the killing kind - (lgbt | onc 2022)

8

word count: 2158
total word count: 17655

Laura didn't like Alec's bowling alley idea, but after some gentle persuasion that involved Kavi getting irritated and Jasper gently reminding her that he was an adult and wasn't technically asking for permission at all, she relented under the condition that Kavi kept her handgun on him and they returned before midnight.

They met up with Alec on the corner of the street, the sun already dipping below the horizon and leaving a dusky orange glow in the sky. She greeted the pair with a wide, gleaming smile, offering Jasper a hand. He'd been spending most of his time in his bedroom, still unsure about going out in public, so those who'd respected Laura's wishes for privacy hadn't yet had a chance to greet him.

"Jasper," she said. "It's really nice to see you again."

Jasper's returning smile was shy, but he took her hand without hesitating and shook it. "You too, Alec."

She beamed at him.

Paul and Mari, perhaps the only couple Kavi had ever seen make it out of high school still intact, met them a few blocks down, dragging two other former classmates along with them that Kavi recognized as Alaina and Liam. Paul greeted Jasper by throwing his arms around his shoulders, making Kavi wince and tense, prepared to tear him off.

But to his surprise, Jasper allowed it—no, he welcomed it, returned it with an ecstatic burst of laughter.

"Paul!"

"Jasper, man, we've missed you!" Paul stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. "Football hasn't been the same without you."

"Well, I'm back now to fumble every catch."

"Come on, you weren't that bad."

Kavi realized his cheeks were starting to hurt, unable to keep himself smiling. Jasper was happy, so genuinely happy it hurt. Kavi wouldn't have asked for anything else.

The bowling alley attendant got them started with a lane near the right wall. One other party played a game a few lanes to the left, bathed in the only source of light in the dimmed alley—neon fixtures in blue and purple on the ceiling that reminded Kavi of high school diagrams of microorganisms. Other than that, it was empty.

Someone plugged their names into the computer while others claimed a table and Paul left to order pizza and drinks all around from the front counter. Kavi took a seat and Jasper did the same across the table from him. A radio announcer's voice faded away, replaced by some kind of atmospheric bedroom pop.

"Put Jas in first," Alec suggested. "He's the reason we're celebrating."

"It's been over a year," Jasper protested. "There's no way I'll be any good at this."

"Perfect morale booster for the rest of us when you start off with a gutter ball, then," Paul said brightly as he reappeared. With one hand, he settled down a square cardboard box on the table before passing out cans of beer.

"Oh, shut up." Jasper rolled his eyes and stood up. Kavi watched. Some part of him felt like he should be savouring this, committing everything to memory, from the way Jasper leaned over to slip his fingers into the gaps in one of the heavy planet-coloured bowling balls to his stride up to the marker on the floor. Two fast, confident steps, and then the neon lights overhead caught on the dome of the ball as he released it with enough force to make Kavi think he could've beheaded someone with the throw.

The ball cracked loudly off the floor and spun into the pins, sending each one flying with a resounding crash. Jasper turned, his smile huge and bright on his face, to a scattering of applause from the group.