Oh, goodness~!
Sorry for the break my lovelies!
I told myself that I wasn't going to write another long bit, but I at least sort of prevailed...?
I couldn't contain myself~! X/3
I just love writing about these two so much!
I always am flowing with different ideas and scenarios with our precious boys~!
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading Pico's birthday~!
It will not be as elaborate as the following Saturday, I can promise you all that~!
However, this was a roller coaster of emotions for myself to write~!
Thank you, all my lovelies, and enjoy~!
April 30th
Bodies littered the classroom.
His friends, classmates, and teacher all littered with bloody bullets.
Pico was shoved by that unmistakable shadowed figure onto the ground, face first. He hardly had a moment to turn back around to see what hit him before a shot was heard. His entire body shifted to his left, a strong and stinging pain ripped through his shoulder.
A scream managed to escape his hyperventilating lungs, as he could feel blood begin to pool under his body. Face down, Pico tried to pull himself to his knees as best as he could, his vision starting to blur from either the tears or pain, he was unsure. The bodies in his line of sight seemed to warp, as he collapsed. His right hand gripped onto his gaping wound in his shoulder, feeling the tingling warmth begin to spread to the rest of his body.
He was bleeding to death.
Managing to take in a stuttering breath, Pico pulled his hand back to see it completely covered in the metallic red liquid that drained from his body. His heart raced, trying to pump more blood to his starving organs but in return making him bleed out faster. He tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was hopeless. It punctured through his body, and he couldn't stop both of the holes in his shoulder from draining.
A wicked and conniving laughter echoed through the classroom. Pico gathered the strength to lift his head to see who was responsible. Those unmistakable pointed hair, like the devils horns, greeted him in a silhouette.
"Poor little Pico..."
It taunted. The voice sounded like two people speaking at once, a higher and lower pitch at the same time. In it's hand the ginger could clearly see the outline of a weapon from his blurry vision. Pico started to shake, as his body's endorphins were starting to kick in. He could feel his limbs start to go numb, as the puddle under him became thicker with his blood.
"This is your fault..."
Pico tried to swallow, only managing to make himself feel nauseous in the process. "N-N..." He tried to speak out in denial, but his shaking was making it so difficult for him to speak without stuttering. Even through his blurred vision, he could see the shadow begin to move pointing the gun at him. The aim was at his head, this time. He started to feel the cold wrap of death inching onto his person, as he couldn't hold his head up anymore.
His breathing was shallow and slow, as he tried to keep his eyes open. "St... Sto... Ngh..." He pleaded, trying to allow him the peaceful moments of life that were left in his deathly pale body. The slow ache of his weak pulse echoed in his ears as blaring bright red eyes lit up the face of the monster responsible for this massacre.
"If only you weren't such a faggot...!"
The last thing he heard was a gunshot going off.
~ O ~
"Ahh!"
The flash of blue and white lit up his room as a rumble of thunder boomed loudly.
Keith startled awake by the sound, his entire body shivering with the growl of the noise outside. A cold sweat gathered on his neck, as he placed a hand on his thundering chest to help control his breathing. A stuttering pant escaped his lungs, fear gripping his heart from the sounds of the thunder outside. A horrid feeling settled over his body, one that was all too familiar but at the same time very different.
He always hated thunderstorms.
Ever since he was young, they always gripped him in a near immobilizing fear. He remembers when he was younger he would cry out for his parents and hide under the covers for shelter. His father would need to carry him into the safety between him and his mother in their bed. Even then, he still didn't feel very safe, but better than being alone in his room.
Now that he is older, he doesn't cry anymore, but the fear still resides. Looking out of the curtain covered windows, he could see the moonlight shine through. His curtains were not blackout and his blinds were cracked open a bit, shining a layered light onto his shivering form in his bedroom.
Keith sighed, upset that it wasn't even raining yet. At least with the pitter-pattered sounds against his window it would help drown out the rumble of thunder. The lightning was another story. That was also frightening, but not as badly as the growling clouds up above. It was mostly the flashes of sudden light that may make him flinch, mostly in anticipation for the echoing boom of thunder that would follow after.
Trying to find a distraction, the blue boy took a glance over at his bedside clock. It read a bright 4:12AM in bright blue digital format. Looking just below his clock, was his phone; a charging cable sticking out of the end of the device.
Reaching over, he grabbed the cell and pulled it to himself. Leaning back against the headboard of his bed, he got comfortable and turned on the lockscreen of his phone. The sudden brightness, had his green gaze squint a bit to keep from being blinded. Keith mumbled lowly, irritated at how his phone was supposed to have an auto-dimming feature based on the light in the room. Didn't seem to be working while the lockscreen was on.
He pulled his phone back, and slid his thumb across the screen, inputting his pin for entry. To his luck, the phone did dim considerably, once he was in, and pulled it back into view. The first thing to greet him was his background image. He would always take a moment to appreciate the picture that Cherry took of them. Pico looked so happy, and so did he. Keith was upset at the brown-haired girl at first for taking it without his consent. However, after he had it up on his background for a few days, he ended up thanking her instead. He had never seen her so smirked before.
After his momentary daze, Keith pulled up his messages. The first box visible had Pico's name on it, since he was the last person he spoke to through text. Clicking on the group, he saw the last thing he messaged him was "goodnight." The same was said for Pico's side of the text box this was written earlier that night.
Keith sighed again, debating whether or not to send another text so early in the morning. Would he wake the ginger from his sleep? The blue boy knew that Pico already had issues sleeping at night. It wouldn't be right to impose on the other male just because he couldn't sleep because of a little storm. The smaller boy would never call or text him whenever he would be up from his insomnia. Although, Keith had already mentioned multiple times that if he ever needed anyone to talk to during those bouts of sleepless nights he was there for him.
Looking over at his clock again, it read a tantalizing 4:16AM.
"Fuck it..." He thought to himself, as he started to type a message to the boy who was consistently plaguing his thoughts. His heart hammered in his chest, unknowing if it was due to the fact that he is messaging his secret crush so early, or from the storm outside.
"Happy Birthday, Pico! Sorry for the early message. I couldn't sleep." Keith's thumbs quickly typed out.
Clicking off his display, Keith placed his phone down as another bout of thunder rolled in the distance. It made his body jump, causing an irritating growl to echo out of him. He hated how he was still affected by this childish fear. Only his parents and Darnell were aware of his phobia, he was hesitant to allow anyone else to know. They might make fun of him or call him a baby for being scared of such a silly thing.
Of all the phobias to have, astraphobia had to be his. It wasn't as bad as when he was younger, but it still caused his pulse to skyrocket as if he was sprinting in track. It was so foolish to be scared of something that had a near zero chance of harming him. He wonders what Pico's fears were. He recalls the soft time when they watched a scary movie together and the ginger curled up to him from what was shown on the television. It was as if he expected Keith to protect him from the horrors of what was happening on screen. With that, the blue boy happily accepted the job, always willing to protect what he loves.
To his luck, he wasn't scared of horror movies, and welcomed Pico in his arms when he needed him the most. That made his heart race with his own personal feelings knocking into his body at how close he was. Keith still looks back on that day with fondness. The way he leaned back against him. How his warmth enveloped both of them accompanied by the heating blanket. It took everything in him to keep from cuddling closer to the smaller male in his arms.
A smile lit up his face, feeling a bit better from the lightning that flashed outside followed by the rolling rumble afterwards. The tapping of rain was finally starting, as he heard the noise of water hitting his windows. It was a relief as he enjoyed rain, but hated thunderstorms. Usually, rain would put him to sleep, but thunder and lightning would keep him up. It was a terrible conundrum to have.
A buzz of a vibration caught his attention from his phone as it sprung to life in his hand for a brief moment. Green eyes blinked in question, as he looked down at his screen that lit up. A text message from his one and only catching his attention immediately. "Thank you, Keith, :). What are you doing up? Is everything ok?" He read from Pico's response. It was only about four minutes after he sent that message, he hopes that he didn't wake the other man from his slumber.
Sliding his phone to open, he gave a quick reply. "Yeah, everything is good. Just couldn't sleep. Sorry if I woke you." He clicked 'send' and felt a light stab at his heart for bothering the ginger. As much as he heard of Pico's issues sleeping, the one night that a storm decided to brew he went and crawled right to the smaller boy for comfort. He really felt like a child.
