It had been two weeks since Lukas had gotten Ophelia. The small dog was happily bouncing around and poking at the water as she watched the two boys swim around in the river. She was surprisingly clingy to the two boys. She wasn't too interested in interacting with any of Beau's family or any other animals. She just wanted Lukas and if Lukas wasn't there, Beau was the next best option.
The weeks had gone by nicely. The two boys started school in a couple of weeks and they had spent the past few days hanging around in town, doing farm work, and spending a little too much time making out in the hay room. Beau had been worried about how things would be once they did start school. He doubted things would go back to normal, but he was worried about keeping things a secret from their friends.
"I don't want Summer to end" Beau sighed as he leaned up against one of the large rocks in the water. His copper hair looked brown since it was wet and seemed to cling to his skin. His gentle blue eyes were locked on Lukas as he casually floated on his back in a place where the current wasn't too strong.
"Why?" Lukas asked as he sat up and moved closer toward Beau. "The sooner Summers over the sooner we can finish school and the sooner it's just me and you" Lukas chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Beau's waist and placed a slow kiss on his jawline.
Beau's heart danced not only at Lukas's words but at the feeling of Lukas's shirtless body pressed against his. A bright smile reached his lips as he laid his head back, hoping Lukas would continue to kiss him. Sadly, he was left disappointed. Instead, Lukas was staring at him and waiting for an answer.
"I don't know... It's just school will take so long and college is forever away... A lot can happen in a few months" Beau sighed. He lazily brought his arms around Lukas's neck and met his pale gaze. "I just want it to be me and you already"
"I forgot how impatient you are" Lukas teased. Finally, he began to kiss down Beau's neck giving him exactly what he wanted two minutes ago. Now, Beau would much rather protest.
"I'm not impatient. I've just been waiting for years" Beau reminded him with a pout. Lukas rolled his eyes and pulled away from Beau's neck.
"Should have said something sooner, Sunshine" Lukas chuckled. "And it's only a few months surrounded by all of our friends before we almost never see them again. Is that so terrible?"
"Yes," Beau scoffed. "All I've wanted to do since middle school is to move away. And now I figured out I can take you with me which only makes me want it more"
"I still can't believe you waited so long to tell me" Lukas laughed as he pushed some of Beau's hair out of his eyes.
"What did you want me to do? Just say, hey Lukas I know your dad is like insanely homophobic or whatever but just wanted to say, I've been in love with you or something since I was eleven and liked you for even longer. Just thought you should know now even though there's a possibility that I get outed and live my next few years in hell" Beau rambled.
Lukas stared at him in shock for a few moments leaving Beau puzzled. He mentally went over what he had just said before realization hit him like a bus. Beau felt himself tense up as he quickly scrambled for an excuse.
"You've been in love with me since we were eleven?" Lukas asked carefully.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I mean, yeah... It's true. I do love you but you don't have to say anything. I really won't mind" Beau blurted out before groaning and leaning his head back against the rock and closing his eyes tightly. A bullet to the head didn't sound half bad at the moment.
"I love you too, Beau" Beau's eyes shot open and he quickly met Lukas's eyes. He knew Lukas loved him as a friend. The two had casually said it to each other since they were kids. But hearing it now was completely different because this time, it meant something more.
Lukas wore a small, shy smile as he stared down at him. His damp hair looked dirty-blonde due to the water and his eyes seemed to sparkle in the light. He wasted no time in pulling Beau in for a kiss. Beau's heart leaped and he quickly reached for the back of Lukas's neck to pull him closer. The ends of Lukas's hair tickled his fingertips as he molded into Lukas's embrace.
"I'm going to take you out for dinner" Lukas decided as he pulled away. Beau took a moment to catch his breath before he began processing exactly what Lukas had said.
Was he crazy? They couldn't go out for dinner because every restaurant owner in town knew Lukas's father. So unless he was planning on going to their usual hang-out spots and just casually getting a pizza as 'friends' they would surely be outed.
"Where?" Beau asked with caution lacing his voice.
