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It had been three months since Keith Daviss had been shipped off to some reformatory camp in the middle of who-the-fuck-knows-where California.
His menacing presence had left the halls of the high school. Many were relieved the guy was gone, his reign of terror temporarily over. Yet Liu found himself feeling a sense of loss. He was so used to the jerk sticking out his foot to trip him in the halls and “accidentally” shoving his head down into his food at lunch. Liu bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the empty desk across from him in biology. There were still shiny metallic pencil sketches that Keith had left behind before he had vanished. Whatever the lecture had been about today went through both of Liu’s ears without any sort of consideration.
There were many things people didn’t know about Keith. Some things about him Randy Warren and Troy Green didn’t even know. But Liu knew. He watched the punk with a curious eye. He knew Keith couldn’t look people in the eyes when he lied. He licked his lips when he was anxious. Keith would pop his retainer in and out of his mouth to soothe.
He knew Keith Daviss didn’t hate him at all.
They were good friends.
It had started with a game of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by Liu’s friend Ben.
Ben hadn’t known that Liu had a very rocky history with Keith. He lived a town over and the guy seemed to make friends with whoever no matter what their background was. Although Ben tended to have more of a presence in the alternative and skater subculture in California. That made his meeting with Keith sort of inevitable.
Liu fidgeted with his hands as he sat at the round table in Ben's basement. He darted his eyes between Ben and the menace adjacent to him. Every nerve in his body fired off a distress signal, but Liu couldn’t find it in himself to leave. He and Ben had planned to start this new campaign for weeks now, and he’d be a total asshole if he had bailed just because one guy he really didn’t like was also involved.
Liu had quietly participated throughout the night as Ben played the part of their Dungeon Master. Despite the campaign having just begun the storyline was already tense. Though anyone had yet to die their characters had certainly faced quite a bit of adversity through the past two or so hours they had been gathered around this table.
Ben cleared his throat. “As the travelers venture into a quaint village for rest, they find themselves at a local tavern for some sustenance before they settle their camp for the night.”
Liu pulled his head up from his lap and rested his elbows on the table as Ben continued his narration. He had a bunch that this was the entry to a new conflict. He interlocked his fingers together as he glanced around the table once again. Nina Hopkins was busy taking another sip of her Monster Energy while Keith was running his tongue against the snake bite piercings on his lip. Next to him Toby Rodgers grinned from ear to ear as he anticipated another chance to be as ridiculous as he could.
“The tavern owner takes a seat with your party and folds his hands. A worried look crosses his face before he speaks,” Ben said. He cleared his throat and began to speak in a whimsical voice. “The children have been goin’ missin’,” he made a sniffling noise. “It may be Grýla of the Woods.”
Keith interrupted with an imitation of his character’s voice. “There’s a wild gorilla on the loose?”
Toby cackled and leaned back into his chair as he clapped his hands together. Ben looked towards Keith with a scowl and narrowed eyes.
He resumed his squeaky voice. “I’m not saying GORILLA, I’m saying GRÝLA,” he annunciated the sounds of each world.
Nina sat her can of Monster Energy down on the table before she chimed in. “Is it a charcoal grilla or a propane grilla?”
The question brought an angry blush to Ben’s cheeks and ears as he sighed heavily. Liu covered his mouth to hide the smile that had spread across his face.
Toby’s head ticked to the side abruptly as he straightened his posture. “She’s extra dangerous-” His shoulders shrugged. “‘Cause she’s using.. GUERRILLA TACTICS!” He shouted.
Liu threw his head back and laughed. Keith gasped for hair like a dying seal while Nina giggled and snickered in her seat. Ben sat on his swiveling chair with furrowed brows and a pout on his lips as he watched his friends laugh around him. He did not enjoy their humor at that moment. This campaign was supposed to be more serious than the previous one had been.
“Alright, shut up guys let me narrate!” Ben demanded.
