Outcast (Series)

by XGaaraxloverX

The first time Keith ever laid eyes on the new loner kid. He had to introduce himself. What better way than to find him secluded in the library? Chapter 5: The day had finally arrived when Keith and Pico turns eighteen. BFXPico, BoyfriendxPico, Boyfriend is named Keith, Girlfriend is named Cherry, KeithXPico. Bottom Pico, Top Boyfriend,

8. Birthday Boy Chapter 2

April 25th

Pico held the gift he made for Keith up towards the ceiling at an angle. The white of the paint and the light making it easier to see the design carved out.

He finished this gift for the blue-haired man about two days ago, and was pretty proud of the creation.

Pico was freaking out on what to get for the taller man for his birthday for weeks prior. He didn't have any money, or means to earn any. His parents weren't that generous, and he didn't have much to offer when it came to creating something.

He was pacing his room, tormented by the voices and shadows that curled into his sight and ears. He looked towards the box of records that he always kept in the corner next to his player on a little table. They were all used, of course, by himself. All of his records were precious to him, bought by either himself or grandparents that came over for the holidays. They were gone, now, sadly. Deceased. These records are all he has left of what he holds precious to him. They were his history, nostalgia, and hobby. Especially, his favorite bands that were the most worn from the sleeves tearing at the edges.

He didn't know if re-gifting an old record would even be considered a "gift" of sorts. Keith probably wouldn't be into the bands he likes. His tastes were rather "old-school," as his mother called it, or more like "shit-school" as his father did. He was certain that Keith would like something that was store-bought, but he barely had a dollar to his name. If he could, he would give the world to the older boy for his birthday present. He already is such a huge part of his own, and his world isn't big enough to be much of a gift.

What Pico had made for Keith may not be totally special at all. To his dismay, the blue boy may not even like the gift. However, Pico poured his entire being into this project. It may not be wonderful, or Keith may not even understand it, but to the ginger it was a piece of himself. To offer this was as much as the smaller male cutting out a chamber of his heart and wrapping it with his soul as paper.

The record that Pico held up to the light was from his most favorite band. "The Cure". This record was a vital part of who he is as a person, his most favorite album from them. It was a rather heavily used record, as it was littered with minor scratches from constant use, but the connection he had with it was binding.

A small smile lifted from his lips, as he looked fondly at the work he put into this gift.

Taking out a knife that he took from his kitchen and a lighter that he stole from his father, Pico slowly started to carve out intricate designs into the shiny black record. It was painstakingly tedious, as he had to keep heating the blade with the lighter every few seconds to keep the blade hot and able to pierce the lacquer without shattering it.

Also, there was another reason why he decided to choose this particular band as his canvas. He could have chosen any other old record. He could have scraped up enough change to go to the second-hand store to buy an old vinyl that no one cared about. Pico didn't want that. Keith deserved something much more special. Something that expressed how important to the ginger the blue boy was.

"The Cure" was not only Pico's favorite band, but the name held a meaning and the reason why he decided on this particular record. His delusions and hallucinations were getting worse at home, sadly. Pico would do his best to ignore them, but they were getting clever with their tactics. On multiple occasions he would stare at his bottles of medications and debate whether or not to take his pills. Every single time, he would toss them into the toilet. He couldn't give into their demands. He was scared that if he took them, he would lose that emotion he feels while around Keith. A piece of himself numbed away.

The only way he feels normal is around the taller boy. Keith was "His Cure." The cure to the visions of shadowed monsters that he sees. The cure to the voices that plagued him on a daily basis and prevented him from sleeping. The cure to his mental illnesses. Keith may not have been a true cure, but he was his medicine, which was enough for his whole world to revolve around the blue-haired male.

That was why he decided on this symbolic symbol to be his canvas. Keith may not understand, but as long as he accepted it with his usual smile, that was enough for Pico.

The ginger smiled softly, as he pulled the vinyl back down onto his bed that he sat on. The label on the front of the vinyl was still intact, as it clearly read the band and the album name "Disintegration." This album is a direct definition of Pico's current character. The band contradicted themselves with this title, but it means so much to the orange-haired male.

Pico has been disintegrating in the background ever since the incident at Columbine High. Everything about him has deteriorated, both body and mind. Yet, when Keith introduced himself on that faithful day, a cure was developed. It didn't matter that it was only a temporary solution to his overall problem. It didn't matter that it covered up his symptoms but not the problem itself. Keith was a drug. Like every drug or medication, a tolerance is built. Pico's tolerance was getting higher, and he needed more. He craved and desired it. Without it, he experienced withdrawal. As if the voices and visions were making up for lost time whenever Keith wasn't around.

He loved this album with all of his heart. It was a part of him, especially his childhood. He remembers lovingly playing that record and plugging in some over-sized headphones to his player and just sitting there cross-legged and listening to it. He would spend hours just sitting there and drawing or staring out his window and listening to the entire album from cover-to-cover. He just hoped that Keith would just accept it. The fear of the larger male tossing out his prized possession had a prickling pain to sprinkle over his chest at the thought. He knew that Keith would never do such a thing, especially in front of him, right?

A sigh left his lips at the record, dark thoughts already plaguing him as he tried to ignore the voices that insulted him. They kept telling him that "He'd hate it" and "He'll throw it away, just like he will do to you." While he was in the process of making it, those voices almost got to him a few times. One time, they actually succeeded.

Pico lifted his left hand, the light blue gloves removed from covering it. A deep cut graced his palm, from the curve of his thumb to the bottom of his pinky. He was in the middle of cutting a minor detail, so he had to keep his left hand close to hold the vinyl in place as he cut precisely. To his horror, a particularly loud voice shouted "Pathetic!" That made him jolt and the knife slipped as he sliced his palm open. Sadly, the blade was cooling, and didn't cauterize the wound upon the cut. He tried to keep himself from bleeding on the vinyl, but he did get a few drops on the label. They are stained into the print, he just hopes that Keith doesn't notice that.

He didn't have much in the means of cleaning the wound other than soap and water. He would wrap it in a piece of a torn shirt that doesn't fit him anymore, since his family didn't have any medical supplies around. He wouldn't dare ask his parents if they could spare a band-aid, let alone some Neosporin and wraps. The worst part was trying to hide it from Keith.

It wasn't difficult to notice that he had started to wear those blue gloves again. He couldn't put his injured hand into his pants pocket because it hurt so badly and he was scared that it would start bleeding again. The tall male was not stupid, and knew that it wasn't normal to be wearing gloves in the middle of spring. He has caught him glancing at them curiously before, but he never spoke about it. He was lucky.

He was so upset at himself for getting injured like that. He could only imagine what Keith would think. Would he find it disgusting that he bled all over his gift? Maybe he won't even like the present at all. Even though it was hard to imagine the endlessly caring blue boy to act like that, his imagination would skyrocket with malicious ideas. A few times, it brought him to tears while carving out the vinyl. Luckily, tears were easy to wipe clean from the record, blood was not.

The design was created from what he felt when he saw Keith. Nothing was written, but it was an abstract carving. It displayed an emotion of complete sadness and longing, but elation and attachment at the same time. Pico wasn't a very artistic person, but this design called out to him to create it. Especially for the man who has helped him in so many ways. The man who gave him hope and a reason to live again. If it wasn't for the blue-haired male in his life... No, he can't go back down that path again. He had to stick to the blessing that has taken over his happiness. It was all he had left.

Pico gave a small smile, as he turned his attention from his palm to the completed record artwork. He didn't have any wrapping paper, so his next best thing was actual pieces of school-lined paper. Being as careful as possible, he did his best to wrap the entire gift with a sprawl of loose-leaf paper and a ton of tape. The outside looked like a terrible mishmash of torn paper and tape. Looking at it disheartened the ginger, as he picked up the catastrophe. Hopefully, it was on the inside that mattered the most to Keith. The presentation was definitely lacking.

The ginger-clad male sighed sadly. His present was terrible looking. His parents may think it is trash and throw it away for him. A deep ache stung at his heart as the thought crossed his mind. Putting down the wrapped up mess, Pico glanced back at his sliced palm. Reaching with his right hand, he grabbed the light blue glove to pull back over the scratch. It still stung and throbbed whenever he shifted or moved his hand. It was sure to scar, and take a while to heal. He just hopped that Keith wouldn't think he is too weird for wearing them in a warmed home. It was already bad enough outside, since he had no real reason to wear them other than to hide something.

Pulling the other glove on to match, Pico glanced over at his digital clock on his bedside end-table. 12:49PM. It was almost routine for him to leave his home at exactly twelve fifty to get to Keith's home at exactly one in the afternoon on his Saturdays. For his luck, his parents hardly cared what happened to him over the weekends, as long as he stayed in school on the weekdays. His parents didn't even notice that he was gone on that weekend he spent the night at the blue-haired male's home. He came back the following afternoon without a word from his parents about his whereabouts. It was nice not to have his folks nagging about him all of the time. However, he was certain that if he were to die they probably wouldn't even notice him missing.

A harsh stab of pain lit up his chest at the thought. His parents wouldn't even care. Probably would be happier without him, actually. He never heard the end of it when his parents were required by CPS to provide mental healthcare to him. His father would curse at the bills they would receive, but they needed to in order to keep from being prosecuted for child abuse. What was worse is that Pico never complained about his condition, or exacerbated his symptoms in the slightest. He didn't want anyone else to deal with these burdens other than himself. If his parents knew of the true trauma he experienced on a daily basis, he was certain that they would make his life even worse. It was easier to just do the bare minimum and pretend like everything is completely fixed with the unhelpful therapy sessions he would receive on a monthly basis and medications he would never take.

The only person who may even notice him gone would be Keith. He is the only one who may be the smallest bit sad that he would be dead, at all. That was only the ginger's assumption, at least. Pico knew that if Keith ever would disappear from his life, there would be nothing left for him. The blue boy had no idea how much of his heart he had with him, it was so easy for him to do so much damage with very little effort. The ginger didn't realize before it was too late that he had already allowed his defenses to fall and Keith let himself right in.

"...He won't care..." The voices whispered in his ear. They were getting harder to ignore, especially when his mind wondered to the darkest feelings that lay beneath his heart.

Pico gasped, blinking a bit as his vision started to blur with the familiar feeling of tears. "Y-You're wrong...!" He spoke aloud. Pico couldn't help but to start this particular communication with the disembodied voice. He knew better than to engage with them, because it only made it worse, but he had to defend the blue-haired man. The scary chuckle of the voice echoed quietly in his ears. "H-He does care... He would n-never-..." The ginger tried to focus on the gift that he wrapped for the taller male, refusing to look up and possibly see the shadowed creatures as well.

"...Never care about you..."

The sting on his heart hurt far worse than the cut on his hand. Orange brows lifted, the laughter getting louder. He felt the tears start to roll down his face without the aid of blinking, as his eyes widened. Maybe Keith wouldn't ever care. Perhaps they were right. "N-No..." A sob broke through his throat, as he looked at the tears drop onto the gift that he wrapped. The loose-leaf paper doing little to repel the liquid invaders, as it left circular dark spots that were sure to crinkle or easily tear. "H-He w-wou-woudn't..." He sobbed aloud, trying to fight back those awful sounds that tormented him.

