I'll Share With You My Heartbeat

fourteen

Lennon mauled over the information, eyes focused on his battered sneakers. "What's on the other side?"

"Does it matter? I just need a way out."

Running his tongue over his upper row of teeth, Lennon gazed softly at the ravenhead across from him. This boy with his skin a little pale, his lips a little discolored. In fact, Kieran looked a bit more transparent than he remembered, like he had exhausted his energy searching for his ticket.

"Is it scary?" Lennon asked, intertwining his fingers and dropping his voice a decibel lower, "Are you scared?"

He saw Kieran's Adam's apple bobbing nervously before he spoke, meeker than ever. "I'm— terrified, Len." Hesitantly, he met the chestnut boy's eyes, brimming with quiet empathy. "I've been terrified for longer than I remember."

There came to rush— the impel to hold him. Instead, Lennon tucked his hands under his crossed arms.

"It— it's okay." Lennon smiled just as meekly through the stutter in his response. "I'm scared too."

"You? Scared of what?"

The genuine mystification on Kieran's face made the boy laugh, hiding his face behind his sleeve cutely.

"You're the most carefree, most lively person I've ever met— Well, it doesn't say a lot since I haven't gotten the chance to met any people. But truly!" he continued, scooting closer to the boy like a newfound specimen, "You're just so... unbound. That's a good word for you. That's the perfect word for you. You're always an explosion of something. Never confined."

Lennon leaned his chin into his palm and gazed at the ravenhead with the softest look on his face, admiring the rare occasion of Kieran being so animated and chatty.

What he failed to grasp, however, was that he was the topic at hand.

"What's your last name?"

The chestnut boy blinked out of his trance, the question out of the blue. "Curio."

"Okay." Kieran leaned closer, their knees grazing each other's. "Tell me, what is Lennon Curio afraid of?"

"A lot of things." He subconsciously rubbed his arm where the bandage lay. "Needles. Spiders."

"Ah."

"But um." Lennon nudged his head towards the camera that was facing them but didn't dare look at it himself. "This whole thing I have with photography is my coping mechanism... for fear."

"Of what?"

"People leaving."

Kieran's expression crumbled into something more serious. "Who left you?"

The boy didn't answer, feet shifting awkwardly and face downcast.

Kieran pulled back when he sensed Lennon's unease, not wanting to crowd into his space. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

The smile Lennon gave him was full of thankfulness. "I'll tell you when we get home."

When we get home. As if Kieran lived with him.

"Whatever makes you comfortable."

Lennon flashed him one last smile worth swooning over before leaping onto his feet and going back towards his camera. "Oh!"

"What?" Kieran asked.

"I forgot I started a timer."

The ravenhead was on his feet at once, making his way towards the camera and squinting at the small screen.

There sat Lennon all pretty and beaming to his right, where Kieran was supposed to be. Of course, he didn't show up in the picture, however, a bright red, opened umbrella hovered over the space above him.

Kieran loved how candid it was. He loved Lennon's peppy smile and his side profile that showed off the strong slope of his nose.

"I look like I'm talking to nothing but air," the chestnut boy noted aloud, "Which is perfect. Essence without being!" He reared up on the balls of his feet excitedly. "You know, I wanted to try having just the umbrella floating in the picture. It's cinematic. But you top it all off! I can feel it. I can feel you through the photo. Isn't that something?" He ranted on in pure Lennon fashion.

Kieran's eyes remained fixed on the photo. "You're cute," he let slip, poking at the boy's tummy.

Lennon's body folded into itself to escape the ravenhead's teasing fingers. "Thanks," he giggled, swiveling the other way as his cheeks flushed.

Once they've calmed down, the chestnut boy stifled a yawn before gesturing Kieran towards his original spot.

"You're sleepy?" the ravenhead asked.

"A little." Lennon rubbed his eye and smiled. "Let's take a few more and head back."

The sun began to bid them farewell.

Kieran's sharp face was aglow under orange hues, a resemblance of a smile adorned his lips, just to show Lennon how content he was in front of the camera.

It made him feel seen.

Lennon made him feel seen.

The fading of colors swept across the sky like a turning page, welcoming a brand new chapter. One that hopefully brought the boys closer, despite the infinite worlds between them.