The laughter in the group steadily died down as they once again adjusted themselves to sit up straight once more. Liu fidgeted with his dice. He enjoyed the points as they pressed into the skin of his palms. It was an action that helped him focus on his friend’s narration.
“The town has been absolutely terrorized. I fear the leaders are thinkin’ of not celebratin’ the harvest festival,” Ben continued in an anguished tone.
Liu looked to his left. Nina pulled her lips under her teeth as if she were an old woman with no dentures. Her cheeks sucked in as she bit down on the flesh. The sparkle in her eyes indicated that she had an idea that would most definitely push Benjamin's buttons.
“And I also heard there was gonna be a gorilla..” she said. Nina’s lips now formed a grin so wide her cheeks ached.
Ben’s head whipped around in her direction. He had an outraged grimace on his face as he stared at her. It was a look that expressed the question; “Are you fucking serious right now?”
Liu sought his turn to sink his teeth into the joke. “Is that the gorilla on the loose?”
Keith and Toby were plagued by wheezing fits of laughter. The blonde rocked back in his seat while Toby was unable to breathe through his silent laughter.
“IT. IS. NOT. GORILLA!” Ben chanted as he clapped his hands.
Liu could have died from laughter right then and there as he slapped the table. The group’s fit of laughter was interrupted once again as Ben cut through it with his narration.
“As I was saying!” He announced before he adjusted his voice back to how squeaky it had been previously. “Rumor has it that Grýla has been able to summon Krampus,” Ben lowered his head for dramatic effect.
“Oh no that happens to be once a month,” Nina quivered.
“That’s it, you’re done,” Ben slammed his hands on the table.
“What’s a Krampus?” Toby asked in the voice he had chosen for his character. “If Krampus and a gorilla fought, which would win?” He jerked his head to the side once more.
Ben covered his face with his hands and groaned. “Oh my god! You guys are awful!” he complained.
Keith leaned forwards and put his elbows on the table. “Would you rather fight one Krampus sized gorilla, or fifty gorilla sized Krampuses?”
Liu howled with laughter in his seat. Toby and Nina joined him whilst Ben was left behind to wallow in his own frustration. Their laughter was similar to a commotion of hound dogs and chickens. Liu was honestly surprised Ben’s mother had not come down to tell the four of them to be quiet. They could certainly be heard from upstairs by now.
Keith squinted. “Or is it Krampi?”
A loud thump was heard in the room. Liu turned over to see Toby sprawled out on the floor. The scene only made him laugh harder. It was a challenge to get a breath in between every holler that left his mouth. Liu was thankful that he decided to not bail on this campaign.
“I can’t do anything with you guys,” Ben sighed as he cradled his head in his hands.
The session had concluded an hour later. Liu had found himself enjoying Keith’s presence somehow. He brought in a presence that made the game more enjoyable than it had ever been before. Liu found himself conflicted. After all, Keith had been so cruel to not only him, but his twin brother Jeff. He was nothing short of a punk who needed to be knocked down a few pegs. Now Liu thought to reconsider his opinion of the lanky Canadian. That night he had seen a completely different person at the table. He had seen a person who was funny, creative, and Liu would even go as far as to call him charming.
From that point on Liu had attended each game of Dungeons and Dragons as if it was as serious as church on a Sunday. He and Keith started to bond through their close proximity. Though outside of Benjamin's basement things hadn’t really changed.
The only thing he had noticed was that Keith completely ignored him. He stopped tripping him in the halls, he no longer threw paper balls or spitballs at him in class, and Keith didn’t even move a hand to strike or jostle Liu. It was as if he didn’t exist to the other. Part of Liu was relieved, it was one less bully for him to deal with. Despite that Liu still found that he missed the other in a way that he couldn't explain, not even to himself.
