take any of my calls. For the rest of the break I was in limbo, wondering why the hell the man I loved more than anything on this Earth was ignoring me.

I managed to catch him in his room early one morning, though. I was shocked to see his side of the room bare. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head down and his fingers tangled in his hair. A single suitcase lay beside him.

I cleared my throat and his head snapped up at the sound. For a moment, his features were set in a grimace before going stony. He stood up and tugged the suitcase off the bed.

"What's going on, Shawn?" I asked quietly.

The muscles in his jaw bunched as he looked at me.

"My parents helped me see that the lifestyle I was living was wrong. I'm sorry that I put this off for so long, but whatever we had is over."

My blood ran cold even as I felt anger flare within me. "What? What the hell are you talking about? We were just talking about moving off campus together a week ago!"

"I wasn't thinking straight. What we were doing was wrong."

Shawn moved as if to turn away, but I captured his arm in a tight grip.

"And all those times we made love? Was that wrong?" I gripped his arm even tighter. "All those times you told me you loved me?"

The hardness of his face melted away at that. I saw his dark eyes glistening as he stared into mine.

"I'm sorry, Josef, I really am," his eyes flicked downward for a moment. "Remember that night we were texting about apartments in the area? Well, I set my phone down for a second and when I came back my parents were asking why some guy was texting me that he loved me. I couldn't keep it in. I thought they would understand how much you mean to me, but they didn't!" He choked back a sob. "They said if I didn't end whatever was going on between us they'd disown me."

I felt my own eyes sting at the despair in his voice.

"Josef, I can't afford to stay here. I've never even had a job before. I need them."

"No, you don't!" I could tell that I was raising my voice, but I didn't care. "I don't have anyone to help me, but I'm still here. I can help you find a job or a scholarship, or something! We can make this work."

He shook his head. "I'm not as strong as you," He whispered. "I can't handle it."

I drew close and took his face in both hands. He looked up at me, the tears streaking down his face ripping my heart to shreds.

"You won't be alone, Shawn. I'll be by your side every step of the way," I pressed a kiss to his lips. "I would never leave you. We can do this. Together."

His hands came up and rested on my wrists as I brushed his tears away with my thumbs. A sigh escaped his lips. He gently pulled my hands away.

"I'm sorry, Josef. I really am. But, I have to go."

He turned and bent to pick up a suitcase behind him. Shawn made to brush past me, but I pressed my hand against his chest. I tried to memorize the details of his face: the freckles splashed across his nose, the way his brown hair curled behind his ear, the long lashes that rimmed his usually love filled eyes.

The lump in my throat restricted all but four of the words desperate to spring forth.

"I love you."

A pregnant silence followed. His eyes were tightly shut, yet the tears still flowed.

"I love you too." He whispered.

Then, he walked out of my life.