Leaping Onward
I apologize for the temporary break my dear viewers!
This chapter is for one of my dear readers, Benjiii. (on AOU)
This is for you, thank you for your constant support. I am back in the game!
3
Day rolled into night at the Fairest residence.
Both Pico and Keith ended up retiring their game of 'Stardew Valley' after a few more hours. The blue boy knew he had to be more cautious. His initial problem from before was still relatively fresh in his mind. He couldn't believe that he had reacted in such a way. He even made the other male feel inadequate, and was even insecure about how he was feeling towards the other. Luckily, he managed to right that wrong immediately.
Keith was not angry at all with Pico. Quite the contrary, in fact. A deep feeling was emerging in his heart that couldn't understand. It was similar to when he first asked Cherry out to be his girlfriend, but this was so much more severe. The feeling was much more immense than he has ever experienced. He tried to brush it off as well as he could. The longer he has known the ginger, the harder it is to ignore.
This feeling was becoming stronger over their time together. It is a scary feeling, but one he understands from previous knowledge. This was much more powerful than when he dated Cherry. For her, it felt more like a fling. Just a passing fad that he latched onto because she was pretty. A wonderful friendship came from that experience and he learned so much about himself then. What that strain on his heart was, before, was adoration. A gentle stutter that would grip him whenever he was hugged by her, or she held onto his hand.
That was nothing like this. That stutter was present even when Pico was only in the same area with him, let alone when they interacted. Whenever those incredible white eyes would lock onto him that stutter turned into an ache with every beat of his heart. It only got worse whenever he smiled at him. That ache almost became painful, in a way. It wasn't unpleasant, however.
The pain just made him confused, at first. It was slow progressing. It didn't start out that way in the beginning. It was barely noticeable when he first laid eyes on the new kid. It started with a light and feathery feeling to grace his chest, as if he was slowly being suffocated without his knowledge.
It progressed into a good feeling, at first, when he introduced himself to the other man. He just cropped it up to helping others feel welcome in their school. It was in his nature to make sure that everyone found a place and a friend to call their own. It just so happens that Keith ended up becoming the others 'friend' instead of finding one for him.
It accelerated rapidly when he saw Pico in danger as he passed out in the cafeteria. Hoisting him away to his home, he helped him get back on his feet and pointed in the right direction. That leading to their number exchange. Pico didn't have to message him, but Keith was praying that the other would. An answer to his prayers came that night with that faithful message he was secretly hoping for. That's when he knew he was hooked into this, line and sinker.
Their relationship grew, and so did that prickling feeling that wouldn't ever leave him. As they spent their Saturdays together, Keith felt that sensation was getting much worse as the weeks went on. Their nightly talking and texting sessions didn't help that in the slightest. That's when the ache started to form, as Pico opened up to him more. He knew about his likes and dislikes. What his hobbies were. Knowing what makes the other embarrassed, so that staining blush would highlight his freckles. The more he knew, the deeper that feeling became.
Keith was perplexed at the way his heart acted when he saw the other male cry. He has seen Darnell cry, over a scraped his knee while playing when they were younger. He has seen Cherry do so as well when she would break a nail or go through a fight with her girlfriends or with another guy. Both times, he would feel terrible and have a guilt strike through his heart at the sight of those he cares about upset. However, when Pico cried, he felt like he was dying.
That ache turned into a stabbing pain that almost made himself want to cry. He almost did, actually. The only thing keeping him from doing so was to stay a strong shoulder for the ginger to lean on in his time of need. He couldn't crumble, Pico had no one else for him. That pain was atrocious, and he would do his best to never let that happen again. He didn't know if he could handle that feeling again.
Comforting Pico was what helped ease the knife in his heart. Or to prevent it from twisting any further, at least. That stabbing ache only echoed from the other male going back into hiding. All of those soft fluttering feelings that would make his heart float and breath stutter, now felt like it was being gouged from him. He could feel his heart break at the little things that he would take for granted. It was the worst when Pico didn't respond to him on that same night as the incident. He has never felt so heartbroken before, as he cried himself to sleep that night. He thought that he actually lost the smaller male as a friend, forcing that pain to exponentially increase to an unbearable state. Luckily, he had Sunday night and Pico did respond to him, helping him heal a little before that Monday at school.
He never told Pico that he felt that way. Too scared to imagine what the orange-haired male would think. Would he find him weird that he felt so strongly about their friendship? He didn't think so, but he couldn't bare the thought of losing him again. That night was so awful. He has never felt pain like that in his life before. Even after Cherry broke up with him, he didn't cry at all, nor did he feel any sadness. He just accepted it and moved on. This was something he doesn't think he could move on from.
Keith found himself giving more glances and stares to the ginger-haired male as that day passed. Pico was slowly recuperating from the incident, and so was the blue boy it seemed. They both were healing, but for different reasons. This sleepover was supposed to be an innocent steppingstone in their friendship.
What he didn't expect was that horrid ache to come back and hit him at full force. Luckily, it wasn't painful anymore. When he was alone with Pico, that heartbreak turned back into that good floating feeling once again. The smaller male was opening up and Keith felt a strong sense of relief at the acceptance. It was near intoxicating. Keith never felt so happy watching the other man enjoy himself, especially when he was over at his home.
The way he smiled. The small things he would do to brush his nervousness aside. That small but deep voice that would send shivers up his spine whenever he got the pleasure of hearing him speak. It sounded rather raspy, but it was a rare treat to hear whenever he spoke. Not many have the honor of hearing that amazing sound, especially when he would laugh. That would make his heart do flips at its worse. It wasn't a painful feeling, and it was very welcoming to see him happy once again.
Normally, this would all be internalized. Except for the stunning blush that would graze Keith's face during their interactions. The blue boy was a very touchy person. He was very open about contact, and it was still fascinating to see what someone who is the complete opposite reacts to his touches. For his luck, Pico wasn't opposed to contact at all, he just rarely gave it. It was mostly Keith who would reach out and touch the other in almost every circumstance.
He was elated that Pico would never resist him whenever he would reach out. It was further cemented when Keith noticed that the ginger would never pull away when he would touch him. The only time that happened was when he woke with a start behind the shed. He just conjured that up to being frightened at the sudden closeness. He did suddenly pass out in the cafeteria and woke up outside with someone holding him. It was natural to act the way he did.
All of that led to tonight. The arrow to strike through his entire being shot out of nowhere. Keith was starting to recognize this feeling. It was deeper than adoration. More than a fondness. Closer than an attachment and devotion.
He shall deny it to his dying day. He shan't even consider it.
Both of the boys were now watching a scary movie downstairs. Keith's parents had decided to go up for the night, which allowed them to have the entire downstairs to themselves. They preferred it that way, since it was steps away from the kitchen if they wanted anything quick. Also, it allowed Keith to sneak food and drinks into the living room when he wasn't supposed to normally.
Pico felt rather full, he always eats too much over at the blue boy's home. Most of the time it makes him feel nauseous. He feels bad about eating too much, feeling like he is taking all of Keith's food. It is hard for him to fight most of the time, because it is the aqua-haired male himself offering it. It reminds him of that old story of Hansel and Gretel. He felt like Keith was fattening him up on purpose. Whenever he comes home after a day at his house, he was sure to gain a few pounds just from the fat and calories ingested.
