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Khol lays on his desk asleep after his anatomy class ends. Zeke sits beside him, already packed up his backpack which now rests on the desk. His backpack has matching keychains with Khol and his other friend Phoebe, who are Jujutsu Kaisen characters. Phoebe has Nobara, Zeke is Megumi and Khol has Yuji. Zeke stares at Khol’s resting face, drools falls down Khol’s smooshed face leaving a small pool near the entrance of his mouth. Zeke scoffs quietly attempting to not wake up his friend. Looking at the boy in front of him Zeke snaps 2 photos of Khol. One to The school's crappy AC hums in the background ashide in his hidden folder while the other is there in case Khol sees it and decides to delete it off Zeke’s phone. He looks at the date on the homescreen February 14th 20XX.
The classroom is completely empty, just Khol and Zeke enjoying each other's company, in a grey room with granite desks. Though during intimate moments like these, one clearly enjoys it much more than the other. Some sunlight creeps into the room gleaming onto Khol’s luscious black hair, the sunlight causes Khol’s hair to reflect across the entirety of the classroom. Zeke looks around at the shapes being casted onto the walls, then something tugs at Zeke's forearm, its a loc of Khol’s hair while he silently chuckles while smirking up at Zeke. The pile of drool goes unnoticed until Khol whips his head up to look around the classroom and notices it completely empty.
“Oh wow, the day is finally over, fucking finally..” Khol whispers with a slight rasp in his voice. Zeke’s eyes widened in surprise of the sudden voice breaking through the silence. As Khol continues to lay down Zeke packs up Khol's backpack as well. He is always doing little favors for Khol, if it is’ not zipping up his bag, Zeke is writing notes for Khol in ways that Khol would understand.
The school's crappy AC hums in the background as Khol stretches his arms before getting up as Zeke hands him his backpack. The Yuji keychain swings and a light flashes into Zeke’s eye. The pair begin walking to the door of the classroom, Zeke glances at Khol the entire time, basically burning holes into Khol but he is unaware of the stares since they are constant. He always walks behind Khol, he’s sort of the light in Zekes life and will do anything to continue the relationship they have now- or maybe even a little more..
The pair continue to walk out and the bell rings, there is pure silence in the halls and the two look at each other, eyes almost fully widened. They both basically read each other's mind thinking “Oh shit we might miss the big cheese.” Khol immediately grabs Zeke’s hand and runs towards the closest exit to the school, Zeke easily keeps up but his face almost remains straightfaced until Khol looks back at him, his hair sways in the air brushing against his arm. A small smile forms on his face and a flush begins to overtake him.
The two make it to the bus loop where they see the final bus leave without them. Khol looks back at Zeke, lips quivering as they both catch their breaths. Both their minds flood with ideas of how to get home. Zeke lives decently close along with Phoebe, but nobody they know has a car so Zeke thinks for a moment while biting his lip. Khol grabs his phone and begins dialing Phoebe’s phone number.
“Sarkhollin.” A voice stops him when as Khol is about to finish dialing the phone number. His index finger hovers over the call button, the voice was Zeke with an almost glare-like stare.
“Why don't we walk to my place, it's not too far and we haven't had time to hang out in weeks. Anyways Phoebe said she had to go study. Lets not bother her, you know she doesn't do this often.” It was true, the two haven't hung out due to Zeke studying for his SAT and then a bunch of classes piled on a few tests. And Khol needed a break from his parents, maybe this is what they both need.
Khol nods his head and begins walking with Zeke, almost attached to the hip. His hair sways from side to side giving a little bounce with every step. They then walk down a sidewalk, Zeke walks on the side closest to the street while Khol is on his left. Zeke points forward to a little shopping center on their maps app and they both head towards it. Cars are zooming past the two leaving them stranded at a crossing light where Khol gets the bright idea to jay walk, dragging Zeke with him. The two make it to the shopping center, Khols hair slightly rises out of excitement, Zeke does the same but its for a different reason.
