I woke in Kevin's bed, with hickeys across my body, primarily on my neck and thighs.
The window was still completely open, the sun shining brightly through. His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his chest and stomach, three bruises on his neck. The scene was quite serene. Incredibly pleasing to the eyes.
The birds outside emitting a high pitched chirp, I set my head back to the pillow, tracing my hand up his side. His skin was warm to the touch, a change to the feeling of my own cold hands. Just as I shut my eyes, he squirmed, yawning.
"Mmh.. Good morning, Beautiful..." He smiled as he realized I was awake,
"Good morning."
"How'd you sleep?" He asked, shutting his eyes again and pulling my forehead to his chest.
"I slept well. I'm still tired, though.."
"Wanna go back to sleep? He asked, his hand sliding through my hair.
"No.. I wanna stay here and snuggle with you."
He chuckled drowsily, rubbing his eyes.
"Me too.."
"Good." I sighed contently, as he wrapped his arms around me.
We laid there in silence for likely a half hour, just appreciating each other's company, the only sounds being the chirping birds, and his lips smacking against my cheek and shoulder quickly.
After what felt like forever, he reluctantly sat up, stretching a bit.
"Do you want something to eat?" He yawned.
"No. I'm not hungry."
"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, buttoning up his shirt.
"I'm feeling great." I smiled
"Well, good." He left the top few buttons undone out of pure laziness derived from his sleepy state. He wasn't intending to drive me mad with it, but he was. The smallest things are overwhelmingly beautiful on him. A lousily buttoned shirt. Messy hair. The dark circles under his eyes when he first wakes up, that disappear as the day goes on. His sleepy voice. You can imagine my distress.
"I'm gonna make some breakfast. You don't have to eat it, but I'm gonna make some. Okay?"
"Okay. I should get dressed." I nodded, picking up my pants off the floor.
"You don't have to. You look cute.."
"I'm wearing purple fucking boxer-briefs, I'm gonna put on some pants." I chuckled.
"Fine. I like seeing you in them. Though, you do have the world's palest thighs." He giggled.
"Well, now they're purple and blue, is that better?"
"Yes. I like them as it is, but they look great right now."
"That's not saying much, considering how much you seem to like them all the time."
"Because they're great all the time! Come on, you can get dressed later." He sighed, sliding his hand up and down my leg.
"..alright."
"Okay, let's fix up something to eat, shall we?"
"We shall."
He nodded and unbuttoned the single button I had gotten to for me, smiling.
"Oh, come on, that's excessive."
"You're gonna look weird with just one button done!"
"So your solution is, not to let me button the rest, but just unbutton the shirt entirely."
"..yep."
"While that's not what I would've done, I can't say your logic isn't optimal."
"It's the logic I like best, cause I get to see you without a shirt."
"Well, I've still got one, it's just unbuttoned."
"Still." He smirked, dragging his fingernails around my back in circles.
"Come on, let's get something to eat." I giggled, standing up.
"Alright, ya' bore." He smiled, walking me down the stairs, to his kitchen.
"Okay, what do you want for breakfast?"
"I don't care. I'm not super-duper hungry, so it's up to you."
"Pancakes?"
"Sure."
"Alrighty!"
"Do you want any help?"
"Sure! Why don't you grab a few mixing bowls?"
"Okie-Dokie!" I smiled, grabbing a few bowls and handing them to him.
"You're so cute." He grinned, starting breakfast
"Hush."
"Never. You're adorable. How many pancakes do you want?"
"Two?"
"Alright!"
This was the first time in a while I had eaten two, typically I only eat one, if that. As a result of my increased eating habits, I had gained what was in my opinion, lots of weight. Weighing more than I had in my whole life. Last time I weighed myself, I was only ten pounds shy of an average weight. I haven't told Kevin yet. Though it was clear I had gained, I didn't want him to know about it truly until I had reached an average weight. I want my progress to be a surprise.
We finished cooking and eating in under forty-five minutes, Kevin insisting on cleaning the dishes without my help.
"Hey, we should get dressed, we've still got that surprise!" I exclaimed, checking the time.
"Oh, yeah! I'm really excited!" He walked back into the living room, drying is hands on a dish towel. "...Is that a pocket watch?" He asked, giggling.
"Yeah!"
"Are we living in sixteenth century Germany?"
"I like my pocket watch! It was my great-grandfather's!"
"Did he use it as a paperweight?"
"You're a dick."
"Agreed. Where did you even keep that? You're not wearing pants."
"I have several pockets in my shirt." I pointed out the outer pocket, as well as the inner pockets.
"...It's like Mary Poppins's bag in there.."