Both the orange-haired male and Keith sat on the loveseat watching the scary move that happened to be on their satellite television network. Pico wasn't the biggest fan of horror movies, but the taller male seemed so interested he couldn't say no. In reality, the ginger was rather a scared-y cat. When Keith initially offered it after surfing the channels for a while, Pico didn't want to say no and disappoint the other. Honestly, he was a little nervous at watching it. It was late out, and the lights were shut off in the living room the television was the only source of light, except for the rays that impeded from the kitchens that were on.
Pico brought down his blanket, now all to himself as he sat at his usual spot, closest to the TV. He was sitting cross-legged, but instead of his chin in his palms, he had his hands curling on his blanket for comfort. He needed something to hold onto while watching this movie, he was frightened and on edge from what was happening. His posture was rather stiff, as he was anticipating the jump-scares from the movie and trying to keep himself calm.
Keith, on the other hand, looked completely calm the entire time. It seemed that he wasn't fazed by scary movies as badly as Pico was. He sat in his usual way on the couch next to him, farthest from the television and leaning against the arm of the loveseat. Since the couch was so small, they sat about a foot apart. Although Keith sat a little differently than usual. His right socked foot was still on the coffee table, but his left leg was pressed against the backrest and stretched out to reach onto Pico's cushion behind him. Since he was so tall, he had to bend his leg to prevent his foot from impeding too far and resting on the other armrest. His left arm was resting on top of the couch, and his chin was held by his palm, elbow resting on the armrest he was leaning against.
Pico didn't mind the difference at all. It wasn't his home, so he had no say in how the family sat. He just found it rather amusing that Keith's father sat just like he did. On the table, sat some beverages and popcorn that they popped in preparation for the movie. The ginger didn't touch the popcorn, and after the blue boy had his share of half of it, he must have been full, so it was placed on the table for safe keeping. The only thing that the smaller male had was a glass of water placed on his side of the table, while Keith had a Pepsi can opened on his.
As the horror movie played out, the beginning was rather calm. Most of them are. The only jump-scares that would even be portrayed at first were very small things, like doors opening suddenly with characters appearing out of nowhere but nothing happens. It is mostly the sudden orchestrated string sound that would get Pico every single time. He was able to hide it to just his body bouncing on the seat he was on, as he would give a short gasp and grip his blanket out of anxiety.
Keith noticed that the poor ginger would jump at nearly every single "scary" part of the movie. If one could even, consider that scary. He wasn't too fazed by horror movies, since he knew that none of them were real, or extremely unlikely to happen. It may have been cheating, but he has already seen this movie before. It was clear that Pico has not. This wasn't even, what was considered, the "scary" part of the film yet.
When commercials would come on between sections of the movie, he would take a quick glance over at the poor ginger. He was trying his best to play off his fear. However, he could see the other man start to shake a little during rather tense scenes. He could feel his own seat shift from the others startle during jump-scares. Worst off, even over the sound of the television, he could hear the smaller male gasp in fear. He felt rather bad and was debating on changing the channel. The good part was just about to happen after this commercial break where the antagonist actually begins the tense chase scene.
Keith was too afraid to say anything out loud. Pico was rather caught in the moment of the film, even during break. He looked like a timid deer scared of anything and everything around him. Yet, his eyesight focused on the television, as if preparing for the next scene that was about to show. He decided to stay quiet and wait until the film finished. When it ended, he was going to see if the other would like to watch a comedy or play a fun game to help alleviate his dread about the movie.
The blue boy was prepared for this huge jump-scare of the protagonist hiding from the bad guy. It was one that initially got him when he first watched it. The smaller male would probably react much worse than he is now. The screen was darkened as the main character was hiding. They peeked out a little peephole only to see nothing. Looking back in relief was only a false pretense, and then suddenly the antagonist was already with them. The camera zoomed into the bad guy and a loud and frightening sound that filled the room.
Pico sharply took an intake of breath, managing to force his voice out with that harsh gasp. His eyes widened, as he tried to shut them away from the frightening image on screen. His body instinctively leaped back, scooting across the couch to get away from the television. His blanket was left behind at his seat, as his back hit something firm and warm. Blinking his near white eyes opened, he looked around him to see familiar limbs, arms surrounding him abruptly, as he was placed between them on the couch.
Keith wasn't moved by the sound from the television. What did make him jump was the feeling of another body pressed into his person. Pico's back lay flushed against his chest, as he was seated neatly between his spread legs. Instinctively, Keith wrapped his arms around the other boy as he was flung against his body to help prevent him from falling from the couch. If he was shorter, he was certain that the orange-haired male would have headbutted him by accident. Luckily, he was tall enough to avoid a bloody nose. A gelled orange Mohawk graced his chin as he caught the smaller and surprised male.
"W-Woah! Pico! Are you ok?!" Keith couldn't help but to be alarmed by the sudden boy in his arms. As he comprehended the situation, a deep blush was starting to bleed onto his nose and cheeks at the proximity of their bodies.
The ginger gasped again at the sound of the taller man and leaned forward to look back at what he hit. His face flushed into a deep red, almost making his freckles pop out of his face at his embarrassment. He couldn't lean too far forward, since the other male still held onto him. "Y-Yeah! U-Uh... I-I'm so sorry...!" The movie, currently, forgotten. Pico couldn't believe that he embarrassed himself like this. Keith must think he is such a coward.
The blue boy felt that sting on his heart again that he only gets when he touches the other man. His brain told him to let go, but the heart said to hold on. He knew that this movie was going to get worse when it came to the scares. "Don't apologize for being frightened. It's ok." Keith still held onto the other man but loosened his hold a bit in case he wanted out.
"I didn't hurt you, d-did I...?" Pico asked sincerely, leaning back into the hold a little and looking up at the taller male. He was still interested in the movie, as he would give a small glance back to watch how the character may escape or get killed. However, his attention was mostly on the blue boy himself.
Keith couldn't contain a small smile from his face, as he could feel the others heart racing. He wasn't sure if it was because of the fear from the ginger, or a mixture of his own heart beating wildly. He raised his shoulders up a little, as he locked eyes with the other male whenever he would glance over. The ache got worse in his chest, as he swallowed down a lump in his throat. "N-No! Not at all!" He tried to play off his reddened face as best as he could. "...Did you want to watch something else?"
Pico seemed to relax more, as his attention focused more on the blue-haired male he was leaning against, than the scary movie. "U-Um... I-I'm sorry, I'm not that brave... I want to keep watching it, though..." The arms around him folded over one another and rested against his sides, almost in a protective manner. Though they were not preventing him from leaving, he could just shift, and they would move away immediately.
Keith could have sworn that he was internally panicking when the smaller male leaned back on him. He was afraid of what he may notice. Would he feel his heart jumping out of his ribcage from the way his back was pressed to his front? Would he hear his breathing as it sped up a little from the contact? Can he feel the heat from the blush that was bleeding down his face to his neck? Pico didn't seem to be too eager to move, but the anxiety was starting to settle. Luckily, they were on a commercial break, the antagonist managed to get away for now. Taking advantage of the distraction, "I-If you want to, you can stick with me over here. If you g-get too scared that is."
Reaching over and unwrapping his arms from him, the blue boy was forced to press further into the other man's back. His entire torso felt like it was shaking from the feeling of the ginger against him. Keith grabbed at the red heating blanket, making sure to not tangle or pull the wire too much. He pulled it over to lay onto the smaller ginger and himself. He made sure to go slow to allow Pico any opportunity to pull away and escape, but he didn't move.
