Blush

Amber POV
In third grade, when I met Brian Haner, he was just an asshole. A blonde haired asshole with a baby face that might intentionally aim for you in dodgeball. In sixth grade, he was the exact same, except instead of dodgeballs, it was pencils at your back for an hour while you were trying to do your math. In eighth grade, he dyed his hair black, letting it grow out into a shaggy mop. Freshman year, he grew a foot and put on some muscle. Sophomore year, he had cheekbones that could cut, a razor sharp jawline, and a smirk that, after years, had finally been perfected. Junior year, it was a new girlfriend every week, or if she was so misfortunate, two. Senior year, everything changed.

Brian POV

"Come on, are you kidding me? We have to leave, like, five minutes ago. Is she still getting ready?" I snapped. We were supposed to be at the beach in ten minutes. Zack, Jimmy, and Johnny were already there.
Matt gave me a look. "Brian, please, for the love of God, shut up."
I threw my hands in the air, slack jawed and wide eyed. "I didn't even do anything!" I complained incredulously.
Matt sighed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "you never do". I groaned and threw myself down on the couch, mashing my face into a pillow to muffle a high pitched scream. Apparently not enough, because I heard an exasperated yell from the top of the stairs.
"Jesus Christ, Haner, you sound like one of your guitar solos."
Coming down the stairs in front of Matt's wife, Val, was the little mosquito that's been in my ear since elementary, looking long and lean and leggy in her navy blue bikini.
"Really? Because I was imitating your voice. Spot on, yeah?" I retorted, getting up from the couch.
"Hey, play nice." Val warned from the other room, where she and Matt were probably putting drinks in the cooler.
"Y'know," I began lazily, leaning against the back of the couch. "It might have been worth the wait, how good you look in that thing. Play nice, I think I could do that."
Amber rolled her dark brown eyes, feigning an irritated indifference, but the familiar pink blossoming from the base of her throat gave her away. She was a pain in the ass, but she was beautiful, and I loved making her blush.
"Shove it, Haner." She spat, still red, pulling an oversized hoodie from the tote bag I hadn't noticed she was carrying and slipping it over her head. I laughed and winked at her. She flipped me off. I opened my mouth to say something unsavory, but Val and Matt walked in, cooler between them. Amber smoothed her mass of dark waves, fixing the pieces that had been sticking up from when she'd yanked the hoodie over her head. We all filed out of the house and piled into the car, Amber ending up next to me in the back, pointedly not looking at me. The ride to the beach was a short one, and spent mostly with Amber talking to everyone but me, how it usually was.
It wasn't until we parked the car and I unbuckled my seat belt that she looked at me, and only because I had forgone my door, instead climbing over Amber unceremoniously, letting my fingers trail along the length of her thigh. She made a small noise in the back of throat, grimacing at me. I winked at her and got out of the car, holding the door open for her.
Amber pushed past me, standing in front of me, practically pinning me to the side of the car. Val and Matt were already down at the shore, and I was all too aware of how close Amber and I were. She wasn't touching me, but she was close enough that I sound smell the fruity gum on her breath. Amber leaned in close, pink lips centimeters from my mouth, and I thought about how easy it would be to close that distance. Her dark eyes looked into mine through a fringe of thick lashes. I was seriously considering leaning in, when -- blinding pain. She'd driven her fist straight into my crotch.
"Fuck!" I hissed between gritted teeth. Amber smiled, saccharine sweet, planting her bubblegum lips on the corner of my mouth. By the time I regained my focus and shifted my head to move her lips completely onto mine, she was gone, already walking away, hips swaying. "Fuck." I repeated, but this time it had nothing to do with the dull ache in my swim trunks.