"There's this new Italian place in Nashville" Lukas shrugged. "Plenty of people, nobody to recognize us. Just two boys out on a date," A wide smile broke out on Beau's face and a wave of excitement washed over him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Beau laughed as he placed a quick kiss on Lukas's lips after each thank you. Lukas laughed at Beau's excitement before brushing fixing Beau's hair which had been messed up about a million times.
"I'll pick you up at six, we'll get there at seven and be back around nine or ten?" Lukas offered. Beau nodded although he hadn't fully processed what Lukas was saying. All he knew was that one thought was circling his mind:
I'm going on a date with Lukas
_________________________________________
"Is dad supposed to give Lukas a talk when he picks you up or is that just for girls or should mom maybe do it?" Lucy asked as she watched Beau switch back and forth between two jackets. He was wearing a simple black turtleneck and nice pants. Now he just had to decide between a black or brown jacket.
"None of the above" Beau sighed before turning to the fluffy-haired girl. "Which one?"
"Neither. It's Summer, you'll be warm enough in that" Lucy scoffed. Beau sighed and set down both of the jackets on his chair. He adjusted his hair for the millionth time while Lucy continued to ramble on. "I wouldn't be surprised if mom gave him a talk. You know how she is"
"She already gave us both a talk"
"Really? About what?" Beau only smirked. He was a nice person, that much was true. But Lucy was his sister and nowhere in the rules did it say you had to be nice to siblings.
"Something about no sex anywhere except my bed" Beau sent his sister a wink as her face morphed into one of pure horror and she quickly jumped off of Beau's bed.
"Ew! Beau, gross!" She shouted as she chucked one of Beau's pillows at him. Beau laughed as he dodged the pillow. Sure, the joke wasn't amazing. But he knew that even the mention of sex weirded or grossed his sister out. The ring of the doorbell cut into their banter and Beau quickly rushed downstairs hoping to reach the door before Shelby. He failed.
"Lukas, darling. Don't you look handsome" Shelby gushed as she admired the boy she had claimed as a son. Beau smiled and joined his mother at the doorway. He looked up to find Lukas wearing a light gray collared sweater and nice pants. His blonde hair was neatly styled for the first time ever and he wore a charming smile as he exchanged polite conversation with Shelby.
"Thank you"
"Okay, then. You boys have fun... Beau, don't stay out all night. You still have to wake up and do your chores in the morning" Shelby briefly explained. She planted a quick kiss on each boy's cheek before heading inside. Beau sighed in relief and quickly pressed his lips against Lukas's. Lukas smiled into the kiss and his hands lightly lingered on his hips.
"You look... Amazing" Lukas decided. "God, you're so pretty" He breathed. Beau felt his face flush and he brought his gaze down, smiling at the floor.
"Thank you... My mom was right, you are handsome" Beau chuckled. The two boys intertwined their fingers and headed toward Lukas's truck. They repeated their usual routine. Lukas would offer Beau gum, Beau accepted this time, Beau would pick a cassette tape, and they would listen to music until they reached their destination.
Lukas would always hum along with the music, even if he claimed to not like the song. He often said that he only kept some of the cassettes because Beau liked them but it was pretty obvious he enjoyed them as well. Sometimes Beau wondered why he claimed to not like them in the first place.
It had been a while since Beau had driven to Nashville. Usually, he didn't leave town unless he was going to another nearby town. The last time he went to the city was because a cousin had bought him and Lucy gift cards to an H&M store that was in the mall. He couldn't even imagine the last time Lukas had gone here either.
Lukas pulled to a stop outside of a nice Italian restaurant. The smell of freshly baked pizza trickled onto the streets and a few people filtered in and out. For a moment, Beau was afraid it was full but Lukas didn't seem worried. He was muting his phone before tucking it into his pocket. Lukas never muted his phone.
"Ready?" Lukas asked. Beau gave a quick nod suddenly feeling nervous. He knew Nashville was for the most part accepting of people like him. But there was still that fear of running into the wrong people, whether it be someone they knew or a stranger in a sour mood.
