Pheonix Pt 02

Ethan lay in bed, absently running a hand over his forearm as the morning light filtered through the blinds, making it official, he hadn't slept all night. Yesterday recycled in his mind, even though he'd combed through every minute of it multiple times. As the visions of Ava floated through his head, they made his heart skip, but then the visions of himself followed and made his gut lurch.

He resigned himself to the fact that he'd missed his chance to sleep and sat up, catching his reflection in the mirror. The same awkward, slight figure stared back at him, but he had changed, he wasn't what he was this time yesterday morning. What happened in Ava's room happened, and couldn't un-happen... ever. He could never return to the Ethan he was before he entered that room.

***

Ethan tentatively made his way down the hallway and peeked into the kitchen where Ava and Jayce were eating breakfast. The morning sun made the whole space feel bright and welcoming. Ava scrolled through her phone, lazily sipping at her coffee and Jayce let out a small chuckle at something on his screen, shaking his head with an easy grin.

He'd felt a little sheepish as he stepped through the doorway, not really sure what his first interaction with Ava would bring, but for a moment, the normalcy of it all disarmed him. The gentle hum of morning conversation, the scrape of a fork against a plate, the occasional sip of coffee--it felt familiar, comfortable.

The tension that had gripped him since waking up loosened, just a little, as if he could slip into this routine and forget. He reached into the fridge, the cool air rushing over his skin as he grabbed a juice carton from the top shelf.

Ava stretched her arms above her head with a soft sigh.

"So, any plans today, guys?"

"Yeah, I got practice later," Jayce said, setting his phone down. "Ricky has kinda made himself 'the coach' and he's been on our asses all week. Keeps saying we're not playing aggressive enough."

Ava smirked, resting her chin in her hand. "Is that his way of saying you're not smashing into people hard enough?"

Jayce laughed and rolled his eyes. "Basically. He wants us to go all out, take risks, play like we want it, platitude, platitude. But honestly, half the guys are just trying to stay in shape, it's not like anyone is getting scouted to the NFL next season."

"What about you, Ethan, any plans?"

Ethan blinked, caught off guard by the attention suddenly shifting to him. "Uh... not really. Just a quiet day, I guess."

Jayce smirked. "Man, you gotta get out more. You spend too much time cooped up in your room."

Ava sipped her coffee, watching Ethan over the rim of her mug. "Yeah, Ethan. Maybe you should take up a sport. Jayce could teach you how to tackle people."

Ethan let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one."

Jayce shrugged. "Suit yourself, man. But it wouldn't kill you to hit the gym with me sometime. Girls like muscles on a dude, right Ava?"

Ava leaned back in her chair, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Oh, absolutely," Ava said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Nothing gets a girl's heart racing like a guy who takes pride in his appearance." She flicked a glance at Ethan, just for a second--but enough to make his stomach flutter.

Jayce grinned, flexing his arm jokingly. "See? Told you, man. It's all about confidence. Doesn't matter if you're shredded or not, just gotta own it."

Ava set down her coffee, stretching her legs out beneath the table. "Speaking of plans, I actually need to run a few errands today."

Jayce raised an eyebrow. "Errands? Sounds suspiciously like shopping."

Ava let out a short, surprised laugh. "I mean guys have their muscles, and girls have their clothes, right? What do you want from me?"

Jayce laughed, shaking his head. "That's true. And you do have some killer outfits, so you won't see me tryna stop ya."

Ethan took a sip of his juice, but the moment the words left Ava's mouth, something twisted inside him. The comment wasn't even directed at him--was it?--It was just a simple, playful remark, yet it echoed uncomfortably in his head.

Guys have their muscles. Girls have their clothes.

***

Ethan sat at his desk, listlessly tapping at his laptop keyboard. He had managed to get some work done, at least, enough to convince himself he was being productive anyway.

But now, the quiet had settled in. Jayce had already left to go and chase a ball around with his friends, or, whatever it was that guys like him found fun about sports, and the apartment was still.

His mind drifted to Ava, to this morning, to yesterday.

He closed his eyes and Ava's fingers were on his chin, tilting his face toward hers. The way she had looked at him, the way she had spoken like she'd already solved a puzzle he didn't even know he was part of.

Then there was the mirror. That image burned into his mind--the soft curve of his lips painted red, the warmth of Ava's breath at his ear, the pressure of her hips against his back, the quiet command in her voice. The way his reflection had stared back at him, unfamiliar... yet...

