Forces of Nature

By Lily Grace

For Anja

- 2 -

Drew took another sip of his latte and stared at the screen of his laptop,

pleased with the progress he'd made on his thesis. Sometimes a change of
scenery was all that was needed to make the work seem easier. That, and a
strong cup of caffeine. The small café was buzzing with activity, and though he
often liked simple peace and quiet when he worked, occasionally he needed to
get out of his apartment, away from the stacks of textbooks and journal articles,
in order to kick start his brain.

It was Evan who had suggested that he try writing in the coffee shop. At

first, he'd been dubious. Why would moving to a public location help his theory
of using new ways to measure atmospheric pressure to more accurately predict
weather systems come to fruition more easily? But, like all of Evan's ideas, it
had been spot on. Lately he'd found himself more and more frequently sitting at
his favorite table, sipping his favorite caffeinated beverage, muscling his thesis
to completion.

He and Evan were best friends and had met in college. Or, more to the point,

Evan had burst into his life like a bolt of lightening, electrifying him to his core.
Drew remembered it like it was yesterday, even though he was now nearing
completion of his PhD in physics, and Evan was trying to make it as an actor.
Drew had been sitting in the large lecture hall freshman year, waiting for class
to begin. Introduction to Physics had been a large class, over a hundred
students. Drew had placed himself somewhere in the middle of the lecture
theater, somewhere he could blend in. He'd never been a fan of standing out. It
wasn't that he went through life hiding, but he never did anything to call
attention to himself. Even though he was relatively tall, a little over six feet, he
had non-descript medium brown hair, and a lean-to-average build. He wasn't
the kind of guy who got noticed a lot. That's what made that first day of class so
surprising. Drew was noticed by him.

Evan had breezed into the lecture hall thirty seconds before class was

supposed to start. The professor had made his way to the podium and was busy
rustling his lecture notes, getting ready to begin. But Evan had walked in like
he owned the place. Not in an arrogant or conceited way, but in a way which
exuded some self-confidence on a higher level, almost as if he just didn't notice
that almost the entire class had turned to look at the slight boy, with long, jet-
black hair, wearing jeans that looked painted on, a tight purple shirt, and a light,
silvery scarf around his neck, sashaying into the room.

Drew was one of the people staring. Sure, the clothes were hard to miss, but

it wasn't the clothes that had held his attention. It was the face. Evan had
delicate, almost elfin features, made paler by the frame of black hair and his
eyes were the most piercing ice blue Drew had ever seen. So piercing that he
had been able to make them out even sitting halfway back in the room. It was
then that Drew realized those eyes were fixed directly on him. It was also in
that moment that he had to remind himself to breathe.

Drew had watched as the blue eyes had made their way closer to him, now

kept company by a brilliant smile on that beautiful face, until the boy was
standing in front of the empty seat next to him.

"Anyone sitting here?"
He had already sat down, smile never leaving his face, and had begun to dig

out a notebook and pen from his bag before Drew had even been able to grunt

- 3 -

out a noise that resembled a 'no'.

A small hand was extended. "Hi. I'm Evan."
"Drew." He somehow found his voice as he shook the almost fragile-looking

hand, afraid he might bruise it if he gripped too hard, and attempted to will his
eyes to stop bugging out of his head.

"Lovely to meet you. I certainly hope you know more about physics than I

do. Science, math, and I have always have had something resembling a tortured
relationship. The only reason I'm in this class is to get my science requirement
out of the way. I'm going to major in theater. I want to be an actor. But
requirements are requirements and, trust me, I whined enough to the nice lady
in the registrar's office and apparently they are completely non-negotiable."

Drew couldn't do anything but sit in stunned silence as Evan continued his

steady stream of chatter, voice practically lilting, never seeming to come up for
air, as he unwound the scarf from around this neck, and smoothed his hair with
his fingers.

"So, I know we just met, but if you in any way resemble a physics genius,

you are going to become my new best friend." Evan beamed at him, and Drew's
entire world lit up.

"I want to major in physics, actually," he heard himself say, never happier to

be a complete nerd who loved physics.

"Oh, my hero!" Evan proceeded to give his arm a squeeze, which produced

thunderbolts throughout his entire body. "I just knew you were the right person
to sit next to. I just knew."

