Open [boyxboy] ✓

epilouge:: when the future makes long-distance calls.

He had smiled over at me when we'd finally gotten settled, fatigue washing over the both of us and I'd lingered on him undressing; my eyes took in the planes of his back as it stretched, committing it to memory. I watched his shirt coming off and the little mole on his left shoulder, a new tattoo draped across his right. I didn't notice when my fingertips had grazed his skin but his shiver had been a hint. It still made me smile how easily he reacted to my touch, it light over the plastic wrap but he'd sunk into it, pushing his body closer as I traced the delicate lines.

I'd sketched that tattoo and the idea made my heart warm just as it had when he'd drug me into a tattoo shop two days prior in Colorado and pulled out a folded piece of sketchbook paper. I'd thought he was just getting more of his map done, an extension due to traveling or something but when he'd tugged me into the room with him despite my disdain for needles, I could see the purple ink stretched out a drawing of bamboo.

Kissing beside the plastic, I felt goosebumps ghost over his tanned skin. We'd been sitting on the edge of the bed then, my knees pressed into the mattress and I sat behind him, watching after my own fingertips as they trailed the permanent plant upwards, barely touching his irritated skin.

And then I traced the outer edges of the bamboo, my tongue itching to taste his skin and before I knew it, I was kissing the mole on his shoulder. His lips had parted, a sigh escaping when my lips had grazed his skin, holding him close to me and I leaned my body onto his, mindful. I watched as he'd tiled his neck, allowing me to kiss it gently.

"I love you." I spoke softly, my arms twining around his neck, fingertips in the dips of his clavicle and before I knew it, he was out of my grasp and my body had leaned to follow his touch. Arms around my waist, Paul led me back, my body sinking back into the mattress, his lips tracing the contour of my abdomen, curls feather-light against my skin and he'd reiterated my own words again and again as if it were the only words he'd known.

: : :

When it had finally sunk in that we would be apart, my body had went into shock.

My heart had simultaneously sunk to my stomach and leaped to my throat, it closing at the realization. And I was crying then, it trailing silently down my cheeks as Paul and I carried boxes through the dormitory halls. I was convinced that it wouldn't be this hard, that I was stronger than this but seeing my boyfriend in yet another one of my shirts, biting his lip as he maneuvered through these halls, his brown eyes wide... he looked so excited for me and I couldn't help but think about how grateful I was to have him in my life.

He had supported me nonstop and never protested once even despite how far my dreams would take me and he was still supporting me when his flight back home was the next day considering he also had to relocate. I couldn't help the emotions rushing through me, he hadn't cried yet and I knew it was because he was thinking about me and how strong he had to be for me before I fell apart.

I loved him so much.

I'd been watching him as I trailed behind him, his hair was damp from sweat as we'd been lifting for the entirety of the day and the elevator had been undergoing maintenance, a luxury that the dorm supervisor had been absolutely certain would be up and running by the beginning of the school year. I wasn't opposed to the extra exercise as slight paranoia had been set in due to meeting a few of my teammates in the lounge during check-in, that reminded me that I wasn't exactly where I'd wanted to be before college weight-wise.

A few jogs up and down the stairs would be great exercise even if Paul was opposed to it. He didn't mention my eagerness even if he did kiss me extremely reassuringly once we were back out at the car grabbing our first boxes and I was grateful. But now, I was watching my boyfriend sit his last box down on top of the others in front of my room and I couldn't even think of my weight when all my insecurities were hard at work on the strength of my relationship and this beautiful guy would be gone in less than 24-hours.