"Do you still learn that in school?" Colby sat on Joelle's desk next to her math book, she eyed him biting the tip of her pencil in confusion
"Uh…math?" She asked raising an eyebrow
"Yeah. I thought they had already invented something better, like videogames!" He replied making the little girl giggle
"I totally agree… Don't tell my dad I said that" She murmured with an evil smile popping on her lips.
"Don't tell me what?" Joe came into the room unexpected. Joelle threw her perfectly braided hair back as she turned on her chair, she was about to say something but Colby spoke first
"She doesn't like you anymore, she was asking if I could adopt her" He responded "Plus… she thinks you're ugly" Jojo laughed
"Seriously, how is that better than videogames, uncle Colby?"
The taller man shook his head with a smirk on his face. He put his hand on the back of the chocolate eyed man's neck, his cold touch made his entire body shiver "Don't listen to him, honey… really, he's a dork" Joe joked, hand traveled to Colby's rigid shoulder. He shot him a glance as he felt Joe's long fingers gripping on to his shirt
"I- I'll right back" The two toned man left the room and raced to the kitchen seeking for his cellphone in his pockets. Once in his hand he opened the contacts application and searched for Jon's name.
"Hello?" Colby heard, he kept pacing back and forth, into the kitchen and out. The tiled floor felt cold under his bare feet, but unlike his feet, the rest of his body was burning up.
"Come pick me up?" He requested, far too expectant
"You know I'm in New York, right?"
"Right." He held his thumb nail between his teeth "So, you're coming?" he insisted
"Colbs, what happened?" Jonathan couldn't hide the concern on his voice, he obviously could tell his friend was in trouble. There was a small pause before Jon spoke again "Wait- did you guys…you know…?" The blue eyed man asked scared of the answer
"No! Of course not! It's just," He sighed "I can't take it anymore, I don't want to sound all sentimental, but it's getting painful being around-" he lowered his voice "Joe" Colby took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut and proceeded "I think it would be better if him and I were-"
"Dating" A giggle cut him off
"No! Well, yes…- Jonathan, focus- It would be better if we weren't friends" He explained "It would be easier, I guess."
"Are you high, drunk or having a stroke? 'Cause all I could hear coming from your mouth was crap" Jon snapped "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, because weeks ago you were depressed because you missed him and now you hate him?" He questioned wrathfully
"I don't hate him, I could never hate him! That's the problem!" he said in a bleak tone
"Good, so suck it up, walk it off and for fuck's sake stop being upset about it… and I know it is easy for me to say, but let it go. And not just pretend to, like you've done before." He retorted
"Are you telling me to ignore… my feelings?" Colby asked confused
"Not at all" The other explained "I'm telling you to cope with them, don't let your feelings take control over you, Colby!" he spelled out "I don't recognize you anymore, you were the one who always said that nothing and no one could get you down… now, look at you, Colbs, it's killing me to see you like that... This is hard for me to say and harder for you to listen, but it is time to move on" His voice had softened, he could feel his friend frown on the phone "Look, I've got to go, are you going to be okay? He asked worried
"I'll be fine, don't worry"
"You can call me anytime, okay?"
"Okay, dad" Colby joked "Hey… thanks" Jon smirked and hung up. The brunette stood there thinking about his friend's words, maybe Jon was right, maybe he had to move on, and really try that time.
Colby was so lost in his thoughts that didn't detect someone walking into the kitchen "Who was it?" Joe asked curiously giving the brown-eyed man - who cursed under his breath - a fright
Colby turned around in nervous movements "Jon" he responded dryly. The two men kept staring into each other's eyes trying to read their minds
Joe's narrowed eyes dropped to his feet "Jojo and I are going for ice cream, do you want to join us?" Colby's lips curved into a warm smile as he nodded delighted with the offer "She's almost done with her homework, she'll be right back"
"Jojo's finally asleep, she was so happy about today. That kid really loves you!" Joe snickered softly as he headed toward the sofa. Colby was sitting on that same sofa hugging a pillow and changing channels repeatedly "What are you watching?" he asked trying to make small talk
"Apparently, some documentary on cold regions of the Antarctic" Colby replied never looking away from the television, he finally gave up and let go of the remote, penguins were a better option than keep the conversation going, but the attempt was pointless
"Is everything okay?" The raven got a little nearer to the two toned man. Colby spun his head to meet Joe's silver orbs and furrowed his eyebrows together as if he was asking Why? "Since you got off the phone with Jon you seem… preoccupied?"
"Nah, I'm fine" He responded with a fake smirk and dead eyes, but Joe was able to see past that. He knew Colby too well. He had learnt that when he said those little lies he crinkled his nose.
"Are you sure?" Joe insisted. He came even a little closer to him, maybe a little too close, just enough to feel the chocolate-eyed man's breath touching his chin "Because I feel like- uh- like there's something wrong" Colby's eyes went from the other's eyes to his lips and to his eyes again, over and over. He felt the gap between their faces getting smaller and smaller each second, their noses were less than an inch from one another. This is not moving on. The brunette thought lowering his gaze and looking away at the glacier on TV. On his shoulder, he felt the disappointed sigh of the other man, Joe retreated to his initial place saddened and stared ambiguously at the television.
All of a sudden, they heard a noise coming from the hall that connected the living room with the bedrooms and bathroom. They twirled on the couch simultaneously and found Joelle picking up her teddy bear she had dropped whilst snooping around.
"I couldn't sleep" Her voice was small like she'd been busted for some kind of mischievous deed, hands squeezing her teddy bear
"Come here, sweetheart" her father called "How long have you been standing there?"
"For a while" She sat between him and Colby and snuggled there "I just didn't want to interrupt" she justified with a sleepy grin on her lips. Her attention wandered to the mammals on the screen, she watched them attentively as they fed their cubs "seals are so cute!" she affirmed hugging her teddy bear
"Actually, those are sea lions, cutie" Colby corrected
"How can you tell them apart?" She asked in an inquisitive tone
"Well, sea lions have ears and big fins capable of lifting their body to move around"
"Which do you prefer: sea lions or seals?" a giggle left her mouth
"Seals"
"Why?" Joelle inquired interested in the possible answer
"Jesus, girl! Do you work for the FBI, or something?" Colby joked getting a laugh from both in return "Sea lions have many lovers throughout their lives, but if a seal chooses a partner" He waved his hands to emphasize the difference between the two species " they stick with that seal forever" His brown eyes wandered involuntarily till they met Joe's gray ones "It's like they fall in love" his voice softened, eyes still locked with the other's
"Daddy," The sluggish and tired girl called "I want a seal"
"I figured" her father sigh hearing a chuckled coming from Colby's mouth
"Well, in my dream you got a pink bicycle, but-"
"What?" Joe and Joelle said in unison cutting him off
"Never mind" He blushed
"Feelings don't die, because we keep on feeding them with memories."