In that moment, Drew wouldn't have cared if Evan had only wanted him for

his knowledge of physics, but something about the way Evan had said it made
Drew feel special, which wasn't something he felt very often.

Halfway through the class, Drew had his head bent over his page of notes,

forcing himself to concentrate on the lecture instead of the boy sitting next to
him. It became harder when he felt Evan's shoulder press against his as he
leaned over and began to write in the margin of his notebook. The words 'Do
you think that's the prof's real hair, or a toupee?' emerged in purple ink.

Even when Drew wasn't helping him with his physics homework, Evan

always found excuses to stop by his dorm room. They would just hang out, or
go out for coffee, or sometimes Drew would let Evan drag him to the frat
parties he detested so much. Evan would even act out entire plays for him,
playing all the parts himself, until he would flop onto the floor, breathless,
laughing too hard to go on.

After the first exam of the semester had been passed back, Drew had been

unconcerned with his own perfect score and had waited with baited breath,
watching Evan's face scanning his own exam.

"A 'B', I got a 'B'!" Evan had thrown his arms around Drew’s neck and

squeezed tightly. "And it's all because of you! What would I do without you?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Then Drew felt plush lips pressed against his cheek. That's when he knew he

was completely in love with Evan.

They were complete opposites in almost everything. Yet, they seemed to go

- 4 -

together in a way that made perfect sense, even if it defied all types of logic.
Drew stopped trying to figure it out after the first few weeks of them knowing
each other. Unlike his studies in physics, it just didn't seem important to try to
understand the rationale behind it. Evan wanted to spend his time with Drew,
and that was enough.

Drew had always been insanely studious. So, it didn't matter that he was

already acing his classes by the time final exams rolled around. He still found
himself sequestered away in the library studying on a Saturday night. That's
when Evan appeared at the side of his study cubicle, hands on hips, looking like
he meant business.

"No more studying. You don't need to. I promise you will get 'A's in all your

classes! But, more importantly, it's Saturday night. We are going to go have
some fun!"

Drew wasn't given time to argue. His things had been shoved into his bag

and Evan had grabbed his hand and quite literally dragged him out of the
library. They had gone back to Evan's room and drunk copious amounts of
vodka, watched silly movies, and laughed until they cried. Drew had never had
a more fun night and he'd still gotten stellar marks on all his final exams. That
was when he knew he needed Evan.

However, Evan always had a string of boyfriends, all completely different

from Drew in both looks and demeanor. Near the end of college, Drew had
even gotten a boyfriend of his own. Anthony had seemed to be a practical
choice in a boyfriend. They were both interested in physics and completely
analytical in how they viewed the world. Anthony had also helped Drew ignore
what his heart truly desired. The relationship had run its course, and Drew
hadn't been particularly upset when it had ended. It just gave him that much
more time to spend with Evan. But he always kept his unrequited love locked
away. Though as best friends they might have shared everything else, what he
felt for Evan had always been something he had been far too terrified to voice.
The thought of losing Evan's friendship was too horrifying to imagine.

***

Drew's reminiscing was brought to a halt when there was a clap of thunder

outside. The irony was not lost on him that he had been too busy writing about
the physics of severe weather systems to have noticed the darkening sky and
harsh winds picking up outside. He hurriedly put his laptop in his bag and
tugged on his coat, hoping he'd be able to beat the rain home. He knew Evan
would have had a clever quip about a storm emerging because he had been
thinking too hard about atmospheric pressure.

Evan. Shit. Drew looked at his watch. Double shit. He had completely lost

track of time. Evan was supposed to drop by his place after his audition for an
off-off- off Broadway play. It was 3:34. Evan had said he would be by at 3:30.
Drew glanced up again at the window and grimaced as the first drops of rain
began to fall. Evan would be standing outside his building, getting soaked. And
Evan hated storms. Drew bolted from the café and began to jog down the street.
At least he lived close by.

Five minutes later, the sky had really opened up as he skidded to a stop in

- 5 -

front of his door and found a completely soaked and pissed off Evan huddling
under the poor excuse for eaves the building afforded, punching at the buttons
on his phone. No doubt about to call him.

"Fuck you!" Evan's teeth chattered. His black hair, which was shorter now,

and curved stylishly in layers near his jawbone, curled and matted against his
face. "Where have you been? I'm wet and freezing and I just saw a bolt of
lightening!"

