(Saaaaaaadddddd. Also possible triggers of rape and abuse)

Dis one is James McBride... except imagine him with blonde hair (age 26)

This is Lewis Cota (age 28)

And this is Michael Sandoval (age

James McBride's POV

Sleep wasn't coming easy these days. I barely got a wink of sleep. That is until I found one particular photo album.

When I found it I scoffed and tossed it into the bin... but no more than five minutes later I had pulled it out and looked through it.

And that's what I was doing now. Looking through the pages and pages of a time I missed more than I cared to admit.

Opening up to a collection of photo booth strips I studied each one carefully. I laughed at a couple of them and other ones of them made me sniff. On one of the strips I looked to the last picture and laughed softly as I blushed.

It was of Lewis and me, like all of the pictures were. We were taking a ton of funny photos before he leaned into my neck and licked me. My face was permanently stuck in a shocked state that turned to laughter soon after.

Sighing I mumbled to myself, "I miss those times..." before going to sleep and tucking the album under my pillows.

(Time Skip takes his own funny photo with POV)

James McBride's POV

"Look what the cat dragged in," Lewis says to me as I walk in after a long day of work.

"Shut up," I spit out as I walk past the couch where Lewis and one of our other roomies Michael sat.

"How was work James?" Michael asks me as he watches me enter the kitchen.

"Awful. It was awful," I said as I grabbed a soda.

"Oh please how awful could it be?" Lewis says as he eats a chips.

Slamming the fridge I popped open the soda, "let's see, my manager had me come in early, I had three customers shout at me, someone tripped me in the restaurant," I took a swig, "and that's not even the worst of it."

"Let me guess, you had to clean the bathroom or something?" Lewis says giving me a bored look. Rolling my eyes I leaned against the wall.

My black button up was undone a couple buttons, and I forgot I needed to keep it covered up.

"Wait, that's not..." Michael trails off and I see where he's looking. Pulling the shirt over my neck I quickly button it up. "James that guy didn't... did he?"

Holding my soda I just nodded ever so slightly. I took another sip.

"Oh for fucks sake. How bad was it this time?" Michael says pausing the show they were watching. At this Lewis finally turned his attention to the two of us.

"Worse... a lot worse..." I mumbled as I kept the drink close to me.

"James... you got to report this..." Michael tells me as he stands up and comes over to me.

"No," I say curtly as I take yet another drink.

"James he's hurting you. Nothing about this is okay," Michael's says, voice laced with concern.

"You worry to much," I say trying to laugh it off. I pushed my hair back, but unfortunately my sleeve fell to my elbow revealing grip marks and more than a few bruises.

"James!" Michael shouts heaving my wrist. Wincing I curse and pull my hand away.

"It's fine Michael-" I mutter.

"No! This is like the sixth time he's-" Michael shouts and I look to the ground.

He knows me to well. "You stopped telling me, didn't you?"

"..." I didn't answer, I just polished off the soda and went to toss it into the garbage.

"How many times?!" Michael shouts as I walk back out.

"..."

"James!" Michael shouts and I notice Lewis is just staring at us like a lost puppy. I hadn't bothered to tell him about my boss... he wouldn't care.

"I'm not about to get fired Michael! I need this job!" I say exasperatedly.

"It's-it's not right-" Michael says firmly.

I scoff, "what? The fact that I'm being abused and raped by my boss?" I say with a fuck ton of sarcasm. "No... it's not... but I can't afford to complain," I say calmly before walking down the hall and slamming the door to my bedroom. Grumbling to myself I grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom.

I peeled off my clothes with minor difficulty. Glancing at the mirror I inspected myself. He'd bitten me this time... a lot. There were bite marks all along my body and I felt sore all over. A memory flashed through my brain if him pinning me down to the ground and calling me a slut.

Shaking my head I hoped into the shower and whimpered as the water hit the open wounds and sensitive parts of my body.

I hated it. I really did. But I was paying half the bills since Lewis had gotten fired last month and Michael was working on getting a promotion. So I knew I just had to take it. I just had to deal with it. No matter how wrong it was.

(Time Skip sips soda safely)

I'd been fired. I should have seen it coming. The boss could only use me so much before he got bored. He'd used my body for the past two weeks every single day, and today he handed me my final pay check before shoving me out of the restaurant.

Unlocking the door to the apartment with shaking hands I stepped inside. I shuffled into the living room and Lewis was there.

"You're looking worse for wear," he says looking me over.

I shakily nod before my body gives out completely and I fall onto the floor. Groaning in pain I tried to get up, but my arms gave out. "Shit..." I whispered as I tried in vain to sit up and only succeeded in slamming my head against the floor. Feeling tears prick my eyes I started crying. I didn't care anymore. Lewis could call me a whiney bitch all he wanted, I was done with all this crap.