"I know! It's wild! Just last week, I had a calculator and a pack of fruit snacks in my shirt!"
"Why the calculator?"
"Just in case."
"You're weird. I like you." He smiled, ruffling my hair.
"I like you too! Now, come on, let's get dressed. I've got a surprise for you."
He nodded and jogged back to his bedroom.
"I'll get dressed in the bathroom?" I asked, picking up my clothes
"Hotshot, you know I've seen you naked before. Many times."
"I know! But I'm still gonna get dressed in the bathroom."
"Okay then, weirdo." He giggled
When I checked my weight on the scale in his bathroom, I was only seven pounds from an average weight for men my age. Though, I rather am short, so I feel as if it's around right. At 5'9" and 130 pounds, I'm nearly there. Although, that truly was my initial goal weight. I reached it.
I threw on my pants and jacket, buckling my belt and tying my tie, and hustling back to Kevin's room, unable to wipe the wide smile from my face.
"Why, hello there, Smiley." He giggled, buttoning his shirt.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking up at him.
"What're you smiling about?" He asked, turning to face me as he finished dressing.
"I'm very happy." I giggled, shaking my head. I was on cloud nine.
"I can see that. What for?" He smiled
"...I did it."
"Did what?" He kneeled down to get level with me, on his short bed, chuckling.
"Oh, Baby, you're not gonna believe it!" I grinned
"What is it?" He exclaimed, still smiling.
"...I hit 130 pounds today. I'm almost to 140."
On his face, and expression of underlying shock.
"..Are you serious?"
I nodded quickly. He immediately grabbed a hold of my waist, hugging me tightly, lifting me out of excitement.
"Connor!"
"I did it!" I repeated, cheerily.
"I can't believe it!"
"I told you!"
"Baby, I'm so proud of you!" He showered my face in kisses, spinning me around.
"I'm so happy!"
"Why didn't you tell me you were working on that?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise!"
"Well, I'm definitely surprised!!" He giggled, holding onto me even tighter
"Are you happy!?"
"I'm so happy! Oh, holy moly, you did it!!"
"I did it! I-I never thought I'd do it! I've never been a healthy weight before but I did it!!"
"Well, it explains why you've been looking so good lately!"
"I look good?"
"The best you've ever looked. You look healthy!" He set me down, still holding tightly to my hips.
"I feel so good! I actually have energy! I feel like I could do anything!!"
"I'm so proud of you, Sunshine! Ohhh, you were right, this is the best surprise ever!" He pulled me back into his arms.
"It's not even the surprise!"
"Are you serious? There's another surprise?"
"Heck yeah!"
"Oh, I love you!!"
I giggled, stepping away.
"Finish getting dressed so we can go." I smiled, sitting back down on the edge of his bed.
"Alrighty! I'm so proud of you, Honeybee." He smiled, finishing the last few buttons on his shirt.
"Thank you. I'm proud of myself, honestly."
"You should be! It's a big deal. You've been terribly underweight since the day I met you."
"well, now I'm not gonna be. Anymore."
"Good."
"You ready to go?"
"Ready."
"Yay!"
"Are we driving or walking?"
"Uhhh driving. But I still don't really know how to drive, so I'll just tell you where to turn."
"You really need to learn how to drive."
"I'm scared of crashes! Or losing control of the vehicle. Or forgetting to change the oil! Or the car catching on fire and I burn up and my skin melts off and the car makes a Connor brûlée! Or I could forget to turn the car off if I'm sitting in it, while the air or heat is on and I breathe in a ton of carbon monoxide and die? What if the car flips over? Or it could go off a bridge! Into the water!"
"..Okay then."
"They're very real dangers!"
"I know, but, it's so rare that most of those things would even happen. Besides, it could happen in any car you're in, not just when you're driving."
"Yeah, but I trust other people more."
"Alrighty then." He said, opening the car door for me.
"Oh, thank you!" I smiled, my voice somewhat high as I hopped into the car.
He nodded in return, closing the door behind me and starting the car after he got in.
"Where to?"
"Uhhhh, drive this road until you see that wooden statue of a deer that old man down at the community center made."
"Will do."
It took around thirty minutes to arrive, Kevin loudly, and annoyingly, singing a song the whole time. I had him park a little ways away so he wouldn't know where we were going.
"Weeee're here!!" I exclaimed as neared the science museum.
"Oh! Nice! I.. love the museum!" He said, pretending to be excited.
"Don't worry, I'm only bringing you to one exhibit. And I think it's one you're gonna like."
"Okay!" He smiled, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Why do you hate science? You love when I talk about it!"
