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Lately, his teachers had developed some kind of passion when it came to overwhelming him with work. Between all the shenanigans ensured by staying close to Tera, all those “totally-not-hangouts” with Joris and his uncle and grandma, the boy barely had time to even think about what month it was
He just had another long day, and it was quite late by the time he made it home. His grandma was already asleep, his uncle—he didn't care enough to think about it at the moment.
Hearing some shuffling by standing outside his door, the boy realized Tera had probably decided to visit him. Immediately after opening the door, Tera raised his head and sat up on the bed; he clearly had been about to doze off before he arrived.
“Hey,” he smiled softly and approached the other. He stood in front of him. Although Tera’s mask covered his entire face, the boy could feel the weight of his eyes on him. “Why are you here?”
“Are you not happy to see me?”
The boy huffed, “I’m merely curious to find out if you don’t have anything else better to do or if you need something.” Tera tilted his head, puzzled by his words, “You always come every three days or so.. I’m used to that, but you came today even though you spent the whole afternoon here yesterday.”
“So by your logic, I need something, or I am just a lazy thug who is hanging out in your precious space?” Tera’s hands found their way on the boy’s waist, and before he could respond to his words, Tera was tickling him.
“W-Wait!” The boy yelped and squirmed while laughing uncontrollably. By the time Tera had let go of him, they were lying on the ground facing each other.
His eyes wandered over Tera’s body. He usually wouldn’t do such a thing, but the mask didn’t allow him to watch his face, and the boy was completely sure Tera had taken advantage—many times—of the mask to observe him.
“I texted you. You didn’t answer,” Tera said after a long silence.
“You came to see me because I didn’t reply to a snap of a dog?”
He sighed, then uttered, “It wasn’t a snap of a dog this time, that’s why I am here.”
The boy rested his face on his arm, watching Tera for a few seconds before getting up and leaning against the other’s stomach, “Is it something serious?”
“I don’t know, what would you consider serious?”
“If it’s worrying you this much, then I guess anything,” he rolled his eyes, “just tell me.”
Tera gulped before speaking up, “Do you know what month it is?”
“What kind of question is that?” A slight furrow started forming on the boy’s face. Tera stretched out his arm to flick him in the forehead, chuckling softly.
“What I mean is… Would it be strange if I gave you something?”
“Like- a present?” The boy tilted his head, “But...”
His birthday had already passed, and as far as he knew, there wasn’t anything that required anyone to start gifting each other presents. The confusion became more visible on his face, and Tera suddenly pushed him off him softly so that he could sit up behind him.
Tera’s action startled him a little, but almost instantly, he found himself leaning against his chest and merely sticking close to his body.
“I know… I don’t mind if you would prefer I didn’t.”
“No, that’s not it! I just wouldn’t know what to buy you if you bought me something.” The boy looked up, staring right at Tera's mask.
He then looked down at him, seemingly staring right into his eyes before looking away, “You don’t have to give me anything. I have more money than you could ever imagine.” The playful comment caused the boy to cackle and shove him.
They bickered for a while, always alternating between that and invading each other’s personal space. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Somehow, Tera’s hands would always end up somewhere on the boy’s skin. His hand, his face, his legs, anything where he could reach, and the other was always leaning on him. It didn’t bother either of them, so they happily kept at it until Tera decided it was too late.
“You'd better go to sleep after I leave,” the boy laughed as he pushed him lightly. “I will bring you something, be ready.”
Before the boy could say something, Tera had already taken off, and he was left alone.
“A gift.. What’s gotten into him?”
***
“Maybe the Black Death is finally tired of you and has decided to get rid of you!”
Coming to Joris for answers hadn’t been his best idea. The boy had decided to drag him out of his house for an outing to a cafe to chat with him.
“No! First of all, Tera wouldn’t let anything happen to me, and besides, when someone is going to die, would your first instinct be: ‘oh yeah im buying them a gift to give my condolences’?”
Joris scoffed, “I mean… not really, but what else are you supposed to do?”
“I don’t know, be normal maybe?”
The boy rolled his eyes after speaking and dropped his head on the table. Should he buy something in return? He wasn’t sure what Tera’s motive was to buy him something so unexpectedly. He wasn’t about to complain about getting a gift, but the only time it had happened was his birthday, so what was so special about that month?
“Should I buy something in return?” He tilted his head and took a sip of his drink.
“If Tera said he was going to buy me something, I’d cut off my own leg as a gift-”
Safe to say that he wouldn’t ask Joris for advice any time soon.
***
He had decided on buying something simple but significant; however, buying a present turned out to be more difficult than he expected. The more he looked around, the more he realized he didn’t know about Tera.
He knew certain stuff: he had dropped out of high school, was a wanted man, was very kind and cruel at the same time, and showed some bizarre attachment towards the boy. Not to mention that he was always concerned about him, one could even argue that he was protective when it came to him.
Buying something for someone who fitted that description was, in fact, proving to be extremely tough.