The two first walk into a little charity shop and separate looking for clothing, jewelry and such. Every time one of them finds something the other might wear they bring it to them, sometimes it would be something funny, sometimes it would be something straight up insane. But no matter what one would think the other would do with it, in the end it was thrown into a cart which of course Khol would pay for. Khol finds an off-white sweater for Zeke along with a gray oversized t-shirt with an embroidered blue rose. The brand JAY is also embroidered as the stem. At the same time, Zeke gets Khol a bunch of stupid t-shirts along with one that says Worlds Greatest Farter. He also gets a bunch of costume jewelry like ugly rings and a stupid Philadelphia Eagles chain, the super bulky one that looks like the chains could move a whole truck even though it is shitty plastic. They also give each other dumb outfits to try on, of course Zeke didn’t want to try anything on but folded when he saw a crop top with Khol’s favorite band logo on it. He knew that Khol would only want to try things on if he had to put on something kind of stupid. He had handed that to Khol along with a baggy pair of jeans and some random knock off Doc Martens. Of course Zeke had something else in mind and did in fact want to see Khol in a crop top which was a rare occurrence to see him wear. As the clothing was handed to him Khols hair raised slightly. Khol loved how everything look and didn’t try to read Zeke's intentions as the clothing was handed to him. He got in the dressing room and walked out and hit some poses, mainly accentuating his waist. Zeke of course was asked to take pictures for Khol’s Instagram.
Zeke had been “trained” by Khol in order to take proper photos and everytime he does this he also put an extra photo in his hidden folder. Zeke only sat through Khols lectures on photography so he could be near him, listening and getting lectured was a guilty pleasure of Zekes. Then Khol also hands Zeke a pile of clothes; there is a vintage bomber jacket and some super baggy clothing. There's also a bunch of tops, tank tops and even a crop top.
“I am not wearing these.” Zeke announces, he shakes his head while Khol silently pleads with his eyes. These are a little more grunge but Zeke would definitely wear them. Khol was smirking as he held out everything, including some random rings and necklaces.
They giggle and laugh so loudly the store clerk walked up to them. They had dyed black straight hair with dark brown eyes. His eyes strained on them the entire time the two had been giggling. He contemplates kicking them out the store until he sees the giant cart full of clothing- about 150 USD worth of clothing that the store hasn't sold in a good amount of time.
“Are you guys finding everything alright?” The employee puts up a forced smile, his voice a little more high pitched then anything. He stares at the clothing Zeke now holds, a twinkle goes into the employees eye.
“I think I have some things that would go well with what you are holding.” He mentions. He walks back to the accessories side of the store, Zeke and Khol side eye each other with the sudden disturbance in their hang out. Zeke of course does not enjoy this random butting into their conversation. Khol on the other hand is intrigued by the accessories that the man is getting Zeke. Ideas flow through his mind thinking of how he wants to dress up Zeke. The employee comes back with belts and chains and even a few bags. Of course he has another motive and most of these items are on the pricer side for a charity shop. The employee walks up to the pair and Khol holds out his arms to get the items. Khol’s eyes skim over the items and see many popular vintage brands. A Vivenne Westwood belt, a Cartier bracelet, a few knock off Gucci and Hermes but not a bad collection of things. Immediately Khol throws the knock off stuff to the side, but keeps anything real. He then instantly begins pushes Zeke into the dressing room with some items. Orders are shouted from the other side and the other customers inside the charity glance towards the dressing room, audibly and physically showing their disdain for the disturbances.
After about twenty minutes of orders being barked, Zeke finally steps out, he wears baggy dark blue acid wash jeans, along with the grey t-shirt with the blue heart embroidered, and a black bomber jacket lined with faux fur. There was a bit of dry rot on the collar of the jacket, but nothing tooTheres an ushanka sat upon Zeke's head which made it look like it wasn't lopsided. With a few adjustments from Khol and a few extra accessories Khol secretly also snaps a photo of Zeke. Then makes him try on a few more outfits. Mainly he keeps on the baggy look, though he also tries some flared light blue jeans which they both surprisingly like.
Khol hauls the overfilled cart to the register, his face smiles but then dropped noticing all the things he has to scan. Dread now overfills the poor employee as he hesitantly grabs the scanner, a prayer goes into the sky as begins.
