↞[Luke]↠
A dazzling blue sky and bright, free sunshine glistered past the café's spotty window.
"You guys will be there at the Homecoming tonight, right?" Bella asked, her eyes lingered on me as I sat on a royal blue cushiony sofa, beside Ken. I placed the coffee tray, packed with three different varieties of coffee, on the table.
Peering into Bella's doubtful eyes, I responded, "Maybe." The wink after that was only to frustrate her. She had been prodding about the Homecoming since Ken and I walked out of the school library.
She groaned in defeat and flailed her arms. "So, everything that I did is potentially wasted. Ugh, I liked you better when you were dying, Luke," she complained.
I lifted the coffee cup to my lips, hiding the smile forming on my face. Bella's eyebrows furrowed deeper. I glanced at Ken for backup, but his whole devotion was on his phone. Why did multiplayer exist on every platform? I pulled him close to me by his waist, hoping that he would give up on the game.
Nope. He tipped his upper-half and rested on my shoulder while still playing the game. With not just one, but both his hands.
"What the freak do you mean by 'maybe'"? Bella asked with contained fury.
"Uh..." while drawling the expression, I successively poked Ken's stomach.
"Ow! Ow! OW! No, stop! Nooo." With strings of slurs and hysteria, he slammed the phone on the solid grey table. The black-dropped screen flashed with bold, red letters saying, "wasted." Full capitals.
His head drooped, and he mumbled, "Everyone's gonna roast me for the remainder of my existence. Dying to a level three machete wielder..."
There was a smidge bit of sadism to view his defeated-self cute. If it were anyone else in my position, Ken would be fuming at them, but me being myself — I could not help it. Wanting his undivided attention was selfish, but considering that we were apart for a whole week excused my actions.
"I only ask for my boyfriend's attention," I murmured into his ears while nuzzling his cottony temporal hair. I had meant to say that playfully. But it had an entirely different effect on Ken as he stuttered some words and pulled away to look ruefully into my eyes.
"This background noise wants attention too!" Bella renounced, reminding me that she was in front of us.
"Back me up, Ken," I insisted and stared back at Bella's are-you-for-real face.
"Y-yeah, dancing sounds dreadful," Ken stated hastily.
I cocked my head to the side and said, "You heard him. I'll do whatever he says."
Bella groaned and thumped her head on the walnut-wood table.
"Dude, you're making it sound like you're my slave!" Ken said with surprise.
I considered him with a solemn look. "I'll be whatever you want me to be." His cheeks got chalked with pink, and he blinked away from my gaze. I never got tired of watching Ken getting flustered by mere word-play; it made him more tempting for all I cared.
"I'll give you guys some space. Let me know if you change your mind or something." She picked up her to-go coffee from the tray and left.
Ken felt frail in my grasp. He had always been slim and sprayed with weak muscles, but lately, it seemed like he had lost weight. If only I had not been so careless around handling my emotions for him.
Sipping from the opaque-white coffee cup, it left a sour taste, and an acrid aroma complimented it. Announcing a committed relationship was not enough. Saying something was not enough. I had a close-to-perfect plan to make up for the time we had lost. Would it be enough? Skipping homecoming was a big decision...
"You still owe me a pizza, remember?" Ken said out of nowhere, breaking my thoughts. He was not looking at me, too busy poking the back-side of his phone, absent-minded.
"I'll give you a cake too. I am so sorry, Ken. You missed the after-match party because of me."
"Doesn't matter. Whatever happened only brought us both closer," Ken said with a sweet smile that lightened his face. The sun rays refracted around his glasses, and shone is cocoa eyes.
"And it'll never happen again," I said, and lifted his knuckles to adorn them with feathery kisses. "There's something I need to tell you." I held his hand on my lap, and his fingers started tracing the sewed lines of my jeans, leaving a tingle on my thigh.
"You like pineapples on pizza?" he asked with a sad pout.
"What? No!"
"Okay, thank God. My old school gave everyone Hawaiian pizza for after-game refreshments," he recalled the memory and visibly shivered.
After a short laugh, I said, "That sounds terrifying. But no, I need to tell you something else."
"I'm all ears," he said while taking a sip of his coffee.
"Remember I told― showed you how my nightmares had returned?"
He nodded, and a faint furrow formed between his brows.
