First Kisses
This is somewhat influenced by Lady and the Tramp. Nobody else seems to ship this but like one other person in this godforsaken world so I must write this all by lonesome. Ok enough drama let's get to that Gay Shit ™
The dry, warm wind blew sand against the blanket that made up half of their crude shelter. In the null-void, they wouldn't have had to worry about sand, as there was only rock and some gravel there. They could have used the blanket to stay warm. Not on this planet. Luckily, the leftover heat from the twin suns replaced any need for a blanket. As the second sun met the horizon- the first was long gone- the two boys decided to call it a day and retire for the night.
They had decided against a fire that evening- save the last matches for when they truly needed them. They'd ate alien fruit they swiped from a nearby marketplace earlier for dinner, and who in their right mind would cook fruit? No, there was no need for a fire.
There were other ways to keep warm in the night anyways.
Kevin and Argit were glad to be out of the null void. This almost went without saying. They said it anyway.
"It's nice to be out of there," Argit said. Stating this made it even more real. He needed it to be real. More than he needed food or shelter. Kevin nodded. The two leaned against the rock that made the other half of their shelter. They were in close proximity to one another, and while they weren't exactly touching, there was a sense of intimacy. They had been in each other's presence a lot these past few years. They had gotten used to it. It made sense.
The suns had both set, and the air had begun to cool. Both boys nodded off. They had unconsciously leaned against each other as they slept. When Argit awoke to the sound of a bug singing its mating call outside, he scooted closer to Kevin. Kevin stirred, and mumbled that it was just a bug. It was always just a bug. One time, in the null-void, it wasn't, and Argit hadn't slept soundly since. But every time after that, it had been a bug. Or rocks shifting. Or harmless wild animals. Despite this, he had no objections when Argit rested his head on his chest.
They were comfortable sleeping in the same space, under the same blanket. They hadn't been at first, and they'd made sure to face away from each other because otherwise they thought it would be "weird." Eventually, though, they stopped caring. There were more important things.
After a while, they got used to it. Argit wasn't sure how Kevin felt about the whole thing, and wasn't in a hurry to ask. Kevin wasn't in a hurry to ask, either. Sometimes, though, when they couldn't sleep, they'd secretly wonder to themselves what would happen if…
Putting words to something made it real. They were no longer in the null-void. This statement was something they liked to acknowledge. Other statements, not so much. Did they need to be acknowledged? Probably not, but… The words always were at the tip of the tongue. Did they want to be said?
"Kevin?" The whisper felt louder than he had intended. Drowsy, Kevin looked at Argit. There was a gentle pause, and then, "Do you remember that little restaurant we saw by the well earlier?" Kevin nodded, and said, "Yeah, why?" "Let's go there tomorrow." Simple as that. "Sure," said Kevin, as he closed his eyes. "As a date," Argit clarified, quickly, before he lost his nerve. Kevin opened his eyes fully. "A date?" Argit nodded in the darkness, and Kevin could only tell he was nodding because he felt his weight shift in his shoulders. He decided he wouldn't think about it until the morning.
"Alright," and he fell back asleep.
Morning came. The sun rose behind them, and they ate the last of the fruit they had stolen for breakfast. Then they sat silently, contemplating.
"So…" kevin started. "When would you like to go to the restaurant?" He asked, unusually polite. Argit noticed, but said nothing. Neither of them had ever asked anyone out before. They had no idea what they were doing.
"Uh," He didn't know what he was supposed to say. "Maybe we can walk around at the market first? Try to get some money to pay for food at the restaurant?" Of course. They had no money to pay for food yesterday, why would they today? Kevin agreed. "So we'll eat there for lunch then?" Again, he was more formal than he needed to be- but Argit was too. "Yes," was his response.
The restaurant was cool inside, offering a nice escape from the heat outside. The boys waited for their meal to arrive in silence. They had ordered the cheapest thing they could find on the menu, and they agreed to share it. Kevin thought the fact that they had ordered an alien version of spaghetti was hilarious. Argit broke the silence.
"I still don't get it," he repeated. Kevin sighed. He wasn't sure how to explain, but he could try his best. "So, there's this earth movie about two dogs who fall in love, and they eat spaghetti on a date and it makes them kiss! Get it?" He made a vague gesture with his hands, which did not make anything make more sense than previously. Argit gave him a look that conveyed this. Kevin sighed. "They both are eating a strand of spaghetti, and its connected, and as they eat it it makes them kiss!" Argit was picturing the spaghetti gaining arms and pushing their heads together, and he wasn't sure how this was romantic.
"If spaghetti made me do anything, I definitely wouldn't find it hot," he said. Kevin grew agitated. "No, the spaghetti doesn't- look, I'll try to find a dvd of it and show you someday! It'll make perfect sense, I swear!" Argit shrugged. "Why don't you show me now?" He glanced at the waiter, who was carrying a plate of spaghetti their way. Kevin looked surprised. They thanked the waiter who brought them their food, and when he left, they resumed their conversation in a more hushed tone.
"Well… if you want me to show you…" Kevin stalled, nervous to actually do what he'd seen in the movies. "I'd have to be sitting next to you." Argit scooted over on the bench, leaving room for Kevin to sit next to him. Argit wore a slight, devious smile. He was nervous as well, but Kevin being flustered was a rare moment he was going to cherish.
Kevin moved next to him.
He twirled one of the forks they had around one noodle, singling it out. "Okay, so you eat one end, and at the same time I'll eat the other end, and we meet in the middle." The atmosphere between them was more sincere, and at the same time more tense. Not intense in a bad way, however. There was tension. Anticipation. Argit understood then how it was romantic, but he didn't want to stop the scene from playing out.
They tried it. In the moments where they both were eating the spaghetti but not yet kissing, they both knew they weren't going back.
The kiss was quick, but not instantaneous. They didn't do anything but blush for the first few seconds afterwards. Then Argit broke the silence.
"I see how it's romantic now."
Kevin nodded. He twirled a bunch of spaghetti around on the fork, trying to occupy his thoughts and do more than just smile like an idiot. "That was nice," Argit added, smiling as well. He grabbed the other fork and twirled it through the spaghetti too. They ate it slowly, hoping to accidentally share another, like the actual accident it had been in the disney movie about two dogs falling in love.
Eventually, there wasn't much spaghetti left on the plate. They glanced at each other. Argit singled one strand out.
The kiss lasted longer this time. They didn't know what to do with their hands, so they left them awkwardly at their sides. After the second kiss, they finished the plate of spaghetti. They didn't have the money for desert, but they didn't want to leave. Neither said aloud why they didn't feel like standing. They sat silently, enjoying each other's presence. Eventually, though, the waiter arrived, and gave them the bill.
They went back to the campsite, analyzing what happened silently to themselves. They decided again that a campfire was unnecessary for the night.
