Page 18 of Out of Bounds

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Brennan was not looking for any kind of relationship, sexual or otherwise. He and Paul started out as just fooling around. He’d rather suffer through a stretch of creative block than subject himself to the hell of searching for love.

Brennan left the art studio a little while later and threw his canvas in the trash. He had to get out of his head. As he was leaving Gorman Hall, he heard someone call out his name.

Cliff caught up to him. Brennan’s heart lifted at the sight of him. He was like a warm breeze on a perfect spring day.

He handed Brennan the revised sketch for his art class. “What do you think?”

Cliff managed to get the shadow the coffee mug cast and captured the different degrees of shading from the direction of light. He could see their lesson had been heeded.

“It’s definitely an improvement.”

“The mug itself needs some work, but I used those shading bars to approximate what it would look like when hit with sunlight.”

“Nice work.”

Cliff put the drawing in his backpack as he downplayed his excitement. Brennan had an overwhelming urge to wrap him in a hug, the same impulse that had nearly taken over him during their lesson. “The professor was impressed. He thought I was going to be just another jock in his class.” Cliff slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Thanks again for helping me out.”

“My pleasure.” And it was. Brennan enjoyed having Cliff over the other day - maybe a little too much, but he would reign it in.

“Were you working in the art studio?” Cliff asked.

“Trying to. I think one of my classmates propositioned me. I had to break it to her that I’m not into girls.”

“You aren’t?” Cliff licked his lips and stammered for words.

Shit.Brennan should’ve come out more eloquently to him. He’d lost track of who knew what. And knowing how small-minded kids were in their high school, he was probably one of the only openly gay people Cliff knew.

“I am not.” Brennan gave him the same line about coming out in college that he’d shared with Rachel.

“Cool.”

Cliff still seemed awkward, his smile and his eyes telling two different stories.

Brennan thought about what happened in his loft. He was teaching Cliff how to shade, then all of a sudden, he found himself shamelessly flirting and milliseconds away from going in for the kiss. Cliff was probably freaking out.

Was he just horny? It had been awhilesince he slept with anyone. Perhaps Rachel was right. But Cliff was the absolute last person he should be thinking about for sex.

Sure, Cliff had blossomed into a full-fledged hottie since he last saw him. In high school, he was going through his awkward teenage years - boney and gawky with a head too big for his neck and legs too tall for his torso. He was an arts and crafts project. But he had filled out, faint stubble dotting his cheeks; muscle fused his body together and pressed against his preppy polo.

And the eyes...well, eyes didn’t go through puberty. But it was the first time Brennan had really noticed them, how they were soft and almost caramel-colored, how they gazed at Brennan like he was a guy still worth looking up to.

Damn, he was cute.

Forget it, he told himself. Alex would kill him if he found out Brennan was putting the moves on his little brother. The Warners had been good to Brennan his whole life, basically letting him be a part of their family while his parents lived their best lives without him. There was always a place for him at the Warner dinner table. And how did he repay that debt of gratitude? By trying to hook up with their straight, prodigal son the first chance he got him alone.

He had to prove he wasn’t a creep. “Listen, if I made you uncomfortable the other day, I’m sorry. If I got too close...I get very into art…I don’t think about you like that at all. We’re friends.”

That was a total lie, but the last thing he wanted to do was give off predator vibes to Cliff.

Cliff pressed his lips together and nodded tersely. He was probably relieved, but Brennan couldn’t tell for sure. “I didn’t notice anything. Didn’t you have a girlfriend in high school?”

“Sophie Park. I think she came out as a lesbian last year. So we were kind of a perfect match when you think about it.” Brennan smoothed out his mustache, which had become his go-to awkward move since growing it. “So, did you still want help with drawing?”

Cliff nodded, and a smile returned to his face. “I’ve already improved after one lesson. Who knows how much better I can get?”

“Love the attitude.” Brennan checked the clock on the wall. He had no more classes, and his work study job in the art department office didn’t start for another two hours. “What are you up to now?”

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