The ginger watched as Keith seemed to get himself settled into this new position. His favorite blanket was wrapped neatly around both of them, the only thing sticking out were Keith's legs since he was so tall. Instinctively, Pico went to pull his own legs up to be completely covered by the heating blanket. His limbs did feel a little cold without it, but his torso was rather warm against the taller man.
A stained blush decorated his freckled face as it spread to his ears, and it wasn't from the heat. His shoulders lifted to his neck as he felt the other man re-wrap his arms around him and under his own under the blanket. He felt like a lead weight, unable to fully process the scenario from the fluttering in his chest and stomach. Was he getting sick? No, this feeling wasn't bad. He has been sick before, but this felt much more different. Pico gave a glance up at those shining emeralds that were lit up by the television screen as it was getting back to the programming. His pale gaze dropped down to the blanket, before deciding to lean back into the others hold. "...Ok."
It took everything in Keith to keep from pulling the other man closer as he felt him lean on his chest. If his heart wasn't pounding out of control before, he was sure he was having a minor heart attack by now. His thoughts were racing. "Ok, relax, man. Relax, stay calm. Don't freak. He's just trying to seek some comfort from the movie, is all." Keith could have sworn that he was thinking so hard that it was bleeding out of his ears for the world to hear. He took a deep and quiet breath, forcing the male on him to shift a little to accommodate his chest cavity expanding. The blue boy was lucky that Pico was so focused on anything other than the nervous wreck behind him.
That movement forced the smaller male to shift his upper back to lean against Keith's left shoulder. This was to help the taller man to breath and to allow him to face the television a little better this way. To his dismay, another jump-scare hit the screen and a loud sound echoed from the speakers. Pico flinched, but not as terribly as if he was alone and not in the arms of his savior. It seemed that the protagonist didn't make it out alive, as she was brutally murdered on the television.
Seeing that blood splattering on the screen and hearing the sounds of the knife going into her body made him scrunch his eyes shut with a shuddering gasp. He couldn't help but to shove his face into the confines of Keith's neck, and he pulled the blanket up to help cover his face from the gruesome scenery. It only brought up bad memories, but at least there were no guns in this movie as of yet. The gore made him weak in the stomach at such a sight, and he had to look away. His body shook from the slight flashbacks he got of his past, his breath coming out in a slight panic.
Keith didn't mind the bloody effects, they looked rather too CGI in his opinion, but that didn't seem to affect Pico's thoughts. His breath nearly knocked out of his lungs at the feeling of Pico's face against his blistering neck. He could feel the curve of his nose press against the side of his pulse, as he seemed to hide his eyesight from the view of the TV. Luckily, he had his arms wrapped under the others, as he noticed him pull up the red blanket for further security. He felt like he was going to pass out, blaming it on the heat of the sheet on them.
It was much harder to hide his racing heartbeat when Pico was, literally, pressed up against him like this. The woman on screen screamed near bloody murder, and Keith couldn't help but to relate in a strangely ironic sort of way. He was practically screaming internally, at the smaller male against him, but for a completely different reason than being slashed apart by a knife. That 'knife' felt like it was slashing at his stuttering heart instead, as Keith tried to slow his breathing to calm himself. Even though he was panicking, the blue boy could feel the other tremble against him. It seemed that the ginger was freaking out in a completely different way.
Thanking the lord above, the taller male noticed that scene changed to another part. This one no longer shown the girl getting killed, and shown a different character completely, now looking for the missing person and probably going on the hunt for the murderer. Keith smiled and reached up from inside the blanket to thin wrists that held the cover over the other male. Pulling down gently, he gave a look down at him as best as he could from his angle. Pico was shoved completely against his neck after all. "The scene is over. You can come out now." He lightly chuckled, trying to encourage the other man to emerge from his hiding spot.
The vibrations from the skin he was against almost made him jump from fright. Pico felt his blanket being pulled down from his face and leaned back from hiding his sight with the horrid scene on the television. Strangely enough, he was sure he would be jumping back into his hallucinogen state. Seeing those awful shadows and hearing those sounds again. He was scared that they would start learning different means to torture him. He opened his eyes and took a breath in. That musk from before was present, and not any cologne was covering up the scent. This seemed to bring a sense of calm over him, as he looked over at the television to make sure what Keith said was true. Nothing but silence and the sound of the television greeted him, other than the feeling of warmth and protection surrounding him. No shadows. No voices taunting him. Just himself and Keith.
To his luck, the gruesome part was over, and it now seemed to turn into a revenge plot all of a sudden. The other character noticed that their loved one went missing and was now looking for the killer themselves. A sigh of relief left his lips, feeling Keith finally release his wrists from the soft hold from before. He couldn't contain a glance up at those caring emerald eyes, locking for a moment before he looked away, his shoulders shifting up with his nerves. "Th-Thanks..." He said softly.
Keith smiled at the other man in his arms. Pico glanced away, but he didn't this time. This powerful feeling was rearing its beautiful head again. His heart leaped into this throat. Trying to distract himself, he looked over at the television, but they went right back to his ginger. It was now a commercial break again. Since that came on, Keith noticed the other man relax a little more than before. He couldn't contain a dark blush to crawl up his neck at the other male.
Even though he was looking away with a nervous disposition, he still caught sight of the little things. The way his freckles bunched around his nose and spread almost evenly around his cheeks. Looking closer at the tilt of his head, he could see more of them peeking above his turtleneck They were much lighter in skin tone, almost blending into his paleness and hardly visible unless one stared. Going up to his hair he wondered how he would look without the gel making them stand up. Would he have messy locks? Would they be flat on his head? His imagination ran wild with different hairstyles.
What brought it all together were those incredibly, amazing, and beautiful eyes. He couldn't hide his adoration for those unique irises. It was so stunning to see. It was a miracle that he wasn't blind, and it was just the way he was born. He could spot him in a crowd easily, just by those eyes. The outfit he always wore was uniquely him. That green sweater turtleneck was very fitting for him. It made his pale skin look a little less blanched and brought out his freckles. Keith saw those eyes look his way again, but not a word was spoken between them.
Pico felt that prickling feeling of another person's eyes on him, and he couldn't help but to look back. The ginger felt a little shocked at the taller male as he just stared at him and did the same back. He noticed how that neon blue hair reflected fondly with those bright green eyes of his. The way he always smiled at him and how excited he would become whenever they would lock gazes. It was amazing how the smallest bit of attention would completely make the other man jump for joy. Pico actually tried to stray himself from the other man after his friend Darnell called out at him. He was frightened of the reception. Scared that Keith would think lowly of him and tried to stray himself from the other.
To his dismay, and happiness, the blue boy only seemed to grow more desperate and clingier than ever before. He was sure that the taller male would listen and latch onto whatever his other friends would say and think of the ginger as nothing more than a killer. A loser. A nobody. It was what the entire school thought of him, after all. He thought he would lose that precious friendship and didn't try to progress any further with their relationship. Oh, how he was wrong.
He would notice the smallest things would help brighten his day tremendously. Of course, Keith was considered to be his sanctuary. The very man himself was like a ward that would keep all of the awful visions and voices away for some reason. He was like a medication, but with no side-effects. Strangely, he didn't think he would become addicted this fast. He tried to wean himself off the other after that event, knowing that the blue boy would want nothing more to do with him. He didn't think he could take coming off of this so suddenly, he was scared of the outcome.