"Yeah" Beau quietly agreed before climbing out of the car. Lukas extended a hand and Beau hesitantly took it. His muscles relaxed slightly at Lukas's touch. He lightly squeezed the blonde boy's hand appreciating its warmth as Lukas led the way inside.
"Hello, do you have a reservation?" A young hostess asked with a wide smile. She had pale skin and shoulder-length brown hair. Her gentle eyes somewhat put Beau at ease.
"Under Edwards" Lukas smiled.
"Lukas?" She asked. He gave a quick nod and she quickly collected two menus. "Follow me" She instructed. The two boys weaved their way through the crowd and down the narrow aisles toward the table. The young woman quickly laid out their menus and silverware before smiling and announcing "Your waiter will be right with you in a moment" before leaving.
Lukas and Beau both took their seats across from one another, letting go of each other's hands in the process. Beau glanced around at the nearby tables, silently praying that nobody they knew was there before turning to Lukas.
"I'm nervous" Beau whispered after leaning closer to Lukas so that he could hear him. Lukas smiled and leaned forward as well.
"Me too" He whispered back. A wide smile broke onto Beau's face before he glanced down at the menu. Beau's eyes widened as he looked over all of the options suddenly feeling overwhelmed. It wasn't often that he got to eat out so just the idea of having to make a decision was stressing him out.
"Hello, my name is Oscar. I'll be serving you today, have we decided on drinks?" A tall, slender, and pretty brunette asked. He had olive skin and a sharp angular face. His eyebrow arched slightly as he waited for a response and his long and narrow green eyes glanced between the two boys. Beau found himself lost for words. He was undeniably gorgeous.
"Oh... Um- Nogroni sounds good" Beau finally spat out.
"Actually, that sounds really good. I'll get that too" Lukas agreed.
"Alright, then" Oscar quickly scribbled out a few words on a notepad before walking off.
"I'm just going to say it... He's pretty" Lukas awkwardly mumbled. Beau sighed in relief.
"I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought so" Beau chuckled. A small smile reached Lukas's lips as he placed his hand on top of Beau's.
"I think I'm getting the agnolotti del plin" Lukas decided. "What about you?"
"Um... Probably lemon chicken piccata" Beau finally decided after one last look at the menu.
After a long dinner full of laughing, bringing up childhood stories and plenty of teasing, they were left with three empty plates. The first two being their dinner, and the third being the tiramisu that the two boys had shared. And as full as Beau had been, his sweet tooth wouldn't let him resist.
Beau had never felt more at peace. Nobody looked at them like there was something wrong with two boys on a date. Nobody said anything. Heck, one waitress was even wearing a pride pin on her uniform. It was better than Beau could have imagined. This year was quickly becoming one of the best years of his life. He had never felt freer.
He couldn't help comparing his experience to his home. His town was a place where even wearing a rainbow pin would cause a ruckus. With Kyle, especially when he had first been outed, it had been an endless string of harassment and violence from the community. Beau couldn't help feeling guilty for not stepping in when he saw the boy get beaten. Or for not saying anything when his friends tossed around slurs. And especially for sitting alongside everyone in prayer to 'fix' him. It made him feel sick.
Lukas was currently paying the bill against Beau's protests but Beau had managed to convince him to allow him to pay the tip. Beau gladly left a large tip to Oscar - not just because he was pretty but because he had been very helpful. Beau also just enjoyed leaving large tips when he could. It was something his mother had taught him since Shelby had worked as a waitress for a few years and knew how frustrating it could be.
"I don't want this night to end" Beau decided as he and Lukas happily walked out of the restaurant hand in hand.
"If I can find us something to do, it doesn't have to," Lukas chuckled. He pressed a quick kiss to Beau's cheek making his smile widen. Beau's heart did a quick flutter and he rested his head against Lukas's shoulder as they walked toward the truck. "How does an arcade sound?"
Beau thought about it for a moment. He loved arcades, but that didn't mean he was any good at the games. Still, he knew Lukas enjoyed them and he knew they'd have a lot of fun. They were also expensive... But Lukas and his dad had a nice sum of money and Beau had barely touched the cash he had brought to pay with.