After 30 minutes of things big and small being rung, Khol and Zeke carry big bags filled with clothing down the street. Khol had ‘forgotten’ about the clothing he tried on and continued to wear the entire thing. Inconspicuously Zeke glances down at Khol mainly looking at his lower body. He mainly focuses on Khols waist but if he could he wishes he put Khol in a dress. Though he had no idea how to suggest Khol wear that casually. Zeke points to the coffee shop up the strip of the shopping center. It's a cute little hole in the wall coffee shop and flower boutique. A blonde man with slightly curly hair had welcomed them, his bright blue eyes scared them as they entered. The coffee shop was a sort of hole-in-the-wall place. The coffee shop wasn't registered on their map but the library was. The only reason Zeke knew about this place was because of Phoebe; their mutual best friend. Phoebe had kind of planned this entire hang out without either of them knowing. Though now Zeke has now picked up on the fact that maybe Phoebe has some involvement in their hangout and had left without them for this very reason.
They waltz into the library and find the door leading to the cafe. Khol of course orders just a plain cup of black coffee with absolutely zero sugar. Zeke on the other hand orders the complete opposite, as Zeke opens his mouth Khol’s eyebrows scrunch in concern. Zeke begins to ramble his order as if it was a one way conversation.
“Could I get the vanilla espresso latte with half fat free milk and other half oatmilk, with extra sugar and whip cream and caramel with java chips.” The barista’s face is full of disdain as Zeke finishes up his order. But quickly gets to work because there is nobody else in the cafe. The two orders are finished up and are immediately returned to the counter. Khol expresses Zeke’s thoughts on the drink after knowing the guy for so long. Zeke steps away from the counter grumbling about the drink.
“Sorry but this isn’t sweet enough. Could he get triple what you usually give, I know this sounds crazy but he just really enjoys sweet things. The barista’s adams apple bobs, wondering why this grown man has the same level of sweet tooth as a 5 year old child. The barista quickly fixes his mistake and Khol grabs the two drinks, placing them gently in front of Zeke and his seat. Zeke had chosen a secluded spot in the library surrounded by shelves of books. He immediately takes a sip of the handed drink, his eyes widened and sparkle as the drink hits his lips. Sweet things are one of the few things that can change his usually neutral demeanor.
“Perfect, thank you.” He attempts to maintain his nonchalance though Khol can tell he's extremely excited to be having this drink.
They both begin sipping their respective drinks, silently enjoying each other's company. Zeke looks at the books sitting on the shelves, intently reading the covers which are legible. Khol sneaks glances at Zeke the entire time. Staring at the gold piercings on his ear, and how they glimmer in the cool sunlight.
“How beautiful..” It's about 5PM when Khol cuts the silence.
“Hm?” Zeke's lips leave the straw. He didn’t hear what Khol said but has an idea. But he wont do anything if its not confirmed. He can’t get his hopes up, not again.
“You look really nice in this lighting.” In an attempt to remain composed, Khol fixes his hair. Though Zeke knows that this is a habit for when Khol lies. There is silence between them for a few seconds.
“Am I going to your house?” Kholl asks in an attempt to change the topic.
“Now why are you asking..? You usually just waltz into my house.”
“I was wondering since I don't know if your family is there. I didn’t want to disturb too much.” Khol mumbles the second half to himself though Zeke does hear it. Khol has never been good at keeping much to himself from Zeke.
Zeke wants to quell Khols fear but doesn’t want to baby him as people used to do with him. He doesn’t really know how to comfort someone as it has never been done for him.
“No need to worry about that, you are able to come over whenever you want. I don’t think my family would care about you coming over. Afterall, you have been coming over for years.”
Khols mind stops whirling for a minute, Zeke guesses he has been pretty depressed after not being able to hang out. Their little group of Khol, him and Phoebe always hung out at least once a week. He guesses the toll of not hanging out with him had affected Kholsevere than originally expected.
“Is everything alright?” Zeke blurts out the question quickly as if he had been prodded with some sort of needle.
