Just Visiting
Lukas heard a knock on the door. Right away, Lukas' good mood turned to grim acknowledgement. Emil's best friend and Lukas' ultimate threat came here with the excuse of studying for exams. Really, he thought bitterly, ignoring the continuous knocking while eating his cookies, does Leon think I'll let him in? I won't tolerate his stupid witty remarks and conniving plots. Lukas frowned at the concept of Leon's presence behind the front house's door.
As of late, Leon had been visiting here too frequently. Having him come once a week was one thing, but appearing almost every single day? That was too much for Lukas to handle without pondering some sort of agenda behind Leon's visits. Lukas was annoyed by this and honestly, he hated allowing Leon to come here when he could let Emil go over to his place. Then again, he can't stand the idea of not being here under his eye.
He did ask Emil if he was allowed to study in Leon's home, the reply was not favorable at the least...
"Uh, Leon said his house is too noisy for us to study. Plus, he says he likes coming to our house because of someone inside. I think he meant me, but I'm not so sure..."
Not sure? Not sure? Leon was clearly making moves on his younger brother. It frustrated him to no end now knowing Leon was flirting in his house! The continuous knocking was blocked by Lukas' deep concentration.
Hell, Leon didn't have to speak, he could see the evil thoughts lurking in those dark, chocolate brown eyes that feel like they were undressing Lukas...in a plot against him, of course!
"Oh, hey Leon," Emil greeted happily. "Are you ready to study Biology?"
"Yeah, like, sure," Lukas felt his nose scrunched in disgust. How dare he talk like that in his house?
"Okay, let me just do this one thing first. I have to buy milk and bread. You can wait in the kitchen, Lukas is inside." Emil's tone had lowered at that last statement, knowing Lukas' lingering ear listened.
Shoulders tensed uneasily, his guard was on point completely. This kitchen had one reasonably large table, a few seats and one large fridge, one good counter and two cupboards. In other words, it was tiny and lacked room. They didn't even have a door for entering the kitchen, so Leon was able to poke his head in and look dullfully at Lukas who in turn glared in antipathy.
"It's okay to go in," Emil said, walking past Leon and going over to the fridge, checking inside to see what they already had.
Lukas asked innocently, "Do you have to go?" He began to get up and said quickly, "I'll go, you two need to-"
"Thanks, but you know I'm in charge of groceries after last time. Remember what you did to the coffee section?" Not my fault I had the audacity to 'borrow' some samples. "Just behave. I'll see you soon, Leon."
"Bye-bye..." Leon said to Emil and walked inside, leaning on the wall. Lukas hadn't offered him a seat, nor should he for that matter.
Emil waved them goodbye, eyeing Lukas in warning and left for the door rather fast.
Now, it was just Lukas and Leon. How perfect.
Leon moved closer to the table, took a seat, turned it and sat down with his chin resting on his folded arms. Why Leon sat on a backward chair like now was bizarre enough, but Leon kept his chocolate colored eyes directly at him as if to read what he was plotting. Lukas begged Emil to return soon; his headache was coming in an agonizing state.
"...Can I have a cookie?" Leon asked as his hand reaching for the plate of butter cookies between them.
Lukas swiped the plate over to him swiftly, "No, you can't." he snapped quickly.
"Like, how rude..." Leon said with a tone of offense, yet his face was expressionless and had only a frown. "What would Emil say if I told him what you did?"
"I wouldn't care," Lukas retaliated, "I can just listen to him bicker and that's that. I don't need to treat you like a friend, especially knowing what you're doing. Avoiding your house and having the nerve to come at my house and go into my brother's room and doing who knows what-"
"Studying, that's pretty much it." Leon answered plainly.
His eyebrow twitched in exasperation. Lukas didn't appreciate his attitude and felt his right temple pulse in resentment. How dare he come to his house and treat him like this and expect to get away with it? The two sat in silence within the kitchen, neither communicated except through eye contact alone. Leon's eyes showed curiosity but were shadowed in disinterest. Lukas glared dangerously, his eyes shooting daggers right on Leon's forehead as a target.
Leon at least knew when to shut up, that Lukas liked about him, but that didn't please Lukas at the slightest. Lukas wanted Leon gone, but he knew Emil would get upset over the sudden decision because Lukas disliked him severely. He had no idea what Emil saw in Leon that he couldn't see. All he saw in Leon was a rude, sarcastic attitude, a pair of chocolate-like brown eyes dazed every time he looked at him...
Lukas felt his eyes flutter for a moment and shook his head to break out his continuous stares.
Leon smirked and asked, "Saw something you like?"
With an expression of utter confusion and aggravation, he grunted, "No Leon, it's nothing."
All he saw Leon do was shrug and continued to stare at him for the next twenty minutes until Emil came home. When Leon and Emil went upstairs afterwards, Lukas made sure to glare at Leon until he reached the top; Leon kept full eye contact with Lukas as though to spite him.
XxXxXxX
"What are you doing here?" Lukas asked Leon who stood outside his front door.