Within a minute, Keith got another vibration on his phone. Pico replied. "I've been up for a bit already; don't worry about me. Did you want to talk?" Keith smiled at the response. He was always quick to the draw and bolder over text message. It was rather adorable, since whenever he would call and talk, he wouldn't sound so confident all of a sudden, but the blue boy didn't mind at all.
A bout of nervousness rolled through his shoulders, especially with the storm outside not helping much. Thumbs already going to work with a reply, he typed "Only if you want to. I don't want to be a bother." It was always amazing to see over text. Keith was rather shyer over the messages than in person or on the phone. While Pico was his opposite over texting rather than in person or calling. To his surprise, a message came up rather quickly, in the same minute that he sent his own. "You're never a bother to me, Keith. Always remember that."
Keith gave a slight gasp in surprise at the statement. It held such truth that it made his heart stutter in his chest. He smiled softly, going up to the top of his screen to click the phone icon for a call. Pulling the phone to his ear, he heard the ringing start up. It only took one full ring before the voice of his dreams answered.
"Keith...?" A beautiful and deep voice rang through the phone, sending shivers down his spine. It wasn't from the storm.
"Hey, Pico. Thanks for talking with me. And a real Happy Birthday to you, this time. Wanted to say it instead of write it." The blue boy spoke softly. He needed to be pretty quiet since his parents were sleeping a few doors down. However, he knew that the storm itself was probably covering up any noise he would plan to make anyway.
A light chuckle from that wonderful voice that he adores so much rang through making butterflies swarm his stomach. "Thanks, Keith... Um... I-Is everything ok...? What's wrong...?" There goes that insecurity that he both hates and loves to hear. As much as he coddles over the others self-esteem issues, it was really prominent in his voice. When he was outspoken it brought a jumpstart to his heart at the sound. Especially, when it was laced with concern at the same time. "Nothing is wrong, really... I just-...!" A loud strike of lightning lit up his room, a booming blast of thunder rolling behind it, overriding the sound of rain easily.
Keith's breath came out in a light pant, as his widening green eyes stared out his window at the storm outside. "S-Sorry. I-It's nothing..." He tried to calm himself. Taking in a deep breath, he let out a soft sigh as he pulled the phone away so that Pico wouldn't hear the fear coming from him. The last thing he needs is to have the ginger worry about him. It wasn't like he was hours away, too. He was only a few houses down and was dealing with the same storm.
"..." The phone went silent for a moment before that gorgeous voice chimed in once more. "It's not nothing... Are you frightened...?" Keith took in a light gasp, unknowingly. It was amazing how accurate the ginger could be without seeing anything. He tried to dismiss that notion. "M-Me? Frightened? N-No, not at all. I-...!" A rolling stride of thunder interrupted his sentence, as he felt his heart race out of fear. Once the sound finally seized, Keith cleared his throat. He tried to pretend that he chocked on his own spit for a second, instead of being jolted by the storm. "I-I'm fine, Pico, really."
The phone was abnormally quiet for the longest time after Keith spouted that lie. All he heard was the sound of shuffling over the call. "Keith..." That single word spoken sent the said boys heart aflame once again, this time out of adoration for his crush. "S-Seriously, Dude, I'm totally good. Don't worry about me; I'll be just fine." He tried to reason with his ginger. It was clear over the phone that Pico didn't believe him.
"...Prove it to me, then." Keith was astonished. He didn't know how he could show that he wasn't nearly shaking in fear. "I-I..." He stuttered, hearing his phone ding lightly in his hand. Pulling it away from his ear, he noticed Pico trying to send a video call request. He was serious. Deadly serious.
Under normal circumstances, the blue boy wouldn't hesitate to accept this request. Anything to see his beloved ginger-boy. Perhaps the darkness of the room would keep his figure hidden enough to prevent the other male from seeing his cold sweat that dotted his neckline. Pico had never been so forward with him before. He couldn't contain a light feathery feeling from floating in his chest at the thought. Pico cared so much. With a tinge of regret, Keith slid his thumb across the screen to accept the video.
The first thing that met him was that amazingly beautiful freckled face that he adores so dearly. In the video on his phone, Pico was sitting in his bed, his bedside lamp illuminating his pale face clearly. Those pearl irises widened a little at the acceptance of the call. It seemed like he was expecting the blue boy to refuse to accept it, as the ginger sprung up in his seat. With the shadows of the light in his room, everything else was pitch black looking, except for the shine from his lamp. It outlined his cheekbones, brightening up those freckles that he loves so much. Keith was awestruck, once again. "H-Hey there..." He stuttered out, unable to keep a smile from forming on his face of longing.
Pico blinked those diamond eyes at him from over the phone, and tilted his head. Now that he looked closer, Pico wasn't wearing his usual hair gel. Even during video calls, he always had on that gel that makes his orange locks stick up in his signature Mohawk. Keith couldn't contain a tinged blush to cover his cheeks at the sight of a slightly disheveled Pico. His orange hair was messy and floated around his forehead and ears in a exotic manner since it was so rare for him to be seen without those gelled locks. "I-I can't see you very well, Keith..." He heard that deep voice chime up once more, causing a stutter to echo from his heart.
The taller male sighed, knowing that he had no choice but to give into the silent demand. "Alright, alright..." He surrendered, reaching over to his own lamp to flick it on. The brightness immediately blinded him, causing him to flinch for a moment and scrunch his eyes shut for a bit. Once he was set, he opened his eyes again, only to see his gorgeous ginger again from over the phone. "Better?" He giggled lightly, noticing the other male shift his... bare shoulders up?
Keith's throat went dry suddenly, taking notice that Pico looked to be shirtless from what he could gather. The video only showed his head from the neck up, but seeing the edges of his bare shoulders peek into the screen from his nervous fit. It wasn't difficult to notice that unmistakable scar that barely edged the footage that he witnessed. The blue boy swallowed any saliva that he could have had in his mouth at the sight. Was he only shirtless? Could he also not be wearing any pants as well? Was he nude? That blush darkened on his face tremendously at the thought.
"You look like you're sweating a bit... And your face is all red... Are you getting sick...?" The clueless ginger asked sincerely, a small frown adorning his beautiful face. It wasn't difficult to see that careful gaze look at what he could to decipher to be wrong. It brought a fluttering feeling to coat his chest at the caring ginger over the phone. He tried his best to will away the blush that was probably masking his entire face. "I-I'm fine, Man. J-Just a little warm in my room tonight is all..." He tried to explain.
The temperature in his room was just fine. Keith was wearing some long dark blue sweatpants and a short sleeved white top. It wasn't anything special like what he wore at the sleepover. The pajamas that Pico wore doesn't fit him as well. Even then, it may seem weird, but Keith still hasn't washed those PJ's. When he removed them the following morning, he secretly snagged them from the laundry room before his mother could stick them in the washer. He had them hidden in his nightstand and on multiple occasions he couldn't admit that he has smelled them. The ginger never wore any cologne. He had a natural smell to him, it reminded the blue boy of nature in a way. His male musk wasn't as strong, but pine is what came to mind when he was smelling the unwashed clothes. Shamefully, it brought on a couple of masturbation sessions while indulging in the scent. He felt so sick in the head afterwards, but he couldn't help himself.
Trying to swallow down his blush, Keith gave a small smile back at the growing worry from over the phone. He tried to play it off as best as he could. He didn't even realize that he looked so terrible. He saw those orange brows raise in concern, the look on his face not faltering further. Those gorgeous pearl eyes glancing over to his lower left before jumping back to the phone camera. "I-If you're sure... I don't want to-" A sudden flash of lightning filled Keith's room, causing the blue boy to jump.
The taller boy's breath caught in his throat, as his green eyes widened as they darted over to the window. That devious rolling boom of thunder came crashing in right after the initial bright blue flash, causing his heart to pound with panic. He didn't even notice himself nearly panting, as his jade irises stayed locked onto the darkness that lay outside. "...-eith... ...-eith...? Keith...!?" The said male jerked his gaze back onto his phone that he didn't realize that he dropped onto the bed. The sound of his name was muffled but only got louder as it echoed into his quiet room only filled with the tapping of rain.
The blue boy picked up his phone quickly, "S-Sorry! M-My hand slipped!" He tried to use his clumsiness as an excuse. However, as soon as he lifted the bright cell into his view he knew that Pico wasn't having any of it. His entire figure looked to be in complete shock and worry at the same time. He was looking attentively at the video that was displayed back of the aquamarine colored male. He could have sworn that he was sweating even worse than before and his frame was probably shaking. "Oh, Keith..." He noticed the other boy's shoulders shift up again, showing off that smooth pale skin dotted in more freckles. He wishes he could see more. "A-Are you... Scared of the storm...?"