To his surprise, Keith was actually becoming more attached to him instead of the other way around. That effort broke something in him and reached the center of his heart. He didn't want to admit that his defenses were down, and the other man managed to infiltrate past it. He couldn't understand Keith's motive. What did he want? Why was he trying so hard to be his friend? This was becoming rather dangerous.
Pico knew that he was venturing into an uncharted territory that he locked away since he was small. It was always hammered into his skull as a kid from his father. From the way he was raised, his internal feelings were forced deep down into hiding to prevent them from emerging into the open. He was scared of bringing out the abusive side of his family. His mother was constantly ignoring the situation, while his father was verbally abusive. It became nearly violent when he drank. He never complained about it to anyone, knowing it was his own burden to carry.
That burden was always heavy on his shoulders. Going through puberty he knew that he was different from the other kids in his school. The friends he did have, before they got slaughtered, were always talking about girls. He never really was interested in talking about them. He would play along and pretend like he was a part of the group. He didn't want to stand out in the crowd and be known as the weird kid. It was bad enough with his eye color already.
His interests would be more inclined towards the same side of the fence, as one would say. Some of the boys in his school would catch his eye and cause him to stir some unknown feelings in his chest and stomach. Almost like he was sick, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Hell, he had no idea that the shooter herself, Cassandra, even liked him at all. He paid no attention to her to even comprehend the feelings she had towards him. It always made him feel a sense of guilt, like if he was 'normal' that shooting may have never taken place. If he decided to date her, maybe he would have stopped her before she decided to shoot up the school.
He remembers those nights crying himself to sleep. Amongst the whispers and visions that would haunt him on a nightly basis. He blamed himself for what happened that day. He wasn't normal, and because of that his friends were gone in an instant. That entire classroom was obliterated in a blink of an eye, and she left him alive. No one else knew of his secret feelings. He was sure if others knew, he would have been among the pile of dead bodies too.
The trauma still haunted him to this day and the excuses that came with it. However, all of that was easily brushed away with one man. One person who brought out those feelings to rise to the surface. Keith, his savior. His salvation. This neon-haired male dug his way past his barriers that he built over the span of years in a matter of just months. It was amazing, and at the same time, dread filled his heart.
There was no way Keith would feel the same way. He was 'normal'. Pico was not.
The sound of the movie came on and interrupted their near staring contest, both looking at the screen as it continued where it left off. Luckily, most of the jumpy parts were past now, and the action of revenge was settling into the plot. Both of the boys glanced back at each other, as Pico gave a small smile up at those soft gems. The smaller male leaned back into the hold of the other and rested his head on the Keith's collarbone to continue to watch the movie. He can allow himself to indulge while he has the chance. Best to enjoy it now before the taller male decides to push him away later.
The blue-haired boy couldn't contain a gasp as Pico rested against him. He couldn't help but to be reminded of when he was carrying him home from school. That same feeling of the others breath ghosted past his chest through his shirt, just like before. It took everything in him to keep from pulling him closer to help envelope them both in the warmth. He had to resist. He didn't want to chase the other away. Maybe he was tired? He still had those slight bags under his eyes. They were getting better than before, but still noticeable. "Heh... Comfortable?" Keith joked, trying to lighten the heaviness in his heart at the feeling of the other on him.
A low chuckle echoed up into Keith's ears as a response. He felt the other nod against him, as he focused on the movie. "...Yeah..." He said with the softest of voices with as deep as his was. If he wasn't pressed against him, the blue boy was certain that he wouldn't have heard it at all. It took everything in his power to not rest his own head against the others. He managed to resist the urge.
They stayed silent together. Just enjoying the movie and each other's company.
~ O ~
The movie came to a rather satisfying end. The bad guy was taken down and the revenge plot was completed. However, it pulled that dumb movie cliché at the end that makes it turn into a series and a sequel is sure to come from it. Keith had not seen it if it has released, but it was rather silly to have it end in such a way where the bad guy was always coming back for more.
It was rather late, as Keith took a glance at the satellite box under the TV that shown the time in bright blue numbers. 11:34PM, it glowed back. The larger male shifted slightly and gave a look down at the smaller one against him. Pico looked like he was dead asleep, as he leaned completely on him. His head rested perfectly against his collarbone, and he didn't look like he would stir at any moment.
The blue boy couldn't contain an "Aww..." that escaped him quietly. Sadly, he had to wake the other to go upstairs. They weren't even in their pajamas yet, and Keith didn't want to sleep on his couch. Let alone, have his parents come down and find them together like this. They might get some ideas and poke and prod him with questions he couldn't exactly answer.
Lifting his hands from around the other, Keith gently grabbed at his shoulder with one to help jostle the other awake. "Pico... Pico, wake up, Dude..." He tried as quietly as he could. He didn't want to startle the other man awake. He was within striking distance in case he woke with a start. Luckily, it didn't take too much to hear a low groan in response and feel a shift against him.
Pico blinked his tired eyes open at the sound of another person. He was sure that it was his voices again, but this wasn't anywhere near the angry and terrifying sounds he would hear before. This one was soft and familiar. He didn't even realize that he fell asleep. The warmth and the scent around him lulled him into a light slumber. It wasn't hard for him to fall asleep when the sounds of his schizophrenic delusions were held at bay. He never realized how much those affected him on a nightly basis until he had the opportunity to sleep normally again. For the first time in months, he actually felt like he used to before the horrible incident at school.
Pico pulled a hand up to his eye to rub some of the sleep away, giving a light yawn in response, eyes scrunching almost letting a spare tear leak from his eye. "What... Time is it...?" He slurred tiredly. Managing to pull his hand away, he gave a sleepy look up at the taller male. That bright smile and eyes was nearly blinding as they looked down upon him. He didn't want to move at all and felt rather lethargic in response to his awakening.
Keith didn't bother to move just yet, just in case the ginger needed another moment. His heart fluttered in his chest watching the other yawn. The first word to cross his mind was 'adorable.' He didn't mean to wake him, but they had to get upstairs and ready for bed at least. "It's almost midnight. I know you're tired, but we haven't even gotten in our pajamas yet." He chuckled. Just looking at the smaller male made him a little sleepy, but he managed to hold back his own yawn for now.
As much as the ginger wanted to stay where he was, he knew that he couldn't trap Keith on this couch. He barely heard that it was almost midnight and was starting to doze again from the remainder of his sentence, barely hearing most of it. He gave another groan in response, almost a little cranky from being woken up. "Ok..." He stated but couldn't bring himself to move as he still leaned heavily on the taller male.
Keith gave a light chuckle. "Come on, let's go upstairs." He leaned forward, forcing other to do so, and slid his way from behind Pico without trying to knee him in the back. It was rather difficult, since he was practically limp, as he had to keep a hand on his upper back to hold him up. Managing to stand on his own, he turned his full attention to the lazy ginger. Those pale eyes blinked slowly, as he looked up with a tired frown from his 'pillow' being removed. "You need help getting up?" Keith smiled softly, not knowing how the other would fair against standing and walking, let alone going up the steps. He reached out his other hand to hold, as he held him up with one at the same time.
A pearl gaze looked over at the offered hand like it was a foreign object before slowly lifting his own to place into the others. With a gentle pull, Pico could feel his body moving from the arm pulling him from the couch. His legs instinctively went to try and catch himself to stand, but the help from the blue boy's arm held his back. His other hand gripping his shoulder-blade to keep him steady. He felt himself sway a little, as he held out his free hand to press against the others chest. He didn't realize how close they were together from his tired vision.
