Hold Me Closer

Disclaimer: Oh please. If I owned Degrassi, Riley would be shirtless all the time. As would alot of the guys on the show. And if I owned GH---c'mon. It wouldn't be so focused on the mob and I wouldn't have stopped watching it.

Damian Millhouse Spinelli sighed as he got off the plane, taking his carry on suitcase with him. Here he was, moving from Port Charles, New York to Toronto, Canada all because of a broken just couldn't deal with it all. The pain of not ever being enough for Maxie. So he'd left. There wasn't really anything in Port Charles for him he had "friends" there but alot of the time, it felt as if he were being used for his computer skills and his willingness to help here he was. Ready to create a new life in a place where no one knew his name.

He walked out of the airport and waved his hand at the taxi that had just let a person out. He got inside slowly and told the cab driver to take him to the closest hotel. When the car finally came to a stop, he paid and got out. He bought his hotel room and headed inside, unpacking his suitcases.

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Two hours later, he walked out the door and stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked around the town, finally stopping infront of a restaurant called The Dot. His stomach growled. He really hadn't eaten anything except for those complimentery peanuts on the plane. He opened the door and stepped inside, pulling the light jacket he wore around him tighter. Walking over to the counter, he took a seat next to a well muscled guy of about eighteen, with short, light brown hair and light green eyes. The young man in question was drinking what appeared to be either hot chocolate or coffee.

Taking the eyes off the young man, he looked at the strawberry blonde who now stood infront of him. "What can I get you?" She asked him.

"Um...The Jackal would like a....orange soda and a chicken salad sandwich." Spinelli told her, throwing her a nervous grin.

She cocked an eyebrow at his strange way of speaking and walked away mumbling something about geeks.

The customer beside him let out a laugh and shook his head. "The Jackal, huh? Did you watch The Omen and come up with that? Who are you anyway? I mean...I am quite sure that I have never seen you around before." He told Spinelli, studying the older man closely.

"Um...no. My name is Damian. Damian Spinelli. I call myself The Jackal because I am the assasin of cyberspace." Spinelli told him as he bit into the sandwich that the waitress had just placed infront of him.

"Ah. And here I thought that you were trying to scare people." The boy told him, mirth dancing in his eyes as a grin curled up his lips. "I'm Riley, by the way. Riley Stavros."

"Nice to meet you." Spinelli said as he shook Riley's hand.

"So, why did you move here, Damian?" Riley asked him, leaning his elbows on the counter.

"It was the Jackal's girlfriend." Spinelli said with a sigh, not knowing why he wasn't correcting Riley over calling him Damian. "Turns out that I wasn't enough for her."

"Harsh." Riley said with a hiss, wincing at the implication.

Spinelli nodded as he sipped his orange soda. "It's my own fault, really. I once caught her kissing my friend's boyfriend. And I know that she kissed him in a limo a few days after she'd told me she loved me. All the proof was there but The Jackal was too blind to see it."

"So...you decided to move to Toronto because of her? Or is there more to it than that?" Riley asked of him, tilting his head to the side, eyes sparkling as he studied the male beside him.

"More than that...I mean...Maximista---Maxie." Spinelli corrected bitterly, "Was the main reason but it was more than that. It felt as if my friends were all using me for my computer skills and because they know that I won't say no to helping someone who needs it."

"Look...I hope you don't mind me sayin' this but....those don't sound like very good friends." The eighteen year old commented as he shook his head. "You really deserve better than that." He didn't know what made him do it, especially considering how long it had taken him to even admit that he was gay---but he reached out a hand and placed it ontop Spinelli's on the countertop, sending shockwaves through both of the boys.

"Um...Um..." Spinelli said, cheeks flushing red in nervousness and embarrassment at the thoughts that, that one touch provoked. What was wrong with him? He'd never been attracted to guys before!

Riley moved his hand away as if he'd been burned, believing he'd done something extremely wrong. "Sorry." He muttered under his breath as he ducked his head down, stood up, dug into his pocket and threw money on the counter before he pratically ran out the door.

Spinelli stared in shock as the door slammed closed then turned back around and said, "Did the Jackal do something wrong?"

An undignified snort came from the waitress who'd given him the food. "It wasn't you Riley was upset at. It was himself. He admitted to everyone--including himself that he was gay just a week ago and the guy he liked, Peter Stone---was straight. Now he's terrified that he just messed up whatever friendship that you two had."

"What should I do?" He asked desperately.

"Well...by the way you reacted to him, I am going to assume that you like him so I'd suggest that you go find him and tell him that." She said as she took his empty cup and plate.

Spinelli nodded and stood, handing her some money and a tip. "Thank you for the help, uh---" He froze. He'd never learned her name.

"Holly J. The name is Holly J Sinclair. Now MOVE!" She said, shooing him.

He found Riley sitting on the bench just outside the restaurant and hesitantly walked over and took a seat beside him.

"Sorry about what happened in there." The boy said, shoulders slumped as he still didn't look at Spinelli, almost as if he were afraid that he was going to see disgust.

Spinelli shook his head negatively. "You did not do anything wrong, Mistaken One. The Devious Waitress told me about your---status."

"I'm so stupid! I always become attracted to the wrong guys! First Peter and now you!" Riley said, putting his elbows on his knees and fisting his hands in his hair, looking at Spinelli.

The computer genius shook his head and placed a hand on Riley's wrist, stroking his hands up the tanned, muscular arm until his hand met with the younger man's shoulder. "I don't think your stupid." He whispered as he pulled Riley's hands from his hair, tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips to the younger man's in a hesitant, soft kiss.

They pulled away moments later and stared at eachother with wide, unblinking eyes.

"The Jackal isn't going to say that he is gay, but----I will admit that I am attracted to you." Spinelli said carefully, squeezing Riley's forearm.

And for once in both their lives, everything was going good.

End