That night, Evan dreamed of fireworks and a face that he couldn't place and when he woke he found the light in his eyes glowing even brighter.
Jonathan drove them to the same festival and led them to the same bench as the previous evening, setting up the blanket again. But Jonathan threw him for a loop when he placed a guitar in his hands.
"I've never heard you play, so I thought I'd bring it along." Jonathan said and played with the sleeves of his jacket as the wind picked up. "But you don't have to. I just thought you might like to play since it's been a while."
"Yeah, it's been months actually. Ever since things went downhill with Avery and then . . . all of this." He motioned to his face. "Thank you."
"It's no problem." Jonathan shrugged watched as Evan plucked at the strings, reaquanting himself with the instrument that his mother had given him when he was young. It was worn out and had stickers stuck all over it, courtesy of his little brother over the years.
He strummed a tune that had Jonathan weak and his fingers itched to reach out and wipe away whatever emotion Evan was trying to hide. Sorrow, perhaps. Whichever it was, Jonathan found it beautiful in a very sad kind of way. Like how the falling of the leaves in Autumn were a gorgeous display of death, colorful and lonely as they fell to their resting place below.
Evan was sad, but beautifully so in Jonathan's eyes. He was the only one that knew how troubled the famous YouTuber was. What, with his relationships and mostly depressing mind set. He was lonely, but he projected his emotions as if he were happy so that no one would know. No one but him. And Jonathan hadn't planned on getting as close to Evan as he did, but one night they stayed up late. Later than the others and it was just the two of them and they somehow got on the subject of life. Jonathan had never heard him so serious or torn and after that night he knew Evan was different. He knew he had to hold onto that because he didn't have anyone that felt the same way about the world and it's way of fucking everyone over.
"Can you play?" Evan asked, shaking him from his heavy thoughts and he grinned.
"No, not really." He gave a nervous giggle and cracked his fingers. "I only know how to play one song, but it's really sad and sappy. My older brother taught it to me years ago. It's all I know."
Evan smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sad and sappy is the best thing to play on an acoustic guitar. Let me hear it."
Jonathan took a deep breath and placed the guitar in his lap letting his fingers rest where they should. He had the chords memorized in his head, he'd played the song so much. He couldn't tell you the notes, but he knew what they sounded like and where his fingers went and in what order. He strummed and he felt it pull at his chest just like the first time he heard his brother play it.
(Listen to Keaton Henson - You Don't Know How Lucky You Are)
Evan felt the warm shiver run down to his fingertips when Jonathan strummed the first few notes, but his lungs felt empty when he heard him sing.
Does he know
Who you are?
Jonathan's voice was deep and at moments it was fragile. But it was a sweet tone that seemed effortless, the sound warm and soothing like waves crashing.
Does he know when you're sad
You don't like to be touched
Let alone, kissed
Does he know where your lips begin?
His pitch rose higher and with it, Evan's heart until it was sitting in his throat and he clutched at the fabric of his jeans. He could feel the heat in his face and cold air biting at his nose as Jonathan sang. Evan never wanted it to end but a voice interrupted them both.
"Jonathan?"
He stopped his strumming and looked over to find a small blonde walking their way.
"Hey, Melanie!" He sat the guitar down and slid off the table to greet her with a warm hug. "It's good to see you."
She smiled, "It's good to see you, too. So how is everything?"
"Good. It's really good." He motioned back to Evan. "He's starting to see again."
"What?! That's great!" She clapped her hands together, but looked at Jonathan when Evan just sat there confused.
Jonathan cleared his throat. "Sorry. Evan, this is Melanie. She was one of your nurses in the hospital and she helped me get everything together to take care of you. She's the one I called when you had that epic nosebleed."
Evan forced a grin and held out his hand, "Oh, well thank you, Melanie. I appreciate it."
"My pleasure. I have a knack for damsels and dudes in distress." She joked and noted how tense Evan was and how fast he built an invisible wall around himself. It felt like he wanted it around Jonathan even more and she grinned at the fact.
"Can I talk to you for a moment, Jonathan? Alone?" She asked nicely and observed the twitching of his fingers as he looked back for Evan's approval. The Asian faked another grin.
"I'll still be here when you get back. Not like I can see well enough to wander off." He said with more bite than he intended. Jonathan noticed.
