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AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER:
This story is currently undergoing some revisions. I am sorry for any confusion that potential changes to the story may bring.
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Buck tapped his fingers on the desk rapidly. God, this class is so boring, he thought to himself. He tuned out the drone of the teacher's voice and stared at the clock. 3 minutes left. Those three minutes could not go by any slower. He counted the tiles on the linoleum floor, doodled in his notebook, anything to ward off the fuzzy feeling of boredom setting in. After what felt like an eternity, that shrill bell finally rang. Freedom at last. He quickly headed out of the classroom to his friends, who were chatting in a circle right outside of the hallway. They usually ditched class to meet up early. He approached the circle.
"Hola, Buck," Fernando greeted. Buck nodded in return and tuned into the conversation.
"So you're telling me that you dated him for three weeks?" Lian questioned, with a condescending tone.
"Hey! That's a record for me," Skye responded. "Besides, you dated the 'love of your life' Viktor for only three months! You have no room to talk."
Lian's cheeks turned red as she looked away. Skye let out a triumphant chuckle. "Oh, Buck's finally here," she realized. "Let's go then. The usual?" Khan asked, impatiently.
"Actually…" Buck paused. They all looked towards him expectantly. He continued, "I'm going to head out with Jenos. I promised I would hang out with him today. I just wanted to say bye really quick." They gave each other a strange look, then burst out laughing. "Really? That freak?" Skye joked, and continued, "Alright man, you do you, we're going to go hit up the movies." Lian gave a smug look and said coldly, "We're not into spending the night playing silly games like children. We're going to act our age." With a whip of her long hair, she strutted off, pulling the group with her.
"Have fun with Starboy!" Khan shouted as they walked towards the parking lot. Buck sighed as he headed towards the library next to the courtyard, where he would always meet Jenos. The short, slender boy sat on the steps under a tree. He was engrossed in one of his books, so much that he didn't notice Buck sneaking around his rear. He saw the opportunity, and was going to take it. The larger man tiptoed towards him and crouched down behind him. He bit his lip, trying to hold back laughter as he tapped his shoulder. Jenos jumped and let out a small yelp, but quickly calmed down when he turned around and was met with the face of his best friend. "Gotcha!" Buck shouted. The boy giggled and slipped a bookmark into his book. He understood what time it was, and without saying a word, started walking with Buck towards his house.
Buck decided to start some small talk to break the persistent silence. "So, Jennie, how was your day?" Jenos sighed, "I told you to stop calling me that." Buck giggled. He always loved to joke around with Jenos, ever since they were small. Even though he would often deflect his poorly constructed jokes, Buck knew him well enough to know that he actually enjoyed them.
"My day was fine," Jenos answered, realizing the awkward length of the pause. "And you?"
"Boring as all hell. Although lunch was pretty eventful." His ears perked up at that.
"Really? What happened?" Jenos inquired.
"Well, Fernando managed to lift up Cassie and Skye at the same time, which pissed off Khan. You know how they can be sometimes. So he swept Fernando off his feet and put him and the girls in one arm. That was cool as hell. The whole table cheered."
Jenos stared back at him with wide eyes and nodded. "You certainly have interesting friends, Buck," he responded. His facial expression shifted back to his normal, emotionless state. Buck sighed to himself, realizing that probably wasn't the best story to tell Jenos. Ever since high school started, Buck had started hanging out with his more popular friends. Jenos didn't seem to care for these friends, since every time Buck mentioned them, he would become colder than normal. I really hope I didn't make him feel too bad…
The two continued walking in an awkward silence. Jenos was never really one to start a conversation, and Buck felt a tinge of embarrassment for his own loud mouth. Luckily, Jenos lived close to the school, so they quickly arrived at his home. He searched his pocket for the house key, and quickly found it, promptly opening the door. Jenos slipped off his shoes as he walked into the cool house. Buck did the same, placing them by the door, next to Jenos'. It's always chilly in here, he thought to himself as he made his way up the stairs. Jenos opened the door to his room, then opened the blinds, letting sunlight pour in. He loved windows, especially his sunroof that he used for stargazing. Buck smiled softly as the slight scent of lotus flowers wafted over his nose. He always wondered why his room smelled so nice, and was so calming, and so clean... It's almost like the room reflects Jenos himself.
Jenos placed his backpack in a corner and neatly stacked his books on a side table. "You can put your stuff down here too. I'm going to go change into more comfortable clothes, if you don't mind," he stated. Buck placed his belongings on the ground and sat on the bed, observing Jenos search his closet. Eventually, he pulled out a dark blue tunic and some long, thin pants. Fitting for a relaxed man like him. He headed to the bathroom, leaving Buck to explore the room he knew so well. He got lost in thought as he stared at the various plants around the room, as well as the light blue silks that hung from the ceiling. This room was practically the same as it had been ever since he first came over in second grade. To him, Jenos had barely changed since that day they met, when they were still young children. Still the same quiet, fun-loving, calm boy. His face always radiated tranquility; the faint shimmer of his eyes welcoming peace. But Buck felt like he was the only one who felt this way. Others made fun of his poker face and isolated nature. They tried to see how far he would go until he snapped. Buck knew deep down that it got to Jenos, that it made him insecure.
He suddenly snapped out of his stupor when Jenos returned. Buck shifted his weight as Jenos neatly put away his clothes from before. He clasped his hands together and turned to the beefy man on his bed. "Alright. What do you want to do?" he asked. He had an oddly bold tone. Buck blinked and responded, "Whatever you want, this is your house." Jenos nodded. "Yes, and you're my guest." Buck rolled his eyes. They always did this, this little game. Both were too passive to take charge, even Buck, an obtrusive football player, was rather meek compared to his peers. Jenos was just Jenos.
