The Victorious [BxBxB] ✓

Honesty

Victor's eyes were alert, alive, and confused. He looked from Oliver to James, to Oliver. A deep frown was stuck on his forehead.

James found himself entranced with his face again, only for a moment. Victor was handsome; he was unfairly, so when angry.

"What are you on about?!" Victor asked.

Ollie got up before James had the chance to talk again. He sat next to Victor and took his hand. Victor's eyes snapped on him, but it was impossible to remain frowning when looking at Oliver.

Ollie smiled widely. He beamed, and Victor's animosity melted off. Oliver too his free hand and held it on his lap.

"James is trying to say that we really care about you, very much so, and that well... we're worried that you might fall into some bad habits again. Not that we don't trust you! It's just us worrying, and I'm sure you can take care of yourself."

Victor squinted. James' desperation to tell Victor about his deep affection turned into panic. He had almost shot himself in the foot. No, he had nearly shot himself in both knees.

Victor didn't pull his hand away from Oliver, but his frown somehow reappeared on his face once his eyes landed back on James.

James bit the inside of his cheek. Want boiled inside him.

"Let's hear James say it," Victor said, his words rolling off his tongue overenunciated, mean, and cold. His voice, deep and smooth pulsed right into James' groin.

James wasn't confident that he had enough blood in his body to keep him from not fainting.

Oliver pressed his lips together into a thin line and glared at him. James didn't need to be a mind reader to know what Ollie was thinking.

"I – yeah, I'm stupid," James said, yet the things he wanted to share were spinning around in his head. I like you. I care for you. You mean so much to me. James was starving for Victor's affection.

"I'm stupid," he said again. He felt the energy drained out of his body, leaving him to struggle with a body made of lead. "Sorry, man."

"That's not it," Victor said. James felt his knees going weak even though he was sitting. Victor was burning him to the ground by looking at him. He had an uncanny ability not to blink.

Oliver didn't think this was the right moment, but James' feelings were an overfilled balloon on the verge of exploding. And Victor was nowhere near stupid. He didn't have a good lie. He didn't want to have a good lie.

"Come, James. You're always so upfront, aggressive, blunt. Don't choke now, share your thoughts through your words, not Ollie's," Victor's smile, humorless as it was, was still captivating.

Oliver shut his eyes; it was clear that he didn't want to be there. James was glad he wasn't leaving, regardless of how stupid he was about to be. It was refreshing, in a way, knowing that Oliver loved him even if he was a complete disaster.

"Ok," James said, taking a deep breath.

Victor raised his eyebrows and nodded once. Ollie pressed the tips of his fingers over his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Ok," James ran his hands over his head, over his neck, and sighed. "Right, so, what I'm trying to say, I mean, what I want to say, is that, well, how should I say this?"

"By talking, preferably, or if you wish, I can give you a piece of paper. If that seems too old fashioned, you can type it on your phone." Victor leaned forward; he still had that grin on his face. "Come on, Jamie."