Here comes chapter 5, sorry for the slow update, I'll work harder this weekend :-)

Let me know what you think of it, vote, comment and whatever you feel like, it makes me really happy! Thank you!!

Dedicated to CherylHankinsWorkman, thanx for fanning and voting my other story, hope you'll enjoy this one, too :-)

Picture of Enna on the right --> Andrej Pejic

Cheers xox

EMMETT POV

Few days passed since that afternoon, when I met that brat, guy ... Shane. And since that damn afternoon his eyes and his provocative smirk taunted me to the point it was really getting pathetic and frustrating.

I mean, a mature man of nearly 30 years has let a young guy, a brat in my eyes, get under his skin and attract his attention to the point he saw his jaded blue liquid eyes everywhere. That gotta be a joke, a really bad and lame joke.

Alice asked me if I were fine and if anything had happened, because she perceived my annoyance and restlessness, my being evasive and probably more arid and empty than before. I simply told her my mood was swinging and I felt a utter jerk for telling my sweet sister something like that, since she began to worry and ask me more questions, concerned about me and my status. She didn’t tell me, but I knew she feared I could slip again, even if she believed in me and trusted me with her heart, I knew she was scared deep inside about that.

And how could I blame her? I couldn’t.

She was right, I was a weak and pathetic human being, that had to run away from everything to not crush under the weight of my problems and weaknesses.

I really was pathetic, wasn’t I?

As soon as something bothered me or scared me or in some way threatened to destabilize my feeble and wretched routine of life, I knew nothing better than run away to avoid to face anything for the matter. Let’s face it, I turned out to be a damn coward. My brother Jamie had plenty reasons to hate me and talk shit about me. Who was I to say he was wrong? Who? Nobody. Just a pathetic excuse of male human species.

That brat, Shane, had much more in his eyes, I could see it, they were alive, burning, proud, strong and angry. Yeah, I saw anger in his eyes, deep and dark and powerful anger, which I could sense it also in his voice. Why I was still calling him a brat? I was the brat here, not him, not Shane.

No idea what could trigger such anger and resentment and cocky pride in that guy, I knew nothing about him, but sure must be something and something not common.

Argh.

I sighed.

Here we go again, thinking about him and his fierce and challenging glare. Snap out of it, will you?

I shook my head and then blew in the whistle, remembering I was in school, during some Gaelic football game, between my class and another, and that one of the student had just committed a major fault. Goodness, I had been forced to play the part of the referee, even though I knew shit about this game.

The game resumed and I resumed my stupid stance and tried to pay more attention, faking some interest. I preferred rugby and soccer, at least I knew by heart the rules. They kept playing at the limit of fair, always trying to kick each other shin or something else, they were particular agitated today and in a really bad mood. I couldn’t get the reason, it was a simple stupid game between two classes of the same school. Argh. Whatever, pointless trying to understand. I had to stop the match other two times and I was getting beyond annoyance.

I couldn’t simply go and talk to my class, because I was the referee and someone else took my place as coach. Well, great job genius, you’re not keeping the brats cool. What a dofus, he told me I needed to gain more experience as referee, the hell, he just didn’t want to stand in the middle of the field and run from one side to the other and back. Good for him I wasn’t in the position to debate and refuse, I was still new in this school.

Finally the match was over and I went to talk to my students, which immediately picked my pissed mood and looked nervous.

“What the hell was that?” I said, not caring for the swearing and how they looked shocked at me.

“Did you see yourselves out there? You played like animals, you just went to each other throats for every single little thing and played dirty. Why on Earth?” I never really liked a dirty game. Yeah, well, look who’s talking, right?

One of the student, Conner, shifted up his gaze at me and I could see he was nervous about talking, so I nodded in a demanding way.

“We are sorry Mr. Johnson, but we had something with that class and we wanted to pay them back.” I stared at the student in utter disbelieve, my eyes popping open, just as the vein in my forehead popping menacing in annoyance. They had to pay back the other class? And they did it during a sport game? I snorted overly pissed now.

“And what might be the reason to behaving in such an immature and wrong way?” I demanded, now my voice getting more and more serious and low.

