Flakes, Falling Like Guys

Flakes, chapter 5

He was so comfortable—so comfortable, the weight of his body lessened until he felt like he was floating.

Cristoforo stood and jumped up and down on the bed. His face was red with anger and his voice cracked with confusion. "I'm not a girl. Why do you treat me like one?"

Carlo quickly stepped several feet backward. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. You looked so comfortable—so peaceful. I could not help but bless it with a kiss."

Distracted by their emotions and lost within their separate confusion, the two of them turned away from one another.

Caught between wiping the kiss off and pressing it further in, Cristoforo touched his cheek. "He says he meant it kindly. If he did, then it felt as he intended . . . kind . . . soft . . but why should a kiss from a stranger make me feel like that?"

Carlo paced, and as his sturdy feet pounded the floor, his face looked like he was deep in thought. "He reminds me of my little brother. I used to tuck him into bed every night. My little brother who Gia—"

With his anger threatening to overtake him, Carlo suddenly stopped pacing. He refused to go one thought, one more step, further. "I'll be on the couch if you need anything. We should both sleep now." He spoke without moving before turning and stepping away.

Cristoforo watched Carlo walk away. Seeing his head hang as low as his own had when he was lost in the snow, Cristoforo's mood softened. "He looks so sad . . . and lost . . . like I was before."

"We'll get cappuccinos and chestnuts in the morning." Carlo said, barely looking over his shoulder, as he retreated to the couch.

"Yes, he looks as lost I felt." Cristoforo settled back into bed on his side, facing away from Carlo. He dared not even look at him now. "But, that's no reason for him to take such liberties with my cheek."

Pulling the covers over his shoulder, Cristoforo was not at all sure what to think or feel: "The kiss felt kindly. He meant it kindly, but his attitude sure turned very unkindly." This made him wonder. "He must have secrets too, but I do not know them, and he knows mine!"

This worried Cristoforo, but his worry soon felt as distant as the stars as the pillow-like blankets warmed his body and lulled him to sleep. As he fell to sleep, his body unfurled with its ever-relaxing state for the night.

He actually felt like he was floating in the air. Then, as he saw snowflakes swirling around his body, he knew he was—floating! He was floating through the air with the snowflakes!

Snowflakes swirled this way and that way up, over, and under his body. Before long, he realized several of the flakes were not falling alone. Instead, they were falling alongside his body, which meant his he was falling with them. Not fast, not furiously, but his body was surely falling with the rest of the snowflakes.

He wondered where they were falling to until he felt his body being enveloped by something underneath. This worried him until he realized it was the snow. He was on his back again in the freshly fallen snow, and just as he had the first time, he giggled. It was so comfortable down here, like lying in the thickest down blanket. It was so quiet, so comfortable, and as he spread his limbs out through the snow, it was also fun. His giggle turned into something of a squeal as he started making another snow angel. "This time, I will make an ever bigger, even better, snow angel."

Flapping his arms and legs furiously, he breathed hard as he worked toward making the new angel. Within moments, he felt like he could not catch his breath, so he breathed harder. But, the air did not come easily. He was determined to make his angel, so he would not let being a little out of breath stop him. He opened his mouth and sucked harder, but the air still did not come easily. He breathed harder and harder until he realized something was preventing him from taking air between his lips. It was the snow!

Crossing his eyes to see over the little ridge of his nose, he saw the snow falling everywhere, and felt it falling on his lips. It seemed to intensify before his eyes. It fell more and more thickly by the moment, and the faster it fell, the heavier it felt upon his lips until he could no longer draw even a slight breath. The furious flakes were flowing through his lips faster than the air.

He stretched his fingers over his face to protect it from the snow, but there was something there! Opening his yes, he saw Carlo's staring back at him with his lips pressed against his own!

Cristoforo pushed Carlo away and leapt to his feet. He hated to leave the warm bed, but he ran to the door anyway. He stood there staring at the door knob and the lock for several seconds. He did not really remember watching Carlo unlock and lock the door, but maybe he had? He did not know why, but he knew he would have to push on the door before trying to unlock it. Otherwise, the lock would stick and the doorknob would not turn. Was this true? Busying his hands, he pushed on the door. And then, sure, enough, it unlocked and opened easily enough. Maybe he had a good memory after all!

Running out into the night, he was not surprised to see it was still snowing. In fact, it seemed to be snowing harder know. "This is a terrible day for me!"

He knew he did not have time to worry or feel sorry for himself. He could not sit down and cry despite wanting to do exactly this, for if he did not flee, he might yet be caught. "I must run, for the butterfly who kisses like a falling snowflake bandit will catch me if I don't!"

So, he ran. He did not remember this, but he could see now that he was a fast runner, a very fast runner. Before long, he was one, two, three, and then four, five, six blocks away from Carlo's apartment. The snow was falling so fast it covered his footprints immediately. And, it was falling so thickly, his body quickly disappeared through the snow. He was indeed a good runner, so he just kept running through the snowflakes.

And, snowflakes were all Carlo could see by the time he stepped out his door and stared into the snowy night. He held Cristoforo's jacket in his hand. He feared the young man might freeze to death without it, for the night had suddenly gotten colder.

He stared and stared, trying to see even a hint of his fleeing guest, but he could not see a thing. But, he still tried until his eyes hurt and he became so frustrated, he yelled into a sudden, strong gust of wind: "CRISTOFOROOOOOO!!!"

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Meanwhile, some questions?

What is your favorite part or detail from this episode?

Curious to know, when you find a story you like on Wattpad, do you read it through once? Or, do you read it through more than once? Do you read certain sections again and again?