A/N: I am typing somewhere else! And guess where! That's right! I've got a new PC!
Cupid Meets Stupid
Chapter Ten
"Get up! Get UP!"
Enrique was vigorously shaking Oliver's sleeping form the next morning.
His best friend rolled over and squinted at him. "Whuzzgoinon?" he answered groggily.
"The tide's low and the waters are perfect!" the blonde answered. "You haven't had a good swim since yesterday!"
Oliver sat up and was about to protest that he did have one swim. Unfortunately, he did so just in time to see Robert rip his shirt off while running awkwardly after Johnny, ejaculating an undignified 'hohoho'.
"Hang on, where's Johnny going? Is the water THAT low?" he asked.
"Oh DO stand up, Oliver!" said Enrique.
The boy did as he was told and his eyes widened at what he saw.
The sea's retreat had opened to the beach a vast expanse of wet, wave-shaped sand. The tide was so low that the first small waves of salt water reache the line of the horizon. From where the younger Majestics were, Johnny and Robert appeared as mere specks.
"Come ON!" Enrique insisted and dragged Oliver out to the sand.
It was only six in the morning.
None of their companions on the beach were up so early, having been thoroughly exhausted from last night. Four racuous screams of utterly childish mirth and the occasional distant splashes of water and waves hitting the far shore rang out unhindered into the dawn.
SCENE CHANGE AND TIME LAPSE
"Thanks for the weekend, Jonathan," Robert told his partner behind the wheel.
Oliver and Enrique sat on the back seat.
"Yeah!" added the latter. "We should do something like this more often!"
The redhead gave a sigh of mock-tiredness. "That was an act of charity," he said loftily, yet there was a smile on his face. "Next time you guys'd like to do something like this, you have to bow before me and present offerings..."
"Hail thee, Lord Johnny," said the German, acting out the would-e scene. "Denizen of the Bagpipe and Ruler of Souls who need Anger Management. To his Eminence, us lowlives present these red Hawaiian shorts to compliment thy hair..."
Way before that line, Oliver and Enrique were already hollering with laughter. Robert soon dropped his regal facade to laugh too at the look of half-irritation and half-amusement on Johnny's face.
"How's about we all get our lunch in my restaurant back in Paris?" Oliver suggested. "All meals on the house!"
"Jeez, don't bother, Oliver!" Robert and Enrique exclaimed in unison.
"It's more than kind of you to be preparing our food," said the former.
"Let us pay at the very least," added the latter.
The young chef, however, was already shaking his head. "Unlike Johnny-boy here, I'd gladly do this for my friends," he said with a grin.
Their purple-haired team captain was getting ready to protest.
Oliver's face turned livid. "Insist and you die."
Robert raised his hands in surrender. "Not insisting!"
And the four friends had an extremely enjoyable ride back to France's beloved capital.
SCENE CHANGE
"WHAT has gotten you preoccupied for these past few days?!" Venus exclaimed to her son, raising her glittering, slender arms in the air as a gesture of exasperation.
Cupid was perched on a low cloud overlooking Paris.
From this bird's eye view, the boy god could see everyone, even the mortals in buildings.
'This unforgivably stubborn boy," he replied, not turning to acknowledge the presence of the goddess. "Right there! I've shot him with my golden arrows over three times and he remains unyielding!"
Cupid stared to point frantically in the direction of Oliver Les Desmond's famous restaurant. Through the roof, Venus could see a small party of four teen, that being the Majestics. Enrique sported a shimmering gold glow, signifying he had been recently victimized by the God of Love.
"Forget the arrows!" Vulcan said with the air of an old man making jokes. The God of the Forge had been passing by and overheard their conversation "Have you tried a machine gun?"
Cupid stood up. "Well no, but--"
"I'll make you one!" the physically challanged god said cheerfully and hobbled away.
Venus dismissed the awkwardness with a snobbish-sounding huff despite the small evidence of amusement of her seemingly ivory-cast face. "Stop giving him ideas. Now, what's wrong with this boy? Because of him, you're neglecting your duties!"
"Not only that boy, mother!" said her son. "But also that!" He pointed to Oliver. "They want to fall in love. I can feel it. It's obvious and strong. But...they're just too stupid!"
"Too stupid?" Venus asked, mildly intrigued. "How? Can't your arrows evict their stupidity?"
