50A/N: Yes, I know I have two stories already in progress, so what am I thinking, posting another one? But fear not, this one is already written and it's pretty short- 10 chapters , so basically it's not going to take up my time. I like it, and hope you will too. :) Three things I have to say in relation to this fic:
a). It's SLASH. Not your cup of tea, hit the back arrow.
b). There's sex and pretty explicit. I could post warnings for the chapters containing it, but I won't. Because I like smut.
If you're still here, then there's a point c) you have to know:
c) the paragraphs in italics are NOT in a chronological order- not with the rest of the chapter, not even amongst themselves. They're snippets of our characters' lives, and that's it.
With all this said, enjoy! :)
Chapter 1: Peace
' "Keep playing, baby, don't stop… Yes, that's it, close your eyes. You're beautiful, Leander. "
The click coming from the camera mixed with the soft sounds of the music that filled the studio. The only light was the one drifting through the window, penetrating the darkness in the room and falling on the lean, naked body of a man playing the violin. His pale skin glowed in the moonlight, his shoulder-length, silver hair fell to cover a beautiful, elfin face; he seemed ethereal.
Damon could see the shadows cast by the boy's lashes. His eyes were closed at the moment, but Damon knew what they hid: a pair of eyes like none other he'd seen before, lavender blue, eyes that could hide nothing. He also knew that, if opened, they'd shine with nothing but love and devotion.
Damon put his camera down. He'd taken enough pictures, and, while the photographer in him wanted nothing more than to continue watching the boy through the lenses and pressing the button, lest he should miss any emotion drifting over his face, the man in him stirred. He purposely moved towards the man still playing, by now lost in his own music and gently turned him to face the window.
"Don't stop, baby…", he whispered, when he saw Leander wanted to set aside the violin. Hesitantly at first, the gentle sounds once more filled the room. Damon slowly moved his fingers down Leander's spine, barely touching the soft skin and smiled when he heard a gasp. The sounds trembled, only to pick up again, at another whispered word. Damon wrapped his arms around the narrow waist and gently kissed Leander's neck.
"I could listen to you play forever, and I'd never get tired." He pulled Leander flush against him, feeling the shiver that went through the man and hearing the whimper that escaped his lover's lips.
"Damon, please…"
"Don't stop." His hands roamed the musician's chest. The body in his arms trembled and graciously arched as his fingers stopped to tease the already erect nipples. The fleeting touches moved down at an agonizingly slow pace, causing the music to occasionally stop. By the time Damon wrapped one hand around Leander's shaft, the man's arms were lying limply aside, holding the violin and the bow in his hands, his head on Damon's shoulder, his eyes closed and his lips slightly opened.
Damon took a step back and smiled when Leander moaned in disapproval. He took the instrument from his hands and set them on the nearby table, picking up a tube he uncapped before he returned to his lover.
"Put your hands against the window." He could see Leander was as lost in pleasure as he had been in the music before. It made Damon jealous at times. Yet Leander was nothing without his violin.
"Damon…oh, God…"
One finger, two…the pants and moans were now the only sounds filling the air. And then the cries of pleasure that proved the couple had reached climax. And then…
"Damon, I love you."
Damon smiled.'
"Leander, man, wait up!"
I turned around and see Alex running towards me. He's my best friend, we've known each other since birth. Even before that. Our mothers were neighbors and it so happened they got pregnant roughly at the same time. He's only 3 months older than I am. So we basically grew up together. When people talked about us, there simply was no place for Alex without Leander or the other way around. At one point, some thought we were a couple. Well, there we went our separate ways. I'm the gay one. He's straighter than a ruler. Somehow, I managed to avoid the cliché situation by not falling in love with him, thank God. And that's not the only thing that makes us different. He was part of the cool crowd, not by being a jock- we're both failures when it comes to sports- but by being different. He stood out by his simple presence. He didn't have, and to this day he still doesn't, a style. You could say his style is having none. One day he'd come dressed as a goth, the next day you'd swear he was a prep through and through. He listens to no one genre of music, but whatever tickles his fancy. He is an individual, colorful, sure of himself, full of personality.
I was sort of an outcast, part of his crowd, but more at the edge of it. Shy, short, a geek, and to make matters worse, gay. But it wasn't as bad as you'd imagine. I was not bullied, due to the fact that I was always with him. So everything turned for the better. I continued playing my violin, he improved his drawing and painting skills. And now we're both students: Arts and Conservatory. Best friends, and now roommates.
Well, I'm still shy. And still play the violin. And yes, still gay. But thankfully, not so short anymore, to my great relief. Hit a growth spurt sometime around the last year of high school. I'm a decent 5'9'' now.
"Hey. What's up? Don't you have another class today?"
"Got canceled, so I thought to come find you. Unless you're not going home?" Alex raised an eyebrow in question.
"Home, got nothing planned for the rest of the day."
"Awesome." He grinned. "Then we're going out."
"Out? Where?" I narrowed my eyes at him. There had to be a catch. He smiled innocently. I wasn't buying it.
"Stop looking at me like I'm about to drag you to all-girls orgy." He rolled his eyes. "Just a club, nothing major. Ye gods, your faith in me is impressive." He looked pointedly at me, as if expecting me to feel some sliver of remorse. I didn't.
