Page 52 of Sorry, We're Closed

His hands cup either side of my face, his fingers wrapping around the sides of my head and tangling in my hair as he crashes his lips into mine. Avory uses a force which I have never felt from him, yet it feels so right. My thighs clench around his waist in an attempt to steady myself from toppling off of the counter, and Avory takes my hint.

One hand weaves its way out of my hair, and he plants it on the counter behind me as he continues to massage my bottom lip between his. An overwhelming heat spreads across my entire body, and I beg to have this shirt and jumper off my skin, Avory's too.Not yet, not here, not ever.I struggle to stop my mind from thinking about us and everything we could do right here, right now. And Avory's tongue slipping into my mouth and dancing with mine does not help that one bit.

Avory has this incredible way of shutting up every single thought that has ever, and will ever, rampage my brain and making him, us, the only thing that can populate my mind.

My hands have no connection to my thoughts as they tug at the hem of his hoodie, yet instead of stripping him of his cosy layer, my hands slither underneath and rest on his warm skin. My fingertips trace and follow the curves and dips of his muscles, and this is all I will allow myself to do. I want to explore every single inch of Avory's body, but that is something that is far out of my reach and something I have little to no experience in. My fingertips continue against his skin until Avory's mouth reluctantly slows and pulls away from mine. Our breathing syncing together – deep and quick – is the only sound which fills our space.

“Sawyer, we clearly aren't ‘friends’.” Avory's lips crash into mine once more, stealing the little breath I have finally captured.

“Well—” I stumble over my next words, because these are words which my lips don't know how to manoeuvre. A language which I don't understand, unless I’m with Avory.

“—Would you possibly sneak a man with a massive attraction to you, who may have thought of more with you, into your guitar case, then?”

Avory pulls back slightly, his eyes drawing lines over my entire being as his face falls still. An instant regret of my words clouds over my mind, not only through the fear of what Avory may say, but because every second I spend with this man, I forget about everything else. The only thing that matters in our world is us, but when our world collapses once again and we have to part ways at that goddamn fire exit door, I'm reminded of everything that has forever revolved and controlled my life.

I don't realise how fast my breathing has become as Avory's thumbs rubs circles across my cheekbones in an attempt to soothe me – it works.

“Sawyer.” He brings his forehead to mine, the tip of his nose brushing against mine briefly. “You'ddefinitelybe a small enough man with a massive attraction to me, who may have thought of more with me to sneak around in my guitar case.”

Avory, who I am incredibly grateful to for understanding the jumble of words which just fell out of mouth, laughs the most gorgeous laugh.

Twenty-Four

Avory

We spend the rest of our time before that fated alarm with our lips pressed together and our hands trailing over each other, as friends with a whole load of attraction towards each other. Why is it so damn hard to ask him for us to be so much more than that?

My heart must have bashed through my ribs and against my chest at the thought that this is really happening. A term which I have never imagined using, and now all I want to do is use it for this gorgeous barista who I merely stumbled upon one day in a foreign town to myself.

I want him as my partner, and I wish for him to feel the same about me.

Partners fit together even in a world where we are so different, partners understand one another even in silence, partners ache for each other. We fit, we understand, and God, I ache for him.

I might as well float away from the café, my legs feeling as if they could pull me up and amongst the clouds. I never thought I'd be the guy who stares at his feet and laughs at the sheer situation he's in as my cheeks grow hot.

I'm seeing this gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous man who I cannot see outside of his workplace turned prison, our gigs are flying past as I forget how many gigs we've even done at this point, and the scouts who observed our performances are still lingering with an answer. If we even get an answer.

I practically skip through the shop’s front door, the bell’s twinkling accompanying each step I take towards the stairs and up to our current home. As I reach for the front door handle, the bass fuelling Marcus’ voice echoes and I barely manage to make out the words, but nothing responds to him, so I assume he’s on the phone.

“This is an absolutely amazing opportunity, thank you, ma’am! Yes, I’m glad you all enjoyed it.” Marcus hums in agreement and I can imagine him nodding and pacing around as he replies to this mysterious caller.

The front door creaks as I sneak myself in the best I can to avoid disturbing his puzzling phone call. Alas, Marcus is alerted by my noise and a hand waves in my direction, and I raise mine in response.

“Yes, he’s over eighteen, I was his guardian before he outgrew me.”

I raise an eyebrow to Marcus’ comment as his chest puffs then tightens with each chuckle he releases.

“No no no, don’t worry, we’re able to be there by then! Once again, thank you so much! I’ll be in touch.”

Marcus misses the bright, red button three times before smacking his thumb into the screen while cursing to himself. He shoves his phone back into his pocket and our eyes meet over the island. I press my palms onto the cooling marble surface which slowly soothes the electric excitement that grows between us, becoming positively overwhelming.

My mind fumbles over how Marcus could possibly react to his nephew finally accepting he wants a relationship, but before I can process anything else, my lips beat my mind, and our voices filled the room as we speak in unison.

“You clearly have news.”

“You clearly have news.”

“You go first.”

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