"Shit, I'm so sorry, Ev." Drew dug out his keys and hustled them inside. "I

got caught up with work and completely lost track of time. My bad."

The silent treatment he received as they squelched their way up the three

flights of stairs confirmed for Drew that he was in no way forgiven for his
transgression. After they had both tumbled in the front door of his apartment,
Drew took a moment to assess the situation. They were both completely soaked
from head to toe. They needed to get warm and then get changed before they
both caught their death.

Evan fumbled with his thin, cotton jacket, pealing it off his frame and

dropping it on the floor. He still looked completely pissed off, and he shivered
violently. Drew tried not to think about how sexy he looked with water droplets
running down his face and his black T-shirt clinging to his chest, or how
adorable he always looked when he pouted.

"Ev? Why don't you go take a hot shower and I'll find you something warm

to wear. Then I'll fix us something hot to drink, okay?"

"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"You'll need a hot shower, too. I mean, I'm still completely mad at you and

everything, but that doesn't mean I want you to die of pneumonia." He gave a
huff and crossed his arms over his chest, not able to stop his constant shivering.

Drew had to smile. Evan had always had a bit of a temper, but they had

always been virtually incapable of staying mad at each other for very long. He
felt the side of his mouth quirk up into a half smile.

"Thanks for being so concerned about my well-being," he replied dryly.

"Fine. You shower first. Then I will."

He found he was almost shaking uncontrollably now from the cold and wet.

He struggled out of his own jacket and started to make his way toward his
bedroom to find the warmest possible clothes for the both of them.

Evan sighed and rolled his eyes.
"This is just silly. You're just as cold as I am." He yanked off his sodden T-

shirt and reached for Drew's hand. "We'll just hop in the shower together. No
biggie. We both need to get warm before the hypothermia sets in."

"Uh." Drew was rendered speechless for moment as he took in the half-

naked form in front of him. The idea of both of them naked in his small shower
cubicle was enough to cause his brain to short circuit.

Evan rolled his eyes again. "Come on. We've been best friends for eight

years. This really isn't a big deal."

Perhaps it wasn't a big deal for Evan, he'd always been so comfortable with

his body, but for Drew it was a very big deal. Even though he was frozen to the
bone, he was pretty sure his nether regions wouldn't behave themselves if he
had to endure the sweet torture of being naked in the shower with Evan, even if

- 6 -

it was for completely innocent purposes.

He'd seen Evan in various states of undress. It hadn't taken Drew very long,

once they'd become friends, to understand that Evan felt just as comfortable
naked as he did with clothes on. He'd always changed in front of Drew or
walked around in nothing but a towel. Calling Evan's body perfection didn't
quite cover it.

No. There was no way Drew could get in the shower with him.
"Um, no. I'll be fine. You go. I'll... um, I'm just going to find you some

clothes." Drew stumbled over his words as he made his way toward his
bedroom. "You know where the towels are."

As he walked quickly away, he couldn't help but notice the flash of hurt that

crossed Evan's face.

Drew took deep breathes and tried not to think too hard about Evan naked

under hot streams of water as he rummaged in his closet for clothes. Everything
would be huge on Evan, but at least he would be warm. Drew pulled out his
warmest pair of sweatpants, a polar fleece hooded sweatshirt and a pair of
woolen socks and laid them out on his bed. He made his way toward the
kitchen, still in drenched clothes, and put some water on to boil. He held his
hands over the burner for a few seconds, rubbing them together, trying to get
some feeling back into his fingers, before placing the kettle over it. Just as he
walked back into the living room Evan emerged from the bathroom in nothing
but a towel.

"Feel better?"
Evan gave a weak smile. "A little."
"I put some clothes out for you in my room." He walked ahead of Evan, back

into the bedroom to grab some fresh clothes for himself. "And I put the kettle
on, so there should be hot water in a few minutes. You know where the cocoa
is, so help yourself."

Evan gave a nod, acknowledging that he heard, as he reached for the clothes

that had been laid out for him. Drew quickly exited the room with an armful of
clothes for himself, unsure if his hurry was to get into the shower, or to get out
of the room before Evan pulled the towel away from his body.

