It felt like I had aged a hundred years by the time someone finally spoke up.
I just couldn't believe that the two men that completely wrecked my high school experience, were standing directly in front of me, in my shop, soaking wet, T-shirts clinging to their sculpted bod-
You know what, I think I'm getting a little bit off track. The point is, is that it's completely unbelievable that Hayden and Briar are standing here, staring at me.
It was Briar that said something first. "well.. we definitely weren't expecting to see you..."
I scoffed. Yeah, why would you ever run into me, at a shop I own, thats literally called "Vallens In Clay". With a giant sign out front, with my name in big letters across it. That would be so weird.
Hayden snorted, and shook his head. Did I say that out loud? "I see you haven't changed in the slightest." He muttered, a slight smile on his lips, although I could feel the nervousness and awkward tension radiating off of him.
Off of all of us.
The air around us was so thick Tundra could bite through it. What was I suppose to say? Was I supposed to do something? I had no clue where to go from there. I mean, I was standing in from of my ex best friend's, who left me for each other.
And we were all stuck here, for God knows how long, until the storm let up. Speaking of which, all of a sudden and huge boom and crackle went off, that I'm pretty sure shook us all to the core. I was frozen in the stop, I could see Hayden slightly flinch from the unexpected noise.
What great timing.
Tundra let out the most unholy shreik I had ever herd, as she cowered under my checkout desk. Gaurd dog my ass.
The only one of us that seemed unaffected was Briar, but I mean come on, he could probably crush a lions skull with his thighs, what's going to scare him?
I was shaken out of my thoughts by another crash of rolling thunder, that scarily sounded like it was right above us. I'm not sure what god was dancing on my roof, but they should probably get down before it collapses onto me and my dog.
I don't know a lot about gods, but I'm pretty dang sure it wouldn't be good for the press if they were charged for dog murder.
Anyways, we all just stood around, in the most awkward and embarrassing silence I have ever encountered. If I wasn't so pale with my (well hidden) frightening from the store, I would have been red as a tomato.
Briar finally bit off the nib, cracked the glow stick of you will, and broke the silence. He did that weird half cough, half throat clear before speaking. I snapped my head up to face him, my stare no longer strained onto my paint splatted, and scratched up wooden floors.
"So... Vallen." Briars deep, husky voice, that hadn't changed a bit, called out my name like a statement. Even when I was sure he was asking a direct question, his words were cut short, like he already new the answer, and was just waiting for me to confirm it. "How have you been?"
I thickly swallowed, and nodded. Because how else was I supposed to respond? I hadn't seen this man, the man I was in love with in high school, in years. Life was playing a joke on me.
When I finally got my senses back, I verbally responded. "Im well, and you?" I kept it polite, and short, as well as trying to keep my discomfort unknown.
I'm pretty sure I was utterly failing though, as Briar just raised and eyebrow, yet didn't say anything in return. He quickly jolted his head towards Hayden at the sound of a small yap, that had me startled, yet again, as well.
I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't Hayden sitting on the floor, giving Tundra belly rubs as she sang to him, like the dramatic little diva she is.
Hayden must have been paying enough attention to us to notice are sad excuse of conversation come to a hault, because he slowly looks in are direction. "... what?"
I shook my head, not believing that any of this was actually happening. none of this is real. But deep down I knew it was, this was happening to me. Completely unbelievable.
I pinched the bridge of my nose for a moment, and then turned back towards the duo, standing in my store, still soaking wet... shirts clingy to their muscular chests...
Or whatever, I wasn't really looking anyways, so I wouldn't know.
I opened my mouth to speak, my words still processing in my brain, and getting caught up for just a moment. "Look, its raining hard enough to sweep you both down the street, so I suppose you can just hang out in here for the meantime. This is all supposed to pass over in a few hours anyways."
And with that, I turned and headed to the back room, where my personal wheel was.
I was almost there when I heard annoyingly loud footsteps thundering after me. Jeez, save some bravado for the actual thunder. "Wait up a sec, where you going? You can't just leave me out there to fend for myself. What if your dog eats me?" I turned, an exasperated look on my face, just to almost whack into a big, wet torso.
I looked up to see Hayden supporting his weight on each side of the door frame with his hands, his upper body all puffed up, and jutted out as he breathed in and out. His dark curls just long enough to press against his forehead, and let all the locked in water dribble down his delectable neck, and down the rest of his body.
Wait, no, bad Vallen. He destroyed you, don't forgive him. And besides, if Hayden and Briar walked in together, and are still in contact, that probably means they're still dating, and seven years is a long time to be dating... they must be offly serious...
So yeah, no fantasizing about a man, who you don't like, who's in a long term, mega serious relationship.
I frowned to myself, and looked back down. "Im sure you'll be okay, she ate a little while ago." My voice dry, and curt, in comparison to his obviously forced joking tone. I could tell he was trying to ease some of the ache in the air in his own way, but honestly I was in too much shock to process my emotions, and decide whether or not I was ready to pursue some sort of friendship, or even becom acquaintances.
This was all happening so fast.
I felt a little stupid thinking like that. I mean, it had been seven years, I should be over it by now... but at the same time, I was so depressed and lonely, and they were the only two things keeping me going at the time. And they just dropped me like I was nothing, like out friendship didn't mean anything.
Time was said to heal things, but for some reason I still felt bitter about the situation.
So I turned away once again, and this time shut the door between us, effectively blocking them out for the moment.
And although I didn't like them, I knew they would never do anything to hurt my store, or my beloved baby. Also there was a large cutout in the door, so Tundra could come in and out of the rooms as she pleased.
So although I couldn't see them, I could still hear everything, including the soft sounds of Tundra not so quietly singing along with the top hits of the eighties, having completely forgotten that she was scared just a minute ago, and Haydens heavy footsteps back to his boyfriend.
I walked over to the small desk, and rested my head down on my folded arms, after taking a seat.
I felt myself drifting in and out of a light sleep, so the strangely domestic sounds of the two men of my nightmares, cooing and playing with my dog, over the hushed radio, and the ever so present rain.
Well, I was drifting off to sleep until I was ripped up and out of my daze by the howling that Hayden called signing.
Yeah, I was being kept up by this man belting out "Dress you up" by Madonna.
How joyful.
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I write in a different app and just copy and paste it here, and when I paste it it cuts out all of the spaces between paragraphs, so if the format is a little weird thats probably why- I went through and added them back in, but im human ya know.
Besides that I haven't edited, so excuse any mistakes.
Also sorry if this doesn't seem like much, but I think the romance will pick up when they start to rekindle their old friendship and remember why they were so close to being with- that may be a few chapters, but I promise they won't all be so awkward and slow.
1414 words.
Edit- edited (kinda)