"Yeah, because I like listening to you talk about things you like! I only care about it because it's something you're talking about. I love listening to you talk about science stuff. You're my little genius! I swear, you're gonna change the world when you get older.. You're going to do something incredible that'll change science as we know it. And I like listening to that."
"Well, I doubt I'm gonna accomplish anything that'll change science. I don't think I'm smart enough to get a job in the Stem field."
"Are you kidding? You're more than smart enough. I know it."
"You're sweet. Now come on, follow me. You're gonna love this."
He smiled widely, following me into the museum. I paid the entry fee, leading him to the back of the museum, making him close his eyes before I opened the door.
"Ta-da!" I giggled as he entered the butterfly exhibit.
"Oh my gosh.." He smiled
"I told you you'd like it!"
"You were right!" he walked to the bench, pulling me down on it next to him, watching the multitude of butterflies.
"Of course, I was" I chuckled, leaning my head on his shoulder.
"This was a wonderful surprise, Sweetheart. Thank you" He whispered, kissing the top of my head.
"My pleasure."
A few butterflies landed on him throughout the course of the time we were there, mostly on his cheek. He was absolutely overjoyed each time, immediately smiling so widely and scrunching up his face so much that the butterflies flew away right after.
"Connor, did you see that?!" He gasped after each landed, completely shocked.
"Yep" I giggled, taking his hand.
One landed on his nose.
"Stay still!" I said, not wanting this one to fly off as he got more excited.
"Okay..! Okay." He grinned, trying to still himself.
"Oh my lord, this is the cutest thing I've ever seen."
"I have my camera in that bag. Can you take a picture?" He whispered through his teeth, trying not to disrupt the creature.
I nodded and slowly took his camera from the bag, snapping a few pictures, before the butterfly fluttered off.
"..I haven't been here since I was a kid."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Last time I came here, I was probably nine or ten."
"Well, I'm glad I got to take you back."
"I have some.. wonderful memories in here."
"Such as?"
"They're nothing remarkable."
"That doesn't mean I don't want to hear."
"..Well, I remember this one time, my mother and I came here, and none of the butterflies would come near me because I wasn't being still enough, so she spent the whole time trying to catch them in her hands so I could see one up close. It didn't work and she got yelled at, but I still find that memory really fun."
"Aw.. that's really sweet."
"Yeah, but, I think I'm going to have a new favorite memory here.." he smiled, kissing my temple softly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm having a wonderful time, Connor."
"Good. I'm glad."
"I think you may have changed my mind about the science museum. It's wonderful here."
"It is. If you want, we can get out of here, and see more of the museum. We can go look at the Van De Graaff generator, and I can tell you all about it and ruin the museum guide and curator's self-esteem when I know more about it than they do!" I joked
"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" He giggled, standing up.
"Wait, you really wanna?"
"Yeah!"
"Nice!" I jumped up, walking him out of the room.
"Ya know, I thought I didn't like the museum, but you're right it's fun here. Or at least it's fun with you."
"I love the museum. Plus, I know you hate museum guides, so if you want to know something, you can just ask me instead. I've certainly been here enough times to tell you anything you wanna know about."
"You're a dork" He giggled, grabbing at my hand.
"I know this was meant to be a fun date for you, but do you mind if I drag you around and show you some really cool stuff?" I giggled, putting on the cutest, most convincing smile I could.
"...Well, I can't say no to that face." He chuckled
"Thank you!" I grinned, kissing him on the cheek, pulling him to the nearest exhibit.
"Well, I mean, how could I say no to that smile? I don't think that's possible.." He smirked, "I can't imagine anyone being able to deny that."
"That's good to keep in mind."
"Shit, you're gonna start using that to your advantage, aren't you?"
"Probably."
"Darn it, you're gonna be able to do anything you wanna."
"I promise to use my powers for good." I joked, yanking him closer to my side as we walked
"Thank god."
"Hey, do you want me to go home after this?" I asked, wanting to give him room to breathe.
"I'd prefer you stayed another night, but if you wanna go back to your grandfather's, I get it!"
"Oh, I'd love to stay with you tonight, I just wanted to make sure you didn't want time alone."
"You can just assume I want you to stay. It's just about always the case."
"Okay. Good. I was really hoping you'd say I could stay."
"Well, I certainly hope you will stay."
I smiled, leaning my head in closer to him.
We spent around two hours in the museum, Kevin gladly watching me check out the exhibits, like a child in a candy store.
"You ready to go yet?" He chuckled, slowly backing toward the door.
"Alright, alright, let's go." I smiled, walking him out of the building.
"Finally!"
"I thought you were having fun!"