The hot water felt wonderful against his freezing skin, but he didn't dally too

long. He wanted to make sure Evan was getting warm and that he had found
everything he needed in the kitchen. It was Drew's fault, after all, that Evan had
been caught out in the rain. He had always been over-protective of Evan.
Probably because he thought he might die if anything happened to his friend.

When Drew emerged from the bathroom in warm sleep pants and a

sweatshirt from college, he found two mugs of cocoa sitting on the coffee table
in the living room and Evan curled up on the couch, wrapped up in the quilt
from his bed. Evan looked up when he entered the room.

"Hope you don't mind I commandeered your comforter."
His elfin smirk was back, and he had made Drew a hot beverage, too. His

anger must be waning. It was then that Drew noticed the notebook Evan was
flipping through. His living room was often a dumping ground for his research
materials for his thesis, but it seemed unlikely that Evan would willingly pick-
up anything having to do with physics.

"I can't believe you kept this." A wistful smile graced Evan's face as he

- 7 -

flipped another page.

Drew cocked his head to the side and moved to sit beside Evan, trying to

figure out what was holding his friend's attention. When he got a good look at
what Evan held in his hands Drew silently sucked in his breath. Of course he
had kept it. It was his notebook from freshman year physics. He hadn't meant to
leave it out. It had been in a pile of old journal articles he had been going
through and he hadn't been able to stop himself from reminiscing. Each page
held written conversations between the two of them in the margins. Sometimes
they had written about the senile professor, other times they had conversed
about plans for the weekend, and sometimes they had just written silly little
nothings to pass the time. That notebook contained a semester's worth of
memories with Evan. That notebook was the beginning of their friendship.

"Yeah, well, I pretty much keep everything." He gave off a nervous chuckle.

"I found it last week when I was digging through some old school stuff."

Evan smiled at him and glanced down one more time at the pages in front of

him, before carefully tossing the notebook aside. He curled himself further into
the corner of the sofa, and then lifted up the edge of the comforter, inviting
Drew beneath its warmth.

"Thanks." He pulled the comforter over his lap and up around his chest.

"And thanks for the cocoa." He reached forward and picked up the mug in front
of him. The warmth seeping into his hands felt good.

"You're welcome." Evan reached for his own mug and took a sip.
"How are you feeling? Warm?"
"Eh, getting there I suppose. Still a little cold." Evan wrapped his hands

more tightly around his mug.

Drew wound an arm around Evan and rubbed his hand up and down Evan's

arm. Evan leaned in to his touch. Evan had always been a tactile being. In the
beginning, Drew had often been caught off guard by Evan's hugs and kisses on
the cheek, but it soon became a pattern between the two of them, and even
though it had never gone any farther, they had never shied away from being
close. It felt good. Comfortable.

"I'm really, really sorry." Drew felt the need to reemphasize.
"S'okay. At least you got wet, too." Evan snickered up at him. "And I'm

sorry I was bitchy about it. You know how I feel about thunderstorms."

"I know." Drew gave his shoulder a squeeze and then smiled. "You know

what would really warm us up?"

"What?"
"If our cocoa was spiked."
Evan laughed his infectious, almost dirty sounding laugh. "You know I'll

never say no to a little alcohol."

Drew began to move out from beneath the comforter.
"No, you stay. I'll get it. I know where you keep it. Amaretto?" Evan always

knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Sounds perfect. Thanks, Ev."
Evan gave him a smile and struggled up off the sofa and out of his comforter

cocoon.

"Hang on, wait a sec."
Drew got up and moved to where Evan was standing in the middle of the

- 8 -

room.

"I've already been responsible for you getting drenched. I'm not going to be

responsible for you tripping and falling on your face." He nodded in the
direction of the extra foot of sweatpants Evan was standing on.

He smirked as he got on his knees and began to roll up the bottom of Evan's

pants. Evan gave a long-suffering sigh, but Drew saw the twitch of his lips. He
was trying so hard not to laugh. Drew smiled softly and applied the same
treatment to the other pant leg.

"Thanks, Mom."
They shared a grin before Evan continued on his way to the kitchen. After

adding a liberal dose to each mug, Evan snuggled back under the comforter and
took a sip.