Khol grabs some of his hair and plays with it in his hands. He blicks the long strand back and forth out of nervousness, wondering how he should word his next few sentences without truly airing himself out. He doesn’t really wanna ruin what they have going on but this conversation may be more beneficial for them in the long run. Khol weighs the pros and cons of his next words.
“Can we save this for another time, I really don’t want to ruin the mood right now.” Zeke bites the inside of his cheek. He hungers for an answer but knows not to push Khol when he clearly places a boundary. Khols hair flattens slightly.
Zeke nods his head in agreement. The silence fills the room once more.You can hear some other tables talking. One group of boys talk about their relationships. One specifically high pitched voice complains how his girlfriend wont text him back.
A couple orders a bunch of drinks, the barista just barely can maintain their straight face. Zeke reminisces about his grumbling from earlier, he reminisces on the memory and wonders if Khol finds him childish. Is he doing too much now? Is he not doing enough? Questions flood Zekes mind, his hair tenses while this all happens and Khol notices. He clears his throat in an attempt to get Zekes attention. Zeke rubs his wrist staring to his right, thoughts still spiraling. Khol then slams his hand on the table to capture Zeke's attention once more. Zeke flips his around facing Khol, as he does Khol’s face is only 2 inches away from him.
“Let's go home." Khol l whispers, Zeke is flustered after noticing how close he is from Khol, but then nods his head. Khol sits back down and grabs his bags of clothing. Zeke also gets up and trails behind Khol as they leave the shop. The sun begins to set as the pair steps outside the library.
The two begin walking to Zeke's house. Their arms brush every few seconds, though Khol does not really take notice of it though Zeke most definitely cherishes every single touch.
They continue their walk home until they get to a small little bridge. The sun begins to set on the horizon, the golden light reflects onto Zeke, almost making him glow in gold. Khols eyes widened, noticing this. Zeke and Khol lean over the railing of the bridge overlooking Central Park. They begin enjoying each other's company once more, Zeke inhales a deep breath, his exhale calms them both. The surrounding water refreshes Zeke in time as Khol parts his lips.
“I really missed this.” A voice chatters in the background as Khol speaks. The wind rushes towards Khol, his jet black hair reflects the setting sun. Zeke closes his eyes and bathes in the sun while leaning. His covered arms sit atop the railing.
“Me too.” His curved wick bounces up out of nervousness. His response seems surprisingly vulnerable.
“I don’t mean just being here, I hope you know that.” His heart beats heavily like its about to leap out of his chest. There is so much running through his head. Both of their hair tenses once more, yet neither of them notice this.
“No, I know what you mean.” Zeke brushes his wicks back facing Khol, his white teeth glimmering. “I’m glad.”
“About earlier, I don’t want you to keep this a secret from you but-” Khol cuts himself off. Zeke observes Khol… is this?
Khol begins fiddling with his hair, it wraps around his finger, it basically holds his own hand.
“I felt like we were drifting apart, and I know you probably didn’t notice even if we texted every night.. But you were so focused on testing and I didnt wanna mess up your ACT or whatever, I just-” Tears begin to well from Khol, he chokes on his own saliva. The salty tear falls down Khol’s cheek.
“Slow down.. I won't force it out of you. You know that right?” Zeke’s serene voice cuts through Khol’s nervousness. Khol’s breath heaves preparing himself.
“I felt like we were drifting apart since we barely hung out for a few weeks. I didn’t wanna mess up your studies. Phoebe told me to text you at least and I did but it didn’t feel like enough. I probably sound super needy and I understand if I am bothering you and if you want me to I’ll shut up.”
“You will never bother me and I mean that.” The curved wick relaxes as this sentence is released. Zeke takes a step and hair extends and wipes Khol’s tear. Absorbing not just the tear but Khol’s uncertainty as well. Zeke continues, it's now or never.