He was caught. Red-handed. He did, however, try to deny it as much as possible. Keith didn't want to seem cowardice in the slightest. "U-Uh! N-No! I-I'm not s-scared!" The blue boys natural pose of nervousness flaunted through the phone, unknowingly. He didn't even realize that he was doing it, until he felt the sweat gather at his neck. Jetting his hand back down, Keith's own shoulders shifted up in replacement. It made it worse when it was clear that Pico didn't believe him at all. "It's ok to be scared, Keith... Everyone has fears..." That deep calmness of the others voice echoed quietly in his room.
The said male gasped quietly, his own forest-green eyes widening slightly. Giving a dejected sigh, he had to dart his gaze away from those startling pearls, as a tinge of a blush dotted his cheekbones. He wanted to seem brave and being scared of a little storm didn't help his image in the slightest. "I-I just... It's so childish to be scared of it." Giving a glance up at his crush, it brought a light flutter in his heart at what he saw. Pico had a demeanor of complete empathy. Those caring, and beautiful, white eyes that he loves so much held a gorgeous disposition that it nearly had him breathless. The tilt of his head had a few locks of his bright orange hair to fall onto his forehead, as he shown more of those pale and dotted shoulders into view.
Those incredible pink-tinted lips lifted in a stunning smile. His glittering pearls looking up at his camera in confidence. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Keith... I have a lot of fears, too. But... You probably already could have guessed that..." That same confidence made those beautiful eyes dart down in his own fit of insecurity, which had the blue boy sit up a bit in his bed. "What? You? No way, Dude!" Keith tried to pull the other back from his low self image. "You are the bravest person I know." It was the truth. The taller boy couldn't imagine ever going through the same events that Pico had went through. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew that it was extremely traumatic. He was still a child when it happened, after all.
"I'm the big wuss here, scared of a little storm." He tried to reconcile. "You've been through so much more. You are much braver than I will ever be." A small smile shown on the aquamarine boys face, cementing his statement with a small tilt of his head in response. What made it all the better was seeing that familiar shade of red flush under those freckles on his cheeks. A shy smile lit up his face, as those pearls darted over to his lower left. His scarred shoulder clearly lifted into view this time as he sunk his head sheepishly against it. Keith took a quick moment to count the freckled dots that decorated that pale shoulder that he never noticed while at the sleepover. Sixteen was what he managed to see from the angle he was at. Green eyes darted back up to make sure he didn't get caught staring. "Y-You're just saying that..."
Keith gave a light chuckle at the abashed behavior, finding it so adorable as his heart fluttered in his chest. He wishes that he could get a better view of the possible topless man over the phone. He'd love to see if he had any more freckles that he could memorize. He should have paid more attention over at the sleepover. "I'm not just saying it. I truly mean it." Seeing those dashing diamonds glance back up at the camera with such astonishment brought a deep stuttering in his heart, it ached with a longing that he was sadly getting used to. It still hurt deeply, though.
Pico lifted his head up at that compliment, the lamps light showing off the opaque freckles that ghosted on his neck. The blue boy couldn't contain a gentle sigh in adoration, hoping that it wasn't heard over the video. There was so much to look at on his ginger, it made his chest constrict almost painfully, wishing he was there in person to see what more he could uncover. "Thanks Keith..." He loved the look that was shown through the video. That small but bright smile that always made his stomach fill with butterflies and the way those near white irises shined with happiness. Keith almost felt rather selfish at the idea that Pico only smiled like that to him and no one else.
Another bout of lightning flashed in the blue boys room, causing the taller male to flinch significantly. Luckily, this time, he didn't drop his phone. He clutched it in his grasp, green eyes darting over to his windows before going back to his freckled ginger. He already was feeling another round of cold sweat rolling down his neck at the rush of fear that gripped his body. "G-God, I wish you were here right now... This freakin' sucks, heh..." Keith chuckled quietly, feeling that dark blush already spreading across his face.
The smaller male over the phone gave a quieted laugh, seeing those soft shoulders shake with his giggle. The blue boy felt his breath stutter in his lungs, that floating sensation that always came by whenever the other male was eliciting happiness. After the little fit of laughter, he saw those pale and freckled shoulder-blades lift once again, his gaze averting to the side before locking onto glowing greens. "M-Me too..." Keith could have sworn that his heart was beating so fast that it would stop. His own jades widened slightly, as he tried to play off his flush. His ginger-boy was so beautiful, it just wasn't fair.
Their moment of silence was broken by the freckled-man, as he flushed a dark red. It bled down to his neck and ears, as he shoved his gaze to the right, clearing his throat quickly. "I-I'd protect you from the big bad storm~..." Keith grinned at that taunt, knowing that he was trying to alleviate the thickening air around them. Those moments of awkwardness were becoming more frequent, as the blue boy was trying to hide his feelings for the other. It seemed like they were both acknowledging the other, but neither was willing to admit anything. Keith was still in denial that Pico had any feelings for him, even though Cherry kept nagging him of the opposite. Especially after that picture that she took of them, she was hellbent on having him confess to the quieted male.
Shaking off his conniption, Keith gave a small laugh in return at the comment. "Are you teasing me~?" He asked lightly, knowing that the other male didn't mean to be rude in any way. He saw the ginger give a light tilt of his head, another lock of his orange hair dipping into his face, floating over his right eye. A pale hand reached up to brush the piece behind his ear as best as he could, a gentle smile coating his freckled demeanor. "I-I'd never~..." Keith felt his heart stutter, once again, in his chest. He's only ever felt that hair while it was gelled and stiff. He'd love to see how the texture would feel while it was these messy locks. He could only guess that it would be smooth and flowing, the complete opposite of his usual hairdo.
The blue boy gave a small chuckle, knowing that they were just playing. He sighed, looking back outside at the rain that tapped against his window. The silence settled between them, almost comfortably. It seemed like the thunder and lightning was over for now, just the gentle sprinkling of rain was heard from both his phone and outside. He could feel the blanket of sleep starting to force his eyes to lid, now that the storm had stopped. "Keith...?" The said blue boy immediately jerked his gaze over to the redhead, placing his full attention to those beautiful eyes. "Hm?" He asked, stifling a yawn behind his hand, eyes scrunching closed in reaction.
"C-Can I ask you something...?" That deep echo of his voice that he loves to hear came through the phone in a deafening sense of uncertainty. "Of course. What is it?" Keith stated with complete assurance. His green gaze was locked onto those stunning whites as he noticed them dart to his right. That infamous pose of his right hand gripping his left shoulder out of nervousness from what he could gather with his limited view. "I-I... Um... D-Do you ever feel... Uh..." Pico stuttered. The blue boy felt a small prickled sense of foreboding that settled in his stomach. It was an odd feeling, but he sat up straighter and listened closely to what his crush had to ask.
The ginger seemed to notice the movement of extra attention upon him and looked to get even more nervous than before. His blush darkened under those freckles, and he gave a small gulp out of anxiety. "N-N-Never mind... F-Forget I s-said anything..." He mumbled lowly. Keith almost didn't catch what he said at first. His dark brow raised in concern. Whatever Pico wanted to ask, it seemed to be bothering him. Just looking at the other boy his fit of nervousness was very adamant in his posture, let alone his voice when he spoke of the dismissal.
Keith tried to ease whatever was irking the other male out of him. "Hey, come on... You can ask me anything, Pico. Is something bothering you?" He started softly, trying to pull out whatever question the other may have had under those messy locks. Pico looked up at him through the video with a hence of trepidation before darting back down once more. The sound of the other man sighing filled his room, forcing the blue boy to develop a light flush on his neck in response. "W-Well... Uh..." He began again, taking another glance up as whites locked onto greens. "Do you e-ever feel like..." He paused, that gaze darting back down to his lower left. Those smooth pale shoulders dotted in freckles shifted up, Keith seeing a shaking hand grip his scar out of anxiety.