"Ahh. Now, that really hits the spot." He shot Drew a cheeky grin.
"Alcoholic." Drew smirked into this own mug.
"Screw you!" Evan's foot shoved into the side of his leg, almost making him

spill his drink.

"Hey, watch it!" He laughed.
They spent several minutes in amicable silence, sipping at their drinks,

letting the final chills from earlier escape their bodies, before Drew broke the
silence.

"So, how was your audition?"
Evan's face lit up. "It went really well! I mean, you never know until the cast

list is up, but I felt really good about it."

"That's awesome! When will you know anything?"
"They said in about a week. The director seems like a nice guy and seemed

to like the scene I read for, so fingers crossed."

"Well, you know I'll be there front row center."
"Thanks." Evan smiled at him over the top of his mug. "I have a good feeling

about this one because the part I read for is described as a 'slight man with
almost feminine features.'" Evan made air quotes with his free hand.

"Well, that sounds very promising."
Drew knew that Evan had to withstand a lot of frustration when it came to

getting good parts due to his looks. He barely made it above five foot six and he
did have very feminine features. Directors had told him in the past that he
lacked the required stature and masculinity needed for certain roles. In the
acting world, Evan's beauty was often his curse, but Drew knew Evan was an
amazing actor. Perhaps he was biased, but he never ceased to be floored by
Evan's performances. The way he was able to throw himself into a role,
completely embodying the character he was playing, quite literally took Drew's
breath away. It was one of the things he admired the most about Evan. Evan
was so artistic, creative and imaginative, whereas Drew was completely
analytic and scientific in all that he did. Evan always helped him see things in a
different way. Maybe that was why they worked so well together. They
balanced each other out.

Evan turned to look out the large window before standing up and walking

toward it, all but pressing his face to the glass. The rain was lashing against the
pane. And, though it was hard to see past the torrents of water coming down,
trees were swaying violently in the distance. Drew stood after a moment and

- 9 -

walked over.

"It's really bad, huh?"
Evan jumped a little at the sound of his voice. "Yeah."
Evan had always been odd about storms. Drew knew they terrified him. He

had been witness to Evan diving into bed and pulling the covers over his head
on multiple occasions during thunderstorms. But they seemed to fascinate him
as much as they scared him. Drew had never quite known why.

"You never told me why storms scare you so much."
Still staring out the window, Evan gave off a thoughtful sigh.
"I wish I had a good explanation. It's not like I have some traumatizing tale

from my past about getting caught in one or something. I guess they were just
always so mysterious to me. These crazy forces of nature smiting the world."
He chuckled softly. "It's like Mother Nature got pissed off and is taking it out
on us."

Drew had to laugh at that. Evan always did have a way of putting things.
"Well, thunderstorms basically occur when a warm, moist air front collides

with a cold air front and, if there is enough instability in the atmosphere, then
lightning and thunder can be present..."

"You and your physics!" Evan cut him off. "You're going to take all the

mystery out of it!"

"Hey, I was only trying to help! I thought if you understood them better,

maybe you wouldn't be such a baby about them." He poked Evan playfully in
the back.

"I'm not a baby about them! Okay, maybe I'm a little bit of a baby." He

turned his head to throw Drew a conceding look. "But that doesn't mean I want
to know the science behind how they form. I know it's your life's work and
everything." Drew could feel Evan smirking. "But I prefer to think of a pissed
off Mother Nature instead."

At that moment, there was a huge crash of thunder that sent Evan reeling

back into Drew, giving off a very un-masculine squeaking noise in the process.

Drew laughed and steadied Evan with his arms going around his friend's

waist.

"Well, something must have really pissed her off."
His arms stayed firmly around Evan, and he hoped it could be passed off as

nothing more than a comforting gesture. Since Evan remained leaning against
him, he decided to revel in the closeness and not move an inch. He felt Evan
breathe in and out against his chest.

"You okay?" he murmured.
"Yeah. Thanks."
They stayed like that for another moment, staring out at the darkened sky

and the havoc being wreaked on the world below them. When Evan opened his
mouth again, Drew was wholly unprepared for what he heard.

"Do you think I'm ugly?"
"What?" His eyes bugged out of his head. Since Evan was facing forward,

Drew had no chance to read his face. "Of course not! Why would you think
that?"