To his luck, a startling sound of ringing interrupted his conversation. Pico gasped sharply and nearly leaped from his seat, as the sound of vibrations echoed alongside the ringing. From where he sat, he could clearly see the screen light up with the picture he took of Keith while they were watching television. He was seated in his usual fashion, and not paying any attention to the devious acts of the ginger, as he secretly snapped a photo from where he sat. It was a great picture, and one that would have the smaller male starting at for a good amount of admiration for his skill in taking it without it being blurry.

Pico rushed to grab at his cellphone, forgetting about his injury and grabbing it with his left hand. A sharp hiss left his lips, as his thumb accidentally slid the accept while dropping it to his bed. "Sh-Shit...!" He cursed lightly, holding his palm and praying that it didn't start bleeding again. With the phone on its back, the screen was lit up and he could hear the other man on the line "Pico? Hey, are you there?" It was quiet, but still audible as the smaller man gasped lightly and scrambled to grab at it with his right hand this time.

"U-Uh... Keith?" He shakily answered, pulling the phone to his ear and trying to hide how his voice was wavering from the tears that still spilled from his eyes. Sniffling a little, he raised an arm to try and wipe them away as best as he could. "Pico!? What's wrong!? Are you crying!?" His phone blared the sound of a worried Keith on the other line, making him have to pull the phone away from his ears a bit to not get his drums blown out.

Just hearing the other's voice had that ache in his heart lift tremendously. "N-No... I'm not... I'm fine, Keith, really..." Just hearing the other's concern echo over the little device, brought that weight off of his mind and eased his worries. "I'm coming over!" Keith blurted, the ginger already hearing shuffling in the background of him possibly gathering his things to go outside. He could hear another, deeper, voice in the background say "Dude, calm down." Taking assumption that his other two friends have already arrived.

"No...! Keith. I'm fine... Please, don't come over... Not on your birthday party..." Pico started to internally panic, trying to diffuse the situation that was probably happening over at his house. His father would kill him if another boy were to come over and "pick him up" to take anywhere. It was already hard enough to hide his feelings for the other man, but he was good about doing so in front of his family. They didn't even know that Keith existed. "A-Are you sure? It's after one-thirty, and I didn't even see you outside! Is everything alright?!" Luckily, the shuffling stopped, but the worry was still present. Pico should have never told him where he lives. He fears one day that he would just show up, even though he has forced Keith to promise that he would never show up unannounced.

Pico took a hard look over at his clock, now reading 1:36PM in bright blue numbers. He wanted to hit himself on how foolish he was. He spent so much time debating with his voices that, today of all days, he was late to Keith's birthday party. And not only that, but his eighteenth one. "Y-Yeah, I'm sure... Oh, Keith... I'm so sorry...!" He felt so stupid, trying to come up with an excuse. "I-I'll be on my way... I couldn't, uh... F-Find my other shoe, a-and... I did actually find it just now..." He mumbled away, almost hearing the disbelief from over the line. "I-If you say so... Please be careful, ok?"

The smallest of smiles etched onto his face at the caring sound from across the phone. "O-Ok, I will, Keith... Thank you." Pico had to place his injured hand over his chest to help calm his racing heart. The older boy would always do that to him whenever he spoke any caring words. That alone would help erase those nasty thoughts that would plague him from the voices. "I'll be keeping an eye out for you, ok?" He stated quietly, but the sound was still laced with trepidation.

Pico lightly giggled a bit to help alleviate the ache in the air between the call. "Th-Thank you, Keith... I'll see you soon..." The ginger waited for the "See you, Man." before clicking the 'hang up' icon on the screen. Pearl irises gazed longingly at the picture on his phone of the older boy. That sprinkling admiration took over him for a brief moment before his phone decided to turn off the display from non-usage. Another sigh, filled his empty room. He could hear the sounds coming back in to haunt him once again, as they were frightened away by that amazing voice over his phone.

Looking back at his sorry excuse for a gift, Pico grabbed it gently, before walking out of the door to an anxiously awaiting birthday boy.

~ O ~

Pico took that foreboding, yet familiar path that he always takes on Saturdays. He didn't even need to look where he is going, as his gaze locked onto the sidewalk ignoring the shadows tendrils that leached into his vision, as best as he could. Keith's present was pressed against his chest, locked by his arms crossing over them for protection. The feeling of the thin paper and tape kept him more grounded to reality, as he tried to will away the voices telling him to turn back.

He kept strong onto his path, making sure to keep his gait quick. The faster he gets to the blue boys home, the sooner he could get rid of those awful delusions. Gripping his gift against him more, Pico made his familiar turn towards the cobblestone walkway of his sanctuary.

He was so focused on the ground and counting the little pebbles in his path that he ran into something tall and hard, halting him immediately as a sharp gasp left his lungs. The scent of that familiar Axe body spray filled his nose upon that breath, covering up that 'male' musk. His face was pressed against a clothed chest, white clouding his sight as those shadows and voices dissipated rapidly upon contact. Looking more carefully, he could see that familiar red circle with a line diagonally across it. A strong pair of arms wrapped around his body, pulling him closer. Leaning his head back, Pico looked up and blinked a bit at what he hit and was greeted with that blinding smile and sparkling emerald irises looking down at him. "Hey there...! Saw you coming. I told you I'd be on the lookout."

His arms were trapped between them, still holding onto his present trying to hide it from the other's view. Pico curled his arms closer to him, being careful not to bend or break the gift, as his shoulders rose with a bleeding blush that crept over his nose and onto his cheeks. "H-Hey, Keith... I-I'm sorry I'm so late..." The deep rumble of his voice echoed quietly out of him in shame, eyes glancing to the side. He didn't mean to make the other worry, especially on such a special day.

He felt the older boy squeeze him a little tighter, all of the reassurance felt through that motion alone. "It's alright, Dude!" Keith quieted a little with the following, "...Are you ok?" Making pearls lock onto those concerned emeralds before they darted down to the symbol on his shirt for a distraction. He should have known that the blue-haired male would still have that on his mind after the freak-out on the phone. He could feel those caring jades staring at him, looking for any signs of distress.

"Y-Yeah..." Was all he could muster, thinking back at that conversation between himself and his demons. His shoulders rose higher, trying to hide himself from the other man as best as he could. Keith's silence in return was deafening, as he gave a glance up to see his reaction. All he saw was those raised dark brows curved up in concern. A frown that did not match his character decorating his handsome face. Pico swallowed thickly, lowering his shoulders in bravery and forcing a small smile. "I-I'm fine, Keith. Really..." He hated to see him upset on his birthday. The least he could do was play the part in making him happy.

Keith did a once over, making sure to look as carefully as possible. Pico wasn't very good at lying, and it seemed that he was doing so again. He wishes that he did a video chat instead of just calling him. He has heard the other male cry twice, and his voice has a particular ring to it when he is upset. It was a deep and resonating rumble, enough to send a sharp chill down one's spine. It always brought a stinging pain in his chest at the sound of it, and that pain was felt when he spoke to him over the phone earlier that day. Pico was crying. He was upset at something, and he wanted to make sure that whatever it was, he would be there for him. His promise stands by as long as he breathes.

The taller male gave a small sigh, allowing the ginger to lead him astray once again. Pulling him in closer as a comforting gesture, he placed his chin on top of those gelled locks. "Remember, I'll always be here for you, Pico... I keep my promises..." Keith heard a light intake of breath come from the man in his arms, as he relaxed further in his hold. It brought a smile to his face to hold the other male so close. His heart raced with happiness, never wanting to let go.

Keith felt the smaller ginger shift slightly, making him lessen his hold a bit more. Pulling back just enough to see those incredibly beautiful eyes look up at him. He swore he saw a spectrum of colors in those pearl irises from the sunlight. That familiar stab shot through his heart at the sight. It took his breath away in a small gasp that made him hold his breath. What made it all the better was that genuine smile that lifted the light in that glittering gaze. He could get happily lost in those eyes for hours.

"Yo, you guys gonna make-out or what?! What the hell y'all doin' out there for so long?!"

A loud yell interrupted their connection, forcing a flush to cross over his face as red as his hat. Keith saw Pico also blush brightly under those adorable freckles, both their eyes widened nearly at the same time. The ginger was first to pull away, with the further assistance as Keith let go of him as if he was burnt. The smaller of the two sunk his head in his shoulders, those incredible eyes darting over to his lower left. A fit of annoyance curled in his chest, as the taller of the pair turned to face his best friend of a decade.

They were a couple of yards away, and the older boy was glad that he was blocking Darnell from seeing his ginger in his embarrassment. Turning fully around, Keith pressed himself back to aid in that venture of hiding the other from the dark-haired man's view. He could feel Pico press his head into the middle of his back, forcing his blush to darken further. "D-Dude! What the hell!? I-I'm just making sure he's alright!" He busted out, trying his best to will away his flush.

Darnell leaned against the open doorway to his home, a smirk crossing his face. Cherry couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it and spilled the details on their talk in the cafeteria the previous day. He kept that info to himself, of course. Keith would never forgive them if he blurted out that secret, especially in the presence of the lonely ginger. He just couldn't grasp what the blue boy saw in that weirdo. It was a promise that he swore to keep for Cherry's sake. He was sure that it would tear their birthday boy in two if his secret was spilled to the wrong person. "Heh, just kiddin' ya, Man. The party is in here, Dude! You said you were gonna play Rock Band when Pico got here, right?"

"O-Of course, Man! I-If you wanna play so badly, you know how to turn on the PlayStation, don't you? I'll be there in a minute! Sheesh..." Keith brushed off, watching the tallest of the group give a hearty laugh, before turning back into the house, leaving them alone. Once he was certain that Darnell wasn't going to interrupt him again, the older boy turned back around to a frowning ginger. Their moment of peace eradicated. "S-Sorry about that... He's such an asshole. Don't listen to him." He tried to comfort, lifting his hands to the others biceps to hold onto gently.

Pico gave a glance back up to those, now, dulled emeralds before darting down to the symbol on his shirt. "I-It's ok..." The feeling of the other man touching him, brought a small sense of relief as he lowered his shoulders a bit to express his bravery a little. The grip on his gift loosened a little, hoping that it wasn't damaged from their earlier hug. He had to be strong, today wasn't a day to be moping around his savior. Forcing the smallest of smiles on his face, he gave a sterner look up with confidence. "N-No need to apologize, Keith..."

Keith gave a lopsided smile at the show of the ginger-boy's bravery. He has came very far in coming out of his shell and it had his chest swell with pride when he looked up at him without a waning sense of worry. A light giggle left the taller male's lips at the feeling, and couldn't help but to lightly squeeze the others arms in response. "Ready to go in?" He offered, already stepping to the side to reluctantly let go of the other man.

Without another word, Keith lead the way, as he heard the smaller male trail behind him as they entered the doorway. The taller male kicked off his shoes without the aid of his hands, and shoved them lazily onto the side where the rest of his families were. As if it was instinctual, he spoke out "are you hungry? Did you eat today?" without much reason as to why he asked. Keith wanted to facepalm himself for asking, he didn't mean to blurt that out, it has become a habit.

