calling up rebellion [brance]

chapter seven: roadside curb

BRUCE YAMADA AND VANCE HOPPER sat on the roadside curb, Bruce's knees were pushed to his chest and his hands wrapped around them. His fingers felt fragile at the jabbing autumn cold, goosebumps running up along his neck and down across his arms. Bruce secretly wished he had grabbed his coat on the way out.

Vance on the other hand had his face resting on his knees, facing Bruce as Vance watched him stare off into the distance. The lamppost across the street from them emit a small orange glow and didn't manage to reach far enough across the road to lighten them up either. They were sat in the shadows.

Vance liked Bruce's face shape, he had a soft but at the same time sharp jawline. His lips were soft, smooth. Vance liked to look at them, Bruce's head turned towards Vance. But this time Vance didn't look away, neither did Bruce. They looked at eachother for a long time, almost as if they were taking eachother in. Bruce had opened his mouth more than once to start a conversation, or atleast try to, but no words ever managed to flow from his tongue. Like it was glued to the bottom of his mouth.

Vance's eyes trailed around his face, his eyes were brown. Hazel. They rapidly went from Vances face to the concrete every few seconds, trying to collect himself. Vance could have stared at him longer, but maybe that'd be deemed as creepy. Vance is a lot of things, including that list is creepy.

Vance had the urge to lean in, to finally kiss the dark haired boy. His silken chocolate hair delicately arrests the rays of the moonlight that find themselves in the honour of being caught in it, his brazen eyes staring back at the blue whirl pools of Vance's. Bruce felt his eyes flicker down towards Vance's lips, his stomach rising back into its slight churn at the thought of Vance.

Vance was thinking, his heartbeat felt like it was in his ears as he was going to do the most risky thing he's probably done in his life, this could either backfire completely or maybe.. just maybe..

Just a few seconds passed of them staring at eachother, their eyes interlocking a few times and Bruce quickly shying away. That's when Vance took the risk, he leaned his face forward and kissed Bruce.

Their lips attached and Vance brought his hand up to Bruce's neck, their chests touched and Vance could feel Bruce's breath quicken. Bruce was taken aback, he didn't know whether to kiss back or to push him away. Their lips moved in sync without thinking, his hands flung back on the concrete pavement as Vance had both hands on the back of his neck. He kissed as someone in love, as if the time had stopped around him and he could feel none other than Bruce Yamada. Vance could feel his own heartbeat beat against his chest. Their noses sometimes touched, Bruce's face a deep burgundy red, he felt happy but disgusted at the same time.

Bruce pulled both his hands up and pushed Vance away, connecting them with his chest and their lips finally departing at that action. Vance opened his eyes as Bruce just stared at him, this time with slight shock and disgust glistening in his eyes. Vance knew he had officially fucked up, opening his mouth to speak but no words leaving.

Bruce wiped his lips with his hand, blinking away the tears that begged to desperately be released. "What..?" Was the only word that he managed to choke up, uttering from his throat as he let it out in a whisper.

"Bruce.. I-" Vance started, leaning forward as he watched Bruce shuffle backwards. Tears were now threatening to leave his eyes aswell, "I thought-"

Bruce shook his head rapidly, his eyes now glossy as he blinked. His eyes travelling upwards to look at the slowly fading starry sky, "Vance.. I can't.. I'm not-" Bruce swallowed, like he knew saying this was dangerous, "I'm not one of them.." He breathed out in less than a second, it was almost inaudible but Vance managed to pick it up in the quiet air.

Oh

Oh.

Vance had never felt his heart shatter so fast, the shards ripping his chest from the top to the bottom. He felt as if Bruce was reaching inside his chest and squeezing his lungs until he could no longer breath, Vance knew he'd be the one to make his heart break and bleed red ribbons but he wasn't expecting it like this. Fighting against his own tongue, a few words fell from his throat, "I'm so sorry Bruce, we can just pretend-"

Bruce scoffing cut off Vance again, "pretend? Are you serious Vance?" Bruce couldn't tell why he had said that, maybe it's because he knew it wouldn't leave his mind, the words that next left his mouth not his but more of the thing that he had spoken about possessing him lately. Looking in the mirror and not seeing himself but somebody he had always wanted to be, somebody who spoke without consequence. "I hate you."

Vance felt another jab at his heart, it bleeding more than it had before. "You don't hate me," Vance muttered, "not truly, that'd make you weak."

"I'd rather be weak than a monster like you." Bruce snarled, standing from his sitting position and staring down at a tearful Vance. He didn't realise what his words had done in that moment, his head being trapped in the loop that this was wrong. Loving a boy as a boy was wrong, he shouldn't love Vance. He should love a pretty girl, with pretty hair and pretty eyes. Not a boy with pretty hair and pretty eyes. Bruce wished he could make these feelings in his stomach disperse and disappear forever, but no matter how hard he wished, no matter how hard he prayed, they would always trail behind him as if it was the grim reaper chasing him down for death.

Vance was speechless, for once in life he had no idea what to reply with. But he needn't think of a reply anyways, Bruce had turned on his heels and began walking away, leaving Vance sat on the edge of a roadside curb with his heart bleeding out onto the concrete below him.

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1065 words

Not a long chapter, angst is needed always!! If I see anybody coming for my boy bruce i will rage. Internalised homophobia is a thing and Bruce has it, leave my boy alone for a lil. I promise they'll get their actual first kiss soon, just not yet because we all need to feel pain before comfort (real!)

P.S. no Bruce doesn't hate Vance, I did try to explain it (but I sometimes suck at writing 🤩) he was just speaking in the moment, cuz he was scared of his own feelings.

Hope you enjoyed reading, thank you!! (: