More Than Just Friends

by Max Hudson

  “More Than Just Friends”

  Gay for You MM Romance

  Max Hudson

  © 2019

  Max Hudson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18.

  Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life. If you’re not sure where to start, see here: http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com/safe-sex-resources/ (courtesy of Jerry Cole).

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2019.05.01)

  http://www.maxhudsonauthor.com

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Jon Niehus, William G. Wallick, Chris. F., Penny T., Bob, E.W. Gregg and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter One

  Well, it finally happened. Millie had snapped and broken up with Lance. Not like he hadn't seen it coming from miles away. She had been distant lately. They had not been as connected or enjoyed one another's company as much. It wasn't anything horrific. He'd just started to see a darker side to her, and she seemed to be endlessly annoyed at him. She never came to his room any more, and she spent hours or even days out with "friends". It was pretty clear where it was headed, and Lance wasn't an idiot.

  It was one of those things that was going to happen eventually. He had just been hoping she would wait until their lease was up to end it. After all, living together during a breakup was a recipe for disaster. It wasn't like he could afford to live anywhere else.

  He had moved into town for college, across two whole states. It had been easy enough when he had been studying for his degree and living in student residences. However, this year he had moved in with his girlfriend, under the mistaken impression that their relationship was too solid to need to worry about falling apart. She was the only one on the lease. She was the one who paid everything. Technically, it was her place. He was just glad the apartment had separate bedrooms, otherwise it would not be about working through it, it would be about being kicked right out.

  Sometimes he wondered if he would be better off getting kicked out, though. It wasn't as if living with Millie were great for his studies.

  Maybe with someone less volatile it would be possible to coexist as exes living together. It wasn't unheard of for a couple to break up gently, just drift apart and realize life wasn't working out for them, and stay friends. But with Millie it wasn't ever going to happen. Now he felt he was sitting on a time bomb. Although she had been the one to break up with him, she seemed to develop an explosive anger as time passed. He had made a point of staying out of her way, worried that it would all fall apart before he had somewhere else to move to.

  After realizing he wasn't up for a fight, she was trying to ignore him, of course, but how can you ignore someone you share a tiny two-bedroom apartment with? They kept getting under each other’s feet, and, as the party with the least power, Lance decided to just spend as much time as possible outside the apartment.

  He had enough classes, lectures, clubs and events. It wasn't like he had to sit around in the library on his own, and much of the day he could completely forget that his living situation was continually about to fall apart. He could just enjoy time out with his friends.

  This worked until he had to come home. Ironically, she was angry at him for being out too much. Apparently even though they weren't together, as a roommate he had a duty to keep her updated about his every move. He had no idea what that was about, and wasn't going to start a fight just to find out.

  Lance wasn't sure what the hell he could do when they lived together. At least Book Club tonight would give him a break. Book Club was one of the only clubs that ran until ten or eleven at night every night, which meant by the time he got back, Millie would be asleep, hooking up with someone, or revising notes. Hopefully, because no other clubs ran in the room for the two hours leading up to Book Club, Lance was gladly making his way over shortly after seven, right from his last meeting with his supervisor.

  Nobody there knew about the breakup yet. It had happened a week and a half ago. Last week there hadn't been a meeting, and Lance hadn't exactly felt in the mood to talk about it just yet. He planned on talking to one person in particular first.

  As Lance had expected, Stefan was early too. Looking good as ever. Why didn't he ever have girl trouble? Was he just too hot for girls to try and upset him? Lance wished he were that lucky. They were the same age and yet Stefan was so different. Six foot three, built like a linebacker, with buzzcut black hair, deep, warm brown eyes, and a perfectly proportioned face, Stefan never talked about dates or women. When asked, he just shrugged and said he wasn't seeing anyone in particular.

  In all the years they had known one another, Lance had never met any of Stefan's girlfriends. He wasn't sure why. Someone as attractive as Stefan couldn't possibly be single forever. Yet, through the first years of high school, before Stefan moved, and even now, in college, through their bachelor's degrees, and now their master's degrees, Stefan never had anyone to show off. Lance suspected, being so good looking and such a private sort of a guy, Stefan probably just focused on hooking up whenever he could.

  "Hey, how're things?" Stefan said, putting down the book that, once again, he had not managed to read in time for Book Club. "Millie let you read your book this week?"

  "Millie broke up with me," Lance said with a slight shrug.

  "Oh shit, sorry," Stefan said, instantly going a bit pale. "If I'd known I wouldn't have joked like that. Why didn't you call me? You got somewhere to stay?"

  Lance nodded. "I'm still living with her. I didn't wanna bother you. You had that damn... What's it? That..."

