Two Extra Eyes
Chapter Seven
Lars and Sam's Good Day
The whole night was a blur to Lars. He barely remembered doing anything between the time he and Sam agreed to meet and when he went to bed. He couldn't watch TV or listen to music. He didn't even hear Otto and Twister's insults during dinner or paid any attention to his parents yelling at them. It was as if some strange force was controlling his actions while his mind was left to wander.
The whole time, his mind was on Sam. That whole conversation was still fresh in his memory. He remembered every single detail. Sam telling him about his experiences as a kid, feeling massively guilty for all the wrongs he's done to people that wears glasses, and of course, embracing the blond and having those weird thoughts about him.
It was that last part that freaked him out. Why on earth would he think about Sam that way!.?.! It was just impossible! He couldn't be falling for him, could he?.! …Well, Lars had to admit, it felt great to hold the shorter boy like that. He felt so warm when he hugged him for solace. And hearing his heartbeat brought a small smile to him amongst the tears. And who could forget when he looked into those beautiful, electric blue eyes? Lars sighed at the recollection. Sam was really…
Eyes widening, he caught himself and slapped himself (quite hard mind you). Thankfully, he was lying in bed at the moment. He wiped his face and found it dripping with sweat. He was panting as he tried to recollect himself. He just woke up from the weirdest dream ever. In it, he and Sam were doing all sorts of things together. Skating, riding their bikes through the forest, and surfing among other things. Both boys were laughing merrily as they went on their way. It felt like nothing could ever separate them!
By the end of the day, they were walking along the beach hand in hand when Sam tripped, bringing Lars down with him. When they sat up, they both looked at each other and busted out laughing. Soon, they stopped and looked into each other's eyes as they slowly came in for a passionate kiss. They both stared into the other's soul, watching the flames get extinguished by the water and the flames evaporating the water, creating a grand smokescreen of affection. Just before their lips could meet, Lars woke up with a gasp as if he just woke from a nightmare. That dream just left him confused in the worst way possible. And to top it all off, everything was so blurry! He put on an irritated glower when he remembered his situation.
With a snarl, the brunet got up and snatched up his glasses. After the world came back into focus, he reached over for his hat when his stomach growled. Holding his bare stomach and ignoring the fact that he was only in his boxers, he stumbled out of the room and slouched over to the kitchen. He was looking down as he willed his stomach to calm down. He was rubbing his belly as he walked into the kitchen. He heard the blessed sound of cooking and dishes being placed. Drool formed when he smelled eggs, pancakes, and sausage being made. He closed his eyes as he allowed the different scents to fill his senses.
"Hmmm… Mom, that smells great." He said hungrily as he pulled his head up. "When will it be—AHHHHH!.!.!"
He shrank back against the wall, clutching his heart when he saw, not his mother, but Sam cooking and setting the table! He was a yellow and orange blur as he ran back and forth between the table, refrigerator, toaster, stove, sink, and cupboard. The dishes, utensils, and napkins were placed perfectly and at near lightning speed. When the brunet finally caught his breath, he glared at the blond.
"What the hell are ya doing in my house!.?.!" He roared. Instantly, Sam stopped and turned to him with a wide grin on his face.
"Why good morning, Lars! How are you…this…morning…?" He trailed off as he opened his eyes.
His pupils shrank to nearly nothing when he noticed his crush standing there in just his boxers, hat, and glasses. He was just one article of clothing away from being naked! Sam stood there, mouth agape as he drank in the sight of the older boy. Drool poured out of his mouth like a waterfall while his cheeks had a tinge of red on them. Lars blinked at the younger boy.
"What's your deal, Squid…?"
That was when he looked down. Eyes wide and with a squeak of shock, he covered himself with his arms and jumped behind a large potted plant. Deprived of the treasured sight, Sam blinked and wiped his face. He put on a totally placid face as his heart tried to stop its rumba-like beating.
"Please excuse me for a moment." He said calmly as he turned off the stove. As he nodded, Lars couldn't help but sense a hint of jubilation in his voice. Sam took a deep breath as he walked into the living room.
"YES, YES, YES!.!.!" He cheered as he jumped up and down. "WAHOO!.!.! YEAH BABY YEAH!.!.! THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH!.!.!"
Lars had a freaked out look on his face as Sam screamed in what could only be described as pure, glorious happiness. He blinked at the noise the boy made for some time before finally sighing and shaking his head. He simply didn't want to know. Cursing himself for showing weakness in front of the blond, he made his way back to his room to change.
By the time the brunet was decent and had his teeth brushed, Sam had finally regained his composure. He walked back into the kitchen just as Lars arrived, fully dressed this time. The blond put on a disappointed look when he noticed the older boy's features covered up by that heinous purple shirt. At the same time though, he was thankful that Lars decided to get dressed. There was no way he could've gotten Lars out of the door if he was freaking him out with his gawking and screams of admiration. Sam shook his head at that thought.