Following the taller male's protocol, Pico took off his own worn red sneakers and placed them neatly on the rack near the door. The same phrase that Keith would always say when he entered his home brought a familiar feeling to grace his heart. Normally, it would be the entrance to his paradise that would help ease his mind of the demons that plagued him. Ever since the blue boy met him outside, those creatures and voices were repelled well in advanced this time. The familiarity of the entry, brought a small smile to grace his lips. "A-Actually..." He started, deciding to change up the pace this time. "I am a little hungry... I didn't eat anything today, yet..."

Keith blinked at the different response, eyes darting to those perfect pearls in near shock. Normally, he would deny and refusal to eat, saying that he wasn't hungry or something similar. He actually had a rebuttal that he was planning on using that is now stuck in his throat. "U-Uh..." He had to think of something quickly, clearing his throat to help him conjure up a proper reply. "Oh, um... Th-That's great! My mom bought some pizza and donuts for us if you're hungry!" He stated rather excitedly, happy to see that Pico was willing to eat while his friends were over this time. "A-And I also got your favorite chips! The spicy nacho ones like last time!"

The smaller male gasped, as a light blush covered his nose, darting his gaze down to the side. He was surprised that Keith remembered how much he enjoyed those during the sleepover. It was like he was keeping a checklist of all of his favorite things in his mind. "I also got you that mint sweet tea that you liked so much!" Pico's flush spread to his cheeks at the attention, looking up at the taller male with a small smile in appreciation. His shoulders lifted in a bashful nature, the gift for the other held attentively in his grasp.

"Thanks, Keith..." A deep chuckle emitted from his lips at the caring cyan-haired man in front of him. "I'll get some in a moment..." His gloved hands lifted the hastily wrapped present he held away from his chest and looked down at it, his smile faltering a bit. "U-Um... This is for... Um..." he started, unsure if he should place Keith's gift somewhere special. Hearing a light gasp, pearl irises sharply looked up at shocked emeralds.

"Is that for me? Aw, Dude, you didn't have to get me anything!" Keith happily chirped, placing a hand over his own heart in astonishment. Pico's smile returned at seeing the brightness that emitted from the older male. The ginger could see the bashfulness bleeding from the other, as the flush crept back across his cheeks. That familiar pose of his hand rushing up to the back of his neck.

Pico raised his shoulders shyly, and pushed out the taped up present towards the other. "I-I wanted to..." The smaller of the two saw Keith lower his stance and graciously take the circular gift. He noticed how cautious he was being in handling it, almost like it was the most precious thing he owned. The ginger felt rather exposed as the cyan-haired male held it in his view as he rolled his fingertips over the taped paper. He probably thought it was such a terrible looking gift, and it made Pico fidget in place a little at silently being judged.

Locking his greens to pearls, Keith gave a sincere smile down at his ginger. "Thank you so much, Pico." His heart thudded loudly in his chest, completely honored that he would even receive anything at all. The smaller male attending to his party was enough of a gift for him, let alone the fact that he brought something with him. He was certain that it would be his favorite out of the rest, no matter what it is. Just looking at the way the lined paper was taped across it shown a sense that it was handmade. He knew that the ginger didn't have much to his name based off of bits of information he could squeeze out of him during their nightly chats. "I'll put it with the rest of the gifts, ok?"

Pico lightly trailed Keith as they entered the living room, the smaller pausing at the doorway as the larger went to the coffee table. The room was shifted around a bit for accommodating the instruments that were now splayed between the loveseat and the sofa. The coffee table was now placed next to the television, and had other presents placed on top of it.

The instruments that were displayed were a drum set, four distinctive colors on each pad with a kick-pad and seat placed underneath and in front of it. A stratocaster guitar was on a stand next to the drums. It was simplistic, as it pertained two sets of five colored buttons on the neck, one set near the top and the other near the bottom. A protruding strum-bar on the base, decorated with stickers for show. The last thing displayed was a microphone on a stand, its long wire flowing down to the floor and connecting to the PlayStation four that was placed under the television on the glass entertainment center. On the television itself, the game seemed to already be on, as the title screen shown off a distinctive logo of "Rock Band 4" with cheering crowds echoing in the background.

Darnell and Cherry sat on opposite ends of the sofa, the male playing on his phone with one hand, and twirling a drumstick in the other. The brown-haired female waited patiently, also on her phone but glanced up, giving a light wave to the ginger who stood in the doorway in greeting. Pico shifted his shoulders up a bit a small tilt of his lips in a smile, and gave a light nod her way, as his gaze darted back to Keith. He saw him place his present down as gently as he could on top of the table, making sure to lean it against one of the other presents to make sure that nothing disturbs it.

Inadequacy immediately took over his body, as Pico looked upon the other presents that were displayed. Colorful wrapping paper and bows adorned the much nicer looking gifts already on the table. In comparison to his own hastily put together one, his looked like a crumpled up piece of trash, like it wasn't supposed to be among the others. The ginger couldn't prevent himself from raising a gloved hand to his left shoulder out of complete anxiety. Dread filled his heart, as he had to look away, shame clouding his thoughts. His gaze dropped to the floor, his right hand clenching at his cotton green short-sleeved shirt over his scar. He should have never even come to this party, it made him feel like he was sabotaging Keith's birthday with his presence alone.

The blue boy smiled softly, making sure that Pico's gift would be preserved properly and that no one would disturb the little pile he had. Turning his attention back to his guests, his smile faltered at seeing his ginger still in the doorway to the room. He knew of that nervous stance very well at this point, already making a beeline towards the other to help alleviate any anxiety he could. He didn't hear any of his friends say anything, slightly confused as to what could have made him so upset.

Pico felt his chest constrict almost painfully. He felt like an outsider, he shouldn't be here to ruin Keith's party. The jolt of a hand touching his right shoulder knocked him back to reality sharply, a shocked gasp filling his lungs. The ginger looked up at the concerned gaze of worried emeralds, a light frown that didn't match the man it was on. "...Is everything ok...?" He heard the taller male mumble quietly, making sure to be subtle and not bring any attention to them from the others in the same room.

Looking back down, needing to avoid that intense stare of the blue boy. It almost made him feel important. "I-I... Maybe I sh-should go..." A sharp gasp, made him glance back up at a look of complete dejection and shock. So much so that it even made Keith let go of his shoulder as if his hand was scorched. It sent a sharp pain shooting to his heart at such a sight. He didn't think that it would create such a reaction. He was sure that Keith would, in fact, be happy that he wouldn't be tainting his home with his presence. Especially, when his other two friends, whom he has known for much longer, were around.

The birthday boy took a glance back at his two friends, thankfully they were distracted by their phones, but sadly it gave the ginger the opportunity to back up towards the front door. "W-Wait...!" He begged, following in suite to prevent the other from escaping so quickly. "...Wh-What's wrong...!?" Keith asked, quietly, the sound of his voice making the other nearly flinch at the pain he emitted. The older male could feel one of his other friends give a glance up in concern at his back. He was glad that Pico wasn't in their line of sight as the wall was blocking them for the most part.

Keith could feel the prickling of tears sting at his eyes, not understanding what could have happened in such a short time to make the other act this way. His heart raced, as if he was bleeding out, and couldn't stop it. The drain of color from his face was felt, as he tried to keep him from darting away so quickly. "I-I'll do whatever, j-just please don't go...!" He spilled his heart out, trying to keep from breaking into tears. "Y-You said you were hungry, right...? I-I-I'll get you something... a-anything...!" He didn't mean to sound so desperate, but in actuality, he was. Pico was the reason for him to enjoy his birthday party. If he left, so would his happiness go out the door with him.

Pico blinked up with complete surprise at the other male. He didn't expect Keith to beg him to stay like this. He was nearly speechless. "U-Um..." He tried, giving a glance to his lower right to avoid the desperation that shot his way. It looked like he was about to cry, and that stung much worse than any pain he has felt before. Just like the day before when Keith broke down onto his shoulder. He feared that it may occur again. He felt so selfish as guilt tugged at his heartstrings.

It was more difficult to notice, but not impossible, as Pico felt his gloved hand that was gripped onto his shirt was detached without his consent. Pearl irises jolted up to look at glossy greens, taking a moment to look down at his own palm wrapped securely in both of Keith's. "P-Please... I'll do anything... Just... P-Please, don't leave me..." That voice sounded broken, shuddered lightly by the threatening sound of sobbing that would claim him within a snap. Those same words echoed back at the ginger, the air taken from his lungs at the agony that left the blue boy. It was spoken so quietly, the only sound in the background was the cheering of crowds from the game on the television that almost overrode the voice.

Pico made a promise yesterday to Keith. On his birthday, no less. How could he go back on that promise so quickly when it was just made? "Oh, Keith..." He whispered softly, that echoing pain striking through his chest at such a plea. He couldn't believe how selfish he is. To make the blue boy feel such a way at his birthday party? He looked like he was going to burst into tears, and it was all of the ginger's fault. "I-I won't...! I won't go...! I-I'm sorry..." He tried to reconcile. "I promise I'll stay..."

Those glittering emeralds widened, feeling him squeeze gently onto his hand in response. "Y-You will...?!" He asked with a strong sense of uncertainty that made another sharp pain echo in the ginger's chest. It forced the smaller male to give a firm nod in approval, a sound to match that left his throat. A happy intake of breath filled the air between them, as a smile lit up his face, those glossy jades shining brighter.

Pico felt himself blush at the feeling of Keith releasing his right hand from his own to wrap around his back and yanking him into a tight embrace. His other hand pulled the gloved one to the taller males chest holding it in place against his racing heart that was barely felt through the fabric. Pico could hardly prepare himself as he was scrunched against the older boy. He turned his head to rest it on Keith's right collarbone, locking his gaze onto their conjoined hands against his heart. He felt the others cheek rest on his head, cuddling himself closer in relief. "Thank you, Pico..."

That feeling hit them like a freight train all over again. A genuine smile crossed his freckled face at the feeling of the other man around him. He truly wanted him here. His heart flipped in his chest at that familiarity. This wasn't a figment of his imagination; Keith truly did care. That longing feeling returned with a vengeance, as Pico curled his fingers in the white shirt it was against, wrinkling the symbol on it. A soft sigh left his body in relaxation, just enjoying the moment between them. Inhaling that amazing scent of his secretly favorite brand of cologne.

"Ay, lovebirds, we gonna play or what?!" Of course something had to interrupt them.

Pico felt Keith jerk his hold on him, pressing him even closer as if to protect him. A deep growl rumbled from the older boys chest, making a slight swirl of heat to drop to the pit of his stomach in response. The ginger scrunched his eyes shut, trying his best to ignore the raging blush that threatened to make him pass out. He felt the other man lift his cheek from his head and shifted himself to look back. "Dar-nell!" He shouted angrily, already taking the guess that his own face matched his own freckled one in color. "J-Just go and pick a song, will ya!? Jesus..." Keith shouted, just before mumbling quietly and turning his attention back to the man in his arms.

Pico heard his chest expand with a sigh that he was pressed against, opening his eyes to look up. Keith kept his hand against his heart as the ginger pulled away just enough to get a good view of the beat red boy. They both gave a small smile to each other, before the older boy finally released his hand from his own gloved one. Pico hesitated slightly at letting go as quickly, rolling his hand down his chest a few inches before pulling away completely. "Go get something to eat, ok?" The blue boy asked softly, finally releasing the other man from the hug he had. "Mom said that we can eat in the living room today." Keith encouraged.

