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Laughter filled the small room as a tape played from Kel’s small TV. The pirated comedy spewed out gag after gag, causing the actors in the movie to let out roars of laughs.
The two boys did not find the same enjoyment as the cast did.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Kel noisily munched away on the unpopped popcorn kernels that laid at the bottom of the empty plastic bowl. Hero had prepared both boys plenty of snacks so they could get through the night with stomachs full of sweets, but it was only quarter to twelve and most of the treats were gone. Kel had grown nervous as the two sat awkwardly, so he had stuffed his face full of food to try and ignore the tension.
Kel took note that Basil hadn’t touched much of anything. He was afraid to move from the safety that was Kel’s patterned fleece blanket. It was far too large for the smaller boy, so he was perfectly hidden underneath the sea of folds. He had remained quiet underneath his prison of fleece except for the polite “thank you”s that were often directed at the eldest.
Sitting in silence left the brunette feeling rather restless. Normally, any sort of comedy would get Kel riled up which, in turn, would cause Basil to inherit the enjoyment and laugh until he couldn’t breathe. Tonight was different though.
They had only gotten officially together naught but a month ago. All things they once saw as normal friend activities suddenly became much more awkward between them. Casual hand holding and friendly kisses on the cheek were far too intimate for both of them. The thought of them sleeping together in a bed, an activity they once done many a times in their youth, now felt too scandalous to even attempt. As a result, they silently agreed to stay up the whole night.
A new movie began to play as the hours ticked by. And then another one. And another, up until the clock struck three. The blond boy was struggling to stay awake underneath the warmth of his blanket prison and the brunette had already fallen asleep. He stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes as the actors on screen grew too loud for Kel to stand.
Kel stretched his arms behind his back and yawned as he turned to his partner. “Wanna get in pjs?” He reached over and brushed the blanket out of Basil’s face to see if he was still conscious.
Basil barely stirred as his blankets were moved. His gaze was fixed onto the movie that played loudly over Kel’s tv. Kel waited a moment, half assuming Basil could fall asleep with his eyes open (which disturbed Kel greatly). After continuing to not get a response he reached over to gently shake the flower boy, but pulled his hands away as the smaller boy suddenly turned to look at him. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at Kel. “...yeah.. Okay..”
They helped each other stand up and headed over to Kel’s dresser. All of Basil’s clothes were neatly folded and hung up on one side, while Kel’s fell off of hangers and were scattered and wrinkled on the bottom. Neither were sure how there was such a drastic difference between their clothes, especially when Hero and Basil regularly cleaned up his dresser.
Ignoring the mess, Kel dug through clothes until he found a loose shirt for him to wear. Normally, Kel would sleep in nothing but his boxers, but he was afraid of making his partner uncomfortable. He looked towards his golden tulip as he dug through the mess once more. “Do you want one of my shirts?”
For a while, there was no response. Basil was staring at the clothes in front of him absentmindedly, leaving Kel unsure if he was even heard. He waited a moment more before repeating his question and finally getting a response. “Oh.. No, it’s ok.” Basil yawned and wiped his teary eyes. “Sorry, I don’t normally stay up this late…” He leaned against Kel and shut his tired eyes.
The older boy stared down at Basil. The flower boy had already dozed off and was dangerously close to falling over. Kel snickered and shook his head as he picked up the light boy… Basil was a little too light for Kel’s liking. He made a mental note to make sure Basil was always eating properly.
Kel laid his sleeping beauty down on his bed, listening to the light creeeak as Basil’s weight rested against it. Basil looked so peaceful as he slept… He was so small and fragile. Though Kel wasn’t even in bed with him yet, he felt as if he would break his boyfriend. One wrong move and he would break Basil and not be able to fix him…
He sighed and took a step back so he could get changed. He slid his shorts off first, then pulled off his shirt with ease. Kel grumbled to himself as he tried to figure out which way his shirt was supposed to go. The television's gentle glow wasn’t enough to aid him in the process.
The brunette groaned and decided it didn't even matter which way the shirt was on as long as he was comfortable. He was just going to sleep after all.
A soft voice disrupted the shirtless boy’s attempt to dress himself. “Kel?” Basil managed to mumble out through his grogginess. “Come ‘ere…”
Kel turned and stared blankly at the small boy who was ready to fall off the bed. A pale arm reached out for Kel, causing Basil to slip further off the bed. The older boy sighed and giggled as he gently rolled his partner back onto the bed. “Sweetheart,” Kel cooed, “I have to get dressed. Give me a s-”
Cold skin slapped against Kel’s chest. He shivered and stared down at Basil’s small hand that slowly inched its way up his skin. Basil’s skin was freezing compared to Kel’s undying warmth.
Basil’s hand stopped against Kel’s beating heart. His sleepy expression quickly contorted into a goofy smile as he began to giggle. “Kel~ You’re so warm... “ Kel felt as Basil’s gentle fingers brushed over his skin.
Kel wrung his shirt in his hands, feeling his heart beat faster the longer Basil touched his chest. He had known he loved Basil for such a long time, but he often forgot why he adored the flower boy so. Moments like this filled Kel with nothing but warmth and admiration for the smaller boy.
