Two days since the 'Emergency Meeting' and Kyle felt he was doing a sufficient job of teaching Eric how to adapt to the modern world. It was difficult to decide what to start with, since Eric had slept through thousands of years of progress. But Kyle figured it was best to start with Eric's immediate surroundings, which was his apartment.
Since Eric had been so fascinated with the TV Kyle had chosen that as their starting point. But standing in front of the TV and rambling about its purpose and functions hadn't exactly been helpful. It was only a couple of minutes into the lecture when Eric had given up trying to decipher Kyle's words and his eyes had glazed over, did Kyle realise Eric was unable to absorb any information. So he had joined Eric on the couch, remote in hand. He had turned on the TV and Eric watched, fascinated, as Kyle flipped through the channels and raised and lowered the volume.
Pleased that Eric had a basic grasp of how to operate the television, Kyle had wanted to move onto the kitchen so he could teach Eric the wonders of the fridge, but Eric was engrossed in a Jerry Springer re-run and it took all Kyle's patience and muscles to pull Eric away from the couch.
The fridge had been a pretty simple subject; food either gets put in or taken out. But Eric's eyes had widened and shone when Kyle placed their hands inside and the sudden coldness bit their fingertips.
Now, Kyle was standing in his bathtub, trying to teach Eric how the shower worked.
"You press this button to turn the water on…" Kyle said, pressing the button and stepping back just in time, dodging the steady stream. He glanced at Eric and wondered if his curious expression would ever become tiring.
"And this button to turn it off," Kyle added, rolling up his sleeve and pressing the 'off' button. "Okay?"
Eric's determination to understand hardened his intrigued gaze.
"On…" Kyle said, standing back and pressing the button again. "Off…"
Kyle leaned forward and the stream came to a stop. He looked to Eric and he nodded, glancing between the shower head and Kyle.
"Alright. This dial," Kyle pointed to the large dial next to the 'on' button, "makes the water hot or cold."
Turning the shower back on, Kyle wrapped his fingers around Eric's bare wrist and held it under the water. He then twisted the dial and watched as water splashed against their skin and dripped from their fingers.
"You just twist it and it'll change," Kyle added, the water alternated between hot and cold and his eyes were still fixed on Eric's wrist in his hand.
The reason Kyle couldn't stop staring wasn't because he was mesmerised, or tense, or uncomfortable, but because it actually felt nice. The moment, though odd, wasn't something Kyle was ready to relinquish.
But he didn't protest when Eric's arm slid out of his grip, instead he watched Eric lean forward and stretch out his arm, soaking more of his skin. The sound of rushing water and Eric's curious movements was almost hypnotic, but Kyle was broken from his strange trance when Eric lifted his hand and splashed Kyle in the face.
Kyle blinked and spluttered, taking that as a lesson for getting too carried away. He scowled at Eric, but the prince was chuckling.
"Very funny…" Kyle smirked, turning the shower off and stepping out of the tub.
"If you wanted you could run a bath too," he added. He knelt down and, as usual, Eric followed his instructor.
"Turn this…" Kyle said, reaching over and turning the faucet, "and eventually the tub will be full."
They watched the cool water run and the return of that soothing rushing sound reminded Kyle of how off-guard he had been and the cheeky price he had to pay. Eric's attention was on the rising water, and Kyle grinned slyly before dipping his hand in and splashing Eric's face.
Eric's nose was scrunched for a second, and when he blinked droplets fell from his lashes and landed on the rim of the tub. He turned to Kyle and frowned, and Kyle tried his hardest not to laugh gloatingly, he wanted to be nonchalant. He shrugged instead, and pretended not to notice Eric's smirk.
Although Eric was becoming increasingly familiar with (and hopefully comfortable in) Kyle's apartment, Kyle didn't think it was a fair decision, or a wise one, to leave him there all day while he went to work.
Besides, once Eric had even the slightest grasp of English he could help Kyle in discovering exactly what the amber was and what had happened for Eric to be sealed in his tomb in the first place. Hanging out with Kyle in the lab also gave Eric the opportunity to catch up on all the history he had missed in one of the most famous museums in the world.
Kyle, Token, and Wendy decided to spend their lunch break giving Eric a tour of the Smithsonian, and they had just reached the 'Eternal Life of Egypt' exhibit, thinking it would be of some interest to the prince. Still, this particular exhibit was a source of awkwardness for Kyle and his team. After all, before they knew Eric was alive and exactly what that amber was capable of, Eric was going to be the main attraction.