The blue boy was patient, but his eyes were starting to lid from the rain outside. He was getting tired, but this was important, so he blinked harshly to force himself awake. To his dismay, Pico seemed to look up at that time, and gave a look of shock before frowning slightly. "Y-You're tired... You should get some rest before school..." He heard him say. It was a Thursday, after all, but that wouldn't excuse the other from dodging the question. "Nu-" Keith went to object, instead, as soon as he opened his mouth a yawn escaped. His hand went up to hide it as best as possible, turning his head away so it wasn't as visible. "-Uh, Dude...!" He tried to shake off the sleepiness. "I'm not tired...!" He nearly wined, trying to focus on the conversation.
He heard that soft giggle that he adores so much echo over the phone speaker. Raising that same hand up, he rubbed an eye, trying to erase some of the sleep from them. Rain always made him fall right to sleep. "A-Ask me your question...!" He nearly demanded, trying to sound serious but ended up as a light whine instead. "I-It's ok... It's not important..." It was amazing how Pico wasn't fazed by his lack of sleep. The shadows under his eyes were a clear indicator that he has been up for the past couple of hours at best. He didn't even show a single bit of exhaustion at all. The only thing that exposed his lack of sleep was the bags under his eyes. No yawning or droopy look of tiredness at all.
"Picoooo...!" Keith cried lowly, a curt frown adorning his face at the avoidance. The said boy gave a small smile, tilting his head at the complaint. "...Goodnight, Keith... I'll see you in a couple of hours..." He affirmed knowingly. Keith blinked his lidded gaze, groaning in defeat. It seemed that he wouldn't budge. However, he couldn't avoid him forever and would eventually trap him in person on their walk to school. Sighing softly, his shoulders slumped. "Alright... You try and get some sleep too, okay?" He didn't want to bring up the question, just in case it would cause him to become uncomfortable.
Pico smiled a little wider at that and nodded his head slightly. "...I'll try." He finished, lifting his hand from his scarred shoulder to press the back of his palm against his chest. His fingers were visible, as he noticed that he gave a gentle scrunch of a wave, just like he does during lunch in school. "Goodnight, Pico..." Keith stated softly, watching as the other boy hung up the phone. The deafening silence of his room became much more prominent after his ginger disconnected their call. It woke him up more, as he took another look out of his curtained windows.
The deep feeling of loss echoed in his heart and the rain exacerbated it. Whatever Pico wanted to ask him was actually important. His chest constricted at what the ginger wanted to say. Giving another dejected sigh, the blue boy reached over to his lamp, glancing at his clock as he shut off the light. 4:56AM it read, as he placed his phone back on the nightstand. Laying back down, the blue boy looked up at his ceiling, thoughts lost and wrapped around his precious ginger-boy.
Before he knew it, his eyes lidded shut, images of his freckled birthday boy encasing his dreams once more.
~ O ~
Keith awoke the next morning with a tired groan, alarm blaring from his bedside. The only thing to truly keep him going was meeting his secret crush that he saw whenever he opened his front door. Taking a glance over at his digital clock, it read 6:30AM as it blinked back at him. Another groan left his throat, as he dropped his hand on the top of the snooze bar. The incessant noise finally seized, making Keith rub his face in exhaustion.
He only managed to get an hour and a half's worth of sleep from when he was last awake from the storm. From what he could see and hear, the rain had ended during his rest, as the light from outside his windows was still dim and dark with the clouds that hung in the sky. Giving a small sigh, Keith got up to start his day. He had to be ready, quickly. Pico always was at his home waiting outside at six forty in the morning on the dot. He always was a late sleeper, usually waiting until the last minute to get ready for school.
As the boy got up, he silently wondered if the other male had managed to get some sleep. He didn't even look remotely tired when they hung up, other than his near permanent bags he wears under those beautiful eyes. Feeling that tinge of ache that he gets at nearly every waking moment he thinks of the ginger, green eyes darted up and over to above his entertainment center. The gift that he received from the smaller boy on his own birthday walled and framed in a shadowbox that he purchased the next day from the store. The record that he holds so dear to him, displayed back in a protective manner, the blue boy couldn't help but to smile softly at the vinyl. With a light sigh, Keith got up to do his morning rush.
His attitude warped positively as he grabbed a pair of jeans and black short-sleeved shirt with a simple sentence of 'u mad bro?' on the front in white font. Waltzing into the bathroom, he snatched at his comb to brush his aquamarine locks from their frayed look into a more cleaner one. Now that he has someone to impress, he tried a little harder to look his best in the mornings. Not that he even knew if the other boy was interested, he thought he should try to look appealing at least a little bit. Even Darnell noticed his better getup.
He was lucky that he didn't start growing any facial hair as of yet, but was prepared to start shaving when he spotted them. He didn't know if Pico would like it or not. The smaller male seemed to be clean shaven for the most part, only spotting light orange arm hair that Keith had to resist touching. He wondered if the other boy shaved, causing the taller to blush at the thought. The blue boy couldn't picture the other liking facial hair at all, he could be wrong, though. He decided to play it safe and keep himself bare for the most part. When he changed in front of the other boy, he seemed to like what he saw from the admiring gaze that he gave before. He tried to keep it that way, secretly hoping that there was a chance that Pico was attracted to him and it wasn't just a misunderstanding.
Finishing off with his Axe body spray as if it was tradition, Keith gave another look at himself in the mirror. He fixed his hair up a little neater, feeling naked without his hat on. Curse his school for not allowing any head-wear unless it was for religious purposes. Hastily walking downstairs, he snatched at his lunchbox that his mother had prepared for him in advanced as she gave a smiling glance over at her son. The blue boy thanked her, as she chimed her usual catchphrase of "have a good day at school!" before he pulled his shoes onto his socked feet and grabbed his backpack to head outside. While jetting out the door, he snagged at a folded, compact, and button-pressed dark red umbrella. Just in case it were to rain on the way to or from school
As if on cue, the moment he opened his door, it was as if a ray of sunshine shone through the darkened clouds on the figure at the end of his walkway. Pico blinked at the sound of the door opening, as his attention was grabbed from staring at the ground in his usual manner. Keith paused on the doorstep of his home, like he does every day, awestruck. The ginger, a few yards away, would always look over with those incredible whites locking onto his own greens. The blue boy could hear the chirping of birds in the background, as if they were singing in harmony to what he was seeing. What nearly made him swoon every day was seeing his that beautiful smile that would tilt at the corner of his lips shyly. It would take his breath away every single time.
With a quick strut in his step, Keith made his way to the orange-haired male of his dreams. "H-Hey, Pico! Happy Birthday! In, actual, person this time!" The blue boy chuckled, reaching to pull the other man into a tight hug. The feeling of the smaller male against him, always brought that ache that constantly plagued him while around the other to a halt. As long as he touched him, that pain subsided temporarily. Pico never resisted, in fact he seemed to lean into the taller boys hold instead. Today was no different.
Recently, the ginger has been returning the hugs. At first, the smaller boy would be shocked by the sudden pull from Keith against his person, barely getting a chance to react before he would pull away. The older male would never want him to feel uncomfortable. However, as their days of traveling to school continued, their connection grew. The hugs were longer and more frequent. As much as Keith was overjoyed at the touch from the other, the growing ache would get worse with every time he disconnected from their touch.
Keith would try his best to quell that pain. Although, it seemed that the more he tried to stop it, the worse the misery became. With every hug, look, sound, and touch from the other boy, it only made it hurt so much more. It was never enough. Keith tried to tell himself that this was just a silly crush. Something that would pass by him in a phase, hoping to latch onto the next pretty girl, or even boy, that he comes across. Sadly, his ginger would constantly cross his mind as he compared people to him.
No one else could compare, in fact. Pico was uniquely him. That adorable freckled face that Keith could spend hours looking at. Imagining himself kissing every freckle on his cheeks and nose, as the smaller male would likely flush so red that it would make them pop and easier to spot. Those orange locks, now seeing what he looks like without the gel that stiffs them into their Mohawk shape. As much he adores that look, he wouldn't mind brushing his fingers through that un-gelled and flowing short hair. Like he witnessed the previous night for the first time.
That small and frail body that he holds so close and dear to him on a daily basis fit perfectly against his own frame during their hugs. Cherry was almost his height when she wore high heels, so her body would never fully brush against his when they hugged. It was like hugging Darnell. He was taller, but only by a couple of inches, so it was bizarre to properly hug him unless it was from the side. With Pico, however, he was the perfect height. Shorter than Cherry, but not so much so that it forced Keith to bend down completely. While standing, his head reached Keith's shoulders.