He pressed a knee against the bed and leaned over Basil, taking in all the features of the delicate flower underneath him. His lightly freckled cheeks, his blond hair that always framed his face perfectly, his bright blue eyes that stared back at Kel… He brought a hand towards Basil’s face and pressed it against his cheek. His hand was so big compared to his little Bazzi… He smiled warmly as he questioned how someone so full of love could be so small and delicate.
“Kel?” Basil’s cold hand pressed harder against his chest. “Your heart is beating so fast…” Basil sat up and Kel feared he had caused his partner to fully wake up. Fortunately, he just scooched over to make room. “Sit. Hurry, hurry…”
The clean shirt fell against the ground as Kel climbed into bed and laid on his side besides his love. The two laid there in silence for a moment, convincing Kel that Basil had dozed off again. His suspicions proved to be true as he reached over and gently brushed blond locks out of his face. He breathed slow and his eyes were shut. He barely even stirred, reassuring Kel that Basil was having nothing but good dreams.
Kel tapped his fingers against the bed as he thought about the two and their start. He remembered when they weren’t so close, Basil always choosing to avoid Kel when possible from his intense desire to be alone. So quickly they had gone from not interacting, to becoming closer and closer, until the feelings were spilled and the two became intertwined in a romance that neither really knew how to handle. Neither had been in a relationship before, and Kel always felt strange when he couldn’t do more for the sweet daffodil he had fallen in love with.
Kel reached over and wrapped an arm around the flower boy, pulling him closer against his body. Through his slumber, Basil cuddled close to Kel and took in all his warmth. A gentle giggle escaped from Kel as he fell deeper in love. Something about Basil laying besides him made his heart swell. He almost wished Basil was awake so he could confess his feelings once more, but he knew that the younger boy needed his sleep.
Still, that didn’t mean Kel couldn’t think about it. He could relive the night he confessed over and over.
“Basil,” Kel started and then stopped. He had the whole day planned, yet found the words hard to express. He glanced over to the flower boy who gleefully played with his polaroid camera. The strap rested carefully around Basil’s narrow shoulders. He had taken plenty of pictures of Kel and the wildlife in the park, all neatly stored in the album that rested peacefully on the wooden dock they sat on.
Kel pinched fabric between his fingers as he forced himself to begin talking. “Basil, you know we’ve been friends for a very long time. You, even if you didn’t know it, helped me so much, hah.” He glanced over at Basil. He couldn't tell if the blond was listening or not. Ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest, he continued on. “I was always so afraid of losing you, did you know that? I always knew I was a handful, yet, for the most part, you stuck around with me and put up with everything I did.” He giggled nervously and saw a glare from Basil through his peripherals. He bit his cheek and turned away.
“You make it sound like I don't want to be around you. Which isn’t true, by the way. I thought the evening was quite nice. I’m glad i’m here rather than my house, anyway.” Basil’s voice sounded stern but softened up quickly. His words filled Kel up with more confidence, though he was still too nervous to spill his guts right then and there.
He continued to hype himself up by rambling. “I’m glad you like it here. I think the view from here is good, especially when the sun is setting. The pinks and purple remind me of you a little bit-well no, they remind me more of Aubrey. Because of her pink hair. Oh, do you, uh, do you remember when we used to fight all the time? When we were little? Those were sweet times, don't you think? Haha, I miss having those little fights with her. Now she's too much to deal with. It’s a good thing i’m super tough, though!” He flexed an arm and giggled. Basil mirrored his giggles and shook his head.
Kel felt his face warm up as Basil’s little giggles turned into full-fledged laughter. He was mesmerized by how sweet the other boy’s laughter was. He wanted to hear it all the time… he wanted to be the sole reason to hear Basil so excited and joyful.
His face grew hot as he realized he began to ramble and lost track of what he actually wanted to talk about. Basil took notice and snapped a quick picture of his friend. “Shit, where did I leave off? Give me a second-ah...uhm” Kel replayed his one sided conversation in his head until he could pinpoint his final statement. “Right, so anyway, as i was saying, I think you're really cool, Basil.”
The camera flashed as another picture was taken. Kel smiled big as he watched Basil ready himself for one final picture. “I guess what I’m actually trying to say is, well..” He placed a hand on Basil’s leg and looked longingly at his friend. “Will you be my boyfriend?”
Another flash. Basil happily waited for the film to print and held it in his hand once it did. “You look so cute in th-wait, what?” His eyes grew wide as Kel’s words processed in his head. Through his rush of emotions he gently set the fresh pictures aside. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked back towards Kel, leaving the brunette unsure if he made the right decision. “You’re serious?”
Kel nervously nodded, growing more unsure of himself by the minute. All his worries melted away as the smaller boy wrapped his arms around Kel. He sobbed lightly into Kel’s shirt. “Yes.. Yes, yes, a million times, yes. Kel..” He sat up on his knees and pushed his head forward, lightly bumping both their foreheads together. “I didn’t think… you… would like me like that… ever.”
A steady stream of tears ran down his pink cheeks. Kel rolled his thumbs over them, brushing the tears away. They stared at each other, both hesitant to go further, until one of them couldn’t help themselves and pushed in to kiss the other.
Kel huffed out and dug his face into his boyfriend. He made a quick plan in his head to bring his bundle of joy back to their secret hideout to relive that moment once more. It wasn’t long after before he fell asleep, thinking of nothing but his love for the boy he held tight against his chest.