While the amber was still eventually going to be shown to the public, Eric was obviously not. That was at least something to soothe the uneasiness in Kyle's chest; Eric was safe and Kyle was going to make sure that he had the chances and opportunities he deserved. The confident, impressed gleam in Eric's eyes as he gladly absorbed a culture he still remembered also put Kyle's mind and heart to rest, and he felt like he was a little brighter due to the radiance Eric reflected, still connected to the life he had once lived.
But when they passed a shrivelled, ancient skeleton kept behind glass however, surrounded by the worn, important objects that the Ancient Egyptians felt were necessary to bring to the afterlife, Kyle hurried Eric along. He didn't want Eric to be reminded that he was given no such consideration in his burial, for reasons that still eluded Kyle.
Token and Wendy were ahead of them, chatting about the amber and its place in the exhibit, while Kyle's mind was simultaneously on the man next to him and deep into the past. But Eric strayed from Kyle's side, his fascinated gaze wandering to the stunning, golden masks staring nobly from behind the glass.
Kyle and his team fell silent, watching Eric take slow steps towards the display.
"Seems the masks have caught his eye…" Wendy murmured.
Taking his time to look at each one, a smile spread across Eric's face and made his glassy eyes crinkle at the corners.
Kyle's breath was bated, and he stepped forward, attempting to read Eric's face and infiltrate his silent, overwhelmed bubble. He watched as Eric slowly raised his hand, fingers curled as if he wanted to trace every corner of every feature of every regal mask.
"Eric, you can't do that," Kyle said, managing to find his voice.
But it was futile; Eric still couldn't comprehend Kyle's strange language. But he could register touch. He could register limitations and barriers. His fingertips met glass and his smile drooped. Dejected, he slid his digits down the pane, and Kyle saw Eric's frown mar his face like a scar before he ducked his head and rooted his gaze to the floor.
Sympathy once again welled up in Kyle's chest for Eric; he supposed it would keep reoccurring with every setback. But Kyle had a remedy, and he hoped it would never falter. Stepping forward, Kyle gently reached for Eric's limp fingers, stroking them and coaxing a response.
Though his head was still hung, Kyle saw Eric's gaze shift to his inviting hand and barely a second later their fingers were intertwined once again. Cool, soft and comfortable.
"We should probably keep going," Kyle said to Token and Wendy, who were smart enough not to comment.
They nodded, and Kyle and Eric followed them still hand in hand.
His working day over, Kyle decided to continue showing Eric around. They had covered most of the museum, and Kyle wanted some fresh air, so instead he had taken a detour from his usual route home and he and Eric had visited the Lincoln Memorial.
When they had reached the top of the steps Eric was a little breathless, and while exhilarated himself, Kyle had still taken hold of Eric's hand eagerly and led him inside. Eric had still been panting when he stared up at the large, stern-faced statue, and Kyle had wondered if the immortalised president reminded Eric of the giant tributes to the pharaohs he no doubt saw in his palace, forever watching over their family and subjects.
It had struck Kyle then, that Eric hadn't always been alone.
Ever since Kyle had taken Eric home nearly a week ago, he was used to seeing Eric in awe, bewildered. But he had never seen him so excited and eager as when Kyle introduced Eric to the camera on his phone. Kyle had taken one picture of the memorial and Eric was clambering to get his hands on the wonderful device.
He had taken one picture after another; several of the president, a few of the Washington Monument, a couple of the groups of tourist milling around and taking their own photographs, and a dozen of Kyle.
Even when they were waiting in line to get pretzels at the bottom of the steps, Eric was still taking pictures of the auburn trees, the blushing sky, and the sidewalk while Kyle ordered. Nudging Eric with a small laugh, Kyle led them over to an empty bench with their snacks in hand.
The day was settling into a brisk evening, and although Eric had to make do with one of Kyle's scarves, the cheapest coat he could find, and a pair of old sneakers from his big-footed neighbour, he didn't appear cold; well-covered and his body silently adapting to the climate, if only everything else came as easy. But Kyle felt confident in his teaching, and in Eric's progress.
"Here you go…" Kyle said, handing Eric his pretzel.
Eric inspected the oddly-shaped snack, as if he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do with it. Kyle bit into his own pretzel and tapped Eric's shoulder, feeling a tad self-conscious as Eric watched him chew. Eric's dark eyebrows quirked and he copied Kyle, his teeth tentatively sinking into the dough.