Now that he was out of his blanket's protection, the cold hit him pretty hard as he shivered visibly. It brought him back to his senses a little, and he looked down at the red sheet with fondness. "Don't worry, I'll come back down to get it for you." Pico heard the other say, as he turned his head to look up at those emeralds that seemed to glow. "I have to turn off all of the lights and TV too. I just want to make sure you get upstairs ok."
"Ok..." Was all he could manage in return, as Keith started to walk towards the foyer with slow steps, his hand still holding onto his own, arm leading him. He made sure to keep at an angle and walk his memorized path, not even looking where he was going. Keith made sure that he was leading with care, as he finally made it to the first step towards upstairs. "You got it?" The blue boy paused, still holding onto his hand. Pico's movements were slow and as careful as one could be the entire way. His own white irises stayed glued to the floor to make sure his feet were touching solid ground as they made their way through the darkness.
Once Keith made sure that they were close enough, he releases the hand that was on the others back to flick on the lights for visibility. That light blinded him for a moment, but it affected Pico much worse. He flinched harshly, like he was struck, and shoved his face into the blue boy's upper arm that was next to him. A hiss left his lips, and a low groan left his throat at the sudden brightness, still trying to hide his eyes from the light. "Sorry." Keith said honestly, feeling bad for nearly blinding him.
Pico managed to peek a lidded eye from the hiding place he made for himself against the other man. The light still affected him negatively, but he could still understand what Keith was saying at least. "You ready to move?" He heard, and he gave a light nod against the arm he was leaning on. The ginger just wanted to lay back down again with his heating blanket. The faster he would get up the steps the sooner he could go back to that blissful sleep.
Keith's attention was solely focused on the tired man against him. He gave a non-verbal confirmation, but he sure didn't look ready at all. The larger male gave out a playful sigh, shaking his own head at the pouting boy. "No, you're not. You look like you're about ready to drop any minute." Keith paused with a small gasp, a harsh sense of deja-vu hit him in full force. Memories came flooding back from his past. When he first rescued him from the cafeteria. That moment behind the shed and how Pico fainted in front of him.
Keith gave the ginger a moment to start moving, but the familiarity of the situation made him slightly fidget. Pico gave a look up at him with his visible eye and it brought out a sense of calling from his mindset. The larger male felt like he needed to help him further, it seemed like he wouldn't be able to go up the stairs, even though he was fully capable. He leaned down a little, making sure to hold him steady. "Do you want me to carry you?" He made sure to ask. His instincts were to just grab him, just like before. To carry him up without a second thought, but he didn't want to upset the smaller ginger.
Pico heard that question spoken loud and clear as Keith leaned into his sight. It took him a second to comprehend what was said to him. Orange eyebrows scrunched together, as if he was thinking, then raised a little in surprise. Carry him? "H-Huh...?" He barely managed to say as he looked up at those near sparkling emeralds. He looked to be a man on a quest, and he didn't know if he wanted to impede. "I-I, uh..." The smaller boy stuttered with a slight slur as his senses were starting to come back a little with the light in the foyer.
"It's not a big deal." Keith insisted. "You're really light." Remembering back then when he did carry the other man home, he was near skin and bones. He definitely has gained some weight since then, but he was still rather skinny. "I don't want you to fall." He tried further. His body inching to have the other in his arms again, strangely enough. This would be an excuse to quell those urges at least, they were troubling him.
Pico was near speechless as he listened to the reasons given. It was hard to fight back, especially when he was so tired. This was such a conundrum for him. Normally, he would suffer from insomnia. However, this instance he was so tired he could hardly focus and just wanted to go back to sleep. His demons were at bay, and it was such a relief. He thought, why not enjoy it. "...O-Ok." He didn't have the energy to say anything different, especially when the taller male was practically begging him. He was probably tired too and just wanted to go upstairs without having to worry about the ginger tumbling down the steps.
Dark brows lifted with glee, as those gems seemed to glitter at the approval. Keith was careful, as he pulled that smaller hand in his own up to his broad shoulder for stability. "Alright, hold on." He stated aloud that smaller palm gripping his shirt in response. Keith reached down with his free hand to curl under the others knees to lift him up. The blue boy was right, he did gain a little bit. His weight has increased, and it brought a smile on his face to satisfy those urges.
His body was still thin, so Keith had no issue carrying him at all. The staircase was rather narrow, so the taller boy was forced to huddle the other close to him and tilt him at an angle to make sure that he didn't hit the wall with either his head or feet. He could feel the other's pale gaze on him as he took each step as carefully as possible. He was wearing socks, but luckily the steps were carpeted so it wouldn't hold too high of a risk of slipping with the added weight in the front.
Managing to make it up the stairs, the boys made their way down the hall to the familiarity of Keith's room. He never kept it closed when he wasn't in there. Once he arrived at the door, the taller male turned to push his shoulder onto it since it was unlatched. It was pitch black in there, but Keith fully memorized the interior, as he walked right up to the bed and leaned down to place Pico on the covers gently. "I'll be right back, ok?" the taller male said, looking in the general area of the gingers eyes as best as he could. He heard a soft "ok..." respond back, and Keith jogged out of the room to dash down the steps to turn off all of the light's downstairs.
He tossed the forgotten popcorn in the trash and drained the remainder of Pico's water and his Pepsi down the sink before discarding the can. The kitchen lights, and television were shut off, and the last thing he grabbed was that red heating blanket. Following the chord, Keith unplugged it to curl the wire up, as he lazily tossed it over his shoulder. There was no use in folding it since Pico was most likely going to be sleeping with it. Dashing back to the steps, he turned off the lights as he made his way up back to his room
Opening up his door, he flicked on his lights, nearly forgetting about the sleepy male on his bed. His shoulders lifted as he heard another hiss. Looking over, Pico was already curled into his bed, but shoved his face in the spare pillow to hide his sight from the blinding lights. He flicked them back off in an instant, muttering a "sorry...!" in apology. Going up to his bedside, after he kicked his door shut, he reached under his lamp to flick it on instead.
The lamp was still bright, but it didn't exuberantly light up the entire room like his ceiling fan did. Keith did all of the work and placed the blanket over the other man who shifted to laying on his side and plugged in the blanket behind the nightstand just like before. Reaching for the box, he started it up and switched it back to Pico's usual number six, before placing it down on the end-table. "I'm gonna get dressed, kay? You should get into your PJ's too."
Lidded pearl eyes looked up at Keith, forcing him to sit up. He was glad he had his blanket back at least. He was rather cold before. He hardly heard the first thing he said, and only understood the second part. Pico reached down to the lower side of the bed. Hanging off of the wooden post at the end, was his thin bag. He pulled it to his view with the limited light from the lamp, and nearly struck himself from the stupidity. Of course, he didn't bring any pajamas. He never wears them at night. Lifting a fist to help rub more tiredness from his eyes, he gave a low groan in frustration at his foolishness.
When he managed to clear his sight a little, he gave a look over at Keith to see what he was doing. What he saw made his eyes widen and his sleepiness nearly became eradicated. The darkest of blushes flushed through his face and decorated under his freckles without care. A toned chest met his sight from the low light that was available. He wasn't packing any abs, but he was of a rather thin stature and definitely thicker than the ginger. Pale eyes followed down his body as he moved to take off his pants. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.
