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It's what he needs, and whether he ever admits it to us or not, it's what he loves" - Theoden (From Commanded:House of Theoden)

Now do you understand why I'm interested in you? You're a locked door, sweetheart. You give no one a key and you never answer the door when anyone knocks...Ah, but sometimes, sometimes I get a peek through the keyhole and what I find there...It's like glimpsing you as you're stripping. Underneath all of that darkness is something hungry, something desperate, something, oh, so deliciously vulnerable.

There comes a point where you become tired of the loneliness and need a human touch, a caress to make you realize you still exist as a person.

I won't let him come between us, Konnor,_ Grayson promised, refusing to let go. __ feel so close to you_more than best friends. It's like we're soul mates. You're the part of me that I've always been missing. And he'll have to kill me to get me away from you,_ he swore, unknowingly cementing his place in Konnor's heart with the words. He felt exactly the same.

Konnor wanted to touch and taste him, and take him to the point of ecstasy where he couldn't even remember his own name. And Grayson was more than willing to let him do that.__es, that too._ He smiled, as if he found his surprise amusing. He leaned forward until their lips were inches from each other and whispered, __nything.

I will grant you one wish, for your birthday. Anything at all, except sex._ __ait_what?___ou heard me. So what do you want?_ Grayson questioned, keeping calm about the whole thing.Konnor thought those words over in his head again. He was literally telling him he could do what he wanted with him, as a birthday treat, as long as they didn't sleep together.__ait a minute. Are you saying that if I wanted to_ he asked, but found that he didn't want to embarrass Grayson by saying it. His eyes went there any way. They focused on his crotch withoutshame, wondering if he would get to remove clothes.__es,_ he nodded.__nd you'd let me? Why?_ he asked, too stunned to do anything else but ask.__ecause it's not your fault I'm straight. And it's not your fault you're attracted to me. If I can't give you everything you want I can at least give you a birthday to remember, right?_ Grayson smiled.Konnor felt like kissing him so hard he wouldn't be straight any more.

Konnor bit his lip and arched into his touch, opening his eyes to his words.__o matter how cruel I am to you, resisting what's between us, you always know when I need you the most,_ he explained quietly. __ needed you desperately and you gave me the most incredible pleasure. And when I tried to hide from you_when I thought you didn't want me_you showed me how wrong I was._ Grayson smiled as Konnor grasped his hair and dragged him down into a scorching kiss. He was more than happy to comply with his demands, since he wanted nothing more than to fade into him and make them one person.

Gray,_ he whispered in his ear.Grayson moaned softly in return.__'m here for you. I exist only for you. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.

Konnor said a silent prayer and made his move. He slid his hand over the curve of Grayson's neck and took the gigantic leap into the unknown. He kissed him.A few braincells died the moment Grayson kissed him back. Then a few more, when those perfect lips he'd been admiring for the last six months opened beneath his kiss.He kissed Grayson the way he'd always wanted to kiss him, teasing those parted lips with a lick of appreciation before slipping his tongue into his mouth. A tongue brushed his and he moaned at the little shots of pleasure that coursed through his whole body.Kissing Grayson was better than any sex with Tam. Just as he'd always known it would be. He had always found kissing to be such an intimate thing, so delicious and nerve shattering. No physical thing could say what a kiss could; not in his mind.

He thought he could remove the Tam-façade that he put on, to convince people that he was bulletproof and strong. That was a lie, and if he expected to get through this break up, he would have to put that mask back on and toughen up.

With you I feel like I'm already good enough; I only have to believe it. I can't lose you again._ He needed to make the confession because he was realising that Lachlan meant as much to him nowas he always had.__ know._ Lachlan smiled at him and stopped in their walk to draw him into his arms.Konnor went willingly, clinging onto him. This was exactly how they had said goodbye. It felt like the perfect way to make a promise to always be friends again.__ love you, Konnor,_ Lachlan whispered in his ear.__ love you too. If I ever try to hurt you again, lock me up, shoot me, do whatever you have to do_but don't send me away,_ he begged him never to separate them again.

Grayson Dashwood.Those two words had just ruined what was turning into a good morning.

It had been a shitty night, so it was fitting that it should end with rain.He closed his eyes and lay where he was, ready for it to stop. The rain, the cold, the pain, the aches, the blood choking the back of his throat, the metallic taste on his tongue. He wanted an off switch to his life; to get it over with. There wasn't much point fighting; he didn't have anything to fight for. He had his family and Levi, but something in his heart said that wasn't enough anymore.He didn't want to be alone.

Tam looked scared, swallowing and wrapping his hands around Casen's. He slowly cupped his wrists and pulled his hands away. Then he turned to the door and unlocked it.Casen expected to have it shut in his face or be told that he'd crossed a line. After all, he didn't know Tam and he'd stupidly given him an ultimatum after meeting just a few hours ago. What had he been thinking?__re you coming in?_ Tam asked quietly, staring at his hands as he twirled his key.Casen crossed the threshold and reminded himself he was lucky; he could so easily have been turned away. Yet, when he turned to apologise for presuming too much, Tam was right in front of him and the door was closed.Before he could ask what was running through his head, Tam cupped his face, lightly caressing his cheek. It was soft and tender, identical to the look in his eyes. It was too much; Casen closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, tentatively raising his own hand to hold Tam there.It wasn't a kiss, but it was damned close.

Tam let his hand drop to his neck and slowly circled his fingers around it. It was a free, gentle touch and Casen knew that if he asked him not to, he would remove his hand and nothing would change. He couldn't get the words out; it wasn't the touch he had a problem with, it was the far away look in Tam's eyes that said he wasn't in the room anymore. The look that suggested he was lying on the ground, as the rain fell in buckets and a stranger knelt over him, trying to keep him awake.Casen blinked and looked away, as the urge to cry for that lost look threatened.

Tam let out a ragged breath, as he fought to reign his emotions back, while the realisation sank in.He was nothing. To Konnor. To Giovanni. To everyone.He was invisible.

You let this become a mess,_ he cursed, as though he'd walked up to Tam and asked him to be drop dead gorgeous and vulnerable, just so that he would have his first guy crush.__ didn't let anything happen. I just_felt it. I think he feels it too,_ he argued, trying to talk sense into him. Why was this a bad thing? Konnor didn't have anything to do with Tam anymore, so why did it matter?__h God. You're in serious shit now,_ Mack bemoaned, rolling his eyes and rubbing his forehead.

Are you watching the boats?" Cornelia guessed. She craned her neck to see if there was any excitement on the river.Heavens no, I'm spying on people," Virginia responded unrepentantly.-Cornelia E and Virginia Somerset