Evan fidgeted in his arms, obviously agitated. "Earlier, when I said we

should just jump in the shower together. You couldn't run away fast enough."

- 10 -

"I... I just..." He couldn't even think straight. He couldn't possibly tell Evan

the real reason. "It had nothing to do with how you look. I mean... I just... I took
my shower right after you... I don't..."

"Whatever. It's fine." Evan pushed his arms away and walked toward the

kitchen, never turning to look at Drew.

Drew stood rooted in place, completely in shock, before he forced his body

into motion and followed Evan. When he walked into the kitchen, he found
Evan facing away from him, arms gripping the countertop with his head bent
down, wavy strands of his almost-dried hair hanging into his face.

"Ev?" Drew walked carefully up behind him. "Please, talk to me. What's

wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just being stupid. Don't mind me." He gave off a small laugh,

but Drew could hear it was strained.

"No, you're not okay. You're obviously upset. Was it really the shower thing,

or is it something else?"

He wanted to reach out and turn Evan around. Evan's face was an open book,

his emotions always written in his eyes. But Drew decided against it and gave
him his space. Drew's heart thumped in his chest; he didn’t have a clue what
was going on.

"Oh, fuck it. I can't do this anymore." Evan turned suddenly, lifting his head

up to look at Drew.

Drew sucked in his breath when he saw tears threatening to escape Evan's

bright blue eyes.

"I thought that maybe I just wasn't your type, that you didn't think I was

attractive, and that's why we've only ever been just friends. And I guess the
shower thing basically confirmed that for me."

"Huh?" Drew tried to process what he was hearing, but his brain just didn't

compute.

Evan rolled his eyes and angrily swiped at them with his hand. "We've been

best friends for eight years. I thought maybe one day..." He looked everywhere
but directly at Drew. "Well, doesn't matter now. I was wrong. It's okay. I'm
just... I’m just gonna go."

"Wait!" Drew got his brain working again and grabbed Evan's arm before

Evan had time to bolt past him. Seeing his usually self-assured and confident
best friend floundering was disconcerting. "You wanted to be more than
friends? All this time?"

Evan looked embarrassed and terrified and like he might flee the scene at

any moment, but Drew kept a hand on his arm to make sure that didn't happen.
This was too important.

"Well... yes." Evan spoke in almost a whisper, but the sound of the words

thundered in Drew's ears.

"Why?" He couldn't help himself. It was the first thing that tumbled from his

mouth.

Evan rolled his eyes again. "For someone who's so smart, you're pretty

stupid sometimes." He took a deep breath and locked eyes with Drew. "Who
else would have sat beside me for hours on end freshman year, explaining
physics principles to me a thousand times before I understood them? Who else
would promise to be front row center for every play I've ever been in and

- 11 -

actually meant it? Who the hell would put up with me when I'm terrified of a
thunderstorm and not laugh their ass off? No one else but you."

If there had been a feather, Drew could have been knocked over with it. He

thought he had been standing out on a limb all by himself. As it turned out, he
had had company. It was almost too much to process. Instead of returning
Evan's sentiments, Drew's stupid mouth continued to have a mind of its own.

"Why did you sit next me the first day of class? Why did you choose me?"

He stared at Evan, trying to tell himself that this was real.

"It was your eyes. I could tell just by looking at you that you were going to

be the most brilliant person to ever come into my life. It was like..." He looked
up at the ceiling, as if searching for the right words. "If I could be near you,
then maybe I could be amazing too."

Drew swallowed hard. "You could tell all that just by looking at me from

across a room?"

Evan smiled gently. "You know I always pride myself on being able to read

people. And I wasn't wrong about you. Your big, brown eyes told the truth."

All logic and rational thought dissipated from his brain. Drew brought his

hand up and cupped Evan's jaw, his thumb brushing against Evan's bottom lip.
Evan sucked in his breath at the touch.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you?" Drew looked deep into

Evan's eyes, making sure his words were registering. "That's why I couldn't
shower with you. I was petrified it would become all too obvious how I felt
about you. You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

This time, when Evan sucked in his breath, it was audible.
"Will you do me a favor?" Evan's voice was trembling.
"What's that?" Drew's voice was unsteady as well. It was all so surreal. His

fantasy was coming true.

