The words were still hanging in the air, mesmerising Leon. He couldn't believe his ears. With surprise, he looked at his friend, who had hidden his blushing face against the Asian's shoulder. This was one of the best nights he had ever lived through. Not too long ago, he had been fussing about what Emil would say if Leon were to confess to his friend, and now this had happened. What was he supposed to say? Of course, he loved Emil too. But was that enough? Would he be able to get his feelings through, with just those words?
While he was trapped in his worries, Leon didn't notice that the teen resting on his shoulder had let go of him. Emil was looking at him, slightly scared.
"Leon?", he asked, his voice trembling slightly. He was afraid. Afraid that he had spoken too soon, that he would be rejected. He really regretted speaking his mind, even though it had been because he was caught in the moment. But, there was no way he could turn back time and his feelings laid there, naked, in front of Leon, who still hadn't responded. As it would turn out, the other would not respond. Not with words. Before the Emil could ask him what was wrong, his lips were sealed with Leon's in a firm kiss.
Instead of pushing him away and demanding an answer, like he had planned, the Icelandic just gave up and slowly kissed him back, his left arm sliding around the Asian's neck. He closed his eyes, letting their kiss deepen as the other gently licked Emil's lips, asking for more. Being shy at first, the older teen opened his mouth only slightly, but when he felt the auburn's hands roaming his body, he relaxed and opened up more. Their breaths were visible in the cold December air, little clouds drifting upwards to the starts. It was perfect.
Gently, Leon laid down his date on the cold grass. He placed his hands next to the blonde's head, looking in his eyes. A smile was sent his way and made the Asian feel all warm inside. The blanket, that had been draped over their shoulders when they had been sitting, was now spread over Leon's back and looked a bit like a table cloth. Emil giggled and pulled his friend closer, arms behind his neck, until the slightly taller teen was resting on his chest, ear planted above his heart. With hazy eyes, the blond looked at the sky through the leafs above him, that seemed black in the night. He watched the little clouds form from his mouth, watched a satellite wink at him from the dark, dark blue above him. Then, he closed his eyes and sighed contently, feeling Leon's head rise with his chest. The teen above him hummed at his sigh and propped himself up his elbows, planting a kiss on Emil's cold forehead.
The two stayed like this for a while, looking at each other and exchanging kisses, sometimes long and deep, including their tongues, other times just tiny and barely there, a whisper of touches. They were filled with warmth, even though the air became colder and colder as time passed and the stars moved along the sky. The food and drinks in the backpack were forgotten, the only thing that was important was the touch of the other and the connecting of their lips from time to time. When they barely could see the other, they finally let go of each other and spoke for the first time in hours.
"What time is it?" Emil's voice seemed a little rough, probably from the lack of fluids in his body after not drinking enough. Leon reached for his phone, checking the digits that lit up on the screen, blinding him. Eleven thirty, they shouted, accompanied by a couple of missed calls and messages.
"Eleven thirty. Seems Yao has been getting worried about me, he called." If it hadn't been too dark and Leon hadn't been blinded by his phone, he would have seen the sudden look of realisation on Emil's face, who hastily pulled out his own device. Nothing. Probably because his ever horny brother would take advantage of the fact that he had been gone for this long.
"I guess we should be going home then", Emil sighed, getting up. He grimaced, because of the wet grass, his jeans were now wet and it was anything but comfortable. Leon didn't respond, he was too busy texting Yao that he would be coming home and that no, he had not been kidnapped, and yes, Emil was still with him, and no, they were not dealing or doing drugs, and no, this time he had not been drinking. The teen groaned and reached for the Icelandic's cold hands, swinging their arms.
"I had fun", he commented, after he had stuffed the blanket back into the backpack. They were walking back slowly, savouring the time that was left together. For a moment, Emil was contemplating on asking Leon for his answer to his confession, but decided not to do it. Perhaps his friend had not been ready for this?
"Me too", he whispered instead. A silence dawned upon them, making the Icelandic feel awkward for the first time in almost two weeks. In his mind, he started searching for a topic to talk about. Anything, something they could discuss, someone to ridicule, a pairing, a meme, anything. But his thoughts seemed to be asleep and missing in action, for his mind stayed as empty as the roads before them.