"I was! But I'm not smart enough to enjoy it as much as you do."
"Promise you had fun?"
"I promise!!"
"Okay. Good."
He grasped my hand as we walked back to his car, squeezing it softly.
"Hey, Connor?" He asked after a long period of silence, smiling widely
"Yes?"
"I love you.."
"I love you too." I giggled, pulling him in closer.
"I'm so glad you love me! How'd I even manage to make that happen?"
"Are you kidding, I could write an entire list as to how you did that."
"Yeah?"
"Well, for starters, you're fucking hot. Also, you're super nice to me, and you always have been. Plus you're smart. And you're a gifted artist and photographer. You're like the man that those middle-aged single moms read books about, but on the cover, it's a shirtless man with doves all over him, and he's steering a ship."
"That last part was frighteningly specific."
"But it wasn't inaccurate!"
"You're weird."
"Well isn't that why you love me."
"Yes, it is." He chuckled, opening the car door for me. "Though, there are lots of reasons why I love you, just like you've got so many reasons you love me."
"What would those be?" I asked, buckling into the seat.
"How many hours have you got?" He giggled
"I'm serious, I wanna know!"
"Well, the biggest reason I fell in love with you was.. how passionate you are about everyone and everything. You just have so much love in your heart. And so much forgiveness and so much gratitude. You're just incredibly kindhearted. And I knew that I wanted to be with a man just like you."
"..really?" I smiled
"Really. It's still one of my favorite things about you."
"What's your least favorite thing about me?"
"I don't have a least favorite thing about you."
"Come on, just think of one. Just one thing."
"Um.. I guess if I have to name one thing, it'd be your self-doubt. You really doubt yourself. It's a little upsetting sometimes. It's my least favorite thing because I just want you to believe in yourself."
"Oh... I should try to work on that."
"You should. I would love to see you sure of yourself. I'm confident in you, and it really blows that you're not."
"Okay. I will."
"Good. But don't do it for me. You've gotta do it for yourself. That's the only way it'll really work. You've gotta believe that you're worth being sure of."
"..that's really good advice. Thank you. I'll do that."
He nodded.
"But the question is if I am worth being sure of. Cause I don't want to base any confidence off lies."
"You're definitely worth being sure of. Come on, Think about everything you've overcome. You can do anything you set your mind to, and i know that's the most overused, fake sentence, but in this case, it's true. You can easily accomplish anything you want to. You've achieved more in your eighteen years than some people do in a lifetime."
"I don't think that's true."
"You've overcome severe abuse. You've gotten several state scholarship awards. You've gotten through an eating disorder. You've gotten over your nightmares for the most part. You've done a lot of stuff you never thought you would."
"..I guess that's sorta true."
"Yeah. You're the strongest boy I know." He smiled, giving me a rough pat on the back.
"..then I'm gonna stop being so doubtful of myself."
"Really?" He smiled, slowing the car to a stop as he pulled into the driveway.
"Really."
"Good. You're worth believing in. You're a wonderful boy."
"Am I?"
"Definitely." He nodded, kissing my cheek.
"Okay. I'll work on that."
"Good. It's insane to think that the boy who's overcome more in his eighteen years than most do in their lives, doesn't believe in himself." He chuckled airily, turning the key and letting the car engine shut off.
"Well, I promise to start being more sure of myself."
"Good. You're worth being confident of." He smiled, landing a few quick kisses on the side of my head, before hopping out of the car.
I quickly caught up to him, letting him run his hand up and down my back as I walked at his pace.
"..What're you looking at?" I asked as I realized how long he had been staring at me.
"Nothing."
"You're looking at me. Why?" I giggled
"Am I not allowed to look at my handsome boyfriend?"
"Handsome?"
"Well, if you prefer the term 'hot' it applies just as easily."
"I'm handsome..?"
"What, did I forget to tell you today?" He teased
"I'm sorry it just feels good to hear! I never got any compliments or positive reinforcement until I met you, you know."
"Well, that's a real shame. You deserve to know how beautiful you are."
"I think I'm pretty okay looking."
"You're more than okay looking. You're gorgeous, truly. You're a pretty pretty boy." He giggled, fidgeting with my hair.
I smiled, chewing my lip.
"Do you feel pretty?" He stopped.
"..Yeah. Yeah, I do feel kind of pretty."
"Good." He smirked slightly, his forefinger grazing my chin.
" you're prettier though."
"Yeah, right." He scoffed, reaching for my hand.
"What're you being so flirty for?"
"Oh, come on, I want to show my boyfriend how beautiful he is. Is that a crime?" He chuckled, sliding his hand up my hips.