Glancing down at the symbol on his shirt before jumping back to cleared and happy forest-green eyes, Pico smiled softly. "Ok..." Not that he needed to know, since they always were degenerates when it came to that rule. They always ate in the living room together when his parents weren't looking. Now that it was established that it was lifted for this day, it brought a tang of elation to rush through his core.

"Yo, Keith, how about this one, Man?" Darnell shouted back, the sound of a song from "The All-American Rejects" came on through the television. It was one that Pico had heard before, it seemed that Keith had great taste in music.

Sighing loudly, Keith dropped his shoulder and finally turned his attention to the other two. "Yeah that sounds fine, Dude!" He walked in toward them, already prepared. Darnell at the drums and Cherry at the guitar, all they needed was their singer.

Pico peeked around the corner, watching them all get prepared to play the song of their choosing. Keith grabbed at the microphone from the stand, as Darnell jabbed the stick down onto the green note pad to choose the song "Dirty Little Secret." Keeping his promise, the ginger quietly made his way behind the couches towards the kitchen. On the counter laid out a tray of snacks for the guests to eat. It seemed that everyone already had their share, as half of it was gone.

The song started to play in the background, but it was the vocals that had Pico pause and turn his gaze to the birthday boy. He had never heard Keith sing before. It sounded like a part of heaven was opening up and shown a light on the blue-haired male as he sung. Pico had never heard anything so beautiful in his life. It pulled him away from the kitchen like a magnet, as he approached the back of the loveseat. His pearl gaze stared nearly unblinking at the trio playing the song, mostly focused on the incredible voice that sung out the lyrics in a mesmerizing fashion.

Keith was very animated with his role-play as a singer, rolling his microphone from his hands and playing with the cable. He barely needed to look at the screen, as he perfectly played the song on an expert level. His voice was pitch perfect, as he sung the lyrics without the aid of the games audio. Pico had to place his hands on the top of the sofa to keep stable, as he stared on in bewilderment.

Cherry took an unnoticed glance over at the orange-haired male, and smiled taking a step back out of the gaze of the other. She didn't want to interrupt Pico's concentration. She knew that Keith had an amazing voice, but it probably sounded like the greatest thing in the world to the ginger. It wasn't hard to tell that he held an admiration for the other, especially when he was entranced by the birthday boy's singing.

By the time the song was over, Pico had his head resting on his crossed arms. He was rather short, so he barely needed to lean over to rest completely on the back of the sofa. A locked smile adorned his face, as he blinked his lidded gaze over to the taller cyan male. He saw the other cheer, "Hell yeah! Five stars, baby, woo!" As Keith leaned over to fist bump Darnell and give a high five to Cherry. It took a small glance from white to green to see a nervous blush stain both of their faces. Mostly on Pico for getting caught.

The ginger stood up straight, fumbling to prevent himself from being seen with such a longing look on him any further. Both boys did their usual nervous stances, the blue boy speaking up. "N-No autographs please, ha!" He smiled softly, making the flush on those freckles brighten further. Turning his attention to Cherry, he quickly placed his microphone back. "Pick the next song, GF. I'll be right back." The brown-haired girl nodded in approval, as she started to strum down the selection list.

Keith jogged over to the ginger from across the loveseat. "Did you get something to eat, yet? I can microwave the pizza if it's cold." He offered, trying to ignore the way those Pearl irises started at him while he sang. It brought a deep feeling of pleasure to grip his heart. Leaning his tall self over, he flanked both of his hands on either side the others that were still gripped on the back of the sofa, nearly getting at eye-level with the ginger..

Pico swallowed thickly, looking everywhere else other than those incredible emeralds as they only offered concern. "N-Not yet..." The smaller male bit his tongue to keep that fluttering feeling in his stomach at bay, managing to look up at those soft jades. "Y-Your... Your voice is..." His shoulders rose, trying to keep himself from spouting a forbidden word from his lips. "A-Amazing...!" Was all he could say in astonishment. His brain could hardly come up with any other forms of vocabulary that wouldn't sound weirdly romantic. Although, his heart thudded with that concept happily, he dare not say it out-loud.

The birthday boy's eyes widened slightly, leaning back a bit in shock, a shy smile adorning his features. A light chuckle broke the air between them. "Thanks, Dude." The older male broke out in a light blush that stained his face. Keith had to shy away from the attention, as he leaned back and walked around the loveseat to stand next to the smaller man. "I-I'm thirsty, lets go get something while they pick out a song." He started, already walking towards the kitchen. He could feel the ginger follow him closely as he tried to keep his attention to getting a beverage from the fridge.

Pulling open the refrigerator, Keith leaned down, before leaning back up to look over at his two friends. "You guys want anything?" He asked, leaning back down to grab at the saved mint sweet tea that he specifically had for Pico first. He heard a male's voice ring out "Soda!" and then a female's say "Juice!" Keith smiled, as he pulled away with his own Pepsi and turned to face the ginger-boy. "Here. Just like I told ya." He chuckled quietly, watching those gloved hands grasp at the cold bottle with a shy grin up at him. Taking a moment to admire the look of joy that spread across those pearl irises, Keith leaned back down to grab at a CapriSun and shouted over to Cherry, "Heads up, GF!" as he tossed the pouch over to her. She caught it with minimal effort. Finishing, he grabbed at another Pepsi and pulled back using his hips to shut the fridge door.

Pico's shoulders raised lightly, holding the drink close to himself as they locked gazed for a brief moment. The older male smiled wider, making the younger blush and look away. Keith tossed one of the sodas under his arm against him, as he reached over the ginger, leaning into the other. Pico blinked, looking at that arm that reached above his shoulder, he cursed at his shortness. When the older pulled back, he saw a glazed doughnut gripped into his hand. Keith leaned to take a bite of the circular sweet, but instead of biting down, he used it as leverage to split it in two. Holding one half in his mouth, he offered the other to the surprised ginger. The smaller boy blinked at the offered treat, looking back up at those generous emeralds.

Keith's eyes widened at the other boy. He did not expect him to lean up to grip the other half of his doughnut into his mouth. That sharp heat ignited his stomach for a brief moment, making his mouth nearly gape. He hardly noticed his own delectable sweet drop from his own mouth in amazement, as he couldn't tear his gaze away from the way those lips gripped so close to his fingers. He flinched his fingers off of it before he would do something that he regretted. By the time he noticed that he dropped his own piece, it was already halfway to the ground.

Pico sharply gasped through his nose at witnessing the other half drop abruptly. He was lucky that he was shorter, as he reached out his free hand to catch the torn treat before it hit the ground. Smiling through the snack, he held up the doughnut piece to the other man. Keith's hand was still stuck in mid-air from shock, but he paid it no mind as he offered the rescued delectable.

The taller male blinked in astonishment at the feat of the act, and locked his gaze onto the fallen half. He knew that his face was as red as the fires of hell, but he still tried to play off the stirring heat that started to pool into his gut. A light chuckled left him, as he smiled back and leaned down to grip his teeth onto the piece again. He never thought that doughnuts tasted so incredible before this one, for some reason.

The ginger gripped his own side and took a solid bite, smiling up at the older male. With a light swallow, he gave a low chuckle of his own. "Thanks, Keith..." A bit of pink decorating under his freckles at the reaction. Pico wasn't a huge advocate of sweets, but this was an exception. He knew that doughnuts were Keith's favorite from their nightly talks. He'd sure be disappointed if any of it were to go to waste, especially when he was offering half of his.

Keith could feel saliva build in his mouth, forcing him to take a bite as well to help quell the urge his body held and to keep from drooling. This particular bite was savory at the least, making it all the more tastier as his gaze was still locked onto those beautiful pearls. God, he hopes he doesn't develop an odd fetish for his most favorite food now. A dark blush stained his face, having to glance away when an irritated voice rang up "Yo, Man, my soda's getting warm. Get your ass over here!"

He was lucky for the distraction at least. "Y-Yeah-yeah, I'm comin'!" He gave a final glance at his ginger, before trudging off to the rest of the band.

Pico watched as the older male walked slowly back to the rest of the group, and gnawed away at his doughnut piece as he turned to grab a paper plate reading "Happy Birthday" in bright bold letters. It wasn't much, since he wasn't hungry, but he did it for Keith. He knew how much it made the other boy happy when he was eating, now fully sure that he was fattening him up on purpose. Pico didn't mind it, however. Grabbing one small slice of non-thin-sliced pepperoni pizza, he gathered a few pieces of his favorite chips. Only about six large triangles to help staple the idea that this was as much as he was going to eat for the rest of the day before he was too full.

Walking back, he heard the band begin another song, as he seated himself in his usual spot on the loveseat. Placing the bottle down next to him on the sofa, thanking God that it was a sealed bottle, he crossed his legs to help rest the plate onto. Getting comfortable, Pico easily settled into the rhythm of the song "The Rock Show" by "Blink-182" another good hit song that he knew.

Pico slowly ate his food, taking the time to admire the incredible voice of the birthday boy as he sung the song with extreme accuracy and flow. Not a stutter or hitch in his vocals, all perfectly pitched and sounded extraordinarily beautiful in the gingers ears. It was even better now that he was paying attention and the blue boy was aware of it. He would notice that Keith would give glances and winks his way whenever a particular lyric or phrase would pass through his lips. That animating body flowing perfectly as if he was dancing to the music around him.

Pico sighed softly, completely enamored by the performance.

~ O ~

A few songs in, and Pico was halfway finished with his pizza and only ate two out of the six chips and he was already feeling full. The thicker slice of the pizza was definitely harder on his stomach than the thin-sliced he had all of those months ago. He just hopes that this will be enough to satisfy the birthday boy.

"I'm taking a break, guys~. My fingers are getting tired." Cherry piped up, removing the strap from the guitar she was holding around her. Placing it down back on the stand where it belonged, just before turning off her character to prevent them from failing a song. She heard the two boys pout slightly, just before Keith snatched at the spare instrument. She placed herself back onto the three-seated sofa in the same spot as before, snatching at her phone to catch up on what she missed out on.

"Pico, do you wanna play?!" He nearly shouted excitedly, already prancing over to the seated orange-haired male.

The said boy visibly fidgeted, a wave of nervousness rolling over his body at the offer. "I-I... Um..." He tried to stray from the sudden attention sprung upon him. "I-I'm not... Uh... I don't know... H-How to play..." Even though he just watched them all play, his attention was solely focused on the lightning-blue haired singer for the most part. He didn't pay any attention to the drums or guitarist to learn how the mechanics functioned. He glanced behind the blue boy to see Darnell roll his eyes, probably irritated that Keith would offer the guitar to anyone who would ruin his drum-play to get a good score. That feeling of insecurity crossed his mind at the thought, and he nervously looked back at those caring emeralds.

"It's ok! I'll teach you!" The birthday boy chirped encouragingly. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Keith asked sincerely, offering the neck of the guitar for him to take. When he didn't move an inch, the saddened frown adorned his face disrupting his happy-go-lucky facade. "Would you do it for me?" A small pout making the ginger-boy struggle internally. He was using the guilt tactics again. The same ones that he used to convince him to walk to and from school together.