"Ken, I think I was right. There's something about you... After we got back together, the nightmares stopped again. I'm not even sleep-walking," I told him.
Part of me wanted to hide this from him. I feared that he would think that I reconciled for this reason, but I knew my Ken better. No secrets were going to be between us.
"Well, shit. Yuuri said something about shields from spells. Maybe I am your ward?" he asked, displaying more confusion as the words left his mouth.
"You still believe the witchcraft theory?"
"You don't?" he asked me, confounded.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know what to believe. But my knight-in-shining-armor theory is living up to my expectations," I said and winked.
"When will you stop flirting?" He rolled his eyes.
"Never. I love seeing you all worked up."
"Um, so, you're really skipping the dance?"
"We are, Ken," I said, and turned to him with my full attention. "I know I'm asking for a lot. Be with me before the sunset. I want to take to somewhere. Show you something. Spend time with you alone." I made circles on top of his hand. "Promise I'll make it worthwhile."
"You don't have to convince me to skip a stupid dance," he said and shivered a little.
I smiled.
I missed him so much.
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A meaningless commotion of people conversing flowed through the living room when I entered my house. As the television filled the ambiance, my dad's attention fell on the newspaper in his hands.
Only fathers possessed the ability to gather useless—debatable—information from multiple sources at once. Bella must go through this twice more than me. I wondered if my future sealed too.
"Anything useful?" I asked as I walked past him.
"Nope, just discussion on some policy change." He studied me and then scoffed. "You look rather happy. Going on a date?" He fluttered the newspaper in his hands with a loud rustle.
"How did you know?" I curiously asked while breaking off a piece from sandwich bread on the kitchen counter.
He shrugged his shoulder, head still buried between the papers. "The colors on your face have returned, and you've been taking care of health. It's the man-bun guy, isn't it?"
I rolled my eyes, but a small, natural smile crossed my face. "Learn my boyfriend's name, Dad."
"That's a new term. I think I've never heard you use that word," Dad said, and I glared back at him. He defensively raised his arms. "Have fun. But..."
I waited for him to continue, but nothing came. He stared back at me awkwardly and narrowed his eyes. "Dad, what?"
"I don't have to..."
"No."
"Right." He cleared his throat and went back to reading his paper. "And when will you be back?"
"Um." I walked to Martha's box kept near the glass sliding doors, settling down in front of her. "Tomorrow afternoon, for sure," I said while crumpling the bread in my palm.
"Just be safe."
"Don't have to tell me twice," I mumbled.
Martha was finally free of her bandages, and enough time had passed for her wound to heal. She walked without wobbling, yet, so far, there had been no attempts to fly. Her black, beady eyes examined my hand with piqued interest as I sprinkled the bread crumbs in front of her.
"You'll take-off in no time," I whispered and watched her tiny body springing around her food before pecking on it.
With a sigh, I laid back, balancing on my elbows, looking out the transparent panes. Trees spread flourishing beyond the rim of the forest. Scattered first, which got thicker as I gazed into the deeper portion. We did not have fences barricading us from the woods, so the area appeared unsafe. Though, the lack of incidences ensured everyone in the neighbor of the peace and quiet past those trees.
Sun-rays washed through the strewn trees and landed on the dead, fallen leaves. It made the brown dried leaves shine with a new life. The hidden trails were a scenic destination for hiking and camping. I had spent too much time in the meadows when I was younger, but those days were far gone.
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After aimlessly scrolling through social media for the past I-don't-know-how-many-hours, I finally received a text from Ken. It was over six o'clock, and the sun rays kissed the tips of tree-leaves as they moved further away from me. Ken had told me that he would be late because of his after-school work.
I tapped the notification:
(K<3) where should I meet u
Come by the docks... (Me)
(K<3) want me to get something
Nope just be there (Me)
(K<3) k
I bit my lip to hold back the stirring anxiety. "K" was all that he said. Was he unimpressed? Shit. Dates like these were not my cup-of-tea. Glancing at Martha one last time — for good luck — I put on my dark brown jacket over the neck-high beige tee and raced my fingers one last time through my silken hair.
At least I will look good, like always.
But looking good was not going to save me from an embarrassing date. I grabbed my car keys and waltzed out the door. Dad left for his night-shift sooner than expected, saying something about reaching early to grab food on the way.
