Chapter Text
The cheap purple lights in the dorm room made Peter McVries glow like an angel. He had always liked parties. Being lost in a sea of people that he could just strike up a conversation and learn something new about gave him energy after a long day of classes. This party was the last gathering before most of the students on his floor went home for the holidays. Pete had dragged his roommate to the party even though it was literally 30 steps from their door. Bill was the kind of man that was made to be captured in an oil painting. He was a knight, or a king, or a saint in a neoclassicism piece. If you looked up classically handsome there was a picture of William Stebbins as the icon.
"There is like no one here" Bill complained loudly over the incessant pop song from twelve years ago. Only Pete could hear him, but he wasn't entirely wrong.
The mix was mostly English majors and a few of the Fine Arts kids to add to Pete's Social Work comrades.
"You're just mad Erika isn't here because you get off on her yelling at you about socialism" Peter snapped back.
Bill rolled his eyes and scoffed, but Pete has seen the way that his pupils dilated when the pretty brunette screamed in his face. Sometimes Peter wishes he was less observant because there are some things you don't need to know about the person you sleep three feet from.
"Drink this and try not to act like a cryptid" Peter whispered in his ear, making the taller man cringe away from his slurring words.
Bill took the rye and soda and scampered away. He would be such a catch if he wasn't so damn weird. They had lived together for two years and understood each other deeply. They were two queer men who were paired up with each other by the luck of the housing draw. When Pete would stumble home late with what Will called the "flavour of the week" Bill didn't say much. He allegedly slept like a log and the way that Peter has treated about half of the men's hockey team he really hoped that was true. In all of the time they lived together Bill had only ever brought one man home. He had thick glasses that Bill unceremoniously threw onto his desk as they sucked face. Pete only knew him as one of Ray's English cronies he didn’t even know his name. Bill had never spoken about him since.
Pete scanned the room to see where his next victim would be. He was known for flirting so hard with people that they developed crushes on Pete like he was an effeminate boyband member. It was hard to see exactly how much of floor 3C was still in the city. Pete was from all over and had nowhere in particular to go home to. He was used to it and was almost excited for the quiet. He knew that Bill didn't mind the guitar playing but he was ready to plug in the amp he scored and let his Fender Mustang wail. The people that were left were all leaving in a few days and Pete was only wondering where one of them would go home to. He was scanning the room when he saw what he was looking for in the corner of the room.
Pete was not a desperate man. Possessive yes, loyal yes, but never desperate. Men that looked like him rarely had the opportunity. When he locked eyes with his next door neighbour across the room there was a pang in his chest that he tried to rationalise. Ray Garraty was there holding a green beer bottle in his right hand and had other clamped on the back of his neck. He raised his bottle to Pete and offered no further greeting then that.
The white shirt he had on was tight around his arm and as he moved it to the top of his neck the fabric cut into his soft skin. Which was fine. Pete's eyes drifted to the left where Rays big round shoulder capped under the thin fabric of his plain T-shirt. He could feel himself getting hot around his collar. Ray Garraty was a man. He was solid. The kind of man who could eat. He looked like he could carry a canoe or build a bed. He had glitter on his cheeks mixing with the freckles along his nose, and bright pink paint on his cheekbones. Pete was thought it was so endearing, imaging Ray in what he knew was a tiny cramped bathroom slapping it on haphazardly because he was such a boy.
Ray was also glowing. The party had a blacklight and almost everyone there was wearing white. Ray was so fair he glowed normally, but now he was glowing to other people other than Pete. He was aware he was staring at Garraty but he was never one to care. Eye contact was important to him and this was his move. Ray moved to scratch the back of his neck again and his forearm flexed right beside his face. Which was fine. Pete was a simple gay man. He liked forearms. Strong and hairy forearms. Pete saw the tendons and muscles working with such clarity it was like he was right in front of Ray.
Pete was also in white with glowing glitter in the tops of his rounded delts. Or "guns" as Bill liked to say. He was dressed like a slut. Big toned arms shot out of the cut off wife pleaser as Pete called it. (Whose wife he was pleasing was a mystery to him.) He had swirls of blue and green paint contouring his big arms and a blue halo in his hair. He has grown it out for the semester and the glow stick was solidly stuck in his thick hair. Pete painstakingly looked away from Ray to pour himself another Ceasar. He had downed two beers as he painted his arms in the cramped bathroom. He needed more liquor if Ray's arms were out like the skank he is.
