So... this story pretty much came out of nowhere. I had intended to rewrite A Real Love Story with a slashy twist, add the things I couldn't with that one. Instead... this. It's kinda a rewrite. It has a similar format, and please note that it was intentional. So... don't tell me I'm completely unimaginative or something because the two stories are similar. They're supposed to be.

Anyway... I really like this story. I wrote it in one sitting, thirteen pages written, and couldn't feel my hand by the end of it. After much revision, I think I've got it how I want it. I wanted to write an alternate ending type thing, but... I just haven't gotten around to it.

Look for more of these boys in the future. I'll probably write several drabbles/stories and add them as new chapters. So the story isn't truly complete, I guess. It's... done, but not. Fun to play with. Might eventually get around to writing the two of them a full length story, if I get positive feedback. Even if I don't... I might get bored. Who knows?

Last note: the title is subject to change. I just haven't found anything that fits yet. If you give me a suggestion that I use, I'll write you something, if you like.

Happy reading.

Warning: this story contains a relationship between two males. If that's not your cup of tea, you've been warned. Bitch at me for it, and I'll laugh my ass off. Also, the rating is for possible later chapters, as well as language and delightful inneuendo.

Addie and Tria

Addison Parker slid into his black Jeep Wrangler with a barely audible sigh, knowing this day was likely to a long one. Pulling his sunglasses down to shield chocolate brown eyes, he pushed the key into the ignition and twisted, the vehicle roaring to life. He ran a hand through short tawny hair, ruining the attempts he'd made earlier to have it look anything less than haphazard.

"Morning Dani," he murmured as the passenger side door opened, revealing his younger sister Danielle. She flashed him a quick smile as she sat down, closing the door with a slam. It wasn't until she'd shoved a CD into the player and gotten to the track she wanted that she finally responded verbally.

"Good morning Addison. And how are you on this fabulous Monday morning?"

Making an effort to ignore the Tokio Hotel coming from his speakers, Addison backed out of the driveway and headed towards the high school the two siblings attended, he as a senior, Danielle as a sophomore. "I'm all right," he lied after a moment. "What happened to make you so chipper?"

"Nothing," she almost sang, clearly wanting Addison to inquire further.

He took the bait, for no reason other than his sister would bug him about it if he didn't. "Uh-huh. Spill."

Danielle squealed in delight, making her brother wince. "Caleb asked me to prom last night!"

"Because I know who that is," Addison said, trying to keep his disinterest from his voice. He and his sister had never been close, and he doubted they ever would be. They were just too dissimilar, though it was hard to tell from the outside, with the popularity both siblings had, as well as the number of friends they shared.

"He's only the boy I've had a crush on for the past month and half!" she said indignantly, as if it was something Addison should've been aware of.

"Congratulations then," he said flatly. "I hope you two have fun."

Danielle deflated slightly. "You're not going? I thought you would've asked Claire by now."

Claire Halstead, his best friend, head cheerleader, and farthest thing from his girlfriend that was ever likely to exist. Regardless of the fact that both vehemently denied it, the majority of their school seemed to think that the two of them were dating, or were engaged in some sort of secret relationship. Claire was dating a sophomore from the local college but most claimed it was just a cover up. And Addison… Addison had his own relationship issues.

"Dani," Addison said through his teeth, "Claire and I aren't dating, nor have we ever dated, nor will we ever date. She's with Craig, you know that."

"Right," she sang, clearly disbelieving. "Whatever you say Addison."

Deciding to ignore her comment, Addison concentrated on the road in front of him. The rest of the drive was consumed by the music falling from the speakers, until Addison parked the car. The moment he'd come to a stop, Danielle was jumping out of the jeep, making a beeline for her friends and their gossip-filled discussions.

Sighing once more, Addison pulled the keys from the ignition, pocketing them, and got out of the jeep. He scanned the quad, relieved to see Claire sitting alone at one of the picnic tables, and immediately headed in her direction.

Claire perked up at the sight of her best friend. "Addie!" she said, scampering up to throw her arms around him and squeeze hard.

"Please don't call me that," he half begged, pulling away. Ignoring her concerned looked for a moment, Addison sat beside her on the table, settling his feet on the bench in front of him. Gods, he didn't want to say it but… "Tria broke up with me," he whispered.

