8.
Luke stood in front of Gavin's apartment door, checking the address he sent for the eleventh time just to make sure he wouldn't knock on the wrong door. He took a deep breath, hyping himself up and gathering the courage to knock after ten minutes of standing there like an idiot.
The apartment building was tiny and sort of rundown. Luke wasn't a snobby person, but he wasn't used to it. He felt out of place and slightly uncomfortable as he anxiously waited for Gavin to open the door.
He jumped a little when Gavin opened it, looking as handsome as he always did. He was the effortless kind of attractive that made Luke's gut wrench in a painfully good way.
"Hey," Gavin said as he invited him in. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show."
Luke awkwardly shuffled inside, folding his hands behind his back because he didn't know what to do with them. "I wouldn't do that," he quietly mumbled.
"I know. I'm just surprised that you skipped class," Gavin laughed.
"Me too," Luke admitted. He wasn't sure whether he was proud or disappointed in himself for actually ditching school.
"I think I'm rubbing off on you too much," Gavin snorted as he motioned for Luke to come further inside.
The apartment was small and seemed a little squished together. It was a bit cluttered, belongings disorganized. It made sense considering three men lived there though.
"Where's your sister?" Luke questioned, following Gavin who was in front of him.
The older boy led the younger inside his room. "Luke, meet Isabella," he grinned as he pulled her out of her crib.
Luke's heart melted at the sight of the gurgling baby Gavin cradled in his arms. "She's so cute!" he exclaimed giddily.
"Did you hear that Bells?" Gavin gasped, holding her up by her underarms. "Luke thinks you're cute. What do you say? Can you say thank you?"
She giggled, squirming in his arms. "Tah!"
"Tah?" Gavin scoffed. "What's 'tah' supposed to mean?"
She giggled even more as she struggled to push him away. "Where do you think you're going?" Gavin said in an accusatory tone, pulling her back onto his hip.
"Aww," Luke's bottom lip jutted out as he watched Gavin play with her. That was when he decided that skipping school was worth it.
Gavin raised a brow at Luke, holding Bella out like Simba. "Wanna hold her?"
"Yes," he nodded eagerly, immediately opening his arms.
He stepped closer and helped situate Bella into Luke's embrace. She looked up at him with wide eyes as if she were debating whether he was worthy of her time or not.
"Can you say hi?" Gavin requested in his baby voice again, brushing the little bit of hair she had away from her face.
She made another unintelligible sound, reaching up to poke Luke's cheek. Luke blushed when Gavin laughed, nudging her hand away from his face.
"Don't randomly touch people's faces," he told her sternly.
She made a sour face at him before reaching up and pulling Luke's glasses off. He awkwardly let it happen since he didn't know how to react, blinking a few times to try seeing properly. His vision had gotten even worse with time. Everything was blurry.
"Bella!" Gavin scolded, trying to take Luke's glasses away from her but she refused to let go. "Let go!"
"Mmnah!" she shrieked. She started crying loudly every time he attempted to take them away from her as she hugged the glasses to her chest instead, glaring at her older brother.
"I think she wants them more than I do," Luke laughed awkwardly.
Gavin rolled his eyes but Luke couldn't see. "How bad is your sight?"
"Not that bad," he lied out of habit.
"Does that translate to awful?" Gavin asked knowingly, finding Luke's shy reaction endearing.
With his classes off, Gavin could see the hazel color in his eyes more easily. It was a shade that went nicely with his hair that the older boy was tempted to run his fingers through.
Luke's lack of sight also meant that Gavin could shamelessly check him out without getting caught. It felt wrong but it was hard to feel guilty with how pretty Luke's appearance was.
"No, well yes, but it's fine," he stumbled over his words, feeling on edge because he could barely make out Gavin's face.
"Isabella, give them back," Gavin demanded.
"Ah!" she screeched, wiggling in Luke's arms when Gavin reached out for her.