"Do you like it?" Kyle asked after Eric had taken a few more bites.
He had never realised how much of a reflex talking was until he met Eric. Even when he knew Eric couldn't understand him, Kyle still felt the need to attempt conversation and fill the silence. Maybe that was something he needed to work on? Along with gaining a fluency in Eric's actions?
Kyle knew, however, that Eric's devouring of the pretzel was a positive answer to his question, and he laughed quietly and rolled his eyes. Before he could return to his food though, Kyle noticed his phone still on Eric's lap.
"Let's take a look at those photos," he said, retrieving his phone without protest.
When Eric saw that Kyle was looking at his pictures, he shuffled closer to him and they scrolled through the photos together. Kyle was stunned, never had his album been full of such impressive photographs. Without Kyle's help, Eric had figured out how to zoom in and out and how to fiddle with the various filters.
Eric had managed to bring out the light in the shadowed observatory, eliciting a chalky glow from the shrouded statue of the president, as well as sharpening the edges of the tall monument and catching the bouncing reflections off the water. Kyle was amazed, not only by the lovely pictures, but Eric's potential.
When they reached the photos of unsuspecting tourists, Kyle snickered. He shook his head and felt the soft hum of Eric's laughter beside him, as warm and bristling as joined hands. But those photos quickly made way for different ones, pictures of Kyle that he didn't know Eric had taken.
Of course there ones of Kyle smiling and grinning compliantly for the camera, but there were also ones where he was looking at the floor, at the landmarks, or into space. Snapshots of Kyle that to anybody else would've been unremarkable and fleeting, but Kyle noticed that Eric had considerately edited each one to bring out the most of each photo. And in every one the background was slightly blurred, drowned out, exploited for its colours to frame Kyle, stark, normal, and unassuming at the centre.
Eric wanted to remember him. Of all the incredible things Kyle had shown him in their short time together, he had appeared to deem Kyle as somebody worth preserving. The pressure of such a realisation weighed down on Kyle mercilessly, and something other than sympathy or endearment welled up in his chest, flooded his lungs, it was incredulity… awe.
"These are pretty good," Kyle said softly, mesmerised. He chuckled weakly, "Don't know why there are so many pictures of me though."
He pursed his lips and fidgeted, both disappointed and relieved in the silence. He could feel Eric's eyes on him, his gaze unreadable. Kyle knew that the only way to get a reaction out of Eric was through doing, through showing and guiding.
Leaving his photo album, Kyle tapped the camera icon on his phone. The screen was dark and blurry, the lens pointed at Kyle's lap. He tapped the corner of the screen and saw himself and Eric looking down.
Kyle watched Eric's reaction on the screen, his eyes wider than he had ever seen them, and his jaw slack. He chuckled, turning to Eric, and was greeted by his sheepish smile.
Still preoccupied with each other, Kyle felt Eric's fingers wrap around his wrist and he let Eric lift his arm and pull the phone further away, so they were both neatly in frame at a more flattering angle.
Kyle smiled into the camera, not needing to force it at all, and as usual, Eric copied him. Though Kyle was starting to see Eric's personality shine through the more time they spent together.
Two weeks since that night in the lab and Eric had become Kyle's unofficial roommate. It was a quick transition from being a guest, mostly due to the fact that Kyle had wasted no time downloading a Rosetta Stone in American English, so Eric wouldn't have to live the rest of his life in silence.
Eric practiced every day, at home and when he accompanied Kyle to work, only taking breaks to have meals with Kyle or to watch TV with him before they went to bed. Although Kyle had been delighted when he discovered he made enough money that he could rent an apartment without the help of a roommate, he did enjoy Eric's presence in his place, and walking into the apartment at the end of the day with someone by his side. Even if it was an adjustment, a part of Kyle relished the disagreements over the remote, or having to impatiently rap on the door because Eric was taking too long in the shower. At least it meant Eric had to engage in conversation with him. Although he was learning how to speak English, Eric often preferred to hide under the safety blanket of silence.
Another day was starting, and Kyle padded into the living room, rubbing his gritty eyes. He thought he had done a shoddy job of clearing his vision when he saw that Eric had made himself breakfast.
