Awsten's pov:
I wiped down the counter in one swift movement, feeling the wetness of the cloth underneath my hand, watching as the water beaded up on the surface.
I heard the bell ring, looking up I was met with a pair of ocean eyes.
"Hey," he grinned, walking over to me and leaning over the counter to place a kiss on my cheek.
Normally I would be more self conscious of Dallon being here during my shift, but the cafe was empty at the moment and my shift was almost over.
"You ready to go," he asked.
I checked my watch although I already knew the time. I'd been mentally counting down the minutes until I was off work and my movie date with Dallon would begin.
Otto had been ghosting me for a week, with no explanation, so he was the furthest thing from my mind at the moment.
All I cared about right now was Dallon.
"Yeah," I threw the cloth I was still holding into the sink, poking my head into the back room where my coworker was on the phone. I motioned that I was heading out and they replied with a thumbs up and a mouthed "have fun."
I untied my apron and slipped it over my head.
Date time.
.....
I felt Dallon's grip on my hand tighten as the opening scene flashed on the screen.
We were watching Passengers.
It was a rerun, but I'd never seen it before. Dallon had said he'd only seen the last five minutes of it.
There was something so wonderfully terrible about knowing the ending, I think.
Like, sure you know how it all works out, but you never get to experience how it got there in the same way you would've before.
Happy endings are happy because they were something else before. A pre-anticipated happy ending is just; expected.
But I didn't tell Dallon any of that. He was too excited, and I didn't think my analysis of movie watching habits would matter.
I rested my free hand on my chin as I watched the movie, fully engaged in the words that were being said.
"You can't get so hung up on where you'd rather be that you forget to make the most of where you are."
"What're you telling me?"
"Take a break from worrying about what you can't control... live a little."
I glanced over at Dallon, he was leaned back, enjoying the movie, digging through an almost empty bag of popcorn.
It crossed my mind then that he could be the love of my life. He could be the reason that I make the most of where I am.
It was a crazy thought, but looking next to me at the boy covered in buttery popcorn and wonderfully sweet smelling cologne, I smiled to myself a little bit.
"They say time heals all wounds."
"Broken hearts aren't that simple, Arthur. You wouldn't understand."
It occurred to me that this was a rather sad movie. A tragic love story, built around selfish behavior, around lies and deceit, around people being very human. And there was something that was just so beautiful about that.
"You'd be alone."
"I've been alone before... and I'll be fine."
"But I would never see you again."
"I'll come and visit you."
I felt my heart break just a little bit. Like someone had slightly torn the corner of my emotions, tugging at my heartstrings.
I was thinking of Otto again.
I was thinking about those last two lines.
I'll never see him again.
He won't come and visit me.
He is the reason that distance is far, he is the reason that cats purr and dogs wag their tails, he is why flowers grow in the spring and why it snows in the winter and why my heart hurts when I watch movies with other cute guys that I like a lot. Because deep down I know that I was made for him and that he was made for me in a cruel and twisted, horrible kind of way.
I watched as the credits rolled and the lights were flicked back on, Dallon pulled me up with him, not letting go of my hand as we made our way outside of the theater.
"That was nice," I spoke, stretching my arms over my head, feeling stiff after sitting for so long.
"Yeah," Dallon smiled. "It really was." He paused. "Um Awsten, I actually have a question for you."
I nodded my head to let him know to continue.
He fiddled with the strings on his hoodie. "Will you be my boyfriend?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
I never once hesitated.
I wanted to be Dallon's boyfriend. He was perfect, and when I texted him, he always replied.
I tried to tell myself that I wasn't giving Otto a subtle "fuck you" by thinking this, but I knew that I was.
I kissed Dallon. On the lips. Hard.
Wherever Otto was, I hoped he was slightly, just slightly, miserable at the thought of having to live his life without me.