Their connection was what Keith would consider perfect, other than the uncertainty about his feelings towards the other boy. He didn't want to seem so obvious about his affection, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't as if Pico was resisting either, which made it all the more difficult to not confess. He couldn't risk his friendship that he developed with the ginger. If Keith noticed any reason to stop his actions, he would do so in a heartbeat. The last thing he wants is to scare off the smaller male.
Their hug lasted a little longer than the others, Keith chalked it up to the idea that it was a birthday hug. Eighteen seconds. One second for every year, it was his only excuse, but it seemed that it wasn't needed after all. He felt Pico lift his head from his collarbone, that stunning smile lighting up his face. It was getting so much harder by the day. There were multiple times that he imagined himself leaning down to kiss those lightly chapped lips. Every time he retained himself with extreme difficulty. This was another one of those times that caught him like a flag in a storm, the pull was unforgiving.
"Thank you, Keith." The ginger stated firmly, that gorgeous smile tilting at his lightly pinked lips. A chuckle that had the blue boys heart sing with a stutter floated to his ears. "You already said that to me, today." He didn't pull away, those thin, freckled, arms still wrapped around his sides. Keith wishes that he didn't wear a backpack to school, it made it awkward for the other male to fully hug him. It was easy for the aquamarine-haired male, but not the other way around.
The blue boy's hand twitched onto Pico's side, itching to pull his arm up to his neck but refused the urge. That would mean letting go of his crush, and he would rather keep hold as long as possible. Instead, his shoulders lifted, already feeling a light blush spread on his face. "Weeellll... I wanted to say it again! You're eighteen, Dude! Finally an adult!" He started, trying to prevent himself from getting lost in those near white irises. "I can't wait to show you your present!"
Pico blinked up at him, pulling away a little at the dismay of the aqua-haired male. Keith could feel those thin hands rest on his sides, haphazardly gripping his black shirt lightly. A confused look covered his freckled face in a complete adorable fashion that had his heart flutter in his chest. "Show me? I thought you said we were going to..." The smaller male's gaze dropped to his side, his own shoulders bunching in a fit of his own nerves. "Um..." It still seemed that Pico was really anxious about getting the piercings that he promised during the sleepover.
"We are!" Keith stapled, making sure to solidify the notion that he was still taking the smaller male to get his earrings. Those beautiful eyes darting up to meet his own jades. "I made you that promise and plan to keep it, of course!" As thoughts of the other male with them, he couldn't keep his gaze from darting to his ears already imagining what he would look like. He knew that it would be absolutely stunning on the other man. "I just had to get you something else, though. That's too easy by itself." He wondered what color he would pick. Would it be that bright blue that was from their game? Or would he pick a gorgeous green that would match his attire? His imagination swam with different variations. "A-And besides, I already spoiled your gift. I wanted to get you a surprise one."
A smile tilted at those pinked lips once more, making Keith's breath stutter in his throat. He couldn't keep his lidded gaze in admiration off of the other boy, as they still were connected. "Thank you, Keith." He heard him say, breaking his eyes from those pearls down to those lightly chapped lips for a brief moment. His heart thudded in his chest, feeling that ache comb over his entire being once more.
Keith's thoughts bled into the conversation from last night. Pico had something important to ask him, but never actually said anything. He didn't know if now would be a good time to ask, but whatever it was seemed to be really bothering the other male. "Hey, uh, Pico?" He began, not sure why he was trying to gather the others attention like that, they were mere inches from each other in their grasp. That made the smaller boy blink, tilting his head to acknowledge that he was paying attention. "What were you going to ask me last night?" Keith brought up gently, trying to pull an answer out of the other as effortlessly as possible.
The shock and, worst of all, fear that sprang through those gorgeous pearls made his own emeralds widen slightly. Being subtle, the blue boy gripped the body he held a little closer, flexing his fingers on that signature green shirt. He was still thin. Feeling through the fabric of the light green short-sleeved shirt he wore confirmed it. He was still having problems eating, but doing much better than all of those months ago when he first came across the other. He held him firmer, but not so much as to trap the other. He could easily move back and Keith would release him in a heartbeat, but he wanted to know what the other boy's question was. The blue boy tilted his own head in concern, a small frown decorating his face, as those near white eyes moved away from his own. "I-I...! Um..." He was trying to dodge again.
Pico moved his hands from the taller male's sides to the front of his chest, using that leverage to lean his torso back. With his gaze still averted, Keith felt his chest constrict with that familiar pain. "W-Well... I..." He could feel the other boy in his grasp begin to shiver. It almost had him pull the other closer; he resisted the urge to do so. "I-It's just that-"
"What are you boys doing out here? You're going to be late for school."
Keith flinched, arms detaching from the smaller male, as Pico did the same. They jumped back a step from each other, the blue boy recognizing the voice. "Mom!" He jutted out, face already flushed from getting caught. Emeralds darted over to his mother as she exited the house, walking her way to the white sedan in the driveway. The space next to it empty, his father had left for work earlier in the morning in his red pick-up truck. She tends to stay a little to make sure that the blue boy makes his way to school safely every day. "S-Sorry! We'll be off, I swear!"
Mrs. Fairest shook her head, a smile lighting her face at his son. "Now, hurry off you two." She waved off, noting the demeanor of the situation change significantly. She saw the youngest of the two drop his head between raised shoulders, a dark flush clouding his pale face. The same could be said for her son, but he was not as abashed in his display. Opening her drivers door she instructed "and don't talk to strangers, boys" before getting in her car to go to work.
Keith nearly facepalmed, unable to stop the comment "Mooom...! We're eighteen, now! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Even though he knew that she wouldn't respond back, he couldn't hold back the response. A light growl filled the air, as his attention sprung back to his precious ginger, his mother already driving off. Their moment was ruined once more. "W-We should get going." Internally sighing to himself. He would have to wait until that evening to ask again. They needed to hoof it quickly if they were going to make it on their usual time.
That flushed freckled face lifted to look up at his own, the softest tilt of a smile visible on his face. "O-Ok..." Was all he stated, as they began to speed walk to school together.
Keith would make sure to ask him again, but decided to avoid it for now. He enlightened the other boy, as they trekked along, about what he plans to do on their upcoming Saturday instead. That beautiful smile lifting the birthday boy's lips once more in all of it's glory.
~ O ~
"Keith. Dude. Come on."
The said boy sat at the lunch table with his usual duo of friends. Ever since his birthday party, it was a near daily struggle at lunch. Darnell and Cherry were sitting across from him, and his friend of a decade was trying to convince him ever since. It was obvious that their brown-haired female friend had spilled the news about his longtime crush, and the tallest of the group was persistent at the least. "N-No, Man, I'm not going to do it."
Keith sighed, trying to pry his focus away from his ginger-boy and onto his mostly eaten lunch. His stomach was in knots, but it still didn't stop him from eating most of his meal. His mother always said he had a clad-iron stomach. When he was sick, he could still eat a full-course entree, and never once throw up. It just wasn't in him to waste good food.
"Come on, Dude, Cherry and I have ours. You can't just dip out on us, Man." Darnell nearly whined. For the past few days he had been trying to convince the other boy to finally take the plunge. Or to at least purchase one for himself.
Dulled greens darted up to those focused browns, his shoulders lifting in a show of hiding. "I-I already told you guys, I'm going to skimp out on this year." He tried to explain, already feeling attacked as his best friend went in for another bout of complaints. Every day it has been like this since the prom tickets were available to purchase earlier that week during lunch hour.
Keith's heart ached lightly at the thought, already feeling the dejection without even trying. "Dude, you can't do that! It's your senior prom! Cherry help me out, girl!" Darnell fussed, turning to his left at the equally frustrated individual. She had already been trying just as much to get the blue boy to buy the tickets, let alone, confess his feelings that were locked away from the ginger.
"BF... Look at him." The defenseless boy of the group dropped his shoulders to glance back at his right to where Cherry nodded her head towards. His precious orange-haired angel seated in his usual spot, oblivious to the world around him. "Do you think that he has a line of people asking him to prom?" Sharp greens darted over to sapphires almost angrily. That question was rather harsh. Keith had to hold his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out. To keep himself at bay, he pulled his gaze back over to his ginger once again, his heart aching at the thought.