Cupid heaved an angry sigh. "No Ma, I can only help lovers so far. It is they themselves who are stopping their love from reaching each other! I just don't get why!"
"Well then," snapped the Goddess of Beauty. "If that's the case, why do you devote such time on them? After all, they reject your help."
Cupid wheeled about to appeal to his mother face to face. "I can't Ma! It's eating them from the inside! They want to fall in love, they REALLY do! But they don't know how...or they don't want to because of heaven knows what! I'm trying things within my power that can help them but...oh, they're both viciously stubborn!"
"And I've kept telling him that it must be for a moral, deeper reason," came the gentle, mild-mannered voice of Psyche, the god's wife. For days, she had been attending to his neglected duties and had also been supportive of the boy's obsessive campaign.
Venus clicked her tongue in impatience as she turned to acknowledge the young, immortal slip of a girl. "Well then, have you two found out the reason?"
Cupid and Psyche exchanged looks.
"It is beyond our power," began the former.
Venus sighed and briskly stalked off to find Minerva. "Stay there, you two! Since this thing has een brought to the light, we might as well give the solution to it once and for all."
SCENE CHANGE AND TIME LAPSE
"You have some nerve, Venus!" came Minerva's authoritative tone, clearly audible even from a far distance from the cloud where Cupid and Psyche were. "Give me one good reason why we are going out of our ways to help two insignificant mortals!"
"My son is close to obsessed with them!" was the equally heated reply. "He will not stop such madness until those mortals fall in love."
"Why then would you want to cut short his amusement? Is his domain not love? He is rightfully concerned in such matters," said the Goddess of Wisdom. "And frankly, it is not important if this particular occupation keeps his busy for several lifetimes!"
Venus heaved an exasperated sigh. "He is not amused by this, Minerva," she explained patiently. "He is torn by it! Torn as the lovers he describes!"
Minerva was clearly amused. "And how would such a description be?"
"Best hear it from him!"
SCENE CHANGE AND TIME LAPSE
Psyche was reduced to a quiet, humble puddle of blushes at the sheer importance Minerva's personage radiated.
"Are you serious, mother?" Cupid asked incredulously, marveling at the goddess.
"Oh she is," Minerva answered. "Now where are these two torn mortals you speak of? To what degree is the severity of your case?"
Cupid pointed yonder, through the building walls and at the table where the Majestics were dining happily.
"The green-haired boy and the flaxen-haired boy," said the young god. "Their names are Oliver and Enrique respectively. The former has professed love to the latter whom, unfortunately, is interested in females only. And because they were the closest of friends, Oliver's change in his view of Enrique caused a chasm in their friendship."
"However," he continued. "Enrique accepted Oliver whole-heartedly, not exactly agreeing to return his feelings...and now they are left hanging in the air." Cupid paused to let the information sink into the minds of his companions.
Venus' expression had softened. "You seem to have followed their story quite well."
Her son's features held a far away look of sorrow. "Among all of the lovers I have helped...they...they have the love most true. They have become close to my heart..."
Minerva's brows rose. "But they are not--"
"That's exactly it!" Cupid burst out, turning rapidly to face the great goddess. "It is why I'm bringing them together!" He relaxed and gazed once more toward Paris. "Oliver and Enrique wanted to save their friendship," he continued. "They agreed to keep some distance, but such a decision left them with no direction. Oliver still wanted to love Enrique. Enrique in turn wanted to make Oliver happy.
Cupid looked at his mother with a plea in his eyes. "They want to love each other, but they are afraid of doing so! I don't know why!"
"And we shall find out promptly," said Minerva and looked toward the higher skies. "Mercury!"
The messenger god quickly answered the call. He hastened to the goddess's side with the help of his winged hat and sandals.
'Yes, m'lady?" Mercury greeted cheerfully.
"Go down and listen to those boys' consciences," said Minerva, pointing to Oliver and Enrique. "For sure they will be talking loudly. I DO hope you know what to listen for?"
The messenger god gave her a salute. "I have never failed as a snoop, m'lady," he said proudly. "I take it that those mortals are our ill-fated lovers, if I have heard correctly."
Venus was taken a bit aback. Cupid and Psyche exchanged beams of pleasant surprise.
"Oh yes! We wish you luck, Mercury!" Psyche called breathlessly as Mercury took off into the air.