My heart raced in anticipation as I settled in my car. Was this adequate to make him forget the loss of missing the homecoming? Although he had said that he did not care but — no, too late to regret.
The sun dropped low lazily as I drove to the nearest parking. I jogged down a fifteen-minute path to reach the boardwalks. The tangerine-ablaze rays fell onto the withered, umber woods, making the water drops shimmer like I was walking on a glittered floor.
I saw Ken's silhouette standing by the edge of the deck, gazing at the ocean. The breeze was catching his hair and drifting the long strands sensually.
The reminiscence of that night came rushing back to me:
His hair kept crisscrossing across his face as silent tears ran down his face. I had never seen him cry before, and it rose a terrifying feeling in me. When I wiped his tears with my thumb, I wanted to pull him closer, console him. I do not remember how I pushed him away.
I shook my head to shove away the disturbing memory.
Somehow, Ken had not heard my footsteps. I tardily encircled my arms around him, trying not to startle him. He quivered beneath my grasp and then relaxed when he realized it was me. Hands still in pockets, he was gazing at the horizon. I placed my chin on his shoulder, and his hair tickled my cheek. The orange-red hues softly tinted his face, giving him a God-like halo.
The faint vanilla essence which always enveloped Ken breezed around me again. The natural form of vanilla: pure and sweet. I never questioned it, and the scent made my mind swim with lust. Like an addiction, it made me want him more.
I rubbed my lips and nose on his cheek, and he smiled, causing a small hollow to form where my lips were. "You're my own brand of wine," I whispered and tightened my grip.
He exhaled out a short laugh and turned to face me without leaving my grasp. "So, we're gonna stand by the dock and make out till your heart's desire?" he asked me.
"Sounds like a good plan too." I stooped down to breathe-in his vanilla-fragranced breath.
"Yeah, just two dudes making out by the docks, no big deal." He chuckled, and our lips brushed together.
"I have so much more for you," I said and pressed my lips to his. I stayed still, and so did he. His hand pulled me by my neck, touch warm like his lips — searing hot.
A few seconds passed, and everything around us melted away — just him and me. The sun hid beneath the horizon, and the shadows of the evening embraced us. I smiled and pulled away from him.
"Woah, how much time just passed? You felt that too?" he said, looking dazed.
I laughed and held his hand. "Walk with me," I said, and started moving towards the boat-docking side.
We stopped in front of a small yacht. Painted with white, a blue stripe ran across its body, and a spacious front deck with an expensive seating-and-dining area was visible. The back of the yacht had the cockpit, which was enclosed by see-through glass.
I swirled my hand in a grand and overly-dramatic gesture to present the yacht. I waited for Ken to respond. His mouth was open as he stared at the motor-boat.
"Do you like it?" I asked him, searching in his hazel eyes for a response.
"Dude, you have a freaking yacht?!" he shouted in excitement.
I smiled and said, "I borrowed it. Ours for a night." I jumped on the deck and extended my hand for him to take. He grabbed it with a grin plastered on his face.
"So, you like it?" I asked him again.
He was already inside the cockpit. Peeking his head out, he grinned ear-to-ear. "Like? Dude, I love this. It's awesome! Can I go and check-out the engine once? Please?" he asked and flashed his puppy eyes, melting me on-spot.
"You don't have to blackmail me, Ken. Go and do whatever you want."
I sat down on one of the sofas on the front deck. Arranged in a semi-circle, each sofa overlooked the ocean. They were wide enough for two people to fall asleep in and were lined with an excessive number of plump pillows.
The sapphirine water spread all around me, appearing almost seamless as it mixed with the dark skies at the horizon. The inked night was clear of clouds, providing transparency to sprinkled stars and painted galaxy.
The waves were gentle and rhythmic, not harsh like the other days.
Everything was perfect.
Ken closed the engine-room door with a dull thud and sat on the sofa beside me. "You won't believe it," he said, stunned with a twinkle behind his glasses. "It's literally a spaceship down there. The engine's a beast! A modified vee-bottom. We could race with―" He stopped and blinked a few times, then smiled faintly. "Sorry, I got carried away. I won't bore ya."
"No, no, keep talking," I said, unable to hide my growing smile, and rested my chin on my palm ― closer to him. "I love hearing the little things you relish, nerd," I teased him.