He forced his eyes open, and he shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with how easily the thoughts came to him. But his body had betrayed him. He couldn't pretend that it didn't happen. He couldn't pretend that he didn't enjoy it. He had looked good. But that was the most unsettling part... wasn't it?...was it?

His phone buzzed against the desk, and electricity raced up his spine. He told himself, that it could be anyone, in a tame attempt to pretend he didn't hope it was Ava.

Ava: Hey, Ethan 😊

Ava: Are you busy?

Ava: I might want your help over here... if you're free.

A second burst crashed through him. He forced a slow breath, willing himself to stay composed. His fingers hovered over the screen, scrambling for the right balance. Casual? Friendly? Relaxed? Would she notice if he overthought it? Finally, he typed:

Ethan: Yeah, I'm free.

He stared at the text. Was that too casual? Too eager?

He paused. Was that too fast? Then added:

Ethan: Right now?

His thumb hovered over the screen. Five seconds passed. Then ten. His stomach tightened. Was she ignoring him? Was he reading too much into it?

Ava: Right now 😘

***

Ethan's fist hovered in the empty space before Ava's door and he exhaled sharply, again, maybe this time it would finally settle him. 'It's just a favour" He told himself, again. But the thought didn't land. His pulse was still a little too fast, his palms a little too warm. He stared at his fist for a few more seconds, then knocked.

"Come in!" Ava's voice, light and easy.

Ethan stepped inside, and a pleasant warmth shifted around him as he took in Ava's room. The scent of something faintly floral filled the air and the afternoon light filtered through the blinds, casting soft shadows over the whole space.

Ava seemed as relaxed as the space itself, curled comfortably in a chair, one leg tucked beneath her, as she idly scrolled through her phone. The glow reflected in her eyes as her fingers floated over the screen. No urgency, no shift in posture, he thought, just the same unshaken presence she always had.

"Hey. You can sit down, you know." Ava said, causally gesturing toward the bed.

"Ha... Yeah," Ethan blushed slightly, feeling kinda silly at how awkward he must look. He walked over and sat on the bed, resting his hands in his lap and letting his weight sink into the mattress.

He glanced up at Ava... expecting, waiting. But she was still just scrolling through her phone, completely comfortable in her world. He let his body loosen a bit more and started looking, aimlessly around her room.

It felt so much more lived-in than his did, so much more put-together. He had his bed, his desk, and his laptop sure, but Ava's presence was everywhere here, in the delicate bracelets and rings piled in a small dish on her desk, or the vase of flowers by the doorway, or the picture frames of friends and family smiling at you from every angle. It was cosy, he thought, welcoming--safe.

The more he settled in, the more different features would grab his attention, he let them pull his eyes around the room until he saw it...

His entire body seized up and felt the blood rushing to his face as Ava's voice echoed in his mind, overlapping with the memory of his own reflection, his own lips, the deep red smudged just slightly from where he'd gasped too hard.

But, it just sat there, the simple red tube, idle on the covers. Screaming at him.

Why was it there? Did Ava leave it there by accident? Or maybe she did it on purpose? Would she? He was scrambling. It wasn't propped up or on display, he thought, it was just lying there, resting, in no specific place.

He snapped to Ava again, searching for some sign--some watchful stare, an amused smirk, a tiny flicker of acknowledgement--but she was still scrolling, fingers still gliding over the screen, completely at ease with herself.

Ethan exhaled through his nose, pressing his palms against his knees. He was overthinking. That was all. Just overthinking. He closed his eyes and pushed the tension through his knees with another breath.

"So, uh," he cleared his throat, forcing his voice into something steadier, "what do you want help with?"

Ava immediately stopped scrolling and turned her gaze toward him. The sudden seriousness on her face startled him and he recoiled slightly, on the edge of the bed. Ava slapped her knees and stood up, bringing her hands together as she closed the gap between them.

"Ethan, we have a problem." She said, her feet directly opposite his.

Ethan looked up at her, still a little bewildered at the sudden switch in her demeanour. "Uh... a problem?" He echoed, trying his best to keep up.

Ava flailed her arms and shook her head with an exaggerated sigh "Ok, so..." She plopped down next to him and took both his hands in hers. Waiting a few seconds until his eyes rested on her face. "...you remember, I have the party this weekend, right?" she said solemnly.