'I've been hanging around Otto and Twist way too long…' He gave an inwardly chuckle at that. 'Those two must've affected my hormones somehow…' He then glared at whatever caused that thought to surface. 'But it was Lars, who was nearly naked! Whaddya expect me to do?.! Just act like he's not the sexy god he is!.?.!'
He was about to carry this further when he noticed Lars looking at him strangely. Blushing and clearing his throat, he hurriedly went back to cooking. After a few moments, he placed a fair amount of scrambled eggs, two pancakes, and three sausages on the plates, which were situated across from each other. Sam also put some pieces of toast on a plate between them, as well as butter and jelly. After pouring some orange juice into the glasses, he sat down and stuffed part of a napkin down his shirt. As he prepared to eat, he looked up and saw Lars, who still had that strange look of confusion on his face. Giving him a gentle smile, Sam gestured towards the empty seat in front of him.
"Well? Sit down. You don't want your breakfast to get cold, do you?"
Blinking, the brunet moved to the table and sat. Still finding it hard to believe that Sam did this, he grabbed his fork and knife and slowly started to eat. Meanwhile, Sam was eating happily. His grin was evident, even while he chewed. It brought him joy to sit there, eating with his crush. It was almost as if it was a date. And catching the older boy in his underwear was the icing on the cake. Sam was in Heaven.
Soon, he looked up and noticed how slow Lars was eating.
"Are you alright?" He asked, making him lift up his head in shock. "I hope the food's not bad." He put on a frown, which Lars immediately noticed.
"Erm… No, the food's fine!" The brunet replied quickly, not wanting to insult him. He took several bites of his eggs to prove his point. "It's just that it's kinda weird to see ya here. Where's my mom and dad at? And…" He stayed silent as if trying to hear something. However, no sound passed through their ears aside from birds chirping outside. "Where are Rocket Dork and the shrimp? They're usually doing it by now."
Sam chuckled in a mixture of nervousness and mischievousness. "Well you see I, shall we say, persuaded Otto and Twister to go out earlier than usual today."
°°Flashback°°
"Out, out, out!.!.!" Sam's voice was heard yelling as the front door of the house was thrown open. He then walked out, dragging Otto and Twister, who were barely dressed, by the arm. The two redheads were struggling against the blond's grip. Surprisingly, Sam was holding them tight and didn't seem to be letting up. It was a well known fact that Otto and Twister were way stronger than him. If anyone actually saw this scene, the two lovers would be very embarrassed.
"Whaddya think you're doing, Squid!.?.!" Otto demanded.
"Yeah! This is my house!" Twister agreed. "Let go already!"
"Not a chance! This is my opportunity to be with my future husband and you two aren't going to ruin it!" Sam stood them up and brought his right foot back. "So take a hike!"
With that, his foot collided with both of their backsides and the couple was punted several feet in the air. They both landed on the street. Standing and rubbing their sore butts, they looked on in confusion as the blond dusted his hands off before shutting the front door. Blinking, they turned to each other.
"So, we do it at your place?" Twister asked. Otto smirked at him as he grabbed his hand.
"But of course!"
They both giggled as they ran to the shorter redhead's house.
°°End Flashback°°
Lars sat there, gaping at Sam in astonishment. He just did what the brunet had always wished he could do ever since Otto and Twister got together!
"You didn't!" He finally shouted with a wide grin. Sam gave him a bashful smile.
"Well, yeah I did…" He said with a chuckle.
"Yes!.!.!" Lars pumped his fist as he laughed. "Oh man! I wish I was up for that! I woulda grabbed the little brat's camera and taped every moment! Tchahahahahaha!.!.!"
He had to admit, Sam would make a fine Laser! …Well, if Lars was still one… But that didn't matter anymore! Those three could jump off a cliff for all he cared! Getting them out of his mind, he turned to Sam.
"Next time ya do something like that, wake me up first, will ya? I wanna see the looks on their faces!" He laughed again. Sam happily joined in. The two carried on for a few moments before the younger one spoke.
"As for your parents, they were leaving when I came over. They told me to help myself to anything in the kitchen. So after I took care of Otto and Twister, I decided to make us some breakfast." He grinned.
"Heh, ya didn't have to."
"I wanted to Lars." Sam said truthfully. He looked down with a blush on his face. "I'd do anything to make you happy…" He added under his breath. Lars raised an eyebrow at him. He had heard that perfectly. Just what was that supposed to mean!.?
Ignoring that moment of weirdness, the two went back to eating. In next to no time at all, they cleaned their plates down to the very last crumb. Nearly all of the butter and jelly was used up in the boys' toast. As Sam washed the dishes, Lars was patting his belly with a satisfied smile.
"Man Squid, that was awesome!" He complimented. "Where'd ya learn to cook like that!.?"
Sam blushed at that and stuttered. "W-w-w-well, I took a c-c-cooking class l-l-last year…" He chuckled bashfully.
