A/N: I should be working on Gods and Monsters bUT I'm really enjoying bonebrothers atm...there needs to be more fic for them. This is just a drabble, and I might not continue it. It really depends on whether people like it or not.
He was doing it again. At least, you were half sure that that kid who always came in during practice was doing it again.
You weren't sure why, either. You liked basketball enough that you joined the team, even though you were much too awkward to talk to the other players successfully. They accepted you nonetheless, they did things like patted you on the back when you scored a goal and invited you to their drinking parties. Sometimes you even went; you usually brought a date just so that they didn't get any funny ideas about trying to hook you up with one of the school's cheerleaders or something. Though, you were in the process of trying to break up with Horrus, not that it was doing you any good.
Currently your brow was covered in sweat along with the rest of your uniform; you weren't sure why that boy would be staring at you if he was. Your usually meticulously styled hair was falling around your face, reminding you that your roots were growing in and you had to dye it again.
The coach blew his whistle, telling you that practice was over. Most of your team went to hit the showers, but today...well. Today you thought you'd try and see what the kid was up to, coming into practice so often. Did he want on the team? Was he friends with someone on the team? You'd asked the guys on the team and they all shrugged and said the same thing, "never seen him in my life, except for practice and games." Which also meant this guy came to your team's games. Did he lose some kind of bet? He didn't look the type to enjoy basketball a whole lot, especially if he came to practice and games without even trying out for the team.
You had tried to talk to him once before. The only response you'd gotten to your "hello" and attempt at friendly chatter had caused him to sidle away from you across the bleachers and duck his head, making it impossible for you to really get a good look at this guy, or see what kind of expression he was making. He had made some sort of gesture with his hands, and you had figured he wanted you to leave, so you did.
Needless to say, you were left pretty perplexed. This guy refused to talk to anyone on the team but came to all your games and practices, looking interested in something.
Today you were going to try again.
You did your best to flip your red and black streaked hair out of your face, ignoring how it clung to your forehead, along with the rest of your uniform. You felt kind of gross, but if this guy saw you like this regularly, you didn't see anything wrong with approaching him looking the way you did.
The kid's change in posture was almost immediate. His head of curls bowed to you, making it hard for you to see what he really looked like. His shoulders tensed along with the rest of his body, making you feel bad for thinking about trying to talk to him. It was too late now; you were already at the bleachers, planting yourself next to him with a few huffs of exertion from practice. You attempted a smile at this guy, thinking, play it cool, and you got this.
"Hey, dol-" You stopped, gritting your teeth at yourself. This was a mistake already. "Hey, dawg. What's up?"
His head turned away from your direction and his legs pressed together, lengthening the distance between you. Goddamn. Your smile wavered, but you weren't going to let that stop you. This was hard. You weren't all that great at talking to people sometimes. "So, uh...are you a friend of someone on the team?" Perhaps this wasn't the best question; you didn't want to alienate him. You weren't at all surprised when he shook his head and you slid closer just ever so slightly, trying to get a look at his face.
"Hey man...that's cool. It's real nice of you to come to our games and stuff anyways...support the team, you know?" Again silence greeted you, telling you were striking out on all accounts here. You clicked your tongue in distaste at yourself. This was it. Might as well try.
"Not a talker, hey? That's alright, man...I ain't any good at that shit either. But hey...I was thinking." You broke out in a sweat unrelated to any sort of sports activity when he finally turned to look at you. That made everything harder, especially considering he was attractive as all hell, close up. "There's this coffee shop downtown that I like going to sometimes...it's real nice. Would you wanna...meet up there sometime and hang out?" Play it cool. "The baristas there are real cute...haha. If you don't though, that's cool too." He was pale. Really, really pale with dark blue eyes that almost looked a shade of amethyst, and wild curls dyed a dark shade of purple. Fuck.
Silence stretched out between the two of you, before he moved, making you startle slightly. To your surprised he produced a cell phone and tapped it a couple times, and handed it to you. You took his phone and looked at it in confusion; your loss quickly cleared up as the screen indicated a new contact, making you grin wide in relief. So maybe you weren't entirely wrong. You do your best to enter your information without shaking too much and hand it back to him and you almost jump to your feet. "Sweet. I gotta go, but...gimme a call or text or something, okay? And we'll iron out all the details...heh. I'll see you later, though..." You almost trot off after that, feeling your face break out into a flush as you rush yourself off to the change room.
The guys on the team bother you about being more sweaty and flushed than usual, and that you must be slacking off during practice. You laugh and agree, glad they bothered you about something like that than your absence right after practice in the showers.
You shower and change and gather your stuff to head home. Your chest tightens as you think that maybe that guy is still sitting there, but you're the only one left. You deflate in both relief and disappointment and make the trek home; you could drive, but sometimes you liked walking. You walked as much as you could, anyways; usually your kid brother needed you to drive him to school, but you hardly blamed him for that.
Tavros stayed home today, saying he was sick; he didn't look all that sick, though. He had taken over the main tv, curled up in a pile of blankets and pillows and stuffed animals as he played Fable. You roll your eyes at him and ruffle his hair and leave him to his own devices as he lazily greets you home.