Soon the Dungeons and Dragons hangouts turned into more secluded places. Liu had steadily worked to wedge his way into Keith during the games they would play. At first their interactions were awkward, as if they were complete strangers. To a degree they were, Liu knew hardly anything about Keith other than that he was from Montreal and liked ice hockey. Keith couldn’t name any other defining characteristic of Liu besides him being a massive dork and having a twin brother who was the biggest dick he’d ever known. But the two had decided to just plan a hang out with just them. No Ben, no Randy, and no Jeff.
Liu had awkwardly sat beside Keith in the passenger seat of his Nissan. He took a shy glance at the other, who flashed an awkward smile. With that positive reassurance Liu turned the corners of his lips upward as he clicked his seatbelt into place. He leaned back and rested his hands in his lap.
“Have you ever ice skated before?” Keith asked as he reversed the car down the driveway. He turned the wheel and shifted the gear into drive before he placed his foot on the gas again.
Liu glanced over. “Oh, no. I’ve never really even seen snow before,” he explained as he fidgeted with his hands.
“Really? That’s crazy. You know, that’s totally what we should do today. There’s like an ice rink twenty minutes out from here that we could go to. I could teach you to skate,” Keith offered.
“Really?” Liu blinked. He took a moment to think about it. He was already clothed in his black jacket and signature striped scarf, so he certainly wouldn’t get cold if he skated. “I would like that, it sounds cool.”
Keith smiled. “That rocks man,” his voice was no longer tense. His tone had relaxed. Keith had an accent that lay somewhere between California Valley, and French Canadian.
Liu bobbed his head to the alternative rock that played through Keith’s car radio as he drove down the road. So far it wasn’t bad. Liu was relieved that Keith hadn’t rolled up with Troy and Randy in tow to corner him. They chatted with one another during the drive. That was how Liu found out Keith could speak both French and English fluently, and Liu revealed to Keith his interest in becoming an author one day.
They arrived at the rink in what seemed so much shorter than twenty minutes. Liu followed Keith inside of the rink like a lost puppy. He stood behind the tall teenagers as Keith exchanged some cash for time in the rink. Liu noticed the skates Keith had slung over his shoulders. He took note of the guards that concealed the sharp blades.
Keith looked down at him. “Hey, what’s your shoe size?” He asked.
Liu stood in silence for a moment. He took a moment to process the question, as well as how tall Keith was in comparison to himself. He felt like an ant. He stared up at Keith's brown eyes until the other waved a hand in front of his face.
“You good?’ He chuckled with a raised brow.
Liu snapped out of his daze and blinked. “Oh- sorry,” he apologized. “I’m a size seven-and-a-half,” he answered.
“Cool,” Keith turned his head to the person behind the counter. “You got any men’s size seven-and-a-half skates? My friend needs a pair.”
The clerk looked over both of them for a moment. “Yeah man let me see,” Liu watched the man turn on his heel and venture out of sight.
They both waited quietly before the clerk came back with skates in Liu’s size. He set them down and before Liu could retrieve his wallet from his pocket Keith had already handed over the cash to pay for the rental. The blonde picked up the skates and shrugged his shoulders forwards to get Liu to follow him. For a moment Liu stood and fidgeted before he began to follow Keith.
The pair took a seat on a set of bleachers near the rink. Keith removed the guard from his skate blades and tossed his converse aside to slip his feet into them instead. Liu watched as he shoved off his own sneakers while Keith tied his skates in just three quick maneuvers. Keith then sat up and glanced down at Liu as he awkwardly shifted into the skates.
“Here,” Keith scooted closer to Liu, who flinched back slightly. Keith grabbed the laces of the other’s skates and tied them.
“You don’t need to do that,” Liu told him.
“I know, but I want to. This was my idea,” Keith glanced up at Liu as he finished tying his other skate.
Liu bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t argue with that. It was just unusual to see Keith go out of his way to do something for anyone- nevermind doing it for someone like Liu.
“Hold onto me as we get on the ice,” Keith stood upright. He grabbed Liu’s hand and pulled him from the bleachers.