The truth was he begged his mother to teach him how to cook on the off chance he ever got this close to his crush. Giving her son a strange look, Paula decided to enroll him in her two week cooking course. Big mistake. Every time they attempted to cook even the simplest dish, some kind of disaster would occur. For example, they tried to cook a pizza three days into the course. Long story short, the whole place filled up with dough. To this day, the house still reeks of yeast! A couple of times, the dish would be completed perfectly, but then it would catch on fire. Until just a week ago, Sam was considered a grade A health hazard. As it turned out, the only thing he can cook right is breakfast.
While Sam dried his hands, Lars stood and stretched.
"Well that was the best breakfast I've had in a long time." He groaned as he stretched his back. The blond couldn't help but grin toothily at the comment. "So what are we supposed to do to get me used to these things on my face?"
"Hmmm?" Sam blinked and shook his head. "Oh right! Ummm…" He scratched his head in confusion. He didn't think he'd actually get this far, but there was no turning back now. "Maybe we can work on your coordination. How about we go to Mad Town?"
"Can't."
The lighter skinned boy raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Lars shrugged. "Got banned for a week. Don't ask." He added when he saw the other's strange look. "Just don't."
"Ok…" Sam said weirdly. He held his chin as he tried to think of something. He soon snapped his fingers and turned to him with a grin. "How about we go surfing?.!"
"S-s-s-surfing…?" The taller one gulped. The blond nodded.
"Yeah! If we can't go to Mad Town, we might as well do the next best thing. If we do some basic moves and drills, you should be able to improve both your coordination and ability to judge distances."
Lars nodded shakily. The memory of what happened with his former gang three days ago at the beach haunted him. As soon as he gets in the water, he won't be able to see a thing. Then he'll get destroyed by the merciless waves. He was shaking at the thought, which Sam noticed immediately. He quickly ran around the table and grabbed the brunet's shoulders.
"Are you ok!.?" He asked, clearly scared for him.
"Huh?" Lars blinked and shook his head. He then gave Sam a glower. "Yeah, I'm fine Squid! Let's go already!"
He stormed over to his room to grab his surfboard. As he went down the hall, Sam followed his movements with a curious look that was full of worry. Lars was spooked, pure and simple. But of what? He certainly couldn't be scared of surfing, could he? If anyone, the blond one should be afraid of surfing! He put on a determined look. Whatever Lars' deal was, he was going to help him out! Anything to prove himself to the brunet!
Lars soon reemerged, carrying his surfboard under his arm. He was also wearing his swimming trunks instead of his usual shorts. That was when Sam realized a very important fact. They were going to the beach, so he'd be able to see Lars' strong chest again! It took everything he had not to grin at the revelation. Again, the brunet gave him a strange look, to which Sam made up an excuse. Again wondering what he was getting himself into, he left the house with the other boy. After stopping at Sam's place to grab his own board and swimming trunks, they left to the beach.
During the walk down the steep hill, Lars nearly tripped on cracks in the sidewalks or garden hoses, as well as other things. Thankfully, Sam was there to catch him every time. Whenever he noticed Lars losing his balance, he instinctively dropped his board and grabbed his arm. A couple of times, he even put his arms around the older boy's waist. In those situations, the two would look at each other, then turn away with strong blushes on their faces before straightening up, grabbing their boards, and going on their way again.
The reason for his tripping was of course due to his glasses, but also because he was busy thinking. Throughout the entire trip, he prayed to himself that no one he knew would be at the beach. He didn't want to deal with his former crew nor listen to Otto and Twister bust on him. It would've been way too embarrassing, especially if they asked him what he was doing with Squid. Also, he wished for the whole place to be full of shoobies. If the beach was full of tourists, he wouldn't have to worry about making a complete fool of himself in front of the blond.
Speaking of whom, why'd he care about what this kid would say about him? He could just beat him to kingdom come anytime he wanted to. In fact, why was he hanging around him in the first place? And why was he smiling so much for? Did he actually want to be seen with this twerp? Lars shrugged. Better than tripping all over the house and being alone. Besides, he made breakfast for him. None of his other friends would ever do that for him. He smiled as he looked at Sam. It seemed that he had the boy figured out all wrong. Despite the fact he was one of the dorks that beats him in most hockey matches, he actually wasn't so bad to hang out with. He couldn't believe what he was thinking, but Sam was kinda cool a-a-and cute and…
"Well, here we are!" Sam called, jarring Lars from his thoughts. The brunet blinked and sighed, glad that he wasn't able to finish that final thought. He had no idea where it came from and just wanted to stop thinking about the subject.
The pair looked around themselves. They were standing at the beginning of the beach. Behind them stood Mad Town, which was full of its usual activity. Unfortunately for Lars, there wasn't a single shoobie in sight on the beach. In fact, save for Tice the lifeguard, they practically had the whole place to themselves. He inwardly cursed his bad luck. He'd have to actually go through with this. He could back out and go home, but he felt he owed Sam for that delicious breakfast, so he stayed. Thankfully, the rest of the twerps and his former crew weren't around to see him. That knowledge took some of the pressure off him.
