Page 22 of Who The Hell Are You?

Emery shrugs and his sister is bouncing. “Sure.”

“Woah, you're really pretty.”

My head snaps around to one of the guys I assume is part of their rugby team; he has jet black hair that sweeps off his face and starts to curl at the ends, short stubble and piercing light blue eyes. He’s huge.

A few of the guys huff out laughter, but it's not degrading towards anyone. Harris is even trying not to laugh, as he shakes his head and side eyes his friend. “Rowley…”

“What? You're a guy.” His eyes wander all over Teddy and he's frowning.

Teddy pops out a hip, scowling back. “I have a dick yes.”

“You're pretty, like a girl.”

My throat hitches because even though he is feminine, I've seen my friend punch someone square in the face. Granted that guy was a homophobic piece of shit, but I don't think this is that. Cass squeezes my biceps like it's not, and one of the other rugby guys hits him over the back of the head.

“Rowley you can't say shit like that!”

Growling he turns around, using both hands to exaggerate his point. “Why not? He's fucking pretty! He's wearing glitter and lip gloss, it's nice.” He hisses, and his friend grabs him by the jacket, twisting him into a headlock.

“I am so sorry about my friend. He doesn't get out of the house. We keep him in a cupboard under the stairs. My name's Levi.”

Teddy bristles a little, but smiles after looking around and realises no one is being hostile towards him. Unfortunately this is the type of shit we get as gay men, but he can see too that none of them are acting this way. I can't keep the smile off my face either to be honest, because I think their friend maybe just had a little awakening.

“It's fine, I am pretty.”

“See! He knows he's pretty, why am I being punished?” Rowley continues to howl, as Levi drags him around us and nods in the direction of the street.

“We’ll meet you there.”

“Levi I swear, I'm not going to maul him! Jesus Christ, let me talk to himmmmm.”

Now Teddy is blushing as the guys start to walk towards Space Cowboy, and I give his elbow a little squeeze.

Harris leans in, moving Emery around us to head down the street. “He really is harmless, don't worry. He just doesn't have a filter.”

“Don't worry, I'm really not into sports.” Teddy grimaces, which has everyone laughing, so we leave behind the bar and start walking.

Cass leans into me and speaks next to my ear, unknowingly sending a shiver down my spine. “Teddy may have just got himself an admirer. Rowley can get…fixated. I didn’t know he was into guys though.”

“He’ll have a hell of a challenge.” I respond, shaking my head a little and thinking how easily I’ve fixated too, just not on Teddy. My friend is one hell of a firecracker, and that's when surrounded by the gay community. A maybe curious guy on a sports team? Walk away now Rowley.

I catch Grace trying to meet our pace out of the corner of my eye so I speed us up. I want to say three wines makes me petty, but this isn't some wine induced jealousy. Going after a guy fresh out of a relationship with a woman is definitely new to me. It's only due to how keen he seems to be that puts me more at ease. I don’t think there are any feelings left there, on Cass’s side anyway. He hasn’t exactly told me he’s interested either…but I just know. The way he’s walking so close, always touching, so attentive and he pays such good attention to anything I say. He wants me.

“You were really good up there, like so good. When did you learn to play guitar?”

The little pink to his cheeks will never not be adorable as he blushes.

“Thanks. Before the farm dream, we all really wanted to be in a band. We were like ten,” he chuckles, “Lilia was good on a keyboard, Harris can play anything and I'm not too bad. Emery couldn't pick anything up so we decided if we all couldn't do it, the dream had to die.”

I can't hold in my bark of laughter, but it always seems to be like this between us. “That's like, beyond being a loyal friend.”

“It's the three of us together. It's always been that way, hopefully even with additions it'll stay that way.” He nudged my hip with his and I swear my breathing stutters completely out. Is he suggesting…I'll be his? Is this a date? Did I get invited to our second ‘we’re not calling this a date but it's a date’? Honestly, the guys I've been involved with in the past thrived on being secretive and hard to read. It was exhausting, but nothing about this man is tiresome. We’re dancing around words that I know will be said soon.

“You're more than not too bad, by the way. That was something else. If being a vet falls through, you should start your own band.”

“Oh yeah? Will you be my groupie?” Cass wraps a thick bicep around my shoulder and it takes everything in me not to come in my pants. I’m not joking, it feels like I’m a young teenager again.

“W-what?” It's my turn to blush, my entire brain scrambled and all I can think about is how tight his ass would be with my dick in it.