"What?" she asked, face paling. "He what?"

"He broke up with me on Friday."

Christ, Addison could feel himself losing his carefully constructed composure already. He squeezed his eyes closed, taking several deep breaths. He wouldn't do this again. He'd holed himself up over the weekend, hadn't broken down and done anything he'd regret. He wouldn't either, but, fuck, it hurt.

No would have believed him, had Addison come out about the relationship. Addison Parker and Tria Montrose? The school golden boy and the Goth bad boy, together? The two boys who were rumored to have bedded more girls than the rest of the high school combined? The boys that set the bar, the ones girls compared their every following sexual experience to? Gay? For each other? Not only impossible, but insane.

And yet… it was the truth. Addison had known his interest lay with the same sex for years, and had long put any problems he'd ever had with it behind him. The few affairs he'd had, had been short lived and discreet, mostly for money or popularity, the right to say they'd slept with Addison, only to be shunned if they even tried to tell another.

When he'd seen Tria for the first time, near the beginning of the school year, Addison had immediately quashed the attraction he felt for the dark haired boy. Tria's already long list of partners, all female, had dashed any hopes he'd had about the Goth being anything but completely straight. Still, he'd hoped, and, in October, when they were actually introduced for the first time, he couldn't help but be curious about Tria. Meeting had merely made Addison realize just how big of an attraction Tria really was.

The boy embodied many of the qualities that had always caught his eye: Tria was attractive, but didn't care about what others thought, dressing and acting how he wanted; the Goth was sarcastic, with an odd sense of humor that came out at the most interesting of times; able to stand up for himself and rip someone to shreds with only a few well placed words, but more often quiet than not. The more Addison had learned, the more he'd been drawn to Tria, and the harder it had been not to act on his desires.

Addison had always enjoyed and excelled in photography, and when Tria had been the one to show up for the sport shots he'd needed, Addison had been surprised but thrilled. They'd been tentative friends for two months, keeping quiet about it so the rumor mill wouldn't run amok with speculation. The day in mid-December had changed everything.

The indoor skate park had been empty, as Addison had requested, and paid for, so it had been just the two of them. He'd gone through four rolls of film before they'd taken a break to eat. The looks Tria had been throwing his way were intriguing, but confusing, and Addison had been about to ask when the Goth suddenly leaned forward, brushing their lips together. Frozen in shock, it had taken several moments for Addison to react, but, when he had, the results had been far more than merely pleasant.

Needless to say, Addison hadn't used the rest of his film, though he'd learned some interesting things regarding the acoustics of the skate park, as well as the feel of the floor against bare skin.

Afterwards, Addison had expected Tria to ignore him or, at best, to treat him as nothing more than the friend he'd been before it had happened. He'd been pleasantly surprised to find that Tria wanted more from the relationship, just as Addison did, and they'd begun to date, tentatively, each unsure about where they were headed.

It had deepened quickly, from friends with benefits to lovers, and they'd both welcomed it. There had been no question, straight from the beginning, about keeping their relationship a secret, for both of their sakes. They'd dated secretly for five months, growing steadily closer, being cautious in the places they met, when and how they spoke to each other in public. Addison had been sure he'd found the perfect lover, the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, regardless of the fact that he was a teenager.

So he'd asked Tria to go public about them, tell everyone about their relationship. Addison had thought the dark haired boy would be completely okay with it, as he had been in the past. It had always been Addison that had held them back, sure that the resulting pressure would break them apart, among other things. When Tria had so abruptly ended it, Addison had been stunned and utterly confused. He'd kept to himself over the weekend, sure that whatever was wrong could be fixed.

He'd realized, when Tria never called to offer an explanation and dodged all his phone calls, that Tria didn't want to fix it, that their relationship was truly over. Claire was the only person in his life that knew his true sexual orientation, so she was the only person to tell, the only person Addison could confide in, the only person he could trust not to freak, could trust period.

"That bastard!" Claire yelled suddenly, breaking Addison from his reverie. "I'll kill him!" Despite her petite frame and beautiful looks, Claire had one hell of a nasty temper, and she was often more than willing to take it out on those she believed justly deserved it.