Pete moved through the underclassmen to the fridge. He scanned the room and saw that Stebbins was exactly where he wanted to be. He had a shit eating grin because he was being yelled at by both a man and a woman. Pete had been around he/they bisexuals for years and Stebbins was one of the happiest ones he had seen for while in his current condition. As Pete squeezed his lime into the salty juice he gave Stebbins a thumbs up behind the heads of the two brunettes who were getting louder and louder. Pete recognized the voice of the man beside Erika as the one and only hookup that Stebbins had brought into their shared room.
Pete blushed at the memory but he couldn't feel too ashamed. The noises he had heard from the man Stebbins was currently being berated by had been keening at best and downright pathetic as they went on. Pete remembers concentrating on being still but his eyes were wide open facing the wall. Pete always needed to have something playing as he slept and his one airpod was not enough to drown out the man Stebbins was going down on. Pete was horrified and this tiny twink was moaning. To Pete's horror the sound didn't last long. He was unaware if Stebbins was that good with his tongue or if he had stopped the other man with a hand over his mouth. Peter needed to get laid to stop thinking about his roommate sucking dick (and cock)
"Oh my God, you're kidding!!" He screamed at Stebbins, this time without his dick in his Stebbins mouth.
"Richie you have to stop letting him rile you up" Erika chastised him for letting Stebbins ragebait him. Erikas turned around to Peter who made a barking laugh at that.
With Erika's back turned to the bickering men, Stebbins' look of gratification was written all over his smug beautiful face. He gave Richie the eyes and when Erika turned back around a little more confusion in her dark eyes. Pete decided it was time to find another room that was significantly less bisexual.
That is a problem due to the fact that it was mostly English and Art kids here. Pete moved to the sofa and slunk down trying not to think of Stebbins getting more action than him. Peter McVries had never had a problem getting laid. He was a tall drink of water and he was bold. He had hooked up with a dozen jocks since he has been here. He had a type, he wanted to be flattened by a big man constantly. In the reflection of the glass table in front of his knees he could barely see the scar that ran across his left cheek. It gave anyone who looked at him the impression that he had a dangerous air. Pete was a lover not a fighter. This scar was a testament to that.
Pete looked up from the table to see a blonde man staring at him. He was beautiful, like a girl. He had full pouty soft lips and when he looked up at Pete through long dark eyelashes all Pete thought was that this boy was pretty.
“Hey Pete” the boy slurred and Pete didn't have any idea what this boys name was.
“Heya what’s up….I want to say Gabe” Petes mouth quirked up hoping that was enough to make him not look like an asshole to the soft man. Whos delicate features sniffed at the wrong name.
“Gary” He replied, swishing his small hand through his shaggy blonde hair.
Pete looked at the man who he lived down the hall from for years with pity. He was so in love with Pete that even Ray figured it out. Pete was a handsome man but the way that Gary had looked at him when he was in the gym was something out of the gayest porn there was. But despite this there was no denying how much of a closet case this man was. He had a girl perched on the side of the chesterfield literally petting his chest. There was not even an ounce of attention being paid to the girl that was groping his slight build. Poor girl, Gary was so clearly gay that Pete hoped this girl was aware. If Pete's chest was being touched like that they would both be leaving the party instantly.
When Pete's gaze met Gary's icy blue eyes, Gary leaned back, opening his legs presenting himself to Pete. Pete thought he looked great with his arms spread on the back of the couch. It would be so easy to touch him laid out like this.Peter didn't want to, but it has been awhile since hes seen a man be offered up like this to him. The girl rubbing on him had left hopefully to find straighter pastures and Peter and Gary were alone in the room.
“Pete” Gary groaned, not looking up at him, the pronounced Adams apple in his throat bobbed as he nervously swallowed. Pete had a rule about getting with straight guys as a means of safety. But the way this man was laid on the couch in front of the out and proud gay man had not a single straight explanation.
“Gary” Pete whispered as he stood up and this finally made the boy look up at him.
“You’re very pretty but you are not my type” He added a sheepish smile at the end hoping to soften the blow that was being rejected.