The pair slowly shuffled towards the entrance to the inside of the rink. Liu reached out and gripped the back of Keith’s shirt in a grizzly-bear-grip. He heard a soft chuckle leave the taller boy as he guided Liu onto the ice carefully. Liu immediately felt himself start to slip as his legs went outwards underneath him. He sucked in a quick breath and roughly grabbed Keith's shoulder as he accidentally drifted to face the other.
“Hey, hey. I got you it’s okay dude,” Keith laughed as he reached his arms out to help Liu steady himself.
Liu’s hold on Keith's shirt didn’t relinquish even after he was fully upright. He could feel his legs as they wobbled on the slippery surface of the ice. He envied the way Keith stood firm.
“Just relax,” Keith assured. “The more you’ll freak out the more likely you’re gonna fall. If you do, I'll try and catch you,” He grinned.
“Oh easy for you to say. I feel like Bambi,” Liu scoffed.
“You look like Bambi,” Keith laughed.
“That’s really reassuring,” Liu looked down at the ice.
Keith moved his hand to the side of Liu’s face and forced him to look up. “Don’t look down, you're gonna freak out and fall, man,” he sniffled.
Liu felt his throat become dry as he felt Keith's hand on his face. He didn’t know how to react for a moment until Keith started to guide him gently around the ice. Keith dropped his arm and slowly pried Liu’s fingers off of his jacket. He guided the other to stand beside him.
“Stick your arms out in front of you, and if you feel like you’re gonna fall grab your knees,” He instructed.
Liu extended his hands in front of him. He glanced at Keith for further advice.
‘Oh! And if you keep falling after that, fall on your side. If you fall back you’re gonna totally bust your ass,” he grinned in an attempt to further reassure Liu.
Liu nodded as he took a moment to stand still and figure out how to balance. He pulled back his shoulders and picked his head up. Once he had done that he noticed his knees and legs didn’t wobble anymore. He took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. He watched as Keith skated backwards in a slow, fluid motion. The blonde now stood about five or so feet away from him.
“Try and skate towards me now,” Keith said as he rested his hands in the pockets of his puffy jacket. “Move like you’re marching.”
Liu looked down at the ice then back up at Keith. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be, I'm here to make sure you don’t fall,” Keith said. “Just come towards me slowly,” he now beckoned Liu over with a motion of his hand.
Liu took in a deep breath and carefully picked his feet up off the ice. He began to march over- though it resembled more of a shuffle. He held his arms out in front of him and held his breath. Liu was braced for a hard fall already. He had absolutely no confidence in himself right now.
“You’re doing good! Keep going man you’re like, halfway over!” Keith encouraged.
Liu shuffled faster towards Keith on the ice. His heart sped up as he felt himself slipping forwards. He grabbed onto his knees as he slowly glided to Keith.
“You’re doing alright, stand up straight goofy,” Keith said as he patted Liu’s shoulder.
Since that day at the ice rink Liu couldn’t name a weekend he and Keith hadn’t hung out. They grew close to one another as Keith pushed Liu more and more out of his comfort zone. Liu found that he enjoyed ice skating and watching horror movies with Keith. He enjoyed the nights they spent driving around town blasting music in Keith’s Nissan. It was nice to have someone new to talk to. Liu’s unconventional friendship with Keith only deepened as they opened up to one another.
Keith had explained his life at home. How his parents hated the way he dressed. They didn’t like his attitude, and above all else hated that he wanted to pursue being a tattoo artist over being a lawyer like they had envisioned. Keith loathed the Sundays and Wednesdays his parents dragged him to church on. He hated Bible study even more. Keith was an atheist at heart. He had grown up in the view of the Catholic church’s burning, unforgiving eyes. Each time he had gone to mass he couldn’t help but hold contempt for the priest and the nuns. Most of all he hated his parents. Liu sat quietly as Keith ranted about their hateful views that they justified with the bible. Some nights Keith said that he wouldn’t even stay at his house, he’d stay with Troy or Randy if it was allowed.
