if Larry was honest, there was one thing he hated about his relationship with Sal, kissing. he hated it, simply for the fact he'd never actually kissed Sal, just his mask and Larry honestly hated that. he'd seen Sal's face before, but any attempt at physical contact without Sal's mask on, was rejected by the smaller boy. it was like he really thought Larry would only love him with that stupid mask. Larry had a plan, today he was going to kiss the real Sal. he grinned as he all but ran by Sal, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away from their friends.
"I uh, guess I'll talk to you later Ash." Sal said, waiving. Ashley laughed and watched Larry drag him away. Larry pulled Sal into one of the bathrooms, pulling him all the way to the last stall before pushing him in and locking the stall behind him. "uh, Larry? something you want to talk about?" Sal ask confusedly. Larry frowned slightly.
"you know, yeah actually there is. we've been dating how long?" Larry ask.
"uh... somewhere around five or six months... why?" Sal ask. Larry nodded.
"right five or six months... so... I have to know, do you trust me?" Larry ask, pulling Sal to him. now Sal was worried.
"uh... yeah... I mean it depends... I still don't trust you to drive again." Sal replied.
"very funny, but in this moment, all seriousness I need to know you fully trust me. just for one minute." Larry said. Sal, realizing how serious Larry was, nodded quickly.
"yeah I trust you with my life." Sal said. "is something wrong?" Sal ask. Larry shook his head.
"no." Larry muttered. in one quick move he undid the bottom of Sal's mask and pushed it up, but Sal was quicker and pushed his hands off, turning away to cover his face.
"what the hell!?" Sal hissed.
"you said you trusted me." Larry replied.
"wh-why would you do that?" Sal ask in a softer voice. Larry pulled him back to his chest.
"I wanted to kiss you." Larry replied.
"you kiss me all the time!" Sal shouted.
"no, I kiss your mask. I wanted to kiss you. you know, where you can actually feel it." Larry said. he let Sal go and stepped back.
"I already told you, I don't want you to do that. I don't want you to feel my face, at all, in anyway. you can see it but you can't feel it and you can't see it at school!" Sal glared. Larry could see the hurt in his eye's. "if you love me you'll respect that." Sal added. Larry fixed him with a blank stare.
"I was just trying to show you that I actually love you and not that mask. I wanted to show you that you deserve to feel a real kiss, that you deserve to live your life like a normal teenager. if you loved me you'd trust me enough to show you that you are still human. that you deserve to feel as well." Larry hissed. "guess we don't love each other as much as we thought." Larry said, his shoulders falling as he turned and walked out of the bathroom stall. Sal stared after him. did they just... break up? over a stupid kiss?
"thats not fair Larry! and you know it!" Sal shouted.
"whats not fair is you don't trust me enough to show you how much I really love you and I want to stick around and earn that trust, but I don't want to have to love something thats not you. it just a piece of plastic and I don't love plastic. don't get me wrong, your adorable with or without it, but I didn't sign up to love your mask." Larry replied, walking out of the bathroom. he headed for the front doors, intent on walking home. he ignored their friends, who appeared to have heard the whole thing, and stormed out of the school.
"I'll go after him, you two, check on Sal." Ashley said, running off after Larry. Todd and Neil walked into the bathroom.
"Sal?" Todd ask.
"go away." Sal muttered. they walked into the bathroom and saw Sal hugging his knee's in one of the stalls. they walked over and knelt beside him.
"what happened?" Neil ask.
"we broke up." Sal muttered.
"we heard." Neil replied.
"because I didn't want him to kiss me. instead of this stupid mask." Sal sighed.
"it's okay Sal, come on, let's go get some ice cream." Todd said. they pulled Sal up and led him out of the school.
Larry stormed home.
"hey! what the hell is your problem?!" Ashley shouted.
"go the hell away." Larry hissed.
"why would you do that to him?" Ashley ask. Larry ignored her so she grabbed his arm and pulled him backwards. "get back here. what the hell is wrong with you!?" Ashley hissed.
"whats wrong with me? he wants me to love that stupid mask and not the real him! I just want to love him! he won't let me! fine!" Larry glared and headed into the apartment. Ashley followed him until he locked the door to his apartment. he locked his bedroom door and headed for the tree house. he wanted to love Sal, the real Sal.
after a couple hours Larry woke slightly to someone entering the tree house. the bottle in his hand clattered to the floor as he sat up. it was Sal, of course it was Sal. Larry gave a drunk grumble, catching Sal's attention.
