Too Close For Comfort | Man x Boy |

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A V E R Y

The first time Avery met Elias, he was going to get his mail and Elias was jogging. Avery had been captivated by him immediately. Elias was tall, standing at six foot at least, and his broad shoulders and muscular physique were eye-catching as well. With icy blue eyes and dark black hair, tanned skin, and a broody, almost haunted look in his eyes, it was impossible for Avery not to notice him. He'd always had a pension for anyone who might be difficult to handle, and his tastes hadn't changed any. He'd been unable to help but to wish him a good morning, in hopes of hearing his voice. Elias had only nodded in acknowledgment however and continued past him. Consider him hooked. 

He almost had to get the man to speak to him after that. It became his goal, and he set out to accomplish it. He realized in the next couple of days that the man had a strict routine. Jogging from five to six every morning, he got the mail at ten when the mail came by and took out his trash every evening at five. And he hadn't even been trying to realize it. Whenever he caught sight of him, he couldn't look away from him. So, Avery started getting his mail every morning at exactly five fifty-five. He was dedicated, solely focused on at least getting a singular good morning. After about three weeks of his own little routine forming, Elias had graced him with a smile and a 'good morning' with a rich baritone voice that sent shivers down his spine--before he'd even had the chance to utter good morning. He'd been completely breathless and surprised. But Elias just kept jogging. 

Well, obviously he couldn't quit getting his mail at five fifty-five every morning just because Elias said good morning to him--it'd look way weird for him to just suddenly stop after getting his mail every day at the same time. So he kept doing it. And slowly their conversations had gone from passing 'good mornings' to light conversation about the weather and weekend plans. It seemed as though things were progressing nicely. 

But, as Elias lived across the street from him, he could see everything that happened at his house and he caught sight of a woman leaving. Disappointed, but not wholly surprised, Avery had deemed it best to just continue on as usual and try to place his romantic attractions onto other people. He wasn't unfamiliar with one-night stands, so it had been fairly easy. Their friendship seemed to grow within the bounds of early morning conversations, to a place where Avery could consider him a friend--and he was happy about it. He was.

But, with every early morning conversation, he fell in love with him a little. The way he always hesitated before making a joke, and how caught out he looked whenever he was complimented was endearing, to say the least. He seemed to have a tortured look in his eyes twenty-four-seven, and Avery couldn't help but want to help him. But he kept his distance--only because that was what he thought was best. He couldn't exactly make a move on a straight man, especially one with a partner. Even if said partner snuck out of his house like she was afraid of being seen there. She returned every month or two, and every time Avery felt a little pang of annoyance that he brushed off because it wasn't his business. 

He had never really intended to tell Elias he was gay--it didn't really seem to matter, because the man was straight and he had no chance anyway. But he'd found out because he saw one of his one-night-stands leaving in the morning when he was leaving for his jog. He'd not seemed particularly disgruntled by it, only told him to be careful and had given him his phone number for if anything ever happened and he needed some backup, or if anyone got too rough or out of hand. Avery had jokingly said, 'are you going to assist in 'taking out the trash' in that case?' and Elias had given him what he was certain was the first real smile the man had ever graced him with and ruffled his hair, jokingly responding 'Of course, I will do all the heavy lifting.'