**Note**- This is a spin-off from "Can't Hide the Truth Anymore". It's not necessary to read that first, but doing so will give you a better idea of Gage and Devin's story and how Travis came to be a friend. This is the story of Travis and Brett.
Travis's POV
I pulled my '98 Explorer parallel to the curb, parking in front of an old, white two-story house badly in need of a new coat of paint. Two small cars sat side by side in the double driveway right in front of a detached garage. The garage door was open and a cursory glance showed a few boxes, bags and a ladder, but otherwise seemed empty.
Turning off the power, I leaned back into my seat and scanned the rows of houses lining the street. Typical one and two-story homes from the 60's and 70's; cookie-cutter homes that were most likely a suburbanite's dream at one time. Now, though, they all looked a little sad: missing shutters, unkempt lawns, flapping shingles. Probably mostly college rentals like the one I sat in front of.
I hopped out of my vehicle and felt a wave of heat roll over me. It was only 9:00am, but it was already hot as hell and the temperature was supposed to keep climbing all day.
Record heat.
That's what the weatherman kept saying, anyway. God, I was tired of hearing that every day. Not the greatest weather for moving day, but it had to be done.
Deciding to let Devin and Gage know I was here before I started dragging crap in, I moved across the lawn toward the front steps. An occasional red brick peeked through the tangled, overgrown grass alluding to a long forgotten walkway. I reached the small concrete porch and took the two stairs in one jump up to the door.
My hand hovered over the doorknob, hesitating. Should I walk in? I mean, this was my place, too, although I didn't have a key. Hell, I hadn't even seen the place, yet. Devin and Gage had talked me into renting with them the week of finals last spring, but I never had a chance to take a look at it.
I reached for the doorknob, but then the idea that they may be '
busy'
flashed through my mind. Crap, I certainly didn't need to see that. Knocking seemed safer, so I reached up and rapped the door with my knuckles.
"Hey, loverboys, you guys up?" I hollered, knowing that would irritate the hell out of Devin.
The door opened within seconds and Devin glared at me. "
Loverboys
? Seriously, Travis?"
I smirked. "Hey, you can never be too careful! It's not my fault you can't keep your hands off Gage."
He chuckled, a smile breaking out on his face. "Shit. I can't deny that one. Come on in," he said, pulling the door back so I could pass through.
I stood just inside the door for a moment and scanned my new home. Cream walls, with a dark paneling on the far wall. Ugly green shag carpeting covered the almost empty living room. A hideous orange and brown recliner sat in the corner next to a floor lamp that had an old faded blue lampshade perched precariously at the top. A large flat screen hung on large wall and a rickety entertainment center positioned directly below it held a shitload of video games and movies. I would have to add my Xbox as soon as I unpacked.
"So, one chair, huh?" I quirked an eyebrow at my friend.
Devin laughed. "Yeah, for now. When Brett arrives later he's bringing an old sofa that was his grandmother's, a coffee table..." he paused as he ticked off the items on his fingers, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall everything. "Oh, yeah, some drapes for the large front window and a vacuum. And some sort of surprise that he was pretty excited about."
My gut flip-flopped at the mention of Brett. I didn't know him that well, but I always felt awkward around him. Tongue-tied. He had those eyes that looked right into yours, like he could see everything; as if he knew what was in your soul and there was no way to hide. They were the most incredible blue...
"Travis?"
At Devin's touch on my arm, I realized I had zoned out. "Uh, sorry. What did you say?"
He looked at me, his eyebrows raised, but didn't ask anything. "I said your bed arrived yesterday and it's all set up in your room. Want a quick tour?"
I nodded and followed him through the house. The kitchen was much larger than I had imagined, although the 70s themed daisy wallpaper was a little disturbing. An old green refrigerator hummed over in the corner and a matching oven stood nearby. The cabinets were old but, surprisingly, appeared freshly painted. Unfortunately, the sky blue paint only served to highlight the light blue and orange checkerboard linoleum. It made my head dizzy and I shot Devin a wary glance.
Devin laughed. "Yeah, I know. Hideous. Come on, let's go upstairs and you can say hello to Gage, too." He clapped my shoulder and guided me to the stairs, pointing out a small half-bath just off the kitchen.
"No table or chairs?" I asked, glancing back at the kitchen as I followed him.
"No, not yet," he informed confirmed.
Guess we'll be eating on the shag carpeting.
I followed him up the carpeted, narrow stairs, noting the walls were (thankfully) painted a basic cream like the living room. At the top of the stairs, the carpet gave way to a hardwood floor, extending down the hallway, leading to four closed doors. Devin pointed to the right and I ducked my head into the bathroom we would all be sharing for the year. Pink ceramic tile covered half the walls, while pink and green striped wallpaper clung to the walls. Hideous was definitely becoming a theme. There were two sinks and a plain white, almost see-through, shower curtain already hung at the tub. Someone had placed some purple bathroom mats on the floor and some beach towels hung on the rods. It was ugly, but roomy. I could deal with it.
He pointed to a closed door next to the bathroom. "That's our room." He knocked on the door. "Baby, you decent?"
The door opened and Gage smiled up at his boyfriend. An odd ache filled me as I watched them greet each other. The love they felt for each other was evident in every look between them, every touch. I wondered if I would ever have that; the one person that makes you feel complete.
They had been roommates in their dorm last year and both had fallen hard and fast for each other. Their relationship was the real thing; they were sure of their love and the plans they had for their future.
They were good guys, too. When I had come out last year, they had been both been very supportive of me and our friendship had only grown over the year. I knew how lucky I was to have them as friends, although I sometimes felt envious of what they had. But that was my problem, not theirs, so I smiled at Gage and leaned in for a quick hug.
"Travis! So glad you are here!" Gage leaned up and hugged me back. He was only about 5'4", so he had to stand on his tiptoes.
"Okay, that's enough," Devin said, clearly irked. He was a little jealous and I knew it pissed him off when I hugged Gage, but I loved to rile him up.
We pulled apart and Gage immediately slid his arm around his boyfriend's waist, standing up on his tiptoes again to kiss him on the cheek and quickly smoothing over any upset feelings. They looked good together. At 6'5", Devin stood over a foot taller than Gage and he was definitely more muscular.
I was just as tall but I probably had about twenty pounds on Devin. He was leaner but strong. He was also a damn good basketball player and we teamed well together on the court.
I watched as Devin slid his arms around tightly around Gage and began nuzzling his neck. Gage began making little sounds in his throat and I turned away feeling like I was intruding on a private moment. I headed down the hall, checking for my room.
"Last room on the left, Travis," Devin called after me, his voice muffled as his lips were still pressed against Gage's neck.
I nodded and walked past a closed door. The next door was mine and I turned the knob and walked in. My bed was already set up against the far wall, but otherwise, the room was bare. White walls, no furniture, plain hardwood floors that looked like oak, but badly needed to be replaced or stained again.