"I won't be long, I promise." And with that he followed her off around the corner where the crowd was bustling and the noise was louder.
"What's up?"
Melanie shoved her hands in her coat pockets to hide from the wind. "I found his brother."
The excitement spread across Jonathan face, but just as soon faded and turned into worry. "Really? Is he still around?"
She smiled and nodded. "He's staying with a friend and he's perfectly fine, don't worry."
"Thank god." Delirious sighed and sagged slightly from the relief. "Do you have a way I can get in touch with him?"
"Yep, here." She handed him a piece of paper with a phone number and address. A somber look settled on his face and he smiled sadly.
"Melanie . . . I really can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me and him. Two complete strangers . . ." He looked up at the sky and searched for the words he wanted to say.
She placed a small hand on his arm. "Jonathan, you don't have to thank me. Really. I just wanted to do what I felt was right and seeing the way he's practically molded himself to you since you came here makes it all worth it."
"What do you mean?" He asked, genuinely confused and more than a little curious.
"He doesn't like me." She gave a small laugh. "Not because he doesn't know me, but because he thinks I pose a threat."
Jonathan shook his head, "I still don't understand."
"He thinks I could possibly take away all of your attention." She said and grinned the moment it finally registered in his head. His eyebrows inches up his forehead and his mouth hung open while he thought on it.
"I don't . . . but . . . he's not into guys."
Melanie shrugged. "Maybe not, but there's a first time for everything. People change Jonathan and I'm willing to be that he's a little confused about it. But he definitely feels something. He might not be into other guys, but he's into you. So just . . . keep that in mind. Unless you don't feel that way about him."
Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck and gave a shy laugh, "I do. Always have, really. But he's always just been my best friend, you know. The one that's straight and always in a hopeless relationship and I've always been the one to listen. I'm his guy, the guy that listens, talks, makes him feel better. Loves him no matter what because we've been friends for a long time and I don't like to see him upset."
Melanie nodded, "For you, it's whatever he wants."
"Yeah, pretty much."
"And what if what he wants is you?"
Jonathan didn't have an answer, just endless thoughts and possibilities and what ifs running across his mind. He said goodbye to Melanie and stared into the crowd for what felt like eternity, trying to process the actual possibility that Evan could like him. Maybe even want him, but it was difficult to swallow because once upon a time that was all he thought about. Evan and his face and how perfect his life would be if he could wake up to that everyday and live his life, game. He had brushed that fantasy aside so long ago that bringing it up again now was just humoring himself. It was such a long shot, but thinking about what the nurse had said had him reliving every second he'd spent with Evan and the way his behavior had changed suddenly seemed to make a little bit of sense.
He calmed his heart and pulled his phone out, dialing the number that was on the piece of paper and when it went to voicemail he left a message. He hoped it was heard soon.
Evan hated that he felt this way. Jealous of someone he didn't even know, because of someone he hadn't even seen. He hadn't felt this possessive of a person in years. Maybe he never had because he'd never felt sick from thinking on it or worried or so anxious for him to come back so he could wrap his fingers around him and keep him there. He felt Jonathan before he heard him come back around the corner and he relaxed when his presence engulfed him once again. Jonathan felt . . . Evan closed his eyes to search for the word.
Serene.
And if he could have seen his face at that moment he felt like he would be smiling, judging by the way the light was flowing off of him. What was different? Evan felt sick again. Did Jonathan get a date? Did he kiss her? No, that was stupid, he didn't even really know her. Why would he even like her?
Why was he so fucking worried about it? Why did he even care?
"Hey." Jonathan's carefree voice slipped into his brain and he stopped thinking, forgot about whatever was on his mind and instead reached for him. Fingers slid past his until they were pulling him closer, spinning him until he was laying back on the table, his head in Jonathan's lap looking up at the fireworks popping in the sky. The colors were getting brighter, more distinct and he could see the shapes now. Blurred smudges of color against the black, a huge glowing white orb that he knew was the moon sitting high in the sky.
"It's getting clearer." He said distractedly while he tried not to shiver around the fingers running through his hair.
Jonathan hummed and his let his fingers leave trails down the sides of Evan's face, running lightly down his neck until he closed his eyes and sighed. "You're gonna put me to sleep."
Jonathan grinned down at him. "Do want to go home?"