"How about we do what we usually do?" Buck suggested. Jenos stared up at the ceiling, then back down, and remembered, "Play video games?" Buck suddenly remembered Lian's remark from earlier. He winced slightly at the realization. Jenos cocked his head. "No? Alright then," he responded, now leaning against the wall. Buck started to get up, but quickly sat back down on the bed. They stood in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes. Then Jenos beamed.
"I think I have an idea," he started. Buck nodded as Jenos started to walk out of the room. He followed him to the backyard of the house. Jenos slid open the glass door, and the two walked out. The brisk autumn breeze brushed against Buck's skin and lightly pulled Jenos' silky, silvery hair. They walked off of the deck, the ceiling of which was adorned with calming, spherical blue lights. The soft grass brushed against their feet and the scent of flowers drew the two towards the garden walk. At the end, there was a small pond with koi fish to feed and soft seats to relax in. There were more of those lights are well. God, this place is cool… He always loved this yard, hell, he loved the whole house. Everything was so peaceful.
Jenos sat down and grabbed a small basket of feed that was on the ground. He took a handful and offered Buck the basket. Buck did the same. Jenos lightly tossed the flakes into the water and watched the shiny fish swim excitedly towards it. A smile spread across Buck's lips. He loved to see his friend in this state. He started to follow, which prompted a smile from Jenos. That was rare. After they had both finished feeding, they stared in silence at the reflective water of the pond. Jenos' eyes followed the slow movements of the lotus flowers. I wonder if he planted all of these, the larger man thought. His eyes trailed off to the bushes around them. He stared at the pale flowers lining the pond, as well as the large leaves looming over them. Suddenly, Jenos spoke.
"Do you like them?" he asked softly. Buck looked back at him, slightly startled by the question. He felt his cheeks become hot. "Yeah, they're really nice," he responded slowly. Jenos smiled expectantly. "Did you plant them yourself?" Buck continued, as they both stared in wonder at the plants around them. Jenos nodded. At that moment, Buck had a newfound bond with Jenos. He felt he should keep the secret, protecting it like a newly hatched bird rejected from the nest. Jenos got up and leaned into a chair. 'Wow, I'm impressed," Buck whispered as he did the same. They both sat for a while, taking in the serenity around them…
Just around sunset, they decided it was time to head back to his room. The garden was beautiful, but the two were starting to get cold. When they arrived back to his room, they could see the sunset through the large windows. Buck watched as Jenos stared until the sun dipped below the horizon. The darkness of night settled in the room. "So, what now?" Buck asked. Jenos paused, then responded, "Well, I have a couple of exams tomorrow to study for, but I reckon that can wait…" Buck nodded, surprised at his willingness to push off something as important as exams. He was usually a diligent student. "Are you sure? I can leave if you-" He was quickly interrupted. "No. I want to get dinner," Jenos responded. Buck was slightly startled at Jenos, but accepted the offer. "Where to?" he asked, as the two headed downstairs to leave. "That Thai joint down the street is the bomb," Buck suggested, as the two slipped on their shoes. "I don't mind." Jenos responded. The two left the house, making sure to tell Jenos' mother they would be back soon. Buck's skin met the cool night air, giving him a slight shiver. "Do you want to drive there?" he asked. "No," Jenos responded. Buck nodded in response as they left the driveway. They walked down the street until they reached downtown Realmton and turned at the corner of the restaurant and entered.
The rich aroma of spices met the two mens' noses. Buck's stomach growled. He realized then he had not eaten since lunch, and was dying to get some food. Good thing this place has bottomless bowl noodles, he thought. The two ordered their food and sat at a table by the window. Lights from the town illuminated the inside of the dimly-lit restaurant, which was tucked into the corner of the main area. It wasn't the most popular place, which is why Buck liked it so much. No people from school to bother him, unlike another restaurant like Magistrate Malts, which his friends constantly visited. When their food finally arrived, the two ate and enjoyed their meals. There was nobody else in the restaurant, reinforcing that feeling of peace that had loomed over them earlier. They tipped the waiter and left the restaurant, walking home along a dark street.
"So, did you like it?" Buck asked his friend. Jenos gave a nod, which was barely visible in the dark. They continued to walk. "I really had a good time today. I never knew you had such a knack for… atmosphere," Buck commented. "Thank you," Jenos responded, locking his eyes onto Buck's. He felt his cheeks turn warm; he was not used to this type of attention from Jenos. His blue eyes almost glowed with the moonlight, instilling in Buck a sense of wonder. He was entranced.
Suddenly, a bright light interrupted the intimate moment. Jenos yelped and tripped, the bright light startling him. Buck shielded his eyes and saw that the lights were coming from a car. He helped Jenos up. The lights dimmed slightly, revealing the passengers of the car. His friends. Khan was driving, Lian was in the passenger seat, and Skye and Vivian were in the back. Vivian was holding her phone up, filming the whole thing. "Hey! What was that for?" Buck shouted. The girls giggled, and Lian responded, "Glad to know you're having a good time with that girl!" They burst out laughing, and Buck turned red with fury. How could they be so rude? But it didn't stop there. Skye pulled something out of the car, and threw it at them. A smoke bomb! The duo coughed as they were pelted with eggs. Buck angrily stared back as the smoke cleared. Lian smirked. "Now you know to never ditch us for a little twink like him again," she spat, pointing at Jenos. The poor boy was mortified. Buck breathed heavily, still feeling the effects of the smoke. "Goodbye now!" Lian said, as Khan peeled off. Buck could hear their cackling echo into the night. He looked down at Jenos, who had tears in his eyes. For once, Buck was speechless.