"Claire, don't," Addison said quietly, eyes closing as he rubbed at his temples, attempting to dispel the headache he could already feel building there. "You can't change what's happened, and Tria obviously has no intentions of reconciliation. He won't talk to me, won't take my calls. It's over between the two of us."

Claire sighed, pulling Addison close to hug again. "I'm so sorry Add," she murmured, voice filled with anguish. "Did he at least tell you why?"

Addison noticed her easy return to his old nickname, and released a sigh of quiet relief. Addie had been Tria's nickname for him, one Claire had quickly adopted as both a form of endearment, and to tease him about. She obviously could switch just as easily back to the old one.

Remembering her question, Addison shook his head. The lack of explanation was one of the most frustrating parts about it. If Tria had at least given him a reasonable explanation, he could've accepted it, moved on eventually. But without it, he felt only hurt, clueless as to what to do now.

"You'll probably be less than thrilled to hear the rumor that's going around then," Claire told him, pulling back slightly to look at his face. "It seems Tria was at Jamison's party Friday night. Delilah says she slept with him, and I wouldn't normally believe her but under the circumstances…"

Addison sighed, the words opening a fresh wound. That Tria had obviously cared so little about them only hurt him further. He'd been stupid enough to believe the Goth cared, stupid enough to care himself. And now… now it only served to show him he was better off alone.

"S'all right Claire-Bear. I'll live." He gave her a strained smile. "I'll get over him eventually." He spoke the words easily enough, but Addison knew it would be quite some time before he got over Tria, regardless of how the other boy felt about him.

"Can I please go kill him?" she asked, sweet tone belying the dark meaning of her words, as well as the honest intent behind them. Addison knew that, while she wouldn't actually kill Tria, she would make him regret hurting her best friend.

"No," he said quietly. "Don't even talk to him, all right? I just want to forget about this. Please Claire?"

Though she clearly didn't want to agree, the blonde nodded. "Only for you Add, only for you."

"Thank you," he murmured. They were quiet for several minutes, both of them ignoring the bell that announced the start of classes.

Abruptly, Claire stood, taking Addison with her. Scooping up their bags, she dumped them into his arms, and then grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "C'mon!"

"Where are we going?" he asked warily. While his best friend was an intelligent individual, she was also spontaneous, and rarely thought things through, such as the fact that they were both ditching class at the moment.

"First stop: grocery store. We need lots of chocolate and ice cream. Second, we need movies. Lots of movies. Funny movies to get you happy. And then my house, to gorge ourselves and laugh until we cry."

Addison stared at her as he was dragged towards Claire's dark blue Porsche GT Turbo Convertible, her sixteenth birthday present. As he was shoved into the passenger's seat, he shook his head slowly. "Only you Claire."

XXX

That night, Claire stared at her best friend, passed out on her couch. They'd watched six movies and eaten at least twice their weight in chocolate, but she'd succeeded in cheering Addison up, at least for a little while. Once he woke, he'd most likely be back to being quiet and depressed, but she'd find some way to make him happy again, at least she hoped so. One that, preferably, didn't involved skipping class, not that she cared. To make Addison happy, she'd do just about anything, just like she knew he would for her, but she couldn't let her golden boy get into trouble, even if he wouldn't care at this point. He'd always hated who he had to pretend to be, but with his parents… Addison had never had another choice.

At least not until Tria. Gods, Claire wanted to hurt that boy for what he'd done. To so cruelly play with Addison's heart like he had… she sighed, brushing strands of short tawny hair away from the boy's face. As much as she wanted to skin Tria alive, she wouldn't do that to the boy her best friend was in love with. She'd give Tria some time to come to his senses before she approached him. And if he didn't… well, she was known for her temper for a reason.

Claire pulled a blanket over Addison and stood, turning the television off as she passed it. She knew that Addison didn't want her speaking to Tria, knew she'd promised she wouldn't, but there was a reason she'd crossed her fingers. She wouldn't let Addison suffer if there was something she could do about it.