A huff left the smaller male, having no choice but to accept his fate now. "A-Alright..." Pico saw that face immediately brighten up at the acceptance, a wide smile lighting up his sparkling emerald eyes. It brought a ting of pleasure to shoot at his heart at the sight. Pulling his half-full plate to the side, he put it on the sofa, hoping that it wouldn't spill, and got up to grab at the neck of the guitar just underneath the other boys hand.

"Which hand do you want to use as your dominant this time?" Keith asked, earning a weird stare from Darnell, as he leaned into his drums-set. The look had Pico's shoulders shift up nervously, as he stood to face the blue-haired male, holding the instrument curiously. He was glad that he was ambidextrous, as if he was right-handed he would need to use his left to mess with the buttons on the guitar, and that wouldn't fair well with his injury. However, he was more accurate while left handed when it came to hand-eye coordination. He wasn't certain if he could accurately hit the buttons correctly if he went left-handed first. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint the birthday boy by messing up a song.

"I think I'll use my... um... right hand to strum..." Grabbing the strap, he placed it over his shoulder to rest on his left, as he held the guitar curiously. Looking at the decorations of stickers that adorned the base, he felt like he would break it if it was messed with too much. Gasping lightly, he felt Keith grip onto his injured hand gently and moved it in place on the neck of the guitar, while his other held onto his right to place at the strum-bar.

"These five buttons up top are what you need to hold down when you see a note come up on the screen. When you press down on a note, you will see it light up on the bar at the bottom of your row." Keith explained, using his own hand to press Pico's finger against the first green button. "Then you strum while you are holding down the button." Using his other hand, he held onto the gingers and forced it to tap down onto the strum-bar. "That's it. And you can strum up too. Also, you can use these buttons at the bottom of the guitar neck in the same way. They are mostly used for kids or solos in the game, but that's up to you." He finished his explanation, hoping that it was adequate enough. "I'll have you put on easy mode for your first try. It is only using the first three buttons, so don't worry about the blue or orange colored notes, they don't exist on that mode."

It was intimidating, but he was willing to give it a try, as long as it made the other man happy. He tried his best to understand how the game functioned, wishing he paid more attention to how Cherry did it so that he wouldn't fail miserably. "O-Okay..." He accentuated, gripping his shaky hands onto the guitar. He hoped that he didn't mess up.

Keith smiled softly, leaving the ginger to figure out how he wants to play. Going back to his controller, he started to search through the song lists. Rolling over a particular song as it played out a piece of the chorus, Cherry nearly bounced in her seat "Oh my God! I didn't know you had that song!" She placed her phone down, and leaned in to see closer on the television.

The blue-haired male paused, turning to look at the brown-haired girl in question. "Which one?" He asked, going back up to see which one she was referring too. "This one?" He paused, letting it sit on "Your Love" by "The Outfield." Looking back, blue eyes lit up happily, answering his question in an instant.

"Yes~! Oh my god, I used to love that song~! It's at the bottom of your list! I didn't know you had that!" It made sense, as it was in alphabetical order and it was one of the last songs listed.

Keith smiled, looking over at his two band-mates. "Is everyone else ok with that?" He asked aloud, hearing a "meh" from Darnell nearly immediately, the ginger staying quiet. Giving a look over, he made sure that Pico was comfortable with playing that song. It was only a two star difficulty song, overall. The most difficult part was singing, as it was four out of five in rating. The guitar was the next step down, as it was three.

Green locked onto white for a brief moment, as the orange-haired male turned his gaze back down to his guitar nervously and nodded in approval. Keith smiled softly at the show sheepish nature of the smaller boy. He may have a difficult time with this song, but he was confident that Pico would be ok.

Keith pressed "X" on the controller to choose the song and kept his difficulty on "Expert" as so did Darnell. When both of them approved, he turned his attention towards the ball of nerves to his left. "The green button is to accept, and red is to go back. Use the strum bar to go up to easy." Keith instructed, glancing between the ginger and the television to make sure that he didn't accidentally choose a harder difficulty.

Being slow and cautious, pearl irises looked at his left hand as they were placed accordingly with the three colored keys that Keith instructed him on. Looking up at the television, then back to his controls, he noticed that his selection was still open and had the option to choose guitar or bass. Going for the more obvious choice, he chose guitar and pressed the green key, a sound played on the screen from his action. The ginger glanced back down at his guitar and then back at the screen once again, now the options of difficulty were visible. His was automatically over what was last played at "Hard." Looking at the strum-bar, he gave it a flick up, hearing a sound from the television of a plucked string, noticing the selection hovering over medium. Taking another strum up, it hovered over easy now. Pausing his movements, he stared at his left hand on the notes and made sure to select green in approval.

The song began since he was the last one to choose, and a wave of panic started to rise from him as the screen filled with bars. He made an assumption that the bar on his side of the television was the one he was supposed to be looking at, and the other on the right was for Darnell's drums. It still didn't help the anxiety as he saw notes starting to approach the bar at the bottom of the screen for his lane already, it seemed that he was the starting gate for this song. Pico had never heard of this song before, which was another string of worry that came across his body.

It wasn't difficult, but the panic of the sudden attention had him messing up at the beginning. He could hear the offbeat guitar sounds fill the room, as the notes passed by his bar, only able to hit a few of them. His left hand started to hurt, the cut on his palm aching and preventing him from accurately hitting the notes as well. "Dude, we haven't even started and you're already messing up" He heard Darnell chime in as the lyrics began and Keith started his part.

Pico could hear the crowd on the television start to boo them already, as the panic got to him. His shoulders rose, as he couldn't focus on the notes on screen. Even Keith's amazing voice wasn't enough to draw him back to reality, as he shut his eyes to prepare for the failure of the song.

The feeling of a firm chest pressed against his back, arms wrapping around him. Hands curled around his own gloved ones in encouragement. The hand around his strummed perfectly, forcing his own do to the same. The one on the neck of the guitar nearly intertwined with his own as they played the notes. An angelic voice sang in his ears "I just want to use your love, toniiiiight~!" The sound leaving Pico breathless. The briefest of pauses that gave him a moment to blink his gaze open and dart his pearls up to the a backwards red-capped wearing hero.

Keith's attention lay on the television to make sure he was hitting the notes correctly, not even paying attention to his section. "I don't want to lose your love, toniiiiiight~!" A glance down at the ginger put a gentle smile on the taller males face, forcing the smaller to flush a dark red from how close they were. Pico forced his gaze down to his controls, as his arms were nearly pressed against the others. He could feel his own light orange hair stand up on his skin in reaction to the other boys'. Goosebumps rolled up his arms at the feeling of the taller male behind him. Keith was practically playing both guitar and vocals at this point, Pico just standing there to hold the instrument for the blue boy.

"Finally...!" Darnell spurted, as his drumming started up after the intro vocal and guitar solo.

"I ain't got many friends left to talk toooo~!" That forced Pico to look up towards the television, taking a glance to a microphone stand to hold Keith's instrument while he played both at the same time. "Nowhere to run when I'm in trooouuble~!" Looking at how he was fairing, Keith was nailing every single note on his Pico's side and wonderfully playing his vocals. "You know I'd do anything fooor yooou~!" The ginger could have sworn that Keith squeezed his hands at that lyric, but chopped it up to re-gripping himself on the controls. "Stay the night but keep it uuunder cover~!"

"I just want to use your love, toniiiiight~!"

"Whoaaa~..."

"I don't want to lose your love, toniiiiiiggghhht~!"

Pico felt like he was suffocating slowly, and it felt so good. Lifting his gaze up, he couldn't keep the admiration that flooded his heart. In his imagination, he took those lyrics personally. Almost like Keith was singing it for him. To him. It only reminded him how infatuated he was with this man. The guitar solo playing now, as it gave him a moment of grace to look upon that focused gaze. He could feel the larger male behind him slowly bob his body to the beat forcing his own to move as well. During the solo, he noticed Keith glance down a few times, locking gazes each and every time. Those moments forced those shy greens to dart back to the screen, a fleeting flush crawling up his neck and across his cheeks. The same could be said for the ginger, but he couldn't turn away, even if he tried.

Keith spoke the next part rather quietly, as if he was talking instead of singing, but his voice was still as beautiful as before. "Try to stop my hands from shaakiing~." As if on cue, Pico could feel the others hands begin to shake as they held onto his own. "But something in my miiind's not maaakiiing sense." That brought a familiar ache in his chest at that stated lyric. "It's been a whiiile since we were aaall aaalone..." The thought crossed Pico's mind of the last time they were truly alone. Without the presence of his Keith's parents or anyone else around. During their sleepover. "But I can't hide the waaay IIII'm feeeeeliiiing~...!" The ginger gasped breathlessly, his pearl irises widening before finally darting away from the other's face and down to their conjoined hands. He has never once heard this song before, but it spoke to him on such a personal level. These lyrics were a harsh reminder of his conundrum with his relationship with Keith.

"As you leave me please would you clooose the door?" Pico's shoulders rose in a fit of nervousness.

"And don't forget what III toolld yoou~!" Looking back up at those incredibly focused emeralds.

"Just 'cause you're right that don't meeeaaan IIII'm wrooong~!" Was he right to think this?

"Another shoulder to crrryyy uuuupooon~!" Just like they've done to one another before.

"I just want to use your love, toniiiiight~!" Pico swallowed thickly, suddenly having a newfound realization. "Yeeeeaaaahhh~." This song spoke directly from his heart, all sung by the same man that has caused these feelings to bleed from him. "I don't want to lose your love, toniiight~!" He wasn't even paying attention to the game anymore at this point, as the lyrics began to repeat with the same two phrases.

The rapid beating of his heart was enough to have him sigh in complete elation. He gave up on trying to think of this song as anything more than a romantic gesture. He rested his head against the others chest, looking up longingly with the smallest of smiles etched onto his freckled face. It was no use trying to fight it anymore, especially when the taller male was singing such a song that bled such meaning without him even realizing it.

"I don't want to lose your love, toniiiiii~iiiiiiii~iiiiiigggghhhht~!"

A crescendo began as Keith spoke a phrase that had that voice expanding greatly, almost pulling the air out of Pico's lungs as well. Pearl eyes lidded softly at the beautiful sound echoing around him, lost in his own world with just the two of them together. Keith had the guitar part memorized at this point it seemed, as he gave a long glance down at those incredible pearls. Time slowed for them, enjoying the moment that the blue boy held the other in his arms and sung for him. Keith's blush darkened, matching the others' face in the same shade. Their eye contact not faltering from their connection. "Your loooooooove~~~!"

"I don't wanna loooooooose yooooouuurr loooooove~, toniiiiiigghht~!"

Pico blinked, as a flash caught his attention from across the room. It broke their moment of peace right in two, as he looked over at Cherry giving a devious smile, as she pulled her phone back. Did she just snap a picture of them. Keith must have seen it too, as his gaze darted over to the one on the couch, his attention faltering as he started to fail at the notes that were being played on the guitar, and he stopped his singing at the same time. "H-Hey! Ch-Cher-ry!" He shouted, his voice echoing from the television even louder in comparison.

Pico scrambled, shoulders raising as a dangerous blush threatened to make him pass out at being caught in such a predicament. Keith still had his hands on his own, so the ginger took it upon himself to start playing, the song sounded almost over anyway, he could finish strong for them. Pearl irises stared at his column, as the notes came towards him, and he hit them with somewhat proper succession. Luckily, him and the drums were able to upkeep enough enthusiasm for the game to not kick them for playing poorly.