The curve of the 'V' shape of his lower abdomen perfectly flanked his bellybutton. The shadows of the lamp made it all the more mesmerizing on his frame. Keith wasn't paying any attention at all, as he pulled his pants down to show off his boxers. If it was possible, his flush became even worse. Dark blue in color with musical notes showing off an abstract artistic form on the fabric. He couldn't look away.
His tall legs did have dark black hair that decorated them lightly. That must have been the real color of his hair before he decided to dye it bright neon blue. Still in his socks, he reached for a dresser drawer and pulled out some branded pajamas. They were from the video game Rock Band, as stated with an abundant label on the hem. They looked rather old but fit him like a glove. He pulled up those blue pants decorated by detailed skulls with fire coming from their mouths. Pico followed the hem of the waistline of the pants as they pulled up his thighs and snapped shut from the elastic on his hips. "Pico...?"
"Pico?"
His eyes blinked as they darted up to meet curious green eyes looking at him from his dressing session. The flush darkened and spread so fast across his neck and ears that he thought he was going to pass out. As quick as he could, he tried to hide his shame in staring, and pulled the red blanket over his head. As childish as it seemed, he couldn't control the guilt that ate at his heart for getting caught like that. Under the blanket, his head fell into his hands to try and hide further from the other male. He must think he was so weird from staring.
Pico felt the other man approach him, as he hunched further into himself as a feeble attempt to hide. Shoulders lifting as if to pull his head into himself like a turtle. The red blanket was removed from his head as gently as possible, as he heard his name being called once again. "...Pico? You ok?" He didn't respond, until he felt hands grab at both of his wrists to pull his palms away from his face. With his head still sunken between risen shoulders, Pico couldn't help but to open his eyes to stare down at his lap in shame.
Keith felt a little shy at the sudden attention that he caught himself in. He didn't think that he would catch the other man looking at him as he dressed. In fact, he seemed to be admiring him in a way. It wasn't unwelcome, but he didn't mean to call out the other male like that and embarrass him either. He felt bad as he looked abashed where he sat. Especially when that blanket was placed as a barrier between them like that. It was not difficult to see the beat red face that greeted him on his pale freckled skin. The only light response was a soft half-nod to his question. The blue boy tried to lighten the mood a little better. "You got your pajamas?" He asked sincerely, trying to alter the subject in any way possible.
Pico tried his best to will away the blush that stained his face, as he glanced up before darting back down. It was hard to focus on just his eyes as he was still shirtless. His gaze wanted to look back up on his chest again, but he promptly quashed those thoughts. He decided to answer the others question with a shake of his head. "I f-forgot them..." He mumbled softly. His deep voice echoing quietly in the thick air around them. He kept his eyes glued onto the others hands on his wrists for stability
Keith gave a smile, even though the ginger wasn't looking. "Don't worry, you can wear some of mine." Saying that seemed to shock the other, as he jerked his gaze back up to his own. Reluctantly, he let go of the other man and turned towards his dresser. Pulling out the bottom drawer again, he gave a quick glance at his small collection of PJs.
Pico followed him with his pale irises, as he couldn't contain himself from crawling his gaze down that spine. His shoulder-blades were defined as he reached down to grab at whatever he needed. It was when he turned around that he tried to focus back onto bright emeralds again, but it was difficult not to flick his gaze down onto that torso. "Ah, here we go!" What Keith held was red and black stripped sleepwear. "It might be a little big on you, but I've had these for a long time." They did look a little faded, easily being a couple of years old. The ginger swallowed at the thought of wearing something of the other males. It made his blush return to full vigor once more. A stirring of warmth swirled in his stomach at the thought.
Walking back over, Keith handed the folded bedtime shirt and pants over to the other wrapped in the blanket. Pico blinked at the outfit and lifted his shaky hands up to grab at the clothing. "Thanks..." He mumbled as quietly as possible. It was bad enough he was caught staring. The ginger was grateful that the larger male sidestepped the obvious elephant in the room and helped alleviate the thickening air around them.
"No problem, Pico." The blue boy stated with a genuine smile. Those forest green eyes looking fondly at the other embarrassed man. "If you want to, you or I can dress in the bathroom down the hall." He stated, tossing a thumb back at his closed door for further emphasis. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Keith just made the assumption that Pico was not sheepish dressing with, or in front of, another guy. The lightning blue-haired male was fairly used to seeing other men practically naked in the gym class locker room. It never bothered him, but the ginger must have been those guys that would dress in the showers or toilet stalls.
"N-No...!" Pico nearly shouted, his deep voice actually making the taller boy lean back in shock. He couldn't help but to place a hand over his mouth, startling himself. "Um... No, I'm fine... Sorry, I made you uncomfortable, Keith..." He managed to say without a stutter that his body demanded. The ginger felt terrible for getting caught, but it wasn't like he was disgusted by what he was looking at.
Keith's eyebrows raised at the firm apology from the smaller male and couldn't help but to give a small laugh to lighten the mood. "Aww, Dude, don't apologize." He smiled. "Not many can keep their eyes off of this." The blue boy grinned, giving a flex of his near non-existent muscles. "Just didn't realize how good I actually looked, eh?" He tried to lift the thick air with comedy, as he gave a wink over to the seated ginger.
Pico couldn't contain a deep flush that came crashing back onto his face, as he watched the taller man show off in front of him. His near white eyes widened, as he tried to give a soft smile and a gentle giggle back at the display. It was clear that Keith was trying to play off the ginger-haired males' nervousness and it seemed to work. That wink sent a shiver down his spine and a fluttering in his heart that sank to his stomach. He hoped that the blue boy didn't notice the visible tremble that took over his frame at the show. He tried to pull his gaze away to the side with extreme effort. "W-Well... You did carry me up the stairs..." He tried to fan the flames a little.
Keith's grin widened, as he flexed further trying to buff himself up at the compliment. "Ha! You're damn right~!" He then dropped the act, knowing that it wouldn't matter if he was strong or not. "I mean..." The blue boy started, lifting an arm to place a hand at the back of his neck. "You are really light, though. Doubt I need to be that strong to carry you, heh." He lightly laughed, reaching over to grab at his matching shirt with a large logo of 'Rock Band' on the front. Leaning down, he took his hat off and placed it on his dresser for safe keeping.
The fluttering in his chest became worse at the show of strength. Pico tried to will away his blush as best as he could, but it was futile when Keith was being so abashed in his own abilities. The ginger knew that he was strong, maybe not as much as his friend Darnell, but his personality outweighed that skill by a long shot. He was honest and caring, something that he rarely saw in another person. "He is so much stronger than he thinks..." He thought, with a genuine smile that crossed his lips.
Pico finished watching him fully dress, tossing the black shirt with the white logo over his head and pulling his arms through the short-sleeved shirt. He lightly saddened at the disappearance of the others bare chest, but he was glad that he wouldn't be caught staring again at least. His gaze traveled back down at the pajamas in his lap. "I think you're pretty strong..." The ginger eventually spoke, his voice so quiet. If it wasn't for the vibrations in his neck, he was sure that he imagined himself saying that.
The blue boy stood there in near astonishment at the compliment that was tossed out into the air. A tuft of pink decorated his face at the statement. Bashfully, Keith lifted a hand to the front of his neck and placed his hand against it. "Thanks, man... That means a lot coming from you." Even though he only stood a few feet from the other male, he could both see and feel the heat radiating from the blush that coated his face. Giving a light giggle, he walked over to sit next to him on the side of the bed and looked over at the other.
