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Geo was never the kind of person to fall in love before. That may have to do with the fact that he spent the majority of his life isolated – both in the Shintaro caves and in the Land of Lost Things. So he supposes he never really had the opportunity.
That was until Cole showed up.
Ever since that fateful day 2 years ago, Geo has found himself feeling strange. At first, he didn’t know what this feeling was. It was something Geo had never felt before. He would grow nervous and jittery when Cole was around, and his heart would flutter at the thought of the man.
So one day Geo confided in Bonzle about how he was feeling. “I don’t understand why my body is reacting this way towards Cole. I know he’s a good guy and I trust him, but whenever he’s around my stomach starts doing backflips.”
Bonzle sighed before asking “And have you talked to Cole about this?”
“No.” Geo mumbled. He realizes it’s probably the best thing to do, but in all honesty he was embarrassed. Geo didn’t want to have to tell Cole that his body for some reason started freaking out whenever he was around. Because the truth is, Geo liked being around Cole. He liked it more than anything. But Cole is the kind of guy that, if he were to find out Geo felt uncomfortable around him, would stay away. And that is something that Geo didn’t want. Ever.
Bonzle just shook her head, “I think you should talk to him. It’s the only way to figure out your feelings.”
“You’re right.”
And that was what led Geo to sitting across from Cole in the living room of the house. Bonzle was out with Fritz and Spitz looking for anything cool or useful in the piles of forgotten items scattered around in the Land of Lost Things. Which just left Geo and Cole alone.
It was a good a time as ever, Geo supposed. “Hey Cole, can we talk?”
“Sure man, what’s up?” Cole looked over to Geo, his warm brown eyes meeting Geo’s amber ones. And Geo feels like he might just melt on the spot. Those eyes were kind and compassionate, and Geo felt ashamed of the way his heart rate started to pick up.
“Well, I just-“ Geo was struggling to think of the right thing to say, his thoughts straying from coherent, “I just wanted to talk to you about how I’ve been feeling lately.”
Cole sat up a little straighter at that, “Oh?” He looked almost excited, and Geo was worried he was about to crush that.
“Yeah.” Geo paused and took a deep breath, “You see, every time you’re around my heart feels like it’s fluttering, my stomach begins to flip and I just can’t think straight. I like being around you but I can’t stop this reaction. What I’m trying to say is-“
“I think I understand.”
“You do?”
“I feel the same way when I’m around you.” Cole confessed, and now Geo was beginning to feel worried. Please don’t leave. “I feel so happy when I’m around you and the kids. When I’m with you I feel like the best version of myself. But I also just don’t know how to act when I’m around you.”
Geo pulled his eyes away from the warm brown and tried to say “I’m sorry if things have been awkward for you. I never meant to make you feel that way.”
But Cole cut him off, “Don’t apologize, you don’t need to apologize to me. Didn’t you hear what I said. I love being around you Geo. I- I love you.”
Geo’s heart stopped, all thoughts had been completely derailed. Did he hear that correctly? There are so many things that Geo wanted to say but all that came out was a quiet “What?”
“I love you.” Cole repeated, and his eyes were so full of happiness. “I love the way you laugh, I love the art you create, I love your sense of adventure, I love dancing with you, I love how kind and caring you are. And I don’t want to go another day without you knowing, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you Geo.”
Geo just stared at Cole for a long moment, his mind struggling to keep up with everything that just happened. Cole loved him.
Love. So that’s what this feeling was.
"I love you too."