Boy/Boy Problems

Something Stronger

The photo rarely needed an introduction. All it took was two words in conjunction with Luke Ryan's name and everyone knew what you were talking about. The movies may have made him famous, but it was the photo that made him a superstar.

The source of gossip, of many late night jokes. Luke rarely made it through an interview without at least a hint or mention about the photo. Teddy hadn't either for a while after it came out, everyone wanted to know if he'd seen it and more importantly whether he knew who'd taken it. They were living together at the time, surely he would have a some suspicion of the photographer's identity.

No one ever suspected Teddy took it, not seriously. There was a small group of fans on the internet that were absolutely positive he was the photographer, but the more they went on about it the less everyone else believed it. He still got asked about it and every so often Teddy was tempted to tell the world it was him, if only to shut them up.

Alice's jaw was practically dragging against her chest it had dropped so low. She seemed to had stopped breathing, stopped thing, just stopped. In complete shock at the revelation that Teddy King had taken the photo.

"I can't believe -" Alice seemed incapable of expressing her thoughts beyond general anger. "You asshole."

Teddy was a little confused by her reaction because to him it was obvious he'd taken the photo.

"Of course he took it," interrupted Lily. "It was in their living room, who else would have taken it."

"Any number of the rotating cast of girls and boys he paraded through that apartment," replied Alice turning her anger on Lily, which was something of a relief for Teddy as it gave him time to think through Alice's bizarre response.

Teddy understood why the general public didn't suspect him, at least not openly, but Alice should have known better. Alice knew Teddy and Luke better than that. Luke didn't often consider consequences but he was savvy enough not to let some random stranger take a picture of him naked, as Alice was well aware. He couldn't see it, couldn't figure out why Alice would be upset.

It took a couple of minutes, the sound of Alice and Lily throwing verbal barbs at each other the background, but Teddy figured it out. He'd forgotten because memories seemed to meld together as time wore on, but Alice was dating Luke when the photo leaked. It was obvious, based on Luke's hair, that it had been taken some time before but still Alice must have thought Teddy had released the photo while they were together.

Teddy finally stepped between his friend and his sister armed with the information he was sure would calm them enough to shift focus back to him.

"Aly!" he yelled. "I took the photo, I didn't leak it."

Teddy's interruption had the desired effect, the girls attention turned toward him.

"Of course you didn't leak it," said Alice looking at Teddy like he was a small child trying to explain something he didn't have the cognitive ability to comprehend yet. "Luke did."

That was the truth, the one thing about that mystery of the photograph that Teddy always found fascinating because none of the fans had figured it out. Luke Ryan leaked his own nude photo. But if Alice knew then, "then why are your knickers in a twist?" screamed Teddy in frustration.

"Because I defended you asshole," replied Alice, slumping inwardly at the confession. "I was out there being the supportive girlfriend and friend at the same time insisting that it was a violation and you would never and now everyone is going to know I lied and those shits on the internet are going to hate me even more and I was trying to help you wankstain."