Those surges of pride Kyle felt whenever Eric accomplished something were starting to become addictive. But he supposed there were worse vices. However, the daydreams of Eric's future weren't hallucinations, illusionary; they were startlingly real and becoming more so every day. Kyle hadn't discussed the future with Eric yet of course, but he was looking forward to such a conversation. Although a part of him was curious as well as apprehensive as to whether Eric envisioned a future with Kyle in it.
As a roommate? An acquaintance? A friend? The answer was still foggy in Kyle's optimistic crystal ball.
"Morning…" Kyle smiled as he entered the kitchen.
"Morning…" Eric replied shyly, returning to his cereal.
Froot loops. Kyle had discovered Eric had quite the sweet tooth.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked as he made himself coffee.
Kyle looked at Eric when he still hadn't answered. They weren't having quick, witty banter just yet, but Kyle didn't mind.
"Yes…" Eric nodded, "thank you."
Kyle smiled tightly.
"And you?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, I did," Kyle replied, careful not to beam. "Thanks."
The conversation lilting, Kyle decided to check his emails, pursing his lips when he saw the photo on his lock screen; he and Eric on the bench at the Lincoln Memorial. They still had a long way to go, but Kyle knew that Eric had already come so far and that he was only going to keep exceeding Kyle's expectations, making him proud. Eric wasn't just going to be fine; he was going to be great. Already with an affinity for photography and languages (as hesitant as Eric could be sometimes to speak English, Kyle was always pleased and impressed when he did), Eric could take his life into such amazing, interesting directions.
And looking at that photograph, Kyle wondered if he would be by Eric's side. He would always support him, always be in Eric's life in whatever way they both saw fit, but Kyle knew that they had come so far together too. Maybe it wasn't so crazy for Kyle to consider Eric his friend? And hope Eric felt the same way?
Kyle's coffee was ready, and he blinked as he snapped out of his early morning daydreams.
"Your English is improving already," he commented, pouring the coffee into a cup and taking a seat opposite Eric. He sighed, and it settled into a lazy smile. "You're getting so much better."
Eric grinned, still sheepish, and replied. "it's, uh… fun?"
"Fun? Yes, fun, well, I'm glad…" Kyle said. "If you need any help, let me know."
Eric nodded, and both of them hid their smiles behind their breakfasts.
Just like Eric was getting to grips with a new language, so was Kyle learning to adjust to silence. It was difficult, as he had never been described as quiet or meek before. He was always the most fervent contributor to any debate, as well as the most likely to babble in nerve-wracking situations. Kyle's voice was his shield, and his words were his sword and laying down his weapons in Eric's mute company was terrifying at first, but grew to be invigorating. As much of a talker as Kyle was, it felt nice to just shut up for a minute and feel okay with it.
In fact, although Eric spent all day with Kyle at work, it often felt that Kyle was on his own in the lab. They would speak to each other when required – no small talk – and Kyle would continue his research into the amber while Eric watched from the stool perched at the end of Kyle's desk, or revised his English on Kyle's laptop.
"What are you doing?" Eric asked.
Kyle nearly jumped, his heart certainly did. He was so immersed in the amber plasma in the petri dish in front of him that the sound of Eric's voice startled him. It wasn't very often that Eric initiated conversation…
"Uhh… well, we think this amber you were found in has special qualities," Kyle tried to explain the best he could. "But since I'm not a biologist, I can't figure out what those special qualities are so I'm sending a sample to my scientist friend, Kenny. His team is hoping that this amber could be very beneficial, that it could help a lot of people. Which is great, but what I'm really interested in why it's capable of doing such abnormal, wonderful things."
"Oh…" Eric nodded, glancing at the amber before looking back at Kyle with imploring eyes. "What does it mean, what you are doing?"
Kyle furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn't even asked himself that question.
"Honestly, we're not sure yet," he replied. "This material is still so mysterious, we don't even know what it's made of. But we're getting close. We just want to find answers."
Kyle was about to continue his work when Eric asked, "what about me?"
"What about you?" Kyle returned, shaking his head. "I don't understand."
Eric rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. His expression was desperate as well as exasperated; his gleaming topaz eyes were shining. He sighed.
"I was stuck for a long time," he explained, lifting his gaze to Kyle. He was still learning how to express his thoughts to Kyle in a way he could understand, he probably hoped his fixed gaze could help fill in the gaps. "You are now all f-fa-fascinated with this," he gestured almost reproachfully to the petri dish. "Every day you are looking, and I am here watching. Do you want to put me back in there? Do you want me to go back?"