SCENE CHANGE
Oliver was talking a little too over enthusiastically. Enrique had this annoying, fake smile plastered on his face.
Johnny sighed. What was wrong now? Had the trip worsened things between the two? Robert, too, wasn't the one to overlook these seemingly trivial details. For the sake of cordiality, though, he kept the talk within his team lively.
The Italian mentally gave a sigh or irritation.
His cheerful mood was rapidly deteriorating once more. Was this about Oliver again? But he thought he had straightened things out in Brittany? What now?
Enrique was turning gay. He could even admit he was beginning to like Oliver the way the boy liked him. Alright, so what of it?
The little voice of opposition in his head fiercely retaliated that such a solid belief was influenced by the fact that he KNEW Oliver had feelings for him. It was scary that Enrique was indeed yet unconsciously playing along. He felt a strong need to help his best friend that's why he always got lost in the moment. in the long run, the feelings would eventually die out...and Oliver would be alone again.
Enrique slowed down on eating. Summer blue eyes clouded over once more as he waged another internal war with himself.
It was a possibility...and a horrible one at that. His decisions, his feelings couldn't have been because of the influence of what he knew, right? He clearly knew what he had felt that night when they danced. Those feelings were true and undoubtedly his.
He had agreed to the fact that Oliver would still love him. The boy knew his limits...he'd be cruel if he was manipulating Enrique to develop feelings for him. Oh man, that sounded harsh. But face the facts, loving Oliver would be a decision that relied entirely on Enrique and no one else.
Oliver...
The French boy had toned down his talk, leaving Robert and Johnny to carry on the conversation. That dance was a bold step far too far! He should never have done that! It was way too intrusive for Enrique's part. It was unfair to the blonde that he was imposing his feelings on him, making him feel good like that to reach some sort of consent.
It was an unattractively desperate move from Oliver. He was afraid. He was afraid that Enrique didn't really love him. He was afraid of rejection. e was afraid to lose his best friend. He was afraid to love Enrique...
Oliver put his fork down. His hand had begun shaking so badly. He wanted to cry.
Not here. Not now. Not in front of Enrique!
Oh the cruelty of assumptions! They were much too painful to bear. Damn the wretched things called consciences, logic and reasoning! Damn the norms! Damn them all to hell!
Communation.
Yes. A talk was in order. Enrique hated talks. Before all this mayhem , he had always been comfortable talking with his best friend. Now...
Summer blue eyes shifted their gaze to the quiet French boy in front of him. Under the table, the blonde's foot nudged his knee. Oliver's head shot up, the swift movement unwittingly dislodging a tear from glazed lavender-lilac eyes,
"Wh...?" He hastily wiped the treacherous drop off his cheek and disguised his distress by taking a huge bite from his meal and fixing the Italian with an expectant stare.
Enrique just gave him a look and Oliver nodded.
SCENE CHANGE
"They're...waiting for each other?" Cupid asked incredulously upon Mercury's return.
"Yes, m'lord," answered the god. "Indeed they are in love but are afraid to make a move for fear they would hurt the other in terms of grave morality. And the other boy with the cornflower hair is worried that what he feels is not true nor of his own."
"Why then don't they just talk?" Venus asked.
"I believe that is what they have agreed to do..." said Mercury.
Cupid frowned. "They've already tried so before. I did not work. They are afraid of each other."
Apollo passed by in his golden chariot and stopped at the sight of the party. "What your lovers need is a good drilling that the panacea to their prayers is the love of the other!" he declared good-naturedly.
"Forget that," said Mars, appearing behind a mass of cloud. "Behold how all the world conspires to help them--"
"Oh no!" said Psyche. "We can't force them to fall in love! That decision is solely theirs!"
Nevertheless, the gods and goddesses increased, intent upon helping Cupid with the plight of Oliver and Enrique or to merely mingle and exchange the common gossip with the brewing group.
Amidst the noise, Minerva placed her hand on the shoulder of the God of Love.
"Listen to your wife," she said. "I daresay she's got a good head on those shoulders. Humans today need not our help as much. Everything will work itself out, you'll see. I will personally appeal to my father for you to bless and guide this couple if that is what you wish, Cupid."
With that, Minerva disappeared to find Jupiter. Cupid heaved a heavy sigh and returned to Psyche's side. They watched the crowds in Paris as a riot of dieties broke out behind them.
