Blue Eyes, White Lies

Chapter 6

We sat there on my bed, making simple conversation. I didn't care too much about the material of the conversation. I just liked talking to him. It gave me a new perspective. 

One thing to note before we go on: I'm kinda very gay. And if you haven't seen the hints I've been dropping, a little into Julian. 

Before you say anything, he is cute. And potentially my type. 

Somehow, in less than a few minutes, he went from creepy forest dude to just forest dude. Antisocial forest dude, but forest dude.

That and he acts like it's 1800.

He doesn't get idioms, like, at all.

He likes folktales and mysteries. He tells me he has a workout regimen. I'm surprised he knows what the word workout means...

He probably got it from Eric.

He sits on my bed, running a hand through his messy hair.

"So, tell me about yourself."

"What'dya wanna know?"

Poor thing doesn't know where to use conversation starters.

"What's there to say that you don't know?"

He chuckles. "I suppose not knowing things is about someone is one of the joys of not watching them from afar."

Is that... a hint of sarcasm? From Julian?

"How about I return that question to the sender? Tell me about yourself."

He thinks for a second. 

"What would I tell you about? You can see, you know about me physically, you probably don't want to know my thoughts daily..." 

"Is that sarcasm I sense? Out of the great Julian?" I chuckle

"You're far more sarcastic in one sentence than I could be in a paragraph, Keiji, but if you'd like to know, yes, yes it was."

I smile. He's a bit of a little shit sometimes from what I've gathered, but I find it funny. 

"So... interests? Hobbies?"

"Interests? I've already said I like myths, but Eric introduced me to this wonderful thing called 'true crime podcasts'. Things like those... make me feel like I'm not the only unsolved case or wrongly convicted killer out there..."

"You find a sense of hope in them, don't you?"

"A sense of togetherness, actually... not in the traditional sense, but in the sense all of these other people suffered in similar ways..."

He sighs and blows a piece of hair out of his face. "There's a favorite I have... it's not a true story, unlike the others, but there's believers in it."

Now I'm intrigued. 

"Would you like me to tell you?" 

I nod. "Please do."

"It's an older one, but I know it by heart. Lay back, if you wish. It's a rather long one."

I do as he says, lying back on my bed. I feel like a kid again, being told a bedtime story. 

"It's called the wolf of the west. An older tale, old enough you wouldn't have heard it as a child."

He clears his throat.

"Long ago lived a boy. He was young, he was beautiful, he was clever. He had a future in front of him."

He takes a breath.