Chartreuse

by T. E. Ridener

  It was then that Rowan seemed to snap out of it and he gave Kasen a small smile. Kasen returned the smile as he flicked his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with the toe of his shoe before he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

  A siren wailed through the silence of the sleepy morning air, and Kasen turned his attention to the street as the ambulance passed by them. He frowned a little, brows furrowing as the ambulance disappeared around the corner, the siren fading out.

  Houston and Napoleon both howled from the sound, and then Rowan lifted a brow.

  “I hope it’s not Mrs. Murdock again,” Kasen commented after a moment. As Rowan turned his attention to Kasen, the younger fellow continued on.

  “Her husband passed away four years ago, after sixty three years of marriage. It wasn’t long after that when she broke her hip. And unfortunately, from my experience with the elderly, once something like that happens it’s hard to bounce back from,” He frowned, and in turn, Rowan frowned.

  Sixty three years was an extremely long time to be with someone. And their love must have been deep for it to last that long. Rowan was briefly envious of Mrs. Murdock and her ability to have a romance for that long. To keep someone who loved her that much, for so long. But then he realized it was silly to be jealous of an old woman, especially an ailing one.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Rowan offered with a small nod.

  “It’s okay,” Kasen shrugged. “I just know that every time the ambulance heads in that direction, it’s normally Mrs. Murdock. I really don’t know how much more that poor lady can take,” Kasen sighed and then turned fully around to rest his hand against the stone wall as he peered up towards the sky.

  “I think it’s going to stay like this all day,” Kasen said, frowning. “This is typically a day in which I’d stay in watching movies.”

  Rowan chuckled, offering Kasen a wide smile as he quirked a thick brow. “Is that so?” He asked. “Watching movies is normally a great way to spend a cold afternoon, I think.”

  “Yeah,” Kasen said, suddenly a bit more excited, which nearly startled Rowan. “I have a great horror movie collection. I tend to watch those more than anything else. Unless I decide I’m in a Lord of the Rings mood, in which case, I’ll sit down and watch all of them consecutively.”

  Rowan quirked his other brow now, and then he laughed, “That’s like…nine hours of movies though, right? I mean, that’s a lot of time to just sit down and watch movies. Doesn’t your ass get numb?”

  He was delighted to see the pink tint return to Kasen’s cheeks as the other nodded, “Yeah, well, I do take bathroom breaks and such,” He chuckled. “It’s no different than watching the Harry Potter films. I have those marathons, too.”

  “Ah, you like Harry Potter?” Rowan asked. “I really liked those books, too. J. K. Rowling is a pure genius. I envy people who can come up with such fascinating worlds.”

  “I appreciate those worlds, and being able transport there for as long as the pages will permit,” Kasen sighed gently as he began to tug the leash from his pocket.

  Rowan didn’t want him to leave yet. But he realized the sun wasn’t going to warm up the area any time soon, and the poor kid was probably freezing to death. He chewed his lip, his eyes never leaving Kasen as the boy hooked the leash up to Houston’s collar.

  “So, uh..” Kasen started, and Rowan’s focus was fully on him. “Would you be up for a movie day?”

  ---------------------

  When those blue orbs connected with Rowan’s brown, he felt the air leaving his lungs and tingles ran down his spine. Rowan couldn’t help but to smile before he nodded.

  Kasen was extremely nervous about bringing Rowan back to his place. But once they were inside and Rowan was seated on his couch with a drink in hand, Kasen began to calm down a bit.

  “Would you like some popcorn?” Kasen asked, leaning against the doorframe that led to the kitchen.

  Rowan looked up from the couch and smiled a little. “Oh, no thank you. I had a big breakfast this morning. But please fix you some if it’s what you’d like to have,” He nodded.

  Kasen nodded a little shyly, moving back into the kitchen where Houston and Napoleon were sprawled out on the floor, taking a nap. Kasen couldn’t help but to smile a little. Rowan was really in his apartment, and so was his dog.

  It just seemed as if the realization hadn’t hit him yet that someone was in his apartment, other than his mother, and that someone was someone he’d kissed the night before.

