Bed Buddies

Cold

~Ian~

I showered in cold water the next morning, for obvious reasons.

Cold.

We fear the vagaries of the cold weather, the cold water from the shower head, the cold touch of someone's cold fingers.

Cold is harsh.

Yet it is our solace in the worst of pains.

~Noah~

I hissed in pain as I pressed the ice pack to my nose. Along with the sting, it gave an odd sense of comfort.

Cold is such a complex thing. Sometimes a friend, sometimes a foe.

Embarrassingly enough, I had fallen off the bed during my chat with Ryder last night. Sometimes, he makes me lose control of myself. I act like I've lost my senses and all I can feel is the pleasure. And during most of those escapades, I hurt myself-with the headboard, the table lamp, the cupboard etc. So clumsy.

But things would change when we'll do it together, in real life. He would be there to hold me, keep me safe. I sighed and wished that would happen soon.

Smiling to myself, I thought about all the things he said to me last night, all the things he made me feel.

Then suddenly the doorbell rang, making me jump. I wasn't expecting anyone. I hardly ever did, except of the postman, delivery guy and all.

No one in the whole wide world bothered if there was a twenty three year old elementary school teacher living alone in a small excuse of a house after being kicked out by his parents at the age of seventeen.

Why? That would be anyone's guess.

I played for the other team.

I swung the other way.

I was a cock-sucker.

I was a faggot.

And all those phrases they use to say one simple thing:

I was gay. I am gay. I will be gay forever.

By the time I had reached the door, the bell had rung thrice. Either I was too slow or my guest was too impatient. Probably both.

I swung the door open only to have my jaw fall to the ground.

"Noah," the magnificent voice spoke with a small smile, a hint of tiredness was there too but I couldn't care less. He was here!

Those black eyes and black hair, that whole handsome body was right here, in front of me.

I threw my arms around him and locked him in a firm hug, with an intention to never let him go anywhere anymore. I had just been thinking about him and it felt like a miracle that he was standing in front of me now.

We were in a long distance relationship ever since he got a job in a different state. He was my neighbour earlier and had only moved last month. We were three months strong.

He didn't tell me he was coming and I wasn't expecting it because he had only begun with his job so it would be difficult to take a leave. But he probably came to surprise me. He was so sweet!

"Ryder! Oh my god!" I gushed as I reluctantly released him from my death grip, realising that we were still at the door and also the fact that he wasnt hugging me back. He was probably just exhausted from the journey.

I looked at him with a bright smile on my face, which faltered as I saw his poker face.

I pulled him inside by the hand and shut the door behind us, then led him to the couch in the small living room I possessed.

We sat down next to each other, his hand still in mine as he looked away and sighed. It all seemed very confusing and I could feel my heartbeat picking up pace.

"What's wrong?" I whispered softly. Did something happen? Did he lose his job? Did someone in the family die? Why was he so grim? Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Noah..." he said in that same tired voice again, which was now making me scared. Scared of what was coming.

"I can't do this anymore." he said with finality.

I gasped.

It wasn't like I didn't completely expect this, I just tended to ignore it wherever those kind of ideas came to my mind. I had gone through similar scenarios quite a lot of times but it seemed like the pain only increased with the next one, instead of making me numb to it.

Each one made me think that this was the one. And each time, all that happened in the end was my heart breaking a little more. Would it even repair this time?

To the world I might look like a clingy idiot. But I was just a man hoping for real happiness.The happiness he had lost ever since he came to terms with his sexuality.

"Noah, please don't cry," my new heart-breaker tried to console. I couldn't be mad at him now, could I? It wasn't his fault that he didn't fall in love with me. It was mine.

Maybe I wasn't lovable enough.

"I'm so sorry Noah. It's not you, it's not us... There has been a lot going on in my life that demands my attention and I just... I just can't do this. I'm so sorry!" He spoke the same old words that my ears had the pleasure of hearing time and again. He was practically telling me how I didn't make it to his priority list.

I chuckled humorlessly, wiping away my tears. I could feel myself catching cold with the way my nose was running. Great. My life is cold and everything and everyone keeps running away.

I looked up at the gorgeous man sitting in front of me, who looked relieved more than sorry. I silently swore that very moment, smiling up at him, that I would never be clingy with anyone, I would never get into a relationship, ever again.

Because when you fool me once, shame on you. When you fool me twice, shame on me.

And I now had enough shame to not let anyone else come and make a fool of me, ever again.

A/N: There goes the second chapter!
All the people who were thinking that it was Noah whom Ian had been texting have been deceived XD

Their story begins in the next chapter! Keep reading!