Luke held her tightly so that she wouldn't fall despite not being able to see what she was doing. His cheeks were sizzling with heat when he felt Bella's tiny hands pressing against his chest, his glasses tucked between them.
"Come on," Gavin groaned as she giggled evilly. "You're a little shit, you know that? She's been like this all fucking day. It's like she enjoys pissing me off."
"I think she does," Luke cracked a smile when she snuggled into his embrace.
"If we put on a show then she'll fall asleep and you can get them back without her flipping her shit. She's had this weird obsession with the Teletubbies recently," he shook his head as he thought about the deranged show. "They're like these fucking alien-looking ass things. Creeps me the hell out."
"I've never heard of it," Luke responded. And it was true. Ever since he was a toddler, he's always had and nannies tutors around to occupy him rather than toys or anything most children experienced.
"You've never heard of the Teletubbies?" Gavin repeated in disbelief. "It's weird but a childhood necessity. We've gotta watch that."
Luke shrugged, "if you say so." He had never been interested in television before, but Gavin wanted him to see it so he was eager to watch.
"Follow me," Gavin said as he held the door open for Luke. The boy stood there with his mouth open. He still couldn't see anything and he didn't want to drop Isabella. "You coming?"
"I uh, um, can't s-see," he gulped.
Gavin bit his lip, internally debating whether he should or shouldn't give in to his desires. But one more glance at Luke's blushing face was enough to convince him. He stepped closer, putting his hand on Luke's lower back to guide him since his own hands were occupied. "We'll go slow then."
"Yeah, slow," he whispered. His breath hitched at the feel of Gavin's palm against him and it took all of his willpower not to melt into a puddle on the spot.
They were both painfully aware of each other's touch as they traveled into the living room. Luke's stomach was doing all sorts of things as Gavin's self-control was put to the ultimate test. Bella absentmindedly rubbed her cheek against the material of his shirt, drooling on it a little.
"Okay, sit down here," Gavin instructed. He gently turned him around and helped him get seated.
His touch was gentle, yet firm. It made Luke want to throw reason out the window and just kiss him already. But instead, he rested his cheek on Bella's head while she dug her nose into his neck.
"You're so fucking cute," Gavin blurted out, actually blushing though thankfully couldn't see it. "I mean you guys. You guys are so cute."
"Thank you," he mumbled bashfully. He was sure that he'd combust if Gavin kept saying things like that.
He silently turned the show on before situating himself next to Luke. He was tempted to make a cheesy move like throwing an arm over the blonde's shoulder, that's what he'd do with any girl at least, but he didn't. It felt different. Not a bad different, but different nonetheless.
The silence was thick with tension as the show played. Both boys were stiff, paying way too much attention to their proximity. Isabella quietly snored into his shirt, her grip on his glasses loosening although neither of them noticed.
Luke wondered if Gavin's silence was his way of politely saying he had enough and wanted him to go home. It made him even more anxious but he didn't know if he was supposed to just randomly announce that he was leaving or what.
He had no idea that Gavin was stuck in his head, resisting the burning desire to kiss him.
Eventually, he started nodding off, relaxing into the couch. Gavin glanced down at him once the younger boy's boy's eyes were shut. He didn't hesitate to stare at Luke's pink lips that looked so inviting that it pained him. He couldn't recall ever being so attracted to someone before.
"Are you awake?" he murmured, subconsciously scooting closer.
Luke didn't respond and Gavin's need to kiss him grew even more. It would be so easy. Just the slight brush of their lips would satisfy him and Luke never even had to know. He wanted to so badly.
And he would've if he didn't know about Luke's obvious crush on him. He knew they couldn't be together again in the end and didn't want to selfishly string the fragile boy along.
But it was so hard to resist when he looked so utterly adorable.
So he settled for an in-between, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his forehead instead.
It wasn't enough. God, it wasn't nearly enough. But it was all he'd be getting. It'd have to do.