Never Give Up on Love Box Set

Chapter 1-2

Elias

Passing his tongue over his lips, he could still taste toothpaste, mixed with saliva, mixed with rain. Maybe it hadn’t been the most appropriate way to approach the man who, for weeks now, had become the magnet for his gaze. But after all, Elias didn’t have appropriate manners. He didn’t even know what appropriate meant. He’d grown up in a world that wasn’t appropriate at all.

Sure, maybe following him, appearing in front of his house, and kissing him was a mix of events that could create some problems for him. But he hadn’t premeditated everything. Maybe some of it, but not everything.

He only knew that that man, who seemed kind, with short brown hair that was always a little messy, a well-groomed beard, and green eyes, had to notice him. Because, s**t, he’d noticed everybody, but not Elias. And usually, other people noticed him.

The first time Elias had seen him at the Black Sheep, Thomas was smiling at a tall not-very-good-looking guy who wasn’t muscular or charming. A normal guy Elias wouldn’t have looked at twice. But Thomas looked at the other man with a kind smile, and kept a hand on his arm and talked into his ear, as if he really enjoyed the conversation. And then, they’d left the bar together.

And the scene repeated itself every time Elias had seen him at the Black Sheep. And every time, Elias had seen him leave with a different guy, without ever noticing him.

It didn’t make any sense, but Elias was set on it, and he was sick of seeing others smiling in peace while leaving with that guy.

It was easy to find a d**k to satisfy his body, but he hadn’t yet found a man able to fill the other parts of him that were empty.

It was already annoying, the thought of admitting to having those holes, but being convinced that he’d found someone who could patch up his tattered soul, and that somebody didn’t even look in his direction, was definitely too much.

He could have waited to see him at the Black Sheep. He could have approached him, maybe sucked him off. Maybe he could have dragged him into the dark and knelt between his legs, but something, some part of him that was missing, had forced him to look for the guy outside of the pub. To look for that man in a real place, not distorted by the darkness of the club and alcohol. Because it was easy to find the perfect man when clouded by sensations and substances, but it was also easy to make a mistake and find yourself next to a pale imitation of an average guy the day after.

Thomas on the other hand…oh, that guy was real. More than real. He was real while he stood under the rain like a weird Jesus Christ on the cross. His embarrassment was real, and so was his anger and his shock. The gray in his eyes was real, and so was the way he’d reacted to Elias’s kiss. Sure, it hadn’t been a very positive reaction, but that just made it even more real.

Elias shook his head, trying to stop his thoughts, trying to bring himself back to the present, and sniggered while he fingered the leather wallet he’d stolen.

There was a part of him that wasn’t able to conform, and that part led him to do strange things to obtain what he wanted. Odd and sometimes bad decisions.

Like stealing a wallet from the guy he wanted to get to know.

Or like following him to find out where he lived. He could say he wasn’t proud of himself, but he had to be honest. He had done worse things already.

And anyway, he wasn’t stalking Thomas to hurt him. Elias was stalking him because, somehow, he hoped to help himself.