Inconcessus

"Loving you is like trying to touch a star, I know I can never reach you, but I can't help but try." - Unknown

Prologue

It wasn't a particularly warm morning but watching the two teenagers, running, jumping, diving and covered in sweat you wouldn't really be able to tell unless you were outside yourself. The house was decorated in carved pumpkins, lanterns, cobwebs and a number of other themed decorations, giving the only hint to the time of year. The street in front of the house was littered with orange and brown leaves, but the sun was still shining defiantly in Arizona. The breeze was the only thing defying the sun, trying it's best to prove to the world that the sun had had it's prime this year and it was time for it to go elsewhere.

A laugh echoed down the empty street, it was still early morning on October 31st and not many people had ventured outside yet.

"I'm sure that wasn't allowed" came a slightly in-dignified pant, as Cauly Taylor leaned heavily against the wall of the garage. Cauly was pretty average looking, he had sandy blonde hair that was currently stuck to his head with sweat. It was cut short but had started growing out, he knew it wouldn't be long before his mother was hauling him to the kitchen, clippers in hand. A mere two months off eighteen and Cauly still didn't have the nerve to tell his mother that maybe growing his hair out wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. His blue eyes watched his best friend as he jumped and threw the battered orange ball easily through the hoop. Cauly loved his best friend, but would it kill the guy to cut him some slack just once? Holding his hands up he surrendered the game. Tommy was Cauly's near opposite, he was athletic whereas Cauly would prefer to be sat in front of his Xbox360, outgoing where Cauly was slightly introverted, flirty, arrogant and cocksure. Tommy MacIntyre had a reputation, he was good at nearly everything he attempted, he was good at sports, academics and whilst he didn't excel at any of these things it was largely due to his disinterest and not his lack of ability. The only thing Tommy excelled at was getting girls into his bed, another trait that Cauly desperately envied as thanks to Tommy, he was destined to be the barely noticed best friend in the corner at parties. Often awaiting his friends return from conquests, rendezvous and other various engagements. He understood, partly, why Tommy's dark hair that was long enough to curl at the nape of his neck and his dark eyes there weren't many teenage girls that could resist him – and the deep seeded part of Cauly that recognised all of this was so deeply pressed under his subconscious that he barely even noticed he'd thought it at all.

"You loser" his friend teased. The other boy was celebrating his eighteenth birthday today, it had crossed Cauly's mind to question why his friend was spending his birthday with the Taylor's and not at home, but he always got so defensive when Cauly queried his home life that the younger boy had given up trying.

"Whatever."

Tommy followed his best friend into his house. This was the kind of house Tommy had always pictured as 'the perfect family home' large kitchen, two staircases, double garage, more reception rooms than you could shake a stick at. He envied Cauly more than he would ever admit, Cauly even seemed to have the perfect parents, a mother who spent her days cooking instead of working and every available opportunity out on the arm of her husband networking at business events and laughing at all his jokes. Tommy hated the idea of being tied down the way every teenager does, but if he ever had a family life he wanted it to be this one.

Well that was before. In the last two months Cauly's home life had fallen apart. Mrs & Mr Taylor had separated and Adam Taylor had left to go and live in an apartment halfway across the state and Scarlet Taylor had to go out and find a part-time job quickly so that she could at least afford part of the bills on her own. Cauly had spent a lot of nights avoiding the arguments, hiding out in Tommy's bedroom in an almost unheard of reversal of usual pattern. Tommy hadn't seen his friend cry, but he was sure he did. He was torn apart not knowing who's side to take, who to blame or even how to express himself. Tommy had always been gifted in the art of expressing himself (often loudly) and it confounded him how Cauly failed time and time again to even acknowledge his feelings let alone express them.

Cauly grabbed a slice of cold pumpkin pie out of the fridge and handed it to Tommy who took it enthusiastically, Cauly grabbed his own and shut the fridge. The two boys wandered slowly into the living room, kicking their shoes off on the way, collapsing onto the couch they turned the television channel over despite the reluctant protests of Cauly's younger sister, Ellie.

"You have a television in your room" she growled, Cauly held the remote out of her grasp. She was a year younger than him, almost seventeen but she had a few inches on him height wise and easily wrestled it back. Cauly shot Tommy a look and dark haired boy rolled his eyes dramatically,

"Ellie, please" he fixed his gaze on her and though she looked perturbed for a minute but eventually huffed and handed Tommy the remote.