XXX

Addison walked into school the next day feeling better, though not by much. He'd have to face Tria today, as much as he didn't want to. They shared three classes, as well as a lunch period. Claire would be there for all of them, except his seventh and final class, AP Chemistry. As it was advanced, it was a smaller class, so there wouldn't be much he could do to avoid Tria if they were in lab, or doing anything that required a partner.

To Addison's surprise, Tria was conspicuously absent from their first class. It was AP Italian IV, and Tria's favorite class, one he never missed for any reason. So either the Goth was avoiding Addison, or something was seriously wrong. Neither idea appealed to Addison.

Their teacher Signor Rizzo, looked stunned when he realized that Tria was absent from class. "Has anyone seen Tria?" he asked after a moment. His eyes slid over the class as they all replied in the negative, eventually settling on Addison. The man quirked a brow at the boy, obviously asking him personally.

Addison shook his head, wondering why his teacher thought he'd seen Tria. The two of them were careful about what they said to each other, doing nothing to suggest they were more than passing acquaintances. It was hard sometimes, but they managed, and he hadn't thought anyone knew anything. Maybe he was wrong…

Addison's suspicions were confirmed when Signor Rizzo asked him to stay after class when the bell rang. The man waited until the room had emptied, and then he closed the door, leaning against the wall beside it and crossing his arms. "What happened?" he asked flatly.

The boy simply stared at him for a moment before he sighed. "How long have you known?" he asked.

He shrugged. "My partner and I have been together since high school. I know two boys in love when I see it. And you didn't answer my question."

Addison bit his lip, wondering just how much to tell his teacher. He'd known the man for five years now, since eighth grade Italian I. He didn't know much about him, as the teacher had always been quiet about his private life. He hadn't even known the man was gay.

After a moment, Addison decided to throw caution to the wind. If he wanted to out Addison to the world, so be it. He didn't much care anymore. "Tria and I have been together for five months, give or take," he said quietly. "He broke up with me on Friday."

"Ouch," he said after a brief pause. "He tell you why?"

"No," Addison said, still biting at his lip. "Claire was trying to cheer me up yesterday, which is why I was absent. I don't know where Tria is though, or why he's gone. I didn't think ending the relationship bothered him."

"I wondered," he murmured. He was silent for a minute, then spoke. "I'll tell your class principal that I had you doing a project for me. It should keep you out of trouble."

Addison blinked in surprise. "Thank you Signor. You don't have to do that."

"You're welcome, and you make call me Lucas, if you like. I know I don't need to do it, but I also know that sometimes one needs a little time when things like this happen."

He nodded. "Thanks, again, ah… Lucas."

"If you need to talk Addison, know that I'm here. Teachers do have lives, and I'm here to help if you need it."

Addison didn't mention that he was going to be graduating in a few weeks, not wanting to belittle his teacher's kindness. "Cool. Thanks." He blinked and rolled his eyes. "Again."

Lucas smiled slightly, and then sighed. "So you haven't seen Tria since Friday?"

"No."

"All right, thank you. If you do see him, let him know, through someone else if you like, that I'd like to speak to him about the things he missed in class today." Lucas straightened and opened the door. "If your teacher is angry with you, just tell him or her that I asked you to stay after."

"I'm in study hall next hour, so it's not a big deal."

"Have a good day, Addison."

"Not likely," he muttered. Talking to his teacher had lightened his spirits briefly, but they slipped once more when he saw the girl waiting outside the room for him. Addison hadn't expected Claire to wait, as her next class was across the school, but he hadn't expected to see anyone waiting either. So, when he noticed Marie Donaldson, he was less than thrilled. She was Claire's constant 'competition', as the rumor mill told it.

"Hey Addison," she purred in what she most likely considered a sexy manner.

"Hello Marie," he stated neutrally, fearing where this was going. If his parents discovered he'd turned down an invite to the prom without a decent excuse, they would be less than pleased with him. Addison didn't much care, but he also didn't want to endure the long 'discussion' that would follow, which would most likely entail them yelling while he listened.

"Walk with me to our next class, all right?" she asked, giving him a puppy look. Addison did his best not to show her how much he wasn't affected by it.

"Sure," he agreed reluctantly.

Marie gave him a smile and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Awesome. I've been wanting to talk to you about something, and now seems like a good time."