"why are you in here?" Larry slurred.
"because I knew you'd be here." Sal said. "and we need to talk." Sal added.
"I'm sorry." Larry muttered.
"so am I... I didn't mean to... t'snap." Sal sighed.
"neither did I." Larry sighed. "I didn't want to upset you." Larry muttered.
"I shouldn't have reacted like that. I knew eventually that day would come." Sal said.
"hmm? what day?" Larry ask.
"the day you'd be tired of my mask." Sal sighed. "you see my face all the time." Sal murmured, sitting beside Larry. he grabbed the bottle from him, tossing his mask aside. he lifted the bottle to his own lips. "don't know why you'd want to touch it though." Sal sighed, taking another drink.
"because I love you." Larry replied.
"yeah you say that. but I don't know why." Sal said, lifting the bottle again. Larry grabbed the bottle from Sal.
"stop drinking." Larry muttered.
"says the alcoholic." Sal said, watching Larry down the rest of the bottle.
"I've got a reason to drink and not a big one to live." Larry replied. Sal looked over at him. "besides your anti-depressants say you shouldn't drink alcohol while using them." Larry added.
"I stopped taking those. I was happy with you." Sal replied. Larry looked over at him.
"really?" Larry ask. Sal nodded and leaned over him and hugged him tightly.
"I do trust you, for what it's worth. I'm just scared." Sal sighed.
"why?" Larry ask.
"last time I kissed someone, they left. said my lips felt weird because of the scars." Sal replied.
"you know I wouldn't leave you. you're all I have." Larry said. Sal looked at him, plopped himself into Larry's lap, and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Larry's. it was an odd sensation, his lips were warm but chapped and the kiss only lasted a second. Sal pulled back and looked at him. "you should try chap stick." Larry chuckled. Sal looked away slightly. Larry pulled him closer and kissed him deeply. Sal was hesitant, almost refusing to give into the kiss, but did eventually kiss back. Larry pulled back and smiled at him.
"it doesn't bother you?" Sal ask.
"what that you don't have soft lips? I told chapstick." Larry replied.
"no I mean-" Sal tried.
"I know what you mean and no it doesn't. it's fine. you're fine. you're beautiful and I love your face." Larry murmured.
"why though?" Sal ask. Larry smiled and cuddled him.
"because I love you. I've already told you that." Larry replied, resting his forehead against Sal's. Larry had his hands on Sal's cheeks, taking one of his thumbs and rubbing it over Sal's lips gently. Sal didn't smile at him, just looked at him pitifully. "what?" Larry ask softly.
"why me of all people to pick? why me?" Sal ask.
"what do you mean?" Larry ask.
"you mom told me you've brought home girlfriend after girlfriend, so why not Ashley, why me?" Sal ask.
"we've been over this, I'm Bi Sal. I brought home a boyfriend or two, never told mom thats who they were." Larry shrugged. "they weren't who I was looking for though. they nice, but they weren't you." Larry said. Sal looked at him as Larry's hands slid down to hold onto his hips and rested his forehead against Larry's. "I thought I was your first lover." Larry teased.
"second." Sal replied. "a guy when I was maybe 14. kissed me and left." Sal replied.
"so I heard." Larry said.
"not going to do the same are you?" Sal ask.
"well you're kind of sitting on me, can't really leave." Larry replied. Sal huffed.
"we both know you could throw my ass." Sal said. Larry nodded and smiled.
"that should give you your answer." Larry replied. Sal smiled at him.
"I guess it does." Sal replied.
"so if I go to kiss you in school, you're not going to stop me right?" Larry ask.
"you can kiss the mask at school. not me." Sal said.
"oh come on you lift your mask up at lunch, just enough everyone at the table as seen your lips." Larry said. Sal chuckled.
"fine, but don't just push my mask up." Sal muttered. "might give someone like Travis a nasty idea." Sal said. Larry nodded in agreement.
"you're probably right." Larry murmured. Sal looked his face over.
"Larry?" Sal ask.
"hmm?" Larry ask.
"I love you." Sal murmured. Larry smiled.
"I love you too." Larry replied, letting Sal lean forward and kiss him deeply. Larry pulled him closer and smiled, kissing him back. break ups were stupid but at least they were back together now.