They started to fidget and look down, on the green and I felt my patience wear out completely, but had to remind myself my role of teacher. What a joke. Thus I inhaled deep and silent and eased down my tone, trying to look more condescending, which took a good damn effort, if you know what I mean.

“Now, let’s all cool down and explain me clearly what is the problem.” My voice sounded smoother and calmer that before, but inside I was getting more and more irritated and wanting nothing more that leave this place and go home.

“Err, well..” began a second student, Michael “The problem is that they insulted us and our class and sort of beat two of our classmates.”

What? Just a mere fight between teenagers and they took it personally and transformed it in a damn melodrama. I rolled my eyes.

“Ok, that’s it? Or there is more?” My voice was now starting to betraying my fake calm.

Michael looked at his classmates and they nodded, especially one of them, Cillian.

“Michael, will you please tell me? Now.”  I had no time to waste on this shit, so let’s get straight to the point.

“See Mr. Johnson, they began to insult, mock and bully Cillian and Connor and one day some of them beat the two of them, very badly, but not in the school, outside, when no teachers would do or say anything.”

That made me forget immediately my annoyance. Cowardice was something that repelled me, well in others obviously, given I was a number one coward, with the capital “c”. But it’s always like that, no? The pot calling the kettle black. Anyway, two guys getting beat outside school was a delicate matter.

“When it happened? And why it happened? And why didn’t you come to me before?” I asked.

Why you ask, you self-centred pathetic man? Because I always walk around with that empty and dry air around me, with the typical face of someone that doesn’t want to get involved in others’ business and problems, to concentrate on my regrets for something I will never get back again and that I will never be able to change. 

I shook my head at myself and sighed, then glimpsed at my watch, they were running late for next class and apparently they felt I was in some mysterious way the person to talk about the problem, even though I basically forced them.

“Now you have another class, so it’s not the time to talk about it, but tomorrow I want all of you after school to meet me here in the field, so we can discuss the issue out of our teeth. Is this clear? I want to get at the bottom of this, so tomorrow I’ll expect all of you here.” Then I cursed in my head, because I knew I had gym classes in the afternoon. That’s what you get when you get involved with other people, annoyance over annoyance. But this couldn’t be overlooked like nothing.

Their faces lit up and looked at me with different eyes and that in some way hit me a little bit, in a good way. I shoved them away and they promised to be here tomorrow. I sighed again. I couldn’t wait to go to the gym to weight lift a bit and then eat something in that park, if the rain would let me do so.

“Emmett.” Called me the manager of the gym, a rather fit guy with very orange hair and freckles all around his pale face.

“Yes, Ben?”

“We had another request for you.” He looked and then smirked. I knew what that face meant, another girl, another pain in the neck. “A girl.” See? Told you.

“Another girl? Just tell her I don’t have any more free time, send her to Aine or Irina or who else you want, but not me. They waste my time, most of the times.” I said, frowning my eyebrows.

“But they like you and they work hard for you.”

The manager obviously knew who I was, he had to read my CV and anyway recognized my face, because he followed some American basketball via cable TV, so have your idea. He didn’t ask or said anything though and I was grateful for this, just gave me the job and a very good salary, because, according to him, with my face I brought more costumers. What a joke. He was simply exaggerating things.

“Ben, please ..” I begged, while lifting my 60 kg. He eyed me and then shook his head, not understanding why I simply didn’t enjoy all of that.

“Ok, I’ll tell her you have not free time, but only for this time.”

“Thank you.”

He walked away and I finished my exercises. Once I was over I showered and got something from the bar and got out, walking to the park, since the sky wasn’t menacing rain, only a bit of wind pushing me to walk faster. Ireland and its crazy wind. I scanned again the sky, but decided it was pointless, if it were to rain, it could do it simply out of the blue or while the sun was still shining in the sky.

It was rather quiet around, a real exception, and strolled to a nice green spot, close the one of the puddle. I went to lay down, but spotted someone sitting there not too far. It wasn’t a random Joe, it was that guy, Shane and had a strange stance, like he was completely beat up and tired, his shoulder were bent down and so was his chin and his face looked distant.