Liu felt empathy for him. He knew exactly how it felt to grow up in a home where parents misunderstood and judged you. For as long as Liu could remember his father had a distaste towards him, and it only deepened after Liu was diagnosed with autism. He watched his mother constantly take Xanax and drink alcohol in search of relief for her stress. Most nights she was like a zombie, slumped on her spot on the living room couch with a catatonic expression. There was a time where she was happy, where she wasn’t so dull, but that was so many years ago. Liu didn’t even know what a genuine smile looked like on either of his parent’s faces.
For a long time the only person Liu had ever trusted was Jeff. They shared everything, being twins and all. There were still some things he kept from his brother though. Things that he harbored deep shame over. He loved Jeff deeply, and believed that in some way they would always be connected. Despite that brotherly love, Liu acknowledged that Jeff has issues, serious ones. Many nights he watched as Jeff would get into brutal fist fights and arguments with their father. Their shouts echoed through the walls of their home, and the altercations would almost always end in Jeff being kicked out for the night, or their father being beaten bloody. Jeff was always an angry person, even when they were kids Liu saw how frequently Jeff lashed out at other children. Anger was how Jeff compensated for his insecurities.
And now as he sat in bed at an ungodly hour, Liu realized he was alone again. He had nobody he could truly express himself to the way he had with Keith. His chest throbbed with a deep, agonizing depression. He placed his head on his knees and let out a heavy sigh.
That was just before Liu heard a knock at his bedroom window.
Liu almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the noise. He pulled the blanket over himself as a cold wave of fear washed over his body. He was paralyzed in bed. Liu’s eyes never left his window. He waited for what felt like an eternity before a second rapid knock came. This time the noise was louder.
Liu tried to rationalize the noise. If it was someone who wanted to rob the house, why would they knock on a bedroom window? It could also just be an auditory hallucination. Afterall, Liu hadn’t been sleeping well at all. His dreams were filled with nightmares of a paper-white, faceless man in a suit who had tentacles.
“It’s me! Open the window!” A familiar voice begged.
Liu lowered the blanket from his body and stared at the pitch black darkness outside. He squinted and slowly gained the courage to slip out of bed. He quietly walked over towards the window.
Keith.
Liu’s eyes lit up and he quickly reached for the latch on the bay window. He pulled it and shoved the window upwards to open it.
“Keith! Where have you-”
Liu was interrupted mid-sentence as he watched Keith climb through his window. He tracked the other boy with his eyes and stopped with a slack jaw.
Keith stood in front of him in an army green shirt and some basketball shorts. His hair was completely buzzed off. He had no piercings, and there was no eyeliner residue on his face. The rumors were true. Keith Daviss had been sent off to bootcamp.
Liu wasn’t surprised at all. Shortly before the other had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth, Keith admitted to him that his parents were getting fed up with his behavior. With how often he saw Keith’s car in Randy’s driveway he figured it had been a while since the other had slept in his own bed.
“What did they do to you?...” Liu asked. His face softened as he approached Keith. He looked up at Keith with his brows drawn together and wide eyes.
“They sent me to some wilderness camp. They found out I was gay,” Keith swallowed. He stood hunched over with tense shoulders.
Liu felt as if someone had stabbed him in the heart and twisted the knife. He had heard of wilderness camps. He had seen commercials for them on the TV. He remembered the ads promising parents of troubled teenagers that their child would return from the program well-behaved and disciplined. Yet, as he gazed at Keith all he saw was a scared, hurt teenager. His own parents had sent him away because of something that he could not change.
“How did you get away?” Liu asked as he reached out towards his friend.
“I don’t wanna talk about any of it man,” Keith sniffled as he paced towards Liu’s bed and sat down on the twin-sized mattress.