Keith heard Darnell spout "Nice one G" with a taught laughter while he was focused on the drums play. Sadly, with the blue boys "Expert" play, his parts were taking large sections of the teams 'health' with each part that passed with failure. "Ah! Sh-Shit!" The birthday boy stuttered, hearing the crowd boo him. He up-kept his part back on, with a strain in his voice trying to get himself back on track. Luckily, he only had about ten or so seconds left before the song ended.

Once it did, he noticed that they barely scraped by with a three star. With Pico's poor performance at first, then Keith's at the end, it was mostly Darnell that upheld the team with the drums. The ginger sighed in relief at the song being over. Almost immediately, he felt the taller boy leave from behind him, storming over to the giggling Cherry on the couch. "Did you just take a picture of us!?" He nearly shouted, his shoulders raising up to his neck, face beat red like his backwards cap. His teeth felt like they were going to shatter from the force he put in gritting them together.

Cherry feigned innocence, gripping tighter onto her phone, turning off the display in the process to prevent it from accidentally showing. "NNNNoooooooo~...!" She smiled, evilly, as she pulled her evidence away from the taller birthday boy. Leaning back on the couch, she looked anywhere else other than blaring forest-green eyes.

"Delete it!" Keith scrunched his eyes at the curt shout, ready to pounce and grab at her phone. He could hear Darnell laugh his ass off at the display. He was scared to see what Pico's reaction was, he must have been just as horrified, if not worse! "Delete it, now!" He raised his hands, about to snatch at the device and do it himself.

Cherry lifted her other hand to shake a finger at Keith with a taught "Ah-Ah-Ah!" Before Keith could begin to move, she shoved that phone into her cleavage down her shirt. Possibly within the confines of her bra, never to be seen again. The birthday boys heart dropped into his stomach, eyes widening in complete dread. "Nope!" She simply stated, a crooked smile lining her face. She knew that he would never grope her like that out of respect, so that was a lost cause. Keith's arms dropped, hanging down in defeat without putting up any fight at all.

"Ooooooh... Tough luck, Dude." Darnell laughed out loud, completely enjoying the show. His arms wrapped around his stomach as tears lined his closed lids as his laughter filled the air between them. Keith sighed, his head falling in line with his overall appearance. Keith gave a glance back at the quiet ginger. They didn't even notice or hear him move.

Pico was seated back on the loveseat across from them. The guitar leaning against the couch cushion on the floor. He was cross-legged once again, his shoulders nearly rose against his ears. That familiar hand raised to a nervous pose on his scarred shoulder, as his other arm wrapped around his abdomen. It was as if he was trying to hide himself from the others, it brought a seam of guilt to trace his heart at the sight.

~ O ~

To their luck, Darnell was the one to help alleviate the situation and suggest that Keith open his presents. That was rare, as usually the dark-haired male would be the one to make any situation more intense, but he felt the tension in the room raising and tried to wipe it away as best as he could. It was making even him uncomfortable.

They shoved the gaming instruments to the side, as both Keith and Darnell lifted the coffee table back to it's original place in the center of the room, the presents still on it. They were careful not to let any of them slip and fall at least. Keith's eyes were mostly focused on the thin present from the ginger, making sure that it was in perfect condition.

Keith took his time to open up the gifts he received from his friends. His parents already gave him his presents the previous day, and they were outside on the deck while they took over the living room. They promised to keep out of their fun, but were close by in case they were needed. He was certain that his father was listening to some game on their outdoor radio while reading the newspaper and his mother was probably knitting.

Cherry got him a hair dying kit, complete with his favorite bright cyan dye that he constantly wears. He was sure to use it when his color starts to fade back into the black that he hates to have. He's been having to continuously dye his roots since they keep growing up into that dark black, and he's been needing more cyan coloring. A thoughtful gift that had Keith thank her graciously, although he was still peeved at her since her phone was still locked away in her chest. He was going to get that phone if it's the last thing he does today.

Darnell got him a video game for the PlayStation. It was a new Assassin's Creed game recommended by the best, "Black Flag." Keith was told to ignore the "out of animus" moments and just focus on the "in animus" parts of the game. If Darnell liked it, it was almost guaranteed that the blue boy would too. The dark-haired male stated that it was a continuation of a character all the way from five games prior, but that was the "out of animus" part. The game-play was top notch when it was the actual "Assassin" part that was being portrayed. He was thankful for his gaming advice.

Putting his gifts aside, there was only one that remained. The present that Keith had saved for last. He noticed the anxiety of the ginger as he opened the other two gifts increasing exponentially. In fact it got so bad for him, by the time he finished opening Darnell's game, Pico was already standing from his spot on the couch. The ginger stood behind the loveseat, as if he was trying to hide. His posture was shaky, and expressed a great amount of nervousness to bleed from the other boy. The hand on his shoulder was harshly gripping his green shirt, probably stretching the fabric from how pale knuckles were from the force.

Darnell lifted a dark brow in confusion at the flat, and hastily, wrapped gift that laid on the table "What the hell is that?" He asked honestly. Making Cherry give it a once over as well. Keith was seated next to Pico until he decided to shift himself to standing behind the couch, but the blue boy kept his position on the loveseat. It didn't ease the burden of worry for the other's condition, he looked like a frightened animal ready to run off.

Keith didn't see it, but Pico flinched terribly at the question from the tallest in the group. A sharp pain stabbed through his chest, the ache building at the visuals of both of the others great presents that were gifted to the blue-haired male. He deserved the best, and in comparison, his gift was the worst. It wasn't even wrapped properly. Just taped together with school-lined paper to hide the dreaded atrocity. "Let's find out!" Keith chirped, being careful to lift the thin circular present, making sure to be as careful as possible with unwrapping it.

Pico's heart dropped further into his stomach, the more the blue boy peeled away the layers of lined paper. The shaking got worse, as he tried is best to keep himself as calm as possible. He was glad that he was standing, as he was sure that his quivering would have the couch he was on vibrate. Looking at Keith over his shoulder, as he slowly and carefully peeled away the layers, Pico took a step back to help ground himself for the criticism that he imagined. His shoulders scrunched up, as he lowered his gaze to the floor, with every beat of his heart it flowed with anxiety.

Keith's eyes widened, as he fully unwrapped the vinyl record, a surprised gasp left his lips. This vinyl was pierced in an intricate design. Abstract in a way, as it was unplayable due to the holes that were clearly done by hand, but it was the artistic way that it was cut. Keith held it up in front of him to see through the black record, his hands trying to hold the edges so he could get a better look at the patterns and shapes that decorated the vinyl ring outside the label. "The Cure?" He heard Darnell question with a harsh tone. That forced deep emeralds to finally focus on the title. On the label in the center it was untouched by the carving, as it read the band and album name.

The birthday boy's eyebrows furrowed up in concern. He knew this record. This was Pico's favorite band. He heard him say it on a single occasion during their nightly talks about their favorite groups in music. He handmade this piece, just for him. He took something so valuable to him, knowing how little he had, and created a masterpiece of art to gift to him. He remembers seeing this particular album name on the picture that Pico had sent him of his small collection of records in that wooden box. "That band sucks, Dude." Keith couldn't contain a hard glare at the taller male, as he lightly lowered his precious present.

Pico felt his whole body ache terribly, at the harsh words from the dark-haired boy. He knew that Keith wouldn't like it. He felt like his shirt was going to tear from the harsh grip he had on his shoulder. Trying to withhold the tears that threatened to line his sight, Pico clenched his injured palm harshly as he bit his bottom lip. The pain shot up his arm, but he didn't care at the moment. "Shut up, Man!" He heard Keith say out-loud, taking it the wrong way. The ginger assumed that was directed at him, as he flinched terribly. A feeling of wetness spread over his left glove, a sharp pain echoing from his palm in a throbbing manner.

Pico took another step back, teary eyes locked onto the floor, too scared to see the shame and anger pointed his way. A similar sharp pain stung at his lip, as he was sure it was bleeding too, as he didn't eve notice that he was locking his teeth over the skin. Even though he was in his sanctuary, he could have sworn he heard a disembodied voice chuckle at his misery. It made his eyes widen, a single tear escaping down his cheek to his chin. They were right.

Keith held the gift to his chest, a beautiful pine of guilt tugged at his heartstrings. He couldn't believe that the other boy took something so precious to him and handmade a gift for his birthday. He was so glad that he saved the best present for last, it truly was something that he would hold near and dear to his heart. "Keith..." Green eyes darted up to sad blues that belonged to their female friend, and saw her dart her gaze up behind him. That made him turn sharply, at the sight of the ginger already turning the corner past the kitchen.

Instinctively, the older boy gave chase already feeling the sadness that tainted the area behind him. "Pico!" He held the gift close to him with one arm, being careful to not bend it. For his luck, he didn't have to travel too far. The lone ginger was only dodged out of sight from the rest of the group, leaning against the wall around the corner next to the same bathroom he cried in earlier that year. This situation felt like deja-vu all over again, but this time Pico stood with an aura of complete and utter despondency.

Keith stood a good foot and a half away, "Pico...?" He tried quietly, reaching his free hand out to the other. He noticed that the smaller man had his left hand gripped within his right and he was shivering as if he was cold. It wasn't hard to see the tears that rolled down his face, but he wasn't sobbing. His face was scrunched in what looked to be a painful gesture. His head was leaned down, as if he didn't hear a word that was spoken.

The taller male approached cautiously, making sure to stand directly in front of him in case he were to jet off. Pico still didn't acknowledge the other, but that never stopped him before. Lifting his free hand up, he brushed his thumb across a damp cheek, clearing the tears path. What gave Keith a startle, was the sharp intake of break and jerk of the other boy looking up at him. The fear that sparked across that white gaze was something that he thought he'd never see again after that first day of meeting him. To his dismay, that same terror etched into those beautiful eyes, causing his own heart to shatter in his chest. He had to correct that, and show that he was of no threat. "Hey there, it's ok... It's just me..." He tried softly, seeing that fear begin to fade a little.

What brought another stab at his crumbling heart was that Keith noticed the trail of blood that leaked down a bruised lip on his chin. A harsh gasp left his lips, as he quickly turned to place his gift onto the nearest surface, yanking his attention right back at the other boy. Cupping his cheek with that same hand that wiped the tear away, Keith raised his other to the smaller boys chin. Cautiously, he gently gripped the jaw, hearing the other boy let out a quiet sob in response. He lifted his thumb to brush across the bruised and swollen lip as carefully as he could, smearing away the blood that trailed down his chin to mix with the tears that gathered there.

Keith's hand thrummed with a tingling pleasure at the feeling of the others lips on his skin. It took everything in his power to keep from leaning down to capture those lips in his own to ease the pain they may be feeling. To his dismay, this was no time to be conjuring up his fantasy's. Pico was upset, and he needed to find out why. Trying to erase any inappropriate thoughts, Keith released his chin to lower them to the balled fists that were held together. He placed his hand over both of them as best as he could in comfort, his other hand still resting on his cheek, reluctant to let go as his heart demands. "Did you... Did you make that for me...?"