His eyes flashed in my mind and I debated for a long minute what to do, he was too far lost in his thoughts to notice me, so I could have easily walked away and saved time and energy and possible future regrets.

But I stood up, grabbed my lunch and bag and walked to him, still not seeing me. That was strange.

I let my bag fall down on the ground to make noise and he jumped at that and stared at me in complete surprise.

“Hello, mind if I sit here with you?” I asked him.

“Emmett?” He said, his eyes seizing me from toe to head and back and then fixing mine with challenging intensity.

“Yes, that would be my name.” I tried to make a joke. He actually grinned at that.

“Know that, lad. Why you here?” His accent was so strong and closed.

“Eating something after gym, but I saw you and decided to come and bother you.”

He laughed loud and it was a very nice and full sound, almost contagious, and the lost and distant enraged expression washed away completely. I sat beside him, cursing myself for what I was doing, but in the impossible position to resist his liquid provoking eyes.

“You live around here?” I asked, to make my coward side shut up for the moment.

“Nah, I live up in Ballymun, Dublin’s North side.” Now I see from where comes his way of speaking the “o” and “u” almost with the same close sound.

“Isn’t that a bit far from here?”

“Not so much, I like it here, hi.”

“What were you thinking about?” I fired out of the blue, surprising even myself. Why I cared about what he was thinking about? He seemed to think alike, because at first he shot me a questioning face and then thought about it.

“Nothing much, had a fight with my folks, if I can call those knackers good for nothing my family.” He said it with incredible bitter tone, it was almost like venom. That made me wonder what really happened, because I sensed the same rational and cold anger I felt the other time.

“What did you do?” I asked, pretty much like a stupid, might add. He turned his blazing and liquid eyes at me and glared me with arrogant resentment.

“And why has to be my fault anyway, ah sham? ‘Cause am a feckin brat, ah?”

I didn’t expect that reaction and it made me feel like a miserable vermin. Who was I to judge and assume that he was at fault? Who? Again, no-fucking-body.

“Sorry Shane, didn’t mean to upset you.” He widened his eyes when I called him by his name and somehow his expression smoothed a bit, even if his eyes were still boring into mine.

“No problem, lad. Everyone thinks the same.” That hit me again.

“What happened? And could you just use my name?”

He burst out laughing and fell down on his back, still laughing to his heart content.

“You kept calling me brat since a second ago, sham.” He smirked and then laughed again and calmed down. “Alright, Emmett.”

I was about to ask again, but the rain suddenly began to pour down with wild intensity, cold and strong and in few second we were completely drenched.

“Oh fuck, great Irish weather.” I cursed, making him laugh again. “C’mon lets run somewhere else dry.”

We ran out the park and stopped at the first fast-food in Grafton Street, where no one would care about us dripping pools of water and just wanting to sit to dry up a bit.

We sat on a table in the corner, in front of the window to see when and whether the rain will stop, but it kept storming down from the now grey sky. I sighed, we might have to wait for hours.

“Won’t stop for a while, if you know what I mean.” Said Shane, his hair completely wet, now sticking on his forehead and giving him a more troublemaker and inviting look.

Pathetic, Emmett. He is a guy, from your same male gender and he is way younger than you.

I decided to order two coffees to do something during the wait, but the rain indeed kept showering down, even more intense than before. And then I said something stupid.

“I don’t live far from here, want to come over and dry yourself? You might catch a cold like this, fuck, I might as well.” We were both soak to our bones.

“Sure, but it’s still raining.” He pointed out with his head.

I pulled out my phone and called a taxi, I really didn’t want to walk or run more under that rain.

I pushed open the door and motioned him to enter. Shane moved along and took off his shoes, when I did the same. Our clothes were dripping, so I stripped from my jumper and t-shirt, leaving on only basketball shorts.

Shane’s looked travelled my body and fixed on my torso and I saw again that dark and ambiguous glint, now thousand times brighter and darker. I pretended to not see it and walked away.

“Wait, I’ll bring a towel and a new pair of shorts or anything that might fit you.”