"Yeah, as long as you touch me until I fall asleep." He smirked and opened his eyes, seeing Jonathan's shape.
He chuckled, "No homo?"
Evan laughed, "No homo."
Jonathan took him home and lead him by his fingers to the fort where they stripped down until they were comfortable on the pillows, the air cooling their skin. He turned the tv on and they listened to Adventure Time play because neither of them were watching. Evan was watching the back of his eyelids and the colors that danced behind them as fingers traced abstract shapes across his shoulders. Jonathan watched the goosebumps form on Evan's skin wherever his fingers touched that smooth, tanned skin. The glow of the tv cast shadows over him and Jonathan didn't push down the want that he felt, the want that he'd been suppressing for years. He let it flood him and pull Evan closer when he finally fell asleep. His limp body forming to his just as easy as clay. He let his head fill with the smell of Evan's shampoo and nuzzled his face against his head before he dozed off, waking only when Evan moved closer, throwing a heavy arm over his waist.
He wanted this and if Evan would let him, he'd take care of him for the rest of their lives.
Evan's head was buzzing when he woke and the amount of light that filled his head was almost too much. It was almost blinding, like waking up to the sun coming in through the blinds when he was hungover. He still couldn't see clearly but the light was filtering in at one-hundred percent, shapes he could make out perfectly fine. It was just one big blur and squinting didn't help clear anything up. Not yet. He sat up and rubbed his tired eyes before he glanced down and saw the color of skin stretched out for miles beside him. Jonathan was just a big, long, pile of blurry pale pink. But it was the closest he'd been to seeing him since the entire month he'd been here.
He observed until that big blur started moving and stretching and yawning. "I'm up. What's up? What day is it?"
Evan smiled, "You're asking me what day it is? I haven't known what day it is since the last time I called you."
"It was June seventh, a week after your birthday. You felt like shit then, how do you feel now?" Jonathan asked and ran his hand up Evan's back as a soothing gesture and Evan soaked it up.
"I feel like a different person." Evan said but he didn't mean it in a bad way. He felt good and even though things had been dark at times, they still had color and feeling and what he felt for Jonathan was something that he never wanted to give up. He didn't want to say goodbye to the blue that had settled into his soul and made him feel like he wasn't alone. The warmth that wrapped him up and took care of him, that made him feel undeniably happy for the first time in his life.
He saw a smudge of white in the blur of colors when Jonathan smiled before he stood and disappeared into the kitchen to make them breakfast. That alone had his chest aching because he was so close to knowing. So close to seeing and while Jonathan cooked, the bacon sizzling on the hot skillet he let the question slip through his defenses and out into the open.
"What does she look like?"
Jonathan hesitated for just a split second and continued flipping pancakes and frying bacon. "She's cute."
He glanced over Evan who was tapping his fingers against the counter, looking elsewhere. Jonathan bit his lip to keep from smiling about it. "But she's the complete opposite of my type."
The only sound for a few moments was popping of bacon grease before he heard a quiet, "Oh."
Jonathan debated on whether or not to let loose his next statement, but he knew he wouldn't do it any other way. So he cut the burners off and said, "She's very small, blonde . . . . and a woman."
Evan felt the heat flush his skin and he comprehending what Jonathan's words meant. The complete opposite. So his type was someone tall or big, dark hair . . . . not a woman.
"Oh." He said stupidly when he finally understood.
Jonathan liked guys. Evan opened his mouth to say something else but a knock at this front door interrupted him.
"I'll get it." Delirious pulled the food off the stove and grabbed his jeans off the back of the couch and slipped into them before he headed for the door and turned the knob. The door swung open and on the porch stood a guy that could've been Evan's twin.
"Are you Jonathan?" The boy asked and rocked awkwardly on the balls of his feet.
"I am. You got my message?"
"I did. Is he here?"
Jonathan felt Evan behind him and he looked back at him coming closer. He'd pulled his own jeans on and was wearing Jonathan's shirt. His bare feet clicked on the hardwood and there was hope in his eyes. "Jamie?"
"Hey, Evan." Jamie said quietly and ducked his head. "I'm sorry."
Evan didn't say anything just pulled him inside by his shirt and hugged him until Jamie was crying into his shoulder. "I had no fucking idea you'd been in an accident. I stopped watching your twitter and youtube and if I had known you were blind I would have come back. God, I'm so fucking sorry, man."