"Are you sure it's not just because you want to get in my pants?" I giggled.
"It's a little bit of both."
"Well.. I'm not opposed to that"
"Thank god"
He smiled widely, rushing over to the door of his house, unlocking it quickly and closing it behind us.
Throwing his keys to the table and pulling off his jacket, he pushed me against the counter, the countertop poking my back, just barely.
"Jeez!" I giggled, surprised.
"Did I hurt you?" He backed away, raising an eyebrow.
"No."
"Good." He let out a small sigh of relief, pulling himself back to me.
He planted his lips on my neck immediately, his fingers digging into my shoulder.
"Come on, you're not even gonna kiss me a little first?" I huffed
"I'm sorry, I'm just.. real eager." He nodded, beginning to kiss me on the cheek.
"Why? Don't get me wrong, I am too, but, you're getting absolutely nothing out of it."
"I don't have to get anything out of it. I just want to kiss you." He smiled, letting his arms hang loosely from my neck.
"Well, that makes me feel good." I smiled softly, looking down at his feet.
"Good."
"Why do you 'just want to kiss' me?" I asked. Truthfully, despite how long I've been with Kevin, I'm still not entirely used to anyone doing much of anything without them gaining something. And I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it. But that only means I can be pleasantly surprised when they don't gain anything.
"Because I love you. Isn't that reason enough?" He looked confused, dragging his fingertips softly along my arm.
"You're not just..?"
"Just what?"
"Just doing it for your own sake. Or using me for your gain."
"What? Sunshine, what on Earth makes you think I'd do that?" He backed away from me, his forehead scrunching in confusion and slight hurt.
"I don't. I'm just.. not entirely used to it."
"Why not? Have I ever done that to you?"
"No. My dad always did, though. The only reason he kept me for so long was so he could get benefits from the government. I'm just not really.. used to people doing things for me that won't give them anything in exchange."
"Well, Baby, I'm never gonna do that. I want to kiss you with nothing in return because it's one of the ways I can show you I love you. There's nothing to be insecure or worried about, Darling. I don't want to get anything from you. If there's a way for me to get you to know just how much I love you, then that's enough for me."
"...How did I get such a wonderful boyfriend?" I smiled slightly, taking his hand
"By being the most incredible person I could ever have the privilege of being around." He chuckled, inching closer to me."
"I love you."
"I love you. Now, what'do you say we go for a quick little walk, and then we come back here and watch a movie on my bed. How does that sound?" He asked, kissing me on the cheek.
"That sounds good."
"Good. It's beautiful outside." He smiled, picking up his jacket and putting it back on.
He placed his keys back in his pocket so he could enter easily when we returned, walking out the door.
I followed him, tugging at his hand gently, pulling him closer to my side. I felt him toy with my hair every minute or so, unable to stop himself.
There were few people out that day, meaning we could be as affectionate as we wanted, so long as we weren't shoving our tongues down one another's throat, which likely wouldn't be an issue. Not that a number of people around mattered anyway. Not many of them really cared if we held hands or kissed in the first place. Very few people gave a damn, quite frankly. Though, unfortunately, the ones that did, were far from hesitant to tell me all about it. Luckily, we hadn't run across any of those people thus far, only ones that smiled as they walked past, out of politeness. Truthfully, whether or not it's because I'm holding another man's hand, it's quite upsetting when people don't smile back at me. I smile at every person I walk past, and it honestly makes me sad when people don't smile back. They're clearly unhappy or unfriendly, either of which, equally as sad to me. In an ideal world, nobody would be unhappy. But, quite frankly, that's unrealistic. I wish it were a reality, but it likely never will be.
Kevin and I were invested in conversation, which was interrupted by one of the few people who actually cared who I kissed.
"Oh, hell..." Kevin sighed as the man who seemed to love harassing us came into view.
"What?"
"It's him again."
"Oh lord. Maybe we should keep apart while we walk past him. Maybe he won't say anything?"
"No. I'm not gonna stop holding your hand because some jerk doesn't like it. I love you and he's just gonna have to get the hell over it."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I'm not gonna stop what I'm doing to appease him."
"...Okay"
I held his hand tighter, pulling him closer to my side.
"Don't do that in public, faggot." He said, angrily as he neared us. I had planned on keeping quiet and ignoring him, but Kevin had other intentions.
"Do what? Hold the hand of the person I love?" Kevin stopped in his tracks, agitated
"Kevin, you're just gonna make it worse..." I mumbled, defeatedly
"No. I'm tired of this. Okay?"
"It's fucking disgusting is all I'm saying. Don't do that shit in public."
"Why does it even matter to you? Why do you care?"
