by Elaine White
“Everything alright?” he asked, moving two lockers along, to unlock his own door.
His friend turned to flash a weak smile at him, then walked over to join him. “Feeling kind of...homesick. Which feels really weird, because it's not...not really home I'm sick for,” he confessed in a quiet whisper.
Sterling couldn't help but smile and pat his arm, before emptying his bag into the locker and only keeping what he needed for the morning classes. “I'm sure you'll see Alvin again, one day. I don't imagine why you'd feel the connection you did if it wasn't going to happen,” he admitted, though he didn't know all that much about it. Just that Kenichi had met a brilliant, amazing guy at the carnival and had connected with him on a level that he'd never anticipated. After some brief making out and some non-invasive questions, they'd parted ways.
Kenichi hadn't been his usual ray of sunshine since.
“Maybe.” He didn't say anything else about it, changing the subject instead. “Did you hear about Antonio and Deryn?”
“No.” Sterling felt his stomach plummet to his feet at the thought of what his friend might say next. “What happened?”
Kenichi chuckled and leaned back against the lockers. “They arrived at school together, to a whole lot of rumours that they're dating, because they've been glued to the hip since the night of the carnival,” he began, looking quite impressed with the way the rumour mill worked so fast. “They barely got the door open before the principal stormed out to meet them. Both their parents were already here and they did not look pleased. Whatever was going on, they were dragged back home without setting a foot inside.”
That could be good or terrible news. Maybe their parents had arrived to take them to the police station? Or maybe their parents had tried to steal them away before the police could arrive, in the hopes of protecting their kids.
Either way, it meant he had an Antonio and Deryn free day.
“Dude, what's going on with you and Foxy Fearghas?” Kenichi asked all of a sudden.
Being used to the nickname he'd given Fearghas, as well as the nicknames he gave all the cute guys in school, Sterling didn't mention it. He simply shrugged and tried to answer the question without lying. “We're friends. He saved me at the carnival, you know. Dived right in to rescue me,” he admitted, still awed over that act of heroism.
“Rescue you,” Kenichi repeated the words with a twitch of a smile, then leaned in close to whisper, “Who will rescue you from him?” Then he backed away, looking pleased as punch.
Sterling turned to ask him what he meant, only to find a shadow falling over him. As he looked up and found those beautiful green eyes boring into him, he wasn't sure what the intensity of Fearghas' stare meant. “What?”
Lifting his phone in his right hand, he showed a text that Sterling glanced at instinctively. He caught the word 'Dad' at the top of the screen and shook his head.
“Dad just texted me to say that Deryn broke down and told the police everything,” Fearghas revealed, slowly beginning to smile. “Dad says it's over. They're going to get charged with kidnapping, detaining and imprisoning a minor, as well as GBH, because their actions directly caused you to fall into the water,” he said.
Then Fearghas kissed him and wrapped strong arms around his waist. Sterling wrapped his arms around his neck, in return, and reciprocated the kiss until they broke apart to smile at each other. “You don't have to be scared anymore,” he promised, in a whisper that nearly broke his heart.
It would have if it hadn't been so true.
“I didn't want to tell you,” he admitted, wondering how he'd let it slip through the cracks, when he'd been so adamant to not let his fear affect Fearghas.
“You didn't have to. I could see it.” Without an ounce of anger, he kissed Sterling again, until the grating, deep voice of one of his friends cut in.
“Dude, what are you doing?”
Fearghas broke away to grin at the group of three football players currently staring at him like he was a lunatic. He set Sterling back on his feet, while the giddiness of being free from fear and his boyfriend having kissed him in public coursed through his veins.
“I'm kissing my boyfriend,” he replied, with the air of a man who knew what the heck he was doing and wouldn't be told otherwise.
So Sterling kept his mouth shut and merely smiled. Now that it was all over and he didn't have to wonder whether Antonio or Deryn might try to hurt him again, if they thought he remembered what happened that night, he could relax. He could smile and be happy and not have to think about that awful night again, until the next nightmare. Even then, his dad and Pops would be there, to pick him up, dust him off and keep him safe.
And Fearghas, too. Because that was just who he was.
“Yeah,” he agreed, without meaning to, as he gazed up at his boyfriend in wonder, “I think that's exactly what we're doing.”
His words caused a matching grin to spread onto Fearghas' lips, until they caught his own in another lengthy kiss. This time, he didn't try to hold back or resist. For all he cared, everyone in the whole damned world could find out. He didn't have anything to be afraid of anymore.
The End
Interlude ~ New Kids in Town
Three Weeks Later
Standing outside the front door of the building, Alvin took a deep breath and looked over at Javon. He looked terrified, which wasn't a surprise. They were always the anomaly, wherever they went, so starting over never got any easier.
At least they'd already come into school yesterday, on a Monday when the other kids had a bank holiday day off, to get their paperwork checked over one last time and to meet the staff. They wouldn't be going into this blind.
They knew the teachers by name and sight, they had logged their academic records and discussed what work would have to be done at home. Alvin had made sure that the majority of the awkward stuff had taken place while there were no other students around. All that was left was introducing themselves and getting stuck in to a brand new life.
