Tough Vs Shy

Friday afternoon could never come fast enough.

Brian Haner Jr was desperate for the day to end. The morning had been rough as every other Friday morning - 1st period PE left him with a large black eye, bruised shins and bloody knees after the tough guys of his class decided to take full advantage of the rough surface of the hockey pitch. They'd tripped him up, stuck his shins with their sticks before one kid in particular thought he'd ensure he learnt his lesson by smashing his fist against Brian's face, resulting in a nasty purple bruise in it's wake. They'd laughed at him before the coach ran over, issuing hour long detentions with the Principal before rushing the injured boy to the medical room. They'd instructed for him to go home due to the extent of his injuries, but he insisted he stayed - There was no way he was missing 5th period music and 6th period art again for the 4th time in a row.

2nd period maths was no better. He was sat next to Tommy, an aggressive tough guy wannabe who felt like he owned the world. He'd constantly draw in Brian's book, tear his worksheets, spill his water on his stuff and even went as far as to throw his book out the window while the teacher wasn't looking, then blame Brian for it. That happened that morning, and the teacher was reluctant to believe Tommy's pleads of innocence before giving Brian a stern warning and ordering him to go retrieve the book. Tommy grinned to himself, feeling victorious as Brian heaved himself out of his seat and left the room.

Break and 3rd period history were okay. History was one of the very few classes he felt safe in. His teacher was wonderful, a young, kind and caring woman who always checked up on him to make sure he was okay. She always helped him when he was struggling, whether it was with work, issues in other classes and even outside of school. To Brian, she wasn't just his teacher, she was like his best friend. She always made sure to look out for him. He had breathed a deep sigh as he packed up his things just before the bell rung. She approached and gave him a reassuring smile and a promise of "It's gonna be okay. Just smile and power though," before he got up and left the room.

Next was 4th period science. A lesson he would enjoy, if it weren't for James Sullivan and Zacky Baker. They weren't so much tough guys, but they sided with the toughest guy in the school. While they didn't so much pick on Brian, they certainly made him weary. The way the shoved him aside when collecting something for a practical and the way they'd glare at him during presentations and the way they laughed at his stuttering all dug deep in Brian's mind, reminding him to never come across those guys. If they were walking in the street on the same side as him, he'd run across, even if it meant risking his life and almost getting hit by a car. Today was no different. The teacher had asked them to grab something from the back for an experiment and Brian decided that he'd sit and wait until the area was clear.

Bad move.

Just as Jimmy decided to grab the required equipment, Zacky tugged at his arm. Catching the taller man's attention, he discreetly pointed to the dark haired man with the black eye, before murmuring into his ear.

"Dude, has Matt seen that guy before? Pretty sure he left that bruise." Jimmy whispered into Zacky's ear with a snicker. Zacky shook his head.

"Nah, that was Jack. Matt's not in his PE class." Zacky replied, glancing at the man when he wasn't looking.

"Neither are you, dipshit" Jimmy grumbled.

"No, but we were on the pitch beside theirs. I watched Jack's team beat the shit outta him before he punched him right in the eye. Coach sent them right to the Principal while she took him to the medical room.". Jimmy gave a small nod before wandering up to the man and glaring down at him. Brian nervously looked up at him, his body beginning to tremble as their eyes met.

"You. Brian Haner, right?" He growled lowly, his expression demanding an answer. Brian tried his best to avoid the nightmarish glare, but it was no use.

"Y-Yeah... Please leave me alone..." He breathed nervously, pleading to be spared.

"Nuh uh. Meet us at 3pm at the front gates. Someone wants to see you. Let me advise you on something. Don't be late." He hissed. Brian looked up at him, looking as tense as ever. Jimmy chuckled before walking off and yelling, "See you there, sucker!". The rest of the period flew by, but Brian could feel Zacky and Jimmy staring at him, laughing at him. He spent the time in fear however, terrified of what would be awaiting him at the front gates of the school.

Lunch went by quickly too. Brian went and sat under a tree, out of the sun. He happily listened to his music as he tried to relax, taking his mind off of the guys in his class. He couldn't wait for the next lesson - Music. He was top of the class and everyone came to him for help. Everyone wanted to work with him to boost their grades, but he preferred to work alone. Once the bell rung, he got up and headed off to the music room, where he was greeted by his teacher. The man welcomed the boy into his class as he stepped inside and took his seat towards the back. He slipped his bag off of his back and onto the floor before digging through it to find his papers. Grabbing them, he placed them on the desk. The teacher walks over to his desk and glanced down at the papers.

"This is your piece for today?" He asked, looking at the dark haired student.

"Yeah... I wrote it myself-" He replied, giving a nervous smile. The teacher patted his back and crouched down beside the desk.

"Y'know Brian, you never fail to amaze me. Your father must be so proud of your work."

