Chapter 2:Gumdrop Rain and a Sticky Situation

"I don't know what it is about him, but that Antimony guy has a lot of girls around him all the time."

Aiden suddenly perked from his nap at his desk. The class was supposed to be studying while their teacher was off doing whatever, which really meant the room of college men was going to goof-off instead. All the students, save for Aiden of course, were lined up along the windows to watch a co-ed art class sit outside and draw whatever. Curiosity his master, Aiden stood and squeezed himself between two jocks to see what they were talking about.

His eyes found Timony instantly, as if homing in on his friend. he sat leaning against an angel statue, leg propped up with sketchpad on his thigh. Again, Aiden could have mistaken him for a woman. Timony's outfit for the day was a long-sleeved lavender off-shoulder shirt under a turtle-necked amethyst vest, jeans wrapping around his legs and pale purple sneakers covering his feet. A white cat-plush layed lazily on his head and usual sunglasses hiding his eyes. Aiden smiled to himself at the ring of girls that sat around him; all facing the raven-haired young man.

"He does have a girlfriend," Aiden said, more to himself than anyone else.

Someone quickly grabbed him by his black jacket and red tie, pulling him close to an angry face. "Are you hinting something!"

Aiden raised his hands defensively. "No! I was just saying he has a girlfriend! That's probably why the girls like him! He's a lady's man!"

The jock dropped Aiden and backed off, letting him go for now. Aiden sighed to himself, fixing his tie and jacket. Screw this... he thought. I'm outta here. Gathering his books and bag, Aiden left the room and headed downstairs. He had no idea where he was going, but Aiden trusted his feet, who have yet to fail him in life. Before he knew what was happening, Aiden found himself standing outside a ring of girls drawing Timony with frightening realistic detail.

"I saw you in the window," Timony said as Aiden stepped over the girls to sit beside Timony. The femme smiled. "I bet the jocks were happy to see such a large flock of women."

Some of the girls left the circle, muttering about tainted art. The rest grinned in unison and turned the pages of their sketchbooks to start over.

Aiden shuddered a bit. "They would probably be happier ifthe flack was around them," he said, not wanting to know why the girls were grinning. He leaned over Timony's shoulder, chin nearly resting on him, to see what Timony was drawing. Aiden blinked then looked around. "Where do you see a dog?"

Timony made a face at Aiden and lightly tapped him on the forehead with his sketchbook. "You dork...It's a person, not a dog. I can't draw!"

"I bet you can and you're just hiding it," Aiden countered with a grin.

"Sh-shut up..." Timony muttered, blushing. He smiled, though, hugging the sketchbook to his chest. "So, did you come to rescue me from this horribly boring class?"

No. "Damn straight I did. I'm starving and the cafeteria food is starting to drive me nuts." I'm not hungry. It's not even lunch! I just want to be alone with you. Aiden stood and offered a hand to Timony. "Let's go!"

Smiling brightly, Timony let Aiden pull him to his feet. Clouds hanging overhead suddenly exploded into a cold fall shower. Aiden laughed as Timony let out a surprised sqeak at the cold rain. Quickly, they ran under an auning close to the collegeto escape the cold rain. Both were drenched, and Timony shivered in the dim lighting. Aiden smiled and unzipped his jacket, pulling Timony into his embrace to warm him.

A blush painted Timony's cheeks as he was held against the warmth of Aiden's body and felt his shivers melt away. His sunglasses slipped down on their own and lavender eyes met deep black. Aiden grinned a bit and whispered, "Couldn't stand seeing you shiver..."

"Aiden..." Timony smiled and wrapped thin arms around Aiden's torso. He buried his face in Aiden's chest.

Aiden blushed at the feel of Timony's perfectly small body against his own, hands clasped at the small of his back. He let his face fall into feather-soft black hair and be drowned in the scent of flowery perfume from Timony's shampoo. Cool fingers brushed Aiden's neck as Timony pressed closer.

"Warm..." Timony whispered softly against the pattering rain.

"So are you..." Aiden replied in a hushed voice.

"No...I mean...I feel warm...on the inside..."

"Oh...Me too..." The young man plled away from Timony a bit and lifted his face with a hand on Timony's chi. Aiden slipped the sunglasses from Timony's face, smiling. "You don't need these...You have beautiful eyes..."

"So do you..." Timony replied, moving his arms to snake around Aiden's shoulders. "I could lose myself in them..."

Aiden placed his hands on Timony's waist. "You sound sad."

"I'm fine...I just..." Timony bowed his head. "I want to escape from her so badly...even for a moment..."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah..."

"I can help..."

Timony looked up at him curiously. "How?"

"Close your eyes..." Aiden instructed.

Nodding, Timony closed his eyes. His lips parted slightly in a surprised gasp as soft skin brushed his nose in a gentle eskimo kiss. Shivers went down Timony's spine at the tender, forbidden touches and the ghosts of memory those touches were leaving behind. Timony moved his head a bit, adding more frichtion to the sensational action. Warm breath caressed faces as soft breathing escaped delicious lips. But not once did lips meet.

"Stop..." Timony begged so quietly, Aiden almost didn't hear him. "You're making me want to kiss you..."

"You wanted to escape," explained Aiden. "I'm helping you escape...We're tucked away from the world, away from everyone but each other. You wanted to escape her...and you have." Aiden smirked a bit. "Because I now it's not her you're thinking of now..."

Timony blushed but didn't reply. Instead, he looked Aiden in the eye and stood on his tip-toes. Heart fluttering in his chest, Aiden leaned down a bit to meet Timony's reach. Gentle lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. A hand on Aiden's head insured the kiss's life span, and Aiden's arms holding Timony close made the same promise not to let go. Reluctantly, the kiss broke and the two pulled away from each other for eyes to meet again.

"Aiden..." Timony whispered. He shook his head, at a loss for words. The young man smiled. "Thank you..." Timony buried his face in Aiden's chest. "For everything..."

"No problem..." He let the flood of the floral raven waves take him away again. "Anything for you..." The next set of words almost hurt him on their way out, "That's what best friends are for, right?"

"I...guess..." Timony answered. He didn't sound too sure of himself, and Aiden noticed this. A sigh escaped Timony as he slipped out of Aiden's fingers and arms. "I better go..." He smiled. "Wouldn't want Samantha to find me like this...So close to another guy..."

Aiden gently grabbed Timony's arm. "Antimony...If she's hurting you, you shouldn't be with her."

Lilac eyes went wide. "Aiden...What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I -!"

"Am missing his next class," a woman's voice spoke. Aiden turned quickly, standing protectively in front of Timony. A young woman glared at Aiden with fiery blue eyes, then smiled sweetly. Golden curls framed her face and she wore a uniform top and skirt. "You must be Aiden. Antimony told me he'd made a new friend." She offered Aiden a hand to shake. "I'm Samantha Starling, Antimony's girlfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Agreed," Aiden said, shaking her hand.

Timony joined Samantha's side, a hand slipping into hers. He smiled at Aiden. "It was nice talking to you, Aiden," Timony said. "We'll have to get together again sometime..."

"Yeah..." Aiden sighed, rubbing his arm that suddenly grew cold. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Maybe..." Timony sighed, his smile returning. "I'll see you later."

"Later..."

With that, Timony and Samantha walked away, hand in hand. And Aiden watched them go with a sinking, jealous heart.