"It's okay, I'm fine. I'm just glad you're not dead." Evan held his baby brother tighter and they pulled away only when Jonathan cleared his throat.
"You two should grab a plate of food and head upstairs." He grinned when they both looked at him confused. "There's someone on the computer that wants to talk to you."
Evan didn't ask, just grabbed the plate Jonathan handed him and his brother and went up to his room where his Skype was open and a voice he hadn't heard in two years met his ears and he felt the tears falling down his face before he even made it to his chair. "Mom?"
"Evan, baby. Jamie." She laughed and wiped the tears from her own eyes.
Jonathan listened and let a content grin settle on his face as he pulled Evan's shirt over his head and left them both a note on the kitchen counter. Laughter echoed through the house and he slid into his jacket, picking up the keys to the car and driving into town to meet with Melanie while Evan, his brother, and their mother reconnected with each other.
"Did it work? It worked. I can tell by that smile on your face." She gave him a pat on the cheek when he slid into the booth across from her at a cafe in the middle of town. "So, are you gonna take him to the last set of fireworks tonight? Kiss him in the moonlight?"
"Shut up. I'd like to, but I can't just jump into it like that. This is an extremely delicate situation. I can't lose him, so if he wants to test me out, he'll have to initiate it. I can't risk losing our friendship if he doesn't want it. I don't even want to think about him pushing me away again. It was fucking torture those first two weeks." Jonathan blew the heat off of the coffee the waiter dropped off and took a sip. "But if he'd rather just be friends for the rest of our lives, I'm perfectly fine with that. It's like you said. For me, it's whatever he wants."
"I'm sure he won't be able to resist that nagging thought in his mind for too much longer." She winked and he rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Whatever you say."
Evan didn't know what to say when Jonathan came back that evening. He didn't know how to open his mouth without saying things he'd probably regret a second later. He didn't know how to reach for him without pulling him in and hugging him. He didn't know how to stop feeling the way he did. But when Jonathan touched his fingertips to his when he held his hand out for him, Evan realized that he didn't want to stop. He couldn't. He cried against Jonathan's shirt because he let him. He took care of him, wiped the wetness from his face and made him laugh.
"The last firework show is tonight, so let's head down there and get good seats. It's supposed to be the biggest display yet."
Evan followed him and his light as they packed the same bag, the same blanket and loaded up in the car once more. They had an extra passenger this time, his brother. That alone made Evan's chest swell and he smiled until his face hurt when their laughter mixed together as they walked out into the green field and placed their blanket. He tried not to think about the headache that was growing behind his eyes or the fact that there wasn't space for thought between his own body and Jonathan's. They sat shoulder to shoulder while the field became more and more crowded as the sun sank lower in the sky.
The chatter reached a volume he didn't agree with and the headache peaked. He shut his eyes tight, trying to get past the sharp throbbing and Melanie's sudden appearance. "Are you okay?"
"M'fine." He brushed her hand off his shoulder as nicely as he could and pulled Jonathan's arm around him instead.
He looked over at him and grinned as the first firework popped in the night sky, illuminating his face that was still a blur but was becoming clearer at a rather alarming rate. He looked away, feeling his heart beating furiously in his face and he made it through most of the show without looking again, but he had to. When he did, he saw a blur of color where his eyes were and the air left his lungs as the colors continued to bounce off his face.
Jonathan looked his way, their faces almost touching. "What?"
Evan stared at him until he was certain the words about to leave him were true. He saw the color again as the lights filled the sky with a long crackle and he said softly, "You're eyes are blue."
Jonathan blinked and Evan smiled. "I knew they were gonna be blue."
Jonathan almost leaned in right then and there but the pain that crossed Evan's face in a matter of seconds stopped his heart and his hand was on his face trying to stop the blood that came pouring out of his nose from soaking his clothes. But it was futile and Evan coughed around the blood and the taste as it ran over his lips. "I'm sorry."
"The fuck are you sorry for?" Jonathan laughed. "God, you are so Canadian it's not even funny."
Jamie and Jonathan helped him to his feet and back out to the car while Melanie trailed behind them with their things as the show ended and the crowded filed out to their vehicles. People asked if he was alright and he just nodded and waved them off. He was squinting as the headlights blinded him. It only made his head hurt worse but things were steadily getting clearer.
