Chapter 12 ✔️

1 month after...

"What would you say if I told you I'm throwing a party?" Chris asks after Harvey had come back from his last exam.

Harvey narrows his eyes, dropping the bag he had slung over his left shoulder onto the couch by his younger friend's feet. He then proceeds to sit next to it, on Chris' shins.

"Ow! Dude!"

"I'd say you're too young to drink." Harvey tells him, ignoring his growls and swears.

Chris makes an annoyed sound, "But you're underage too!"

"Well, you're more underage than me!" Harvey sticks his tongue out, "So, no party. I'm not having a seventeen-year-old getting drunk in my care."

"I can take care of myself." The younger grumbles, folding his arms.

Harvey just chuckles and goes to answer the door after the bell had made an obnoxious ringing sound.

Chris suddenly gets up and rushes ahead of his friend, going to stand in front of the door.

Harvey squints, "What're you doing?" He hopes for Chris' sake that the younger hadn't been stupid enough to invite people over without permission.

"Nothing!" Chris stops himself, "I mean- You just relax, put your feet up."

Harvey narrows his eyes once more and goes back toward his room, but being his suspicious self, he turns back and peeks around a corner.

"Oh. It's just you." Chris breathes relieved and Harvey crosses his arms, he's relieved because he expected it to be a party-goer.

"Just me? I'm interested to see who you were expecting if the likes of me are a disappointment."

Luke says as he brushes past Chris and steps into the open space of the living room, "Hey Harv."

"It's Harv-ey. Two syllables, Lucas." Harvey says annoyed and he disappears into his bedroom.

Luke narrows his eyes at the closed door before turning to face his younger, "I'm getting the feeling that he doesn't like me."

Chris shrugs and grabs the remote to the stereo, turning on his 'Kickass Rave Tunes' playlist, "He doesn't like anyone, don't take it personally."

"Well, we know he likes Jefferson Blake well enough." The smirk on Luke's face is comical, "speaking of Jeff, he told me to tell you he'd make it tonight."

Chris's face scrunches up in confusion, "On Friday night? During a work trip? How on earth was he available?"

"I bumped into him walking through the quad. His entourage was a few feet away but I brought up the invite you sent him on Instagram. All I had to do was mention Harvey's name and he was practically salivating. I asked if he had the time and he said he'd make the time"

Chris smirks widely and shares a look with his crush, then grabs him by the shoulders, "You're brilliant."