Outside his front yard, Lukas had seen snow all over the yard and asked Matthias many times to clean it up but he never did. So, out of irritation, Lukas went behind his backyard to get the shovel, came to the front door and prepared to tackle the feat of snow when he came between Leon who had stood in his way for a solid ten seconds yet never rung the bell.
"Just visiting," Leon answered nonchalantly. He turned his head behind to examine the yard, and then he looked back at Lukas, then the shovel and back to Lukas again.
"Emil's not here," Lukas said right away, walking past Leon who remained on his spot. "You can leave, now."
When Lukas got onto the yard, each step he took made a crunching sound from the snow and he patiently imagined the noise being Leon's bones if he kept coming more times than he should. He didn't like Leon's presence, everyone knew that, but he had to bare it until Emil's exams were over and Leon could leave his house alone. Although he did admit the frequent visits became less unbearable because, much to Lukas' distaste, Leon started making conversations with him.
Really, he thought as he began to take the shovel and scoop up a large chunk of snow, there must be some sort of agenda to him. But Lukas wondered and pondered over Leon's scheme for days after their first conversation about collage choices. It wasn't interesting, yet Leon kept asking his opinion and seemed genuinely interested whenever Lukas gave him advice (which he secretly hoped he would follow, as they were all wrong for his ultimate downfall) on saving money and part time jobs he would need for tuition.
Nonetheless, as Lukas continued hustling the yard with his one good shovel and took all the crispy white snow into a pile growing gradually large. Away from the sidewalk to their house, Lukas hoped no children would run into their yard like last year for a game of snowball fighting. Lukas occasionally stared at Leon who sat on the stairs to their house, watching Lukas shoveling snow or use his phone to pass the time.
Nearly ten minutes of dead silence, Lukas broke it with a question after sticking his shovel on the ground. "Why are you here?"
Leon glanced up from his phone, "Like I said, 'just visiting'." And he looked down again.
Lukas folded his shoulder and glanced away, disgruntled. "I'm sure you have other things to do,"
This time Leon looked up and had a sneering happy expression on, making Lukas stare in aggravation. "I just thought you didn't wanna be alone?"
"If you have nothing better to do," Lukas said loudly, taking his shovel hastily and strongly sloughed a chunk of snow, "then you can leave. Or better yet, you can annoy me or make coffee or something, as long as it's not here."
"Okay, you confuse me," Leon said in his matter-of-fact tone he rarely does. "You want me to leave, but either annoy you or make you coffee? That doesn't apply to the category of sense because-"
"Please, just don't..." Lukas felt his head pulse just from hearing his voice. It was an irritating tone yet for some reason, Lukas never felt a pulsing sensation over someone's voice before.
At first it was unusual but he ignored it, like how he ignored Leon for the next fifteen minutes of shoveling icy cold snow. But when he finished one part of the yard and decided to have a break, he noticed Leon wasn't at his spot anymore. He had disappeared so quietly Lukas felt shocked at his absence. Lukas was about to go and see if he left past him by the outside sidewalks when he saw his door pushed open by Leon's back who held two mugs.
When Leon turned around and saw Lukas standing with eyes wide open, he strode over until coming to Lukas' side and offered him a cup of hot coffee. Too surprised for words but grateful of this unforeseen kindness, Lukas dropped his shovel without care and took the mug with both hands, feeling the surface's heat touching his cold hands in joyful warmth.
"Thank you," Lukas said quietly, taking a sip of the coffee without blowing it first. As much as Lukas wanted to think he had some sort of scheme in mind, Leon made him feel less suspicious of him than usual.
"No prob, babe." Leon replied and blew his cup.
Lukas wanted to say something about him calling him that but as of now, he was too indulged in his coffee to say otherwise.
"Cookie?" Lukas offered Leon politely with a gentle push of the plate.
"Thanks, Lukas," Leon thanked as he helped himself to another butter cookie.
At first, Lukas thought his time with Leon would turn unfavorable because of his deep hatred of him, but now his act of vengeance was taking a toll when Leon, as continuously cordial as his visits were, grew on him. Not the kind of growing like mold on wood which would disgust anyone, but the kind of pleasant feeling you get when someone who you thought you wouldn't mind stabbing constantly on the chest with a knife...was not the one you would want to do it on.
Rather, Leon became like that mold which you don't mind having on you. At least it was for Lukas.
Emil was out again (taking a few more minutes longer than usual) for groceries and planned on studying for mid-term exams with Leon. So the two were able to have a few minutes alone together. Emil did warn Leon if he had a problem he could tell him, but Leon always said Lukas was becoming good company for him. That didn't stop Emil pestering Lukas regularly in the evenings with questions and interrogating him every so often.
Like Lukas thought previously, Leon was becoming good company and now he started regarding Leon as a...closer friend. He tried not to cringe at those words but he managed.
"So, are you going to a specific university?" Lukas wondered.
"It depends," he said, aloof. "Like, I might wanna try somewhere far or close enough to come here."
"That's good," Lukas said with interest. "You and Emil are really close and I wouldn't want him to feel left out. I know you got his number and all, but you're welcome to come over for whatever reason."