Kyle had listened intently and his response was immediate.
"No!" He exclaimed. "No, definitely not, Eric!"
His reaction to what Eric had been suggesting was so strong and visceral, and the relief that immediately thawed out any apprehension Eric felt when Kyle dashed his doubts, was so overwhelming that Kyle felt dizzy. A weak chuckle escaped his mouth and he didn't try to stop a smile from spreading across his face.
"Good, th-thank you. I am glad," Eric said softly. Kyle could see his hands fidgeting at his lap. "Always I have felt lonely, sad… but not anymore. I feel happy now, like I am meant to be…" Eric paused and gulped, but then looked to Kyle again. "With you. I, I like being with you… Kyle."
Kyle pursed his lips; at first he had been unabashed in his wide smile. But now he feared what it could be the telling trigger to. Eric had of course said his name before, but it had never felt so loaded, so quietly important. It was like a code, or gesture, trivial to others, but sacred and meaningful to Eric and Kyle. Just by saying his name Eric had showed Kyle how grateful he was, exactly what Kyle meant to him, with hardly any words…
Eric was good at doing that.
"Wow, thanks, I'm glad you feel that way," Kyle managed to reply. "I like being with you too, Eric."
So far Eric had been managing with borrowed clothes, but Kyle only had so many loose-fitting sweats and baggy t-shirts, and Eric was becoming fussier in his tastes and bolder in expressing his opinion. Kyle couldn't blame him. Eric's wardrobe was pretty casual at the moment, not to mention bland. A novelty for Eric when he had grown up with embellishment, finery, clothes that meant something. Eric was clearly pining for that.
Kyle couldn't provide Eric with authentic Ancient Egyptian attire (unless he stole some from the exhibits at the museum and got fired in the process), but he could at least re-vamp Eric's wardrobe with the prince at the head of the operation.
That Saturday they ventured to the mall for Eric's very first shopping trip.
They had only been to one store and already Eric had chosen two pairs of jeans, an olive sweater, a grey pullover hoodie, and a light blue t-shirt emblazoned with a cat sporting sunglasses propped up in a DJ booth. Eric had burst out laughing the moment he saw it and snatched it from the rack, with an amused Kyle following him.
"How about this?" Kyle asked, spotting a plaid shirt. He took it from the rack and presented it to Eric. "Plaid?"
Eric was already leafing through the shirts in the opposite racks, and he wrinkled his nose and shook his head when he saw the shirt Kyle was holding.
Kyle blinked at Eric's blunt response, but resumed his previous smirk.
"Okay, just thought it'd suit you," he replied, putting the shirt back where he found it.
"I like this one," Eric announced, holding a burgundy silk shirt to his chest.
"You do, huh?" Kyle asked, inspecting the shirt a little closer.
"Yes," Eric replied, thumbing the sleeve. "I like the colour… red, right?"
"Yes, red!" Kyle grinned up at Eric, the fabric soft beneath his fingers. "Nice material too," Kyle commented, before he found the price tag. He balked. It was definitely the most expensive item they had picked up. "Pretty steep, but you are a prince. I guess it's no surprise you have expensive taste. Plus, with your limited wardrobe I can't afford to be picky. Literally."
"I really like it, Kyle," Eric said, before he looked at Kyle and asked, "Do you think it will look good?"
Kyle glanced around the store and spotted the dressing room.
"Sure, let's go find out," he smiled, holding Eric's wrist and leading him over there.
"Alright, this is called a dressing room," Kyle explained once they had entered. "It's where you try on new clothes before you buy them."
Eric nodded, his eyes roaming the small, narrow room, that had six curtained-off cubicles and a long mirror on the far wall. Kyle was holding the bulk of his clothes, and Eric still had the silk shirt in his hand. He passed it to Kyle and began to lift his t-shirt over his head.
"No, no!" Kyle said quickly. "You don't- you need to go behind one of the curtains and get changed, see?"
He pointed to a vacant cubicle and Eric nodded.
"Probably should've mentioned that sooner…" Kyle muttered, before he rolled his eyes and willed away his embarrassment. "Anyway, here's your clothes," he said, as he handed Eric his stuff. "I'll be out here if you need me."
