Levi's POV:
After a long night of recovery, I had sprung out of bed lively and eager. I couldn't wait to see Darby, even if it would only have been for the forty minutes it took for the bus to reach my stop.
I raced down to the bus stop, intending to savour each second I could get with him, but on arrival, to my utter disappointment, the bench was completely empty. Emotion overcame me, and feeling rejected, tears brimmed in my eyes. Maybe he wasn't into me like I was into him. I settled on the seat, my feet dangling, making little circles in the air. I instinctively kept looking up and down the street, in hope of Darby still coming. I checked my watch; 7:15. Still no Darby. Boredom overcame me as I sat there, picking at the stitching on the hem of my sweatshirt, trying to ignore the immense sadness in the pit of heart.
Out of nowhere, the sound of footsteps hitting the pavement could be heard in the distance, and purely out of inquisitiveness, I glanced towards the noise.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Darby puffed, jogging towards me, holding his skinny jeans up with one hand.
I burst into a sprint towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist and nuzzling my head into his shoulder, as if I hadn't seen him in decades. Embracing me in a massive bear hug, Darby pecked me lightly on the top of my head. I looked up in surprise at the tall boy.
"Sorry, instinct," he mumbled shyly.
"s' okay" I whispered. "I liked it"
We both took a seat and sat there in silence for a moment.
"Levi, tell me your story," Darby asked, cutting through the awkwardness.
"Hmm?"
"Your story; who you are, your life."
I shifted uncomfortably and looked down shaking my head, fighting back the sudden unnecessary tears that were gathering in my eyes, at the thought of opening up.
"I don't think I can," I croaked. "I don't want to put that on you. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, love. How about I tell you mine instead?" he posed knowingly.
"I'd like that," I nod, joy filling my eyes again.
"Well," Darby began, putting his arm behind me on the top of the bench, chills running through me from the breeze his motion made. "I've been a foster child since birth, so I've had quite the number of families over the years, each usually lasting about a year, before they get sick of my disorderly ways," he said, gesturing to the bus shelter, which was smothered with bright green graffiti.
"Wait, this- this is you?" I questioned, looking at the paint.
"Sure is."
It was stupid of me for never making the connection, and now I knew, it was clear as day. Bright green spray paint -duh? Who else could it have been?
"My loudest cries are still too quiet for you to care" I muttered, reading the words Darby had written on the inner wall.
"Deep, huh?" he smirked.
"Dark, more like,"
"We all have our burdens," he said, a hand on his heart, looking off into the distance dramatically.
"Very poetic, Curly," I joked, giving him a playful whack.
"Anyway, I've always had run ins with the law, I guess. It's been my way of getting out all the built-up anger at everyone around me. Graffiti's my favourite, and a good roll of toilet paper isn't bad either. Its stupid, meaningless revenge, but I do it anyway. I guess that's just my nature; vindictive," Darby sighed.
"I don't think you're vindictive at all. I think your just angry, and damn, you have a right to be. You've got courage, that's what you have. To be able to go out and do that sort of stuff is gutsy, wrong, but gusty. Maybe you just need to find a better way to deal with it than destroying government property."
"Yes mum," he teased. "But, yeah, maybe I should, hey?" he contemplated, before going on.
"So as you know, I'm gay," he announced loudly, mocking an echo on his voice.
I giggle at his dorkiness.
"I was bullied pretty badly at my old school, word gets out and all. I couldn't handle it so I dropped out and came here, and met you," he continued.
I fidgeted awkwardly, sort of honoured that I had made the final cut of his big production life story.
"Right now, I have this family which I've had for like three years, who I moved here with for their work, and they have a daughter, a real daughter, Bel. She started school this year and I'm so proud of her and we are practically best friends and if anything happened to her I don't know what I'd do, I love her so much," Darby said, gushing madly.
"I'd love for you to meet her one day," he added.
I smiled at him, adoring how much of a kind, supportive big brother he was. Protective and so caring. I wished I had someone like him...
"Earth to Levi?"
I went rosy with embarrassment, as I brushed my hair off my face, shifting my gaze around.
"Stop your fonding, would you? By the way, you're beyond cute when you go all embarrassed."
This time, I turned my head the complete other way, hiding the heat in my cheeks.
"Hey, look at me. Don't get all shy," Darby murmured, gently turning my head and placing a hand on my cheek.
We turned inwards and just stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. I could feel my bottom lip quiver as I saw Darby's eyes keep shifting between my eyes and lips, the space between us stolen by our nearing heads. His hand reached to gently tuck a piece of loose hair behind my ear and I shuddered at his feathery touch. The smell of his cologne filled the atmosphere, a delicate sweetness that lingered in my nostrils. His head tilted slightly as I watched him through my fluttering eyelashes. I could hear his breathing becoming deeper as he caressed my cheek with his thumb. Just as he leant in for the kiss, I suddenly panicked and pulled away.
Darby's eyes searched for reasoning in my own, but I couldn't even give him explanation.
"I'm sorry," I whimpered almost inaudibly, getting up off the seat.
"Hey, don't be. It was my fault," Darby whispered, getting up too.
"M-my bus is here," I splutter in panic as a poorly thought out excuse, before hastily pacing down the street, away from the bus stop, my head clouded with thought and emotion.
