Chapter Four: Sixteen

They finished the last song, Jake's smooth voice hitting the end note perfectly. Just like he always does. Tobias thought, almost whistfully.

"Great playing, everybody. So, where do we meet tomorrow?" Jake asked, turning around.

"Ummm, I can't come tomorrow." Cassie replied, sighing, "Crazy as it sounds, but Dad ants a family night type-thing. He's gonna cook too."

"Which means?"

"I have to spend the day buying enough stomache medicine to make sure we live through it!"

Rachel laughed, "Yeah, and I gotta watch Sarah and Jordan. Mom's got herself a boooooyfriend." Rachel laughed evilly. "I must mock her about it at every chance I get."

"You're pure evil." Marco said, grinning. "And I have a date with Juan, not like it really matters that I'm here for not, so..." he shurgged, "Hopefully I'll get lucky and a bit more that just kissing this time 'round."

Ax rolled his eyes, "I'll probably finish that book for English and wirte the book report for it."

"Isn't it due next month?" Tobias asked his friend, putting his guitar in it's case.

"Yeah, but I wanna get it done so I can work on my colledge apps. I'm graduating this year, you know."

"The joys of being a senor." Tobias sighed.

"So it's just Tobias and me, then?" Jake asked, everyone nodded. "Cool. Tobias, your place or mine?"

Tobias stared at him, down boy, he doesn't mean sex, ya' damned nympho, "Errr, I don't know. My uncle's been feeling weird, music might not be the best thing. Yours I guess."

Rachel, Cassie, Marco, and Ax, had dissappeared while this conversation had been taking place, Tobias spun around, looking around the empty room. Jake laughed softly, "Tobias? You wanna crash heere tonight?"

Tobias froze, and turned to Jake, "That would be nice... but I have no clothes, and I gotta tell my uncle.."

"Okay, we'll swing by your place, pick up your stuff, tell your uncle, then come back here and work on this song that I wanna finish."

Tobias blinked, setting back down his guitar, "I guess I'll leave this here then."

Jake walked up to Tobias, placing his hands on each of his shoulders, "Is something wrong?"

Tobias blinked, he's so close, too close, must resist urge to kiss him........., "Yeah, just thinking."

"About?"

"Just, stuff. My uncle......, you know what? I'm not gonna get some clothes, I'll borrow from you, and I'll just call him."

Tobias picked that moment to look Jake in the eye, and something was there, triumph? lust? no, wishful thinking on my part. but it's most definatly triumph. "Well then, I'll wait here and we could get started." He le me go and turned to get his guitar. I bolted from the room and to the phone.

~~~

What the fuck is wrong with me?! That's TOBIAS damnit! I can't LOVE TOBIAS!!!! Jake stopped, and grinned, yes I can. He's bi, like me! Jake fought down the strange urge to run around the house going 'YIPPIE! HE'S STAYING! I'M GONNA MAKE HIM MY BOYFRIEND! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' "It's a little thing we like to call dignity, Jake." He muttered to himself. Tobias walked in, a scowl on his face. "Tobias? What's wrong? You can't stay?"

"Oh no, I can stay. He just gave me a hard time about it, is all." Tobias muttered, then took a deep breath and rolled his head, "Okay. Play me your master piece."

"If you have anything to add, just add it. I trust you." Jake had NO IDEA why he added that last bit, but it made Tobias smile. Jake picked up his guitar and strumed it, singing. "It's that feeling, you don't have to say any words. We didn't talk, but something was definatly heard. These chairs, they won't let me go anywhere, but these chairs, they hold me like I wish you would hold me! and I don't wanna cry every morning, and I don't wanna cry every night. I don't wanna bash my head up against, the wall anymore! I wanna see you again, and I wanna touch you again and I wanna feel like I did when I was with you and I wanna feel! Sun's gone down, finally, the air is so warm, it kisses me. And I know you're out there and I wonder if you're thinking about me, and I don't wanna every morning, and I don't wanna cry every night. I don't wanna bash my head up against, the wall anymore! I wanna see you again, and I wanna touch you again and I wanna feel like I did when I was with you and I wanna feel! and I wanna see you again, and I wanna see you again, and I wanna touch you again and I wanna feel like when I was sixteen and I wanna feel......." he played a few more notes and stopped. "Well?"

Tobias stared at him, then grinned, "It's really good, but two things, one, this need to be a duet. Second, I think it would sond better if Rachel and Cassie did it. It just screams 'A girl must sing me!' unless you can find someone else who's a guy with a high voice. Other than that, it's great."

Jake took this in. "You're right. Thanks Tobias." Jake stood and put his guitar back in it's case. "You want food?"
No asnwer, "Tobias?" Jake turned.

Tobias had fallen asleep.