  Holy crap, he needed to calm down. He let out a low breath, licking his lips before he moved back into the living room to sit down on the couch beside of Rowan as the movie started.

  ----------------------

  Kasen hadn’t been kidding when he said he liked movies. Rowan wasn’t sure he’d ever seen such a huge movie collection in his life. But it excited him to know that he could learn more about Kasen.

  He tapped his fingertips against his thigh as he glanced at the screen. He supposed one of those most iconic horror movies for anyone to own was the Nightmare on Elm Street collection, although that wasn’t what they were watching.

  Instead, it seemed that Kasen had been more in the mood for a horror comedy. Though he wasn’t complaining about it. He enjoyed the film Zombieland.

  He also learned that Kasen only tolerated zombie films that didn’t terrify him. The only other zombie movie he could watch was Day of The Dead, but only because logic came into play with the instance of a vegetarian zombie.

  Rowan was trying very hard not to smile too stupidly as he relaxed against the couch, taking a sip of his cola every now and then before occasionally stealing a glance from the other.

  He got the vibe that Kasen was nervous, which he understood. He seemed so shy, and sort of guarded. Though Rowan wanted to change that…

  Are you pursuing some innocent kid? He wondered to himself. Was he? Was Kasen really that innocent? He cleared his throat as he shifted, turning his head when Kasen turned his and he gazed at him.

  “Is everything okay?” Kasen asked, blinking.

  “Oh yeah,” Rowan nodded, giving him a reassuring grin. “Everything’s just fine. This is a really good movie, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Kasen laughed. “I love the fact they made zombies funny.”

  In all honesty, Rowan had never seen Zombieland. Before he moved to Chartreuse, he’d kept himself so busy. He’d tried to keep himself distracted from what had happened with Elliott.

  Yet here you are, ready to try again just so the same thing can happen once more?

  He really needed to stop thinking like that. It wasn’t any good for him. He had never been a negative sort of person and he sure as heck didn’t want to start now. He wasn’t entirely sure what face he’d been making, but it must have been one that could make a person concerned since he suddenly felt Kasen’s hand against his knee.

  “Are you sure everything’s okay?” He repeated.

  Rowan looked into those intensely blue eyes that peered back at him and a softer smile grew on his lips.

  “They definitely are now,” He replied.

  ----------------------

  It was nearing the end of the movie and Kasen was beginning to get nervous. What else could he do to entertain Rowan now? Oh, he was bad at this. He was so bad at this. Perhaps this was why he hadn’t attempted dating in high school.

  Well, that, and all of the other guys were straight. He thought to himself as he chewed at his bottom lip. The credits were rolling as he snuck a glance at Rowan. The older male was sitting there, his ankle crossed over his knee as he held his cola in his hand. Then he was turning his head and their eyes met once again.

  Kasen felt his stupid cheeks heating up and he gave a grin before looking down. Rowan was going to think he was incredibly weird.

  It was only when he felt the warmth of fingertips against his cheek that he turned back to look at Rowan, noticing that he was a great deal closer to him than he had been before.
>
  The closeness made his heart rate speed up a bit as he blinked rapidly, though his eyes never moved off of the heated caramel ones that stared back at him.

  Then he felt Rowan’s thumb tracing over his jawline and he swallowed hard, feeling his stomach knotting up just as it had the night before. His eyes darted back and forth between Rowan’s before he smiled a very shy, nervous smile.

  “..Hi,” Kasen said, though his voice was failing him. It came out soft, a bit timid.

  “Hi,” Rowan replied, his voice just as soft.

  Kasen really was innocent. Rowan understood now. Even with just such a simple touch, it seemed to send the boy into shambles and Rowan wondered if this was too much for him to take.

  He didn’t want him to feel pressured by any means. But there was just something about Kasen that attracted him so much, even if he could quite pinpoint it yet.

  Rowan ran his tongue over his lips, moistening them as he inched in a bit closer. When Kasen didn’t pull away, Rowan took that as the okay to kiss him. He closed the distance between their mouths, his finding Kasen’s easily.

