⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐢𝐱. —— blackout.
— i —
Rome tried his best to not look as uncomfortable as he felt. Noh was sprawled out on the chair opposite to him, looking as disinterested as always, while their dad and the woman were sitting on both ends of the dining table. Rome subconsciously started to think about her like that; she wasn't just any woman, she was the woman, and this emphasis was very much a thing in his mind.
Rome wasn't a little kid anymore, he wasn't going to throw a tantrum at the news of his father having a girlfriend—or at least he'd very much like to say that. It's been eleven years since his mother died, and either way, Rome didn't think that his dad's grieving period had been longer than maybe six months. So it wasn't like Rome wanted to be difficult, it was just that there was something... too pretentious about this woman; the way she smiled was a little too wide for what they've been talking about, she sounded way too eager to know everything about Rome and Noh, almost as if she was going to date them instead of their father.
"How old were you when your mom died?" the woman asked Rome, probably because she noticed that she wouldn't get any reaction out of Noh. Rome's brother was there because he had to be if he wanted to get his monthly allowance, but no one would force him to talk.
This question, though, got the reaction from both of the brothers. Noh visibly clenched his fingers on the fork, while Rome let go of his; it clattered against the plate and created a loud noise that startled everyone a little bit.
Rome quickly cleared his throat. "Um, I was... I was seven."
The woman solemnly nodded her head and turned towards Rome's dad. "That explains a lot. It's quite obvious when kids grow up without their mother, I think that the presence of a woman has a big influence on how the kids turn out when they're older. Do they cause trouble?" she asked.
Rome tuned her out after that because he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from arguing with her at some point. If there was anything wrong with him now it wasn't because he didn't have a mother, but because he didn't have both his parents─his dad was just never there, he didn't care what his kids were doing as long as they didn't get caught.
When the dinner was finally over, Rome locked himself in his room. Mentioning his mother always made him feel like shit because most of the time everyone acted as if she never existed at all; Rome didn't even have any pictures of her, he barely remembered how she looked like anymore. His father didn't keep anything that would remind them of her and Rome was sure it's because he thought that her death was cowardly, that it was something they should hate her for. Rome was often beating himself up over the fact that he was too young back then to try and hide at least one photograph. He didn't want to forget her, even if remembering hurt so much.
Rome sat on the floor next to his bed and dialed Emma's number, he needed to talk to someone, because being alone wasn't good for him now.
"Rome? I was just about to text you!" Emma's cheerful voice sounded on the other side. Hearing her being so happy gave Rome a pause. "I bumped into P'Porsche while I was shopping and he asked if I want to get dinner with him! He's ordering our food now. Can I finally count this as a date?"
"Ah... I... Yes, I suppose," Rome answered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Congratulations, I thought you will have to ask him out yourself."
"Me too! Oh, I think he's about to come back. Is there anything you need? Why did you call?" she asked, lowering her voice a little.
She sounded so excited and Rome really couldn't ruin it for her, another opportunity like that could take years to happen again, especially with someone like Porsche. So Rome forced himself to smile to make his voice sound more normal, otherwise, Emma would worry and insist to come over.
"I just wanted to see what you were doing. Text me once you're home, okay?"
"Sure, I promise, bye!" Emma finished the call before Rome had the chance to answer.
He sighed and looked down at the screen of his most recent calls. Right under Emma's contact name was Pick's, and Rome's finger hovered over it for a few seconds before he locked his phone and threw it on the bed. They weren't close enough for Rome to call him whenever he was upset.
But he couldn't stop thinking that Pick's voice would probably make him feel much better.
─ ii ─
"We need to talk."
Pick stopped putting the cat food in the bowls and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. It was never a good thing to hear something like that from Porsche because it usually meant one of two things; one was that Porsche had another ridiculous request and wanted Pick to do something embarrassing for him, and two was that he wanted to yell at Pick. So really, Pick was never thrilled to hear that.
"I don't think we do," Pick said slowly, finishing his task just because some of the cats were already bumping their noses against his hands to make him give them food faster. Cats were so bossy and needy, almost like Rome. Pick almost smiled at the thought but then quickly scowled; why would he even think about that shorty?
"Well, you have no choice," Porsche informed him, nodding towards the table he was sitting by. Pick sighed again, wiping his hands against black jeans and walking over to sit on one of the chairs. "It's about Nong'Rome."
Pick leaned back on the chair and raised an eyebrow. "What about him?" he asked lazily.
"Do you like him?" Porsche was closely watching Pick as if his reaction would tell Porsche more than words, and so Pick tried to keep his expression carefully blank just in case this idiot would imagine seeing something there. Pick didn't doubt that Porsche would snitch everything out to Emma, that is if there would be anything to snitch out. "Or did he tell you he likes you?"
"No to both questions, Porsche. How is that any of your business?"
Well, Pick didn't lie. Though Rome asking him out was as good as telling Pick how he felt... Pick had no idea what to do with it, he agreed because there was really no reason to refuse; it was a challenge, it sounded fun, Rome was brave for asking so straightforwardly. There were a lot of things Pick could say, but the main reason was that he wanted to check his own feelings─was Rome just making him confused, or was Pick genuinely interested? That's why the answer to Porsche's first question wasn't technically a lie either, Pick couldn't say he likes Rome simply because he didn't know if he does.