"C'mon." Sam said, grabbing his hand.
"Hey!" Lars yelped when he felt himself being pulled towards the rental shop under the Shore Shack. "Where are ya taking me now?"
The blond looked back with a smile. "Well, we gotta secure our clothes while we surf, right?"
"Uhhh… Right…" The brunet blinked at him.
Normally, he'd put his shirt, shoes, change of shorts, and anything he might be carrying in a plastic shopping bag and leave it alone. He knew that no one would dare try to steal from him or any of the Lasers. …But now that he wasn't even in the gang anymore, would his stuff be safe?
"So we're gonna get you a locker to put your stuff in! Don't worry; Mr. Rocket won't have any problems with it." He added when Lars tried to resist.
Sighing sadly, he allowed the blond to drag him to the rental shop. Strangely, it was open despite the fact that no one was around. Ignoring this fact, the duo entered the back room, which was used for storage and apparently for changing. At one end of the room were several shelves full of boxes. Presumably, there were spare skates, shoes, and other kinds of gear in them. On the other side were a couple of benches. Behind them were the lockers, which were red in color. They looked like the kind you'd find in a school's changing room. A few of them were marked with the names of Sam and his friends.
The teens walked over to the benches and leaned their boards against the wall. Facing away from each other, they peeled off their shirts and took off their shoes and socks. When Lars was finished, he opened the locker closest to him (which was Twister's) and put away his clothes, wallet, and keys. After closing it, he turned to see a very welcome sight.
Sam stood before him, wearing just his shorts and glasses. He looked just as Lars had envisioned. His chest was hard and tanned evenly unlike so many years ago. His stomach was so flat and smooth, you can balance a house of cards on it and it would never tumble even the slightest! In other words, he was beautiful. The brunet's face went red while his jaw hung off his face. It took everything he had not to take him into his arms.
Sam, meanwhile, was grinning toothily. He didn't think that Lars would react so strongly to seeing him without a shirt on. The brunet was clearly impressed, either by the fact that he's improved in looks over the years or that he was good-looking was hard to tell. He blinked when he realized that maybe he had a chance with his crush after all. His grin widened.
'Wait until I tell Reggie this!' He thought, laughing inwardly. It'd feel so good to finally prove them all wrong. Humming a happy tune to himself, he took a good look at the older boy's gaping expression before slamming his locker door shut. The sound brought Lars back to reality. He shook his head in confusion.
"Huh? What happened…?" He said, wiping the drool off his mouth.
"C'mon!" Sam shouted, grabbing his hand as he ran past him. "We got waves to catch!" He grabbed his board.
"Woah!" The brunet yelped, barely grabbing his own surfboard.
The blond dragged Lars out of the rental shop and through the beach. Ignoring the burning sand and the other boy's pained shouts, he kept running until he was at the shoreline. Finally letting go of the panting brunet, Sam stuck the tail end of his board in the sand and admired the waves. When Lars caught his breath, he dropped his board and stood up. His body was reddened due to the hot sand. He was about to yell at the blond when he gasped.
The waves looked crisp and pristine. They were also tall and frequent, clear signs of a swell. Lars would be out there faster than a fish out of water. …If he wasn't terrified. The memory of the first time he went surfing with his glasses on came back in full force. He gulped at the huge swell. He really wanted to back out of this, but he was compelled to stay. He wasn't quite sure if it was because he owed Sam or because he had the strangest desire to see water drip from those tanned abs. Eyes widening again, he shook his head to rid himself of the blush he was getting.
Sam on the other hand was surprisingly excited at all the glassy waves. He didn't know what came over him. Normally, he'd be afraid in situations like this although he's become a much better surfer over the years. This time, however, he was strangely calm, but there was something more. It felt like a flame was burning inside him and if he didn't get in that water as soon as possible, he'd turn to a pile of ashes. He smiled as he idly wondered if this is what Otto, Twister, and Reggie feel just before they go surfing. But still, the reason for this excitement eluded him.
That was when he faced Lars. The sight of the taller boy standing beside him shirtless gave him a warm feeling inside (and a stiff feeling somewhere else). Immediately, he became even more anxious. He blinked when he realized the reason for his excitement was because he was with Lars. The very presence of the brunet was enough to give him the strength to do anything. He grinned as he picked up his huge surfboard.
"Let's get started!" He said, running into the water. He got on the board and paddled out. Lars blinked after him and picked up his board.
"Yo! Wait for me, Squid!" He shouted, following. When he got on his board, he paddled after the blond.
As he started to catch up to Sam, water droplets from the waves rained on his glasses, obstructing his view slightly. He gritted his teeth as he fought to see the boy in front of him. Things were becoming blurry fast as more and more droplets splashed. After paddling over a small wave, he shook his head in an attempt to remove the water. That didn't help much. The drops just moved in random directions, causing lines and streaks to appear, making it even harder to see.
"Gah!" He cursed. "Damn water…"
"Hey Lars!" Sam called, looking back. "Are you alright?"