Pico's heart was racing up in his throat, unable to move or say a word. The amount of care that emitted from the taller male was nothing in comparison to what he initially thought would be barreling towards his way. He expected disappointment. Anger. Pity. Disgust. Anything other than the soft concern to lace that delicate voice he adores so much. Shame bled from his heart, forcing a sob to shift his shoulders up and a fresh set of tears to flow down his face. He shoved his gaze to look at the lower right, unable to move his head much from the hand still on his cheek. The gentlest of nods confirming his question.

A fresh pang of guilt tugged at Keith's heart. He didn't feel any sadness or remorse. In fact, he felt like the most important person in the world, almost selfishly. He was immensely gladdened at the idea that Pico had took the time out of his day to create something from his own two hands. Speaking of, Keith lowered his other hand to grip onto the appropriate pair to hold. "Pico... I-..." The taller boy paused. The moment his right hand touched the smaller boys left, a lead weight dropped in his stomach. The fabric that protected it was soaking. "...!" A sharp gasp left his throat.

Keith took a step back and pulled the others palm out into the open with a light struggle. Pico had tried to pull his hand back to hide it, but it was clear to see the dark purple that stained the light blue glove balled in a tight fist. Those shocked emeralds widened. He didn't mean to invade the others privacy, but without his consent, Keith pulled back the stained glove, earning a hissing whine that left the smaller male.

The world felt like it had stopped around them. The blue boy paled at the horrific sight of his precious ginger. Blood stained the palm that emerged from the ruined glove that he peeled away. A deep incision was visible under the shine of the dark red, the grooves showing off the injury of a singular cut horizontally across his hand. Keith couldn't keep the fear to take over his voice "H-Holy shit...!" He cursed. "How did...! What-...!" The words locked themselves in his throat, his unblinking gaze still locked onto the slowly bleeding injury.

Pico started to panic, trying his best to stop the older boy from unveiling the truth. Not that he tried too hard, Keith was stronger than him and the feeling of pure anxiety bled from the taller boy. That alone had him delayed in trying to prevent the other from grabbing his wrist. The attempt was futile, as all he could do was place his free hand onto the other that pulled back his stained glove. It wasn't enough, as more of that shame came from his soul at being caught. Worst off, his favorite gloves were ruined in the process. The ginger refused to speak, lowering his head between raised shoulders, avoiding eye contact.

Keith could feel the thick tension in the air so badly that he could cut it with a spoon. Their hands were nearly entangled. His right held onto his left wrists to keep it in place, as his free hand held onto those fingers to pull back, showing off the injury as it bled. The ginger tried to stop him, using his uninjured hand to grab at his wrist in a feeble way of preventing him, but his concern was too powerful to be stopped. Pico couldn't give him an answer. Not even a rebuttal or excuse. Nothing. He stayed silent. Now he understands why the smaller male was wearing these gloves for the past couple of days. He was hiding this as best as he could, but why?

A slight feeling of betrayal echoed through Keith's chest, unannounced. It stung, but he tried to brush it aside. Pico needed him now. This could get infected easily. Perhaps he would feel better when it was cleaned up properly. Right now, it looked like a fresh wound that was sliced open before his eyes. He holds the other boy so dear to his heart, that any injury had a feeling of empathy burst through his body as if it happened to himself. "C-Come on... Let's get this cleaned..." He tried, softly. Giving a gentle tug at the injured arm, he took a step towards the bathroom. The quiet male simply followed in his pull, still not saying a word.

Keith gave a glance over at the gifted record that was placed on the table a few feet away, his heart burned, trying to understand how the ginger could have hurt himself like this. Worst of all, try to hide it from him. That is what made the ache boil over. He knew that Pico was not good at lying, but this was a whole new level that he was not prepared for. A overbearing feeling overcame him for the need to protect, it was odd, but he easily fell into the roll without hesitation.

They both entered the small bathroom, Keith flicking on the lights for visibility, seeing the scrunch in the others male's eyes at the bright bulbs. The blue boy closed the door for privacy, turning the lock on it to make sure that his friends wouldn't disturb them by barging in. His constant need to touch was prevalent, as he kept a hold onto the gingers wrist and then leaned down to use his free had to pull open the cabinets under the sink. He pulled out a familiar first-aid kit, one that he knew was there from his younger years. He's scraped a few knees and elbows here and there from his foolish youth.

Remembering where his mother would always take him in here to sit on the toilet lid to be tended to. A familiar pang echoed in his heart as he gripped the kit and pulled it up to sit on the sink counter. Nostalgia rang through his body, remembering how his mother would tend to his cuts and bruises from his foul playing sessions, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead after applying a band-aid. He remembers sitting there, tears rolling down his face from the pain of the injuries, barely anything to go by nowadays. It brought an odd smile to lift at his lips for a moment, now on the giving end of that deal for once.

"I'm going to need to rinse it first, ok?" Keith spoke softly, making sure to be quiet in the echoed confines of the tiled restroom. Looking over at the quiet boy, his gaze never met his own greens, but he did understand with a small nod in approval. "It might sting a little..." He offered, remembering how some injuries he would get on his hand would burn a bit from the running water. Still no response, it nearly broke his heart.

Placing the smaller male's hand under the faucet, he turned on the water making sure that it would come out lukewarm. Not too hot or cold. Using both of his hands, he held the others wrist with one and helped guide the injury against the water with the other. As soon as the liquid rushed out of the faucet, it filled the bathroom with a constant sound, but it didn't cover up the sharp intake of breath that left his ginger. The fingers on the injured hand flinched a bit, having to keep themselves steady and prevent them from curling away from the onslaught of the rushing water. He heard over the sound, a stuttered outtake of breath, feeling the wrist in his hand begin to quiver.

Faded emeralds looked on at the wound, watching red mixing with the water to drain down the sink. It brought a harsh sense of reality to strike at him. As many times in the past few days he's seen that same hand, not once did he expect to find something like this. The feeling of betrayal was hammering away at his heart, but he did his best to ignore it. How could he have not guessed this before? He was such a terrible friend to completely bypass such an injury. He held that same hand in his own just moments before, and still didn't understand that there was a deep wound the entire time.

When no more blood was being drained down the sink, Keith shut off the water, still holding gently to prevent the other from jerking away and start bleeding again. He reached over to the spare hand towel and pressed it gently against the others palm. He dabbed the area dry as best as he could, making sure that he wasn't bleeding as badly as before. With the towel lightly stained, he turned towards the other boy in the tight confines of the restroom. "Go ahead and sit down, please..." He asked gently. Without the sound of the water, the voice from him echoed much louder than he anticipated, making the other boy jump a bit in his grasp.

At least he was cooperating, as Pico glanced behind himself, making sure that the lid to the toilet was down before taking a seat. His dulled whites were still off to the side, not looking at the blue-haired boy, which only made his chest constrict painfully at the notion. Because Keith was so tall, he knelt in front of the other, dragging the first-aid kit with him onto the floor. He was eye level with Pico's chest, which gave him the best view for the splayed hand that rested on the others leg.

Getting to work, Keith kept his hand locked onto that wrist as gently as he could. Even with his soft grasp, he was frightened that the ginger may develop bruises from his contact due to his paleness. Even his eyes still contained that shadowed look of bags under his eyes. It may have looked normal on a non-pale individual, but due to his ghostly color, it almost looked like eye-shadow that blended with his freckles just above his cheeks.

Looking down at the opened kit, Keith found some sterile cleaning spray. It was supposed to be a non-stinging solution, and to help kill bacteria on wounds. He hoped that it was correct, as he gave a soft warning. "This might sting, but it says it isn't supposed to... I'm sorry if it does..." He held tighter onto that poor wrist, making sure to keep him steady. He could feel the tension from the other in preparation of the spray. Keith noticed the fingers start to curl again in anticipation.

Glancing up at the, now taller boys, face Keith gave a small spritz to see a reaction. The sound of the expelled air from the can sounded like a hissing sake that was interrupted. The blue boy looked up to see those shoulders shift a bit at the sound, eyes scrunched shut, but no pain was shown. A glowing pearl iris peeked out to look, his shoulders lowering a bit. It seemed that this stuff was true to its word. Keith gave a smile up at Pico, as he focused his attention back down onto the injury.

Pressing down on the can, Keith sprayed the rest of the cut, making sure to be generous in applying the sterile content. He wanted to make sure that he would prevent any and all infection if possible. It seemed that Pico wasn't taking very good care of it beforehand, which made another tic of worry rush through his heart.

Once he deemed that the injury was fully sprayed down, he placed the can back and reached in for the ointment next. With his hand still locked onto the thin wrists, Keith managed to twist open the cap with his spare. This stuff, he knew from personal experience, does sting when applied. It was the same salve that his parents had used on him when he was younger, in a newer bottle of course, but the brand was the same. His parents had the notion of getting something along the lines of "no pain, no gain" type of venture. This worked at least, and was dreading this moment. "This will sting a lot." He started, "Try not to clench your hand into a fist."

Before he decided to take a scoop of the cream, he gently grasped the others free hand and moved it to his left shoulder. "Hold onto me, I've had this stuff before." He warned, feeling the thin hand of the other shake as it gripped for stability. Pulling his attention back to the salve, he took a sizable chunk of it, and hovered his hand over the injury. Giving another glance up, he noticed those shoulder right back up in preparation. His head was moved to the side a bit, eyes scrunched shut. At least he was warned, his parents barely gave him a moment before applying.

As soon as he lowered his palm he felt the wrist he held try and pull away, as little as he wanted to, his grip tightened to keep him still. A sharp whine filled the small room, echoing off the tiles in Keith's ears. He couldn't contain a blush from tinting his cheeks, as he tried to concentrate on the application to the injury. The hand he held flinched terribly followed by a deep trembling. There was clearly visible resistance when it came to him keeping his palm open for the ointment. A hard pressure gripped at Keith's shoulder where Pico was clenching his free hand. It didn't hurt, but he could feel the clenching of the others fingers on his shoulder, his shirt protecting any nail indents that would have been present otherwise.

Trying to be fast, even though it would only apply more pain, Keith spread the stinging salve across the cut. He made sure to lather it as much as possible, trying to coat the entire palm as quickly as he could. He heard Pico grunt, the sound echoed off the tiles in the small restroom, sounding much louder. The birthday boy had to breathe slowly, as the pressure on his shoulder increased the harder the boy clenched. Swallowing thickly, the noise that followed was a low groan, he was sure that his face was tinged red by now.

As non-sexual as this was, Keith couldn't stop his mind from cropping up a fantasy that he had while he was pleasuring himself. This was, definitely, not the time for such a thought, but he couldn't help it. The sounds that came from the smaller male was even better than he ever imagined. That pooling heat settled into his stomach, but he did his best to will away any inappropriate thoughts. This was a sound of pain, not pleasure. Stapling that thought into his mind, Keith managed to finish applying the ointment. It was a rather unpleasant situation for the both of them it seemed, as the blue boy let out a stuttered breath to calm himself.

Keith could hear the staggered breathing of the ginger above him, as much as it affected his concentration, he willed away the concern as best as he could. He wiped away any excess ointment on his hand with the spare towel that he used to dry the injury, and resealed the rest of the salve. Putting it back, the blue boy searched a bit further for the gauze and wraps, successfully finding them and pulling them out. With Pico still attached to his shoulder, the worst part was over, now it was just wrapping it up for protection.