As soon as you get to your room, you check your phone as you unceremoniously dump everything on the floor. You're greeted with a text message from an unknown number, making you grin. Your excitement staves off though as you read it; it simply said "HELLO." and nothing else. You weren't even sure if it was from that guy you asked out earlier.
Not that you 'asked him out' though. Nope. That would be considered cheating, right?
Your fingers work your message out. "hey...who 1s th1s?" You climb onto your bed, doing your best to get comfortable in this situation.
However, you become pleased again as whoever it was sending you all these messages seemed to be paying attention to you and your phone pings again with a text. "IT'S KURLOZ. I GUESS I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. YOU ASKED ME OUT EARLIER TODAY."
Your stomach tightens and you drop your phone, covering your face a little bit. So, he had been checking you out and interpreted it as a date. Well, not that there was anything wrong with that. Kurloz- you knew his name now and that was pretty cool- was pretty attractive.
Not that you were cheating again or anything.
"oh! cool...thanks for gett1ng back to me. 1'm ruf1oh, 1n case you d1dn't know..." You were pretty sure Kurloz was way ahead of you, but that was alright. That was how crushes worked, right? Your phone pinged again.
"I ALREADY KNEW THAT, BUT THAT'S ALRIGHT. IT'S NICE TO FINALLY TALK TO YOU PROPERLY." Kurloz also seemed pretty forthright about his silence; it was almost endearing, how shy he seemed. You smile as you write a reply.
"haha, yeah...1 gotta adm1t...1t was a l1ttle hard to talk to you. That's alr1ght though, we're talking now..." You weren't cheating. Nope. For all you know, this wasn't –really- a date and maybe Kurloz wouldn't have good chemistry with you. Or maybe he wasn't even interested in you like that. Your chest and stomach stretched out as you thought of that. You didn't like that thought.
"YES, SO WE ARE. I ALSO MUST APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I CAN'T SPEAK, SO I'M SORRY FOR NOT COMMUNICATING WITH YOU SOONER."
This makes you frown and tilt your head. Couldn't speak. Does that mean he was so shy he literally couldn't talk to you? A fluttering sensation comes from your chest and you smile again. This guy was adorable. Even if you were really shy yourself. "aw...1t's cool. Not everyone 1s good at talk1ng...ne1ther am 1! 1 don't understand how 1t was so d1ff1cult to say hello to me though...1 don't b1te!" You hoped you didn't sound like an ass. You weren't any good at flirting or joking.
"IT WASN'T DIFFICULT. I DID IT LAST TIME WE TALKED. I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND SIGN LANGUAGE?"
You stare at your screen for another few moments, and it clicks. Goddamnit, you were a moron. You bury your face in your hands and groan, thinking how self-centered you could be. Kurloz wasn't shy. Kurloz was mute. Kurloz was mute, and you were an idiot. "oh...sh1t! 1'm sorry, 1 d1dn't know...1 feel awful. 1'm sorry, man..."
You frowned, wondering how that was going to work. You liked him. You had only talked to him a little bit and seen him close once, but you liked him. Did he like you? How would you talk on your date, if that's what it was? You were more than confused, and a little frustrated. "IT'S OKAY. I KIND OF FIGURED THAT WAS THE CASE, AND THAT'S FINE. HOW DOES FRIDAY AFTER SCHOOL SOUND FOR THE COFFEE SHOP?"
Air filled your lungs again in relief. So he didn't think you were a complete moron and he still wanted to go out. Not that it was a date. Nope. Your smile returns as you type your reply. "oh...well. 1 have to drop my brother off after school...but 1 can p1ck you up after that or you can come w1th us when 1 drop h1m off...?"
Kurloz was fast. You wonder if it has anything to do with his being mute. You wonder how he became mute. You wonder if he was born like that. You wonder how Kurloz had managed to escape you all this time. "I CAN WAIT FOR YOU TO DROP HIM OFF. OR I CAN MEET YOU THERE. I HAVE MY OWN BROTHER TO TAKE CARE OF, SO I UNDERSTAND. ALL I WOULD NEED IS THE ADDRESS OF THE SHOP."
Kurloz also has a brother. You grin a little, thinking it would be funny if they could be friends, too. You didn't know much about Tavros' private life, but you were positive he wasn't entirely straight. The possibility of your brothers going out then made you make a face and drop the thought altogether. You tap in the address of the coffee shop and idly wonder what to wear on Friday. "are you sure you don't want me to p1ck you up...?" You ask. It was only polite.
"IT'S FINE. LITTLE MOTHERFUCKER OF A BROTHER IS BOTHERING ME NOW, SO I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW AT SCHOOL, OKAY?" You're a little disappointed at the short conversation, but it was meaningful. You agree, and then your mind jumps to wondering if you've ever seen him before, like if you've had any classes together and you were just spacey. Something about him seemed a little familiar, but you couldn't quite understand why.
You bid Kurloz goodnight, and then you go and tackle Tavros on the couch and attempt to wrestle the controller from him.