He giggled and said, "By the way, who's gonna drive this monster?"
"You!" I said and bit my lip to hold back a laugh.
His eyes broadened a bit, and mouth parted. "No. Way." He licked his lips and continued to stare at me with the same shock. "You want me to drive a super modern, spaceship-like yacht?"
I nodded, still trying to suppress my laugh. Ken was adorable.
He laughed dryly. Then paused to observe if I was joking, and proceeded to be shocked again. His expression finally settled on an amused grin as he stood up. "You're suicidal, but like, in the best possible way."
He gripped my wrist to pull me along with him to the cockpit. The place was cramped, but the blue-tinted windows surrounding us made it look visually bigger. Ken keenly observed the controllers and the wheel in front of him. He pushed a few buttons, and the engine came alive. I balanced myself to keep me from falling.
"This is so awesome. You are so awesome. Did I mention how awesome you are?" Ken chirruped and propelled us forward into the ocean's abyss. The movement was smooth and quick.
"You're the one driving this." I leaned on the console, observing the vibrant, lean boy in front of me. The smile did not leave Ken's lips, putting a permanent lickable dimple on his cheeks.
"It's like driving a normal motorboat, but like, ten times cooler," he said with excitement. "You gotta place in mind?" he asked, without looking away from the controllers.
"Nah, how about as far from this town as possible?" Biting my lip, I waited for his response.
His smile grew. "Now, you're talking! To the middle-of-nowhere?" He proposed the idea, and I felt a stronger thrust as we raced into the darkness.
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Ken cut off the engines and let go of the wheel.
"That was quick," I said and looked around. Through the cockpit, I saw the endless expanse of the ocean. Silence and steadfast ambiance framed us. I needed this escape, and having Ken made everything more fitting.
He turned and pulled me into a hug. Before I reacted, he kissed the corner of my lips and released me. "This is too perfect, Luke. Thank you," he said.
"Remind me to gift you a yacht next time," I beamed as the subtle sensation lingered where his lips had touched. I outlined the spot with my tongue. With every passing second, the yearning to have him burned more vigorously in me.
"Join me outside?" I asked him and opened the door to the deck. A cool breeze washed over, and the scent of brine encased me. The air was heavy with humidity, and I could almost taste the salt on my skin.
I settled on the widest sofa facing the ocean-front. The amber lights from the cockpit, giving a spectral illumination to the deck. Ken slumped down on the space beside me.
"What now?" he asked, but his gaze was sweeping over the expansive view in front of us.
"It's peaceful, isn't it?" I looked at his face. His skin appeared silky under the fickle glow of silver moonbeams and golden bulb-light.
"It is..."
"Look up, Ken," I said while admiring his features. His head titled upwards, and a smile caressed his face.
"I've never seen so many stars together..." His trail of speech was threaded with wonder.
My heart drummed quicker each ticking second beside Ken. I was just coming to terms with how much warmth his happiness gave me. Every smile drawn on his gorgeous face because of me made everything worth it.
"Wanna drink something?" I asked after I had drunk his smitten expression. His attention towards the stars and moon was making me jealous now.
He nodded quickly, making me chuckle. Bending beside the sofa's armrest, I produced a champagne bottle from the ice bucket, and set it on the low-sitting table in front of us, carved from dark wood. Inversed wine glasses were meticulously arranged on a glass salver.
"Oooh, I like where this is going," he chimed.
"Don't get too excited. It's non-alcoholic," I said and popped the lid. The burgundy liquid fizzled as I poured it into two empty glasses.
"Aw, too bad."
"I want you sober, Ken. Up for a game?" I asked him while handing him the full glass.
"I was born ready. Name the game." He took an extended sip of the champagne. He frowned, tried not to spit, somehow swallowed, and went into a coughing fit.
I brought the liquid close to my lips; it was sour with ripe fruit undertones. The smell resembled a compost pit. I placed my glass on the table. What justification did people have who drank this muck?
"Two truths and a lie," I said and smirked when he scrunched his nose.
"I'm gonna lose. You start." He pouted and crossed his legs on the couch, facing me.
"Okay..." I placed my elbow on the padded backrest, resting my head in my palm as I thought for a few seconds. I gleamed a smile when the right ideas occurred in my head. "Take a shot of that thing—" I pointed at the two filled glasses. "—for every wrong guess."