Eric grinned, pressing the pile of clothes to his chest before he stepped into the cubicle and with one hand managed to close the curtains behind him. Kyle stared at the barrier between him and Eric for a few seconds before he sighed. Eric's grin was still infectious despite the partition and Kyle's face began to hurt the more he tried to stop the wicked smile from playing across his lips. Kyle brought his hands to his face and ran a hand through his curls, leaving them wayward but he didn't care. Spotting a small, leather stool, he sat on it and waited for Eric to step out of the curtains in his new apparel.
Two minutes later Eric emerged wearing the burgundy shirt, as well as a self-satisfied smirk that Kyle had only seen once or twice, and a swagger that was completely new. At least to Kyle, no doubt Eric had often strutted around the palace with a similar air of cocky authoritativeness.
"How did I know that would be your first choice?" Kyle teased.
Eric didn't respond. He was too busy checking out every angle of himself in the mirror, leaving Kyle to his own inspections. He was by no means a fashion guru, but Kyle thought the shirt really suited him. The deep, indulgent shade of red complimented Eric's skin tone, and the confidence it so clearly provoked made his golden eyes glint like they knew they were set in royal sockets. If Eric had a pair of trousers to match and a spritz of some cologne (something sharp but lulling, a powerful yet alluring scent) then he would be a catch…
What do you mean 'would be'? You know he's handsome. You couldn't stop staring at him that night in the lab.
Kyle shook his head, dismissing the thought. It would have been difficult, were it not for the fact that although Eric's buttons were all done up neatly, his collar was sticking out. Kyle smiled to himself.
"Do you like it?" He asked.
"Yes, it's nice," Eric replied, still looking in the mirror, his hand placed on his belly. He looked at Kyle and asked, "Do you think it's nice?"
"I do, except um…" Kyle's eyes wandered to Eric's collar.
"What?" Eric asked, turning to Kyle now.
Kyle stood up and fixed Eric's collar, Eric watching his hands all the while. Once he was finished, Kyle beamed and placed his hand on Eric's shoulders.
"Perfect…" he whispered, running his hands down Eric's chest.
The gentle fabric was hypnotic, and the warmth Kyle could feel beneath the shirt was inviting, with the rise and fall of Eric's chest it steadily met and retreated from Kyle's fingers like the calmest seat at night. Until Eric chuckled, low and secretive and his warm skin, Eric's lungs, seemed to giggle in whispers as if they knew how beguiling they were. How enticing the whole package was…
"Perfect is good?" Eric asked.
Kyle lifted his heavy gaze to Eric and saw the prince smiling. His smile was chipped at the corner, white teeth peeking out of the crooked smirk. Kyle would've assumed it competitive, flirtatious, were it not for the genuine curiosity in Eric's eyes.
"Perfect is very good," Kyle replied, hoping to match Eric's humid tone. "The best."
"Perfect is hot?"
Kyle furrowed his eyebrows. His fingers stiffened on Eric's chest and didn't move. "What do you mean?"
Kyle saw Eric swallow and fidget, averting his gaze from Kyle as he searched for the right words. When he appeared to have found them, his eyes met Kyle's again.
"On the TV, when someone is good-looking they are called hot," he explained. "So am I?"
Kyle's eyes widened, he felt as if he was in the process of freezing all over.
"D-d-do I think you're hot?" Kyle asked, arching an eyebrow, concerned that he only half-understood.
Eric nodded, his lidded gaze and loose smile now melting Kyle too rapidly, he feared he would burn.
"Y-yeah," Kyle stuttered, nodding vigorously. "Yeah, you do look hot."
Eric remained cool while Kyle flared. His fingers were damp, but he was scared they'd start shaking if he moved them from Eric's chest. Besides, he didn't want to find out if the racing heart he could feel and hear belonged to him or to Eric.
"Thank you," Eric replied. "You are hot too."
Kyle flushed; a hideous summer downpour on his cheeks.
Why am I blushing so hard?!
"Yeah, right, you're just saying that…" Kyle snickered, looking away, he had to.
"No, I am saying it because it's true," Eric said, and it was so firm and certain, without any mirth, without any of the hesitancy or self-consciousness that was usually present when he spoke English, that Kyle had to then look at him. There was nothing light about his declaration. In fact, it was so heavy that Kyle had no choice but to face it. Wide-eyed, and exhilarated and silent.
Eric's strong, sincere expression softened for Kyle… or maybe because of Kyle.
"I have seen nobody else like you," Eric confessed.