"Oh, he is. He's been teaching me a few things at home too." Brian said proudly, looking over his work.

"How'd you like to perform this to the class?" The older man asked, looking up at Brian.

"Uh... I'd rather not sir... You know I get stage fright.." The student mumbled, lowering his head. The teacher frowned.

"Oh, I understand. Maybe another time without the class?"

"Maybe.."

The teacher nodded and headed back to his desk, welcoming the rest of the class before taking the register. Once he finished, he explained the lesson plan. All was fine until he said, "Alright everybody, pick a partner!". Brian's heart pounded in his chest. Almost immediately, everyone got up and swarmed over his desk, begging to work with him.

The door then flung open. A tall, muscular man with jet black hair, a golden tan, a black Metallica shirt with the sleeves torn off and dark blue ripped jeans walked into the room. An old, black bag was hung on his right shoulder and a pair of aviators hid his eyes. A small silver skull hung on a military style chain that was draped around his neck. He ran his hand through his gelled hair before approaching the swarm of people around Brian's desk.

"I think you'll find that I'M working with him. Back the fuck off." He snarled, his teeth gleaming in the light. The students looked up at the man with wide, fearful eyes before scrambling away from the desk. Brian looked up at the man and gulped.

"Uh... Hi..?" Brian choked out quietly, his body trembling once more.

"Hmph. Scared?" The man scoffed, crossing his arms.

"N-No! I'm not scared..." The smaller man insisted, chewing his lip as his gaze fell to the floor. Brian had seen the man on only a few occasions, as music and art were the only classes they shared and he was hardly ever in on a Friday afternoon, but when he came in, he was essentially in charge of the classroom. Well, at least the students anyway.

"Good. Now, you're gonna help me with this project, you got that?" He growled at Brian. He nodded and the muscular man smiled before grabbing a chair and sitting opposite him.

"Matthew. Play nice, alright? He's got some good material today and scaring him won't help your already bad grades." The teacher warned sternly, causing the man to grumble, "And take those sunglasses off! You're not outside!"

Matthew reluctantly removed the aviators, folding them up and slipping one of the arms down the collar of his shirt, hanging them there. He rubbed his eyes before meeting Brian's eyes.

Gorgeous golden hazel eyes gazed into deep chocolate orbs. Brian's breathing hitched and he felt like he couldn't breathe. It wasn't the fact he was scared of the man seated opposite him, it was his feelings. He couldn't take his eyes off of the man. The golden orbs captivated him in a way he'd never felt before.

"Brian?" Matt growled lowly, ripping Brian from his thoughts.

"Uhh- Yeah?" Brian replied nervously.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. His lips formed a smirk, as if he knew Brian had been admiring his features the whole time.

"N-Nothing..." The smaller man stuttered, quickly looking down to his sheets. He knew Matt wouldn't believe him for a second.

"Sure about that, Haner?" He questioned, leaning closer and speaking an a low purr. Brian felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. He bit his lip harshly, millions of thoughts running through his head at 100 miles per hour. He fought to keep a straight face, refusing to look up at the man.

"Yes..." He mumbled quietly. Matt gave a slow nod before swiping the papers from right underneath Brian's nose. He scanned over the notes, occasionally giving approving nods and mumbles. After a few moments, he placed the papers back on the table.

"You've got some good shit written down there, kid." Matt murmured, before looking at his partner, "You learn this stuff at home?"

"Yeah, my dad teaches me..." Brian nodded in reply. Matt nodded too, before leaning back in his chair.

"Let's grab some guitars. I'll play rhythm, you play lead."

Brian gave another nod before quietly getting up from his seat and heading to the instrument room. He felt someone sharply grab his collar and tug him back. He let out a surprised squeak as he felt his body fall against a muscular frame. Large arms wrapped around Brian's small frame before the man let out a deep chuckle.

"How about you pick out the guitars you want us to use, and I'll carry them? Wouldn't want ya to hurt yourself now, huh?"

"Okay, uhh... Matthew is it-?" Brian asked, looking up at the man.

"I prefer Matt" He grumbled and scrunched his nose up, rubbing his face with his hand. Brian quickly stuttered out an apology before he slipped out of Matt's arms. He walked inside the instrument room and picked out two electric guitars. He motioned to the taller man to pick them up, which he did. He grabbed them both by the neck and carried them back to the desk.

"Uh... Let's take them to the recording room..." Brian said. Matt glanced up and grumbled before picking the guitars back up and carrying them to the recording room. Brian gave a small smile before plugging them into an amp and strumming them both to check they worked.