Without warning Lewis got on his knees beside me and scooped me up. He started walking to his room. "Wh..." I mumbled softly before coughing.

I'll be honest. I haven't had such a good month. I've lost a lot of weight and sometime last week I stopped eating regular meals. The last thing I remember having was a pack of trail mix yesterday morning.

Lewis set me down on his bed and grabbed the bottom of my shirt. "Woah woah what are you-" I got cut off as my hoarse voice acted up and I started coughing violently.

Seeming terrified, Lewis pulled off my shirt and pants and left me in boxers. The he went into his bathroom and came back with some pain medicine and a first aid kit.

My coughing continued as I tried to sit up but failed miserably. I started crying again which got the coughing to stop, but my eyes started stinging and my bottom lip quivered.

"Take this," he says holding out two pills and a glass of water.

Popping them in and swallowing I sniffle and raised a shaking hand to wipe my eyes. Lewis stopped me, laid my hand back down, and brushed away my tears.

"I'm going to take care of you..." he says before opening the first aid and tending to the wounds across my body. He frowned at how visible my ribs and hip bones were.

Staying still I let my head rest against the pillow. My crying ceased and Lewis put the kit back into the bathroom. I listened and watched as he tidied up his room a little before turning off all the lights in the room. "You okay if we sleep together?" He asks as he takes his shirt off and puts in some sweatpants.

"Mhmm," I hummed before drinking another sip of water to stop myself from coughing.

Lewis came over and got into the bed on the other side of me. He didn't touch me, since he probably didn't want to accidentally hurt me... but I would have liked it if he pulled me close and cuddled me like old times.

"James... Please... let me take care of you," Lewis whispers softly into my ear before we both fall silent and I fall asleep.

(Time Skip drifts off to sleep while reading a book)

Lewis Cota's POV

I'd been working around the clock for the past two months trying to get James to feel better. With time, he slowly started eating regular meals again and drinking lots of water. His wounds healed up nicely and he was soon back up on his feet.

Right now, I was making everyone dinner, which was steak, roasted potatoes, and bread sticks.

There was only about twenty minutes left till I started plating up, and since I had the time I thought I might as well go check on James.

Walking into the living room Michael smiled at me and we waved briefly before doing finger guns as we always did. Going down the hall I forgot to knock on James's door and opened it.

"Hey James," I greeted as I opened the door to see James on his bed with a book of pictures in his lap.

He blushed and hid the book behind his back when he saw me, "you could have knocked dork."

"What you got there?" I ask coming over and sitting on the bed.

"N-Nothing. It's nothing," he says quickly.

I raised a brow, "you stuttering and repeating words means it is something I'm not supposed to see," I point out as I lean in close.

James looks off to the side anxiously. "It's-It's stupid. You'd find it silly,"

I frown, "Come on... I don't like secrets James."

Glancing at me James sighs, "Okay... okay fine. I'll show you part of it now and the other half after dinner. Okay?" He asks biting his bottom lip.

Nodding in agreement. James opens the book to the first page. "It's a photo album from high school and college."

Gasping I grin widely, "no way! Dude those were some of my favorite years."

James giggles adorably and flips a couple pages. Moving closer till we were thigh to thigh I was able to get a closer look at the book. "Uhm... this is the first day of high school freshman year," he explains.

We end up getting through the high school years and freshman year of college. We were both laughing and smiling having gone through those memories. But when the timer on my phone went off I stood up. "Dinners ready, I made one of your favorite things," I say with a playful tone.

James gasps and hops up, leaving the book on his bed. "I've cream would have taken to long, you can't make pretzels that quickly, so it must be bread sticks!" He exclaims and I chuckle and nod. Squeaking in excitement James hugs me tightly. Smiling softly I wrap my arms around him and hug him back.

"Hey Lewis... carrrryyyy meeeeeeeee," James says like a child making me snort before scooping him up in my arms making him cheer.

Walking out to the living room Michael awes when he sees us, but it quickly turns to laughter as is the way of the Michael. "You told him you made bread sticks didn't you?" He asks me.

"Yyyyup," I say popping the p and making James giggle.

Venturing into the kitchen we all grab plates and serve ourselves. As expected James sat down and pulled the basket towards himself. Me and Michael laughed and sat down at the round table.

We joked and talked as we ate our food, we were getting towards the end of the meal when Michael asked, "what were you two talking about in James's room?"

"Looking through the scrapbook," James says with a smile.

Michael's eyes go wide before a massive grin breaks out on his face, "I'm so glad you finally showed him that! Now he finally knows about your cr-"

James gets a horrified look on his face and motions for Michael to shut up. Michael looks at him quizzically before realizing something. "Really? You haven't told him?"