"Ugh…" The brunet shook his head again and faced the dot in front of him. "Yeah!" He answered with an unsure tone. Sam gave him a curious look when a shadow loomed over him. He turned and saw a huge wave approaching.
"Ok! Here we go!" He said, turning his board around.
The wave soon picked up his board. He quickly stood up and guided the board along the bottom of it, allowing him to coast along the surface of the water before moving upwards into the crest of the wave. He started to shift his weight around, allowing him to do some figure eights in the wave. That was when he saw Lars, who had yet to sit on his board. Eyes widening, he cupped his hands over his mouth.
"Lars! Get on your board!"
"Wha?.?.?" Lars looked around himself, but it was useless. The water completely overtook his glasses. "Wh-where's the wave!.?" He panicked. He moved his hands in front of him, trying to figure out where to move, but that was difficult when the world resembled a bunch of melted wax.
"It's in front of you!" Sam shouted. "Get on your board before the wave—"
°SPLASH!.!.!°
"—Hits you…" He finished with a cringe.
The wave had just slammed into Lars, bringing him under. Sam kicked out, just barely avoiding wiping out himself, and paddled over to where Lars' board was floating. When he reached the green board, the brunet resurfaced and spat out a stream of water.
"You ok, Lars?" The blond asked as Lars got on his board…backwards.
"Hell no!" The other boy shouted. He took off his glasses and soaked them in the water. After rinsing them, he put them back on. There were still some streaks, but at least he was able to see. He turned towards Sam and sighed, bowing his head when he saw the sad expression on his face. "Sorry Squid… I shoulda said something before. I can't see anything when water gets in my lenses."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you ask your mom to get you waterproof lenses?"
Lars glared at him. "Waterproof lenses!.?.!"
The shorter boy gulped. "Y-y-yeah… After my very first time surfing, I got my mom to take my glasses and get them fixed so that they can be worn in water."
The brunet slapped his head in exasperation. "And I bet it's mad expensive to get mine fixed, huh?"
"Most likely yeah." Sam nodded. Lars growled in response. The blond put a hand to his chin. There had to be some way to help out his crush. His eyes brightened as he snapped his fingers. "I got it!"
"What?" Lars asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We can take you to get some sports goggles for when you're out here!"
"Oh yeah?" The other boy gave him a skeptical look. "Where?"
"Follow me!"
With that, Sam grabbed Lars' hand and paddled with his other hand so fast, you'd think he was a motorboat in a past life! When they got back ashore, the blond pulled him back into the changing room. After getting into their normal clothes (and getting some tissues for Sam's strangely bloody nose), the younger boy dragged Lars up the hill. The whole trip, the brunet wondered where he got so much energy from. He also wondered why he wasn't suffering from an asthma attack.
In reality, however, Sam was feeling a bit lightheaded, not to mention his breathing quickened considerably. His body felt heavy as they neared the peak of the hill. When they finally reached the top, Sam knelt, let go of Lars' hand, and desperately grabbed his sports inhaler. Lars gave him a look of extreme worry as he watched the boy take several puffs.
"Squid!" He yelled, kneeling beside him. He put his hand on the other's back and rubbed it. "You alright!.?"
Sam took several deep breaths before finally letting go of his inhaler. "Y-y-yeah… I'm fine…" He panted. "Just…need to…catch…my breath…"
"Whew…" The brunet sighed with relief. He then glared at him. "Don't you ever do that again! What if ya didn't have your inhaler with ya!.? Ya coulda died or something! Promise me!"
"O-o-o-ok Lars…" The blond said, looking down. Instinctively, Lars hugged the other boy and held him close to him.
"Sorry Squid, but ya had me worried there for a minute."
Sam was blushing profusely. He was trying his best not to grin against the other's chest. Lars was actually worried about him! He returned the embrace happily. He didn't want the moment to end, but eventually Lars questioned his actions and let go of him as if he was a prickly cactus. He cleared his throat and stood up. There was a bit of a blush on his face as he helped Sam up.
"Ok. We're here. What now?"
"Huh? Oh yeah!" Sam took his hand again and guided him towards his house. "My mom should be home. We can ask her to take us."
Lars blinked at him. "Take us where?"
The blond only smirked at him. "You'll see."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After much begging and arguing, Sam got his mother to drive him and Lars to their destination. Paula gave a smile when she saw the two boys sitting in the backseat. Sam had told her months ago that he was in love with the brunet. She idly wondered if they got together yet. That was answered though when she saw them sitting at opposite ends of the car. Lars was looking out the window deep in thought. He occasionally looked in Sam's direction before looking out the window again. Sam on the other hand, kept his eyes on the older boy the entire time. The only time he looked away was whenever Lars caught his stare.
