And again…
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I slept. Granted, not well, but it was sleep all the same. I wish that someone had woken me up sooner, to tell me that Kevin was conscious, because now I'm waiting around the corner, watching the door. Lee, dark ominous captain of the cutthroat White Tigers, went in there about twenty minutes ago. So far I haven't heard any yelling, or smashing around, or cries for help. But I don't like him. Not the way he looks, or the way he sounds, or the way he glares at me. His eyes are so freaking dark, it's like starting into black holes. Who the hell feels comfortable around black holes?
I really want to just barge in. How great would that be, if I just sauntered in acting like I owned the freakin' place? Realistically it would be awkward, but in my head, I only foresee hilarity. Good thing I don't act on every impulse.
The door opens. Lee comes out rubbing his black holes, closing the door behind him with little thought. He stops and stands there a minute before looking up. His head sweeps around. He looks at me blankly for a long minute. Then he gives me some sort of glare, as though he couldn't be bothered with making any other threatening motion, and turns to walk the other way.
Score.
I bolt up from my spot and slide to the door before any of the nurses can realize that I'm replacing Lee.
Ian: 1, hospital staff: 0.
The room is pretty dark, seeing as it's morning and the sun is out. The second the door closes behind me, I'm lost to a labyrinth of hanging curtains, chairs, and the wall. Carefully, with my hands out, I fumble against the curtain and flail at it, hoping to sweep it aside.
"Wrong way, Ian," comes a voice from the opposite direction. I blink, and hold very still for a minute before turning.
"Oh. Hi."
Kevin is looking at me with tired eyes, but I can see that he's expecting something of me. He doesn't look happy, but he doesn't look mad. So, what other human emotions are they? I wasn't really raised in a place that emphasized how complicated humans can be.
"You okay?" I ask stupidly. He looks at me a minute before a small, sad smile spreads across his face.
"You're standing before my hospital bed asking if I'm okay."
... Oh. He's in that mood again.
"Yeah."
The smile weakens just a little bit. Suddenly, I find myself standing directly beside him. Honestly, I expected his head to be wrapped in white bandages, but he doesn't have any.
"Do you have stitches? Because they normally have to put stitches on stuff like that, I mean, there was a lot of blood so you like, split your head open, and all that, and... stitches."
Jesus, man, get a hold of yourself. He looks up at me with a widening, amused smirk.
"Thank you, Ian. You're a wealth of knowledge."
"Shuddup," I say in my defense, falling into a chair beside the bed.
"No, really," he continues, "you're a real fountain of wisdom."
Finally, I laugh. It's breathy and half-assed, but honest. We share a long, oddly comfortable pause before I recognize that I've been lied to all these years. All the television shows and movies and books all make it seem like once you share a First Kiss with someone, things are smooth sailing. They never mention this awkward, awkward, awkward stage where you've kissed, and you both like each other, but you don't know where to go next.
"Ian?"
I look up, wishing suddenly that there could be a film crew all around us. At least that way we wouldn't be about to share the awkward conversation that I feel creeping on.
"Yeah?"
"Do you... You know." He drops his eyes to his lap and picks at his cast. Why does he have to pick at everything? It's a bit neurotic. I just look at him, waiting for him to compose himself. He seems closer to doing so then I am, after all.
"Do you want to give this a go?"
... 'This'? My silence pushes him further along in his question.
"You know... us... dating."
I feel myself nod stupidly before something dawns on me.
"What about Lee?"
Kevin's face shifts then, from a cautious question-asking face to an amused look of relief.
"Lee doesn't care as long as we don't get him involved. At all."
I look at him a moment longer, appreciating the way the light falls across his face from where it seeps under the curtains across the room. Then, before I can think about it, my legs straighten and I lift into the dark air between us. I lean in, arching over the bed, and catch his lips against my own.
It's a boring kiss, I guess. Just lips touching lips. But I hold it for an astounding, perfect length of time before parting, and our eyes meet in that cliche way you see people looking at each other in the movies.
"Yes," I say quietly, watching the genuine smile grow on his face.
"Ahem."
The two of us jerk a bit, startled by the third voice. Turning, I blink owlishly through the darkness before my eyes settle on Mariah, closing the door behind her and crossing to a desk.
I look at Kevin. He's smiling. How odd.
The light clicks on and I lose my sight to whiteness for a moment before it dims to a dull golden glow. Mariah is staring at me with her hands on her hips, expecting something.
"Let's be honest," Kevin says from behind me, "this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."
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"Aaand... You're... Okay with this?"
Mariah has taken up residence at the foot of Kevin's bed, sitting crosslegged now and looking relatively relaxed. She shifts her eyes toward me irritably.
"Why would I have a problem with it?"
I glance at Kevin. He looks like he's fighting a smile.
"Well... You know, I was just thinking that... Cause you were raised where you were, and all, you'd have a... um... Kevin, help me out."
"A predisposition to homophobia."
"That's it, right there. That." I point at him proudly and nod as I say it, like a loving parent. I'm perched on the side of the bed beside Kevin with my shoulder up against his. It's taken at least thirty minutes for he and I to fill Mariah in on everything that's happened since I ran into Kevin on the street corner. The range of emotions this female is capable of just through listening is impressive.
"That would be a bit hypocritical, Ian," she sighs, refocusing her eyes at Kevin's blanket-covered toes. She pokes at them and he flinches, pulling them away.
"Stop that," he warms tiredly.
"What do you mean by that?" I push, ignoring the distraction. Mariah sighs.
"Honestly? I'm gay."
...
"Ian."
What.
"Ian, stop looking at me like that. You're being a creeper."
"You're a lesbian?"
"Yes."
"But you and Rei-"
"Were more a of decoy than anything else."
...
"Ian."
"I'm here, I'm listening. I just could have sworn that anyone related to Lee would be... You know..."
"Straight?"
"As an arrow."
She smiles at this, and looks at Kevin, who's chuckling. "Arrows wobble everywhere when they fly, Ian," he says. Mariah giggles a bit.
"But... Wait, okay, hold on. So everyone but Lee is gay?"
They exchange a thoughtful look, as if they were actually considering this for the first time. "Gary's straight," Mariah offers. I sigh.
"He's married," Kevin adds, nudging me. I don't know what that look means, but if he's giving it to me after a comment like that, it must be important.
"Ian, don't worry about it. Kevin is, at best, bi."
"That doesn't help," I say flatly before I can even let the information sink in. Kevin rolls his eyes.
"Okay, moving on. Let's not scare him off."
Mariah rolls her eyes and smiles, kicking her legs over the side of the bed. "Sure, whatever. I'm going to go get a soda."
"Can you-" Kevin starts, but Mariah is already at the door.
"No, you can't eat anything yet. Ian, don't let him eat anything."
I nod, but she doesn't see it; she's gone. Beside me, Kevin looks toward the window tiredly and pouts a bit. "I'm starving."
A smile pulls onto my face before I can stop it. "Patience is a virtue."
He laughs. "See? Fountain of wisdom."
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Two down.