“Ready?” he checked, stifling the need to reach out and take Javon's hand. They weren't twelve anymore and he knew his brother wouldn't appreciate it, even if he wanted the contact. Which he'd never admit to.
“Yeah.” Javon took a deep breath, then waited until Alvin pushed open the door on the right.
He let his brother go in first, followed, and stopped just long enough to count the lockers inconspicuously. The fourth along belonged to the guy who would be helping them navigate the corridors. Though it wasn't technically needed, after their tour yesterday, Alvin had agreed to it so that they had a buffer from the rest of the students. Someone to tell them who to avoid, who to stick close to and where they might find some privacy if needed.
He counted the four lockers and looked for someone in the vicinity who might belong to it, comparing the outfits of the ten students lingering by the door to the Indie Rock stickers and graffiti that covered the locker door. Before he could pinpoint anyone who fitted the bill, the chatter of the hallway grew quiet, then suddenly silent.
They'd been spotted.
Alvin squared his shoulders and smiled, ready to speak up and ask where he could find Harrison. The smile fell from his lips instantly, replaced with an explosive wave of shock, confusion and panic.
Kenichi stared back at him, leaning casually against a locker just a few from his guide. When they made eye contact, he pushed himself off the locker, a serious look on his face, then walked right up to him until they were chest to chest. “Is this your new school?” he asked in a whisper, at the same time as Javon muttered behind him.
“Oh shit.”
Alvin ignored his brother and replied quietly, “Yes. This is where you're repeating your year?” he checked, his heart pounding a mile a minute.
Kenichi nodded briefly, then took a long, slow breath that tickled his cheeks. “Remind me, quickly, why you moved here,” he urged, still whispering in a breathless, harsh way that confused Alvin.
Did that mean he wa
s angry and wanted to make sure this was an accident or that he was scared he'd be outed? Maybe he wasn't open about his sexuality, which would make sense since not a lot of people would understand his mix of androromantic and asexuality. Heck, beyond gay, straight, lesbian and bi, most of the other micro-labels were ignored or unheard of.
“Dad got a promotion at work. He's running the new office.”
“And you're here for good?”
Alvin frowned and whispered, “Yes. Unless he completely screws up. But I guess he'd just be kept here and demoted. Why?”
Instead of answering, Kenichi's lips broke out in a smile and warmth radiated out of every feature of his beautiful face. He dove through the three inches between them and crushed his mouth over Alvin's before he had time to consider what might be going on.
Instinct demanded that he respond, grabbing the Prefect blazer that he'd only just noticed Kenichi wore, to keep him close. The lapel fabric was coarse on his hands, but he really couldn't have cared less. He didn't even notice the rush of voices that filled the silence of the corridors, until Kenichi broke away and winked at him.
A hand slid down his arm and laced their fingers together, as Kenichi turned to the gathering crowd. “Well? What's everyone staring at? You've never seen two guys say hello before?” he asked, challenging them head on, which was something that even Alvin, with his dubious reputation and lack of social skills, would never dare do.
No one commented, but the crowd parted for him like the Red Sea. It was made abundantly clear, in that moment, that Kenichi was King of this castle.
He led the way back to his locker and leaned against it, before reaching out and tapping the toe of his shoe against the white trainers another kid wore. A kid who, Alvin couldn't help noticing, stood a little too close to Kenichi for his liking.
“Can we make room for my boyfriend, please? He doesn't like having his spot stolen,” he claimed, winking at him again.
Alvin stood there, staring at this lunatic of a guy he'd only met once, a few weeks ago, for a few hours. Kissing him in public, claiming him publicly, using his own words against him...calling him boyfriend? What the heck was going on?
“Well, he's used to me stealing his spot.” Javon chuckled as he moved to stand beside Kenichi, leaning back on the row of lockers as though he didn't have a care in the world. “And it's good to see you again, Kenichi.”
“Call me Ken, if you want,” he offered, giving Javon a shoulder nudge, as though they actually knew each other. Which they didn't.
“Hold on!” Alvin protested.
“Okay.” Kenichi gave his hand a tug, until he stumbled into his arms. Then he let go to wrap them both around his waist. “This better?” he whispered, full of giddy teasing and that damned annoying charm that made him feel all fluttery inside. But it made no sense, and logic might not have played any part in anything he'd ever done before, but Alvin wasn't going to accept this without even a little bit of sense.
“What are you doing?” he asked, keeping his voice low to contain this to a private discussion.
Kenichi tilted his head and pouted. “I'm taking a chance. On you. On us,” he replied thoughtfully. “I wouldn't, normally. I mean, no one else knows about my little problem of straddling that line. That's why most of my relationships have failed, because we inevitably come to the part where they want to take it somewhere I don't,” he continued, whispering without actually sounding as though it was to keep a secret. It sounded soft and gentle, like his touch. Private and intimate, like their conversations had been.
“I like you, Alvin. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, since we went our separate ways,” Kenichi claimed, though he didn't stop long enough for Alvin to admit the same thing. The dreams had been one thing, but the daydreams were worse. “Seeing you here today has to be some kind of miracle. Or a sign. And I'm willing to trust that. I'm willing to trust you.”
