Now You Know ✅

Chapter 37: The Act of Elucidation

"What is this, Pelham?"

Lucio's voice sent reverberations against Pelham's shoulder when he asked that, angling his head to the side and tilting his chin up while doing so to gaze up at him. Charcoal eyebrows. Iridescent eyes. Lips pink as ever. Cheeks flushed. Pelham stared down at him, musing on where Lucio had gotten his looks from.

"I don't know," Pelham murmured in response, his fingers absentmindedly running through Lucio's dark fringe that was tickling at his jaw.

Lucio merely nodded. He didn't say anything else after that, and Pelham felt him duck his head, nuzzling Pelham's neck while doing so, as if to seek for warmth. Lucio shifted closer to Pelham on the bed, as though they weren't already close enough - what with their arms around each other and their legs entangled, they were basically cuddling. Not that Pelham minded. If he could, he would stay on the bed with Lucio forever; lying on their sides, facing each other. Neither of them had even bothered to move out of their positions, let alone to proceed with their revisions. They had been too worn out to shift away, after being far too entwined in each other's arms, hair tousled, shirts ruffled.

It wasn't that Pelham didn't know what to call it, what to conclude. Rather, he was trying to see what Lucio was calling it - this. Though, it didn't look like either of them was going to label it any time soon, even if Pelham could personally assume what he wanted. It was only a matter of the other one's outlook. And Pelham wasn't one to spoil that. He was, as everyone had always said about him, the open-the-door-to-let-someone-in-first kind of boy.

Lucio was twiddling the topmost button of Pelham's polo shirt, his long delicate fingers working over the disc-shaped material. Every now and then, he would unbutton it, and then he would button it back up. For all Pelham knew, Lucio was feeling apprehensive. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't want to push either. So he let time do its work.

Eventually, Lucio spoke, "I'm gonna see my parents this summer."

That drew Pelham's attention. He moved his head to get a better look at the boy. "You're ... going home?" his chest was tight and heavy all of a sudden.

"I need to see my parents," said Lucio, pushing himself up on his elbows and staring down at Pelham. "So yes, I'm going home."

"Oh,"

"It's only for a couple of weeks or so,"

It wasn't helping Pelham whatsoever. "Okay,"

Lucio seemed to notice the apparent change in Pelham's expression, because he then leaned closer and touched the base of Pelham's neck, his fingers faintly fitting into the indentation just above his collarbone. "You - um, do you wanna come along?" he murmured, eyes downcast. Pelham had a good view of the way his eyelashes swept at his cheeks, and fought the urge to touch them.

"Thought you'd never offer," he said, grinning.

"Well, do you?"

"Of course," he shrugged. "Not because of you. I've always wanted to go to Spain myself, see."

Lucio snorted.

"I mean, I've always wanted to see the Belém Tower," Pelham continued.

"That's in Portugal, Pelham,"

Pelham paused. "It's not in Spain?"

"It's not in Spain,"

"There goes my childhood wish. Guess I won't be coming with you,"

When Lucio brought his hand up to hit - punch - slap - he couldn't tell - Pelham caught him by his wrist and pulled, so Lucio collapsed on top of him with a small "Oof!". That being so, Pelham regretted ever doing it the instant it happened, for the impact itself had pushed all the air out of his lungs that he wheezed.