"Alright. They're ready. You know what you're doing..?" Brian then asked, looking up at Matt. He nodded and took one of the guitars, leaving Brian with the other. For the rest of the period, they worked together, figuring out different parts and writing things down. Once the bell rung, they returned everything and headed off to the art room. As the walked down the corridor, Matt glanced around slipping his aviators back on before darting into a cleaning cupboard, dragging Brian in with him by the collar. He roughly pinned the smaller man against the wall and flicked open a small knife, pressing it to his throat.

"Now you listen to me here, Haner," Matt seethed, his face inches away from Brian's, "You're gonna do exactly as I say or I'll break your neck right here, right now. You got that?!"

Brian let out a terrified squeak before nodding his head quickly, his body switching to full panic mode and his mind in a state of emergency. Matt's lips formed a dark smirk before he peeked out of the room.

"Right. Follow me." He instructed, tucking the knife back in his pocket and sneaking out of the room. Brian quickly followed, fearing for his life. The pair made their way through the hallways, past all the lockers and outside to the field. The gate stood 30 feet away and was a climb of around 7ft.

"Uh... We're not ditching school, are w-"

"Shut up and start running!" Matt hissed, beginning to sprint to the gate. Brian reluctantly followed, before skidding to a halt.

"How we getting over..?" The smaller man asked. Matt shot him a glare.

"How do you think we're getting over?" He grumbled, before lowering himself and interlocking his fingers together, "I'm gonna give you a leg up and then I'll climb over, got that?"

"Y-yeah.." Brian nodded, placing his foot on Matt's hands. He held onto the bars as Matt lifted him up and allowed him to clamber over the top of the gates and drop down to the ground beneath him. Once he was over, Matt jumped up and threw himself over, landing beside him.

"Now come on! Let's go before someone sees us!" He growled, sprinting off in the direction of his house. Brian followed once more as they took all the back routes of the streets and finally arrived at their destination. Matt then burst the door open and walked inside, inviting Brian to follow him inside. Once inside, Matt lead him up the stairs and into his bedroom.

"Uhh... What this ab-" Brian began, before he was cut off by Matt's lips crashing against his own. At first, he hesitated. Soon however, he found that he'd wrapped his arms around the muscular frame of the taller man and he kissed back, all the feelings from earlier rushing back into his mind.

"Brian..." Matt breathed between kisses, their lips never parting for more than a few moments.

"Y-yeah...?"

"I love you... I always have since day one. when I first saw you in music..." He admitted before pulling away to examine the man's expression.

"Y-you do?" Brian then asked, his eyes going wide in disbelief.

"You think I'm fucking joking?" The taller man growls, causing the smaller man to shake his head quickly.

"No.. I'm just surprised-"

"Why, because I'm the toughest guy in the school and I've fallen head over heels for the shy kid who sits under trees to avoid human interaction?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh Brian," Matt chuckled, showing off a stunning smile and his flawless dimples. Brian couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was if he'd died and gone to Heaven, "You really think I give a shit about that? I think you're pretty cute to be honest. Besides, I think you could do with a little bit of care..." He said, referring to the black eye upon Brian's face.

"Well yeah... Everyone beats me up and I'm no good at defending myself..." The man admitted, soon leaning against Matt's frame. He held the injured man in his arms, swaying slightly.

"Don't worry Brian, I'll look after you. That is, if you promise to be mine..."

Brian hesitated before looking up at Matt, his hazel eyes pleading with him. Matt knew Brian had feelings for him. It wasn't hard to see at all. The way he looked at him and admired his features. It was obvious to Matt.

"Okay... I promise" He then nodded. Matt's signature smile spread across his face before their lips pressed against each other's again. Just then, the door flung open and Jimmy, Zacky and Johnny stood in the doorway, looking at the pair.

"I fucking knew it!" Zacky roared, cracking up with laughter.

"Alright Johnny, you lose! Cough up those 20 bucks!" Jimmy hooted, turning to the shorter man.

"Ah fuck..." Johnny grumbled, fishing in his pockets for the money. Matt parted from Brian and looked at the guys before laughing.

"You guys seriously bet on me hooking up with Brian?" He asked.

"Of course! I mean, that's what the whole thing was about!" Zacky grinned.

"Wait... What?" Brian asked, looking up at Matt.

"I've wanted to date you for a looooong time, BriBri" Matt admitted, pulling him close to his chest, "And I've won ya over, huh?"

"I suppose so" The man nodded, resting his head against his chest.

"Well, we'll leave you guys to have some privacy then" Jimmy announced, before he reached over and closed the door. Matt gave Brian a smirk.

"So, what do ya say?" He asked, his eyes keeping constant contact with Brian's, "Ya wanna have a bit of fun?


"Well... Fuck it, why not?" Brian said, a true smile forming on his lips. Matt returned the smile and the pair headed over to the bed.

Notes

Hey guys! Hope you liked this story!
Don't forget to check out my other stories, including my oneshot called Please Don't Leave Me!
All feedback is appreciated!