Paula inwardly giggled at the sight as she pulled out of the driveway and drove off. If they ever admitted their feelings for the other, they'd make a really cute couple. At least they wouldn't be as…frisky as Otto and Twister are. There was no way she could stand that happening in her house. If anything, she'd rent them a hotel room and let them settle their hormones there. She smiled at the reflection of her son in the rearview mirror. She had a feeling they'd be together a very long time if not forever. She just hoped his crush would take good care of him. She was well aware of his reputation after all. But by the looks of things, he was a nice boy. When he wasn't around those three hooligans, that is.
Soon, they got on the highway. Switching her view between the mirror and the road, she noticed Lars' glasses. It was amazing how similar they looked to Sam's. It was almost as if they were brothers. She had heard from Sandy that the brunet was wearing glasses to treat his tired eyes, but she never told her how he wound up with those glasses. You'd think if he had a choice, he'd pick something different for his frames.
She shrugged as she neared their exit. Maybe he really did love Sam so much he decided to wear the exact same glasses as he does. …That or he was forced into it. Most likely the latter. After all, Sandy also told her that Otto and Twister came with them. They probably pulled some kind of prank. She silently thanked the two redheads as she pulled into a huge parking lot. She thanked them for bringing the two boys together. For giving Sam a chance to interact with the boy of his dreams and to confess his feelings. As she parked the car and turned off the ignition, she hoped that her son wouldn't waste this opportunity. He did seem to be off to a good start though.
Everyone got out of the car and looked at where Sam wanted to go. Lars turned to his blond companion and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Wal-Mart? You brought us to Wal-Mart?"
"Yep!" Sam gave him a grin. "There's an optometry place in there that should have what we're looking for. Come on."
The blond walked on ahead. Shrugging at each other, Lars and Paula followed closely. When they got inside, the cool air conditioning gave the trio some relief from the blazing heat outside. Grabbing his hand for the millionth time that day, Sam dragged Lars over to the optometry department which was close to the exit. It was a little alcove that had various frames decorating the walls. In the front of it were many eye care products ranging from glasses cleaners to cleaning cloths to sunglass attachments. Lars walked inside to have a look around. Sam was about to follow when Paula stopped him.
"Sammy," She whispered. "Are you sure about this?"
"About what, Mom?" He turned to her with a strange look.
"I mean Lars."
"Oh don't worry Mom." He gave her a reassuring look. "Things'll work out. You'll see."
"If you say so, Sammy." She said, letting Sam walk over to Lars. She sighed to herself. "I just hope you know what you're doing."
As she walked in and joined the boys, a tall man in a white lab coat approached them.
"Hello there!" He greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for some sports goggles for my friend here." Sam replied, gesturing to Lars.
"Ah, I'm afraid they can't be bought causally." The man said, turning to Lars. "In order to make a pair of goggles, we'll have to take your glasses and look at their lenses. After that, we can make you a pair in no time at all."
The brunet looked at Sam as if questioning what he should do. The blond nodded at him. Lars returned the nod before turning back to the man.
"Alright." He said, taking off his glasses. "Do what ya gotta do." He handed them over to the man.
"Very well." The man took the glasses and walked towards a back room. "They should be ready in about an hour."
With that, he closed the door to the room, leaving the trio alone.
"So what do we do til then?" Sam asked.
"There's not much I can do." Lars answered with a shrug. "I can't see a foot in front of me without my glasses on, remember?"
"Oh yeah…" The blond snapped his fingers. "Then I'll guide you around while we wait for your goggles to be ready!"
Lars chuckled. "What? You're gonna be my seeing eye Squid?"
Sam grinned at the joke. "Yeah! Why not?"
"Meh, better than sitting here bored to death." The brunet held out his hand. "Ok, take me away."
"Glad to." He said with a sultry voice. Both he and Lars blushed when they felt Paula's eyes on them. They both gave the woman a very unconvincing grin. Or at least Sam did. Lars was smiling at a picture of a blonde woman wearing glasses. Paula rolled her eyes.
"Come on. I have to buy some things anyway." She said, walking out of the area. "And I need some big strong men to help me carry them all."
"Hey! I'm handicapped! Don't I get any kind of a break!.?" Lars joked.
"Believe me, I don't think she'd care even if you had a broken leg." Sam said, taking his hand.
For the first time, he looked at the right person as he gave the shorter boy a weirded out look.
"And she's supposed to be overprotective?"
Sam shrugged. "Not when it comes to shopping apparently."
"Terrific…" Lars slapped his head as the blond pulled him towards Paula.
And so, the trio shopped around the store. They bought all sorts of things. Sun hats, shirts, pants, dresses, and food (at discount prices no doubt!). They even got the new Harry Potter book and some video games. Thankfully, they got a cart to carry it all in. The whole time, Sam had a huge grin on his face. The thought holding the hand of a helpless Lars and guiding him around was so cute and yet so sweet that several times, he busted out laughing. When everyone around him, including Lars, stared at him strangely, he just cleared his throat and moved on.
A blush was on his face the whole time. He simply loved pulling his crush around. The feeling of Lars' hand clasped around his own was simply electrifying. Many times he felt he could faint at the contact. Of course, in most of those instances, Lars wound up crashing into a display or a shelf. As soon as he recovered from the collision, he would hiss at Sam, who immediately apologized, only to bump the brunet into something else and repeat the process.