Ethan nodded, still not really sure what was happening.

"...and yesterday you were so good when you helped me choose the perfect lipstick to wear..." Heat coursed up through his chest, and Ethan drove his tongue into the roof of his mouth to stop the air from bursting out.

"...but, now I have a dilemma..." Ava squeezed his hands tighter. "..the colour is... beautiful... but I need the perfect outfit to go with it, you know, complete the look." She added, with a playful flick of her hair.

"Breakfast got me thinking, so I've been working on some ideas," Ava, continued. "I've narrowed it to two final options, and now I just want a little input." She said, moving their hands closer towards her.

Ethan's finger twitched in her palm, and it took a few seconds for him to find his reply as he tried to process the swirl of thoughts in his head. Breakfast--Beautiful. Visions filled his focus.

When he finally spoke, his voice was thin, stretched. "Yeah... right, I mean... yeah, that makes sense, I guess."

Ava squeezed his hands tight and pulled them into her chest. A giddy smile, beaming across her face. "This is gonna be so much fun!" She hopped off the bed and strutted over to her wardrobe. Opening the doors, revealing two dresses, conveniently waiting to be plucked.

Ava twirled around on her heels, displaying the dresses on either side of her like she was presenting a mock fashion show. "So, these are our options, Ethan... Tell me they aren't just perfect?" She said, holding both dresses wide so he could take them in.

His eyes followed her movements, but his brain was still catching up to where she had led him. When her challenge came, the words left him before he'd had a chance to organize them. "N... Yeah... Yeah, they're both... great."

Ava beamed, shifting closer to him. "Right?! I knew you'd get it." She extended her right arm towards him, emphasizing the first dress, its warm ivory fabric glowing softly in the light. It had a graceful neckline, that dipped just enough to shape the collarbone and a tapered, curve-hugging waist, that flowed into a seamless mid-thigh hem.

Then she pulled it back and glanced back and forth between both again, frowning in exaggerated conflict. "Ugh, I just love them both so much! This first one is so... polished. It's classy, but still fun, still flirty, you know? But then there's this one..."

Ava held up the second dress, pausing for just a second longer than necessary. It was decidedly more revealing than the first. The fabric was sheer, just barely enough to maintain a girl's feminine privacy. With a waistline that gripped to the skin. It was short, dangerously so, grasping to the top of the thigh with no room for modesty, no room to hide.

"This one is... sexier." She said, flicking her eyes at Ethan. "It just has a whole different... energy... ya know?"

She glanced between the dresses again, and sighed, pressing her lips together in faux consideration. "I mean, they just say such completely different things about the person wearing them, don't they?" She continued, turning the second one slightly in her hand, angling it toward Ethan. "The first one is elegant, more refined, but this one..."

He felt the heat spreading again--Up through his chest, his neck, into his ears. His hands twitched against his thighs and he shifted slightly on the bed, trying to keep his composure, but it didn't help.

Ava watched him for a few seconds before continuing. "You know... every time I try one on, I think, this is it--but then I try on the other one, and it's like, no, this is it..." She rolled her eyes, with a slight giggle. "...I mean, they're practically still warm, I've worn them so many times today."

Her words smashed into him and his whole body clenched. He dug his fingers into his thighs, as images raced through his mind. Ava--The Dress.

"So then I thought, it's simple really--I just need to see them side by side... which means... you need to wear one for me..."

A hard pulse of heat shot through his body. "I--wha--? No--wait..." His breath stuttered, and suddenly his heart was in his mouth. But Ava's eyes were already lowering to his groin.

"Ethan... it's happened again, hasn't it?"

His eyes darted downward and his pupils dilated as he saw it. His body had betrayed him again, but now, there was no potential maybe, that yesterday had been some twisted one-off.

He instinctually forced his legs together and covered the bludge, in a useless attempt to hide himself. But the thoughts kept coming regardless--

Ava

Red Lips--His Lips

Loud Endless Laughter

Pointing Fingers

Ava's Hands

The Dress

Father--Arms Crossed Silent

Jayce--Strong Confident

Skirt Soft Short

Thighs Hairless His

He froze. Blank eyes pointing at the floor.

Ava's feet slowly moved into his view, until her legs framed his vision. He felt the warmth of her hand on his chin as she guided his focus away from the floor and back towards her.