Luke grins and turns away, inspecting his nails "I know." He started off with an arrogant tone, but his voice shot up an octave when Chris came and placed a kiss on his milky white cheek.

~~~

"I thought you only invited a few people!" Chris yells over the loud, pounding music.

"Yeah! I did! Someone must have posted it on Facebook!" Luke replies, his voice just as loud and straining.

The entire apartment is hot and crowded. The minimal lighting creating a suffocating atmosphere that makes the whole place feel dense and stuffy. The living room is filled to the brim with students whose bodies are grinding and moving together in time to the pounding music. It feels as though the entire apartment building was in that room with Chris and Luke in the centre.

"Where's Harvey?" Chris asks with soft lips pressed against the older man's ear. He's dancing still, and Luke can feel hips crash into his own every few beats.

"I think he's in the kitchen, guarding the drinks." Luke jokes, "Probably stopping people from spiking the punch!"

Chris lets out the most endearing laugh possible and nods, tugging Luke's shirt to encourage him to dance some more. The younger has no idea where the sudden confidence came from, but he guessed someone had already spiked the punch bowl.

In another part of the apartment, Harvey hears the doorbell ring, though he doesn't know how, considering the volume of the music. (Thank you, Chris). He rushes towards the door, having already decided resolutely to turn away any new party guests. He's about to, he really is, but when he opens the door he stops and gapes.

Standing there, bottle of champagne in hand and billion-dollar smile on his face, is Jefferson Blake – at the door of Harvey King's apartment.

"Fancy meeting you here." The star jokes, sea-blue eyes twinkling with amusement, and pearly-white teeth shining in a bright smile. If anyone had told Harvey half a year ago that the most famous young star in the world would be hitting on him inside his own apartment, he would have - well... He doesn't know what he would have done.

In the present though, Harvey is doing a pretty good job of making a fool of himself, gaping at Jefferson, mouth wide open, doing a flawless guppy impression.

"This is my apartment." He states the obvious before mentally facepalming, because of course Jefferson knew it was his apartment, Chris must have invited him.

"Uh yeah... I know." Jefferson says, his face a picture of confusion. Then he smiles, eyes twinkling just as bright before, "Can I come in? The party looks great."

Party.

It's only then that Harvey actually remembers that there are around 60 college students crammed into his small two-bedroom accommodation and his face flushes.

"Yeah. Yes. Yeah." He says, but he doesn't move from his position in the doorway. And he can't decide whether it's a good thing or bad, because then Jefferson is coming closer, his lean body pressing against and past him in order to get into his home. In those two seconds, when he and the child star are chest to chest and nose to nose, Harvey is hooked in a heated, prolonged stare that makes his head go funny.

Harvey feels like he's got no right to be this nervous around someone who, by now, he genuinely considers a close friend. But the last time he saw Jefferson in person, he was just this attractive, surprisingly down-to-earth movie-star he barely knew. And now, this is Jeff. His funny, attentive, beautiful friend, who Harvey might be a little in love with.

"Good music." Jeff says, yanking Harvey out of his thoughts, "Who's DJing?"

The brunet looks over at the decks as they enter the living room ('the decks' in question really being his dining table with a large Bluetooth speaker on it) and sees his younger friend looking particularly pleased with himself as he lines up the next song.

"Chris!" He answers Jefferson, yelling over the music.

"Huh! The kid?" Jeff shouts in his ear. Harvey chuckles, letting his body sway slightly to the music.

"Yeah!"

"So, where's his boyfriend?" Jeff smirks, swaying with Harvey, his body finding its way dangerously close to the student's.

"Who? Luke?" Harvey chokes out. This is not how he had expecting this night to go.

"Yeah! Charming British dude!"

"Uh, they aren't dating!" Harvey breathes out a delighted laugh and subconsciously leans closer to Jefferson, if questioned on it, he'd say it's to hear better, "But he's here somewhere!"

The celebrity raises an eyebrow, his body responding positively to Harvey's close proximity. "Really? They should be!" He says surprised, sure that the Brit would have had the balls to ask the kid out.

"Nah, I think Luke's teasing him! Seeing how far he can go before Chris takes charge or figures it out!"

"Cute and evil! I like this guy!" Jeff jokes, then licks his bottom lip quickly, his expression turning a little darker, though it's hard to tell in the already dimly lit room. He shifts his body just slightly closer to Harvey's, allowing himself to press into him, close enough to feel his chest under his shirt. Jefferson leans his head towards Harvey's and presses his lips to the younger's ear.

"I like you a lot more though." He whispers almost inaudible.

The soft purr in his tone makes Harvey shiver with something akin to lust, and the words are almost drowned out by his heart thundering in his ears.

Almost.

It's not every day that a famous celebrity, turned close confidant says things like that whilst practically dry humping you on a dance floor. He had to be joking.

"What? I uh... I like you too. You're a cool dude." Harvey grins, convincing himself about what the star must have meant.

Jefferson's eyebrows furrow adorably, and he shakes his head to either side, "That isn't what I meant."

Harvey stills in his movements, his face going white then filling with a furious red colour. He was standing on the border between confusion and hope but swaying towards the latter at break-neck speed.

"C'mon Harv. I know you're smarter than that." Jeff gives him a lopsided smile, then grabs his hand, dragging him to the quiet, unoccupied bathroom, "You know what I meant."

"I have an idea... But I'm sure I'm wrong." Harvey states, sheepish eyes glued to Jeff, who's stare is hungry, predatory, as he stalks towards him.

"Indulge me." Jeff is finally in front of him now, with lips against his ear and eyes looking brighter than ever in the bathroom's light. All Harvey wants now, is those pretty pink lips on his, and those long fingers on his hips. Then Harvey feels a sharp cold envelope his lower body.

Oh god, he spilt his drink.

Right onto his own crotch.

Jeff doesn't seem to notice, just keeps breathing steadily in his ears. Waiting patiently for Harvey's response.

Shit.

If Jeff saw this, Harvey would look like a complete idiot. How could he drop a drink down his pants when Jefferson Blake is right there looking like he's ready to risk it all?

"You okay, Handsome?" Jeff asks, sounding a little unsure.

That's when Harvey cracks.

He can't let Jefferson Blake, movie star Jefferson Blake, crush of Harvey's past and present, Jefferson Blake, literally the nicest guy ever Jefferson Blake, witness Harvey looking like a fool. It's like his common sense has shut down and all he can think about is, 'What will he think?'. And suddenly his inability to understand others becomes more prominent than ever. All of the worst possibilities come rushing to the forefront of his mind. He has no idea how to proceed. So, he chooses, what he perceives to be, the safest option.

He runs.

Shit.

He gets to his room and locks the door. He can't go back out there now. Not after he left Jefferson, who looked so gorgeous and perfect in front of him, standing there, lips wet and enticing, begging to be kissed.

Shit, Harvey thinks, I'm a fucking idiot.