The Sight (bxb)

Chapter 59 - Holidays

"By any chance, I would very much like to see photos of you in a dinosaur costume. I admit, dinosaurs have grown quite close to my heart," was his answer, and Ryan was beaming again.

"Dinosaurs or one in particular?" Evan had no problem catching the meaning behind the question.

"Well, this Pachycephalosaurus is kinda cool," he replied. It was both a compliment to Ryan and a recognition of his favourite dinosaur, so it should be a win either way.

"He's the best," he hummed in agreement. They were back in their little cheesy world and even though Evan wasn't a fan of cheesy, he was slowly getting used to it. Not that he had a choice as his heart raced every time, he heard Ryan's voice.

"We're seriously cheesy, aren't we?" Ryan chuckled, speaking Evan's thoughts out loud as if he heard them in his own head. In a way, it was a foreshadowing of what they were slowly but surely heading towards.

"Yeah, I guess all..." Evan trailed off slowly, realizing what he almost said. His eyes widened, and he had no idea what to do. He couldn't quickly figure out what to say to steer the conversation away from a word neither of them had yet said in connection with them. At least not out loud.

Ryan was also quiet, as if he too was waging a silent battle within himself and didn't know what to say out loud. The atmosphere between them changed quickly, but it was still not unpleasant. It never was.

"We can call it something else if you want," Ryan suggested in a low tone as if he wasn't sure what he was saying.

"No!" Evan let his inner wolf get the better of him and let out a scream he almost didn't realize. He was shocked at himself and not just because he had just embarrassed himself in front of Ryan, but because of how eager he was to call Ryan what he was.

"I-" he began, but again he had no idea how to finish the sentence. Fortunately, this time the black-haired boy in front of him got it.

"Maybe we can talk about it when I get back? I don't think the bus stop is the best place for this, and certainly not when we only have a few minutes. Not that I have anything against this stop, as I always like to see you here, just not when I'm leaving you," he admitted. It was as sincere as ever, and Evan couldn't ignore it.

"Yeah, we can talk about it when you get back. I mean, my soul will be here waiting for you anyway," Evan decided to match his level of honesty, even though it was way out of his comfort zone. But apparently it was worth it as he was rewarded with Ryan's bright smile.

"I'm gonna fucking miss you," he chuckled shortly, and Evan joined him. With another reminder that Ryan was indeed leaving, Evan remembered the gift in his hands.

"Here. It's nothing extra and it's definitely going to look cheesy, but somehow I think you might like it," he felt the need to defend his choice as he still wasn't sure if it was a good idea. With his words, he handed Ryan a flimsily wrapped gift and he carefully took it from him.

"Thank you." The ink-haired boy held the wrapped box in his hands for a while, watching it as if trying to guess what was inside, but then gave up. A travel bag fell from his shoulder to the ground, and he bent down to place the gift he had received inside. He carefully placed the box between his clothes to give it proper protection and then pulled out a similarly wrapped gift from the bag, only slightly smaller and tied with a red ribbon. He then stood up and handed it to Evan.

Evan wasn't at all surprised that Ryan's attempt at working with the wrapping paper went much better than his. He ran his fingers over the neatly wrapped gift and could tell by the sharp edges that Ryan, like him, had put the gift in the box.

"Thanks," he thanked him and already wanted to open it to see what he bought him. It was the first thing he had received from his soulmate, and he was sure he would remember it for a very long time.

Although all his attention was focused on the handsome boy in front of him, he couldn't help but notice the bus slowly approaching them. Their little moment was ending, and Ryan's departure was here. He couldn't help but feel down, even though he was supposed to see him again in a few days.

Ryan immediately noticed the change in his face and glanced back to notice the bus behind him. His travel bag was still on the cold ground, but instead of reaching for it, his hand shot up to Evan's cheek. The brown-eyed boy blinked in surprise, but before he could say anything, Ryan rested his forehead against his.

"Like a Pachycephalosaurus," he whispered. Evan knew very well that this moment was not a friendly gesture, but he decided not to protest this time. Not that he could when he was enjoying his touch so much that he closed his eyes.

"I'm gonna fucking miss you," he repeated the words the other boy had said earlier.

The bus was only a few meters away from them, and Ryan pulled away from him. First his forehead and then he pulled his hand back to him as he left it on Evan's face for a few seconds longer. Then he got up to get his bag and threw the strap over his shoulder, and there was only one thing left for him – to say goodbye. But instead, he said, "See you."

"Happy Holidays, Bane," was Evan's reply.

"Happy Holidays, Lightwood." And so, they said goodbye for the week with big smiles on their faces.