Pico raised his hand to nearly cover his mouth in shock. He didn't mean to say that out loud. In his head it sounded much better, but that came out much too corny and his massive flush exaggerated that. His pale gaze followed the other male to sit next to him on the bed, as he eventually tossed it back down at his lap sheepishly. He was seated only a few inches away. It wasn't hard to feel those gentle forest-green eyes on him, as he lifted his shoulders in nervousness. "Pico?"
Glancing his pearl gaze up to emeralds, the said gingers seemed to widen by a fraction at the other man next to him. When did he get closer? He could hear his heart beating in his ears at the point, taking a second to swallow thickly at the proximity of their closeness. "Y-Yeah...?" He stuttered softly, darting his gaze down to his lap before jumping back up to the blue-haired males. The redness spread thickly over his freckled cheeks as he felt rather lightheaded.
Keith smiled softly, and leaned in fully, wrapping his arms around the smaller male. He held him in a gentle hug, his arms wrapping securely around the other. His chin rested on the small shoulder while he maneuvered the other onto his own. With a gentle squeeze, Keith closed his eyes with a smile. "Thank you." His own heart leaped into his throat at the feeling of the other man in his arms again. It all felt so right, like he was supposed to be there.
Pico gasped lightly at the feeling of the taller man around him. His arms quivered, fingers clenching on the fabric of the folded pajamas he was holding in his lap. Even though Keith was taller, he leaned down easily to accommodate their height difference, his chin raising only slightly to rest on a broad shoulder. The orange-haired males eye widened as he glanced to his left to a sea of bright lightning-blue hair. Gathering enough courage, his own thin arms reached up under larger ones to Keith's upper back. It was a rare moment for Pico to reach out and touch the blue boy, but he savored that connection. His fingers clenched at the black shirt he was wearing lightly, feeling out the broad shoulder-blades under the fabric.
The ginger was praying that Keith couldn't feel his racing pulse as they hugged each other quietly. The moment was a blessing for Pico. Just being in the presence of the larger male was enough to ward off his demons, but whenever he was touched by him his body became fully relaxed. It was like he didn't have a care in the world, and his only means of feeling was through Keith. He was his own personal savior, even though he never spoke it aloud. Much too terrified of scaring the other away with his desperate means of personal communication. That was why he was trying to seem standoffish after that event with Darnell.
The dark-haired male was right about the pale ginger. He was a killer. He did murder other people, but it was for his own protection. He was different. He wasn't normal, like everyone else. If he was, he probably could have stopped the shooting. Medications were his true means of escape, but at what cost? His own mentality was the price he needed to pay. He didn't like the idea that he wouldn't be able to feel anymore, but the trade-off was so massive. Without the medications, he was a wreck. A shell of his former self, lost into his paranoid and schizophrenic delusions.
That is where Keith came into the picture. He was his salvation. His medication, without the side-effect of losing those feelings. In fact, those feelings only escalated and delved into the reaches of his heart to pull at a deep secret that he only kept to himself for years. He shunned the thought and only made himself become his own worst enemy in the process. However, Keith would just be here with him, and all of those problems would vanish. He could be himself. Even when Darnell, the blue boy's friend of many a year, told him to not trust the orange-haired man. Keith defended and even comforted him.
His heart only bloomed in his chest at the touch of the other man. He felt like he was having a heart attack whenever the taller male would touch him. Hold him. Carry him. Hug him. He was very hands-on from the start, but that was what Pico needed. He was socially starved, and secretly craved that contact, but never asked for it. The taller male would just provide it and he wouldn't fight back. He never wanted to.
Keith leaned back, looking full into his own white irises, only a few inches away. He smiled, eyes softening with a light tilt of his head. The blue boy looked fondly at the other. As soon as he leaned back, his arms were still locked around the other, as were Pico's on him. Those incredible eyes were looking up at him, as he took in the quite man's figure. That blush seemed to be stained onto the other, making the taller male chuckle quietly.
Pico blinked up at those gentle glow of an emerald gaze as they locked eyes with each other. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, forcing the lightest of gasps to escape his lips. His eyes widened by a fraction in realization. The constant need to be around him. The way Keith would always look at him with such caring and consideration. The fragile times when he needed help and the blue boy just so happened to be there in the nick of time. The way his heart stuttered, and his face erupted with a sea of red flushed out, spreading to his neck and ears.
"I think... I'm in love with him..." He thought silently. His eyes never once leaving the other, hearing that light laughter as if he heard his thoughts.
That realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His worst fear was coming back to haunt him. Worse than the voices or visions he would face on a near daily basis. The very image of himself that he tried to lock away within his heart was breaking through the cracks of the containment. Keith chipped away at him and unleashed the horrors of his own identity as it sprung out to weigh heavily like a burden.
Keith could never find out. His friendship was too precious to toss away. He had to keep this from leaking out further and stop this from manifesting. He didn't know if he could handle losing the blue boy from his life.
Keith finally released the other. "S-Sorry..." Lifting his hands away from the smaller completely and feeling the other male let go as if he was burned. The gingers hands went to clasp onto the folded pajamas in his lap as soon as he let go. It made his eyebrows lift a little in worry, but he brushed it off. "You're probably really tired. Go ahead and get dressed and we'll head to bed, ok?" Keith spoke softly, trying to avert the deep longing he felt after letting go.
Pico didn't say a word. He couldn't even if he wanted to, at that moment. Too frightened of the chance that his heart would speak for him instead. He wouldn't risk it. The ginger gave a nod of his head instead. Lifting his shoulders to help cover up his nerves, the ginger laid out the outfit, separating the shirt and pants. He was still curled into the warmth of his blanket but decided to put on his shirt first to stay as warm as possible.
Still sitting cross-legged, Pico reached to lift his signature green turtleneck sweater over his head. It was always a little tight on him, and he arched his back to help pull it completely off. Whenever he did, it always messed up his hair. Removing it from his arms last, he shook his head as his slightly gelled locks were losing its stiffness. He tried not to pay attention to the prickling feeling of those forest-green eyes on his back. To his dismay, he heard a loud gasp from next to him actually scaring him with a jump and looking over at the larger male in question. "Your shoulder...!" Instinctually, Pico reached up to place a hand in his usual nervous pose as if to hide it away from view. How could he forget about his scar?
Keith could never keep his hands to himself, as he reached out to touch the others back near the exit wound. It was in the shape of an imperfect circle of scar tissue, much darker in a reddish color than his usual pale skin. It was about two and a half inches wide, and the texture seemed to glimmer in the low light of the lamp from his end-table. When his hands touched the other man, he arched his lower back and straightened himself to sit up higher. His hands were probably cold, and Keith immediately pulled away, afraid he may have harmed the other. "S-Sorry...! Does it hurt?"
A flash of imaginary pain struck through his spine at the touch from the other. Pico gasped rather loudly at the feeling of the other male's hand on his back. When the imaginary pain seized, a rolling warmth spread through his core instead. The feeling of skin-on-skin contact had his entire frame shivering vividly, almost making him double over from the vibrations. He held himself together, though, only managing to grip on his own shoulder rather painfully to compensate for the effect of the other man touching him.