Keith's dark brows curved upwards in sadness, as a curt frown tugged at his lips. He had no idea if Pico had ever even been to prom before. With his current state of popularity, it was clear that not a soul would dare ask him and that brought on a deep sense of sympathy. Has he never been asked before? Not by anyone? Had he ever asked a single soul? Knowing him now, it was so difficult to see the smaller male gather the courage to come out and ask any girl to prom, let alone another guy. He felt his heart sink into his stomach at the thought. The other boy never complained about being all alone, but he must feel very lonely. Keith always did his best to bring a smile upon that lovely freckled face, but knowing that when he wasn't around his outer emotion always felt lonesome. The entire school pretended that he never existed, or avoided him at all cost.
"You see, Man? Now I'm not saying to jump up on the table and announce to the world that 'I'm in love with that freak over there!'" Keith jerked his gaze harshly over to Darnell in an instant. He felt his face become red in anger and embarrassment at the scenario, especially at the comment made about his precious birthday boy. The blue boy already began to open his mouth, preparing to shoot down that statement immediately. "-Before you start-!" Darnell's eyes widened, stopping the tirade before it began, putting a hand up to pause the aqua-haired male. "-I'm just saying... Buy the tickets anyway, Dude. Tell him that you are just inviting him as a friend. What's the worse that could happen, right?"
Keith decided to drop his argument once Darnell explained himself. A loud sigh left his body, shoulders slumping. He turned his head fully to look at the questioned ginger-boy completely. What he didn't expect was for those precious pearls to dart up at his person. Pico did a double take, and lifted his head a little, looking full onto his emerald gaze. He saw those amazing eyes avert to the side, as he seemed to gather himself a little from being caught looking.
When greens met whites once more, Keith eased the other male with a gentle smile. He was met with the other boy's shocked look back. Pico did his usual glance around himself, before giving a soft tilt of those tinted lips in return. Their concentration was broken by a couple of girls that were forced to walk a table away from the tense ginger, as he immediately dropped his gaze back down onto his usual spot. He noticed the smaller boy flinch his shoulders visibly before darting those beautiful pearls away from his own gaze.
Pico was always so scared to associate Keith with himself and avoided interaction as much as possible while in a public area. No matter how many times the blue boy had mentioned that he didn't care what other people thought, he still upheld his distance. Much too frightened to have people think that Keith was hanging around a 'loser' like himself. The taller male never forgot when he was told that. It broke his heart completely in two. In Keith's eyes, he was a beautiful person. He was never considered a 'freak,' or a 'weirdo' in any of the sense in his eyes.
"Come on, BF. You've brought the money to buy them for days now." Keith blinked back over to his ex. She had a point. Every single day, he brought the money to purchase the tickets, but could never go through with it. Earlier that week on Monday, Darnell bought his two tickets for himself and Cherry, while Keith held onto his fifteen dollars with shaky hands. There was a discount if purchased for couples verses a single ticket for ten. It wasn't as if he was scared, but Pico was in the same room. The ginger wasn't blind, as much as his eyes would disbelieve the average person. "If you want~, I'll go up with you to buy them~. What do you say?"
Keith sighed, looking down at his forgotten lunch with a frown. His entire demeanor drenched in light misery. As little as he wanted to, he had no choice. The tickets were only available to purchase at lunch since he had to register both of his and Pico's names. He couldn't just bring anyone, as only students of the school were allowed to attend. Looking up with his melancholy greens at those bright sapphires, he dropped his gaze onto the table once more. "Okay..." He spelled out lowly.
"That's the spirit, Dude!" Darnell chirped up, reaching over to pat his best friend on the shoulder in support. "Better go and get them before lunch period ends!" He encouraged, giving a firm couple of taps before lightly shoving the other.
Keith's dulled greens looked up as Cherry stood up promptly, walking over to the slumped over male. "Come on, BF~! There's no line right now~!" She wrapped her arms around his right, as she gave a gentle tug upwards for him to stand. The blue boy groaned lowly, lethargically standing to the pull of the younger girl. Cherry bounced in her stance, excitedly waiting for them to begin their trek to the ticket table. "It'll be really quick~!"
Keith allowed her to pull him to the mini booth at the table. It had a large sign on the front in bold letters "Prom Tickets" and in a smaller sign next to it had the prices posted. The blue boy nervously glanced over his shoulder, keeping an eye on his ginger to make sure that he didn't notice that he stood up. To his luck, he was still dead set on looking at his table and distracted. Looking back, he took notice of another taped piece of paper that had typed lettering of the rules and regulations of the sales. In bold it was written as "NO REFUNDS" at the bottom of the page. Not that Keith was planning on doing so, anyway.
A teacher that Keith had never seen before sat at the table. She was probably the assistant to the principal or someone else of a similar tier. "Hello, are you getting tickets for the both of you?" She already assumed, preparing her laptop for a search of names which probably had the entire populace of the students that attended this school. "Hi, Cherry. I believe your ticket was already purchased, actually..." She recognized the girl at Keith's side, typing at the keys quickly. "Ah, yes, Cherry Dearest. Darnell purchased a ticket for you. Sorry if that was a surprise."
Keith's shoulders rose, getting more nervous as the time passed by. The longer he stayed up here, the higher the chance that Pico would spot him missing from his seat. Cherry giggled, respectively answering the teacher back. "Oh, no, Mrs. Flacit. We're not here to purchase tickets for me~! I'm just here for moral support for him~!" She accentuated towards the taller male next to her with a bright grin. "Isn't that right, Keith~!" She intentionally avoided calling him the nickname to help avoid any confusion from the teacher.
The older woman smiled softly, already getting a single ticket ready. "Alright, Keith, will that be one ticket for you?" She asked, already grabbing the singles ticket in advanced as she prepares her computer for another search.
Clearing his throat, Keith gave another glance back over his shoulder. Pico was still staring down at his table, thankfully, and that gave him a few more moments. "A-Actually, Mrs. Flacit... I-I want to buy the couples tickets, please." The blue boy raised an hand to the back of his neck nervously, trying to be calm and respectful to the authority figure.
"Oh?" The teacher raised her brow, putting back the singles and went for the couples instead. From what Keith could see, the couples were a light shade of pink, while the singles were white in color. She grabbed two of the pink slips and went to prepare to type. "Ok. Who are you bringing to the prom, Keith...?" She questioned with a pause at the end, silently asking for his last name so that she can register him.
"F-Fairest, Ma'am. That's my last name." He started, already getting fidgety from the initial question she asked. The blue boy saw her type his name into the computer, moving the touch-pad a bit to possibly click the register icon so that he was officially set on attending. "A-And... I'm bringing..." Keith stopped himself, taking another glance over his shoulder. To his utter terror, Pico had noticed him missing and spotted him standing near the booth. It wasn't hard to see him, he was the only kid in school that had teal hair after all.
His heart sunk, as they locked eyes. The quiet male gave a tilt of his head in a silent question. Those orange brows lifted in worry, as his pale gaze darted away momentarily, bouncing back to those emeralds curiously. He must have thought that he was buying tickets for himself and Cherry. "Keith?" The teacher spouted firmly, forcing his attention back on the purchase at hand. He hated to leave his secret crush hanging like that, but his nerves were already in a fray.
"U-Uh! S-Sorry, Mrs. Flacit!" He cleared his throat, darting his gaze to the side, and leaned in a little to try and talk lowly among the talk of the other students in the cafeteria. "I-I'm bringing... Pico Fulp. Spelled, F, U, L, P." He elaborated quietly, hearing the tapping of her keys as he spelled out his crushes last name. He knew of this months ago when they were doing their nightly texts before calling, but never told his other friends. Just having to say his full name brought a light blush to coat his face, trying his best to hide it from the teacher.
"Fulp... Ah, yes here we are. Pico Fulp." She stated firmly, making Keith cringe harshly. His shoulders rose to his neck, sweat starting to form on his brow at the teacher being so loud. To his luck, she registered him and grabbed the two pink tickets, writing Keith's name on one and Pico's on the other. "That will be fifteen dollars, Keith." Trying to shut her up from saying anything more on a louder scale, the blue boy shoved his arm out with a ten and five dollar bill crunched in his left hand.
The exchange occurred, as she straightened the bills and opened a lock-box to place the money in safely. Once it was secured, she grabbed a stamper and a 'chunk' was heard as it left an 'APPROVED' stamped neatly on both tickets in bright green. "Here you are, Keith. Now make sure that both you and Pico bring your school ID's. Without them, you will not be allowed to enter, even with the tickets." She instructed, as the teacher handed off the two pink tickets to the taller boy. Keith immediately put them into his pocket for safe keeping.
