Written Into Love ✔️

I

       

I couldn't help but laugh as the two boys ran up and down the hall chasing each other.  It really was cute watching them have a good time.  After what they went through, they deserved to be happy together.  I tried to return my attention back to my computer screen, but I failed miserably.  My thoughts kept returning back to when I first met the boys.

...

It was a cold day in the New York City winter.  I was walking down the street wearing way more clothes than I could stand.  As I walked down the snow-covered sidewalk, I saw them sitting against a building with a cup out in front of them.  They looked so cute together, but so helpless at the same time.  Both of them appeared to be emo's, but as long as they were happy, I couldn't have given two shits.  Never in a million years would I have ever considered giving money to some bums on the street.  However, my heart broke when I saw them.  It was obvious, at least to me, that the two of them were a couple.  Although, most people would have passed them off as two homeless kids.  It was against my better judgment, but I pulled a twenty out of my wallet and put it in their cup.  The older looking of the two flashed me a smile and quickly pulled the bill out of the cup, stuffing it into the pocket of his skinny jeans.  He mouthed a 'thank you' to me and I nodded my head in return.  All I could do was smile and keep walking down the street.

The next couple of weeks went on the same way.  I would pass them on the sidewalk and throw some money in their cup.  This went on for about a month before I couldn't take it anymore.  The temperature had dropped overnight, almost colder than a human being should be meant to bare.  The two boys were still sitting in the same spot on the sidewalk when I walked up to them.  I started to pull my wallet out, almost out of habit, when I stopped myself.  If I was cold, wearing a parka and long underwear, then these two must have been freezing.  I slowly knelt down on one knee and faced them.

"Guys, why don't the two of you join me for breakfast?  It's on me and besides, you'll both end up sick from being out in this cold."

The younger one looked at the other and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders.  I could tell from the look that he was giving, that the younger wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.  Even after a month of giving these boys money almost every day, I had yet to hear either of them speak a word.  It almost shocked me when the older one smiled at the other.

He replied, "We really do appreciate the offer.  And, under the circumstances, we're more than willing to accept."

A sense of relief washed over me when they didn't try to put up an argument.  I was almost calm when the younger one stated, "Just don't try to pull any funny business over us.  We can take care of ourselves."

He seemed so sincere and overly protective of his presumable partner.  It was so cute that it took all that I had not to laugh in front of them.  All that I could force myself to do was stick my hand out and smile at the two boys in front of me.

"I promise, no funny business," whatever he meant by that.  "Just a good cooked meal and someplace warm to sit for a while."

The younger of the two smiled at me and took my hand, allowing me to help him stand up.  His little hand had to be cold under the thin gloves that he was wearing.  For some reason, I thought that he was going to be shorter than he was. But, he stood as tall as me, about 5'10".  The older of the two stood up, just slightly taller than we were.  Nothing else was said as the three of us started walking down the crowded street.

It was a short walk down the snow-covered sidewalk before we reached the diner.  I frequented this place about once a week for breakfast.  The food was pretty good, although a little on the pricey side.  Of course, nothing in this city was cheap.  The diner was fairly busy, but it didn't take that long for us to get a table.  They sat down at the table across from me, taking off their coats, and hanging them on the back of their chairs.