By the time the hour was up, Lars had bruises on his arms and a splitting headache, not to mention he was dizzy. He was grateful when the blond took him back to the optometry department. The man that assisted them earlier was waiting with Lars' glasses in hand. He was also holding what appeared to be a case of sorts. He handed the boy his glasses. Lars hurriedly put them back on. When everything came back into focus, he backed away from Sam and glared at him.
"Never again, Squid! Ya hear me!.? Never again!"
"I said sorry, didn't I!.?.!" Sam shot back.
"Like I care! I'm not going through that ever again!"
"Oh yeah!.?"
"Yeah!"
As they argued, the man in the lab coat walked over to Paula, who had a tearful smile on her face.
"Erm… Shouldn't we break them up?" The former asked.
"There's no need. They're just having a lovers' spat." The latter replied.
"Ohhhhh…" The man nodded, turning towards the boys.
"How about next time, I yank your glasses off your face and drag you around the store for an hour? How would ya like that, huh!.?.!" Lars roared.
"Actually, that'd be just heavenly…" Sam said lovingly. He took off his glasses and handed them towards his crush. "Can we do that right now?"
"…" Blushing and blinking in confusion, the taller boy shook his head and turned to the (what he presumed to be) doctor. "So are my goggles ready?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. They're right here." He said, presenting the case to Lars. The brunet took it and opened it. Inside was a pair of clear goggles. Stuck to it was a purple band.
'Hmmm… Nice style. Let's see if they work.' He thought as he took off his glasses and replaced them with the goggles. He blinked and smiled as everything came into focus. Sam pumped his fist in triumph.
"Yes! I can still see!" Lars shouted. He then held his chin. "I wonder if it's really—"
°SPLASH!°
He spat out water. "—Waterproof…" Dripping wet, he glared at the laughing adults. They only pointed at Sam, who had a guilty look on his face. "Did you just do what I think you did?"
"Maybe." The blond said with a devilish smirk as he pulled out another water balloon. Lars gritted his teeth.
"Squid, when I get through with you, I'm gonna…!" He trailed off when he realized that he could still see. There weren't any streaks or droplets. The water just slid right off! "Hey! It really works! Even if I get wet, I can still—"
°SPLASH!°
"—See…" Again, he glared at Sam, who only laughed. Lars growled and ran towards him. "Squid!.!.!" Sam looked up and gasped.
"Yipe!" He yelped as he ran for it. Lars gave chase, following him all over the department.
"Squid! You better pray I don't catch you 'cause you won't live long enough to even feel pain!"
The shorter boy could only keep up his laughter as the chase continued. Sam smirked as he swerved around the many chairs in the area. He looked back and marveled at how Lars followed his movements perfectly. He didn't even crash once. The blond then made a sharp left turn at a wall and kept moving. Lars' eyes widened then turned into a glower as he skidded in order to drift into a left turn. Thankfully for Paula and the doctor, the maneuver worked. The brunet cleared the wall perfectly and finally caught up to Sam. He managed to corner his prey. Sam was still smiling even as Lars, bent on destroying the boy, crept ever closer.
"Any last words, Squid?" He growled out.
"Yes." Sam answered, sticking out his hand. "Congratulations!"
Lars stopped his advance and gave him a confused look. "Wha?.?.?"
Grinning, the other boy took his hand and shook. "You did it!"
"Uhhh… Did what?"
"You managed to keep up with me despite me weaving and bobbing like that!"
"So?"
"So you mastered your coordination!"
Lars' eyes brightened at that. "Hey that's right! I guess I did!"
"Yep!"
"Yes! Thanks a lot Squid!" Lars shouted, giving the other boy a bear hug.
"Ack!"
"I couldn't have done it without ya!" The brunet continued, shaking the blond like a rag doll. "Thank you so much!"
Meanwhile, Sam was getting blue in the face. He was struggling to breathe.
"Lars…! Air…! Must breathe to live…!" He sputtered.
"Huh?" Lars blinked and looked down. "Oh!" He dropped Sam, who greedily took in air. "Sorry about that! You ok?"
"Ugh… Yeah, I'm fine…" He said, standing up.
After the blond caught his breath, the trio paid for the sports goggles and left to pay for everything else they bought. Lars no longer tripped and bumped into everything in his path, so there was no need for him to lean on Sam or rely on him to catch him. Naturally, Sam was bummed by this development, but soon shrugged it off. After all, the only thing that mattered to him was Lars' happiness, and as long as he was able to see and be happy, he didn't care if he couldn't hold his beloved for a small moment.
Once they got everything packed in the car, they left for Ocean Shores. During the entire ride, Lars couldn't stop looking at Sam with a wide grin. It was clear that he was stoked and joyous at the acquisition of the sports goggles. They looked great and he was able to see, even after being soaked in water! He grinned in anticipation. He couldn't wait to go to the beach and truly test 'em out! He really had to pay back the blond for all his kindness.
