[Featured in FreetheLGBT: Diverse Literature reading list and Humor: Young. Dumb. Full of Fun list]
Colin Mitchell, a photographer at a well-known store, Snapshot, is openly gay--mostly. His ideal experiences are sexcapades that are always subtle, n...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Marcus Hall was the last person Colin wanted to think about and yet, he couldn't get that obnoxious blond out of his mind.
It had been like that for a long time. A time when Colin had first seen a withdrawn guy who always roamed the halls with his head bent and headphones plugged in. A time when Colin had hopelessly crushed on a golden-haired boy who offered him a ride home a summer after. A time when he wanted nothing more than to forget all that happened between them until the pain finally stopped.
It had. He had been okay. He had forgotten.
But it was back...
Colin ran both his hands through his hair as he let his phone drop onto the bed. He heaved out a breath, letting himself fall onto the bed, only to tense up a second later and grab his phone again.
Before he unlocked the device, the brunet took a moment to allow himself to breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he scrolled up to the conversation with Peter and stared at the pictures one more time.
It was just like the first time. Peter's face filled the photos at the top, smiling, laughing, staring into Colin's soul with the prettiest eyes the universe had given him the privilege of seeing in his lifetime. But with the next swipe of his thumb, another face appeared. Also smiling, also laughing, also staring into unthinkable depths. But the tingles Colin felt this time around, wasn't sweet and freeing.
Everything about Marcus was bittersweet, Colin had had far too many encounters with him and could confirm that without batting an eyelid.
A date? Marcus would arrive an hour later, when Colin had already pep-talked himself into staying so many times after waiters kept asking if his company was going to arrive. A date? Marcus would show him the absolute best time, unquestionably and inarguably the best.
That was just how things were with him.
He dialled Peter and while he was waiting for the Asian to pick up, he breathed deeply and tried to calm his nerves. It worked, a little.
"Hey, Pikachu..."
"Yeah," Peter said. "Why'd you hang up so quickly?"
"I-- nothing."
"Nothing?" Peter spat out. "You sound that shaken over nothing?"
Colin cleared his throat and breathed deeply again, holding it for a moment before he spoke. "I was just... surprised with the fact that you and Marcus were in the same photo. Together."
"I know!" At once the suspicion in Peter's voice was replaced with excitement. "It's so mind-blowing. He even takes us out for drinks after, sometimes. Can you believe that?"
Colin really couldn't. "No."
The suspicion returned, accompanied with concern. "Are you mad at me for some reason?"