"Y-Yes, Ma'am. Thank you." Giving a nod in appreciation, Keith turned back, his eyes locking onto his solitary ginger from across the room. He couldn't tell if he was elated or devastated at what he saw. From where he stood, Keith could see the other boy sitting back to his usual pose. Eyes locked onto his table, still as a statue, almost like he never moved an inch beforehand. Even from this distance, he could see the other boy's disposition change drastically.
The look in those beautiful eyes lost their glimmer from before. An aura of sadness emitted from those pearls, as they locked onto the off-white table he was at. His figure looked more slumped than before, a taut frown tugged at those paled lips. Keith nearly gasped in shock, forest-green eyes widening at the display. He looked so broken all of a sudden. It stabbed a strong ache in his heart at seeing his beloved so shattered looking. He definitely must have thought that he was buying tickets for himself and Cherry. "Good job, hun~! See? That wasn't so hard, was it~?" The chirp from next to him caught his eye at the cheery girl.
Walking back to their table, Keith couldn't stand to look at his ginger-boy in such a state. It left a stinging burn in his chest at the idea that he may have hurt his feelings inadvertently. Especially, on today of all days. It was his birthday, after all. That was his only assumption, at least. It still hurt like hell, though. "Cherry..." He started, sitting back down at their table. Darnell was fiddling with his phone secretly under the cover of the table, but darted his attention back up when his friends sat down again, Cherry at his side. "...I-I think he saw me buy them..." He spoke dejectedly, feeling his shoulders drop at the thought.
She raised a hand to her mouth, a audible gasp leaving her. The tallest of the group, sneered a bit at the comment. "So what?" He stated, not understanding the issue at all. "He saw you buy prom tickets. Big whoop. What's the big deal?" Keith saw the other boys shoulders raise, arms out a bit to exaggerate the notion.
Sighing softly, Keith dropped his dulled emeralds to his lunch once again. "He probably thought that I bought them for Cherry and myself..." He stated, an echoing of sorrow coming off of his person. Taking a chance, he gave another glance back at his precious birthday boy. His body had not moved an inch since he last looked over at the ginger. The only signal of movement was those gorgeous eyes blinking every so often, showing that he was still alive at least. The same aura of complete despondency radiated from his figure. So much different than before when he would give tiny glances up, and those stunning smiles that he adores so much.
"Don't sweat it, Dude." Darnell chimed in, catching his attention from the saddened male a couple of tables away. "That just means that you have to explain that you didn't buy it for Cherry." Keith dreaded the next bit, already having a sense of foreboding coming his way. "Just tell him that you bought it for you guys to go. I mean, the ticket has his name on it, Dude. It's gonna be kinda hard to avoid saying, 'would you go to prom with me?' without actually saying it."
Keith was crestfallen. His elbows planted on the table with a light thud, shaking the contents of the items on it. His head fell into his hands, palms pressing to cover his face. A sharp sigh filled the air around them, as he lowly groaned. "What am I gonna do..." It was more of a statement than a question at this point. "I can't just ask him to prom...! He may never speak to me again...!" Keith mumbled out-loud as quietly as he could to his two friends.
"Come on, Man, you're being a little over-dramatic." The tallest crossed his arms, lifting a brow at the display. He knew that there was no way that the lonely ginger would do something like that. The kid was nearly stuck to him like glue during the aqua-haired boys birthday party. It was clear that the weirdo really liked his best friend at the very least.
"Darnell is right, BF. Don't be so down about it." Cherry chimed in lightly, trying to pull the distraught older male from his pit of sadness. "Pico would never do such a thing, and you know that~." She tried to explain, making those dimmed emeralds look up at her soft sapphires.
As if the day couldn't get any worse, the bell for the lunch period ending rang through the cafeteria, interrupting their conversation. Not that Keith had anything meaningful to say, at least. All that he could do was instinctively dart his gaze over to his precious and quick paced ginger-boy. He was already walking swiftly past them as Keith looked onto him.
The smaller male didn't even give a passing glance. His near white eyes stayed locked onto the floor, as he darted from the lunchroom. The knife that was pressed into Keith's heart twisted painfully, as he watched his crush turn the corner and out of sight. He did hurt his feelings. He must have. Or, at the very least, confused the smaller male.
A woeful sigh left Keith's lips, gathering his things for the return to class, quietly.
Cherry and Darnell gave a look at each other, a bout of worry passing between them silently.
~ O ~
Keith made his way out of those familiarized cafeteria doors, unknowingly walking into a bit of a downpour. The blue boy paused, as he felt the drops hit his hair, and he stepped back against the closed doors to avoid the rain. Reaching back, he pulled the dark red umbrella from a side-pocket of his backpack. Unwrapping the tie around it, Keith pressed the button to watch the compact umbrella jut out and spread open. He stepped out under it, glancing just under the protection of it and looking up at the clouds that still hung in the sky. To his luck, there was no thunder heard, it just seemed to be a bit of rain from the earlier storm that morning.
With that ache in his chest, he made his way over to their usual shed out by the bleachers. The ground was already rather muddy, but he tried his best to avoid the puddles and stayed in the patches of grass to avoid dirtying his shoes or slipping. The rain poured mercilessly against his umbrella, already sure that if he didn't have it from his small trek to the shed, he would be soaked by now. When he approached the wooden building, the tin roof made a constant sound from the tapping of the rain droplets on the metal. It probably covered up any noise that Keith made, as he turned the corner to their usual randevu point.
The sight that greeted him nearly made his heart stop beating in his chest. Keith's forest-green eyes widened at his ginger that stood in his usual spot against the wooden wall of the shed. Pico stood with his gaze and head down towards the ground. His usual stuck up Mohawk was flattened against his head. Orange hair fell into the view of those saddened pearls, watching water drip from random strands frayed across his face.
A sorrowful and paled frown decorated his freckled face, it was clear that he looked to be rather cold from the light shivers that would catch his eye on his entire frame. He was soaking, that light green short-sleeved shirt he wore was a dark color completely. He was probably out here for a few minutes, but that was enough to have his entire body drenched. That familiar pose of nervousness was displayed, but it emphasized a different aura than usual. His right hand clenched onto his scarred shoulder, knuckles paled as it gripped onto his horribly wrinkled shirt. The other arm curved across his abdomen, as if he was trying to keep himself warm and holding onto what little he has left.
Pico didn't even notice the other boy standing there in shock. The aura surrounding the birthday boy was miserable to say the least. Keith just stood there appalled, unable to comprehend how the other boy wasn't fazed by the rain. It seemed to echo his appearance at most, making him look even more melancholy than if he wasn't soaked to the bone.
With slow and cautious steps, Keith made his way to the other male. He didn't want to frighten him. He may slip and fall in the mud as his initial reactions were to jump at sudden sounds or movements. He stood a foot away, leaning the umbrella over the smaller male for protection from the onslaught of rain.
Keith saw those beautiful eyes blink in confusion, orange brows creasing a bit at the face that he is no longer getting wet. The sound of the rain hitting the umbrella was another sign, as he lifted his head to look up above him. From his peripheral vision, he glance to his side, dulled whites locking onto greens in slight panic for a brief moment. "You forgot your umbrella?" Keith asked, trying to lighten the air around them, the smallest of smiles on his face in contradiction to his aching heart. "You're soaking... We can share mine, I don't want you getting sick." The blue boy wishes he brought a light coat to place onto those thin shoulders. All he brought was an umbrella and backpack.
Another stab of pain struck through his chest at seeing his crush avert his gaze down to the ground once again, that frown still tugging at those pale lips. "I-It's ok... It's my f-fault anyway..." That deep voice that would usually bring shivers up his spine now only crumbled away at his heart at how broken it sounded. He wasn't sure if that was in response to his body shaking and being cold, or the emotions that bled from the boy. "Th-There's not e-enough r-room... I-I'll-I'll be f-fine..." Pico stated, already shifting himself away from the cover of the umbrellas protection and back out in the unforgiving rain. The consistent stuttering was not normal, he was negatively being affected by the cold nip in the air from the downpour.
It was a small umbrella, it barely was able to cover one person, but it was capable of protecting them both if they scrunched together. "W-Wait...!" Keith spouted lowly, already giving chase to keep the other boy under the shelter with a step forward, he didn't back away very far. "It's big enough for both of us, honest." He tried, still staying as close as possible. He heard his backpack being pelted by the rain as it just covered himself and not his belongings that jetted from his back. His books didn't matter in the slightest as much as his birthday boy did, after all. "I don't want you getting anymore wet than you already are. You're going to get sick."
