Reap the Earth at Which you Stand [boyxboy]

Chapter III

~Tuesday 31st October 2017~

"Dakota, are you even fucking listening to me?" Tanner waved his hand dramatically in front of Dakota's eyes, laughing as the boy was finally roused from his thoughts. Instantly, he shifted his gaze from across the room back to his three friends sitting around the booth, finding they were all laughing just as enthusiastically at his expense. He merely rolled his eyes in response, lifting the bottle in his hand to his lips and taking a long drink.

"Didn't sleep much," Dakota grunted out his excuse lifelessly, trying to force some degree of a smile on his lips, only finding it would stick when he allowed his eyes to drift back across the room once again.

"De, he so isn't your type," Iona warned, peering over his shoulder in a far too obvious move, groaning when he earnt an elbow in the stomach for his foolishness. Dakota was content staring openly at the man all night, however, he didn't want his friends hounding him. He looked alone, their eyes meeting every so often, sending a chill down Dakota's spine when he caught sight of the deep blue that stood out in the darkness of the bar. He wasn't even sure how it was possible to see the shade from so far away, yet it was as clear as day.

"What do you mean?" Dakota felt his defenses draw close as his confidence faltered at Iona's comment. He wasn't conscious of his own appearance usually, in fact, he was well aware that he was rather pretty, he simply didn't like to think that there was some exclusive type of man that would be attracted to him. He preferred to play across the field.

"Chill out," Tanner patted Dakota's hand that rested on the table next to his bottle, the most contact that the boy usually allowed with people other than his family, "he just meant because that guy clearly doesn't bottom," Dakota should have been thankful for Tanner's clarification, but it only worsened his scowl. His friends tended not to judge, hell, they chose to spend time with him of their own free will so they had to have some skewed sense of direction, but Dakota couldn't stand the way they would view others. They based personality and character traits of appearance rather than fact, which infuriated Dakota. Maybe it was because he was taught to ask questions first and shoot later, maybe it was just another trigger point, Dakota wasn't sure.

"Big guys can bottom, y'know?" Dakota muttered sullenly, returning his attention to the man across the room, thankful that he was looking away once again, giving him a moment to admire his behind. His dark shirt pulled tight over the muscles flexing over his back when he reached out to collect his second drink from the bartender, only leading Dakota to look lower. His bottom lip caught between his teeth for a brief second, and he actually thought he might scream if his friend's observations had been a correct one. Surely, with an ass that good, that man couldn't be off limits to Dakota's tastes.

"Christ, you look like you're gonna eat him," Ricki teased, having remained relatively silent all night in comparison to his boyfriend, then again, there was no single aspect of Tanner that could be anywhere close to quiet.

"Why not just go talk to him, instead of eye-fucking him from across the room?" Tanner's suggestion seemed simple enough, if only Dakota had been a little more tipsy, and had actually been in the mood to play chase that night. If the man wanted to talk, he could approach, Dakota didn't want to be the one making the first move that evening.

"Not in the mood," Dakota took another sip of his beer, staring down into the bottle, not even liking the taste of the type he had chosen. He was more a vodka and coke, or whiskey, kind of guy. Beer didn't hit it, but it would suffice for the time being. Dakota preferred to blend in, and drinking beer helped with that.

"De, you're clearly into him, why don't you go for it? You would any other night, what's stopping you?" Tanner's voice dropped lower as he leant closer to Dakota. He had waited until Ricki was advising Iona on approaching some other man at a booth a few feet away from them, meaning neither would listen in to their conversation. Naturally, Dakota felt more comfortable with Tanner, they were closer, they had known one another longer, therefore he would always opt to speak with him over all his other friends.