He spent hours wondering: Will he like this? What if I get him something he doesn’t like? What do you even buy for someone like Tera?
By the time he needed to head home, he hadn’t gotten even close to figuring out what to buy for Tera.
He had dragged his feet the entire way back, sulking over not being able to buy anything that was even remotely worth it. He had been so upset that even his grandma and uncle had pointed it out.
His only possible relief—spending time with his grandma—had been taken away by being forced to go “rest” because of how upset he looked.
Walking into the room without a care in the world, he stepped on something on the floor and almost tripped.
“What did-”
It was his sketchbook. He stared at it for a few seconds before an idea popped into his mind. What if he drew something for Tera? He usually only drew... those things, so he wasn't sure whether he could actually manage to make a proper drawing of something. Besides, what would he draw?
He picked up his sketchbook and started pacing around his room, wondering what could be good enough.
Something significant, something special.
His eyes widened, an idea appeared in his mind, and his plan of napping was completely forgotten.
He knew what to do.
***
The boy spent hours attempting to truly make something significant that Tera might like. He had concentrated so much on his task that by the time he went to bed, it was almost morning.
Surprisingly, Tera didn’t appear randomly for the next couple of days, which allowed him to finish his present without any interruptions or the risk of the recipient of the gift seeing it. However, the time granted proved to be both a positive and a negative thing; the more time he spent looking at his present, the more he felt uncertain about it.
Would Tera like it? There was only one way to know for sure, but the possibility of Tera disliking his gift made his heart clench. Not to mention that if that were to happen, the boy would feel so embarrassed that he would gladly jump off a bridge.
As more time passed, the more nervous he felt. It was another few days before Tera showed up again.
That day seemed like any other day until he entered his room after getting home and saw Tera lying on his bed with a box. He stood still at the door; however, Tera raised his head when he heard him, “Oh, you're here. Took you long enough, come here,” He said as he sat up and patted the spot next to him.
“Oh, hello. I wasn’t expecting you.” The boy walked towards the bed, sat right next to Tera, and instinctively leaned towards him.
“I texted you earlier. I doubt you saw what I sent you, though.” Tera nudged him in the arm. He smiled weakly in response, “Are you ready to see your gift?”
The boy opened his mouth and closed it almost instantly. His heart hammered so hard in his chest that he almost felt as if it was about to get out of his chest. After a few beats of silence, he nodded his head.
Tera’s hand moved to cover his eyes. He closed his eyes on instinct, and even after Tera’s hand moved away, he kept his eyes closed, understanding what the other wanted of him.
They stayed immobile for a while until a box of moderate weight was dropped on the boy’s hands.
“Open your eyes.” Listening to Tera’s order, he opened his eyes. He inspected the box in his hand before grabbing the small ribbon and pulling it.
His eyes met the sight of what seemed to be a figure clearly made by carving wood. A wolf with dark brown fur was lying on a base that was painted in a light green color; its eyes had small openings, as did its ears. Next to the wolf was a small figure that strongly resembled the girl from Little Red Riding Hood; however, instead of long hair, the figure possessed short, dark, messy hair as well as a top and dark pants.
The boy stared at the figure in silence. His hands began to shake as he felt a familiar tightening in his throat. His breath hitched; he found a small button underneath the base. Hesitating, he clicked the button. Almost immediately, the figure emitted a soft light.
It was clear that it wouldn’t do a good job of lighting the room, but it felt almost purposeful. The boy thought of Tera’s words back then.
“If you never face it, you’ll never gain the upper hand.”
He glanced at Tera, noticing the fidgeting of his hands. He kept staring at the figure, then at him, as if he were extremely nervous about his reaction.
“I didn't-” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and spoke again, “I didn't know you did… whatever this is.. woodcarving.. withling?”
“Yeah. Do you like it?” He tilted his head slightly, “I spent a long time trying to get everything right.”
The figure felt heavy on the boy's hands; the implication of such dedication as a gift to him was simply overwhelming. His breath hitched.
“Yeah- It's.. thoughtful.” The boy said. At the same time, Tera tilted his head to the other side.
The boy smiled softly at him, resting his head on Tera's shoulders. For a few moments, the boy completely forgot about the gift he had spent so long on and merely focused on Tera's present.
“I have to go soon.” Tera's voice interrupted his thoughts, “There are more things I need to do.”
“I have something for you, too.”
“You do?” The boy stared at Tera's mask for a few seconds before getting up.
Walking towards his desk, the boy felt a pit forming in his stomach as uncertainty crept its way into his head.
He hovered over the desk before grabbing a box. He turned around, making sure to hide it behind his back, and slowly made his way back. Tera followed every one of his movements. The more he thought about it, the more the boy felt scared of Tera's reaction. He hesitantly put the box in Tera's hand, smiling softly in embarrassment.
“I hope you like it.” The boy whispered.