Darby's POV:
I was left standing there completely dumbfounded, though I let him leave. I shouldn't have done that. I took it all too fast. I had screwed up, big time, though I didn't regret anything. I wanted him more than anything and I was prepared to fight for him.
For the next two weeks, I came to the bus stop every day, even if it meant we both sat there awkwardly in silence.
It wasn't until the following Friday, that Levi spoke to me.
"I wanna tell you my story now."
"Sorry?" I replied, sure I had misheard him. Ignoring me, his monologue began.
"Ever since I can remember, my dad's been a monster. He hit me, he hit my mum. He called us the worst of things. He threatened us. He put me in liturgy camps every summer. He was trying to drive the gay out of me. I called it camp fuck up. They told us that the devil was whispering bad thoughts to us and we had to pray for him to go away. They tried to fear monger us into being straight. Clearly it didn't work. My mum used to protect me. She would sneak into my room at night while he slept on the couch, drunk as a skunk and she would tell me that she was proud of me and that she loved that I did art and wrote songs. She told me I could love whoever treated me right, to fall in love with a soul, that it didn't matter what their exterior was. She told me that she loved me more than anything in the world. Three years ago, it all changed. She was killed in a car crash. I was just waiting for her to come home and then they called and I heard my dad swear in the other room and.."
At this point Levi was sobbing hard, trembling with emotion. I brought his head into my chest, trying to process what he had said for myself.
"Shhh, I've got you," I whispered, nuzzling into his hair, "You're okay, I've got you."
Levi pulled away and looked up at me with big glassy eyes.
"Do you want me to keep going?"
"Uh-um yeah well, only if you're okay?"
Levi nodded and continued.
"Well... Cooper's been at me since third grade and I don't know if it's jealousy or what, but I don't think I've gone a day without him beating me up or saying something and now that mum's gone, both Cooper and dad have been too much and I've done stupid things and I've given up on everything I've ever loved. And Darby, this is stupid but, when I met you, I felt as if there was once again hope for me. I felt something towards you that I hadn't felt in forever and the other day, when you tried to kiss me I was just scared, because that's never happened to me before, but believe me, I would do anything to have that moment back and to do it right and I know that I'm just being too in the moment and you probably don't feel the same but I think...... I love you."
"Levi," I breathed.
"No, I'm sorry, I made this weird. Pretend I didn't say..."
"Shhhh," Darby hushed, brushing his hand over my cheek. "Never doubt yourself, okay Button?"
Before the moment had any time to progress, the bus heaved to a stop at the shelter, signalling it was time for Levi to leave.
"I better go," the boy sighed, getting up off the bench.
My eyes following him until the bus doors had closed, obstructing my view, though just as the doors were about to seal shut, he turned and looked at me with that gorgeous, pure smile of his, a smile I never wanted to see leave his face.
Levi's POV:
Just like any other Friday afternoon, students flooded the halls at 3pm sharp, eager for the long-awaited weekend to commence. Pulled with the tide of people, I had reached outside the school gates, the late afternoon sunlight obscuring my vision.
From behind, I felt a pair of arms weave around my waist, so instinctively, I spun around to face whichever spawn of Satan wanted to have a go at me today. What I didn't expect was for Darby to be standing there, smiling at me contently.
Suddenly conscious of the hundreds of students still pushing past us, I tried to casually shake him off.
"Nobody knows I'm..." I began to mouth
Before I even finished, Darby got the message and adjusted his stance to stand with his arms folded as we walked, trying his best to look platonic as possible.
We walked down to my bus stop together in such a way, until everyone I knew was out of sight.
"Sorry," I muttered guiltily. I didn't want Darby to think I was ashamed of him, because I was far from it. As a matter of fact, I was more ashamed of myself as well as cautious, as selfish as it sounds, of summoning other reasons to be bullied, in which the boy linked to gay rumours having a boyfriend would be a prime contender.
"Button, don't ever be sorry for something like that. I know what it's like and I will never force you to come out to anyone until you're ready. It's your decision okay?"
I nodded sheepishly, glad that Darby hadn't taken it the wrong way.
"And Button, I was wondering, as you know completely platonic buddies, if you'd want to stay the weekend at my place?"
I internally screamed like a 15 year old girl who had just gotten noticed by One Direction though I tried to play it off.
"Um, I think I would have to check, I don't know."
"How about if we hung out like non-platonic buddies?"
"What about your parents?"
"Business trip."
"Bella?"
"Friend's place for the weekend. She gets back Sunday lunch time."
"I'm still not too sure." I teased.
Darby looked at me, his eyes like a puppy begging for a treat. I smirked at the effect I had on him.
I eventually gave in.
"Fine Curly, you win. I'll text my dad."
"Yes!" he cheered in victory his hands held above his head in pride. "Tell him you signed up for footy camp."
"Hmmm?" I questioned, genuinely confused.
"Eliminates suspicion," he winked.
With that, I sent my father the text (footy camp lie and all) and waited apprehensively for the dreaded response.
Typing....
I hitched in a breathe as I read the message out loud.
"It says it's fine."
"Then let us go, shall we?" he proclaimed, as he took my hand in his.
I don't think I could have grinned any larger.