Kyle exhaled a shaking, imperfect breath.
"Is that a compliment?" He tried to ask with a chuckle.
"What is a compliment?"
"Something that is nice and honest," Kyle explained.
"Then it is a compliment," Eric replied. "You are beautiful, Kyle."
"Beautiful?"
"I cannot think of any other word."
And Kyle, who usually found it so hard to keep quiet, was well and truly speechless. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before, and even then he wasn't sure there was a person on the planet who would know how to respond. Words fell flat on his tongue and his mind was blank, he hastily scoured his brain for words, his gaze wandering, until he realised his hands were still on Eric's chest.
"S-s-sorry…" he blurted, eyes to the floor as he snatched his hands away.
"Why are you sorry?" Eric asked, stepping forward.
Kyle kept his head bowed, but he looked up at Eric when he replied, "for touching you like that."
"You have touched me before?"
"Yeah, but that was different," Kyle mumbled, itching to get out of his uncomfortable, burning skin and into something cooler.
Like Eric's…
Kyle thought of that soft shirt, and Eric's warm chest, and what his bare skin would feel like against his fingertips and flinched. Why was he thinking this way? How could he be thinking this way?!
Eric chuckled.
"But I liked it," he replied.
Kyle lifted his head suddenly, searching for reassurance on Eric's sincere face.
"Oh…" Kyle nodded, wiping his clammy palms on his jeans. "Okay…"
Eric's smile was creased with laughter and when it finally escaped, it prompted Kyle to join in.
"What should I try on next?" Eric asked, thankfully attempting to steer them away from that intense but-
Amazing? Exciting-
Awkward moment.
"How about the t-shirt with the cat on it?" Kyle suggested.
They both needed to cool off.
Eric returned Kyle's grin and disappeared behind a curtain, leaving Kyle to gulp for air as if he had been drowning in the once calm sea that suddenly turned tumultuous. But was Eric volatile, or Kyle? Or were his feelings simply developing and it had been so long since Kyle had had a crush on anyone that he had forgotten how charged and eruptive such feelings made him? Undoubtedly alive but reckless.
And if he were to ever act on these feelings, if he and Eric were to ever cross that flirtatious boundary into something more unabashed, fervent and intimate, then it would be a reckless, foolish decision.
Kyle knew that he had gotten more than he bargained for when Eric broke out of that slab, but he never anticipated it to this extent; endearment, fondness, and now attraction. He groaned, and buried his head in his hands.
As well as the Rosetta Stone Kyle had been helping Eric improve his English with flashcards.
Eric's existence was not yet public knowledge. The media storm that would have descended were the press to know about the Smithsonian's incredible discovery would have caused more distress to Eric during this confusing time, and while it was Kyle's job to teach Eric, and help him settle into his new surroundings, it was Doctor Victoria's responsibility to discuss with the museum's PR people how they were going to release this new… information. In all their talks with Kyle, they had phrased everything very delicately. Eric wasn't an asset, or an exhibit, or even an experiment (Kyle feared that he would be labelled as such as soon as the public were made aware of him, and he would be taken from all he had learned, from his new home, for good).
Despite the secrecy, Kyle was still able to ascertain the flashcards via Wendy – since her girlfriend, Bebe, was an elementary school teacher and used such cards for her own English lessons. They proved to be quite helpful, and Eric and Kyle had now embarked on their second lesson with the flashcards, both of them sat facing each other on Kyle's couch, their elbows resting on their knees.
"Walking?" Eric guessed, after Kyle had presented him with another card.
"Yes!" Kyle grinned, placing it at the back of the pile and showing Eric a new card.
"Eating?"
"Correct again! Don't sound so unsure, okay?" Kyle smiled softly. "You're doing excellent."
Eric returned the smile, but ever since their charged moment in the dressing room a week ago, every silent action and gesture – once unassuming and necessary – was loaded, bloated with meaning. Tempting and risky.
Kyle was proud of the lack of awkwardness between them (he supposed that their discomfort had no choice but to wane since they spent so much time together), but he wondered if it had simply been replaced by flickering tension, a pull only growing tauter. In Kyle's experience, things became awkward when somebody makes a move and is shot down. The uneasiness lies in dealing with the aftermath of rejection. But there had been no rejection, only restraint. They were both drawn to each other, the attraction was mutual. Kyle could see it in Eric's small smile and articulate eyes, had felt it beneath his fingertips, Eric's warm skin, his heart sprinting alongside Kyle's.
