Thug alley

“Yo, Nathan, pass us dat lighter den,” Jaydee, said, flicking his fingers impatiently. The alleyway stank of stale piss and old food containers, but the three of them didn’t mind; they lounged against the graffiti tagged wall like they owned the place.

Nathan grinned slow and lazy, rolling the lighter between his knuckles before tossing it towards Declan.

Jaydee snatched it mid air, lit his cig and exhaled a cloud of smoke into Declan’s face.

Nathan stretched his arms behind his head, the fabric of his black tracksuit straining over his shoulders. He was the tallest of the three, he had a smirk that could cut through glass, his hair was shaved close to the sides, the top a messy tangle of brunette hair.

“It’s getting chilly fam,” Nathan muttered, his eyes watching the way the ash from Jaydee’s cigarette scattered like tiny insects.

Jaydee, smaller but makes up for it with his quick wit, his tracksuit zipped up halfway showing off a silver chain nestled in the hollow of his throat, one of his hands resting in the waistband of his tracksuit. He had a habit of rolling his shoulder as he spoke, like he was constantly trying to shake something off that wasn’t there. “Bet Miles would piss himself if he saw us” he said, his voice dripping with something that wasn’t quite malice but more akin to anticipation as if he’s waiting, expecting Miles to appear.

Declan coughed at the smoke blown in his face from Jaydee’s cigarette, he was the quieter one but not in a way that made him forgettable. He stood against the wall broad shoulders, arms crossed, his sleeves on his tracksuit somewhat pushed up to reveal thick forearms dusted with dark hair.

He didn’t move much but when he did it was with a lazy predatory grace that made one wonder if he was calculating something behind those clueless eyes.

“Miles,” he repeated “that cunt owes me money,” he hissed “cause he scuffed my Airforce,” his voice was a rumble as he spoke.

Nathan snorted as he kicked a can towards Declan. “Nah, he actually paid up last time we saw him innit… fucker cried tho.”

The cigarette ash scattered again as a gust of wind tore through the alley, and that’s when Nathan saw him. Miles, shuffling past the mouth of the alley like a ghost trying not to be noticed. His shoulders hunched, hands shoved in his pockets, that stupid oversized hoodie swallowing him whole.

Nathan’s smirk winded into something sharp. “Well… well…” he drawled, as he pushed off the wall nudging Jaydee, “...speak of the devil.”

Jaydee followed Nathan’s gaze, locking on to Miles, his grin turned wolfish, he took a long drag of his cig, the embers flaring bright in the dim alley before tossing the bud aside as he exhaled a larger cloud of smoke towards Miles like a becoming finger.

“Oi, Milesy…” Jaydee called, his voice alluring but dangerous “...Where you hurrying off to den mate?” Miles froze mid step, shoulders tensing like a deer in head lights.

Miles didn’t turn around, but his shoulders hitched higher, like he was trying to fold himself smaller. The hood of his sweatshirt slipped back just enough to expose the pale curve of his neck. Nathan’s grin widened.

He cracked his knuckles as he took a slow step forward “so, princess, were you just going to ignore us and not say hi?”

Jaydee crushed the still lit cigarette under the toe of his sneaker as he stepped forward “nah, he’s just shy, isn’t that right?” Jaydee drawled out as he snagged the back of Mile’s hoodie before he could have a chance of bolting.

The fabric stretched in Jaydee’s grip, yanking Miles backwards with a started yelp into the alley.

Miles stumbled back, the hoodie tightening against his throat like a noose before he was slammed into the wall, surrounded on all sides by the three thugs.

Miles’ face burned red, his eyes darting between them not knowing where to look, Nathan’s looming height, Jaydee’s wolffish grin or Declan’s bulging tracksuit bottoms, definitely not there.

Like an animal cornered by prey, Miles weighed his odds “I-i was just in a hurry, I gotta get home,” his voice cracked, Nathan barked out a laugh, rough and mean.

“What… so no time for us?” Nathan hissed as he crowded closer, close enough that miles could feel the heat from his breath as he spoke, his fingers darted out brushing Miles’ jaw, too light to be a threat but too deliberate to be accidental, as Nathan held Miles’ chin upwards to face him.

“You were just gonna to walk right past,” Miles tried to look away but Nathan’s grip was tight holding his head up “How rude,” Nathan sighed.

Miles swallowed hard, the movement visible under Nathan’s finger tip. As Nathan stood even closer Miles could feel a warmth pressed up against him, Nathan wasn’t shy and that was evident from the bulge in his tracksuit.

Declan’s fingers twitched, coiling like a snake into a fist before striking Miles in the stomach causing him to keel over in pain, Nathan released his grip on Mile’s chin.

His breath hitched as he tried to catch his breath, Jaydee was now looming over him, grinning as he picked Miles up propping him against the wall as all three crowded around once more.

Miles could feel the cold brick wall through his hoodie as he tried to steady himself. The three of them closed in tight like a constrictor's grip. Shadows pooled over Miles, as their breaths mixed warm and moist, Mile’s pulse hammed so loud he was sure they could hear it as they closed in.

Jaydee braced a palm against the brick wall beside Miles’ head, leaning down until their noses were almost touching, their lips daring to touch as he spoke “You’re actually jumpy today den princess…” his thumb brushing the hinges of Miles’ jaw, his touch lingering, his callous fingers were warm, almost comforting “...we don’t bite unless you make us.”

The tension was getting too much for Miles and even for the other guys, almost like an energy building between them until footsteps were heard walking passed the alley causing the boys to tense up Jaydee quickly removed his hand from Miles face as the figure walked passed, there was silence between the lads, no one wished to speak, the air was thick with tension.