"It makes everyone out here feel sick!"
"I have difficulty believing that holding my boyfriend's hand is making anyone but you feel sick. And I'm not gonna stop just because you want me to."
"Kevin, come on, let's just go. We're better off ignoring him.." I whined, tugging his hand, trying to pull him back.
He turned back to me, shaking his head.
"Connor, you know normally I'd do just about anything for you, but I can't take this anymore. I want this to stop. Okay?"
"Okay.." I sighed as he turned back
"Look, do that at home. Not in public. It's fucking disgusting."
"I'm not allowed to marry this man, I'm not allowed to raise a child with this man, so let me tell you, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let anyone say I can't hold hands with this man. Please just fuck off."
"I can say anything I want, freak." The man pushed Kevin back, forcing him to stumble backward a bit.
"Kevin, let's go.." I whispered, not wanting to start any trouble
He disregarded what I said, stepping back, closer to the man. I set my hand on both their chests, attempting to intervene, but it only made the instigator more angry.
"Don't fucking touch me, pervert!" He shouted, forcefully punching me in the jaw, pushing me back against Kevin, who had to grab onto my arms in order to keep me from falling over. My jaw was throbbing in pain, red and swelling.
"Hey!" Kevin shouted, outraged that he had hurt me.
"It's okay, Kev.."
He marched back over to the man, who cocked his fist, readying it to punch him as well. Before he could even swing, Kevin grabbed a hold of his wrist, twisting and pinning it behind his back, between his shoulder blades.
The man winced as Kevin held him against the tree, only to keep him from hurting either of us again.
"I don't want to hurt you, I really don't. But, I swear if you try to lay a finger on that boy ever again, you're a fucking dead man. Hear me?"
"Fine!" He puffed out in pain
"Good. Now for God's sake, leave us alone." Kevin sighed, letting go of him.
He didn't forget to shout a final "fuck you" before he walked away.
"Are you okay..?" Kevin asked, softly running his fingertips along my cheek.
"Yeah... I'm okay. Thank you.."
"Are you sure? He hit you pretty hard.."
I nodded.
"I'm fine."
"Okay. Good."
"I wanna go home I think.."
"Okay. I'll take you to my place."
"thank you."
"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry he hit you... God, I hate him so much."
"I do too."
"Come here.." he mumbled, pulling me in for a tight hug.
"I swear, I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
"It's okay, Kev. It's not a big deal. Let's just go home."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too." I smiled weakly, looking down at my feet as I walked.
Kevin looked at me multiple times, frowning.
"Hey, come on, Baby, give me a smile." He said, his fingertips grazing my cheek, as he attempted to make me smile.
I gave him a small smile, barely moving my lips at all.
"That's not a smile, Hun."
He stopped, tugging at my sleeve.
I was still unable to force a convincing smile in my melancholy state.
"Look, I know it was an intense situation but.. I'll feel better if you give me a smile. There's nothing that smile can't fix." He smirked slightly, knowing he could get me to do just about anything by saying that. I finally let a smile onto my face, reaching for Kevin's hand.
"Oh, there it is!" He grinned.
"It kinda hurts to smile." I mumbled
"Well, let's hurry home and get some ice on that."
I nodded, walking in the direction of his house. As we arrived, he quickly unlocked the door, ushering me inside.
"Okay, lay down on the couch, I'll go get you some ice."
"It's fine. It's not a big deal. It was just a punch. I've had worse."
"That doesn't mean I'm not gonna take care of you. Now go sit." He chuckled.
"Alright." I obliged, sitting down on the couch in his living room. He walked into the room just a few seconds later, with a plastic bag filled with ice.
He sat next to me, holding it against where I was hit.
"Thank you." I smiled softly.
"You're welcome. Now can you give me a little Rocky Balboa?"
"Adriannnn!" I cried out in my best impression
"Perfect."
He led a hand through my hair, chuckling softly.
"You do cute impressions." He smiled
"Cause I'm bad at them?"
"Well, yeah, but your voice just goes up or down a full octave, it's cute."
"My voice is always cute" I joked
"That's true. It's soft. And still kind of light. I like it a lot. It's nice to hear. Oh, especially when you just wake up and you're still a little sleepy and you talk a bit slower and deeper. Gosh, I love it."
"Well, yours is better."
"Nah."
"Yeah."
"Nuh uh."
"Uh huh."
"I will fight you on this"
"When you wake up, you've got the best fucking voice. I swear, it's so nice to hear. It's euphonious. Genuinely."
"You're sweet."
I smiled.
"My face feels better." I sighed contently
"Are you done with the ice?"
"Yes, thank you."