“I’m sorry for not hanging out with you lately, you have never and will never be a hindrance ever in my life. I appreciate that you wanted to put me first, but we have always had each other's back.” Zeke pauses, deciding if he wants to finish what he’s saying. He faces the sun again, basically speaking to it. Is this it? Khol is crying, does he need a confession right now? Would he be taking advantage of his friend's vulnerability? The sun shines dulls and the water below is silent. Zeke interprets this as a no. No this is not taking advantage of Khol. This might be it. He turns back to Khol. His friend's long hair curls up just a bit. He lets out a deep breath that has been held for far too long. Before he can open his mouth again a voice pops up.
“Thank you.” Khol squeaks out. He knows there's more he wants to say but this is what he managed to say. Zeke's hair reaches towards Khol, it faces the sun so the visitors in the park cannot see them. Their hair intertwines as if holding hands. Khol knows where this is headed, but wants to see where it goes.
“I wasn’t done yet.” Zeke is afraid, Khol is intrigued.
“If one thing was constant it was my feelings for you. I mean it. You will be the first thing in my mind in the morning and the last at night. I’ve waited long enough to say this, but I like-”
The grip on their hair tightens, but neither of them know who did it.
“I love your company, I love how no matter what you will want to listen to what I have to say even if no words come out of my mouth. I love you Sarkhollin.” Khol’s eyes widen in shock, he knew this would happen but not like this. Khol smiles, his hair loses its curl while Zeke’s begins to move. Their hair separates.
“Give me a moment.” Khol turns away and smiles facing away from Zeke. He knew it, he knew Zeke liked him but didn’t expect the confession to be like this.
Khol then turns and sits on a bench behind them facing the horizon. His eyes are fixated on Zeke who shines like a golden orb, this is his lighting. This is what is beautiful. Zeke stays by the railing, staring at Khol. No reply has been given to the confession. Zeke begins to look down. The sunset is now halfway through the horizon. His shadow looms in front of Khol scared to approach.
“Come sit down.” Khol pats the bench he sits on, the answer clings onto his lips. Zeke swallows hard, scared of the next words that will come out of Khol’s mouth. But hesitantly listens and walks toward the bench, but does not sit down. His eyes look up at Zeke, Zeke’s shadow looms over him. He pats once more. Zeke in turn listens and sits. No words being spoken just understanding that there will be no reply until Zeke sits.
“I love you Zhecnus too.” His hair sneaks up Zeke's arm, a tear wells up in Zeke’s eye but never falls. Their hair intertwines once more, no tense emotions and no more glances. Khol leans on Zeke’s shoulder while he stares at the sunset. Zeke looks at Khol, eyes full of adoration and joy that hasn’t been felt in a long time. A voice speaks up after a few minutes.
“Let's go home.”
EPILOUGE EPILOUGE EPILOUGE EPILOUGE
Phoebe snickers with her friends looking at her best friends group chat on her phone. Zeke and Khol’s last location is reading: Central Park. Phoebe and her friends sit in a public library. They are supposed to be “studying” but they just sit in the library gossiping about teachers and stuff until it turns to Khol and Zeke’s hang out.
“No way it didn’t work out, I heard about this thing called in psychology where you talk about something around a person and then they do it. It's like what mentalists do and shit.” Phoebe has been planning their “hangout” for weeks. She and her friends would walk past Khol and Zeke saying something like;
“I’m gonna confess to my crush on Valentine's day.”
“I have to confess to him.”
Or just anything along the lines of a confession. It’s the only reason why she said she was busy studying. Then her phone rings from a group chat named Domincan Papi’s. Its from Zeke saying:
ZEKE: Me and Khol are dating now.
Phoebe runs her fingers through her ginger hair and jumps out of excitement, her friends high five one another.
“LETS FUCKING GO!!” One of them shouted. Another whistles even though they sit in a quiet library. This has taken far too long.
Phoebe quickly replies:
OH YAYY CONGRATSS
She smirks at her friends, the two friends talk about how often they would search for Zeke and Khol to do this plan. Maybe they’ll get married one day?
A second ding comes from Phoebe's phone, it's a DM from Zeke.
ZEKE: I know you set this up somehow, thanks.
Phoebe swallows hard, unsure of what to respond with.
PHOEBE: Like labubu
ur so welcome;P