Top and Tail [boyxboy] [slash]

Chapter 11: Oh, Fuck It

"Um, here," he mumbled awkwardly, handing me the little wrapped square. It was a thin package, and hard like metal or plastic. I stared at it.

"Huh?"

"It's, um, for you," he said, purposefully avoiding eye contact. I could feel a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips, threatening to show on my face. "Um, you know... As a birthday present. So, um, happy birthday Ash."

I was still hesitant to take the package. "But... But how did you know? I mean..."

Jay blushed and shyly met my inquiring gaze. "Um, you probably don't remember, but when we first met you mentioned that you were gonna be sixteen in six weeks. And then that one time at the hospital you mentioned this..."

A small lump rose in my throat and that sneaky bastard of a smile wormed its way onto my face. I carefully tore the wrapping paper from the mystery item. And I couldn't help but feel so... touched when my eyes fell on my present.

It was a CD. Sum 41, Chuck. The only album I didn't have. A simple, cheap, and rather stereotypical present, but Jay had remembered. Jay had remembered all the way from when we first met to the simple conversation we had at the hospital, while I couldn't remember what I'd had for dinner last Tuesday.

Nobody had ever paid that much attention to me before. I was just that loner kid at the back of class, who caused trouble. And don't get me wrong, I knew it was my own fault. I just didn't mesh with other people very well. But Jay had made the effort...

"Thanks Jay," I whispered, and was horrified to hear my voice sounding slightly hoarse. Jay picked up one the slight change in tone and immediately jumped into action, doing what I was too scared to do back at the hospital. He hugged me. He walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest. I'd never really hugged anybody, especially not my parents, so I was pretty shocked when my arms wound themselves around Jay's neck of their own accord. I felt myself being lifted slightly off my feet as I clung to him. And it felt so... natural.

"Um, you're welcome," he replied eventually, removing his arms from my waist. For some reason, I was reluctant to let go, but my common sense kicked in and told me to stop hugging before I lost whatever self-respect I had.

I didn't move, still staring down at the shiny CD, my shiny CD that Jay bought for me, with an expression of mingled delight and disbelief.

"Boys! Breakfast!"

Jay and I jumped apart, wearing a pair of matching sheepish grins. I followed my nose downstairs, the delicious scent of bacon wafting up my nostrils and briefly wondered why my mother had bothered making us breakfast. Normally she would leave the house in a flurry, stopping only to pinch Jay's cheeks on the way out the door and remind me to 'stay out of trouble for at least a day', and leave us to whatever crunchy (or soggy) cereal had been left in the cupboards.

It couldn't be because of my birthday, could it?

Apparently, I'd overestimated her, because as soon as Jay and I appeared through the doorframe she came rushing forward to Jay, engulfing him in a huge hug.

I couldn't help but feel a small flicker of jealousy. Although I wasn't sure if it was because my parents were more interested in Jay, the perfect son, than me or because I wanted to be the one to hug Jay...

"Well done for getting on the track team!" she shrieked, her eyes shining with excitement. "Steven is at work just now, but let me tell you, he was equally as proud! We were both on the track team too you know, along with your mum and..."

She continued blabbering on and on, but the weird possessiveness feelings towards Jay rising up in my chest drowned the words out. Sentence after sentence spilled from her rouge-painted lips, but I heard none of them. Why hadn't Jay told me about track team? Was it because he didn't think I'd be interested, because quite frankly, I suck at PE? Or because I generally dislike most of the people on track, so he thought I wouldn't approve?