The other teen seemed fine with the silence, smiling happily into the nothingness in front of them. Streetlights caressed their figures whenever they passed one, throwing an orange glow onto the pavement and the couple. Suddenly, Emil's voice pierced through the night, shattering the silence with his whispers.
"Do you already have someone to take with you to the Christmas ball?", he asked, fidgeting with the inside of his pocket with his non-occupied hand.
"Nope, you?"
"No…"
Truth be told, Emil fancied going with Leon as his date. But the Asian just didn't seem to be able to take a hint and the Icelandic was just too shy, too afraid after his confession had seemingly been ignored by the other. So, he stayed silent again, not showing how rejected and disappointed he felt. Relieved, he noticed that they had entered their neighbourhood. He'd be home soon, away from this slightly depressing atmosphere.
Instead of focussing on the road, the blond looked at the fairy lights their neighbours had already put up, dreaming away a little. He had always loved the little decorations, it made the whole area feel as if it were a mythical place. As a child, he had believed that actual fairies had set up the strings of light, and that they would dance among them when everyone was asleep. Now that he had grown up, he knew better, but the little spots of yellow, green, red or blue still gave him a special feeling. '
Sooner than expected, the two reached Leon's house and they parted at the front door, not without kissing once more.
"So… Umm… Do you… want to go to the ball… With me?" The question surprised Emil a little and made him feel his cheeks heat up. His response was just as awkward as he was feeling.
"Err, sure?" The other smiled and pulled the blond into a hug, pressing his face into the crook of his neck.
"Alright, that's settled then. Our next date is at the school dance." Happiness swung in Leon's voice.
"Shall I pick you up this time", the Icelandic managed to squeeze out. A bright smile flashed before him, sending sparkles to the honey eyes above the smile.
"Sounds good to me. We can walk to school or something." The nervous teen answered with a nod, making the other smile even more. "Well, see you tomorrow then." The Asian placed another kiss to Emil's lips, before disappearing into the house. With a sigh, the one standing outside made his way home. He was tired.
Caught up in the stress studying, taking tests and the anticipation for the dance caused him, Emil barely found the time to text Leon, browse the internet or to go shopping for a suit. Sure, he still had his old one, but since last year he had grown a little bit, which meant that the clothes didn't fit him nicely anymore. Thus, two days before the big day, after the Icelandic had taken his last test, his brother and Mathias had decided they would go shopping. The teen hated that, but there was no way Lukas and the Dane were going to let him go in an outfit that showed his very embarrassing baby blue puffin socks. No, he would have to be dressed properly. On the other hand, the youngest didn't mind that much. At least he would know for sure that he would look good on the special night.
In the car, Emil allowed himself to think about that night. Perhaps they would dance together. Leon's arms would be wrapped around his waist, the music would be slow and the lights would be dimmed. They'd swing around, moving along the dancefloor, ignoring everyone around them while they'd stare into each other's eyes, smiles on their faces. Maybe they'd kiss. Perhaps Leon would even confess to him, ask him to be his boyfriend. The thought alone was enough to almost make Emil squeal like an anime protagonist.
Once they had arrived at the shopping centre, Emil was all hyped up for his perfect date with Leon in a few days. With an uncommon smile sitting on his lips, he walked around the polished floors, his brother and Mathias following behind. The Dane had insisted on holding Lukas' hand, and the Norwegian had finally given in, causing the happy-go-lucky man to beam brightly from his eyes. The teen didn't really care, he was still away with the fairies, head making up all kinds of scenarios.
Inside the store, Lukas and Mathias immediately began to pull out all kinds of suits, neckties and shoes, pairing them together and then putting them back to where they came from, unsatisfied by the way it looked. From time to time, they made Emil try one on. The Icelandic didn't really care that much, it was not like he had a lot of fashion sense. The majority of his wardrobe consisted of jumpers, jeans and three pairs of converse shoes. A few dress shirts for special occasions, but that was about it. No, it would be best to let the older two do the selecting. In the end, they settled for a black suit, his dress shirt was white, like it was supposed to be. The only thing that didn't really match, was the light blue bow tie. Of course, Lukas had insisted that his little brother would have to look very nice that night, so he went ahead and bought a pocket handkerchief that matched the bow tie. So much for being old fashioned.