"Oliver and Enrique are STILL stupid!" he forcefully ejaculated moments later.
SCENE CHANGE AND TIME LAPSE
The weather was increasingly getting chilly for summer. At the sudden gloom of the sky, the Majestics returned to the Les Desmond Mansion for shelter in case an unexpected downpour would occur.
Robert and Johnny had taken to walking about and talking in hushed tones in the hallways of the upper floors.
"DID this trip help?" The redhead was nervous of making things between their two younger friends worse rather than better.
The German was rubbing his best mate's back with vigor. "Yes, Johnny. This trip helped. It did. It did, okay? You saw what happened, right? We both saw! Enrique is falling in love. And now, if he knows that...he's unsure of how to deal with it."
Johnny remained unconvinced.
Oliver and Enrique weren't talking much themselves down in the kitchen.
The former was standing by the sink, looking out the window whereas the latter was leaning on the counter nearest the doorway. The Fre nch boy was so nervous, his hands were visibly trembling.
"Enrique," he begain in a fluster, wheeling about to face him. "About last night, I'm really sorry--"
"You're not at fault, Oliver," his best friend said sternly. "So stop blaming yourself everytime you do something like that. It's not your fault!"
"But it is! It IS!" the greenette said defiantly. "It's my fault because I love you and I'd doing things to force you into something you don't--"
"Oliver. Stop."
Enrique was looking directly at him with the most serious expression on his face that it took the other boy by surprise.
"I'm sorry..."
"Stop apologizing."
Oliver's breath hitched in his throat as tears welled in his eyes. His best friend was never this stern.
"Please," Enrique added in a calmer tone.
The blonde sighed and sat on the table. He clasped his hands together and placed them on its surface He then took a deep breath before looking directly at Oliver.
"There wasn't anything wrong with what you did last night. The problem is..." He swallowed. "...me. Again."
It was Oliver's turn to sigh, one of part relief and part sadness. He dropped his gaze to the kitchen floor.
"What brand of guilt is eating you now?" he asked quietly. "Would I be of any help?"
His best friend was staring hard at the table. What WAS eating him? Was the right or wrong thing still bugging him? Hadn't he already established that right or wrong didn't matter as long as he felt happy? Was he fooling himself? If he was and it was causing both of them intense pain, why not just come out and say he loved Oliver already?
No. That was too shallow.
So what was his problem? There wasn't anymore manliness in him to cling to. Why didn't he want to yield?
Because he wasn't sure if what he was beginning to feel for Oliver was really ture.
THAT'S what's been bugging him. His conscience would not allow him to be consoled by the fact that he convinced himself his feelings were entirely his and not influenced.
Should he tell Oliver? What good would come out of it?
"Oliver," he begain, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not...sure..."
He sighed and shook his head, having absolutely no idea how he could go about this. Oliver considered the broken boy for a while before sitting beside him. He stared at the hunched back and made to pat it comfortingly. Out of fear, however, his hand remained suspended in mid air.
Oliver turned away and returned his hand to his lap. Pain was etched in his features.
SCENE CHANGE
Most of the gods and goddesses who were not pressed with their duties had joined Cupid and Psyche on the edge of the cloud overlooking Paris.
They were caught up in the intrigue of the young god's case and wanted to enthusiastically watch the turn of events like it was some sort of widely viewed television drama.
"What?!" Neptune was exclaiming as they watched the proceedings in the Les Desmond Mansion's kitchen. "What's happening? Why did he not comfort the boy?" His voice rose like a wave above the same anxious murmurs of his immortal companions.
Psyche was watching the scene with growing horror. "Cupid!" she appealed in hushed urgency, turning to her husband. "They're falling apart!"
Cupid's face was pale. An uproar from the more aggressive dieties was brewing.
"I say, Cupid!" the God of War was shouting. "Let the world conspire in order to help those two lads!"
Loud agreements followed. So noisy were the heavens that grumbles of thunder were heard on the earth below, confirming a coming of rain.
"Go ahead, Cupid," came the mighty voice of Zeus. His tone was that like a father requesting of his son. "There's nothing wrong with a little divine intervention."
Cupid nodded once and faced the land once more. He took a deep breath and shot over a thousand gold arrows into the sky.
