Connected To Him (ManxMan)

Part 1: Chapter 7

(A/N: Hey guys. If you've already read this chapter, no this isn't an update but I had an important announcement. I, like just about every single person on the planet, still have a TON of growth to do and because of that, view points I directly or indirectly put in my books I may no longer agree with now. In this chapter I insinuate that the reason why a girl is getting dressed up is to impress a guy. This flawed premise that any aspect of a woman's expression, femininity, or sexuality must be tied to men is so false, it's not even funny. At the time I thought it was fine because that was her purpose but Ethan's thoughts about suggest it was the only explanation for her outfit choice. I really apologize and encourage you to call me and my characters out for the BS that is said. We all need to learn and grow together. Anywho, if you've read this far, please enjoy the chapter, I think it's pretty good otherwise)

Chapter 7: That Chest Tho

The weekend had already brought more surprises in two hours than Ethan expected to see in half a year. It literally wasn't even twelve yet and Ethan had his mind blown. He'd just woken up a couple of hours earlier and wished to see his best friend. He thought the two of them could chat and plan out the rest of their day.

When he was going to enter Aiden's room, he heard Aiden lie that he had a crush on Ethan before he admitted that he was crushing on Aaron. The Aaron option was obviously more welcomed, but both options had shocked Ethan immensely. He was the best friend yet he had no idea that Aiden was crushing on his ex-crush's boyfriend.

It was an incredibly complicated situation to suddenly find himself in. However, Ethan was biased. At the end of the day—while he loved Scarlett—he wouldn't be upset if Aiden was accidentally the cause of a break up between her and Aaron.

After all of that early morning drama, Ethan was sent to tell those in some of the other rooms that they were going to meet up in Aiden's parents' room for breakfast. Being his social butterfly self, Ethan was happy to oblige. He hummed to himself happily and skipped on over to his room.

His head was bobbing as he got out his room key and opened the door, but his humming was abruptly halted when he clashed into a chest. Chris' chest, of course. Courtney's chest would have been far more yielding compared to the firm wall Chris created with his body.

"God, are you alright?" Chris asked, his hands coming up to hold on to Ethan's forearms. Ethan sucked in a sharp breath. No, he certainly was not alright now that Chris had to touch him more than he already was. Ethan discreetly cleared his throat and started to pull back from Chris' body. When he stepped back, however, his heart almost stopped.

Chris had clearly been showering before Ethan saw him. His tight curls had pearls of water suspended between them and occasionally one would fall down his temple or the back of his neck. His scooped neck shirt clung even tighter to his chest and muscles due to the dampness of his skin, making Ethan's mouth water and the tightness and visible brown skin.

And, finally, his eyes were a bit swollen simply because he'd just woken up. But, it made his clear skin appear even clearer and soft to the touch. It also gave Chris a younger look that was adorable and still incredibly attractive.

Ethan had been caught off guard since he'd been humming and dancing before they collided, two things he tried to do when he was totally alone. It made him feel a bit more awkward. But that, coupled with seeing what Chris looked like so early in the morning, turned Ethan into a stuttering mess.

"H-hey Chris." Ethan said, trying to keep his smile from looking awkward in front of the taller man. "Um, s-sorry about that."

Ethan's eyes were blown wide, Chris noticed. He had on one of the two expressions he wore when he was uncomfortable around Chris. Usually, his face was downturned and he tried to ignore Chris' gaze and seem nonchalant. Other times, however, he would have that wide-eyed look he was wearing right now.