You're My Target - Pico X Keith/BF

8 - You With Me Feels Different

Pico patted Keith's back. He sat on the cold cement floor and has been in the same position where Cherry left him for a while. Pico gave him a clean shirt while he wore his sweater again. Keith smiled and chuckled.

"Thanks..." He mumbled.

He looked at Pico's eyes with pure sadness. He then checked his neck and behind it. Pico covered it, confused on why he was doing it.

"I'm checking to see if you have batteries," Keith explained. He looked away sadly. "Thanks for being here with me at the moment, Pico," Keith thanked, giving him a hug.

Pico patted his back, closing his eyes.

"Why don't we hang out to get this off our head? I'll tell you a secret, I always do that," Keith said with a wink.

Pico nodded. Anything just to hang out with Keith, really.

Keith took him to the playground. He smiled proudly and put his hands on his hips.

Pico looked at the playground and it reminded him of the training grounds but colorful. He was annoyed about the wood chip ground.

"I tried starting a fire with this when I was a kid," Keith said, getting two pieces of those things and mashed them together like a match. "It never works. My silly imagination wanted me to set this thing on fire and put it on the ground so this entire thing burns."

Pico nodded, feeling a bit impressed.

"So, wanna swing and stuff?" Keith asked.

Pico could never. He doesn't want to go back through all those years of torture. Training for days non-stop. Your emotions start to fade as they hit you when you try to show one. Muffling your cries in your sleep. Watching as everyone gave in by passing out everyday and they were forced to keep going by threat.

"Pico?" Keith waved a hand in front of him.

He snapped out of it, shaking his head at Keith's offer.

The blue haired boy shrugged smiling after. "I know, it's a small playground. Wanna go to a bigger one?"

Pico shook his head no again.

"Alrighty then. What do you wanna do?" Keith asked. "I hope I'm not boring you."

Pico shook his head for the third time, saying no to Keith saying that he's boring him. He looked around for something to do. He spotted one and pointed at it.

"Oh you want to feed the ducks? Sure! That sounds fun," Keith said, taking Pico's hand as he dragged him there.

Pico is on the edge of the docs, swaying his feet. Keith finally came back, giving Pico oats. Pico stuck his tongue out, eating some of it.

"No, you feed it to the ducks," Keith said, demonstrating it. "Gee, Pico. Do you live under a rock or something?" He said with a laugh.

Pico did live underground for a long time.

"I was in the dark place and... You're making me feel better and not lonely."

Pico didn't know what that meant but he was honored to hear that.

Pico threw some of the oats on the water. He watched as some of it sank and some of it floated. He also watched as the ducks aggressively ate the oats like alive prey.

"Aren't they lovely?" Keith smiled.

Pico looked at him and his smile. He looked back at the ducks and shrugged.

Keith sighed, putting his head on Pico's shoulder. Pico's body tensed, he froze on the spot. He didn't know what to do. He carefully rests on Keith's. He feels his breathing going out of pattern and his heart beating fast. His chest was slowly aching and it soon overwhelmed him. He scooted away from Keith.

"Oh sorry! I didn't know you felt comfortable with me doing that," Keith apologized, putting his hands up. "I won't do it anymore."

Pico was a bit disappointed hearing that. He did like what they did, he was just super confused by it that it made him a bit defensive.

Keith took Pico's always silent voice as an 'okay'. He went back and fed the ducks.

"Would you let me put makeup on you, Pico?" Keith asked out of the ordinary. Pico looked at him with his always confused face. "Cherry taught me how, okay?"

Pico thought what harm it'll do to him if he wears makeup. He nodded in agreement.

"Yay!" Keith cheered. "You're a beautiful canvas after all, Pico."

Pico felt his cheeks heat up as he looked at Keith's smile or heard his voice or what he said. He looked at his palms which had the oats on it. He took some and silently put an oat on the duck. He watched as the other duck pecked that duck's back.

Keith giggled at what he saw. Pico can't help feel his cheeks flush at what Keith just did. He adjusted his collar, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He wonders how that happens.

Keith's phone started ringing. He excused himself and walked away. Pico nodded, looking at the ducks after (JESUS I ACCIDENTALLY TYPED DICKS). He felt the empty feeling coming back.

"Ah heck. Loving hurts."

Keith glanced at Pico. He read his face like a short sentence immediately. "Love? You don't know what that is?"

Pico shrugged. He knows but doesn't know at the same time.

"Well, it's easy! Love is..." Keith paused for a while to look for the definition in his head. "Love is..."

Pico looked at him patiently.

"Huh..." Keith mumbled something, trying not to be spotted looking at his phone. "Oh! Love is complex. A mix of emotions, behaviors, and beliefs associated with strong feelings of affection, protectiveness, warmth, and respect for another person."

Pico looked over his shoulder and read the same sentence on his phone. He backed away and looked as Keith moved his head and faced him. "Kinda like us, Pico! Huh..."

Pico shrugged, coughing to build up his vocals. He held Keith's shouler and inhaled bravely. "Nothing truly ever made sense until you came in my life," he finally built up the courage to say. That sentence wasn't harmful anyway. He noticed his other hand's fingers fidgeting so he stopped it. He removed his hand away from him.

Keith widened his eyes. He never heard Pico's normal speaking voice. It's deep and raspy yet... Nice. Keith thinks if Pico is shy about his voice, he shouldn't be. That's a gender envy voice right there.

"I don't get it... But I think that's really sweet of you," Keith said with a smile. "Pico... Even though we fear uncertainty, I want you to know that I'm here," Keith said, putting his hand around his shoulder. "And I'm willing to see all of it through as long as you're by my side."

Pico felt jiggly inside. He tried shaking it off.

"Thanks for being by my side, dude," Keith thanked.

Maybe Pico wanna get used to this.