"Shut up and kiss me."
He had to laugh as he held Evan's face with both his hands. He leaned down,

pausing for a split second to relish the moment, before pressing his lips against
Evan's. Electric shocks radiated throughout his body. In that soft, almost chaste
press of lips, he knew with absolute certainty this was the most perfect pair of
lips he could ever kiss.

Drew pulled back and their eyes met. Need and want radiated between them.

Then Evan's arms were around his neck, their bodies were pressed together, and
Evan's plush, full lips attached once more to his. Evan's lips parted and Drew
felt Evan's tongue tentatively tracing his bottom lip. He wrapped his arms
tighter around Evan and opened up to the tongue that was so eagerly in pursuit
of his own. He couldn't help but match Evan's moan as their tongues twined
together, caressing desperately. Talking was no longer necessary. Drew pulled
Evan away from the counter and began to move them in the direction of his
bedroom as their mouths repeatedly crashed together.

Once inside Drew's bedroom, Evan disentangled himself and stepped back,

his eyes focused intently on Drew, and began to silently disrobe. First his chest
came into view as the heavy polar fleece became a puddle on the floor. Then his
thumbs hooked into his waistband and pants and underwear were pushed down
simultaneously. Evan's eyes never left Drew's, not even when he reached down
to yank off his woolen socks.

- 12 -

Drew's heart rate increased to the point of almost bursting from his chest as

he stared at Evan in all his glory, fully naked. Drew took in his pale, smooth,
slender form, his jutting hipbones, and his already fully-erect cock lying flat
against his abdomen. In Drew's eyes, Evan was perfection incarnate.

"You are so beautiful."
Drew continued to stare, knowing he could never get tired of looking at

Evan. The fact that his best friend and soon-to-be lover was standing in front of
him naked, and wanting him, boggled his mind.

Evan closed his eyes and smiled. "Now you."
Drew grinned and began to frantically tear at his own clothing, suddenly

feeling like a teenager about to get laid for the first time, desperate and horny
and wanting to do everything all at once with Evan. As soon as his last article
of clothing was removed, it was as if a dam burst and he and Evan were pressed
tightly together. Their mouths devoured each other as their hands frantically
explored every inch of skin within reach. They stumbled backward toward the
bed and Drew grasped Evan around the waist to hoist him up onto it before
crawling over him and covering Evan's body with his own.

The moans and cries echoing from Evan's mouth only increased Drew's

passion as he pressed his hips against Evan's. Their arousals rubbed together
and created delicious friction. Drew couldn't get enough. His hands roamed
over Evan's body and his lips connected with Evan's neck and collarbone. He
needed to taste Evan everywhere. His mouth moved lower, nibbling and licking
at Evan's tiny pink nipples, making Evan arch and writhe beneath him. Drew
continued to move lower, tracing a path with his tongue over the taught
stomach. He looked up to lock eyes with his lover. Evan's hands were running
through his hair and over his shoulders and his face radiated such lust and
adoration. Drew couldn't believe it was him who was making Evan feel this
way, that it was his touch that was making Evan quake beneath him.

Evan's high-pitched and breathy moans were the most beautiful things he

had ever heard as he closed his lips around the head of Evan's cock and began
to suck his lover deep into his mouth. Taking in Evan's musky scent, tasting his
utter desire, invaded all of Drew's senses. Drew ran his hands over Evan’s slim
thighs and around his hipbones, continuing to suck him towards oblivion.

Evan clawed at the back of his neck and pulled on his hair, uttering

unintelligible cries of passion. Drew looked up and saw his head thrown back,
eye shut, and mouth open, in an unselfconscious display of complete pleasure.

"Drew." Evan panted hard and pulled at his shoulders. "Please, not gonna

last... in me, please... I need you in me."

Drew couldn't speak. He leaned over and fumbled in his nightstand for

condoms and lube, as Evan's words washed over him like a tidal wave. This
was happening. He was having sex with his best friend. His hands began to
tremble and he dropped the tube and condom packet next to them on the bed.
He stared at Evan, suddenly frozen.

"What's wrong?" Evan's small fingers petted and soothed against his neck,

his eyes huge and blue and completely expressive.

"I... I love you. Before we do this, I need you to know that." The words

tumbled from his mouth in a somewhat blunt delivery, but truer words had
never been spoken.