Worry covered the blue boys face, as he tried his best to convince the other male to stick with him. He was scared that Pico would end up with something from the pelting of the cold downpour on his frail body. He was still rather thin, and knew that he got cold easily from the weather, especially if he was drenched. Not enough fat to withhold any warmth at all. Especially on his birthday, no less. He looked miserable standing out in the rain, and it brought nothing but a sharp bout of sympathy from the taller male in response. "I-If you want, I'd rather you carry it instead...!" Keith attempted, his heart sinking at the idea of not having the other boy close to him under the protection of the rain.
Pico blinked his wide eyes up at the taller boy, as Keith pushed out the umbrellas stick for him to hold. Pale eyes locked onto the hand that held the base, offering the shelter instead. Unwrapping his paler hands from himself, they gripped onto the single larger hand and pushed it back towards the aquamarine-haired boy. "N-N-No, K-Keith... I-It's your-your umb-brella..." He resisted, shoulders lifting and internally shaming himself from the stutter his body was unintentionally doing.
Keith gasped sharply as both of those freezing and damp palms wrapped around his own hand. It brought a shiver to run down his own spine at how cold the other boy was in comparison to his own warm body. "J-Jesus, Pico, you're freezing...!" He didn't mean to startle the other male, as Keith reached his left arm behind him to yank him close. The blue boy felt him flinch terribly, as he pressed the smaller body against his own with the slightest bit of force. With an arm wrapped around the others shoulders, he was well covered against the rain as they scrunched together.
Now that Pico was pressed against him, the bleed of the cold wetness was sinking into the taller boys hold. Keith was thanking the heavens that he was taller, as he released his grip on the umbrella handle. It dropped with a light thunk on the back of his head, as he curled his neck down to support the cover to continue to spread over them safely. Before the other male could pull his hands away, he reached to hold them with his freed hand to try and warm them as best as he could, pressing them against his own chest to help spread the heat.
His hands were like icicles as they pressed against the middle of his torso. Keith audibly shivered with a 'brr' sound, rubbing his soaking back through the dark shirt to help warm up the other boy as much as possible. Now that he was in his hold, the blue boy could easily feel the other male quiver. The sound of the rain hitting the umbrella was loud in Keith's ears, as he glanced down at the soaking strands of orange hair in his sight. He couldn't see the others face, as he gaze was tilted down in avoidance.
Keith paused his efforts when he felt the other male move in his grasp, leaning up and back a bit to acknowledge the shift. He couldn't move by much, or the umbrella may lose it's balance from atop his head, so he kept his body still as that freckled face lifted up into his view. They were so close to each other, noses almost touching. It seemed to have shocked the smaller male a little, as he didn't expect Keith to be leaning down so much as he looked up. A light gasp echoed through the tapping of rain under the umbrella in response. That gorgeous blush spread across those freckles deeply, his shoulders lifting as he sunk his head back down between them a bit, gaze faltering to the side.
The taller male couldn't hold his own flush back either, but he didn't pull away. Another rush of thought passed through his mind, heart leading the way. It wasn't difficult to just lean a bit further down to kiss those overly pale lips with his own. His heart tried to explain to his brain that it was another means to warm up the other boy in his grasp. To encase those lips in his own to envelop him within his warmth. To his dismay, or happiness, his brain won the argument. Another strike of pain echoing in his chest at the loss. To compensate, he pulled the other male closer to him, using the excuse from before.
"...Keith?"
Sparkling emeralds blinked, a deep sound that he dreams of enveloping him in the confined space of the shelter. It brought a spark of warmth to swirl in his stomach, this time comfortably. If he wasn't pressed against the other boy, he was certain that the rain would have overlapped the voice easily. "Hm...?" He asked softly, noting the shy glance of the other look back up at him. That adorable freckled face still stained in a bright blush, making Keith dart his gaze over those dots before going up to those saddened pearls.
Keith was firm with his attention of the other male, as the ginger gave a glance down at his hands pressed against his chest. The blue boy was hoping that Pico couldn't feel his heart racing, but it was a fruitless wish. He was wearing a thin black shirt, and he was certain that he could hear it thudding loudly at this rate, as his hand was directly over his thundering heart. Their connection was so sensual, it nearly had Keith's breath hitch in his throat as he awaited for what the smaller birthday boy had to say. Those beautiful pearls looked back up at his own eyes as he began to speak.
"...Do you ever feel like... A piece of yourself is missing...?"
"Every day." His mind echoed in his skull for an answer.
Keith gasped lightly, his thoughts finally catching up to what was asked and why his mind responded like that abruptly. The introduction to the question that Pico asked brought a rapid rush of shivers to roll down his spine. This was the question that he had been trying to pry from the other boy since early that morning. He didn't even attempt to drag it out of him yet, too focused on the strain in his chest at the proximity of their bodies in the rainstorm. However, the smaller male did the work and blurted out what he was curious about the entire day.
As Keith remained quiet, still contemplating the question and his own mind's response, he noticed those gorgeous eyes gloss slightly. Tears lined the others gaze that made the taller male flinch back in shock. Pico averted his gaze down slightly, feeling the shoulders that he held against him shake slightly. The air around them was so thick with an empty sadness that Keith could nearly taste it. It made his stomach feel nauseous with stirring guilt.
It hit him that the taller boys silence was prevalent, speaking volumes without meaning to, towards the other boy. It took the shift from the ginger to spark a reaction in the older male, as Pico went to pull away and possibly attempt the downpour once more.
Keith took in a stuttered breath, his left arm stiffening to keep the other boy against him. He couldn't let him escape in his condition. He looked like he was about to cry. "Y-Yeah...!" He jutted out of his throat to gather the others attention. Keith pulled him as close as he could, feeling the other boy press against his chest to have those glassy pearls look up at him once more. "I do..." He affirmed, making sure to keep his body close. "I really... Really do..." Keith couldn't help but to rub his thumb over the hands that pressed against him, the rough texture of the wrap that Pico still had on shocking his system from the smoothness of his skin.
"...You too...?"
It was so quietly spoken, even though they were so close, he hardly heard that deep sound emerge from his throat. The question was so minuscule, but it held so much trepidation and relief at the same time. It was as if he making sure that he wasn't the only one who was feeling like this and was put at ease. Keith couldn't bring himself to say a word, too stunned at the deliverance of the two simple words that echoed in his ears. Those eyes glittered up at him softly, anticipating.
The blue boy nodded, making sure to erase any doubt that may still be within the other man in his arms. He felt, more than heard, the other male take a stuttered breath in. The lightest of smiles making those shining tears sparkle in his eyes. It tugged at Keith's heartstrings heavily, almost stopping his own breathing at the stunning display of beauty that graced his eyes. The foreboding air around them lifted, allowing Keith to finally take a gasp of breath into his starving lungs. His heart fluttered in his chest at the man in his arms, as Pico leaned into the embrace. His head resting on his right collarbone, those gorgeous glossy eyes closing in comfort.
He truly was in love.
Keith held the other boy in a tighter hold, feeling like his entire body was floating on a cloud. The heavens above them silenced slowly. Keith blinked at the sudden quietness that surrounded the area. Taking a tilted glance up, he noticed through the slight transparency of the umbrella, the rain had stopped pouring.
The darkness of the red fabric that used to be present now was lighting up in a vibrant hue. The sun emerged from the clouds, making the shelter that both boys were under exuberantly light up. Bright red, almost bleeding into pink, lit up the compacted space under the umbrellas protection.
It brought a soft smile to etch onto Keith's face, as he could now see the other boy in his arms better than ever before. The bright sun forced that colored pink through the fabric above them onto the beautiful face of his beloved.
Leaning his head down, Keith rested his cheek against those damp locks of orange hair, allowing his heart to flip in his chest. Emerald eyes shut in near extacy, fully accepting the bloom of love that burst in his heart.
The birds began to chirp, emerging from their own shelter of the rain, as if singing a beautiful melody to their embrace.
*dies from cuteness overload*
Even my own doses are too much for me, my darlings~!
It is killing me to keep writing these two teeter-tottering around each other.
Believe me, my dears, I'd love nothing more than to have them go at it and confess, but I mustn't! *dramatically resists*
In due time, my lovelies~!
Stick with me and I promise that the rush at the end will be well worth your read.
I already have it all planned out ;)