  It was just as gentle as the night before, and when Kasen began kissing him back, Rowan noticed how experimental that Kasen was. The other was hesitant, but eager. His lips would go from soft to firm and back to soft again as their lips moved together.

  Rowan’s mouth molded against Kasen’s as he moved his hand that rested against his cheek to the back of his head. He tilted his own slightly, deepening the kiss as his eyes closed and he heard the soft noise that Kasen made.

  He didn’t mean for it to heat up as it seemed to be doing right now. Kasen might have just gotten lost in the moment, but who was Rowan to deny him of this experience?

  Kasen was so nervous as they shared another kiss, and his mind was reeling a thousand miles a minute as he tried to kiss Rowan back in the most proper way he could. Rowan’s lips were so soft, so warm, and they made Kasen’s tingle in a way he’d never known before.

  He felt the light pressure of Rowan’s hand against the back of his head and an odd noise escaped him as he tilted his head the opposite way. He released a breath through his nostrils as he scooted a bit closer and he parted his lips against Rowan’s.

  He had never tasted anything like that before. Rowan’s mouth was hot, and wet. It was something that Kasen decided he could get used to. His tongue very slowly, very cautiously slid forth and traced over Rowan’s bottom lip and he was surprised when he heard the low grown that sounded from the older male.

  That did something to Kasen that he couldn’t comprehend. Shivers ran down his spine and his stomach went insane with butterflies. He moved his hand to rest against Rowan’s shoulder and the tip of his nose pressed into the other’s cheek as he felt the hot, wet texture of his tongue touching back against his.

  Kasen gasped in surprise, brows furrowed as he shifted slightly, moving even closer to the other as their tongues began to touch against one another. Rowan’s tongue rolled over Kasen’s again and again as their flavors mixed.

  Kasen’s mind was shutting down. It became hazy and he found that he couldn’t think of anything else. He wasn’t entirely sure what Rowan was doing to him, but he knew one thing for certain; he liked it.

  The sensation of Rowan’s tongue sliding against his elicited a small noise from Kasen’s throat, and he felt as Rowan pulled him closer. Kasen’s eyes were shut tightly as he focused on the emotions going through him. This kiss was different from the first they had shared. It seemed so much more intense, yet it was gentle in nature.

  Kasen’s arm wrapped around Rowan’s neck as he tried to keep up with his pace of the kiss, and he sincerely hoped that Rowan didn’t mind he wasn’t a pro at this by now. Though if given the opportunity, he would most certainly like to become better at it.

  The younger male could feel the pressure being applied to his mouth as Rowan deepened the kiss a bit more, and though his lungs were screaming for air, Kasen’s mind pleaded for just a few more seconds of this sweet kiss.

  When they finally pulled apart, Kasen was breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell with quick pants as he licked tingling lips, and he felt Rowan’s forehead rest against his own. His blue eyes opened and found those warm brown ones staring at him.

  Kasen smiled somewhat shyly before he let out a nervous chuckle. Rowan echoed that chuckle, and they were both pleased to find that their arms had somehow ended up wrapped around one another.

  It was the sweetest embrace Kasen had ever experienced. It wasn’t just a friendly hug, it was passionate and promising. Rowan’s arms felt so strong around him, and dare he say he felt safe.

  Then Rowan was tilting his head until he could press his soft lips against Kasen’s forehead, and Kasen’s eyes closed again. Never before had he experienced anything so genuine. Kasen’s lips spread into another smile as he held onto him, and he wondered in that very moment what Rowan was thinking about.

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  It was dangerous to do that. Rowan knew that. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Kasen was a highly attractive creature and when he looked at Rowan with those eyes, a part of Rowan became vulnerable. It was scary to think that someone could affect him so easily.

  After months of building up walls to keep from being hurt again, he was discovering that the short time he’d spent with Kasen was chiseling away at those walls. He wasn’t even sure how anything like that could happen so soon.