He groaned with overstated disgust. "You're responsible for any food poisoning."
I chuckled. "Okay, so... I used to go fishing with my dad," I said the first statement, and he intently nodded. "My first encounter with a guy ended in a three-way with a gay couple."
"No way, what the fuck?" Ken said with his mouth agape.
I placed my thumb-nail between my teeth and spoke, "I made a girl pregnant once."
He did not respond. Instead, his mouth parted further.
"I'll pour some more..." I said and took the bottle in my hand.
"You're lying about the threesome!" he blurted and recoiled with uncertainty.
I smirked and pushed the glass of whatever-that-was towards him. "Come on, Ken, you know I practice safe sex 'specially when there's a chance of pregnancy." I lifted the glass to him. "Drink up."
He grunted and took it from my hand. He sniffed it once, creased his nose in disgust, and gulped the whole thing. "You have to tell me about that threesome," he said breathlessly and placed the glass as far away as possible.
"I was at a party," I began, waiting for him to settle. "And this really perky drunk guy started making out with me." Ken rolled his eyes. "I went along with it. Then he told me about his boyfriend..."
"Holy shit, dude." He scoffed.
I nodded and said, "Turned out, they wanted to open their relationship."
"Is that how you realized that you're bi?" he asked and turned towards me again, with one leg crossed on the sofa and other hanging down.
"Nah, I knew that since pretty long back. That was my first ever encounter with a guy— guys," I told him.
"How old...?"
"Sweet sixteen. Things had just ended with Erica," I said. When he gave me a blank look, I recalled, "My first girlfriend, remember?"
"Y-yeah. I still can't believe you had a threesome. How did..." He closed his mouth and shot me an apologetic look.
"Ken, you can ask me anything." His reluctance was amusing. His curiosity mixed with protectiveness was so cute. "And if you wanna know," I said, and leaned forward. "I was in the middle."
He jumped. "No more! My innocent ears!" he shouted and threw a pillow at me. "I'll take my turn."
I hugged the fluffy cushion and regarded his thoughtful figure. His gaze was on the space between us. Wispy locks of his dark hair had loosened from his up-do and hung over his face. I kept fighting the urge to push them back and take him in my arms.
"Okay," he exclaimed, breaking my reverie. "I'm not out to my parents. I ate an octopus once. I stole my dad's car and ended up in jail—in Japan."
I snorted. "Well, who would've thought: you in jail? You have to tell me the whole story, Ken. But for now, you're lying about the octopus."
His eyes widened. "How are you so good at this?"
"Ken, you told me that you don't like sea-food," I reminded him, making him face-palm. "So, you're not out yet?"
He shook his head. "Only my friends know." He adjusted his position, crossing both his legs on the sofa and edging closer to me. "I never felt like this was important enough to tell my parents. I mean, I know it's a part of your identity..."
He shook his head in disbelief and gazed at me with a shy smile. "I guess I was waiting to find someone before stepping out."
Ken has been comfortable around his sexuality — even in school. I never thought that he was not out to his parents. And hearing his words now, I realized how important I was to him.
"I'll be by your side, Ken," I said and placed my palm over his hand. He was equally important to me. I wanted to be there for him, always. I caressed his grainy skin with my thumb.
I will never let the past repeat.
"No pressure, right?" he said with a nervous laugh.
"Heh, no pressure."
"Alright, your turn." He grabbed the cushion from my lap. "And please, make it easy. One more glass of that rotten goop and I'll puke," he said with a small pout, elevating the appeal of his plump lips.
"Okay. I'll make it easy as the breeze," I said and bit my lip. Ken's eyebrow perked up in skepticism. He had become observant of my obscure gestures around him.
"I love strawberries," I said and removed my jacket, dropping it beside me in a single motion.
I shifted my legs on the sofa, adjusting on my knees in front of him. "I really want to suck your cock," I stated, and placed both my arms on either of his sides; capturing his stunned figure underneath me.
I bent towards him. The confectionary, tepid vanilla immersed my senses when I ran my tongue up his neck. I whispered, close to his ears, "I get so fucking turned on by your scent, Kenshirou."
Biting his earlobe earned me a breathy moan from him. His voice made my heart race, and my finger-tips tingle. He said, with a shaky laugh, "Who the hell hates strawberries?"
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