He watched as Keith ran his hands over the peach fuzz on top of his head. Liu remembered the ashy locks of blonde hair that had once been there. He remembered how Keith would sometimes dye his hair all sorts of fun colors. Sometimes it would be blue, then it would change to red, and even green. There were dark, tired circles underneath his friends eyes. A sinking feeling settled in Liu’s chest as he saw how much distress Keith was in. He slowly walked over and sat down beside Keith.
“I missed you,” Liu glanced over.
Keith remained quiet for a few moments. He took a deep breath in and let out a long, shaky exhale.
“I missed you a lot too, I really did,” Keith looked over to him with glassy eyes.
Liu extended his arm towards Keith and wrapped it up and over his shoulder. For a few moments the pair stayed like that. Liu started to feel Keith' s shoulders shudder. He heard his breathing get heavier and uneven. Keith seemed to crumble under Liu’s gentle touch. He watched as Keith folded inward and keeled over to rest his head in Liu’s lap as he cried. Liu looked down at him in disbelief. He didn’t even think someone like Keith was capable of crying. Nevertheless, he held him. If he was the one crying, Liu would have wanted someone to be there to hold him through it.
“It’s so lonely there,” Keith whined as he curled his arms towards his chest. “They- they fucking kidnapped me out of my own house!”
“They what?..” Liu muttered.
Keith’s cries turned into sobs as he tried to frantically wipe the tears that spilled out of his eyes. His chest rapidly rose and fell as he rolled onto his back to face up towards Liu who loomed over him. At that moment Keith was convinced the other was some kind of angel. Randy would never have let him get this close, and Troy simply would’ve told him to not be such a pussy. The realization that his own best friend wouldn’t have comforted him like this crushed Keith. For a moment he felt like he was drowning the way he gasped for air.
Liu leaned towards his night stand and grabbed the small box of tissues he kept there. He grabbed a handful of them and handed them off to Keith, who could only let out a groan to thank the other as he blew his nose and wiped his tears.
“Just breathe, you can talk to me all night Keith,” Liu murmured quietly. He glanced at his bedroom door for a moment.
Keith snivelled and wept in Liu’s lap for what felt like hours. He had utilized about half a box of tissues to keep his face from getting soggy. He sucked in deep, uneven breaths in a desperate attempt to regulate himself. Liu’s hand rubbed his shoulder steadily as he laid there. Keith closed his eyes as he felt a migraine begin to start behind his eye. He rolled on his side towards Lius’ stomach to try and alleviate the pain that stabbed his skull. He now wrapped his arms around the shorter boy’s waist to hold him in place. He couldn’t lose Liu. Liu was possibly the only real person he had left. In his time at that hellish wilderness program in the desert, the only thing Keith had reassured to him was that he was nothing short of a disappointment. He had it drilled into his head that the only thing he brought his family was shame, and that he’d likely burn in a Hell that he didn’t even believe to be real because he liked other boys.
But Keith didn’t just like other boys.
He liked a boy.
That boy was Liu Woods.
So he lay there in his lap and cradled him like a lifeline. Soon enough the cops would find him, and soon enough he’d be kidnapped again and sent to that godawful bootcamp where they’d strip him of every identifying trait he had of himself.
“Don’t leave, please don’t leave,” Keith begged as he squeezed Liu.
Liu wheezed as Keith's arms forced the air from his lungs. He gasped and planted his hands on the other’s shoulders. He pulled himself upwards to escape the punk’s boa constrictor-like hold.
“I’m not going,” he assured. Liu looked down at Keith. The other teenager gazed up at him with brown puffy eyes. Liu swallowed as he felt a part of his heart get broken.
He reaches down and holds the sides of Keith’s face in a firm, reassuring grip.
“Look at me,” He pulled Keith upwards so that they were eye to eye. He watched as the other grunted out sobs and sniffled. “I am not going to leave you, do you understand?”
Keith nodded, but Liu was not convinced.
“Tell me you understand,” Liu demanded softly.
“I understand,” Keith whimpered as he fully squirmed his way into Liu’s lap now.