  "The manifesto assignment," Stefan said with a groan. "Forget about it. That's not important now. Are you OK, staying with her after a breakup like that?"

  Lance was about to nod again, but shook his head at the last minute. "Not really. She's being such a jackass. More than even before. I guess now she doesn't even have anything to lose. Where else do I have to go?"

  "That just sounds awful. If you need to stay elsewhere, tell me. I can get you set up in my mom's spare room. It's not really in use," Stefan
explained. "It's sort of supposed to be a craft room, you know? Full of all sorts of random machines and materials. She uses it maybe once a year when she sees something funny or cute online, and then shuts it down again. So, it's not like she has a reason to complain."

  "I think I'll stay, thanks though," Lance replied, flushing a little.

  Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Really? Cause she is a ticking time bomb. Always was. Now she doesn't even have a reason to be nice to you."

  "I dunno, man," Lance said with a nervous laugh. "I just feel like she wants to drive me crazy, but it's probably driving her crazy too. I can't blame her for getting mad at the whole situation. We've both been sitting on a dying relationship a while now. We're still stuck living together."

  Stefan still seemed dubious. "If you insist. I'm here for you if you need me. Don't forget that. Whatever it is. A room, or just some guy to rant to, I got you."

  Lance nodded and sighed a little. "I'll get through this. It's just a tough time for me right now. Thanks though."

  "I know it's tough, that's why it hurts to see you stick it out," Stefan replied. "But you do what you gotta do."

  Lance hesitated and looked away. He knew Stefan was right about everything. He knew Stefan wanted nothing but the best for him. Lance just couldn't bring himself to deal with those emotions just yet.

  "It's okay," Stefan said, as though reading Lance's mind. "Like I said, you do what you must. My help doesn't have an expiration date or anything. I'm just letting you know it's here if you need me."

  Lance wrapped his arms around Stefan. With most of his guy friends that would be weird, but he and Stefan had known each other a long time. It just felt right. Not to mention, he needed it. He was a long way from home, and he needed someone he could trust, someone he could show his emotions to, someone he could turn to in his time of need. He rested his head on Stefan's shoulder lightly. "Thanks, it really does mean a lot," Lance finally said, separating a little.

  Lance noticed a faint flush on Stefan's cheeks and wondered if he had embarrassed his friend. It wasn't common for men to have such a close relationship, after all. Stefan had a fairly macho image, being such a silent, muscular giant. Perhaps Stefan was worried that the other club members would come in and see them.

  "Sorry," Lance said with an apologetic shrug.

  "Nah, I understand. I'm here for hugs too," Stefan replied, still flushing a little. "Anything else you want to say?"

  "No, people are here," Lance said, nodding at the door which had just opened.

  As people began to crowd in, they knew that they would soon have to focus on the book. Lance's breakup was his own business - it wasn't for them to hear about. Only Stefan was welcome to pry into the minute details of Lance's life. Lance appreciated the way Stefan listened and cared. On the flip side, sometimes he felt like a bad friend for off-loading his burdens onto Stefan like that, for presenting so many problems that Stefan could not possibly solve. It was just awkward after a while. It was probably awkward for Stefan too.

  For someone who spent so much time dealing with others and apparently endearing himself to them, Lance had no idea how he managed to do it. He came out of most social situations feeling like he'd made an idiot of himself. There was always that fear that he had hurt someone and they were just too polite to tell him. It was always a relief when they still liked him and welcomed him back next time.

  Plus, Stefan was the last person Lance wanted to push away.

  Still, it felt good to know there was someone he could confide in during times like this. He used to confide only in Millie. It hadn't always been like that. She was just one of those people who had to be your everything, and he had been all but prohibited from turning to anyone else during his times of need. She was angry when he spoke to other girls, guys, or even the college counselor about his worries. Now she was gone, he felt it would be wrong to burden anyone else with this all of a sudden.

  The only person he wasn't terrified of disappointing was Stefan. Lance had dated girls like Millie before, and time and time again Stefan had shown himself capable of welcoming Lance back with open arms, comforting him, and making sure he was ready for whatever else life threw at him. The girls always drew Lance away again.

  Girlfriends were just a casual feature, something that came and went. Stefan? Stefan was always there in the end. If only Lance could meet a girl like Stefan. Then he wouldn't need to worry about this ebb and flow of relationships any more. He could just settle down and stop falling for girls who treated him like shit.

  "I feel like I push you away every time I get a girlfriend, and then you just welcome me back after, like it's no big deal," Lance voiced his thoughts.

  Stefan nodded. "Yeah, kinda."