He nodded and walked to the kitchen, discarding the bag of ice, and walked back, sitting just as close to me on the couch, if not closer. He turned to face my side, bringing his hand up to the back of my head, playing with the baby hairs on my neck, tugging at them slightly.
"I'm sorry I got you into that mess." He huffed.
"It's fine. It wasn't your fault. You were just trying to get him to leave us alone. And now he's gonna."
"He punched you, though.."
"Kevin, really, it's fine. I'm just glad he's gonna leave us alone."
"What if he doesn't?"
"Well, as long as he doesn't fucking harass us, I don't care." I chuckled
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too. Keep playing with my hair though, it feels nice." I smiled
He nodded and went back to brushing his fingers through, and twirling it.
"Thank youuu."
I smiled, closing my eyes and curling up closer to him.
"I'm cold." I huffed.
"Christ, you're so needy. I'll get a blanket." He chuckled, standing up
"I know I am. You're attentive, though, so we fit like a fucking glove."
He jogged up the stairs, coming back from his room with a large blanket.
"Yay!" I gasped, smiling
"I've never seen your eyes light up that much before" He giggled, sitting back down on the couch, draping the blanket over us.
"It's so fuzzy!"
"Indeed." He smiled, pulling his arm around me, toying with my hair again.
I let out a sigh of gratification, shutting my eyes and pushing my head against his chest.
I could feel his eyes on me, but it wasn't my priority to find out why.
He swept my hair from my face, leaning over to kiss my forehead softly, before going back to running his fingers through my hair.
"You're so pretty, Baby.." He whispered, still staring at me.
I opened my eyes, looking back up at him, smiling.
Unable to think of a proper response, I brought my finger up to the tip of his nose, landing it there quickly.
"Boop!" I giggled in a higher pitch than usual.
"What the hell was that?" Kevin laughed, still playing with my hair.
"I don't know, you have a cute nose!"
"You're a dork."
"You love me."
"Well, you're right about that." He smiled, ruffling my hair, messing it up.
"Hey!" I whined
"Alright, Alright, I'll fix it. Keep your pants on." He began pushing my hair forward, then sideways, trying to bring it back to normal.
"You're bad at this."
"I only know how to do my hair! Maybe you should help me!" He giggled.
"No, I wanna see how this turns out."
"Fine. But if you end up with a mohawk, that's on you."
"Well, damn, I don't think that's even possible, considering the circumstance."
"I feel like I'd find a way to fuck it up enough."
"No way. It's literally just your hands and my hair. It's not possible."
"Do you want to make that a bet?"
"No, I do not. The fate of my hair lies in your hands."
"You're sure?"
"Affirmative."
"You're boring."
"I'd rather be boring than have you ruin my hair. Will you please fix it?"
"Alright, Alright, calm down, you Prettyboy." He giggled, pulling his hands through my hair, straightening it out and putting it back into place.
"Prettyboy isn't even a little insulting at this point, I like that nickname."
"I know you do... Is this right?" He asked when he finished my hair.
"It feels about right."
"Okay, good." He smiled and kissed the top of my head, petting my hair.
"Thank you." I grinned, squeezing my eyes shut as I smiled.
"God, you're a cutie." He chuckled
"Thank you, I agree."
"Good." He ruffled my hair again
"God damn it, Kevin, you messed it up again!" I whined, laughing.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it!"
I groaned, pushing my head into his stomach
He giggled and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing my shoulders tightly. He was essentially shielding me the way one would in a reign of bullets, but with absolutely nothing soaring through the air.
"I love youuuu !" He giggled
"I love you too" I chuckled, my voice muffled by his body and clothing.
He let go of me, running his hands through my hair, setting both his hands on my shoulders
"Awwhhh, you're so fuckin' cute." He smiled
"Am not."
"Are too. You're the cutest boy in the whole wide world."
"..Thank you. You're a sweetheart." I grinned
"You're welco- oh, that smile. I love that smile. I love it so much."
"Why're you so sappy all of the sudden?"
"am I not allowed to dote upon my lovely boyfriend?"
"You are! It's just a lot of lovey-dovey gooey niceness out of nowhere." I giggled
"Do you ever stop and think why I act like that?"
"Because you're cheesy?"
"Yes.. but there's other reasons."
"Those being?"
"Well, every little thing you do just melts my fucking heart. So, you know, I can't really help myself when you do something cute. I fucking crumble."
"I didn't do anything cute, though."
"Not purposefully. You're just adorable. Constantly... Is it alright if I go outside for a moment? I have somethin' for you."
I nodded, a bit confused as he sat up and headed out the door.
