Hazel eyes looked at me expectantly from behind thin rimmed glasses. “Uh…” I hesitated, knowing that I had been asked a question but clueless as to what it actually was. It’s not my fault, it was Aaron’s, Aaron being the person still looking at me, waiting, and also my best friend. Oh, and crush, let’s not forget that piece of information.

“Yes?” I guessed, hoping it was the right answer.

“Ethan,” he whined playfully, with a small shake of his head which made his light brown locks fall into his eyes. “You weren’t listening!” he scolded.

Briefly I contemplated denying it but you can’t ignore the truth so instead I offered a sheepish smile and a quiet ‘sorry.’

“Are you still staying over this weekend?” he repeated for my benefit.

I nodded vigorously. “Definitely! My sister is having all of her friends over. I am not sharing a house with a bunch of teenage girls.” I couldn’t help the shudder, especially when I remembered what had happened last time. They, the she-devils, had overpowered me and made me over! Make-up, girl clothes, the works. How I curse my girlish features (short, slim, almost delicate). To add insult to injury my lovely twin took photographs and had blackmailed me for weeks. That was until I stole and burnt the offending pictures. So yes, I’m definitely staying with Aaron, where I will not be perving on him. Well, maybe a bit. Okay a lot.

Smiling Aaron told me to be at his around five since he was working until three at the local shop down his street. That was fine since I had a couple of assignments to do which would keep me out of the way of my sister’s friends who’d be arriving at three-thirty.

--

That night I couldn’t sleep. I was lying in bed staring up at my off-white ceiling which was shrouded in shadows. There was nothing special on my mind just disjointed thoughts.

I thought about how cute Aaron was when he was concentrating and how sexy his smirk was. What I wasn’t doing was angsting about how I couldn’t have the guy I wanted. I’d already done that before and it achieved nothing, only made me feel like crap. Instead I focused on how I got to see him so often, how I could enjoy his smile, his laugh. The view of him in the shorts he slept in. Yum.

Suddenly I was excited about staying over at his, like a schoolgirl going to her first sleepover. Oh the shame.

Sleep was a long time coming. Sigh.

--

At just gone five I was ringing the doorbell to my friend/crush’s house. Waiting for the tell tale sound of someone running downstairs I fiddled with the bottom of my black t-shirt. It was a little torn. Maybe Tanya was right and I did need new clothes. Nope, definitely not. As if I would listen to anything my twin had to say. She who dresses me up as a girl.

Finally Aaron answered the door. Dripping wet. Oh god. He blushed slightly. “Sorry, I got held up at work and really needed a shower.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him. Why oh why would I complain at seeing him clad only in his boxers, water making his body slick and his hair all mussed up and sticking out at odd angles. Subtly as I could I studied the image, committing every detail to memory for future recall. I hoped I wasn’t drooling because the vision more than deserved it.

“Anyways, come in,” Aaron directed, stepping away from the door. “Just get a drink if you’re thirsty and put the telly on whilst I get dressed.” I wanted to tell him that he needn’t bother but something told me that that would be just a little bit inappropriate. Darn.

I did what I was bade, sprawling out on the sofa and channel surfing in the vain hope that something would grab my attention. I was still like this when Aaron came bounding down the stairs.

“Alright, done,” he informed me, kind of stating the obvious since I could see that he was indeed dressed. What a shame. Baggy blue jeans clung to his ass, and was complemented by a simple grey t-shirt, slightly tight, with the words ‘this t-shirt was ninja-looted’ across it in black. He looked good but that was a given.

We both went upstairs to chill out in his room and play video games. We were pretty much evenly matched, a result of all the practise we had at battling each other.

It was only when he pulled out a bottle of vodka that things began to get interesting.

I’m a little hazy on what the rules actually were but to be honest I think that the brunette was as well. The main part of it was whichever person lost the round had to drink at least one vodka shot. The bigger the gap between us the more they had to drink.

And since we were both even matched we ended up on the drunker side of tipsy together. I enjoyed the feeling of the buzz I associated with drinking spread throughout my body and it gave me more confidence than I normally exhibit. It also made me stupider than normal since I was really less than subtle in my Aaron watching.

Then the game changed. Now when somebody lost the round not only did they have to drink a shot (although this was less strictly enforced, neither of us had the concentration required) they had to do a truth or a dare. Okay, sure, it was a little juvenile but why grow up before you have to? Besides it was just the two of us and I would tell Aaron almost anything. Since it was his idea I assume he feels the same way. That is warm fuzzy feeling inducing, the type that make me feel like a schoolgirl. Again.

It started out fairly typical; first kiss, biggest crush, if either of us liked any of the teachers (and the answer to that is a world of no) but it didn’t stay like that.

Aaron was sat on his bed, legs crossed and turned on an angle so that he saw more than just the back of my head but could also see the TV with no issues. I was sat on the floor leaning against the bed and currently looking at my friend. I had already taken the required shot and was waiting for my question. I, for the most part, picked truths since I had so few secrets.

“You’re gay aren’t you?” Aaron asked, completely and utterly taking me by surprise. All I could do was stutter and not really form any type of coherent sentence.

“Your lack of denial seems to agree with me,” he continued smiling, making me think that clearly he wasn’t about to kick my ass (as if he could, he was slightly more muscular than me but that didn’t mean that he could win a fight).

“It doesn’t bother you?” I just about managed. Then I realised that I had just admitted that he was right. Oops.

“Of course not! You’re my friend and something silly like that wouldn’t change that. We’re friends!” he grinned, giggling slightly. That was an effect of the drink, normally I’m the one that seems to be the most girl-like. Not that I often admit it.

The next time I lost I picked truth again, figuring I only really had one secret left and Aaron couldn’t possibly know that I had a small crush on him. Medium sized. Right, a rather large crush on him.

“Is there a guy you like?” he questioned and I almost sighed, although I don’t know if it was of relief or annoyance. Should I lie and say no or say yes but name no-one? “Uh, maybe,” I tried.

“Ethan!” he scolded. “That didn’t answer the question. Are you a cheat? You shouldn’t cheat!”

“Fine. Maybe,” at his warning glance I quickly continued, “maybe I do. Sort of.”

“Oh?” he asked inquisitively. “Who do you ‘sort of’ like?”

I laughed. “Nope, not telling. You only get one question per go!” Thank goodness. I couldn’t possibly answer that question.

As we continued I knew that Aaron was just waiting for me to lose. When I did (unfortunately we didn’t get bored of the game first. What a shame) I couldn’t pick truth because I knew that Aaron would ask me who I liked. If it was anyone other than him I probably would have told him when he asked.

“Dare,” I decided as it seemed to be the easiest course of action. The less embarrassing and potentially friendship destroying of the two options.

“Kiss me,” was Aaron’s response.

“What?! I could not have heard that right.” As much as I hoped I did.

“Well if what you heard was ‘kiss me’ then I’m afraid you did.” He smirked, his sexy little smirk and any resistance I had about it being a Bad Idea dissipated. God, he’s hot.

I leaned towards him, briefly wondering when he had slid off the bed to sit next to me. He moved towards me a little. Soon there was barely a centimetre between our lips, then I closed the distance and pressed mine to his. For a moment that was all there was until we started kissing properly. Tongues tangled, there were definitely moans with roaming hands and it was better then any fantasy I may have ever dreamed because this was real.

We pulled away, smiling. “I like guys too,” Aaron admitted. “You most of all.”

A blush stained my cheeks. “I like you too. Have for a long time.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised.

“Yep.”

Then words became meaningless as we lost ourselves in each others arms.