  "I guess I've been a dick. I'm gonna stay single a while now. Focus on my Master's. Focus on friends, not relationships." Lance smiled and looked into Stefan's warm brown eyes.

  "I would like that a lot," Stefan replied with a soft smile.

  "Thanks for being there for me," Lance replied, patting Stefan on the shoulder. "Not just now. Like, always. I owe you."

  "No you don't, that's what friends are for," Stefan insisted, shaking his head gently.

  Chapter Two

  Book Club was Stefan's sanctuary as well. Between classes and his mother's well-intentioned snooping, he never felt he had any space or time to just be himself. He wanted a place to enjoy something casually. Of all the clubs in their college, Stefan only really liked Book Club. Even so, "like" was a strong word. He wanted to get out the house and he didn't absolutely despise the atmosphere and activities of Book Club. His reasons for liking it were approximately twenty percent that he liked reading, thirty percent that he preferred reading to any other club activity, and fifty percent that Lance was there. Lance was an important aspect of any socializing Stefan had done since they were reunited.

  He had known Lance long before Book Club, or even college. They grew up side by side. But Stefan's mother had moved during high school. She got a new job offer and really couldn't afford to turn it down. Stefan, a bit of a loner even then, had not missed his old school or classmates much. He had always missed his old neighbor, Lance White. That guy was a kid nearly his own age, who shared his every moment outside of school.

  Even more confusingly, Lance was Stefan's first friend who wasn't a misfit loner like himself. Which meant Lance was the first person to try and keep their friendship alive once ten hours of driving time was put between them. Before Lance, Stefan hadn't even considered that people who stayed behind could keep in touch with people who moved. He'd just taken it for granted that it was a pointless pursuit. It was a relief to him when Lance asked him for all sorts of contact options during moving week.

  Lance cared. Lance wanted to stay friends.

  They stayed connected through social media. They eventually met up again when they both got into the same college. It was a friendship Stefan would never stop being grateful for. During their first year they had spent countless hours all but goofing around until they realized they needed to study. Then they had both managed to reach an unspoken agreement whereby if one needed space, the other granted it, no questions asked. It was like they were in sync.

  Well, except to the outside world.

  To the outside world it was a mystery why Lance was hanging out with Stefan. Stefan understood that.

  Lance had grown up handsome, extroverted and cool. Not that he hadn't been those things as a kid, but Stefan had forgotten just how much—better?—Lance was. Stefan was pretty jealous sometimes. Since he didn't want to stop being friends, he could deal with a little jealousy.

  If anything, Lance motivated Stefan to do better himself. For the first time in his life, Stefan had been working out, trying to dress better, to smile more, anything to just feel more evened out. And it was working. Except, deep down, he still felt like a bit of a fraud for it.

  As the club assembled and the organizer, Carla, stood up on a chair, Stefan already felt more than a little a
nxious. Announcements meant events. Events were one of the big reasons why Stefan didn't want to join another club.

  "We're doing a Valentine’s Day dance on the 10th. I know it's short notice, but I thought it would be fun. Nothing too serious," she said with a friendly, perhaps slightly nervous smile. "I just thought it could be a fun thing to do. You can bring along your partner if you have one."

  Without thinking, Stefan glanced over to Lance. It was hard for Stefan not to notice how disappointed Lance looked. It was the worst timing. He reached over and patted Lance's shoulder gently. Lance looked up at Stefan and smiled.

  "I'm okay," Lance whispered.

  "I'm quite single," a girl said loudly. There was a brief murmur of agreement.

  "If you don't have a partner to bring for dancing, there's no problem," Carla, said. "We can pair up randomly, or go as friends. Like I said, it is not super formal. Just casual, fun stuff."

  Stefan would normally avoid this sort of thing like the plague. He wasn't a dancer. He didn't particularly like loud rooms or parties. And it wasn't like he had to go. It was a casual social club. He could just stay home and drink energy drinks and play video games, as he usually did on a Sunday. But Stefan couldn't help but think about how Lance would want to go out and have fun with his friends. Of course he would. The timing was just too bad. Lance wouldn't be going on his own, not when nobody knew about the breakup yet.

  Shuffling the pages of his book to the chapter they would be discussing, Stefan kept an eye out for a moment when he could talk to Lance about the dance and see if Lance wanted to go together. A part of Stefan felt pretty dumb about this. Not because he felt like it was a good idea to ask, or a bad idea, but because he genuinely did not know what the right thing would be.

  He could ask Lance and it would be a nice moment of friendship. Or it could be awkward. He could not ask Lance and they could spend the afternoon together. Or Lance would regret not going. It was so hard, working out what to do when trying to be kind to someone else.