"Sunglasses, please. Holy fuck it's bright." Evan groaned and covered his eyes as the cars drove by them.
Jonathan dug around in the pack that Melanie handed him and pulled out the sunglasses he kept close by just in case. He was glad he did. He sacrificed his jacket and Evan held it to his nose as they drove home in near silence until his brother spoke up in the back seat.
"Does this happen often?" He asked, slightly concerned.
"It's normal for someone who's recovering from a concussion, yeah. This is only the second time it's happened. He'll be okay. Just a little dizzy." Jonathan glanced over at Evan who was leaning heavily against the door. He mumbled in agreement and they had to help him out of the car and inside where he sat at the bar while Jonathan went upstairs to start a hot shower.
Jamie eyed his brother as he sat there in a daze, "One of the other reasons I didn't come back is because I thought you had already moved to California."
Jonathan appeared at the top of the stairs, "You never told me you were going to California."
"I still have a few weeks left to fly over and sign some papers to make it official. I've got an apartment ready to go when I am. But all of this happened and I was just going to let it all expire, because I was blind and there no point in telling you if I wasn't going to go." Evan shrugged weakly laid his head down on the jacket.
Jonathan made his way down. "You can still go. You're getting your sight back. How is it now?"
"Mm." Evan sat up and his head swayed. He opened his eyes and took off the sunglasses, quickly shutting his lids again. "Blurry and bright."
"That's a good sign though. I mean, you can see things well enough to know what color my eyes are now." Jonathan mentioned and Jamie looked between the two and had sense enough to take his leave.
"It was nice to meet you, Delirious. Good to see you, Evan. But I have work tomorrow and I need to get back home for the night." He eased around the bar and gave his brother a hug, careful not to get blood on his clothes before he made his way to the door.
"Keep in touch, please!" Evan yelled after him and he heard a sarcastic response followed by a laugh and the sound of the door shutting.
Jonathan turned back to Evan, "Can you see?"
"No." Evan shook his head and regretted it immediately. "I mean. Yeah, a bit. But it's not completely clear yet. Still hazy. It's just so fucking bright I don't want to open my eyes and look."
"Then don't. Keep them shut." Jonathan squeezed his shoulder and fixed him a drink to wash the pain pills down with. "Here."
Evan took them gratefully and let Jonathan pull him up the stairs and into the bathroom where he pulled his clothes off for the second time and led him into the hot shower. Evan could feel the light behind his eyes when Jonathan stepped in with him and just like before, he wiped the blood from his body and just like before Jonathan felt heavy. Like he had something on his shoulders.
"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked when Evan furrowed his brows.
He shook his head and brought his hands up to Jonathan's face and let his fingers feel him. "I just want to see you."
The pulse was strong in Jonathan's neck and Evan could feel it beneath his fingers. "What else do you have that I can't see?"
He asked just as he had that day in the park and he waited silently as Jonathan took one of his fingers in his hand and led it to his chest. "I have a tattoo. Here." He guided Evan's finger and made it trace the outline of a bird on his chest. "And here." Evan's finger was placed on his neck where it trailed down his arm in a design he was unfamiliar with, but something he was desperate to see. He cracked his eyes open and saw a blurry chest covered in colors to pretty for words. The light bit at his eyes and he shut them again, wincing and grabbing onto Jonathan's arm.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Evan huffed. "Any more?"
"One." Jonathan said and Evan let him guide his hand down lower until he was tracing a small line on the inside of his hip. "Right there."
Evan inhaled and let his hand rest on his hip when he pulled away. His thumb pressed into the soft skin and he tried to open his eyes again, but Jonathan put his hands over them when he did. He caught a glimpse of blue.
"Stop hurting yourself, please. Let your head stop hurting so bad and then try again, okay?"
Evan grinned. "Kay."
He dropped his head and let his forehead rest on Jonathan shoulder and he couldn't stop the fire that swelled inside of him, nor could he push down the urge he had to press his lips against his neck, couldn't stop his hands from sliding up his slim slides, his tense muscles. The only thing that stopped him was Jonathan himself.
"Don't." He breathed heavily as he held Evan's hands still by his wrists. "Please."