“You can,” he promised, before he even knew he planned to say the words. But, since he'd gone this far, Alvin wet his lips and forged ahead. “I know what you want and what you don't want. And I'm good with that. And,” with a sigh, he shook his head, knowing the next words he spoke were going to seal the deal and let Javon know just how bad things had been for the last few weeks, “I've missed you,” he whispered.
Kenichi grinned, looking so proud of those words that it was embarrassing. “I missed you, too. I missed our talks and kissing you. I never knew two people could connect in such a short time,” he said, then stopped himself, though it looked as though he'd been about to say more. “Well, it's your first day and I'd be a truly awful boyfriend if I didn't at least try to help you find your way around–”
Alvin stopped him, placing his hand over his mouth and smiling when he realised how 'boyfriend' like that move could actually be. “We had a full tour and meeting with the staff yesterday, but the guy four lockers in from the door was supposed to be our guide. Maybe you could use your incredible influence to take care of that, before we do anything else?” he suggested.
A quick glance at Javon told him that his brother agreed. Not only that, but he was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, so it seemed he also approved of Alvin finally meeting his match in Kenichi.
He was about to warn him to keep his mouth shut, when a mouth closed over his far too briefly. Alvin blinked and found Kenichi smiling at him.
“Give me three minutes. I'll deal with your 'guide', then we can have a few minutes to catch up in private. I want to hear all about your adventures, after we left each other, and whether this one finally gave in to the inevitable or not,” he admitted.
The look in his eyes and the sincerity of his words made Alvin smile, genuinely happy to feel this comfortable with someone again and thrilled to know that, despite his worries and nagging doubts, Kenichi was a match for him. They were as stubborn as each other and he had a feeling that was a good thing.
As Kenichi walked away to talk to their guide, Alvin knew that nothing was set in stone. Nothing ever was. But if all he got was a few weeks or months of Kenichi's time and affection, that would be enough. Because, Lord knew, that boy did something funny to his insides that no one else had ever managed to do. Alvin wanted time to explore that feeling and the raging chemistry between them.
“I like him,” Javon whispered, jarring him out of his thoughts. When their eyes met, his brother smiled with warmth and love. “He's good for you. You light up when he looks at you and I've never seen that before. Not with you. I like it. I like seeing you happy. I like that he makes you happy,” he rambled on.
“Okay, I get it. I was a miserable sod before meeting the all wonderful Kenichi,” he joked, giving him a good shove in retaliation.
They both laughed, but the truth was that he was right. Alvin felt it, somewhere deep down that he couldn't label. Being with Kenichi made him feel free. Like all the burdens and responsibilities were nothing. Like he hadn't spent his childhood being a father figure to a boy who still had his father. He'd never regret what he'd done for Javon, knowing that it made him happy and kept him safe and loved, but there was something about Kenichi that made him want to be a kid again. To be innocent and taken care of.
And he had a feeling Kenichi wanted to do that. To take him back in time, to before things got rough and they both had to grow up before their time. Maybe together, that might be possible. If not, they'd have a hell of a lot of fun finding out.
“This is it, Javon,” he said, turning to his brother in wonder. “You have Tracy and you're both willing to put the effort in to make it work. I have Kenichi, for however long, and we're starting over. It doesn't feel so scary this time, does it?”
“No,” Javon agreed, but he sounded kind of wistful, too. “It might sound funny, but I think this is the start of something really good for both of us. I have this feeling,” he admitted, rubbing his stomach to emphasise that.
Before he could reply, Kenichi returned to his side and ran a hand up Alvin's arm. “It's not funny at all. Or wei
rd or strange. It sounds right,” he promised, offering Javon a smile, before looking right into Alvin's eyes. “And you, my little well of self-doubt, are mine for good. As long as you'll have me.”
He was tempted to challenge that, but either Kenichi knew it or he didn't want to let him speak, because he held up his finger to stop him.
“You're a catch, Alvin. Our weirdness,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “it works. Only when we're together. And I know that, because I feel it in here.” He grasped Alvin's hand, then lifted it to his heart. “When I'm with you, this beats like a rocket and, if there's anything you need to know about me, it's that I follow my heart. Wherever it may lead,” he warned, with a teasing smile.
The seriousness of his words came through all the same. But, for once, Alvin wasn't scared. He was actually filled with excitement and a desire to follow Kenichi's lead. It could be totally stupid and not work out, but they were kids. Still teenagers, with the world at their feet.
What was wrong with taking a chance?
He kissed Kenichi before he could change his mind, muttering between slow, lazy kisses that he hoped expressed how much he'd missed this strange, beautiful boy he'd so inexplicably fallen for. “I trust you. And I'm ready to believe in you. Just show me how.”
A laugh burst from him, as Kenichi grabbed him around the waist and backed him into the lockers. There, he was kissed into oblivion and, truthfully, he really didn't mind.
Larger Than Life
Chapter 1
“So, how are you feeling?” Harrison asked, as he unlocked his locker and glanced Sterling's way for a hint of how he was coping. It had been three weeks since Antonio was sent to a juvenile detention centre and Deryn was expelled from school.