Amber POV

I left Brian leaning against the side of Matt's car, heading to the shore where Jimmy and Zack were already in the water. "Z!" I yelled, abandoning my flip flops in the sand and running towards the water.
"Bambi!" Zack called back, throwing his arms wide as I barreled into them. He stumbled back, but didn't fall, keeping himself, and me, upright.
"When are you gonna stop calling me that?" I complained.
Zack laughed. "When you stop looking like a deer."
Lanky arms slid under my knees and shoulders, picking me up bridal style. "I don't think you look like a deer." Jimmy assured, blue eyes twinkling. I smiled and patted the damp mess of black spikes on top of his head.
"That's why you're my favorite." He set me down and grinned.
Zack looked at me, pale green eyes widening. "It's just, look, you've got big dark eyes, like a deer, you're the same color as a deer, and," One long finger poked along my cheek and over the bridge of my nose. "Look at those freckles."
I swatted his hand away. Something splashed water against my back, the droplets cold and startling. I turned around - Brian had joined the party. He gave me a dark look and dove under the water, which was only a few feet deep. Brian surfaced, one arm wrapped around my legs, me perched on his shoulder. I stifled a squeal.
"Put me down, Haner." I commanded, fidgeting and trying to remove myself from his grip. He brought his other arm to secure me in place, walking out further into the water, which was now up to his chest.
"Please don't do that. I'm trying not to drop you, because that wouldn't be enjoyable for anyone, would it?" Brian's voice was tight with exertion - I could feel the muscles in his arm twitching against my thigh, tense and trying their best not to shake as Brian tried to keep me from falling. I stopped moving.
"Hold on." I warned. With a grunt, I swung one leg over his head so I was straddling his shoulders. Brian buckled. Trying not to fall, I reached for something to grab, succeeding in only raking my nails across Brian's chest. He groaned, and managed to right himself. His left hand was clenched around my thigh, his right holding my ankle, long fingers managing to wrap all the way around it.
"You done squirming, angel?" He breathed. In response, I knotted my fingers into his mane of dark hair, tugging slightly. "Shit." Brian groaned. "Guess that's a yes."
"When do you plan on putting me down?" I asked, giving his hair another pull.
He inhaled sharply, my calves feeling the gentle vibrations rumbling from his chest. "Please - stop doing that." His voice was tight, low and gravelly. His grip on my legs had gotten tighter, just this side of painful. "You want down?"
I nodded, forgetting he couldn't see me. "Please."
His slid his long fingered hands under my thighs, pushing me up over his head and into his arms, where he held me for a few fleeting seconds, looking at me, sun making his eyes glow. He blinked, and set me down into the water.
"Brian-" I began, but he was already turning away from me, heading back to our cluster of friends, which in our eyes, usually didn't include each other.
"C'mon, they're probably missing us." Brian said, the finality suffocating in his words. He turned towards me, eyes still twinkling. For the first time, I noticed the angry red lines marring his chest. He saw me looking at them, smirking. "Battle scars."

Matt POV

Val and I sat on our red towel, looking at the silhouettes of our friends through eyes squinted against the sun, even through our dark glasses. Suddenly, Val dug a finger into my side,
"Ow, what?"
She pointed to two figures on the horizon.
"Is that - Bri and Amber?" I asked, shocked. She nodded.
Val sighed. "I wish they'd cut the crap and get together. It's so obvious that they like each other."
I laughed. "Val, they can barely stand to be in the same room." She made a noise. "Whatever. That's called sexual tension. Do you see how-"
"Val, play matchmaker on someone else. He might have his hands on her ass now, but in an hour, they'll be around her throat."
She shrugged. "Maybe. I still think they'd be a great couple, if they could learn to deal with each other."

Brian POV

The scratches on my chest burned in the salt water, and my scalp ached from where Amber had pulled it. I rejoined the guys, Amber trailing behind me, silent, dark hair matted to her shoulders. Zack locked his eyes on the angry red lines across the right side of my chest, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Bambi got a little grabby, huh?" He smirked.
I laughed, giving Amber a sidelong glance. "She pulled my hair, too." I mock whispered conspiratorially. She scowled at me, splashing past me to shore. I tried not to notice her bending over to lean and grab something from the cooler. Jimmy saying my name tore my eyes away from her. "What?"
Jimmy whistled. "You've got it bad for her, man." Zack and Johnny nodded in agreement.
I scoffed. "Hell no. She's a fucking pain." Tan arms wrapped around my waist, their owner pressed against my back in an absolutely sinful way. Amber toyed with the waistband of my swim trunks. I inhaled sharply, my hands coming up to stop her, or maybe not. Warm breath splayed across my back, a tongue tracing the line of my spine, making me shiver and clench my hands in fists. Her deft hands untied the white string on the front of my trunks. The rest of the guys were staring, looking as surprised as I must've. Too late, I felt something cold drop down into my trunks, Amber's hand grabbing my crotch so the ice cubes couldn't go anywhere. She pressed a kiss into my ribs as she gave me a final squeeze and let go.
"Fuck! What the hell, Amber?" I groaned, trying to shake the melted remnants of the ice out of the netting. Zack, Jimmy, and, Johnny all erupted into laughter at my pained expression.
"What?" Amber batted her eyelashes at me. "I was only trying to help. It's hot out, thought you might need to cool down." One side of her candy colored mouth quirked up in a smirk.
"Bitch." I gritted my teeth, whipping my arms towards her, dousing her with a spray of saltwater, unsure of if it was in malice or playfulness. Amber's sculpted eyebrows furrowed.
"It's on, asshole."

Notes

Not sure why I'm bothering to start another story when I've still got A Taste of Something New (which you should totally go read if you haven't yet), but I've read a ridiculous number of (gay) fanfics in the past 24 hours, all of them mind blowingly good and all of them providing me with inspiration to write one of those bitter sexual tension not-quite friendship stories. Please rate, comment, subscribe, and check out my other story :)