On their way home, his brother asked him whether he knew how to dance and whether Mathias and he should teach him when they were back. Somehow not surprised by his brother's fussing, Emil declined, already knowing that there was no way he would succeed in following Lukas' instructions without starting an argument. Normally, the two Bondeviks would get along fine, even though snarky comments and sarcasm were often used between them, occasionally paired with an insult. However, when Lukas was trying to teach Emil something new, especially if the younger one deemed it unnecessary, arguments would start. Lukas would become fed up with his brother's attitude and Emil would become annoyed with the whole teaching in general. So, the younger one avoided it at all cost.
"I don't think Emil is a big fan of dancing. However, I think I might need a few lessons", Mathias smirked when Lukas was about to push his luck, wiggling his eyebrows at Lukas, then winking at Emil through the rear view mirror.
"Hmpf, there was nothing else to be expected from an idiot like you, Mathias", the man in the passenger seat commented, before gently grabbing the driver's hand and stroking the back of it. "We'll see", he continued, watching the road again.
For the rest of the day, Emil was left alone. When he went to the bathroom, faint music found its way to his ears from downstairs, and he couldn't help but smile. His brother was now probably dancing with Mathias. Somehow, that seemed very adorable to the teen. No, Emil didn't hate his brother, nor Mathias. He just didn't like it when they were sucking of their faces. That was just gross.
The evening made its entry and the teen returned to his room, chatting with Leon and Vlad, scrolling through his social media platforms and listening to music. He watched some videos, started on a new series of anime and read a few stories. Just his regular night. From time to time, his gaze would wander from the screen to his wardrobe, where Lukas had hung the suit. A faint smile then found its way to Emil's face and happy anticipation would start to stir his stomach. Only two nights…
The seventeenth, the day before the big night, was uneventful. School dragged on and on, leaving the Icelandic exhausted by the end of the day. Every time he caught Leon looking at him, his body would let him know that he was nervous to no extend, really excited for the next day. The two talked about all kinds of things, but again ignored the most important topic they would have to discuss; Emil's confession. The blond teen mentally sighed when the conversation fell still and wished once more that he had not spoken his mind that evening. Even though it had led to the most wonderful night full of kissing. Were they an item now? Ever since Leon had called their meet ups dates, the other couldn't help but think about that.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to be the Asian's boyfriend. He did love him, that Emil knew for sure. But what would it be like, having a relationship with Leon? Would they be different from now? Would they see each other more, kiss more? Would they hold hands at school? Would Emil be able to still talk to Vlad? His thought soup continued to boil until the school bell signalled the students release. The teacher wished them all a nice day and said that she couldn't wait until the next day, when she would see all her little students looking 'stunningly beautiful', as she had said. On Friday, the school would be closed until the dance, since the teachers and some of the students would have to prepare the dance floor and set up for that night.
On his way back to the Bondevik-Køhler house, Emil wondered how he would spend his free time. Perhaps he could sleep in, walk around in his sleep wear until noon, do nothing but stalk people on the internet, drink coffee and eat. Of course, he would have to get ready on time, since he was going to pick up Leon, but that was not until seven thirty in the evening, so he had enough time to waste. For now, though, he had to decide what he would do today.
He ended up spending his whole afternoon and night watching anime, reading stories and watching videos about romantic things, trying to prepare himself for the next day, failing horribly at containing his feelings. Nervousness was plaguing him, eating him up. Assuming that he would be unable to sleep very long in anticipation for the next day, Emil decided to go to bed early.
Only to be unable to fall asleep.
Emil had turned around countless times, had tried pulling the blanket off, wearing no pyjamas, wearing only a shirt and boxers, wearing on bottoms, all kinds of sleeping positions. He had listened to music, he had checked his tumblr, read a book. Not even drinking tea helped him and at four a.m., he was desperate for sleep, but realised that it would probably not come to him. With a groan, the teen got up and made his way downstairs. If he was awake, he might as well just go downstairs and sit there, since there was nothing interesting on his computer.
