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He should have never picked up the phone!
That was what his mind screamed at him, as he desperately tried to blink away the hot tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. His heart was aching. A sharp pain like he had never felt before, piercing it. No, that was a lie. He had once felt something very similar before. The awful night when he had caught his very own father and Patrick making out in the pool.
But they had moved passed that! Encouraged by his father, he had finally felt confident enough to go for, and chose Patrick. And the boy had chosen him as well. Due to their rocky start, to say the least, it hadn’t been an easy road. He had needed to show Patrick that this was what he really wanted, that he was all in. That he was done hiding the fact that he was bi and truly wanted to be with him. At the same time Patrick himself needed to regain Ivan’s trust. And on top of that had to live with the fact his father, Benjamín had been thrown into prison after killing their classmate.
That’s why they had taken it slow. Going on dates. Talking and being open and honest with each other about what they both wanted and expected from their relationship, and from each other. Luckily finding that they were pretty much on the same line with that. And by now Ivan was proud to say they had been together nearly 4 months. And happily so.
Or at least that what was he had thought. Now he wasn’t so sure anymore. Not after having made the stupid mistake of checking Patrick’s phone.
It all happened when Patrick had decided to take a dip into the pool in the Carvalho backyard. He had barely dived in, when the boy’s phone vibrated. Once, twice, multiple times with incoming messages. A little curious, but mostly to check if it was something of importance, he had picked up the device to see who it was. They didn’t have any secrets from each other after all. They both had done the same move multiple times before. But this time it was different, when his eyes landed on the texts on the screen.
The first text was a photo. Ivan was pretty positive he was able to make out a shirtless person on the little image.
‘Enjoying the hot weather.’
‘I know you love to see it ;)’
‘Now don’t be shy and send me one back. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that sexy body of yours.’
‘I know you want to.’
The bitter taste of hurt and betrayal filled his mouth. It was like something heavy pushed down on his chest, crushing his heart slowly in the process. Reading the words over and over. All were from someone called Ander. Who the hell was Ander? Distraughtly ranking his brain if he could recall someone by that name. Trying to remember if Patrick had ever mentioned him before, in desperate attempt to make any sense of the flirty texts. Only to come up empty. Which, if there was truly something going on between Patrick and this Ander guy, wasn’t surprising. Who would tell their boyfriend about the person they were having an affair with.
“Ivan.”
Slowly pulling out of his heartbreaking daze, his eyes focused on Patrick. The boy was holding onto the edge of the pool, eyeing him with confusion and concern. “What’s wrong?”
He wanted to scream and shout at the boy, but the feeling in his chest was too painful to have the energy for it. Instead he stared his boyfriend dead in the eyes, still trying to keep the tears at bay, and asked; “Who is Ander?”
“What?” Patrick’s head titled to the side in confusion.
“Who the fuck is Ander?!” This time it was loud, almost like a yell. “I want to know who he fucking is, and why he’s texting you about wanting to see your ‘sexy body’.” Anger now boiling up, taking over from the hurt.
In the blink of an eye, Patrick was out of the pool. Grabbing the phone from where Ivan had been clutching it in his hand. Eyes scanning over the texts he had been receiving. And then the asshole had the audacity to throw his head back and laugh.
“Ivan, mi amor.” Cupping Ivan’s face with both hands and not letting him shake them off. “Please listen to me. I promise you, this is not what it looks like. I’d never be crazy enough to cheat on you. You and I both know you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Patrick told him that rather frequently. Mostly after making love, or fucking, depending on their mood. And he oh so desperately still wanted to believe the words were true.
“Come on, let’s go to your laptop and I’ll introduce you two” Patrick spoke. "There is really nothing to worry about." Taking hold of Ivan’s right hand and dragging him towards the house.
Dumbfounded Ivan followed. Anger now having being replaced by pure confusion, having expected Patrick to argue him. To immediately jump in the defense and deny everything. But instead the boy had laughed and was calm, assumed even. And the way he lightheartedly spoke about introducing him to Ander, completely threw him off.
