Erik whacked the dry ground with his hoe, his hands aching from his precious labor, and whacked it again before he looked up and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was a warm and windy dimming day, late afternoon, and the man was just finishing his daily chores. The breeze of autumn in all its chilly glory cooled his tired body and he closed his eyes for a moment. Resting always felt the best after strenuous work. Erik worked every day. He had to. He was a farmer, and his farm needed him to stay alive. Every vegetable, every fruit, every flower had a life, and its life was in Erik's sore hands.
"Mr. Erik?" came a voice from the other side of the fence surrounding his source of revenue. It was a voice he had been hearing for almost three weeks now, every day. It was Raguna, the new young man who had moved into the house near his.
Raguna was a delight, at least to Erik he was. He was kind, friendly and very cute. He was unlike other neighbors he had. Mist with her concerning obsession with Turnips, and Cross, who he had rarely spoken to, were both very dissatisfying to speak to. Raguna was like a gift from the gods.
Erik felt himself stiffen before he turned and saw him. Soft, chocolate hair and eyes like the clearest springtime sky. His body was damp in areas from the work he had been doing on his own farm, he looked tired. Alas, the smile still shone brightly, bright enough to illuminate the darkening day.
Erik smiled and strode over to the fence, "Hey, young man!"
Raguna laughed, "Erik, why must you call me by such a demeaning term?"
The man chuckled and leaned against the fence, looking at his lovely crops while he spoke in a high voice, touched by a light accent. "I'm not sure. The name suits you, young man."
Raguna looked down, still smiling. "Don't you have a store to tend to?"
"I didn't get any business today, so I closed early to get a head start on afternoon chores," Erik explained, sliding his gloves off and placing them on a flat part of the fence.
"Such a busy man," Raguna muttered.
The wind suddenly breezed by and made the white wildflowers dance around, as if the two were meant to be there.
Erik smiled at his neighbor, "And what is a busy little blossoming farmer like you doing wandering about the districts? Don't you have things to do?"
Raguna looked up at Erik and half-smiled, "I have spare time. I only have a little bit of crops to take care of," The boy murmured, "I don't have as many as you, Mr. Erik."
Erik laughed loudly, and then stepped away from the fence to turn and face Raguna. "There is no such thing as spare time, Raguna. Only laziness."
Raguna blushed, the frowned and pushed his brow together. "I am not lazy," Raguna said lividly.
Erik's lips curled into a delighted smile. Ah, so this is angry Raguna, huh? "Well," Erik said, turning and walking back to the fence to slip his gloves back on. "In the meantime, you should find something productive to do until you get your farm up and running." Erik did a ballerina twirl before he grabbed his hoe and spun it around his arm effortlessly. He winked at the boy on the other side of the fence. "Trust me, I'm an expert," Erik chuckled, pointing to his face.
Raguna, his fists clenched and his face red, looked up at Erik and bit his lip lightly. He looked like he was contemplating something, thinking really hard. Erik leaned forward. "You okay, young man?" He asked.
"All right then," Raguna mumbled, he walked forward and threw himself over the fence. Erik watched him as he stomped over to him, and then stopped just a half a foot away. "I'll work for you!"
The older man tilted his head. "Huh?"
Raguna nodded and shut his eyes, his face blazing red and his eyes down. "Yes! I come by every day because I love talking to you! But every time I see you you're working really hard! I should help you out instead of annoying you!"
Erik's mouth was open with pale shock, but he smiled and laughed a little after the words absorbed. Cute. Just so cute. "Well, I could use the help, but are you sure you want to commit to this, young man?"
Raguna nodded, glancing up and then down again. "Y-yes," He whispered.
Erik chuckled, then he reached forward and tousled Raguna's ideal, chestnut locks. Raguna quivered under Erik's gloved hand. "Well then why don't you come on over tomorrow after you finish your morning chores?"
Raguna looked up, his lips parted. "Ah, yes! Of course! I will be here!"
Erik watched the boy back away from his hand and flip himself over the fence once more. Raguna looked back at Erik and waved with a broad smile. "Bye, Erik!"
Erik smiled and waved back, leaning on his hoe. He watched Raguna run back around his home and then back up the trail that led to his house. Erik couldn't help his eyes from wandering down the boy's small body. He was cute. That wasn't Erik's fault.
Is it wrong to find another man so cute?
Erik buried his face in his hands, then he sighed and whapped the already tilled ground with his hoe again. He reached into his pockets for the seeds he had decided on. Being raised in a community where a man being attracted to another man was not only wrong, but pretty much unheard of, the kinds of thoughts he was having actually scared him.
Is it really wrong?
Erik shook his head vigorously. Raguna was his neighbor, right? Just his new neighbor who he happens to really enjoy the company of. He also admits that Raguna is a very attractive young boy. No big deal, he thought as he spread the seeds about the tilled area.
No.
It means more than that. Erik's relationship with Raguna was something he cherished more than even his vegetables and fruits and flowers. But for what reason? Raguna was just a kid. A kid he barely knew. Perhaps it was the fact that Raguna was a good listener. He listened when Erik would blather on about how he was rejected by Lara again and how he is on the verge of giving up on love completely.
Hang on.
That! That! That's exactly why Raguna's different! Why he's special! Why would Erik tell any old kid something so personal? Things about his love life?
Because…
Because Raguna is special. Raguna isn't any old kid. Raguna is different.