"Okay," Beau agreed. The two boys made their way to the crosswalk and patiently waited for the light to turn green before crossing. Even after the nice dinner, they had had, Beau's eyes still flicked through anyone passing by. Being outside with Lukas still made him nervous. He wasn't afraid of getting hurt - he knew he and Lukas could handle themselves. But he was more afraid for Lukas. He loved him and he didn't want to see him hurt emotionally or physically.
Lukas led the way inside a medium-sized arcade. It wasn't too crowded but there were still plenty of people - mostly teenagers due to the late hours. Two small kids ran around the first machine Beau spotted as they scrambled to find the next game to play. A small group of teens was watching as two of their friends competed in a basketball game, and what appeared to be a couple was taking photos in a booth together.
"Come on" Lukas nodded toward a small machine where he quickly stuck in a twenty-dollar bill and split the tokens between them. "What do you want to do?"
"Lose to you in skee ball" Beau chuckled. Beau knew he didn't stand a chance against Lukas in most arcade games. Well, except maybe the basketball one. Beau was a surprisingly good shot. He just hated playing on an actual team because it stressed him out.
"You have no faith in yourself" Lukas laughed as they headed back toward the multiple skee ball stations. One of the five was occupied by a scrawny pre-teen. Lukas and Beau quickly set up the stations beside one another before Lukas pressed a quick kiss to Beau's forehead. "I love you, but I'm not going easy on you" Beau only laughed despite his heart practically screaming in excitement at those three words.
"Bring it on, Edwards" Beau sent him a wink before inserting the tokens. He reached for the first ball and winced as he missed the first shot. He rolled again, this time hitting the 30.
30, 100, miss, miss, 10, 10, 50, game over.
He had gotten two hundred and thirty as a final score. He was proud of himself for only missing three of the nine balls - usually, it was at least half of them. He glanced over to find that Lukas had a total of four hundred and ten and jokingly shoved the laughing blonde boy.
"Shut up, I didn't do that bad" Beau laughed. Lukas bit down on his bottom lip as an attempt to hide his laughter.
"Sorry, babe. But I don't think it matters how well you did. What matters is that I won" he teased. Beau rolled his eyes in an attempt to focus on his annoyance rather than how excited the word babe had made him. Beau's eyes landed on the photo booth and a bright smile crossed his lips.
"Come on" Beau grabbed Lukas's arm and quickly pulled him in the direction of the booth. Lukas eventually caught on to where they were going which made it ten times easier. They climbed in, Lukas having to duck his head in the process, and took a seat.
Beau flipped through the different frames until he landed on a pastel yellow one with a sun sticker in the corner. Originally, he had wanted to get blue since it was Lukas's favorite color. But the sunshine one just felt right.
"Perfect" Lukas chuckled as he pressed a quick kiss to Beau's cheek. The timer began to count down and the two boys smiled at the camera.
By the time they finished, they each had a small strip with four photos on it. The top one was of the two boys smiling at the camera. Beau's cheeks were a light rosy color that complimented his eyes and his copper hair was still neatly styled. Lukas's eyes were squinted the way they always were when he laughed to the point where you could barely make out his eye color.
The second photo was of Lukas pressing a sweet kiss to Beau's cheek. Beau's face was flushed as the photo had caught him mid-laugh. Lukas's eyes were shut and one of his arms was over Beau's shoulders. In the bottom corner of that photo was another sticker of the sun.
The third was of Lukas pulling Beau in for a kiss. The best part was that it wasn't a quick peck for the camera... Lukas's lips had moved gently against his and although the camera didn't catch it, one of his hands was gripping his waist. Beau's face was lightly cupped by Lukas's other hand. And the kiss didn't stop after the camera had taken the photo. In fact, they had gotten too caught up to notice the ticking of the clock.
Beau finally brought Beau's gaze down to the last photo. A wide smile broke onto his face as he admired it. The photo had caught Lukas pulling away with a smile plastered over both of the boy's faces and lips still hovering over one another. That was the only photo that had fully caught Lukas's pale blue eyes and for the first time in any of their photos together, they were full of love.