“Sit.” Patrick instructed, as he put down the phone he been typing on in favor of grabbing Ivan’s laptop. Sitting down next to him, seemingly uncaring about the fact that he was wet.
Ivan could see the boy was opening up skype. Logging into his own account, before making a video call.
Ivan just sat there, trying to makes sense of it all, when a handsome boy with soft curls on top of his head and an earring in his left ear, appeared on the screen.
Said boy whistled. “Damn man, your boy looks just as hot in real life, well screen life, as in all the pictures you’ve send me. If not more.”
Even more confused at the knowledge that Patrick had been sending this boy pictures of him, he tore his eyes way from the handsome figure, to glance at his boyfriend. Surprised to notice the pink tint of a blush on Patrick’s cheeks, while also avoiding the Brazilian’s eyes.
“I thought it was about time the two of you met” Patrick spoke nonchalantly. “Ander, this is Ivan. Ivan this is my friend Ander.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you Ivan” Ander spoke with a big smile. “Patrick has been telling me so much about you. Well that and showing you off with all the pictures we’ve been getting.”
Blinking he glanced once more between the boy on the screen and his boyfriend. Confusion only growing more and more, especially at the ‘we’ this Ander guy was talking about. Who was we?
“With that out of the way, maybe you can help me clear something up for him” Patrick spoke up again.
“O-kay” Ander spoke slowly. Seemingly a bit confused.
“You see.” The blush on Patrick’s cheeks darkened as he ducked his head a little. “I might not have really talked about you to him yet. And now he has seen your recent texts, without having a clue who you are and what they mean.”
For a second Ander only stared, only to burst out in to laugher. “You are such an idiot” he accused.” Shaking his head.
“Who’s an idiot?” A voice, that kind of sounded familiar, sounded from Ander’s side of the call. But before Ivan could place who it belonged to, Omar appeared behind Ander. Placing a kiss on the handsome boy’s cheek, before settling down next to him.
“Patrick” Ander answered. And Ivan could sworn he heard Omar mumble ‘nothing new there’. “Apparently while we’ve been having to deal with him gushing over how hot, and handsome, and perfect his boyfriend is. Lover boy over there has somehow failed to tell said boyfriend about us.”
Wait so they not only knew him and received pictures of him, but Patrick had been telling about him? Feeling kind of flattered.
“I haven’t been gushing” Patrick argued. But the looks he gotten in return spoke volumes, telling Ivan they were speaking truth.
“Liar” Ander still countered.
“Mate, you’re like a love sick puppy. It’s both sickening and sweet” Omar told him with a grin.
Huffing Patrick crossed his arms, but seemingly at loss of a response to counter with. It was actually kind of cute the way his bottom lip was pushed out a little in a pout.
That’s when Ander decided to put his attention on him. “Well Ivan, I’m Ander” he introduced himself. “And this here is my extremely good looking boyfriend Omar. Who you should know from last school year already.” Which Ivan indeed did. “We are friends of Patrick, and what you’ve seen on his phone is truly nothing more than friendly banter” the boy kindly explained. “I’m quite happy with the man I’ve got at my side.” Sending a quick smile at Omar. “Besides, we’ve tried the whole seeing Patrick thing already once, and that didn’t end so well. So that is not something I want to repeat ever again, thank you very much. So you truly don’t need to worry about that.”
“Wait all three of you. Together?” Ivan wasn’t sure why that exact fact had struck him the most out of the boy’s words.
“Yeah. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We both got excited and hot at seeing and hearing about the other with Patrick” Ander elaborated more, with a hint of shame. “And while it was indeed hot, the jealousy was very quick to ruin the situation.”
“And that all happened long before you even came to the school” Omar added helpfully.
“Not to mention I ended up finding myself on the outside anyway” Patrick spoke up as well. “Bastards.” But from the fact that there was no heat behind the words, it was clear it wasn’t an accusation. And Ivan was able to tell that whatever had transpired between them back then, they had all long moved on from it.
“Pot, kettle” Ander countered. “I’m not the one doing the whole friends with benefits thing, after I left.”