Addison winced inwardly. Though it was traditional for boys to ask girls to prom, Marie obviously didn't care, more than willing to ask him if she got the answer she wanted. "About?"

"I've been wondering… are you and Claire going out?"

"No," he said after a moment. He wouldn't lie. He hated lying because the few times he'd done it, it had only led to more of the same, until he'd just come clean and faced the consequences.

"Are you going to prom with anyone then?"

"No," he repeated slowly.

"Great. Would you like to go with me?"

Addison bit his slightly abused lip and sighed. Though he longed to say no, he knew he wouldn't. "All right," he said eventually.

"Yes!" she squealed, practically bouncing in her happiness.

"Yay," he said half-heartedly.

XXX

The remainder of the day was uneventful for the most part. By the time Addison walked into his last class, he'd managed to convince himself that Tria would've skipped this class as well. His prediction held true, until half way through class, when the Goth showed up, pass in hand. He gave it to the teacher, Mr. Neff before dropping into a chair. As the class was in a partnered lab, Tria would have to make it up later, and Addison guessed that he'd done it on purpose.

The entire class period, Addison felt Tria's eyes on him. Every time he turned around to look, the Goth was reading his book though, so eventually he decided it must've just been wishful thinking.

As soon as the bell rang, Tria was up and out of the room, leaving Addison with no chance to try and catch him, no chance to demand the explanation he so desperately wanted.

XXX

The next two weeks were more of the same. Addison's grades improved as much as they could, as he spent most of his time on his school work, instead of with Tria, as he had before. He'd never played better, after spending so much time practicing in front of the net, and his soccer team won all of the three games they played. His time was consumed by school and soccer, as Addison did his best to try to stop thinking about Tria.

Nonetheless, Addison attempted to catch the dark haired boy alone as often as he could, with no success. Tria was dodging his every attempt, staying behind in classes and showing up late to others. It was a continuous game of cat and mouse, one Addison was losing miserably.

Finally, two and a half weeks later and exactly three weeks after Tria had broken up with him, Addison managed to catch him unaware. It was the day of prom, so Addison was excused from several of his classes to help decorate. He'd ducked out, waiting outside Tria's fifth hour to meet him.

Tria looked surprised to see him, though whether he was annoyed, Addison couldn't tell. "Tria, we need to talk," he said quietly, not wanting to attract unwanted attention, at least not yet.

"What could you have to say to me, Mr. Parker?" Tria asked, voice icy cold.

Addison did his best not to show how much the tone, as well as the use of his last name, affected him, and suspected that he'd failed at the look in Tria's eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Tria. Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, the picture of innocent confusion.

"Tria, don't do this," Addison begged.

"Don't do what Mr. Parker? Don't act like you're scum on the bottom of my shoe? Don't act like I'd rather be anywhere else than forced to speak to you? Don't act like I think I'm a million times better than you?"

Addison shook his head, ignoring the sting the words caused. It was nothing compared to some of the things he'd heard Tria say to others, but just the fact that it was Tria saying those things, no matter what he thought about it, hurt. "None of those things Tria, and you know it," he murmured.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're referring to." Tria stepped close, voice pitched low so as not to be overheard as he began speaking again, his words solely for Addison. "And I have absolutely no feelings for you Addison, I never did." He smirked as he watched the blood leave Addison's face, saw the fear lurking in those chocolate eyes, the fear, and the knowledge, that Tria was speaking the absolute truth.

"I set out to play you for a fool, and succeeded quite admirably, it seems. I don't love you, and I didn't when I said the words to you. I never did, and I never will." His voice rose again, attracting attention as he spoke, these words meant for everyone to hear. "Have fun fucking your blonde bimbo tonight. Don't try to talk to me again Mr. Parker, or you'll regret it."

With that, Tria walked away, leaving a stunned hall and an absolutely heartbroken Addison in his wake.

XXX

Addison mechanically put on his tux later that night, barely even aware he was doing it. His mind was still set on those few moments in the hall, the words Tria had spoken. He'd left school after that, skipping out on his decorating duties and not finding it in him to care. He hadn't talked to Claire, and didn't intend to tell her about what had happened until tomorrow, though he figured she knew at least part of it by now.