Managing to find his voice for once, a deep rumble of a "no..." echoed from his throat. Pico faced Keith, eyes looking down in shame. It was too late now to try and hide away his flaws. Especially, his physical scars that haunted him to this very day. This was a permanent reminder of the day his life changed. "It doesn't hurt anymore..."
Keith aura of concern bled into the air around them. A sickening feeling of dread loomed into his stomach looking at that scar. It was probably from that horrid situation that happened to his ginger all those months ago. Thinking back on hearing those school shootings, he didn't take into consideration the consequences of such a tragedy taking place. He had never been in such a scary and traumatic event like that before and Pico lived through it. A stinging feeling of empathy stung at his heart for the smaller male.
That horrible massacre happened and then he got transferred to another school only for all of the students and teachers to ostracize him. He never deserved that kind of treatment. What does his parents think about this? Do they even care? Pico never invited him over to his house before, probably too scared to allow the ginger to bring over a friend for once. He probably lived a pretty average life before what happened at Columbine High. It was so unfair. Especially the rumors that came to fruition about him. Keith never listened to them. "Do you know this guy is a fucking psycho!?" That memory of what Darnell stated before rang in his mind. Who wouldn't be after dealing with that trauma? He'd think Pico would actually be psycho if he wasn't affected by what happened.
Green eyes worriedly glanced over the exit wound on his back, the entry still being covered by his hand. "C-Can I...?" Raising a hand, Keith hovered it near the other man, looking up at those pearl irises for continuance. He wanted to touch this injury. Help alleviate any mental pain that this scar may have caused in any way he can. That must have been extremely painful, he wondered absentmindedly. Could he have bled to death? Would this kind of injury be life threatening? How long did it take to heal?
White eyes looked up at those forest-green ones in near shock, eyes glancing at the lifted hand in anticipation. He didn't look menacing in anyway. It was Keith's usual caring gesture of concern. A wave of nervousness rushed over the smaller male. He had no real reason to tell him no. He wanted that contact. He would have had to tell him eventually. Might as well be in the privacy of his sanctuary where his delusions couldn't get him. Pico lowered his shoulders with a soft sigh, removing his own hand from the visible scar. After a glance down at his lap, he looked up with confidence and gave a firm nod in approval.
The taller male was slow and gentle as he moved his right hand over the front of his collarbone. When his thumb brushed the scarred tissue of darkened pale skin, he heard a sharp inhale of breath from the other man. His entire body moved with that breath, as he gave a look over at those pearls for any disapproval. Pico wasn't even looking his way, his eyes focused on the bed to his right as Keith explored.
The blue boy was as careful as possible to not harm the smaller male in any way. The feeling of that textured skin was baffling and bizarre. His fingers rolled over the imperfect circle with curiosity, only imagining what the other man went through to receive this injury. It looked like a bullet wound. It only made sense, in fact. Seeing the near same scar on the other side of his body just proved that. Pico was shot. "How did you get this...?" Keith asked as softly as he could, hoping to not frighten the other away. He gripped the others shoulder and begun to massage it with concern. It was his body's natural response to seeing something so painful looking, he wanted to help comfort him in any way possible.
Pico took a stuttering breath in at the touch of the other man. The harsh mixture of warmth and fear swarmed in his stomach. Conflicting feelings making him feel nauseous. He loved the contact from the taller male but hated what he was exposing himself to. Keith knew that he was involved in the shooting but doesn't know how deep he was integrated. It took everything to prevent himself from flinching at the gentle caress of fingers across his bullet scar. Perhaps he could tell more of the story, but not all of it. Much too afraid of what Keith may think of him if he said that he shot and killed two people. "I... I was shot..." He started. Thinking of an alternate series of events that could have led him to how he was injured. "I ran out into the hallway... After my entire class was massacred..."
Pico paused, the prickling of tears edging in his vision at the thought. All of his friends were killed that day. He was never the same again after looking at their cold and dead bodies hunched over on their desks, bullet wounds scattering their skulls and bodies. "Another gunman was patrolling for any stragglers... He intimidated me before... He..." The ginger shut his eyes, the tears immediately falling down his face without him realizing it. His entire body flinched as the vision of the pain shot through his shoulder, his trigger finger twitching in reaction on his lap.
Keith stopped as he witnessed the other man pause. The glow of those familiar tears rolled down his cheeks. A harsh bite of guilt attacked his heart at the others misery. Just like before when he found him in the bathroom after that breakdown. This was a more serious gesture since it actually happened. Those awful words that Darnell spoke were only rumors. What Pico said was the truth, he was there and had no right to doubt him.
Keith, instinctively, grabbed at the smaller male. Everything in his soul told him to hold and comfort as much as possible. The larger man pulled Pico against him completely, forcing the other to shift his body to accommodate the gentle tug. This hug was more meaningful than before, and he poured all that he had into this connection. "I'm so sorry that happened to you..." Keith didn't know what more he could say. He didn't want to delve any further to upset the man in his arms any further than he already has. The only thoughts that crossed his mind were of if this horrid person is still alive or in jail. He hoped that swift justice came upon them for what they did.
Normally, Pico would have been so red in the face that he would have probably passed out at his bare chest against the other mans clothed one. This time, however, all he could think of was his horrible actions on that faithful day. He couldn't say anything more, even if he tried. His psychiatrist would barter him about his past, but he turned robotic during those moments. This was different. He cared so much about Keith and treasured their friendship over anything else. He didn't even say much, but with so little said, the blue-haired male simply accepted him without any criticism. Just gentle actions and soft-spoken words of comfort he never even asked for.
This hug was short-lived, as Keith pulled back and looked down at him. With dark raised brows of concern, Pico's breath hitched, as he looked back up at those caring emeralds. A blink made the sitting tear fall from his eye, as a gentle hand raised to his cheek. The blue boy was focused on his work, as that hand caught the drop and brushed it away. It made that same eye wink shut at the feeling of the larger hand against his freckled cheek. Looking back up with slight trepidation, pearls locked onto emeralds once again.
"I think I really do love him..."
"Pico... I can't make you forget your past." Keith started, unsure of how to even phrase what he wanted to say. The hand that cleared the tear dropped to the bed like a lead weight at the light feeling in his chest. "But I promise..." The larger male took in a deep breath, moving away a little bit further to guide Pico's hands into his own in a form of comfort. "I will be there for you. Whenever you need me." Green eyes stared firmly at glossy whites, meaning every single word that he spoke.
Indecent pearls widened in complete shock, a gasp leaving him breathless. "Keith..." the name left his throat unintentionally, leaving him stunned in place. The feeling of the larger hands holding his own held so much promise with the words spoken aloud. He couldn't help but to squeeze them in confirmation gently.
Deep green eyes looked with a tad bit of worry as Pico closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if to gather himself. His entire body shifted with a deep intake of breath as he felt his own hands squeezed by the other. What greeted him when those incredible eyes opened was nothing short of absolutely beautiful. They were still glossy with tears but held a happiness that he had never seen on the ginger before. A smile, that Keith would remember to his dying day, lifted the lips of the other man with genuine felicity. "...Thank you... So much..."
Keith could almost feel the arrow strike through his heart. As the clock just stroked to the tune of midnight on his digital clock, the numbers shifting from a 11:59PM to a 12:00AM reading in bright blue. February 15th now upon them.
"I am in love with him..."
This marks the end of this particular three-shot and I deeply appreciate all of your support my lovelies.
As usual, a comment is always appreciated and will help keep me going to write more about our precious boys!
Thanks so much~.
3