Clearing his throat although he wasn't planning on speaking, Kyle then showed Eric a flashcard of a little cartoon holding a book.
"Reading," Eric answered more decisively.
Kyle nodded and beamed, showing Eric another card of a girl doing a backstroke.
"Swimming,"
Again Kyle nodded, impressed. The flashcard was replaced by another of a couple kissing, red and pink love hearts hovering above their heads.
As Eric studied the card his coy smile faded, along with Kyle's previous confidence. The answer was obvious, and Eric had been doing too well not to get it right. Kyle tried to gulp as discreetly as he could, shifting in his seat. His legs suddenly felt numb.
"Ki-kissing?" Eric finally answered. Kyle was slow in acknowledging him.
Kyle didn't nod, or smile, or move onto the next card. He was frozen all over again… so why did his skin feel searing beneath his clothes? Why were his fingertips prickling against the paper?
"Kiss…" Eric repeated, his gaze on his lap before it reached Kyle. He muttered something under his breath that Kyle didn't understand. But it was ancient and mysterious and it unnerved Kyle as much as it aroused him. That flickering temptation was now roaring.
Eric slowly leaned forward; at least it felt excruciatingly arduous to Kyle. His body was stiff and his heart was thumping, pleading, and it wasn't just his fingertips that were prickling. His skin was sensitive and boiling, and overall Kyle felt feverish, he didn't know what the remedy was exactly but he knew Eric could cure him, relieve him, and make him feel alive again. Like Eric, Kyle needed to be revived.
Finally, Eric cupped Kyle's face with both hands. He never realised before how strong Eric was, and now he was handling that draw, that pull, and Kyle couldn't look anywhere except those beautiful, enchanting eyes. Kyle had been bewitched by them since that night in the lab. In fact, Kyle was reminded a lot of that night, the night he liked to think they first met. But the roles had reversed, Kyle was the one who had stared contemplatively then, fascinated, and now he was the one being studied, admired. But just like their attraction, their endearment, it was mutual.
Eric carefully closed the gap between them with a soft, chaste kiss; the beguiling, quiet climax to the most intimidating build-up. For all his cockiness that Kyle was so fond of, Eric was a serious man, a born ruler, and Kyle could sense it in even the gentlest of kisses – which it was. It prompted a relieved, desperate lump in Kyle's throat and when their kiss ended all too soon he was left spellbound. Panting, trembling. They both were. Eric's palms were shaky on Kyle's flushed cheeks, and their breaths were humid, threadbare and synchronised. Eric's irises were almost Tiger Eye stones in the shadow of his dilated pupils, and Kyle was sure that his own pupils had blotted his irises a mossy shade.
Transfixed, Kyle couldn't stop staring at Eric, revelling in his boldness, in his debilitating sincerity. His lips were parted, tasting of Eric and mourning their short union.
Exhaling shakily, he nodded.
"Kiss…" Kyle whispered, before smashing his lips against Eric's.
He would've been just as surprised by his brazen move as Eric was, were he not so craving and enlivened. Eric swiftly responded though, his hands still cupping Kyle's face as if his lips were a spring in the Sahara. Kyle had the flashcards in his hand and he limply tried to place them on the coffee table, so they wouldn't become unorganised, but he missed and they landed in a heap on the floor. Kyle didn't care, his reluctance and objections were leaving him.
Now that his hands were free, Kyle wrapped his arm around Eric's neck, grabbing a fistful of his hair, deepening the kiss. Their tongues met and their whimpers were suffocated in their hot, wet mouths. Intrigued and greedy, Eric shifted even closer, pinning Kyle on the couch, and with Eric on top of him, Kyle could've kidded himself that it was just the two of them in the whole world. He wouldn't have to think about, or answer to anybody, it was just them and they were all that mattered. Kyle spread his legs and encouraged Eric to press his body flush to his, so warm and sturdy and Kyle couldn't get enough of the feeling, he wanted more, more, more until there was nothing left to discover, to experience. He was an archaeologist, it was in his nature to be inquisitive.
He was still clutching Eric's hair, while Eric's hand had slid from his cheek to his waist, boldly slipping his fingers under Kyle's shirt. Kyle jolted and fearlessly welcomed the contact. But their not-so-free hands were above their heads, their fingers seamlessly and fiercely intertwined.
A/N: Thoughts? Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!