Derek collapsed upon a pillow with sweat making his naked body shine. Next to him, or previously below him, was his latest hook up. They seemed to be in a sex-exhuasted daze.
"Y'know, I've never had sex with an influencer before…" The hook-up commented after a few rugged breaths.
Derek scoffed, "Happy to be your first." He joked. "Was I any good? Haven't done one of these in a while."
The hook-up nodded, "Yeah. Your future partner will be happy."
Derek chuckled. "Hope so." He said as he stood from the bed with a creak.
The hook-up raised a brow and sat up but didn't leave the bed.
"Not staying the night? It's late."
Derek shrugged and pulled his pants back on and fastened his belt. "I have a 6 A.M. client." He replied.
The hook-up nodded. "Well, it was nice to meet you. Should I expect you again?"
Derek hummed. "Maybe."
And with that, he exited the room.
–+–
Greyson almost expected it when Louis shoved his lips against his.
Louis's dick had practically been begging all day for some attention. Greyson had told Louis to go wank off, but clearly it had no effect. The kiss, fully initiated and led by Louis, was thirsty and hot.
Louis almost forced his tongue inside of Greyson's mouth, exploring his boyfriend's mouth with a desperation in the force.
"Grey," Louis huffed into Greyson's ear, "I want you to forgive me." He spoke, cupping Greyson's face and pulling away.
Greyson's face was flushed at the implications. "I… will. I did." He replied, prying Louis's hands off of him. He didn't want sex. He wasn't in the mood.
Louis placed his hands at Greyson's waist, pushing the other against the nearest wall before engulfing Greyson in another hot and thirsty kiss.
This time it was almost as Louis was using the kiss as a distraction to run his hands all over Greyson's body. Greyson grimaced. He really wasn't feeling it tonight.
"Please?" Louis looked at Greyson with puppy eyes. "I promise I'll make you feel good."
Greyson looked at his clearly horny boyfriend for a moment. Louis wasn't in the place to ask for sex and get it, not in Greyson's mind. He shoved his boyfriend off of him with ease.
"Not tonight." Greyson replied, placing a finger to Louis's lips when he went to protest.
He didn't think he could handle sex right now. The fact Greyson even stayed with Louis left a bad taste on his tongue. He felt almost… guilty. Elise made sure to give Greyson a mouthful after Greyson told Louis he would stay with him.
Louis at his very clearly not horny boyfriend with a sad sigh. "Okay." He clicked his tongue for dramatic effect and walked in the direction of the bathroom (probably to deal with the raging boner in his pants).
Greyson watched Louis close the bathroom door behind him with a blank stare.
Had he lost all his self respect? Taking back a man who cheated on him for the third time? What was Greyson, some mat?
Greyson could swear on life, on God, that he would break up with Louis everytime he cheated. But when Louis came to apologize and reconcile, Greyson found himself frozen.
He loved Louis. He loved his highschool sweetheart who confessed to him in the middle of a heated Fifa game. He loved his highschool sweetheart who cried for the first time in years in Greyson's arms because his mom hit him after she found out Louis was gay. He loved Louis because he and Louis were each other's first. They were each other's everything.
How could he leave it all in the trash just because of a few drunken mistakes? Greyson feared he would regret leaving Louis. Greyson didn't want to regret anything.
–+–
"Do you have change for a twenty?" A voice asked, snapping Greyson out of his daze.
Ah, Greyson was at work.
He looked at the customer before him, but not fully. Today was particularly busy and Greyson had never cared what the customer looked like unless they were hot or looked too underage.
Greyson pulled open the cash drawer and clicked his tongue.
"Does two tens work?" He asked the customer.
"Yeah." The customer replied. "Thanks."
Greyson traded the two tens for the ripe twenty dollar bill with a low hum. "Anytime." He replied bluntly.
The customer paused, making Greyson look up in confusion.
Greyson took a deep breath when he recognized Derek standing at the otherside of the counter, looking at the small glass case of cigarette packs. His eyes slightly widened at the sight of the buff man.
Derek noticed Greyson's expression and waved his hand with a small smile.
Greyson narrowed his eyes at his neighbor. He wasn't exactly fond of how much Derek liked to meddle in Greyson and Louis's business.
"Can I do…" Derek's finger ran across the case and landed on a pack. "One of these?" He asked.
Greyson nodded, trying to keep his composure. He took the pack out and scanned them. "11.99." He said.
Derek handed back the two tens he had just exchanged for a twenty.
Greyson wanted to scoff. Could this guy get any more annoying? With slightly sharp and spiteful movements, Greyson gathered Derek's change.
Quickly, wanting to shoo Derek away as quickly as possible, Greyson placed the receipt in Derek's outstretched hand along with his cash and coin change.
"Not gonna ID me?" Derek asked, slightly teasing.
Greyson glared at Derek. "I know your age and you look it." He bluntly replied.
Derek scoffed and broke into a chuckle. "Got a grudge against me or something?"
Greyson took a long deep breath.
"Do you have your cigarettes and change?" He asked.
Derek nodded.
"Then please leave the store." Greyson followed up.
Derek blew at his lips at the harsh demand, but ultimately walked out the store in a too-slow walk. Greyson's eyes tracked Derek until he was fully out of the store.
He took a long sigh of relief when the other was gone, and went to turn around.