Liu shifted awkwardly under Keith’s weight. He scooted back towards his headboard and rested his back on the pillows he had. Keith' s tears wetted his neck as Liu allowed the punk to nuzzle him. He wrapped his arms around Keith’s torso and let out a deep breath.
“There’s always room for you here, okay?” Liu whispered into Keith’s ear.
“Even on a twin size mattress?” Keith hiccupped. Liu was once again squeezed.
“Especially on a twin sized mattress,” Liu leaned his head towards Keith’s as he held him.
That night had changed everything. It seemed to drain the bad blood they had and erased the harsh memories they had of one another.
Keith eventually stopped crying. He pulled his head from the crook of Liu’s neck and stared at him.
“I need to tell you something,” He said in a nasally voice. “Because I know they’re gonna take me away again when they find me.”
“Tell me anything,” Liu encouraged.
Keith took in a breath so deep that he felt something in his chest pop. He held it in for a moment. This would either ruin everything, or it could be for the better. Either way, Keith wouldn’t forgive himself if things were left unsaid.
“I love you, not- not just as a friend man. I think about you all the time-” he coughed. “I dream about you, fuck,” Keith ran a hand over his shaved head as he stammered. “I think you’re the only real person I have left and- I’ve felt this way for a while but I never told you because I was scared of ruining our friendship,” he admitted.
Liu sat against the headboard of his bed in stunned silence. His mouth was left slightly open as he took a moment to process what he had just been told. His heart pounded so hard he could hear his pulse.
Keith’s face soured at Liu’s silence. “If you think it's gross I understand,” he croaked. “I just- I don't know if I’ll ever see you again after this. I figuresd-”
“Stop,” Liu interrupted.
Keith looked at him with a startled expression.
Liu reached out and pulled Keith’s hands into his own. He held his best friend’s palms in a firm grip.
“You are not gross, you are not disgusting,” Liu says sternly. “Do not believe that you are anything that they told you that you were Keith. If you were any of that I wouldn’t have played DnD with you. I wouldn’t have skated with you. I wouldn’t have been your friend if you were all that.”
Keith felt the tears start to well in his eyes once more. He nodded along as Liu spoke to him.
“I’m always here, as a friend, and even as something more if that’s what you want, yeah?” He locked eyes with Keith, who blinked to let hot tears roll down his cheeks.
“Yeah,” Keith sniffled. “So- so you like me back?” he panted.
“Something like that,” Liu smiled.
Keith pulled his hands away from Liu’s and crushed the other in a bear hug. Liu groaned and gasped for air as Keith pushed them impossibly close. He returned the embrace for a few moments.
“Keith,” he gasped. “You’re crushing me-”
‘Sorry-” Keith pulled back awkwardly and looked down at Liu with a flushed, tear-stained face.
Liu reached up and wiped the tears off of Keith’s face with his thumbs. The taller boy leaned into his touch and slumped over Liu until their foreheads touched. Keith’s elbows rested on top of Liu’s shoulders as he remained straddled on the other. Liu let his eyes fall closed as the both of them sat and breathed together in sync. He could smell the nicotine that lingered on Keith’s breath. It was a smell that Liu had a strange fondness for. The smell of cigarettes was synonymous with Keith’s presence. Liu leaned closer and bumped their noses together. Keith took the opportunity and smoothly guided Liu into a gentle kiss.
Liu tensed briefly, but relaxed as soon as he felt Keith's hands play with his hair. A shiver ran down his spine as Liu slowly pushed his lips back against Keith’s. It wasn’t lustful, or possessive. The kiss was slow, as if Keith wanted to savor the taste of Liu’s lips and memorize the feel of them. Liu sighed as he relinquished himself to the other as they laid on their sides and cuddled into one another. Keith completely curled himself into Liu. He sought the warmth that only Liu Woods could bring him.
In the morning, Keith was gone. Liu stared at the opened window of his bedroom with a cold sadness. He would have given anything for that night to have been longer.