In the kitchen, he made himself another cup of tea, not wanting to drink coffee right now, just in case sleep would come at last. Then, he walked into the living room and slumped down on the sofa, pulling the blanket that they always kept there, over his bare legs to keep him warm. The considered turning on the television for distraction, but discarded the idea soon, seeing there was probably nothing interesting being broadcasted right now. Instead, he just curled up on the cushions and closed his eyes, pondering about life and whether pigeons had feelings.
His mind continued to race and ask silly questions, until it became more serious and deep. It wondered whether Leon had purposely ignored Emil's confession, whether the teen meant anything to the Asian at all. In his current state of sleep deprivation, his mind succeeded in making the blond believe that he was worthless to the other, that they had only kissed because the other felt pity. But it didn't end there, his mind spawned bad feeling after bad feeling, convincing the young on that he was worth not even the dirt on the floor, that he was a bother to his brother and Mathias, that they didn't care, that no one cared and that he should disappear, before he would annoy them too much. Later, Emil would blame it on the lack of sleep, but somehow tears had started to accumulate in his eyes and were threatening to flow over, onto his skin.
Hugging the blanket, pulling it closer, he rolled to his side, knees towards his chest to keep himself small and warm. He wanted to disappear to a place where his sorry self could not hurt other people with his presence. Somewhere else, so his brother and Mathias and all the other people he knew would finally have a little moment of peace. Of course, this thought was ridiculous, but he couldn't stop it. His mind whispered more and more horrible things, until he was so exhausted, he just fell asleep, still curled up like a cat and tears on his face.
The sound of footsteps woke him, hours later, eyes puffy and little streaks of salt on his flushed skin. Cold met his warm skin when he dropped the blanket to get up and see who had woken up. Emil shivered. He found Mathias in the kitchen, who was startled by the intruder.
"Hey Emil. Didn't know you were up", the Dane greeted him. Then he turned around to pour some of the hot liquid he had prepared into a cup, bringing it to his lips and smelling it. The older male let his eyes take in the teen, before opening his loud mouth again. "You okay? Ya seem like ya had a tough night." For once, he was not shouting. His voice was gentle, concerned and his eyes had darkened in colour.
"Yeah… I couldn't sleep very well and… I thought a bit too much, I guess", the teen said, shrugging it off. In desperate need for something to warm him, Emil reached behind the spikey haired man and grabbed the coffee, filling his own cup with the liquid. The two men just stood in the kitchen, backs leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping their coffee in silence. It was nice, the platinum blond concluded, taking little bits of the brown fluid into his mouth. There was nothing the Icelandic wanted to talk about. He just wanted it to be evening.
Meanwhile, Leon had jumped out of bed, all excited for the upcoming night. His suit was already laying on his chair, carefully placed there the night before. He walked into the bathroom, stripping off his pyjama shirt and bottoms, smiling prettily at the reflection in the mirror. Then, he made the reflection wink at him, smirking at its real-life clone.
"Hello there", the teen said, making his voice husky and low, licking his lips. "You look really stunning today", he continued, flirting with his twin behind the glass. "Mind if we dance?" The surface felt cold underneath his fingers. After nodding at the mirror, the brunet raised one arm as if he were holding someone's shoulder, the other curving like it was placed around a waist. He turned around, moving along to an imaginary waltz, smiling at his pretend partner.
For a brief moment, the teen closed his eyes, swinging around on the cold bathroom floor, moving an invisible dancer across it. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself almost dancing into the toilet and he quickly steered away from it, giggling at the air in his arms.
"You have enchanted me. Your eyes are the most beautiful eyes in this world and your lips look so very kissable", he whispered, leaning to where he thought his made up date's ear would be. "Let me kiss you."
Exactly then, Yong Soo walked into the bathroom and just stared at his older brother, who was bent over, his arms as if they were holding someone and lips puckered.
"Err…" Leon started, blushing hard while he stood normally again.
"I guess I'll come back later", Young Soo said, a smirk on his face. He then turned around, leaving the other to his daydreams again.
After pretending for a little longer that he was dancing and flirting with his date, Leon finally stepped into the shower and turned on their Bluetooth device, connecting it to his cell phone. He randomly clicked on a song and let the water from the shower head pour down on him. The first notes floated into the steamy bathroom, sending shiver down his spine. It was his favourite song, a cover of a popular pop song from a while back, this time sung by a male instead of a woman. His own tenor joined the recorded one as he sang along to the first lines.
