SHADOWS OF KAYLA

BOY ATTRACTIONS

Josh.

With my hands swiftly working the consoles of the game, I invested my close attention to the combat that was busy going down on the television screen. I moved my eyes and body in quick sync as I commanded every armed man to riddle his opponent with bullets and missiles. Had Festus been home, I wouldn't have gone solo on the game, but either way, I was determined to beat both his high score and mine so I could shove my victory in his face.

I imagined the joy that would be plastered on his face once he saw the TV I had just brought home to rid the house of its constant blahs a little, if not much. Festus had become a completely different person following the demise of his mum. Not only generally losing his chipper self, but the interest connecting with both the environment and people around him.

In my minute ways, I have tried being there for him when he needed, he had been a very good pal to me.

My brows flew up in anticipation as I paused the game, standing quickly to get the door and be proud of myself for bringing a genius smile to Festus' face even though it lasted a minute. But I was met by the completely mesmerizing eyes of another, accepting quickly that the fast sparks flying around were ones of connection.

There was a fairly big lump in my throat that I tried to swallow, hoping that the rapid pounding in my chest was not giving me away as stupid. The more I was conscious of how fast the beats came, the quicker they intensified, that I felt I was going to collapse on the floor due to not being able to handle it.

“Oh!” Was the first word that flew out of my lips was I opened the door wider, while I watched the knocker tilt their head slowly sideways before raising a hand to give a friendly wave.

Taking a few steps back from the door with my hands still resting cold on the door knob, the visitor walked in slowly, accessing both me and the interiors of the house like a better job could have been done. I shut the door gently and walked further in as well.

The feelings of shyness that grabbed my self was not one that came by for the first time, that was the second time infact, only that this time I struggled to control it.

“Where's he?” Breezed gently in, a voice that fell on my tingling ears like an angel whispering softly into your ears in your dreams.

“He's not home.” I sounded as casual and uninterested as I could possibly, even though there was an urge to have those pretty pink lips in between mine.

“Oh—kay….He's at work?”

“Actually, I have no freaking idea. He should have been back by now if he were. Maybe he went somewhere else…” I relied, further asking,

“Beer?”

“One of the many things I don't drink,” came a quick answer with a breathed smile, while I nodded shortly, feeling a little disappointment at losing my first chance at impressing.

“So you don't drink water?” I joked, easing myself.

“Haha, of course I drink water…mineral water preferably. I'm guessing you don't have that here, do you?”

“We don't,” I responded stiffly, strolling to the game I had paused. I gave brief glance to the screen before pulling the plug out of the power source, a little hurt at the chance of me beating that high score being dashed.

“Probably call him?” I suggested while I pushed the wires fairly neatly to one side.

“Hmph, like he'd pick,” James half-scoffed as he finally sat on the small couch, stretching his very long legs in front of him because it'd be uncomfortable raising them. Him sitting down gave me a much clearer view of his face which I continued to admire from the corner of my eyes as I moved idly around, pretending like I was making little adjustments to the living room.

It was different the first time he came to the house, it had been a mere brush of attraction. Like how you just honestly admire someone's beauty when meeting them for the first time, not like you're so into them. Or maybe I was infact into him, not wanting to slip into the cliché world of falling in love at first sight.

His lush jet black coiffed with such fineess, guarding his fiery blue orbs like his brother's, neatly carved but bristly eyebrows that led down his face in a perfect proportion to his hawkish nose, down to his bow shaped lips, to his trimmed cheekbones and flighty round jawline. All fitted to his manly shoulders, and further lanky but moderately sinewy frame.

“So, how's Festus fairing here? Are there, you know, things you think he might need?” He exhorted in his deep sonorous voice, sighing,

“He doesn't talk to me. He doesn't like me,” James added matter-of-factly, while he brushed his eyes precisely around the room we were in from corner to corner.

I might as well have passed as a Judas in that regards, because I wouldn't have be able to dislike James even if the situation called for me to be, as an act of support to my best friend.

“Festus is doing quite okay here, and I don't think there's anything he needs that he has not said with words I'd hear,” I started watching James swing his head in a gentle nod while I continued,

“You could help him get his car back though. I think that's the one thing he's missing from home. He's trying his luck with that truck outside, but the thing's just not smooth enough for someone like him to handle.”

“By someone like him, do you mean, caliber?”

I nodded.

“Getting his car back from father's a piece of cake, letting him take it from me is the hard part. He's not gotten used to me yet, man. That boy's stubborn.”

I smiled lightly, lying face up on the longer couch while I listened to him speak, inwardly chiding myself for the s****l feelings towards my friend's brother that were starting to build up in my blood. Being gay, I knew all to well that not every guy that passed my attraction check was like me, which made me all the more ashamed with myself.

“Getting him the car might be your chance to bond,” I blurted murkily as I lifted one of my hands to use as a cushion for my neck which had started to ache from the hardness of the wood inside the armrest of the couch.

“Whose house is this though? Yours?”

“My uncle's. He's been out of the country for some years now, no one knows when he's coming back. May be never, or soon or tomorrow.”

“And what happens to Festus if he comes tomorrow…maybe?”

“He'd have to leave. Him staying here's like walking on warm coals anyway, coals that'd burn hot the next minute. He's trying to save up for an apartment though. Say two months and a few days from now, he'd be out of here.”

“I would love to help him get an apartment, but he won't take it from me, I know.”

“He sure won't,” I said before turning my head to face him.

“Just get him his car first and let's see how things go after that,” I mumbled in a low tone that sounded seductive probably in my ears alone whilst smirking at James, who smirked back obviously for a different reason. Man was trying to fix things with his brother while I was going hard out of my mind from the alone I was getting with James.

Ridding myself quickly of any further thoughts parading around in my mind to put me to caution. That feeling to sit back and not make any mistakes—the self-consciousness. I was ready to think of and bear the consequences of my action later after the deed was already done, as I threw myself wretchedly at James, artfully taking his lips in mine.