He was shorter than me. I felt again his gaze on me, following every step and movement, it was getting unnerving. In the bathroom were clean and dry towels and a pair of old long shorts, I grabbed then and got back, to find him in the meanwhile of stripping. His t-shirt was completely wet and clang on his body like a second skin, revealing his fit but not bulky chest and the line of his abdominals. I shifted my look away and tossed him the towel and shorts and waited for him to finish.

“Thanks.” He dried his hair and then removed his t-shirt and I had to tear away my eyes from him. “Where should I put my stuff?”

I took his soak clothes and threw them in the washing machine with mine.

“Want to have a shower?” I proposed.

“That would be nice, I’m freezing me balls.” Joked. I smiled at his accent.

I led him to the bathroom and showed him around.

“You go first, I’ll make something warm to drink.”

He nodded and closed the door behind him and I banged my head on the wall. Was I completely getting out of mind? I was about to get involved with someone I didn’t want to, that had probably already his own issues. But what was done, was done. No turning back. And anyway, what was the problem? He wasn’t a girl and sure I wouldn’t lay a hand on someone else, especially someone else that was younger and of the same sex.

So period, no problem here.

I sip a bit of coffee and then he came out, wearing only his shorts.

“How was the shower?”

“Grand, I needed it very bloody much.” He smiled and scanned again my body, which made me remember I was shirtless and still cold from the rain.

“Make yourself comfortable, I’ll get a shower myself.”

I let the hot water relax me and wash down my stupid thoughts, reminding myself I had no time and energy to waste on another person. That helped me somehow and I felt more at ease. I got back to the living room and Shane was sitting on the couch, sipping my cup of coffee. My eyes went on his lips and stared at them for a long moment, until when I snapped out of it and sat beside him, casually turning on the TV.

“So, what happened before?” I asked him, referring to our former conversation.

He flashed me his usual look and kept a blank face and then shrugged.

“Nothing, just our usual arguments, not feeling like talking about.” And that ended the conversation.

“Alright, want something to eat?” I asked to change subject. He nodded and thanked, so I walked into the kitchen and searched what was left in the fridge. Nothing much, but I could make some pasta, if he was ok with that. I called for him, but his voice was right behind me.

“Pasta is grand.” He said, eyeing me again, making me feel uneasy without understanding the reason.

He was a brat of nineteen years, for crying out loud. I felt like he was studying me, though. He followed my step still studying me, observing me taking out the necessary to cook and when I walked to the kitchen counter, I felt his arms wrapping my waist.

I gasped for the surprise and turned to face him, my eyes surely now storming mad.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed.

“Touching you.” He simply replied in a matter of fact tone, smirking at me.

“What the fuck? Shane, what the..?” He cut me off with his lips.

He pulled my head lower with his hands, now laced behind my neck, and forced his lips on mine. My eyes widened and I felt anger starting to pound, I grabbed his arms to push him away, ready to bite his head off, but instead I responded to his kiss.

His lips felt so soft, warm and inviting that my body didn’t have the strength and will to resist them, it kissed them back and actually enjoyed the touch.

When Shane nibbled and licked my lower lip, shiver of unexpected pleasure ran down my back. I felt a growl form in my throat and grabbed his arms harder, then slipping my hands down to his back and pulling him to me. He gasped and so our tongue touched and he rubbed mine, sending me to hell. I shoved mine in his mouth and kissed him senseless, wanting to explore every inch, to taste him and getting drunk by his amazing taste and running my fingers on his back.

When I deepened the kiss he moaned in my mouth and I closed even more our distance, now our body totally slammed again one another. The kiss heated and deepened more, Shane moaned again and grinded his hips on mine. Fuck. I felt his member on mine and it was hard and my length began to react at that and I found myself growl low in my throat.

I snapped out of it when heard my own groan and pushed Shane away. What the hell have I done? I kissed a brat ten years younger than me, a guy, and got hard because of that. More importantly, why the hell he kissed me?

“What the hell?” I wasn’t able to formulate clearly the sentence, I was out of breath and felt getting harder. “What the hell did you do?”

He snorted and pulled me again at him.

“I kissed you and you liked it, Emmett.” He placed a hand on my now hard member and smirk. “I’m gay and I want you.”