𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎

𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚕

The alarm clock on David's bedside blinks 12:07, the numbers reflect green on the surface of the table.

How did it get so late? David wonders.

They've been talking for hours, about nothing and everything.

Harry's new book seems to be popular and Exer tells him that his magic has been seemingly controlled. Listening to him talk kept making David realize how much he'd missed him. Hearing his voice, laced with excitement, and the way his eyes danced, as deep as the earth when he talked about the cafe. It was good, David felt good.

He sits on his bed across from Exer, staring down at him as he rests at the edge of the mattress Christine pulled up from the basement. It smelled like dust and is fitted in these god-awful floral sheets.

He watches Exer's face, the way it pulls into thought with playfulness, as his eyebrows furrow.

"Do you think your mom is asleep?" Exer asks. The room is dark, the only light coming from a rocket ship lamp David had when he was four. But despite the dim lighting, David thinks he can see a mischievous smile spread across Exer's face.

He exhales lowly out his nose

"Definitely, after 10 she's out like a light," He shifts his feet, dangling them from the edge of the bed. "She keeps a strict sleep schedule, it's funny."

He pauses, playing along, "Why'd you ask?"

Exer gets up quickly, almost too fast for David to comprehend. He walks near him and pulls him upward, exhaust and the taste of toothpaste riddles David's lips, but suddenly he is tasting something else. Exer smiles before kissing him. It's soft and quick because Exer pulls back, leaving just a few inches between their faces, so close that David can see the beads of sweat that line Exer's forehead.

It's hot.

the weather I mean, David tells himself.

Exer laughs lightly, clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"I've been waiting to do that," he whispers lowly, his breath warm against David's face. He smells familiar, like leather car seats and summer nights.

David's cheeks flush pink in just the way Exer likes. The ruddy color that hints his face has always been a reminder to Exer of how beautiful David is, how alive.

David scrunches his nose, "Sometimes I forget you can do that?" he says, and it's true. He's so used to being best friends with Exer that he forgets that now they are something more. He still doesn't know what exactly.

"Oh really?" Exer says brightly, "Would you like me to show you again?"

David nods quickly and holds in a laugh. This time the kiss is longer, to make up for their time apart. David smiles into his lips, as Exer threads his fingers loosely through his hair. It makes his head foggy when he feels Exer run his tongue over his bottom lip, pressing them together.

Exer is the first to pull back again and David makes a noise of protest, almost whining, but Exer just traces his fingers gently over David's face, remembering the bloodied bruises that were left in its place weeks ago. He can still see a faint scratch, a scar on his upper lip that can't seem to heal. David just watches him, pupils dilated.

Moonlight stains their skin, and Exer stops.

"When was the last time you slept?" he asks, and the question catches David off guard.

"Huh?" he swallows, leaning forward slightly.

"Sleeping," Exer says, "It's a thing people do, at night. Ever heard of it?"

David shoves his shoulder, "Fuck off."

But Exer gently grabs the side of David's face again.

"No, but seriously, have you been?"

David's first instinct is to lie, to make up some excuse to get Exer to drop it, but David stops himself. He needs to be open, vulnerable, around someone at least. David takes in a breath of stale air, wishing someone would open a window.

"Um... not really," he tilts his head like a puppy and shrugs his shoulders. He feels guilty and doesn't know why. He flashes an awkward smile and Exer, whose hand has remained on David's cheek moves down to his waist.

"I just-" he rubs his eyes in balled-up fists, looking away, "I just have had trouble, I keep waking up."

"Waking up? Like with bad dreams?" Exer asks softly.

"Yeah, I guess you could call them that."

"Hmm," He thinks for a moment, "is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know really. I haven't had problems like this since I was little. It's weird."

"I understand," Exer says, David grabs his hand, toying with his fingers.

"Y'know what could help? Maybe going back to what we were doing before?" He shrugs his hands up with the question, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Exer chokes on his laugh.

"Oh really?"

David batts his eyelashes and pouts his lips.

"God you're an idiot," Exer says, but he's already pulling David in.

. . . . . . . . .

The night passes quickly with the taste of heat and summer air on their tongues. They are lying in David's bed, his cotton blue sheets crumpled under their weary bodies. The mattress that Exer was supposed to sleep on lays discarded on his bedroom floor. David almost feels bad that his mother went through the effort of dragging it up from the basement just to be unused.

'111111111111111He can hear the steady beat of Exer's heart as he lays on his chest, cheeks pressed against his loose shirt, with his right arm draped across Exer's torso.

Exer sighs, letting out a breath like smoke as he toys with David's hair which has lost its brilliant blonde in the dark.

And it just feels so comfortable, so familiar, like this is how they were always meant to be. With their joy seeping through their smiles and love drowning their hearts.

It's nice, David thinks.

He mumbles incoherent whispers into Exer's chest. His eyes feel heavy, dragging him toward sleep. He hasn't felt this relaxed, this safe, in weeks.

David hasn't wanted to shut his eyes and succumb to sleep since the incident. He didn't want to face his father in his dreams.

But tonight, David isn't scared. Not with the way that Exer is holding him. His mind begins to fog, blurring his cognizance. And all he feels is Exer's warmth and the lingering buzz and taste of his lips. It's all he wants to feel. Forever.

The soft pad of Exer's thumb brushes over his forehead and the arms wrapped around his back hold him tighter.

And all is quiet.