"I'm sorry." Evan swallowed and felt himself turning red beneath the water.
"Don't be." Jonathan said and Evan could feel the sadness in his voice. Yearning. That's what was making him feel so heavy. He was holding back and it only fanned the flames in his gut. "I just want you to be sure about me before you . . . . ."
"I like you." Evan sighed and let his head hit the tile behind him. It was nice to say out loud for once.
Jonathan smiled, "You haven't even seen me yet."
"I don't have to know what you look like to know that I like you, dude." Evan shook his head and took a deep breath.
Jonathan sighed, "Listen. Just sleep on it, please. Once you can see me, then you can tell me if you feel the same way. Then we'll talk. Okay?"
"Alright." Evan nodded. "I'm sorry."
Jonathan popped him lightly on the face, "What did I say about apologizing?"
Evan laughed and reached for the shampoo, handing it to his best friend. "Wash my hair?"
"As you wish, bitch." He giggled when Evan hit him on the chest. The feelings they shared didn't change what was already between them, it only made more sense and Evan dried off feeling better, but he kept his eyes shut so he wouldn't risk hurting his eyes more as they cleared. He was lying on his bed while Jonathan clipped his nails. He held his fingers in his one by one and delicately cut the nails that had grown too long for Evan's liking because he'd accidentally scratched the both of them on separate occasions already.
When he finished, Evan played with Jonathan's fingers for as long as he would let him and he could smell the soap on his skin. He grinned, "I can't believe you found my brother." He ran his fingers up his arm. "And my mother."
"Are you okay with that?" Jonathan asked and Evan held his tongue. He didn't say, yes. He didn't say that he loved him for it or that he wanted to kiss him until he couldn't breathe.
He said, "Yes."
Then his stomach growled and they both laughed until Jonathan stood. "I'm gonna run into town and get some pizza. You stay here and chill out, I'll be right back."
"Be careful, please." Evan called after him when he went downstairs. He heard the keys jingling in his hand.
"I will! Pepperonis and bacon, right?"
"Right!" Evan called back and the silence rang out when the door shut.
He put his hands behind his head and let his mind wander for a while before he picked up his phone that Jonathan kept charged on his side table for him. "Siri, what time is it?"
"It's seven p.m."
He sat it back down and took a deep breath, still letting it sink in that he'd told Jonathan that he liked him. He seemed to like him back by the way he reacted. Jonathan wanted to be sure that he was what he wanted before he took the next step. It was sweet and had Evan smiling to himself as he dozed off waiting for him to come back. His dreams always went pretty much the same way. They were dark and rainy, the only light was the flashing of lightening in the sky as he walked or drove down an empty road. Sometimes it was cold, other times it was so hot he couldn't breathe and he woke up in a sweat with Jonathan right beside him to calm him down.
This time was no different. He was in his car, driving through town and Jonathan was on the phone with him and that laugh filled his ears as lights blinded him from his left side. The sound of metal crunching was so loud and he felt his stomach drop as his car turned over and over and over until he didn't know which way was up and all he could hear was Jonathan screaming his name and he sounded so scared. His voice was always wet like he was on the outside in the pouring rain trying to get to him, trying to get him out.
"EVAN!" His voice always cracked. "Say something! Please!"
Evan always tried, but he couldn't make it come out. Just like he couldn't stop the bitter taste of blood from creeping across his tongue.
The thunder cracked and he was awake, sitting straight up in his bed in the dark. His eyes were wide open and he could see every poster on his wall, every light on his computer, every flash of lightening as it illuminated his room. He blinked, waiting for it all to go away or blur but it didn't. Everything was crisp and clear and the color was saturated and he drank it in. The thunder rolled again and it made the hairs stand on his neck.
This was the part where Jonathan always came running up the stairs, but the longer Evan waited and stared at his open doorway the more scared he became. The dread crept up his back and he reached for his phone that read eight-thirty p.m. His heart started beating harder and he walked out to the top of the stairs and looked down at the empty house below.