I think you're pretty, without any make up on, I think you're funny, when you tell the punchline wrong.
The lyrics reminded him of Emil. Of how clumsy his friend could be, shy and flustered when he dropped his textbooks again, or when he walked into the doorpost because he had his head in the clouds. Or of how bad he was at telling jokes, because he always ended up laughing before he got to the punchline, sometimes having to laugh so much, that tears ran down his cheeks. In that point, he was very different from his brother, Leon thought.
After washing himself, the song changed and while he dried himself off, and the teen started to hum along. He didn't know the lyrics to this one yet, but the melody was already saved in his brain. It took him longer than usual to get ready, mainly because he enjoyed the music too much and he ended up dancing in his birthday suit while he was drying his hair. Swinging through the luckily empty hallway, the brunet's mind was once again sending him images of tonight. In his room, Leon stood in front of his wardrobe, still naked, hands on his hips.
"What to wear today….", he mused, looking at the colourful collection of fashion items. He decided to just randomly grab a few items, since he was not planning on going out today.
After breakfast, he started on his morning routine, consisting of checking his social media, eventually responding to messages, brushing his teeth and styling his hair. Even though it always looked as if his hair was just in a random style, he actually spent time on it every day to get it to look that way. After getting ready, Yao asked him if he would want to go shopping together. With a shrug, Leon decided that he might as well, seeing there was nothing special he would have to do today. The clothes he had pulled out of his wardrobe were fashionable enough to be seen with in public, so there was nothing speaking against it.
Of course, his older brother ended up taking hours and hours to buy all the things he needed. All kinds of special offers, try outs and sales caught the older Asian's attention, causing him to suddenly run halfway across the store to check them out. It happened more than once that Leon lost his older brother in the aisles when the teen looked away for one second. The trip was, needless to say, very exhausting for both of them and after they arrived home and had packed away the groceries and obtained unnecessary sales, they both fell asleep in the living room, Yao on the sofa, the other curled up in one of the chairs.
They were woken up by Yong Soo who stomped down the stairs, screaming that he was hungry and that he needed food before they would leave for the school dance. The clock scared Leon by showing him that he only had forty-five minutes left before his date would come to pick him up, and he still had to put on his suit, re-do his hair and eat. Great.
With trembling fingers, Emil pressed the doorbell. It took Leon a few moments to get to the door. His tie was not done yet and his hair was standing in all kinds of directions, face flushed and dress shirt untucked.
"Err, yeah, me and Yao kind of fell asleep in the living room… Want to come in?", he said, apologising for his messy appearance. His friend nodded, stepping past the auburn, into the lovely smelling house. The twins rushed by, both in their suits, yelling for the oldest to help them get ready.
"Your house is… Lively today", the Icelandic commented, looking at his friend.
"Things didn't really go as planned", the other said, shrugging. "You don't, by any chance, know how to do this?", he asked, pointing at the red tie that was hanging around his neck. With a sigh, the blond grabbed and pulled it, unexpectedly kissing his friend. Then, pretending as if that had never happened, he tied it neatly.
"There." Leon smiled at the older teen and hooked their arms together.
"Shall we go? Did I tell you yet that you look absolutely stunning tonight?" He winked at the now slightly flushed Icelandic next to him and they made their way to the door. "Yao, we're leaving!" His brother rushed into the hallway, camera clutched between his fingers.
"Not before I take a picture, aru!" Yong Soo and Hyong were forced to join the older teens and they stood in a row, showing their best pretend smiles. "Have fun!", Yao wished them, before closing the door behind his three brothers and the Icelandic. Then, they set off, butterflies in their stomachs, ready to dance the night away.
Well, a little later than I had hoped, but here it is. Chapter 12. Gosh, I never expected to ever get this far.
Until New years, I'll probably take a little time off from writing, draw the picture that came to my mind when I was writing about the date and I don't know, just relax. If I manage to finish the drawing soon, it'll be posted to my tumblr, which you can find on my profile here on .
I wanted to thank you all again, because we have reached over 3500 views and almost 40 followers and I'm just so flattered that you all enjoy this story. I'm still very insecure when it comes to my writing, so yeah...
~Hana