He returned five minutes later, only walking up the stairs to his room, from which he took around ten minutes to return from. He held his hands behind his back when he walked in.
"Alrighty, are you ready?"
"Yeah..? I think?"
"Okay!" He smiled, pulling a small bunch of yellow flowers, the petals of which darkened to orange as they faded to the pistil and stems.
"Aw, Kevin... where did you even get those? They're my favorite."
"I know they are. I planted some in the backyard a long while back. A-As a little surprise for you. I know, they're aren't fully grown, they aren't at their peak, but.. it seemed like a good time for you to have them. You like African Daisies. And if they make you happy, I'm bringing them to you."
"That's sweet.. Thank you, Kevin. It means a whole lot."
He nodded and handed all but one to me, sticking the remaining one in my short hair as he sat next to me, rubbing his hand across my stomach.
He kissed me on the forehead "you know, those flowers look pretty on you." He half-smiled, tucking one into my shirt pocket.
"Do they?"
"You look absolutely breathtaking."
"...Thank you." I smiled
"Though, to be fair, you always look breathtaking.."
"Not true."
"Very true. Even when you wake up, your hair's a mess but in a hot way. And your eyes are still sleepy. My heart skips a beat."
"..Well, that is nice to hear."
"You're nice to see." He smirked, ruffling my hair again
"For god's sake, will you quit it?" I giggled
"Never. I love it."
"I hate it" I groaned
"No, you don't."
"No, I like it, but it's annoying!"
"I like to annoy you"
"Why?"
"Because look at you! You're not sad anymore! You're smiling and laughing! And you're happy!"
"..I guess that's true."
"It is. Now come here." He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me swiftly to his side.
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Jesus, now you're the one being annoying." He joked
"Okay, Okay, whatever."
He giggled and kissed me on the cheek sloppily, letting his arms fall around my hips.
"Ew, you got spit on my cheek!" I whined
"Tough." He sighed sarcastically, kissing me again.
"You're a jerk" I giggled, hunching over.
He wrapped his arms around my waist tightly so I couldn't fold myself to escape his shower of kisses.
"I know." He smiled against my cheek
I squealed, giggling as I tried to pull away.
He held on tighter, keeping a firm, playful grip.
'Let me go, Bastard!" I laughed, trying to pry him off.
"Not a chance!" He left dozens of sloppy, quick kisses all over my face, climbing on top of me in order to reach the rest of my face.
On my side, Kevin straddling my hip as he chuckled quietly, kissing my cheek and temple repeatedly.
"Oh, that's fucking gay." I teased as he let his small, repetitive kisses fall to my neck.
"Oh, shut up."
"Rude"
He only took a few seconds to smile, before kissing my jaw again.
He soon started his usual routine on my neck, trying to find spots he hadn't yet left marks on. Luckily for the both of us, the place he found himself, was one of my favorite spots for him to tread upon. It made me groan, biting down on my lip.
"See, I told you I could do it." He panted
"..You did. You did tell me that." I giggled as he let go of my wrists, climbing down from on top of me.
"Wait, you're just going to stop now?" I whined.
"Yep."
"Why?"
"Because I did what I said I would. Don't worry, we have all night to finish up."
"But you already-"
"I know. The wait is half the fun, Sunshine."
"I care to disagree."
"Tough luck." He ran his hands through my hair, smirking. "..Do you want to go out tonight?" He asked.
"Didn't I take you out this morning?"
"Yeah. But I wanna take you out tonight."
"Where..?"
"That bar. The one I took you to."
"Oh. Are there any other ones? I don't like the guys there, they hit on you. And me."
"There are, but that's the only bar I can guarantee that I can get anything from."
"Okay. Then yeah, let's do that."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. Don't let me drink as much as last time. I've never thrown up so bad in my life."
"I won't." He chuckled
"Okay."
"So we'll grab some dinner and then we'll head out? We'll have to walk, though."
"Sounds good."
"Awesome. What's the time?"
"Quarter to five."
"What do you want to do for dinner?"
"I don't care."
"Well, we could always grab something to eat there, but I don't recommend it, last time I ate there I got food poisoning. We could go out. Or we can eat here, then go."
"I really don't care. As long as I don't get food poisoning."
"How about I take you out for dinner beforehand?"
"Where's this money coming from?"
"I've been doing work for the neighbors. So I can take you on a date. And that applies to tonight. I have the money, don't worry about it. Can I take you out?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Awesome." He grinned, kissing me on the forehead again.
"Will you let me pay? For anything. Dinner, or drinks. I want to pay for something."
"No. I like taking you out. Tonight's on me, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good. I can't wait."