Forbidden Love (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 3

As they walked along the riverbank, playing a game of what Jasper calls Twenty Questions. Sullivan couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "So umm, what are those rings on your lip called?" The redhead pointed at his own bottom lip, hoping the gloomy teen understood. The closest thing he saw, to men wearing jewelry, were pierced ears or wedding bands on their ring finger. But never something like this.

   Jasper flicked one of the silver rings with his blue stained tongue, unconsciously, looking at the redhead. He finished his sucker a while ago and the stick was in his back pocket with the wrapper. "Snakebites." Was all he said, unaware he was biting at the same piercing he messed with a few seconds ago, before looking down at the ground. He lightly jumped onto a fallen tree that formed a natural bridge between two upright trees and began walking along it. The fallen tree's sturdy trunk acted as a connecting platform, with a steep ditch below. Sullivan, afraid of heights, decided it was best to walk down the steep hill beside the dead wood watching the brunette walk to the other side. Sullivan climbed up to meet Jasper's raised hand, stretched out, toward him to help him up, which he gladly took. Jasper pulled him up, stumbling a bit from the exposed roots, but caught his balance. "Thanks." Sullivan smiled up at the tall teen. 

   The dark teen only nodded, also stunned by their height difference. "Damn, you're pretty short, Shorty." He smiled, bopping Sullivans head a few times, before laughing at his own comment.

   "Hey, if you must know, I am 5'6!" Sullivan argued, his face turning as red as a tomato. "Yeah, yeah, Keep telling yourself that, Shorty." The taller teen annunciated the nickname, causing Sullivans face to turn even more red. Sullivan, trying to change the topic off of him, asked, "Did they hurt? You know, your snakebites?" Still curious about the piercings. The redhead realized he has been gawking at Jasper for a while, so he crouched down to pick at some dry grass, making sure to not look at the brunette. He didn't want to weird Jasper out by staring at him so much. Jasper stopped for a moment, intrigued on why Sullivan stopped to pick some grass.

   He finally answered, "Eh, only a little bit. Felt like I was being pinched. But, uh, I have a feeling, from the looks of it, I don't think your family will approve of them or how I dress." Jasper walked up to the crouched redhead, Sullivan looked back up at him, only to immediately look away to continue picking the dry grass. Jasper noticed he was trying not to look at him. Maybe he will ask him about that later. "What do you mean?" Sullivan questioned wondering why he brought up his family all of a sudden.

   Jasper peered over the redhead's shoulder watching him shove the dry grass into his side pockets. The dark teen wondered if he was going to start a fire or something. "Well, your family, from the looks of you, and you can tell me if I'm wrong, seem very religious and strict. No offense." Sullivan let out a small chuckle from that response as he finished shoving grass into his pocket, wishing he brought a backpack. "How is that offensive, when it's true? My family is Christian. My mother and father can be strict at times, but they do it to help me prepare for the future." He then lifted himself off of the ground, wiping his hands against his cargo shorts, removing the excess dirt.

   "You don't seem like the Christian type though; you seem kind of cool." Jasper stated, noting as Sullivan avoided his comment and continued walking forward as if looking for something. He let it be for now and changed the subject, "What are you even looking for Ivan?" Jasper then asked, accepting that what he said might have been an uncomfortable subject for the redhead. He removed his hands from his front pocket and ran to catch up with Sullivan, who was a few meters away. "I'm looking for flowers or weeds, when I get home tonight, I'm going to press them." He replied not thinking about who he was answering to but then instantly regretting it.

   "Neat, what are you going to make?" Jasper asked not even weirded out by Sullivan wanting to look for flowers. Sullivan, flabbergasted, wondered why Jasper wasn't making fun of him for doing something so... girly.  He noticed Jasper looking at the ground now, trying to find weeds. "Uh, its nothing, no big deal." Sullivan stated blowing off Jasper's question as he walked around a couple of trees to hide his discomfort. "Uh-huh, whatever you say Captain." Jasper muttered as he found a dandelion. He bent down, picking the stem and watching as white goo began to seep out of the wound. "Hey, Ivan!" He yelled so Sullivan could hear him. He saw the mop of red as Sullivan popped out of nowhere, running toward Jasper. "Yes, Jasper?" He didn't know why, but he liked the way the redhead said his name.