Possession < Spider-Man • Book 1 >

- 33 -

chapter thirty-three:

When Caelum woke up, he didn't quite understand what was going on. His head felt fuzzy and his back was sore. He inhaled sharply, turning on his other side. He began to drift off again, when he felt a steady, warm breeze against his face. He murmured, raising a hand to block it absentmindedly.

He heard a snore and some mumbling, “Leave m’lone. . . Tired. . .”

Caelum froze, then he shot straight up, backing up as far and as fast as he could. His mind immediately went to Principal Davis, and the days he spent sleeping with him. The torture of the night and the soreness in the morning.

He hit the wall with a small thump, and a book teetered dangerously on the table beside him, ready to fall down. The mass on the bed moved, Caelum closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. He shouldn't have moved, he was going to kill him now. He should've stayed where he was.

He pulled at his hair, body trembling and he couldn't help the small noises of fear that escaped his lips. His heart was pounding so hard that he felt like it would have shot right out of his chest. His eyes began to water, as he heard the bed creak softly, it's weight shifting.

“Mmm. . . 'ey, Cael?” Someone placed a gentle hand on his knee. Caelum looked up slowly, and recognized Peter. “You okay? Did you have a nightmare?” Caelum didn't know how to respond. Peter draped his arms around his neck, and rubbed the back of his head.

Caelum sat frozen for a moment, listening to the boy, his body, his breath, his heartbeat against his own. Caelum arms moved around him slowly, as the memories from last night resurfaced and made itself clear in his mind.

They had kissed. They made out. Peter loved him, and he said it. He knew it. “Cael? You okay?”

“Mm. . . yeah, I, uh. . .” he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. “I. . . I, uhm, panicked.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I thought. . .” He sniffed, and looked away. Peter pulled back, and Caelum suddenly missed the familiar heat of his body on his own. “I woke up and I just. . . I panicked. I thought I was with Principal Davis again, and I. . . uh. . .” He rubbed the back of his neck, which tingled when he looked at Peter. “I apologize for waking you up, and making a lot of noise. I should have thought better of it. It was inconsiderate of me, especially since I―”

Peter moved forward, and kissed him — full on the lips. Caelum stopped talking immediately. He leaned in and returned it, wrapping his arms around his waist, wanting Peter closer ― never wanting to let go of him.

They broke the kiss a few minutes later in order to breathe. Caelum was laughing quietly, and Peter stood holding out a hand to him. “What's so funny?” Peter asked, helping the boy up.

“Nothing,” Caelum smiled sheepishly. “I was just thinking.”

“What were you thinking about?” Peter grinned the sunny grin that made Caelum's eyes light up and everything around him brighter.

“You,” he admitted. He remembered a time when Peter asked a similar question, and Caelum responded the same way ― well, he did and then lied immediately.

“About me?” Peter turned and went to his closet, shuffling around a bit. “What about me?”

“I was thinking,” Caelum moved forward, leaning on his back. “About your smile.”

Peter laughed, and stood up, handing a bundle of clothes to Caelum to get changed into. “My smile?” He repeated and Caelum grinned wide.

“Yes! You have the best smile I have ever seen,” Peter stared at him, his cheeks tinting red in a blush. Caelum chuckled, amused by his reddened face. “Your smile can light up a room, you know that? I've always wanted to tell you. I love seeing you smile.”