"Jonathan?" He called and waited for an answer but all he got was silence. The rain beat down on the roof and he could hear the wind picking up. Jonathan had been gone an hour and half when it should have taken him only thirty minutes at most to get there and back. His fingers shook and he flipped through his contacts and found Delirious and hit dial. He held the phone to his ear as he ran down the stairs, past the most epic fort he'd ever seen, out the front door where the wind hit him in the face like a wall. He waited and his knees almost buckled when he heard the familiar ringtone behind him in the house. He turned back to see a light flashing on the counter of his bar and he ran over to see his own name lighting up the screen of Jonathan's phone. He hung up and tried to stop the panic that flooded him. But he couldn't and he was searching for air and fighting back the fear that had him sinking to the floor as the storm raged on outside.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Jonathan yelled as the rain beat down on the car. The pizza was cold and the traffic was barely moving. "Five more fucking feet and I can turn you stupid fuck! MOVE!"
His hands were shaking he was so mad and he hadn't realized he had left his phone sitting on the bar until he was in the pizza place. They were out of bacon and he was going to call Evan and ask if sausage was okay but when he had reached into his pocket he realized. He got the food and left as soon as he could and when he walked outside the wind gave a gust and he knew then that a storm was just around the corner. He heard the thunder and saw the lightening and he felt the droplets hitting his face when he reached the car and got in. He was home free until the traffic lights stopped working and everyone suddenly forgot how to function properly and he was stuck there for an hour longer than he should've been.
All he could think about was how fucking worried Evan was and how scared he must be sitting alone in his house with no way to reach him. No way of knowing if he was okay or not and now it was pouring rain and the thunder was rattling the windows. Jonathan took a deep breath and waited as patiently as he could as the car in front of him slowly crept forward far enough that he could make his turn. Then he was gone, hitting the gas and driving as fast of the rain would let him until he was out of the traffic and on his way back to the only thing that mattered.
Evan was rocking himself back and forth on the floor with his knees pulled tight to his chest and he talked to himself to keep his mind from assuming the worst. He was breathing so hard he almost didn't hear the car door shut and when the front door opened his head snapped up and Jonathan stumbled in soaking wet with two equally wet pizza boxes in his hand. He dropped them on the table by the door and leaned against the wood when he shut it behind him. He was out of breath and probably the prettiest thing Evan had ever seen.
"I . . ." Jonathan sucked in air then released it. "I am SO fucking sorry."
Water dripped from the tip of his nose and hit the floor and Evan caught his eyes when he looked his way. Blue, sharp, and beautiful. Evan pushed himself to his feet, his gaze never straying as he stepped his way. Jonathan looked more and more suspicious of him the closer he got.
Evan swallowed, "I still feel the same."
The comprehension spread across Jonathan's face and stood up straight and blinked, "Can you . . ."
Evan licked his lips and grinned, "I can see you." He inched closer. "Clear as ever."
Jonathan's breathing finally slowed and caught Evan's outstretched hand and watched his lips when he said, "You're fucking gorgeous."
Evan felt his trembling stop and the thunder didn't even phase him when it cracked. Jonathan's wet fingers slid across his face and cupped his jaw and his cool breath rushed across his lips and he smiled. That alone was the brightest thing Evan had ever seen. "So pretty."
"Not as pretty as you." Jonathan said and closed that small distance, pressing their lips together and feeling Evan grabbing his rain-wet shirt in his hands. Jonathan pulled back, "Not as pretty as your eyes when you cry."
He kissed him lightly and grinned, "Not as pretty as your lips when you chew on them too much."
Evan chased his mouth until Jonathan turned him and pushed his back against the door. One arm wrapped around his waist, resting against the small of his back, the curve that intensified the deep he kissed him, using his tongue to work his way gently into his hot mouth. He pulled away again and Evan pulled at his wet shirt when Jonathan said, "Not as pretty as the way your skin flushes when you're in the shower."
Evan nudged his face with his nose until Jonathan kissed him again and again and again. He kissed him until the stubble started to rub his face raw and he couldn't feel his lips. Kissed him until they were in the fort staring up at the lights that dangled above them peacefully as Evan touched his face, his earrings, traced his tattoos. Letting his eyes roam and remember every shade of pale that he was, every color that was etched into his skin, every fleck of dark blue that resided in his crystal eyes.
He kissed his fingertips and said, "I see you."
Jonathan smiled warmly and wrapped him up in his arms as the rain came down, pulled him into his light and kept him there, whispering softly against his jet black hair, "I love you."
I will be writing one more chapter, so fret not. :) -walk