Ivan’s head quickly whipped back to Patrick. Not having know about that part either.
“Aw babe, no need to feel jealous. Besides, like you said, you weren’t there” Omar spoke. Left hand moving comfortingly to his boyfriend’s neck, placing a kiss just at the corner of his lips.
“Who says I’m jealous?” Ander was quick to counter. But Omar was equally quick to lower him with a look. “Okay, maybe I am. But it’s more envy at the thought you two fucked and I wasn’t there to witness it. You always looked so hot together."
That made both Omar and Patrick laugh, and even Ivan couldn’t stop his lips from curling up into a smile.
“It is that I’m now a one man guy, or otherwise I’d say; you should see them together” Ander directed his words to Ivan.
“Well same could be said from you and Patrick” Omar responded. Heated eyes staring at his boyfriend, but then he blinked. “But yeah, sorry Ivan, that’s sadly something you’ll never witness.
Next to him Patrick huffed. “Why would he want to see any of that, when he’s got me to begin with.”
Ivan was quick up on the tiny hint of insecurity that was hidden in his boyfriend’s voice. Still he smiled. Witnessing these three together, seeing the whole banter thing they had going on, convinced him of the fact that there was truly nothing more than friendship going on between them. Ander truly seemed very much in love and happy with Omar, and same could be said the other way around as well. The whole thing reminded him more of banter between brothers than anything else.
Maybe that was why he found himself leaning very close to Patrick’s ear. “Well they should be the ones to be sorry. For they will never be able to see us together.” Making sure the tease was loud enough to be heard for the boys on the screen. Sucking in his lower lip when his boyfriend bit his lip, turning to him with heated eyes.
A chuckle sounded through the speakers. “Patrick sure has met his match.”
“Ugh don’t get me started. He can be so evil” Patrick sighed dramatically. To which he could only grin. “Did I ever tell you about that ‘Anything goes’ party? He kept taunting me. Making me all hot and bothered, while remaining to claim he was straight. He even kissed Samu of all people, when I dared him to kiss a boy.” Going back to his earlier pouting.
“Wait Samu.” Ander’s eyes flown to Ivan’s face. “You kissed Samu?” When he nodded Ander let out a low whistle. “Damn, I’m impressed.”
It struck Ivan how good it was that they all were able to talk about their deceased friend, without turning all sad and grieving. Although he had no doubt that the boys, especially Omar, still very much missed their friend.
“But isn’t it evil?” Patrick continued to pout.
“You’re just upset, because he didn’t immediately give in to you” Ander relied. “What was it you used to say; “I always get what I want.”
“Well I did, didn’t I” Patrick countered. Arm being swung over Ivan’s shoulders. And Ivan had the bite the inside of his cheek at how ridiculously proud his boyfriend sounded.
“True, even when he didn’t make it easy.”
“Well it’s not like you two had it always sunshine and rainbows” Patrick threw right back.
“Touché” Ander spoke softly. Apparently not a big fan of being reminded of the past.
“It sure as hell wasn’t, but in the end it has only made us stronger. Happier” Omar spoke, glancing lovingly at Ander. “And like us, you two had some ‘difficulties’” Giving both of them a pointed look along with the word. And Ivan felt his cheeks turn hot with shame at being reminded of sleeping with Ari. “to get where you are now, and look where you two are now.”
Forgetting his shame he glanced at Patrick, finding the boy already looking at him. The next second Patrick had closed the distance between them, capturing his lips in a kiss. Having by now long forgotten about his clearly misplaced hurt and anger, Ivan kissed right back. Arms wrapping themselves around Patrick's neck, as he deepened the kiss, quickly turning it passionate.
Vaguely he heard either Ander or Omar say; “That’s our cue to go.” Before the sound of the video call being ended registered in his brain. Not that he had much time to pay attention to it, as Patrick pushed him backwards, until Ivan’s back hit the sofa. Wrapping both arms around the Spaniard’s neck, he pulled the boy even closer. Longing for boyfriend. And wanting to feel Patrick’s love and desire for him.