Tera hesitated, but he slowly opened the box and faced a wallet; it was painted with dark yet colorful colors that formed what seemed like an intricate pattern of stars, flowers, and splendid lines.
Staying completely still, Tera simply stared at the wallet. The boy fidgeted with his fingers, and suddenly, that pit, similar to the one he felt when Tera had seen his drawings a long time ago, formed on his stomach. They didn't speak for a couple of minutes; then, Tera looked up.
Feeling awkward, the boy mumbled, “There's- There's a small drawing in one of the pockets, I thought you'd like that.”
The other opened the wallet and faced the small drawing inside one of the wallet’s pockets. Tera's mask prevented him from seeing his reaction to the picture. Since he was standing in front of him, he couldn't see the portrait once more.
However, it wasn't necessary to see the drawing to know what it was.
“Oh, it's..” Tera traced the drawing with his fingertips. The boy sat next to him once more, and he leaned over to see the small drawing.
It was them. It had taken a lot of trial and error, but after many tries, the boy had managed to draw a small portrait of them.
In the drawing, they were lying on the floor, detailed to look like grass. Tera's mask was replaced by one of a raccoon. The boy naturally looked quite androgynous; however, he had taken the liberty to make himself even more feminine than he was. It was deliberate; he knew Tera would complain if he was too recognizable, so that was his solution.
“You almost look like a girl on this, you know.”
The boy smiled softly, glad to hear no sense of uncomfortability on the other's voice. “Well, at least if someone steals your wallet, they might think you just have a pretty girlfriend.”
Tera opened his mouth, closed it again, and finally spoke after a few seconds, “That’s one way to put it.”
“Oh- I meant, friend that's- a girl. That's what I meant!” The boy shoved him, blushing rather strongly. Tera laughed shortly after that and closed the wallet, putting it in his pocket.
He pouted, pretending to be mad at the other. Tera seemed to take that as a challenge, because he started to poke him on the stomach until he broke out in laughter. After a while, he simply pushed Tera and forced him to stop. Still laughing, he lay next to him on the bed, lying on his side.
“Is that all you're gonna say about your gift? Does it not bring you joy?”
“Oh, no. It does, I'm crying behind my mask, you just can't see it.” Tera said as he started to make noises that were supposed to sound like cries.
The boy huffed, “You sound like an animal dying, shut up.”
Softly smiling at Tera, the boy started tracing random shapes on the other's mask. For a few seconds, they both pretended that everything about this was completely right. The thought of doing this every day didn't sound so horrible to him. Just spending time with each other, laughing and lying on his bed.
The ringing of a phone interrupted his thoughts. Teta simply sighed. He pulled out his phone and got up.
“I actually have to go this time.” The boy sat up on the bed while staring at Tera. He quickly followed after Tera started walking towards his balcony.
Remembering who Tera was wasn't exactly nice. Tera had a job that they both knew the boy didn't approve of.
The boy attempted to smile at the other, but failed. “Be careful. Maybe you could swing by later.” He muttered the last part.
“I’m always careful.” The playful tone in Tera's voice, as well as his small touch against the boy's cheek, made him feel almost instantly better.
“Sure, if you say so.”
Tera turned, about to leave, but right before he did, he turned around. He hesitated before saying, “I hope you liked your gift. I thought of buying you flowers, but that seemed rather cliché.”
The boy furrowed slightly, flowers? Why would he buy him flowers? It wasn't that strange, but those were more common for other-
A thought started forming in his mind. What day was it?
Tera seemed to realize something. He shook his head and chuckled softly. Before he could stop him from leaving, Tera had disappeared from his balcony.
“Wait- Tera!” He leaned over the fence, as if Tera were to appear magically out of thin air and solve the weird feeling forming on his stomach.
The boy quickly walked back into his room after a few seconds. He turned on his computer and checked the date.
Shortly after that, his phone started ringing, and he answered without checking, believing it might be Tera.
“Tera-”
“Hey, I thought it would-”
“Oh, it's you, Joris.” The boy sighed and dropped onto the bed, covering his face with his hand. The heat was clearly present on his face.
“Yes..? Why would Tera even call you- don't answer that. Remember when you said Tera told you he was gonna give you a gift? Well, it's probably a coincidence, but just today is Valentine's Day.” Joris laughed, “Can you imagine? Tera showing up and giving you a gift today, ugh. I shudder just thinking about it.”
The boy stayed silent after that, blushing even more strongly at the blunt reminder of the date he had just found out about.
“Wait, did he-”
“I’ll call you later, Joris!” He hung up his phone and immediately turned it off. He stared at the ceiling until he remembered Tera's gift. He sat up and reached for it. It was on the edge of the bed. He let out an airy laugh and fell on his bed again. Perhaps the feelings he felt would disappear if he stared at the ceiling enough.
At the end, he simply ended up falling asleep. His dreams, usually disturbed by dark figures, were disturbed by thoughts of Tera this time.
It was safe to say his feelings wouldn't disappear anytime soon.