“What the fuck are you talking about McVries, go peddle your papers somewhere else” Gary closed his legs sharply and pushed himself off of the couch with the haste to get away from him that Pete hadnt seen since the middle school locker room. Pete knew he wasn't imagining that man had practically moaned his name with the obvious bulge presented to him. Pete's eyes still tracked Gary as he went to the kitchen and quickly went back to being pet by the girl. Gary was a slut and Pete knew that he was too far gone for someone else to take part in it.
Pete went back to his now diluted Caesar and went back to the party. There was some old Europop song playing loudly in the dorm. Pete was not sure who had power over the aux cord but they were too Norwegian for his liking. He downed his drink tilting his head back, he slammed his glass on the counter, and looked up to see Ray Garraty with his tongue down a girl's throat.
Pete was frozen. He could see Rays mouth slip around the girls and after a flash of pink tongue knew he couldn’t leave from his spot. He knew his mouth was wide open in shock and he didn't care. Pete didn’t care about anything. He was stuck in place. He couldn’t just move on with his life now that he knew how much physical of a kisser Ray is. He knew from looking at him instead of feeling it for himself. His hands were planted on the side of the girls face and covered slightly by her long dark hair. She was bracketed by his gorgeous forearms. Pete was hypnotized by the way that Rays jaw worked methodically. He was kissing her slowly and Pete saw that he had glitter in the two days on stubble on his jaw. Pete was a dead man walking.
Pete thankfully was behind the kitchen island, so he thanked god he had the countertop to grab. Beside him was a tall girl shotgunning a cooler in literally two seconds. Pete would have been impressed if he could see things other than the technique that Ray used to kiss. He was at the perfect angle to see how his stomach moved when he inhaled. The white shirt tight around his thick stomach. Pete was going to lose it. Pete needed to do something. He needed to not the the fucking gay pervert who started at men when they kisses their classmates. Jan was bad at biology and now she knew what Rays spit tasted like. Fuck her and fuck that. Pete was going to make a bad choice.
His bad choice had just shotgunned another seltzer. She was taller than Pete and had the soft kind eyes of a doe. Her pretty heart shaped face had a dainty nose that was in contrast to how much of a frat bro she was being. Pete recognized her as the woman who had helped their elderly prof adjust her wheelchair. He was going to hell. She was laughing with a group of girls who were all awed by her talents.
“Hey Karly, you’re going to have to race me on that I’ve never lost” Pete turned to her and cooed the challenge to her.
“Neither have I” Karly replied, handing him the last cooler in the pack not missing a beat.
A curly haired girl counted them down from 5. Pete realized too late that he had no idea wha the fuck he was doing. He choked and sputtered on the drink and spilled most of it on the countertop. He tried again bringing the freezing drink to his full lips. Karly was already done. This girl was talented. She whooped as she claimed her victory and Pete was honestly amazed. She was blasted now and was leaning in for a hug. Pete had an idea. Peter had a no good, terrible idea.
He kissed her passionately.
Her eyes were shocked, but she giggled into it and pressed the kiss back to Pete. Pete who had known he was gay since he was four. Gary or fuck probably even Stebbins would have probably been a better participant but they were both no where to be found and kissing a man in public wasn’t something Pete thought Gary would ever do. This is his first kiss and that was technically true as he had only kissed boys before but this was semantics to him now. She had her back to the countertop and was giggling and Pete felt bad. He was snapped out of it. He opened his eyes before Karly and had a pair of dark brown eyes boring into his soul. Peter McVries locked eyes with Ray Garraty across the room. The stare was deliberate and piercing. Ray was glaring at Pete without moving his lips off the girls.
Pete blinked twice before as he kissed Karly again. He looked back at Ray and dared the boy to look away. Begged him with his eyes but Ray was adamant. This can’t be happening. He was staring at Pete as he swiped his tongue into her mouth in full view. Garraty was getting sloppy. Ray made small licks into Jan's mouth only for Pete to see. His tongue made his jaw flex and Pete had to blackout. Ray's full round shoulders moved languidly as he held on to Jans back. He felt Karly kissing him back with tenfold more heat than him and he wasn't a good man. If Garraty wanted to fucking dance Pete would lead.
He opened his mouth more to show more of his pink tongue to Garraty who hadn't blinked for at least a minute. Rays pupils were blown wide hidden by his dark irises. He was looking at Pete goading him on. Ray looked like a hungry predator, eyes narrow on Pete. Pete was being tortured. He threw his hail mary and winked at Ray. Pete had only seen Ray get really flustered once before. Pete knew that Ray was the kind of person to blush to his ears and down his neck and chest. Pete couldn't tell now in the lights but that prior knowledge was all he could think of now as they both kissed their girls.