Cauly was extremely jealous of his friends prowess with girls, but when it came to manipulating his sister he was glad Tommy managed it with such ease.

Around lunch time the three of them heard bustling in the kitchen, Cauly shot a look to Ellie who shrugged.

"It's your turn." She stated matter of factly,

"I helped last time." He retorted, this continued until Tommy heaved himself to his feet,

"You know what" he glared at them both "you're rubbish children. I can't believe she still pays you allowance for sitting on your butts all day" and in the way of a teenager who was used to having to help out around the house he padded into the kitchen.

Mrs Taylor was a good looking woman, all of Cauly's friends accepted this as a fact. She had a petite figure, long blonde hair, good skin and obviously put a fair amount of effort into keeping herself looking good. She was stood in the kitchen, strewn over the centre island there were a fair amount of grocery bags, overflowing with good, healthy looking food. Something that Tommy's kitchen at home rarely saw. Mrs Taylor was wearing boot-cut, faded jeans, a pair of worn sneakers and a pale green baby-doll styled top that would have made the most of her cleavage if she wasn't wearing a short, jacket over it.

"Oh, Tommy" she smiled, relief flooding her features as he started helping her unpack the shopping, "you're a God send." Her cheeks were slightly pink from the excursion of carrying the heavy shopping bags from the car, her blonde hair was tousled from the wind. He tried not to look at her in that way but somehow he always found himself doing it regardless. At thirty-three (he knew this because of her recently celebrated birthday) she looked every bit the part of a typical 'mom' though it didn't make her less attractive. She never covered herself in make-up, she didn't wear clothes that were too young for her, she knew her age and she was comfortable with it, a fact that Tommy thought made her look younger, fresher. A quality he'd found in no girl his age so far.

Ever since Tommy had become friends with Cauly, shortly after he moved to Cauly's school Tommy had a thing for Mrs Taylor. It wasn't a crush per se, he didn't have her on a pedestal and he didn't really think about her, except the odd unusual night when he was alone, but he did find her usually attractive.

Whilst Tommy was putting some fruit away she'd taken her jacket off, by the time he'd turned around she was bent over putting something in a bottom draw. He checked out her cleavage and then walked over to the remaining bag, it wouldn't do to look too long or everybody would know exactly were his thoughts were headed. Realising that being this side of her he was getting an amazing view of her ass didn't help so he was very grateful when Ellie came bounding in, interrogating her mother on what she'd bought from the store for Halloween.

"Are you staying tonight, Tommy?" Ellie purred, he shrugged nonchalantly

"It's his birthday of course he isn't" Cauly muttered, rolling his eyes. Tommy exhaled, he didn't want to go home. He hated home but he did his best not to dwell on why.

"Happy Birthday, Tommy" smiled Mrs Taylor,

"Thanks" he grinned back, boyishly. He didn't know how to act around her, with other girls his boyish charm seemed to work a treat turning them into agreeable little puddles of goo. Mrs Taylor seemed oblivious, he reasoned that it was due to the fact she never looked at him as anything more than a child. It wound him up something chronic, he wanted her so badly and all she assumed he was was some average high-school kid. And then there was Ellie, an almost perfect mini-replica of Scarlet Taylor when she'd been sixteen, practically throwing herself at his feet and he couldn't do anything because Cauly had asked him not to and if there was one thing Tommy valued it was his friendship with Cauly.

"I better go" he announced to nobody in particular,

"Do you want some lunch?" Mrs Taylor asked in her usual maternal way. Tommy shook his head in response, waved to Cauly, winked at Ellie and made his way out the back door.

By eleven that night it was raining heavily, Tommy was soaked to the skin when Cauly pulled open the front door. He raked his eyes over his best friend and wordlessly let him in. Along with his dark hair being plastered to his head, his dark eyes burning with fury, he now sported a darkening bruise over his left eye and a split lip.

"Not again" Cauly sighed eventually, passing Tommy some frozen peas. Tommy smiled bitterly,

"Happy Birthday to me, I guess."

***

Authors Note:

I'm not going to say too much, if you like it review and there will be more. If not, consider it a one shot.

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