" 'Kay. But I'm not staying long. Only doing this for you because I know you haven't been getting any lately." I grinned at him and sure enough, a scowl made its way on his face.
"Damned college, sucks sometimes." He sighed in an exaggerated manner, slinging his arm on my shoulders, as we walked home.
"So if I asked you to be home a little…later, you won't mind?" My turn to sigh.
"If it isn't Cloud! Hey, man!"
We'd barely been there for 5 minutes and it seemed the entire club knew Alex, from the bodyguards outside, to the grinning bartender looking at us at the moment. Hands shaken, shoulders slapped over the bar.
"Alex, I was starting to miss you around here. What hole did you crawl out of?"
"Shit dump called college. You'd think they'd take into consideration that we're young and hormonal, but no…" He leaned on the bar and downed the shot in front of him.
The bartender apparently named Cloud (was he a stripper or something?) turned his eyes on me with a grin.
"Alex, didn't know you swing that way."
"Well, I don't, but my buddy here…" He grinned and threw a meaningful glance at Cloud, "… does. Cloud, meet my best friend Leander. Leander, Cloud."
I couldn't help it.
"Are you a stripper, too?" At which point I hear a snort behind me, and turning, I saw another guy, who was currently laughing at Cloud.
"Told you. My name is Ryan." He turned to me and Alex, stretching out his hand.
"How is it my fault my mother was a hippie?" Cloud the bartender was pouting. He stuck out his tongue at Ryan. Aww, cute.
"Aww, cute." Ryan leant over the bar and bit it with a calculating grin on his face. Well, apparently he agrees with me.
"Well, I see something I like. See you later, buddy." Alex on the prowl.
Yay me.
I threw a bored look at the crowd, drink in hand. My mood was rapidly plummeting. I'd been sitting here for over an hour, Alex still lost somewhere it the crowd. I downed the drink and set the glass decidedly on the bar.
"Leaving?" I looked at Cloud.
"Yeah."
"No, you're not." An arm on my shoulders. I turned around to see Alex looking at me with a pitiful look, his other hand holding the one of some woman. I rolled my eyes.
"I'm going for a walk. You have two hours starting now."
"Thanks, man, I owe you. "
"Right." With a wave in the general direction of the bar, I was out of the suffocating club. Thank God. Now where?
Remembering there was a park nearby, I turned my steps towards it. I had more than two hours to waste, knowing Alex. I'd give him a wide berth, if only for the fact that I didn't want to walk in on him having sex on the kitchen floor or the living-room couch. It had happened before, after all.
I took a seat on a bench, elbows on my knees. My mind shifted to school. I had a project due in a month, I had to write a short composition. It was free composing, no theme, no title. Which only made it harder, of course.
I was suddenly distracted by a weird sound and a flash of light. Turning, I saw a tall silhouette moving towards me. The guy in question sat down on the bench and only then was I able to get a good look at him. Oh. My mind froze. He was hot. I thanked God for the streetlight that allowed me to see him clearly. Short, dark hair. His face was a study: sharp planes and angles, full lips, straight nose. And the eyes. Oh, my God, the eyes. They were grey, and so intense, they seemed to penetrate every corner of my mind. I couldn't rip my gaze away. Trapped.
" I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Deep, rich voice. I snapped out of my reverie.
"Uhm, no. No, I'm okay." His lips curved. Wow.
"Good. I apologize, but I couldn't help it. You had this preoccupied pose, my finger itched to press the button." He pointed at the camera he was holding.
"Oh." Yeah, nice conversation skills. I turned my eyes away from him and stared straight ahead.
"Peaceful tonight. One wouldn't expect it on a Friday night."
"I guess."
"I'm sorry, am I bothering you? I didn't even ask…" he made a move to get up, and my hand instinctively shot up to grip his.
" No, stay." I felt a blush washing over my face. "I'm just…not good with new people." I made the mistake of looking up at him, and I was once again ensnared. He sat back on the bench, my hand still in his. He shook it gently.
"I'm Damon." Another smile.
"Leander."
"Beautiful name." I blushed again.
"So, I take it you're a photographer. Or… just a hobby?"
"I'm a photography student, actually. Last year." He let go of my hand. The warmth was gone. "What about you?"
"Conservatory student. Second year. I play the violin."
"That's cool. " He cocked his head to one side. "I would have thought piano, given your long fingers. " He touched my hand slightly.
"I play the piano, too, but it's not my main instrument."
"Ah, that explains it."
Neither of us said anything for what seemed like an eternity. We stood there, two men on a bench in a deserted park, on a Friday night, staring one into each other's eyes.
"I hope this doesn't seem too forward, given that we've barely known each other, but… will you consider posing for me? I promise I'll let you keep your clothes on." Yet another embarrassing blush.
"But…"
"You have an open face, very telling. It's easy to read, expressive. I have a project, a study on human emotions. Portraits and body shots. You'd make a great model for this particular project. "
"Oh…"
"Don't tell me 'no', yet. Think about it and let me know on your answer tomorrow. I'm taking out for breakfast." He grinned and I couldn't help it but smile back. My pulse was going into overdrive.
"Okay, then. "
I gave him my address and, as sudden as he came, he was gone. I took a deep breath- it felt as if I had forgotten to while talking to him.
I looked at my watch. Time to go home.