Karly pushed on his chest and he had realized that he had pinned her to the counter.
“Holy shit, I should have let you win” Karly giggled and kissed him again on the cheek. Pete could only hear her muffledly as he looked at her pretty face. She had no pores up close.
“Yeah that was your prize” He winked again for the second time in thirty seconds like the dandy he was.
Karly giggled and was pulled into her girl group by shocked and awed faces. Pete was immediately ignored as the chattering grew to an incessant volume around him. He needs to leave. He has just used this girl to eyefuck the man he was obsessed with. He needed to be rational; this meant nothing. The way that Ray had looked at him had to mean nothing. Straight guys did weird stuff together all the time and he would know. He scanned the room for Stebbins. Ray's soft pink tongue slipping into another person's warm wet mouth was something Pete would never forget.
Pete was done. He wanted to talk to another human. Maybe so that if he said it out loud then maybe he would believe it himself. Ray, Karly, Stebbins and Gary were all nowhere to be seen. Richie and Erikas had their heads together whispering conspiratorially. There is no way that Pete was alone at this party, but he could barely walk straight. All he could see was Ray. The flashes of his tongue and how he was looking at him with undeniable lust in his eyes. Pete was looking around frantically when he was saved.
“Who the FUCK was that” Stebbins grabbed Petes huge bicep as he guided him forcefully into the bathroom.
“Who was what?” Pete replied stupidly.
“I turned around when Erika said you were making out with a girl. I thought it must have just been Gary from behind but I was mistaken.” The last three words were poked into Pete's hard chest with anger.
“Wait, did Gary hit on you too ?” was the only thing Pete replied and Bill looked like he was ready to murder Pete where he stood.
“That beautiful man has made a pass at every queer guy in this university” Stebbins barked out.
Pete was looking over Bills shoulder for Ray. He was nowhere to be seen and Pete needed to go. If they left together Pete would crawl deeper into his shame hole. Bill was still chastising him and Pete didn’t care. He needed to apologize to Karly who had been used for gay shenanigans.
“You need to stop chasing after tail and get it together. There are plenty of actual gay men here and you're stuck between Ray and a woman!”
“Ray is not straight.” Pete said.
“What did you do” Bill answered immediately.
Pete looked up at Stebbins. Who looked only a little flustered. He knew he was handsome. Pete had an amazing gaydar and he had barreled past wishful thinking when he saw the whites of Rays eyes as they rolled back after Pete had winked at him. He wasn't too proud to think of the effect he had on men.
“What did you do McVries!” Stebbins shouted after him as Pete headed to the door.
Stebbins caught up to Pete as he was tying his shoes at the front.
“You fucking hooked up with him. You were gone for like ten minutes and you kissed two people. They’re right you’re so easy” Stebbins stage whispered as he knelt down beside Pete.
“We didn’t hook up he was kissin-”
“What the fuck Pete!” Stebbins screeched showing the most emotion he had all night.
Pete left Stebbins on the ground and slammed the door behind him. He heard his easy lumbering footsteps behind him and Pete walked easily to their shared dorm room.
He walked in and flipped the lights. Stebbins was mad as hell behind him. Pete turned to him in the hallway of their shared room.
“We didn't kiss. We just looked at each other.” Pete said confidently so that Stebbins would believe him.
“Pete only you would get you rocks off by looking at Ray, you whore. You’re so needy for him. It’s cute, I just don’t want you to get your sad feeling hurt” Stebbins said with a surprisingly earnest tone. He was less mad now and Pete was hurt that he just didn't want Pete to be hung up on another straight man. Or worse being known as some kind of predator.
Bill went into their shared bathroom. Pete got changed as he heard the shower running. He climbed into his bed with all his clothes piled on the floor and just stared at the ceiling. Rays forearms flexed behind his eyelids so he decided to not even try to sleep until he had wound down and stopped thinking with his dick. Pete stared up and decided that there was no way that this meant nothing. By the time Stebbins had crawled into bed across the room Pete had a gameplan for the exhilarating task of finding out if Ray liked men. Not men, Peter decided sleepily. If he liked Pete back.