If it hadn't been for the fact that he'd already told his parents he was going to prom, Addison would've crawled into bed and spent the weekend there, wallowing in his sorrow. As it was, he managed to drag himself out of the house, accepting his parents' wishes of good luck as he slid into the car. The drive to Marie's was short, and, sooner than he liked, Addison was standing before her door, ringing the bell.

He spent several minutes speaking to Marie's father, and wondered absently if he'd read the threats somewhere, as the man looked like he couldn't care less if Addison brought his daughter home after one in the morning. Marie finally came down the stairs, looking nice in a pale blue prom dress, giving him a bright smile as he slid the corsage onto her wrist. The ritual round of pictures was taken by Marie's mother, along with a promise to get doubles for his parents, and then they were out the door.

Addison helped her into the limo that had arrived exactly on time, and they showed up in grand fashion, the envy of many of their classmates, wishing to be one of the two for some reason or another as they made their way inside. Marie was sucking up the attention, looking happier than he had ever seen her.

Addison had never been more miserable in his life.

XXX

While Addison was busy faking happiness, Claire was striding up the walk of Tria's house. Craig was waiting for her at home, having been surprisingly understanding about having to schedule their dinner reservations for later that night.

She thumped her fist against the wood hard, knocking until the door opened, revealing Tria's aunt and legal guardian.

"Hi," Claire said sweetly, flashing the woman her sunniest smile. "You don't know me, but I'm a really good friend of Tria's and I desperately need to speak with him about something of the utmost importance."

After blinking several times, the woman merely pointed up the stairs, obviously not caring much why a random girl was banging on her door. Claire hated her instantly, just for that.

She bounded up the rickety stairs, taking them two at a time and then going down the hall at a half jog, throwing open the only door that was closed. Tria lay on his bed, slim six foot three frame stretched out on the dark bedspread, black hair disheveled as if he'd run his hands through it several times. His dark eyes widened when he rolled over to see Claire standing in the doorway of his bedroom so suddenly. "Claire. What—"

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me or, by God, I will rip you apart. And if you don't tell me what I want to hear, I'll do it slowly." Her voice was quiet, and showed that she had every intention of following through with her threat if she had to.

Claire had heard about what had happened today, and, though she didn't know exactly what Tria had said so quietly to Addison, she could guess. "I don't know what kind of misguided reasoning you've used to justify what you did to Addison, but that boy is in love with you, heart and soul, and I thought you were in love with him too. Fuck, I know you were, so I know what doing this to Addison must be doing to you. Whatever reason you have for doing it, I'm telling you: it isn't fucking good enough."

"What's your point?" Tria asked flatly.

"Tell me the fucking truth and stop lying, stop acting like you don't care, and I'll stop thinking about where I'm going to hide your goddamned body."

Tria closed his eyes, clearly distressed, and then sighed. "Fine," he murmured. "Fine, yes, I love him. I love him so fucking much that I'm willing to sacrifice everything we have and could have so he can be happy and not have to spend the rest of his life attached to someone who has far more problems than solutions and troubling dogging his every footstep. I won't let him ruin his fucking life for me."

Claire stared at him for a moment before she spoke. "You have two choices."

"And they are?" Tria asked quietly, head in his hands.

"You can stay here and always wonder what you could've had, if it was worth giving up to do what you think is the right thing. Or you can go tell Addison what you just told me and fucking face it together." She strode forward, coming to a stop directly in front of Tria. "So what's it gonna be hotshot?"

XXX

Addison lay in his bed, curled up on his side under several layers of blankets in attempt to combat the chill in the air, as well as the one in his bones. The pajamas pants and T-shirt he wore, originally Tria's, only served to make things worse, but he just couldn't part with them.

His thoughts were running in circles, from the abysmal time he'd had prom, to ducking out early and making excuses about the after party, to the words that still reverberated in the back of his mind.

"I don't love you, and I didn't when I said the words to you. I never did, and I never will."

How could he have been so stupid as to fall for something that was so obviously fake? How could he have been so wrong? How could he have convinced himself that Tria returned his affections when he so obviously didn't? Gods, he was a fool.