But how?
He shrugged. He'll figure it out soon enough. In the meantime, he really wanted to be close to the younger boy. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and scooted over until he was sitting next to Sam, who was looking out the window. Sam felt the weight shift and looked to his right. He grinned when he saw Lars next to him.
"Hey, I hope ya don't mind me sitting here." He said as he buckled the middle seatbelt around his waist. Sam blushed and stuttered.
"N-n-n-not a-a-a-at all…" He replied. "B-b-b-be my guest…"
"Cool." Lars simply said, leaning back. Sam's face was completely red. His crush was actually sitting next to him! It took everything he had not to scream for joy. Paula looked back and smirked at them knowingly. It'd only be a matter of time before they proclaim their love for each other.
The ride ended all too soon for Sam when they reached the cul-de-sac. As everyone got out and began to take the bags into the house, they noticed it was starting to get dark. The boys frowned at this. There was no way they can get down to the beach before the sun sets.
"Aw man…" Sam sulked as he walked towards the front door.
"Hey, it's no big deal, Squid." Lars reassured, following him into the house. "We'll just have to get down there first thing in the morning."
Sam smiled. "You mean it!.?"
Lars nodded. "You know I do."
"Yeah! I can't wait!"
The brunet chuckled. "Yeah. Just don't give me any more surprises tomorrow, alright?"
The trio laughed at that.
After getting everything put away, Lars decided it was time to get home. Paula offered him to stay and have dinner with them. Unfortunately for Sam, he respectfully declined. He didn't want his parents to worry about him. Not wanting to lose his crush so easily, Sam decided to walk him home. Lars gave him a strange look. They were only a few feet away. But he just couldn't say no to such a good friend.
The brunet blinked at that. Friend? Sam was his friend? He smiled at the boy as they walked out of the house and over to his. Yeah, the blond was acting a little weird, but he was Lars' friend. Perhaps the one true friend he's ever had. As they walked up the stairs to the house, he wondered if they could be anything more. He blushed at the thought. While he thought the younger teen was cute, he wanted to take this one step at a time. Still though… He just couldn't get the boy out of his mind. He was slowly beginning to accept that he wanted him as more than a friend. He wanted Sam as a…as a…
"Uhhh… Lars?" The blond interrupted his thoughts. "We're here."
"What?" Lars turned and found himself just inches away from bumping into the door. Blinking, he backed away and turned to Sam, who was snickering. He glowered at him. "You got some nerve, Squid."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Sam replied, trying to calm himself down. "But that was so funny! Hahahahahahaha!.!.!"
Lars rolled his eyes and started to chuckle himself. Soon, the two boys launched into a fit of loud laughter. They leaned against each other for support as they tried to stop themselves. After a few minutes, they finally calmed down. They looked at each other as they tried to catch their breaths. Lars smiled at the other boy. Sam looked really beautiful in the light of the setting sun. The light combined with the mixed colors of the sky gave him an almost holy aura. That's exactly what the blond boy was; an angel. A perfect being meant only for him.
"So… I guess this is good night then…?" Sam said, breaking into his thoughts again. Lars gave him a playful glare.
"You really know how to ruin a guy's fantasies, huh Squid?"
"Wha?" The blond said, eyes widening at that. Lars sighed exasperatedly.
"I'll see ya tomorrow, alright?"
"Yeah… Good night." Sam said reluctantly. He really didn't want the other boy to leave him. Not so soon.
"Good night…"
That was when Lars surprised both Sam and himself. He closed his eyes and leaned forward. Sam's eyes went as wide as saucers when he noticed the teen pucker his lips. He stood stock frozen as Lars planted a soft, tender kiss on his left cheek. As he pulled away, both of them were completely red. Without a single word, Lars opened the front door, went inside, and closed it shut. Sam's eyes were still wide as he felt his cheek, which was still warm from the brunet's kiss.
"H-h-he kissed me…" He said slowly. "Lars actually kissed ME!"
He ran down the stairs, laughing like a maniac.
"Lars kissed ME!.!.!" He screamed, running into the house.
The rest of the night passed with Sam laughing like a loon at what had transpired. His mother asked him what happened, but all she got was a garbled response. That was when she came to the only logical conclusion. It must've happened. It really happened. She wanted to congratulate her son, but he was simply too energetic to even talk to.
Lars on the other hand was completely questioning his move. He honestly had no clue where that came from! He didn't know how it came about or how it happened. All he did know was that he sorely wanted to do it again, and not just on the cheek. He didn't know why. He didn't know how. He just knew he wanted to kiss the blond again.
Both boys went to sleep that night dreaming of the other. Different scenarios in which Lars professed his love for Sam played through the blond's mind in addition to dreams of the brunet kissing him again. Meanwhile, in Lars mind, different scenes of him kissing the other boy on more than just the cheek played over and over again.
As the two lay in their separate beds, wide grins played on their lips.