"Told me what?" I ask confused as I look between the two of them.

They share a look before James looks at the tiled floor.

"James, you have to tell him. It's been long enough," Michael says seriously.

"Huh???" I was so confuzzled.

James looks at me before sighing. "Alright alright... I'll be right back," James says before going to his room, he came back quickly and handed me the photo album we had been looking through. "Look at the last page, there's a bundle of letters I've never given you..." he ways quietly.

My eyebrows furrowed before I opened the book all the way to the back. There was a stack of neatly folded letters. I pulled out the first one and started reading it.

Dear Lewis,
     I've got something to say, but I'm scared to say it. So I'm writing it to you.
     For years we've been as close as friends can be. But part of me isn't satisfied with that. When that girl flirted with you at Michael's party my stomach turned, but you told her you were gay and she went away. I felt relieved, because she couldn't have you.
     The truth is, I want you Lewis. I want to be able to call you mine. It's wrong, I know it is. We've known each other for years, and best friends aren't supposed to feel like this. But I do, and it's so hard for me because people already joke about us being a couple since we are basically inseparable, and I wish I could tell them we were.
     When you surprise me with hugs my chest tightens.
     When we cuddle I feel butterflies fill my stomach.
     When you playfully bite me or lick my neck without hurting me I turn bright red and my heart thunders in my chest and ears.
     Lewis, I love you. And I'm sorry if you don't feel the same.
     Sincerely, James.

Not believing what I was reading I picked up another letter and scanned it.

Dear Lewis,
      I did something I shouldn't have. And I mean I really shouldn't have.
     But I couldn't help it.
     When you came over on Friday and you spent the night I did something you'll probably hate me for.
     After we got in that water fight and took showers we went to bed. And you fell asleep before I did.
     This is gonna sound creepy, but I watched you sleep. And this is gonna sound even worse, but I kissed you.
      I tried to stop myself, I did, but your lips were so soft and warm
     So that's why I'm sleeping on the couch when you wake up. Just Incase I couldn't stop myself again.
     Sincerely, James.

I kept reading.

Dear Lewis,
     College has been wild. We've been doing great in classes, gone to so many parties, and had such a good time.
     But there's something I feel like I should tell you.
     After one of the really crazy parties where we were both drunk and maybe even a little high, we got back to the apartment and you passed out on the bed.
     But I didn't. And I did something I shouldn't have.
     While you were passed out drunk I cuddled up to you, which is fine since we always do that, but I didn't stop there. I kissed you just like I did in high school... but I didn't stop.
     I was still really drunk, and I didn't stop myself.
     I sucked you off in your sleep, and since you stayed asleep I even rode you.
     I understand if this ruins our friendship, and if it does I'm sorry.
     Sincerely, James
P.S. for the record, you have a really big dick, you should be proud.

I blushed at that last comment before moving on to the next letter, and then the next, and then the next, after about five or six letters I got to a more recent one.

Dear Lewis,
     I haven't written one of these in a long time. And just like all the other letters you probably won't ever see this.
     We've grown distant. You always seem tired after work and we barely talk anymore. Let alone hang out like we used to.
     But I don't care. I still love you, even after all these years of hiding it I still love you. And even if we aren't friends anymore I still love you. And if reading this breaks the last bit of a bond we have I'll still love you. I'll never be able to get over you.
     Sincerely, James.

I set down the letter. All of them were strewn across the table now. Michael was quietly finishing his steak while James nervously ate a breadstick.

"James," I say and he quickly looks up at me.

"Y-yeah?" He says, swallowing the bite he just took.

Standing up I walked to James and leaned down locking lips with him. I stayed there til he kissed me back. Picking him up by the waist I hugged him close to me and he hugged back. Pulling away enough to breathe James looked at me and started crying.

"I-I never thought *sniff* that you'd like me back," he says with a shy smile.

Smiling back I use my thumb to wipe away his tears. "James I'm so so sorry. I've been such a dick. When we were in school I never dreamed of you feeling the same, so I just played it off as a friends thing. But when I started working I grew distant because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But I ended up making us both hurt in the process," I say as I start to cry and this makes James cry more.

We embrace and hold onto each other tightly. When we look at each other and finally stop crying we both lean in and kiss sweetly.

And I'm almost positive I saw Michael smiling and take a picture out of the corner of my eye. When James and I stopped kissing I looked at Michael to see my suspicions were proven correct. He was outright recording now.

I point at Michael and he looks up from the camera. "You're lucky we're friends Michael, otherwise I'd call you a perv," I say making James and Michael laugh.

And that's how me and James started dating.