  Perhaps it was because he’d been so lonely for so long. Or maybe it was just a vibe he got from Kasen. But the boy, in his eyes, was so beautiful. As he pulled his lips back from Kasen’s forehead, his eyes fell to those cerulean hues again and he noticed how that when Kasen smiled, his eyes smiled, too.

  “Thank you,” Kasen whispered. Rowan’s brows immediately lifted on his forehead as he tilted his head slightly.

  “What on earth for?” Rowan asked.

  “For that,” Kasen nodded.

  “For kissing you?” Rowan questioned, before he chuckled.

  He watched as the heat rose on Kasen’s cheeks and he decided that was probably the cutest thing he’d ever seen. As Kasen nodded in response, Rowan simply leaned in to press another light kiss against his mouth.

  “You don’t have to thank me for kissing you,” Rowan murmured against his lips before pulling back. “I should be thanking you for allowing me to do so.”

  He watched the smile that spread across Kasen’s lips as the younger male moved in to hug him, and Rowan couldn’t help but to hold him a little more tightly. His eyes closed and a sigh left his lips.

  “Ya don’t have to thank me,” Kasen whispered. “Ya can kiss me anytime ya want to.”

  Rowan was amused with how thick Kasen’s accent had suddenly become. He wondered if that had anything to do with the fact Kasen was nervous. In all truth, Rowan was nervous, too. It had been years since anyone had made his heart race. He could not remember the last time he’d felt so many butterflies in his stomach. He was also certain his palms were a bit sweaty.

  He hadn’t had a make out session like that since his early twenties. Maybe it had been in college. He couldn’t even recall that he and Elliott had ever shared a make out session. It was mostly sex and the good night kisses that Rowan remembered. If he thought about it long enough, could he even remember any passion?

  Maybe they had been passionate with one another at one time, but Rowan could not find those memories in his mind. Instead, he was noticing most of his memories were very recent and they all included the boy in his arms at this exact moment. Kasen had done something to him. Kasen was beginning to mean something to him.

  “Good,” Rowan finally stated as another smile began to grace his kiss swollen lips. “Because I just may do that more often.”

  ---------------------

  Kasen’s face lit up with pure happiness from the prospect of receiving more kisses from the older male. He liked Rowan. A lot. He hoped that whatever was happening between them would only grow stro
nger.

  It was then that Rowan’s phone began to ring. Kasen was amused that the ringtone was, in fact Who Let the Dogs Out. He should have expected something like that from a man who loved working with animals.

  Rowan sighed, tugging the phone from his pocket as he glanced at the screen, “This is work related,” He said softly, gazing at Kasen with an apologetic expression. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

  Kasen nodded, smiling. “Yeah, sure. Take your time,” He watched as Rowan got up and disappeared down the hallway. He understood why Rowan did that. He didn’t like to talk on the phone in front of people either. It was a weird thing about privacy. He didn’t like people to hear his conversations.

  Within about three minutes, Rowan was returning, but he didn’t seem too happy. Kasen frowned and wondered what was going on.

  “I’m really sorry about this, Kasey,” He started, “But there’s a medical emergency with a dog that was struck by a car near Pine Street. The owner is freaking out and begged me to help,” He met Kasen’s eyes. “I’ve got to see if I can help.”

  There were worse reasons for a movie day to end, but Kasen honestly didn’t see it as a bad thing-at all. Rowan loved animals and if he was willing to take the time out of his day off to try to save one’s life, who was Kasen to try and prevent that? It was actually really admirable.

  “No way. Go on,” Kasen said as he stood up from the couch and moved over to open the door. Rowan was putting his jacket back on as he walked to the door and stopped, gazing down at Kasen.

  “Thanks for understanding,” He said, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Kasen’s lips. It still made his heart leap from his chest, despite the current circumstances.

  “Of course,” Kasen nodded, grinning up at him. “Go save the dog.”

  Rowan simply smiled at him. Then he was gone.

  Kasen closed the door and stood there for a moment, another smile gracing his lips as he thought about what a fun time they had had during the duration of one film. It was incredible. But those thoughts disappeared when he entered the kitchen and saw that Rowan had forgotten something extremely important.