Crushes Fade, Love Stays

First Kiss

Saifah was nervous as he walked down the shadowy streets to meet Zon. He must have seen the video. What had Zon thought of his confession? Did he like it? Or was he mad at him for doing it on a public platform? He had used his username instead of his real name so he wouldn't feel embarrassed or exposed. Butterflies were causing havoc in his stomach making him feel sick as he worried about Zon's possible reactions.

He'd recorded the intro and song eight times before being satisfied with the outcome. Then he'd ended up hesitating repeatedly before uploading it wondering if it was good enough, or if maybe it was a bad idea. The day had gone by so quickly, and before he knew it, it was already night. There had always been the option of just sending the video directly to Zon, but he'd wanted Zon to know he was serious about him and have no doubts about his sincerity.

As he turned the corner, Saifah spotted Zon coming down the street. His chest tightened seeing him looking around as if lost. Why had he come out at night when he struggles to find his way around in the dark? If he'd asked, he would have gone to his house in a heartbeat. He saw Zon spot him, but he couldn't see what kind of expression was on his face. His feet stopped moving when Zon suddenly ran toward him.

Zon was so relieved to see Saifah appear at the end of the street. He'd rushed out without thinking, and hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Why do all these streets look the same when it's dark? Running over, he slowed and walked the final few steps to Saifah. Closing the distance, he wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Zon finally felt he could breathe now that Saifah was in his arms. He was so happy he felt like crying.

"Did you see the video?" asked Saifah as he returned Zon's embrace. Zon's face rubbed against his chest as he nodded silently in response. "And? Are you willing to give us a chance?"

Zon looked up at Saifah with a baffled expression. Had him running all the way over here and hugging him not made his feelings on this matter clear? "Seriously, Saifah? Of course I want to be with you. I already like you so much. Isn't that obvious?"

Saifah stroked back Zon's messy hair as he looked into those big black eyes staring up at him. "Just because you like me doesn't necessarily mean you'd want to be my boyfriend. Hence the reason I'm asking."

"Boyfriend?" The word had Zon step back in surprise. He'd thought the confession was to move on from being friends and start dating. He hadn't thought it was asking him to jump straight into an official relationship.

Seeing Zon's surprise made Saifah's heart tense up. "Do you not want it? To be my boyfriend?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I do," said Zon as he regained his composure. He stepped forward and tightened his arms around Saifah saying, "I want us to be together more than anything."

As he'd been running, Zon was very aware of how sweaty and gross he was, especially when Saifah's arms closed around him, but he didn't care. Finally being able to have Saifah within his grasp and feel his warmth was all that mattered to him. It was like the mass of feelings he'd being holding within his heart had been released and allowed to flow freely, causing his heart to feel so much lighter. Knowing he no longer had to hold back or hide his ever growing affections for Saifah filled him with an indescribable feeling he hoped would never fade. As he pressed his cheek against Saifah's chest, he could hear the rhythm of the pounding heart within. This was real wasn't it? It wasn't some vivid dream he's going to suddenly wake up from, right?

Even though Zon hugging him hurt, Saifah was too happy to care. What was a little pain when the one he wanted was finally in his arms? He honestly couldn't remember ever feeling such happiness and warmth filling his heart before. He lowered his face down to Zon's nape and inhaled his scent as he pressed his nose against his skin. He felt Zon's body tense up in his arms.