HIS (Complete ✅)

Chapter 2 (You saved my night)

It was always chillier at night in December. Tay hugged his jacket to himself, stepping in beside New. Without the smell of booze, sweat, and smoke he could smell New. Though the smell of smoke lingered on their jackets, New smelled so good. Like lemongrass. Instinctively, he stepped closer to the other man. New flashed him a smile. He returned it, grateful he was not creeping this handsome man out.

"What I would give to know what you're thinking right now," New said. They walked directly under a streetlight. It illuminated New's facial features even more. Tay held in a whine. "You keep staring but you don't say anything."

Tay collected himself quickly. "It's nothing."

New bumped him with his shoulders. "Come on, we're friends now. Tell me."

He scratched the back of his neck. This wasn't going to be easy to say "It's erm —yourereallygoodlooking." he blurted out. New burst into laughter.

"You're charming you know." He stepped in front of Tay, effectively stopping them both. He cupped Tay's face in both hands. Tay's heart almost stopped. Was he going to kiss him? He hoped he would but life wasn't always that easy. New turned Tay's face in his hands as a scientist would observe a new species. "You are really good-looking too," he decided. Then let go of Tay's face.

He knew he was a good looking man. He has received compliments from both men and women, young and old. However, coming from New, it felt different. "Thanks." he ducked his head, hoping his hair was long enough to cover his reddening ears.

After that, they walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. His shoulders occasionally brushed up against New's, their hands sometimes touching. Tay didn't believe in love at first sight. Love grows over time. It is a feeling that is nurtured. But he had also never felt this drawn to another person before.

"Do I have to beg you to tell me what you're thinking again?"

He shook his head. He couldn't share these thoughts. "It's nothing. I was wondering where we were walking to."

"Nowhere." He giggled. Tay wanted to capture the sound and put it in a bottle. "The street at night is lonely but beautiful. We can walk, just us two, until our legs fail us."

Tay laughed. Giddy. Excited. "Till our legs fail. Can we do that?" New nodded, also laughing. "I can try but you'd have to carry me half of the way."

"How do I carry you when both our legs fail?"

"I don't know but you're responsible for me. This was your idea." They fell silent, just walking side by side.

Tay thought if he would die tomorrow he would die a happy man. Just because he had this moment. This is what fulfillment felt like.

New suddenly grabbed his wrist. He dragged him along to the bridge. Only letting go to clutch the railing. He watched the river flow below them with an animated look on his face. Tay wished he had brought his camera to capture this moment.

"Rivers calm me." New provided. "When I get off work and get stuck in traffic, I get this urge to get out of my car. To watch the gentle ripples of the water. It's beautiful, don't you think?" He looked up. His eyes were a shiny coffee color.

"It is," Tay breathed. He cleared his throat, suddenly choked up. "It's very beautiful." Hackneyed as it may seem, he wasn't even looking at the river. "What do you do for work?"

"I'm an Electrical engineer at PVC."

"That's impressive."

He brushed off the compliment with a wave of the hand. "You're a photographer." It wasn't a question so Tay didn't give him an answer. "What kind of things do you capture?"