"You're thinking too much again, Ethan." Her voice was low and gentle, but her face showed no emotion. "I know this feels big in your head," She continued, her thumb brushing the skin of his cheek. "But it's not."

Ava's fingers remained on his face. Calm. Steady. "This is happening, Ethan, all of this, I know," She said, playfully tapping her finger on his forehead. "But the only thing you need to think about right now is... will you help me?" A soft, patient smile settled on her face.

Ethan shuddered as the weight of Ava's words settled over him. The question hung between them, soft but undeniable. He could only stare up at her, eyes unblinking, and nod--his silent agreement.

Ava stroked her hand through his hair, and down the back of his head, before resting it on the back of his neck for a few seconds.

"Good boy," She said, warmly.

She let her hand sit on him for a few more seconds, before twirling around and strutting over to the wardrobe, lifting both dresses from the rack again and holding them side by side.

She swayed slightly on her heels, and let out a deep sigh as if weighing the gravity of the decision, before spinning around to face Ethan once more.

"Hmm, ok, so... I'll wear this one..." She exclaimed. Raising the ivory white dress higher. "I mean, my makeup is already perfectly set to match this one, no reason to mess with it again just for a quick test, right?" As if even the thought itself was ridiculous.

She draped the ivory dress over her arm and turned, stepping toward her vanity, flicking her hair over one shoulder as she glanced at her reflection.

Ethan sat, motionless. The words had already settled--he had already agreed. But still, this was it, was he really going to wear a dress? This dress.

He pushed himself up from the bed and made his way over the dress, hanging from the open wardrobe door. An unsteady hand brushed down its length in front of him.

"Mmm," Ava hummed absently, her voice smooth. "I love how that one feels against my body... so light, isn't it?"

Her words filled his head, and his grip had already tightened before he'd even realized it. The fabric, playing between his fingers. It was light, He thought, and soft, and... He turned to see Ava's gaze already on him. A knowing look in her eyes.

"So... are you going to put it on for me?"

Ethan felt a tingle rise from the base of his spine, as Ava moved closer. The heat of her fingers already hooking into the waistband of his shorts, as her face moved into his. "We don't need these, Ethan... you know that."

He couldn't speak, couldn't breathe even, as he heard the thud of his shorts hitting his floor. Ava's hand was already sliding up his stomach, his chest. His arms seemed to raise themselves above his head until the blue of his t-shirt filled his sight.

Ava took a performative step back. Smiling while her eyes slowly surveyed up and down his body.

"Oh no, Ethan, you're naked... again," She said, in mock surprise. "And our friend looks... cold..." She added with a smirk. "...we'd better get him covered up again, quickly!"

His cock twitched at her words, and Ava laughed to herself. But the rest of him, his full bare body, was stupefied, arms still above his head, frozen--waiting.

The moment the dress slipped over his head, his whole frame shivered and a breathless groan escaped him. The fine fabric fell over him, tingles bursting in places he'd never felt. The sudden tightness at the base of his ribs as it gripped him, and he gasped. The prickle of his skin down over his hips, the top of his thighs, then... stopped.

He felt hyper-aware of the air on his skin, grazing against his collarbone, brushing between the thighs and tickling the underside of his ass, he somehow felt even more exposed now. Ava's hands were all over him, stroking and smoothing, caressing and massaging the delicate fabric into him.

Ava stepped back again, like an artist proud of her work. "Huh. It's funny... this always looked a little... too much... on me. But maybe it just needed the right person."

Ethan's stomach jumped and his fingers curled at his sides, barely resisting the urge to smooth the fabric down, to do something. His skin felt too hot, too aware, like the dress was pressing in on him from all sides.

"Ok, well, I guess it's my turn to change," Ava said, as she walked towards her bathroom.

"W... Wait... Why?!" The question shot out before he could stop it.

Ava spun nonchalantly. "Ethan, I need to change, a girl has to maintain her decency, right?" She said as if he was crazy for even asking.

Ethan watched the door close behind her, and the silence in the room made the sensations of his body louder. The dress clung to his waist, holding him. With every shallow breath, it sparked against his nipples. The underside of his ass, tingled as the air crept beneath the fabric, he clenched his cheeks, but it didn't help. The dress seemed to tease them apart again, just enough that he couldn't fully control them, that he couldn't feel fully secure.