Why was it so easy with girls?
"What do you mean, how is that my business?" Porsche asked almost offended. "I'm your best friend! If you like boys, I think I should know that. Just so I can be a good wingman, you know? You're breaking like ten best friends' rules right now."
Pick rolled his eyes. "This is exactly why I don't tell you anything, you drama queen. I do not like boys, and either way, you were so busy with Nong'Emma lately that I didn't think you'd care," his words slowed down a little by the end because Pick didn't mean for it to sound so mean. He knew Porsche did care about him and that he wouldn't just abandon him for a girl, Pick wasn't afraid of that... Or at least he thought he wasn't. There was never a threat like that before.
Porsche shook Pick out of his thoughts by slapping him upside the head. "You're an idiot. If anything is bothering you, I want you to talk to me! It's just that you never say anything and you keep everything inside, and... Didn't your mom tell you it's not good?"
"Porsche, Porsche, Porsche. My dear child. I'm like fine wine─"
"Bottled up for so long and then can kill if opened incorrectly?" Porsche interrupted, making Pick scowl at him. "Pick, I just don't want any of you to get hurt, you know? Rome is a nice person and if you're just treating him like one of your girls..."
"I don't know, Porsche, okay? I don't know if I like him and... and it's different with him. I just─I don't know," he sighed, wanting to just finish this conversation. It was embarrassing on so many levels.
Porsche looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "It's fine. Just don't use him as a way to test yourself."
Before Pick could think of an answer, the doors to their club opened and they both could see a very disheveled Rome with Emma trailing behind. Pick's eyes focused on the boy though; the shirt of Rome's uniform was buttoned unevenly and half of it was pushed into black jeans, his dark hair was sticking in every direction, and there was a fresh bruise on his cheek, he also looked like he didn't get much sleep that night, but he was still smiling happily as he waved something that looked like take-out in his hand.
"Hello, I've brought lunch. Your friend said you're probably still here and it's almost ten now, so I─I mean, we thought we'll stop by," Rome said, nodding towards Emma. Pick was too busy talking to Porsche to even notice the time, but now his stomach seemed to remember that it should be getting food by now. "Well, I didn't know what you like to eat so I took a little bit of everything."
"Oh, thank you so much. You didn't have to do this," Porsche said, quickly standing up and ushering the younger students inside. "Please, sit down. I'll find some bowls."
"I'll help you," Emma offered, pushing Rome down on the chair next to Pick and then walking after Porsche to the next room.
"What happened to your face, buttercup?" Pick asked once they were alone, turning on his chair so he could face Rome. His hand almost automatically went up to Rome's cheek and pressed lightly against it, for some reason he felt angry at the sight of the bruise. It just seemed like Rome couldn't take a break from them, but he never even said a thing. He always brushed Pick off when he used to ask about it.
Rome's eyes were wide when he looked back at Pick. "It's nothing," he muttered, catching Pick's wrist and putting his arm down. Pick briefly noticed that Rome didn't let go of him later. "Do you have time today, P'?"
Pick decided that there's no use in pushing, Rome wouldn't tell him anything either way.
"It depends what for," he tilted his head and smirked when Rome blushed before his next words.
"A date. I mean, I only have seven days, I should hurry," Rome explained, playing with the silver bracelet on Pick's wrist. He was avoiding looking directly at the senior and it was really funny how he could go from someone confident into this mess.
"Hm, okay then. Do you want me to wear something pretty?" Pick teased, watching how Rome's ears were getting redder and redder. It was quite fascinating.
Rome looked up and smiled softly. "You always look pretty, P'Pick," he said like it was nothing.
Porsche chose this moment to walk back into the room. He took one look at his best friend and frowned with concern. "Pick, why is your face so red?"
Rome chuckled and Pick groaned loudly; he was so going to murder that shorty one day.
─ iii ─
"Come on, get inside."
Pick opened the doors and pushed Rome inside, closing behind them just when another thunder sounded in the distance. They both have run from the car but their clothes were still soaking wet, water was dripping on the wooden floor in the hallway. Pick tried to flick on the lights, but nothing happened.
"Shit, it's another blackout," he explained, using the flashlight on his phone.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't know it's going to rain so much," Rome said quietly and then sneezed in the crook of his elbow.
Pick snorted, leading the younger boy to the living room. "It's not your fault. Besides, the date was fun," he admitted with a shrug because it was true.
"Yeah, but it lasted like half an hour."
They went to the arcade together, but because of the storm, the power went out there, too. Pick didn't mind that much, it wasn't Rome's fault and he did have fun for the thirty minutes or so. At first, he thought it was going to be awkward, but they were getting along pretty well even if Rome seemed a little more nervous than normal.
"Well, how does that saying go? Quality over quantity or something? Anyways, you can light up the candles on the table, I'll bring you something dry to wear," he said, nodding towards the small table in the room. The blackouts were a frequent thing in this area so they always had a lot of candles around, just so they wouldn't have to sit in the darkness. In this kind of weather, Pick wasn't able to say how long it would last.