"Lovers!" he called. "Unite!"
Apollo cast his hand over the lower skies and the sun disappeared behind thick rain clouds. The four winds were set lose to play.
SCENE CHANGE AND TIME LAPSE
The mansion was deathy quiet, making the increasing roar of rain outside more distinct.
With his curiosity irked, Enrique stood from his seat and hastened to the window. Oliver followed the suit.
"It's raining hard!" the blonde remakred. Surprise was evident in his tone.
"Look!" said the greenette. "There're still a lot of people outside."
Enrique frowned. True, there were numerous people under feeble umbrellas but, "They're all traveling...in pairs," he said.
And that was true too. Couples were walking in front of the Les Desmond Mansion as if they were having a stroll in the park. A boy and a girl were under one umbrella with their hands around each other's waists. A girl and a girl wer under this other umbrella, arim in arm for warmth. Two boys were under another umbrella, standing in the middle of the path, gazing into each other's eyes.
It was impossible to count the many lovers who converged in front of the young chef's house. The fact that their population was increasing didn't seem to bother them either.
Oliver and Enrique rushed to the living room to watch the phenomena from a better window.
"What's going on?" the younger of the pair asked.
At that moment, Enrique's conscience was nagging him again. Well, not exactly nagging, but meaning to make a point as if something just came to it.
It indeed wasn't a matter of what was right or wrong. But it wasn't JUST about him liking this, it was also about him NEEDING it.
Before, when his life was still composed of philandering with ladies and eating Chinese food, he was quite content with himself. He had sought women for fun, not love or commitment. He hadn't given the slightest consideration for the possibility of him ardently searching for something missing in his life. Never had he asked for anything because there wasn't anything to ask!
But now...his and Oliver's friendship had been thrown into jeopardy in such a short amount of time that a maelstrom of horrible feelings were scratching and clawing inside his chest.
It dawned on him that it wasn't all fun and games. His friends could be taken from him in a hearbeat, not by circumstance, not by fate, but by preventable, regret-inducing human error.
The prospect filled him with such terror that he had to cling to some lifeline for support. He'd never take his friends for granted in the future.
Enrique was missing his lifeline.
He hadn't realized that yet. His stubborn self was only beginning to entertain the fact that he finally needed something.
Past the living room and in the game room that was still in view, Robert and Johnny had settled themselves on a squashy couch, catching the playboy's and the snob's attentions. Like the lovers outside, the comfy pair was oblivious to any witnesses.
Robert had taken a automoblie magazine on the low table in front of them while Johnny stretched himself out on the couch in preparation for a nap. His head was resting on the German's thighs.
As the minutes passed by, however, it was beginning to be evident that the elder teen was not reading the magazine or pay attention to it at all. Robert had begun to run his fingers through Johnny's hair. The Scot in turn, raised a hand to cup the other boy's cheek in genuine tenderness.
There was no exchange of words, just wine-red locked on plum.
A sad smile played on the redhead's lips as the hand that fondled his hair left to hold the one on his cheek. Robert gripped it tight and closed his eyes. Johnny's mouth parted slightly in awe as tears struck his face.
'Robert!" Oliver whispered and made to move toward the pair in the hopes of offering comfort when Enrique grabbed his hand.
His best friend shot him a look but the blonde just shook his head.
Robert cried silently for a few moments before Johnny scooted up and pressed his lips firmly against the other man's.
Outside, the lovers too had done the same.
Enrique stood there on the living room floor watching the exchange of pure love and care between the noble and the hothead and felt a twinge of jealousy. He remembered the peace that washed over him when Oliver held his hands from behind as they danced.
Seeing the people around him, knowing they had access to such delights because of their partners made him finally realize he was indeed missing something in his life.
Enrique felt lonely.
A melancholy summer blue gaze shifted to a pensive Oliver beside him.
...Oh who was he kidding?
TBC
A/N: Now this took DAYS to type because I didn't get much time. Another long chapter is finally published! Every romance has to have some magic, right? So I took the liberty of using our beloved Greek mythology. That's not illegal is it? Ah heck...I love this story too much to let it be deleted. OVER MY DEAD BODY!
Tell me what you think! ...enjoy!xD and ciAo...
Psst...I've set a new record! 4, 100 words without the author's notes! FOUR THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED BABY!!