Elise was standing in close proximity behind him. Her eyes had a mischievous glint.
Greyson practically jumped out of his own skin. "Shit– Elise, what?"
"Tell me straight, is that man Derek Rodwell?" She asked, voice urgent like the matter was.
Greyson wore a confused expression. "Uh– Yeah?"
"And you know him?"
This felt a little too much like an interrogation.
"We're neighbors." Greyson replied bluntly.
Elise grew wide eyes. "You're neighbors with five-million-followers Derek Rodwell?"
Greyson slowly nodded. What was so baffling about this? Sure, his neighbor was famous in fitness spaces, but he was nowhere near a celebrity. He didn't understand the appeal of Derek anyway. Though, it wasn't public that he smoked or was a massive dickhead.
"Why are you so shocked at this?" Greyson asked. This was really ridiculous, not to mention other customers were staring at them now.
Elise shook her head at Greyson disapprovingly.
"Derek Rodwell is hot, my age– young, hot, openly gay, and may I mention again– hot." She listed with a full face.
"Um… Okay…" Greyson replied, discreetly pointing to the customer approaching the register.
Elise's crazed expression shifted into a customer-service-calm one. She turned to the obviously uncomfortable customer with a small smile.
Greyson could only roll his eyes.
–+–
"Lou, get your ass off the floor! I said no because I'm tired!" Greyson practically screeched, hands waving in rage.
On the floor of their apartment was Louis, curled up into a ball and rocking back and forth. Louis was muttering disparities to himself, but not trying.
"You don't love me. You don't love me. You don't love me." Louis repeated in low mumbles. "I'm worthless and I'm stupid and a bad boyfriend. I cheat. I'm stupid. I– I'm dumb." He repeated insults to himself over and over again.
How had this argument started again?
Oh right, Greyson had said no to sex for the second night in a row. Even after Louis offered to bottom, Greyson said no. And he meant it.
Work was tiring and both ends, topping and bottoming alike, seemed too much. Not to mention Greyson was still trying to look at his boyfriend the same way after he had caught the other cheating just a few days prior.
Greyson wanted to pull his hair. Emotion was strong like bile, rising to his tongue.
"I'm sorry I'm so bad. I can be better, I can be so much better. I'm the worst. I know it, I'm sorry." Louis incoherently mumbled.
Greyson took a deep breath. "Please… just shut the fuck up. Lou, you're overreacting right now. I love you, okay? I promise I love you." He tried to reason, but Louis was unresponsive. "Jesus christ…"
He wasn't in the mood. He really wasn't in the mood. He wasn't. He–
"Fine." Greyson said. "We can… we can have sex, or whatever." He regretted the words almost immediately.
Whether on top or on the bottom, Louis liked to litter marks on Greyson's body. Greyson hated covering them up because it was time consuming and he didn't really enjoy that type of pain play in bed.
Louis looked up at him from his ball on the floor.
Greyson couldn't back down now, couldn't he?
–+–
Derek was pleasantly surprised. The yelling from his next door neighbor's apartment was minimal..? It hadn't been this quiet in weeks.
He nodded in satisfaction as he tapped away at editing software on his computer. He missed quiet. He was also slightly relieved. Maybe that guy… Greyson, was it? Maybe he would be less of a grump to Derek every time they spoke. And perhaps Greyson would seem less… miserable.
Derek replayed the part of the video he had edited. His own voice came through. It was an 'What I Eat in A Day' video.
"And for lunch I had a protein wrap with the usual…" His voice from the computer came to a stop. Derek nodded, satisfied.
As much as he liked to listen in to his neighbor's arguments, seeing Greyson so sad all the time was getting kind of old. Someone with the looks of Greyson was hotter when they were smiling, it suited his cute appearance better.
Derek sighed and checked the time. It was 11:34 P.M..
He recalled with a tired brain, his day of clients and filming himself lifting and eating, and Greyson. He recalled meeting Greyson as the customer to his cashier work. Derek didn't think working at a liquor store was suited for Greyson.
Perhaps Greyson would be better suited as a cute barista… Derek pondered on the image. He imagined his neighbor dressed in an apron giving out coffees with a small smile. Derek would admit it, Greyson was attractive.
Of course, he himself was quite the looker if Derek said so himself. Other men (and a lot of women) gawked at Derek on the street. It was an ego boost that Derek definitely didn't need. But Greyson… Didn't he have the looks of one of those Korean idols? He didn't look fully Korean, maybe half, but Greyson definitely had the cute looks to become one.
Derek stopped his thoughts once he realized he had been sitting thinking about his attractive and taken neighbor for a few moments too long. He had a video to edit goddammit! His followers were expecting a vlog tomorrow and Derek still had much to edit.
Just as he went to add the next voiceover over the next clip, he paused.
He heard something outside…
Was it some drunk resident coming home late? There was no weed smell to leak through the door.
Then, Derek heard a choked and quiet sob.
He stood. Drama? His brain was intrigued as he walked to his door and looked through the peephole.
Black hair… Small eyes… Round cheeks… A small face… Greyson?
Derek took a step back.
Greyson Alamo was crying.
Derek didn't think that was a sight he would ever see, despite the constant fighting. It was a sight he didn't like to see. Derek clenched his fists and sucked a breath. With a swift and impulsive movement, he opened his front door.