The birthday boy lifted the sealed and sanitized gauze in the wrapper, and peeled it away as best as he could with one hand, using his teeth to grab onto the other side to pull the cover away. Dropping the unimportant plastic, Keith grabbed hold of the three inch gauze piece, pressing it firmly against the injury. Reluctantly, he let go of that wrist, already noticing a small red mark from the pressure he applied. A string of guilt tugged at his heartstrings, knowing that he was the one to cause it. "S-Sorry... I didn't mean to be so rough..." It was difficult to hold back the shame that tainted his chest. Rubbing a thumb across the possible bruise in the future, he pulled back to unravel the wrap, trying to distract himself at least.

"Me too..." The voice was quiet. If it wasn't for the echoed bathroom, he may have missed it. Keith jerked his gaze up to meet saddened pearls. A dark brow raised in confusion before he felt that hand on his shoulder squeeze gently in a short massage before moving it away. Moving his forest-green eyes over to his left, he could see from the neckline of his shirt a stark redness that peeked from it. It seemed that the fabric did little to protect from any fingernail marks, as he could see a bit of crescent indents in his skin. He didn't feel any of it, in fact, it probably enhanced his fantasies at the most.

Smiling through the blush that spread, Keith looked back up at those same beautiful eyes that he fell for all of those months ago. "It's ok. I didn't even feel it." He kept that smile, even though those same pearls widened a little in shock. Trying to distract himself, he went on to finish the job, and began to wrap up the others palm, pressing the gauze against the injury so the ointment can do it's work. He tied it tight, but not too much, as he started to clean up the wrappers and first-aid kit to put back.

Finishing the clean up, Keith put the kit back under the sink, and gave a look back at the seated ginger. He was looking intently at the birthday boys work, his expression shifting to a relaxed state. The blue boy decided to stay kneeling, possibly to keep himself as least threatening as possible, being shorter may help that. He reached up to grab that same wrapped hand with both of his, as carefully as possible. The only reaction he got was a light startle, as it was dragged back down to rest on his thighs.

Keith gently rubbed his fingers over the rough texture of the wrap, staring at his work for a bit before jumping up to surprised pearls. "How did you get this?" That question was much easier to ask now, than looking at it before while bleeding, bloody, and possibly bruised. It was asked sincerely, innocently. Trying to seem as undemanding as possible, as he looked up at those beautiful eyes, taking a moment to adore those freckles that decorated his nose and cheeks.

Those same gorgeous eyes widened before darting over to his lower left, a familiar pose of his free hand clenching onto his scarred shoulder as they rose up in nervousness. Keith locked his gaze onto the other, preventing him from shying away from the question. "I, um..." His voice was slightly scratchy, probably recovering from the pained endeavor that he just went through. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "I-I was... m-making your gift and, uh..." He tried to make eye contact, but it was futile as Pico darted his gaze away once more. "Th-The knife slipped, a-and... I-It was an accident..."

Keith felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest, taking his lungs with him as he was left breathless. His entire face dropped in a feat of worry, his eyes widening at the prospect. Pico had hurt himself while making his birthday present. He could have sworn that he spotted a few droplets of blood on the label, but just cropped that up to usage from old age. Holding that injured hand firmer, but still being careful, Keith spoke softly. "Pico..." He waited until those precious pearls locked back onto his emeralds with intense trepidation. "Please... Don't ever risk hurting yourself... Especially for me..."

Pico couldn't look away, as if he was stuck in a trance. Those harsh jades stabbed at his white irises, with such intensity, but with a deep sense of confidence and longing all wrapped together with worry. Keith wasn't angry, he was just extremely concerned. It wasn't hard to see. Taking a great amount of effort to glance down at his hand held by the blue-haired males, then bouncing back up to those stationary and unblinking gems. Pico swallowed thickly, knowing that he had no choice but to agree. "I-I..." Shame built up in his heart at that look. "I'm sorry..." He felt like such a loser, a complete nobody. Those tears from before dried on his face probably leaving streaks, but they tried to come back with a vengeance, as they lined his sight once more. "I ruined it... I r-ruined everything..."

Keith's own eyes widened at the apology that he didn't expect to hear. Leaning up on his knees, he moved in closer to the ginger, now he stood at near eye level verses his chest. He still had to look up a little. He held the others hand close to his own chest, looking up at those glossy diamonds that glittered at him in sadness. He had no idea what Pico was talking about, but he knew one thing. "No, you didn't." He firmly stated. Wanting the other to know how wrong he was about the accusation for himself.

What he didn't expect back was a fight, as Pico looked back at him with a strong glassy gaze. "I-I did...!" He sobbed quietly. Blinking, he saw those tears roll down his face in complete dejection, tearing out more pieces of the birthday boys heart bit-by-bit. "I-I know you hate it... I-I'm so sorry..." Those same beautiful diamonds shut away, lowering his head in shame as more tears rolled down his face. "Y-You probably hate me, too..." Keith was completely taken aback. His heart automatically jump-starting his thoughts rapidly for response, he must correct those statements.

"No..! That isn't true...!" Keith started, his voice overtaking his mind as it echoed off of the walls through his panic. "I'd never hate you, Pico...! Ever...!" He tried to be less loud, but his heart ached to be heard, his brain hardly functioning as his tone increased. "I-I love-...!" Keith had to bite his tongue so hard that he was sure that it was bleeding, as he gasped himself to a halt. "I love..." His heart tried to push back at those words forcing up his throat. Swallowing them down, he corrected himself abruptly. Those same beautiful eyes that he felt so much for, stared at him in shock, awaiting his next words carefully. "I l-love, it..." He managed to keep that word of 'you' down with a extreme amount of difficulty. One of the hardest things he has ever managed in his life. "I l-love the gift you gave me..." He tried to elaborate. Straying further, but at the same time closer, to the truth.

That horrid feeling of pain ripped through his chest. Keith kept his saddened emeralds locked onto those glittering pearls. What he told was the truth, of course, but not all of it was spoken aloud. Smiling through the pain, the birthday boy leaned in for a hug. He released the injured hand, as his own wrapped around the other for comfort. Due to his now shortened height, his mouth pressed against the gingers right shoulder, as Pico's did the same to his. "I mean it..." He finished, unknown if he was telling himself or the smaller male that. He felt the orange-haired boy grip onto the front of his shirt, snuggling his face closer on his shoulder in response, dampening his shirt easily.

They held onto each other, neither unwilling to let go.

~ O ~

A vibration and a ringtone muffled through Keith's pocket for a moment, forcing the two to separate. They blinked at each other, none of them knowing how long they stayed locked together like this. The blue boy tore his gaze away, first, and reached into his pants pocket to pull out his phone. A message lit up his screen. It was from Cherry. Two distinctive messages lit up the notifications bar from her. The last one actually showing, it read:

"Be careful. Darnell is coming."

That was the only warning he got, not even getting a chance to open up his messages to see the one sent before as a loud knocking startled both of the occupants. He felt Pico jump in his seat, as Keith did the same, but at a lesser degree since he was warned in advanced.

"Yo! Are you guys done fucking in there? I gotta take a piss!"

Darnell's voice clearly rang through the door, barely muffling it any, as Keith wanted to strangle the dark-haired male. A dark flush spread across his face, standing up abruptly to face the oncoming teasing. "God-dammit...!" The blue boy cursed, hearing the ginger get up behind him, as he unlocked the door and jerked it open. "You know there is a bathroom upstairs, right!?"

Darnell blinked down at the cyan-haired male, taking a glance behind him at the ginger. He took notice of the marks on Keith's shoulder, along with the wrinkles that stretched the fabric. The orange-haired boy behind him was no better, as he was standing awkwardly while looking at the floor. Lifting a dark brow, he questioned lowly, making sure he wasn't seeing things. "Uh, were you two really fucking each other in there?"

If it was possible, the red flowed even farther across Keith's face at the question as he stood absolutely shocked, before shouting back. "NO! WE WERE NOT!" He rightly admitted. He hated how Darnell had this sudden urge to tease him like this, it didn't make any sense. Was his blatant attraction that obvious? He did ask Cherry to keep it a secret.

The tallest of the bunch crossed his arms over his chest, not buying a single word from the red-faced blue-haired male. "Uh-huh. Sure, Man, whatever you say. I'm gonna go upstairs and take a piss." He cringed slightly, already turning towards the living room and back at the foyer to go up the stairs. "Kinda scared about what I may find in there... Thanks for messin' up that bathroom for us, Dude!" He shouted down as he made his way up to the second story bathroom.

Keith growled lowly, wanting to chase after him and strangle the other guy. He could feel the veins in his forehead protrude from the anger that gave him a slight headache. "Fucking asshole..." He mumbled lowly, giving a sigh to drop his pissed-off charade and looked back at the poor ginger that had to endure this. "Sorry. As I said before, you need to excuse him." He chuckled, trying to will away his staining blush as best as possible.

Pico gave a small smile up at the older boy, trying to ignore his own embarrassment from the earlier accusation from Darnell. He knew that he was teasing, but it still made his heart thud in his chest at the statements. "It's ok." He giggled lightly, stepping out of the bathroom and stood by Keith, emeralds locked onto Pearls.

"Oh, Pico~! I wanted to show you this cute video I found of a kitten~! Come here, you have to see it~!"

The said ginger blinked, looking past the blue-haired male as he also took a glance over as well. Cherry stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, curling her fingers in a come-hither motion. Pico gave a final glance up at Keith, a smile still adorning his freckled face before walking around the other to see what Cherry wanted to show him.

Keith gave a gentle smile back, watching the other boy walk with Cherry back into the living room, escaping his sight for now. Giving another look around, he spotted exactly where he left Pico's gift, and picked it up with both hands, huddling it closely to his chest.

Suddenly, he remembered that Cherry had sent him a secondary message before the last one he read. Lifting his hand that held his phone, he swiped the screen before inputting his four-digit pin for entry. Pulling up his messages, he clicked on Cherry name, as it was the last one he received. What greeted him made his heart almost stop beating.

Cherry had sent him that picture that she took of Pico and himself playing the guitar together earlier that day. The angle wasn't directly in front, but as good as one could get from where she was seated. The look of adoration was clearly present on that beautiful freckled-man, as he gazed longingly up at the taller boy behind him, from over his shoulder. Green eyes locked back down onto those pearls in the same manner. Keith's hands held onto Pico's as they both played the guitar together in complete harmony.

It made his heart flutter in his chest at seeing this photo of them together. Underneath the sent picture, cherry wrote "If this doesn't show how much he likes you, I don't know what else does~! You two look so cute together~! 3" He knows that she was just trying to help, but this only made the pain so much worse. It did look rather convincing, but he still couldn't take the chance. The risk of losing that treasured friendship was too heavy to waste. He'd rather sit on the sidelines and admire from afar.

However, that still didn't stop him from pressing the save button on that photo. He could indulge when no one was looking, at least.

"Ha-Ha, very funny, GF." He texted back with a small smile on his face, as he tried to play off the idea that he just saved that on his phone. He definitely wasn't going to have that as his background image when his friends were gone later today.

Sighing softly, Keith gripped tighter on the valued record before making his way back to the living room. The feeling in his heart lightened tremendously.