"Wait," Rome said quickly, catching Pick's arm before he could walk away. Pick moved his phone so the light would be on Rome's face, and he saw that the shorty was looking around anxiously. This made him laugh.
"Come on, don't tell me you're scared of ghosts?" he mocked, flicking Rome's forehead. "The only person in this house you should be afraid of is standing right here, buttercup."
Rome sent him an unimpressed glare and then pushed him away. "Oh, just go. Try not to break your neck on the stairs."
"You're so sweet, Nong, I'm swooning," he cooed.
Pick found some of his older clothes so they wouldn't be that big on Rome, and then he walked downstairs. The shorty was carefully lightning up all the candles in the room he could find; he flinched at the sound of the thunder almost as if he was going to get punched. Pick shook his head at that, this kid seriously had some issues. Pick's mom was a therapist and while most of the time Pick thought it's annoying how she always tried to analyze him, sometimes it was useful because through her he was learning how to analyze others. And with Rome, there was one hell of an analysis to do.
"Here you go, there's a bathroom down the hallway─"
Rome turned around, almost dropping the candle he was holding. "And you expect me to go there alone in the dark? Yeah, no way," he protested, putting the candle away and taking the clothes from Pick's hands. The senior shrugged and flopped down on the sofa, in this light he wouldn't be able to see anything anyway, not that he'd watch. Rome quickly changed into the dry clothes and sat down next to Pick; the sleeves of the sweater were too long and only Rome's fingers were visible, Pick thought it's kind of cute. "Why isn't there anyone else here?"
"The house usually stays empty," Pick answered, leaning back. "We all lived here together before my parents divorced, but later dad moved out and I guess mom doesn't really like being here, but she also doesn't want to sell it because she says me and my sister grew up here so... It's stupid. But it was closer than the dorms, and I don't like driving in the rain," he explained with a shrug.
Then everything was silent for a moment. Rome was looking at him and his long eyelashes were casting shadows on his cheeks, he looked so soft. Pick's heart did that weird thing again and the boy frowned.
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, tilting his head that was leaned against the back of the sofa.
"Because I like looking at you," Rome answered simply, moving a little bit closer. Pick could feel the tension between them, just like the time when they got locked in the storage room, but now he knew that there wouldn't be anyone to interrupt them.
Pick swallowed when Rome put a hand on his neck and then moved down to finally press their lips together.
And really, this wasn't Pick's first kiss so he had no right to be so clueless as to what to do next, but it's just that he didn't expect his body to react the way it did. He could feel shivers running down his spine and his heart started to beat faster, he was kind of afraid Rome would be able to feel it when the younger boy put his hand on Pick's chest for balance. It would be embarrassing.
But maybe it's because Rome was the first boy Pick was kissing. Or rather the first boy that was kissing him. Rome pressed a little bit forward and that finally woke Pick up from his trance. Pick cupped Rome's face in his hands and tilted it to deepen the kiss, then he pulled Rome closer, not even thinking about what he was doing. He didn't want to think because then he'd probably freak out about the whole kissing a boy thing, and for now, it was nice. Really nice.
Especially when Rome moved on the sofa and ended up sitting on Pick's lap. Rome opened his mouth to let Pick's tongue in; one of his hands tangled in Pick's black hair, while Pick's squeezed on Rome's waist. At first, the kiss was slow, but it quickly turned into a more urgent one when Pick figured out that he really wanted to do it, he wanted to do it a long time ago, he was just too dumb to realize it before Rome was the one who kissed him.
The younger boy gently tugged at Pick's hair, making him groan and break the kiss to come up for air. They were both panting heavily and Pick still kept Rome close, he could see his blush even in the dim candlelight, his eyes seemed to sparkle and Pick once again thought that Rome was very pretty. He caught Rome's chin and moved his thumb against Rome's bottom lip, looking all over his face.
"I... I didn't plan to do that on the first date," Rome muttered, resting his hands against Pick's chest. "I should─I should probably go," he added, trying to move only for Pick to pull him down again.
"Where do you want to go? It's still raining and it's already late," Pick hummed. The weather was still awful and Rome didn't have his car, so it was logical that Pick wanted him to stay. "You should just stay for the night, buttercup," he added, playing with the hem of Rome's shirt.
Rome tried to keep his hands to himself and he seemed a lot shyer than he was just a few seconds ago. "Is that okay?" he asked quietly, and Pick knew it's not about staying the night.
Pick bit his bottom lip, thinking about it for a moment. Sooner or later he would actually have to face all those things that he kept putting in boxes inside his head, but was now really a good time to do that? With Rome sitting on his lap... Well, maybe everything else could wait a little bit more, right?
"I'm not sure. I think you'll have to kiss me again, just in case," he said, trying to sound serious. Rome's eyes widened for a moment before the boy burst into laughter.
It was a little bit more difficult to kiss someone who was smiling, but Pick didn't mind. It was even better than the first time.
~ * ~
[a/n: sorry it took so long, i just accidentally deleted the almost finished chapter 2 times and it was frustrating fdghfgbd
i took their first kiss from season 1 and made it better........... hopefully please don't hate me]