Leon allowed the silence after what Lukas offered drag on until he said informatively, "You know, it feels like only yesterday when you hated my guts and wanted me dead. I kinda wondered where you would put my body, like, under your yard?"
"No, I would've thrown you to the ocean. It's somewhat easier and I wouldn't have to do so much tedious work." Lukas sipped his coffee nonchalantly.
It amused him how Leon's eyes widen at the old-age prospect of having his body dumped in the ocean. Lukas allowed his lips to curl into a rare smile which Leon noticed and began to smile back.
"But seriously," Lukas confessed, "I've taken a liking to you. A liking I never thought I'd feel with you at all, but now I'm starting to understand why Emil likes you so much."
"Yeah, like, that's cool..." Leon took his hand behind his head and rubbed it airily.
Lukas chuckled, "You act cool but I like it when I catch you off-guard."
"Er...yeah, I know. But you do make me feel...exposed?"
"Weird phrase... So, are you going to go far or somewhere close?" Lukas asked again, feeling a little garrulous.
"Well, I think I might try close if...someone I like allows me."
That caught Lukas by surprised. Stay close if someone he liked allowed him? Really, he thought, why would Leon want to ask someone something like that? And then it hit him, unforeseen but brutal: Leon was referring to Emil. He looked down at his half drunken coffee and thought it impossible; Emil and Leon were spending time longer than usual, and Leon's frequent visits were put off as friendly once Lukas gotten use to him...
Realization struck: he understood why Leon was acting so forward and friendly with him, because he planned on catching him unguarded and win him over! Lukas tried telling himself otherwise but the whole past of small talk and friendship became dark, and his ancient hatred he felt emerged.
Lukas felt his forehead scrunched up, a swelling emotion of acrimony and treason burning inside like a well-lit fire growing larger by the second.
Abruptly standing up, hands on the table, he shouted, "How dare you?"
Leon's reaction was uncanny: he jerked up in shock. "Wha-?"
The nerve of him, acting like the victim!
"I see what you're doing, coming here and befriending me so I can let you steal Emil away! I should've know this from the moment you came here but I guess I was too stupid to realize how sudden you befriended me so well. We didn't have anything in common but you made me feel, when I talk to you, like I can share something special with you-"
"Wait a minute!"
"No, I'm not gonna wait a minute! I will tell you this right now: you will not take Emil away from me! I don't care if you fight hell and come back, I-"
"It's not Emil who I like!"
"Bullshit," Lukas spat angrily, "who could you possibly like that isn't Emil?"
"YOU! Like, holy shit, I like you!"
At that moment Lukas felt his whole life pause like a movie's unexpected turn. This was real, what Leon said was real and right now...Lukas was the one who was speechless. Lukas knew those words sunken in, yet he couldn't believe what Leon had said. Leon...liked him?
"I..."
"Let me explain," Leon said carefully. "I know you would've went crazy knowing I tried coming here for Emil, but that was never the case! I came here to see you, and I honestly was studying for exams. It's weird, I know, but I was trying to find ways to get to befriend you or at least win you somehow. Emil offered his help by saying I needed help with Biology and stuff..."
Lukas watched his face turning a tad red on the cheeks, his expression was unrealistically flustered as he glanced at Lukas and away multiple times. He didn't know whether this was comical or absurd. He sensed integrity in his words but he didn't want his mind to instantaneously change; Lukas' emotions were conflicted on whether or not to trust what he was saying.
Leon continued speaking, "...and I need to let this out, I like you a lot-like that kind of like when you wanna be with someone...romantically. I, like, didn't know if I could catch your attention just by visiting and I know you're rather optimistic to destroy me, but I wanted to get this out of my chest and ask you..."
Lukas felt his lips move, "Ask...me what?"
"...would you like me to stay close?"
As bizarre as the situation was, as confusing as everything was with Leon's hasty confession, Lukas could tell Leon said those words with much honesty. Lukas sensed his heart rate growing fast yet it wasn't because he was furious at him previously, but rather a feeling of affection slowly engulfing his emotions. And when he looked into Leon's dark eyes, they showed a bright flame of tenderness and seriousness all in one mixture, waiting for his answer silently.
"I...I think we should try to slow it down,"
"What?"
"You know if I just suddenly date you," he said calmly, "I would be in the way of your studies. So, if you promise to not let our...newfound 'friendship' get in the way of your studies, then you and I can start something."
Leon's eyes, wide with surprise, brightened like stars shining brilliantly in the night. His smile was evidently sincere; his cheeks flushed red in a affectionate and playful manner but Lukas tried his best not to grin back at him, not out of stubbornness but because he was bashful after his proposal.
"So...I take your answer is a yes?"
"If you promise to keep our deal a secret from Emil, then maybe."
"Well, if you listened to me, I told you Emil was helping me set us up!" He laughed wholeheartedly and took his seat in a relaxed manner.
"...I don't even..." Lukas sighed, taking his seat and brushed his soft hair back in tiredness.
Leon continued laughing, Lukas sighed in defeat and in the end Emil came back with groceries only to see Lukas and Leon chatting normally in the kitchen, not knowing they had made a special deal during his absence.