- 13 -

Drew watched Evan's eyes fill with tears as the slender hands came up to

stroke his face.

"And I'm in love with you. Now, make love to me."
The deluge continued outside, but for two people it didn't matter in the

slightest. Evan's thighs fell apart in complete abandonment and his hands
clutched at fistfuls of bedding as Drew slipped one, and then two lube-coated
fingers inside his body, slowly and reverently stroking and stretching the
sinfully tight muscle. Drew forced himself to take his time, wanting to
remember every single detail, wanting to make Evan feel perfect.

"Oh, fuck, Drew! Now. I need you inside me now!" Evan's face was flushed,

wavy strands of his hair fanned out over the pillow, and his hips bucked,
forcing Drew's fingers even deeper inside.

Drew sat up and, with shaky fingers, rolled on the condom and coated his

length with lube, moaning at the touch. He positioned himself over Evan,
giving his lover a deep, soul-searching kiss, before guiding himself to Evan's
entrance, and slowing pushing past the tight ring of muscle. They moaned in
unison, eyes locked together, as Drew continued to press farther into Evan's
body, until he was seated deep within his lover.

"Perfect." Evan's voice almost came out as a sob. "You're perfect."
Drew stilled to give him a moment to adjust. Evan's impossibly tight heat

engulfed him and gripped him like a vise. Drew knew without a doubt that
being inside Evan was the most incredible thing he could ever hope to
experience. He smiled down at Evan, brushing away a strand of hair from his
eyes.

"I'm not perfect." Drew captured his lips in kiss.
Evan sucked on his bottom lip. "Yes, you are. You're perfect to me." Evan

gazed at him and Evan's hips tilted up, forcing him that much deeper inside.
"Move, please... I'm ready."

Drew let out a groan of pleasure as he began to slowly rock back and forth.

Evan's arms tightened around him and pulled him back down, lips and tongues
conveying wordlessly their love for each other. Drew pressed in and out of
Evan's perfect body in long, deep strokes. He had never felt so much in his life.

Evan's neck arched, baring the sensitive flesh of his throat, as he cried out

with each stroke. Drew could feel his orgasm building in the pit of his stomach.
Evan's muscles clenched and fluttered around him and Evan's fingers dug into
his back. He reached between them and gripped Evan's cock, stroking in time
with his thrusts. Evan's cries only grew louder, his hips meeting Drew's every
thrust, as they both raced toward completion.

A huge bolt of lightening lit up the sky, bathing the room in light. Evan

didn't even flinch. His eyes were fixed on Drew's. Drew stroked Evan twice
more and felt his muscles clamp down. Evan cried out, sobbing, as he coated
Drew's hand with his release. Watching Evan's face as he came pushed Drew
over the edge. He thrust once more and his entire body exploded in waves of
bliss. He called out Evan's name as he came inside his lover. He slumped
forward onto Evan, their chests hewing against each other's as they both
regained their breath.

Once Drew could move, he slowly pulled out of Evan, discarded the condom

and flopped onto his back. Before he could turn, he felt Evan curl into his side,

- 14 -

throwing one arm over his chest, face nuzzling into his neck. Drew wrapped his
arms around Evan, pulling him as close as possible, trying to regain some of his
mental faculties.

"That was... I never..." He couldn't even form words.
"I know. Me, too."
Evan lifted his face from the crook of Drew's neck to look at him. On Evan's

flushed, sated face there was a look of such love and devotion Drew knew Evan
understood everything he'd meant to say.

"Love you."
"Love you, too, Drew."
They kissed slowly and lovingly before Evan rested his head once again on

Drew's chest, closing his eyes.

"Thank God for the forces of nature," were Evan's last words before he fell

asleep, the sound of the rain still pummeling the windows in the background.

***

Drew woke the next morning and looked down at the beautiful, sleeping body

he held in his arms, huddled so close to him, limbs clinging to him impossibly
tightly. He turned his head to look out the window. The sun was breaking
through the clouds and fog. There was even a rainbow. He smiled. Mother
Nature was appeased and all was right with the world.

- 15 -

Forces of Nature

Copyright © 2010 by Lily Grace

All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address
Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680

Printed in the United States of America.

Torquere Press, Inc.: Sips electronic edition / May 2010

Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545,
Round Rock, TX 78680