Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

run around one in the afternoon when Drew walks in like he owns the place.
    "Who's in da hous'? Drew's in da hous'!"
    "Big D!"
    "Fleury, ya fag! Get your ass down here an' gimme a hug. Been too damn long."
    God, how I missed the resonant bass of his voice while I was gone. I fly down the stairs and throw myself at Drew. Fortunately he catches me by grabbing my ass and hugs back.
    Drew is my best buddy on the team, in the house, and probably in my life at this point. We're both track and field seniors. He's a field athlete, indoor heptathlon and outdoor pentathlon. He does pretty well on most of the events, but the extra 500m between the 1000m in the heptathlon and the 1500m in the pentathlon kicks his ass. And don't think I don't regularly make stamina jokes at his expense because of it. I'm a distance runner. I'm allowed.
    He's the sexiest, most beautiful dark-skinned man I have ever met, with the most gorgeous hazel eyes and long dreadlocks. He also flirts like an Italian, which I find totally unfair because he knows how I lust after his body and his brain, the big cock tease.
    However, keeping my hands to myself is the lesser of two evils. Candy, his girlfriend, will cut me if I make a move on her man. Well, she might if she actually felt threatened by me, but she doesn't. She trusts him implicitly and loves him absolutely. I wouldn't even dream of going after her man anyway because I love her to death. Even if she didn't have Drew, she's a kick-ass woman and friend, but she's also the best thing to ever happen to Drew, too.
    It wouldn't matter if I tried, anyway. Drew's head-over-heels for her and comfortable enough with his sexuality and mine that neither one of us thinks anything of it when he grabs my ass.
    "Hey, man!" I have the biggest smile on my face. "How've you been?"
    "Missin' you, ya dumb fuck. How the hell you been, mister fancy fuckin' Frenchman? Left me to deal with this shit alone for an entire semester. You're lucky I don't beat your ass."
    "You know you're welcome to pound my ass anytime you feel like it, Big D. Just say when and I'll be bent over the nearest piece of furniture."
    Of course, Heath has to walk in on the spectacle which is our reunion at precisely this moment.
    "Jesus! Get a room, you two 'mos. And make it his room because I don't want to watch that shit, Flower." He smirks at me.
    Drew's laugh is a deep from-the-belly sound. Though whether it's a result of my retort or Heath's, I can't tell. I'm too busy being rather pissed off Heath addressed me as "Flower" for the first time in three days.
    I unwrap myself from Drew's hold and face Heath.
    "If I recall correctly, CJ, you said you'll 'watch when there's something worth looking at,' right? Surely this would qualify." I fix him with a smug look.
    That gets his attention. He glowers at me.
    "What the fuck does 'CJ' stand for?"
    "You guys didn't tell him while I was gone?" I ask Drew, surprised. I really didn't expect the guys to keep up the joke. They're all in on it but for Heath and maybe the freshmen.
    "Naw, man. I don't think it ever came up. He never asked."
    I look back at Heath and smirk. "Cum Jockey" rolls off my tongue without missing a beat.
    His eyes tighten into slits. He can't tell whether or not I've told him the truth. Without another word, he turns and stomps back up to our room. Drew and I stare after him for a moment.
    "I don't think he liked that one." Drew turns back to me. "Damn, man, it's good to see you. I missed the fuck outta your smart-ass mouth. You have a good holiday?"
    "Yeah, D-man. I spent it in Marseilles with my parents and grandparents. You?"
    "It's a'ight. Got me a fiancée on Christmas Day, if ya know what I mean."
    My jaw drops.
    "Are you fucking serious? Holy shit, Drew, that's incredible!" I hug him again. "Candy must be over the moon."
    "I'm sure you'll see the rock I put on her finger before the weekend's over."
    He gives me a huge, toothy smile. I can see the elation in his eyes. I'm truly happy for them.
    "So," he continues, "you gonna be my best man an' shit, right?"
    "Hell yeah! You guys set a date yet?"
    "Naw, just sometime after graduation. She wants to do all the fancy shit an' needs time to plan. It'll prob'ly be sometime next year."
    "You tell me when and where, and I will throw you the best fucking bachelor party ever."
    "No gay bars, Fleury."
    "Dammit! You ruin all my fun."
    ****
    Since Heath ran off in a snit, I decide to stay and catch up with Drew instead of doing the afternoon