Caught up in his self-depreciating thoughts, Addison eventually fell asleep. The sound of the window opening didn't rouse him; neither did the figure that dropped silently into the room. He continued to sleep as the figure slid into bed with him, only waking when the cold body pressed against his warm one, cold lips ghosting against the back of his neck.

"Addie."

Addison blinked several times, forcing sleep from his mind as he struggled to make himself believe that the person in his bed was the one he thought it was. He twisted around, meeting dark eyes. "Tria," he whispered, wondering what evil thing he'd done in a past life to deserve this, to have the love of his life so close to him, and yet so very far.

"Addie, I'm so fucking sorry," Tria whispered, voice filled with anguish. "I never should've done what I did, never should've—" he broke off, swallowing hard, before he continued, "I never should've said what I said to you. I love you, so fucking much, and I couldn't let you sacrifice everything for me."

Addison was silent for several moments, digesting Tria's words, voice surprisingly harsh when he finally spoke. "Is this another part of the plan Tria? Another joke? Another attempt to humiliate me further? Kick the golden boy when he'd down?"

Tria winced. "No. Fuck Addie, you know me better than that. I thought for sure you'd see through that. I did what I did because I…" He trailed off and then sighed. "I found out about your parents Addie."

"My parents?" Addison asked stupidly. "What have they got to do with it?"

Tria squeezed his eyes closed. "Claire told me a few weeks ago. That they can disinherit you if you do something they don't like. That, until you're twenty one, they control you. I didn't think it would matter, because you've never wanted to come out about us before. But I decided then that I wasn't going to let you do it, that if you ever did want to, I'd break it off with you before you could. I won't let you give up everything for me Addie.

"So when you brought it up… I made myself do it. Fuck, it hurt so goddamned bad, but I had to, because I knew that, in the end, you'd be happier. You'd have your family, no matter how homophobic your parents are, and you'd have Claire, and everyone else. I figured that, in the end, you'd find someone to make you happier than I ever could, that you'd be smart enough to wait until it wouldn't matter anymore. I didn't… I didn't think I'd matter…" Tria trailed off in silence.

Addison stared at him, rendered completely speechless by what he'd just heard. Tria had… because… "Of course you matter," he said finally. "You matter more than anyone else Tria. That's why I didn't care about the rest of it, why I'm so willing to give it all up for you. Because you're worth that and so much more to me, that I don't care about it, any of it. All I care about is you."

Tria shook his head. "Dammit Addie… I love you but I can't let you do that."

Addison reached out, skimming his fingers across Tria's cheek. Those dark eyes opened, and Addison lost himself in that perfect black for a heartbeat before he forced himself back, attention drawn by the sheen in them that told him that his lover was closer to tears than he was letting on. "Tria…" he whispered. He leaned forward, pressing their lips together for a moment before he pulled back slightly. "I love you, and I'm not letting you go, for anything. If you don't want to, we don't have to come out about us. We can stay quiet, not let anyone else know, until I'm twenty one, if that's what you want."

The dark haired boy leaned forward, kissing Addison hard. The kiss stole his breath, left him lightheaded and wanting. "You promise?" Tria whispered against his lips.

"Yes," Addison murmured. "If I'd known you felt this way, I never would've suggested it."

Tria sighed. "I love you Addison. More than life itself."

"I love you too Tria."

Again, their lips met, each of them reassuring themselves that the other was there, their feelings true, that this was real.

Addison pulled away first this time, fingers skimming Tria's stomach beneath his shirt. "When I'm twenty one," he murmured, "we'll tell the world."

"Yes," Tria assured him. "On your birthday. I want them all to know that all this," his hands ran over Addison, fingers pressing and making Addison gasp, "is all mine."

Addison gave a shaky laugh, pulling Tria over to straddle him. "Then prove it."

I love this story, and I have no idea why. Just do. It's dedicated to Sam, a good friend of mine, because she wanted me to write something, and I still haven't, so this is a kind of 'Please don't kill me, here have this until I get to your story!'.

Anyway, like I said, expect more from these boys. They're fun, easy to write, and I can do whatever I want with them, because I have no ulimate goal in mind. Feel free to give suggestions. I really want to write about their first kiss and the events at the skate park, for some reason.

-Shadowed and Shattered