The house at the Crossroads (BxB)

The Past, The Future, And The Tragedies in Between

The pile of pillows Karlos proudly claimed a "barrier strong enough to withstand any storm", crumbled after his countless toss and turn. Three hours before sunrise, Gabriel learned never to trust Karlos and his promise of "sleeping like a log". The pillows between them have now scattered that some even fell off the bed. His limbs are everywhere and Gabriel was forced to settle to the edge of the bed. He was exhausted and the scene could have made him want to suffocate the other boy with a pillow. Except he was sleeping so soundly and serene that even Gabriel felt comfortable in the strange, but once familiar bed. The blanket was soft and his scent was everywhere. Despite their unlikely position, he wanted to be nowhere else.

When he woke up for the second time, it was drizzling outside the window. Despite the rain, it showed it was late in the morning because of the light. He never oversleeps, but the soreness in his body took a toll on him. A weight on his abdomen woke him up. As he pondered what in the world could be making his abdomen heavy, the thing on top of it moved. His eyes automatically opened, and that is how he found an arm wrapped in his body. He froze and slowly turned to whoever owned the arm. When he found Karlos sleeping peacefully beside him, he huffed. He should slap his hand away, or better yet, decapitate it. But the warmth coming from the boy had lingered on his skin, and even now, his body wanted to lean on it.

Karlos unconsciously pulled him closer and Gabriel shuffled uncomfortably. He flinched as his wound from last night sting in his movement. This time, he was locked in his embrace. He felt his heart thump faster, just as it always would when someone touches him. But instead of the usual beat that reaches his throat, he could barely breathe, the rhythm made his fingers tingle.

As he struggled to settle himself, he caught the scent of Karlos. Musky and manly, very contrasting to his personality. Then again, like last night, and the nights he rebelliously basked in his scent, he could not fight the desire to have more. There was warmth and comfort in his scent, things he had been derived from for a long time. So as he drowsed from the smell, he snuggled closer.

When both boys have awoken, Karlos convinced Gabriel to have his wounds checked by a doctor as soon as possible. It was awkward and quiet as they individually prepared themselves. Karlos lent Gabriel a shirt and a pair of sweat pants, but they were too big for his size as expected. Gabriel asked for a sweater instead and folded the edges of the pants. After both of them have been satisfied with their outfits, the next problem was how to get Gabriel to his feet.

When he first attempted to stand on his own, he wobbled as soon as he used his wounded foot. He fell forward, but Karlos was quick enough to catch him. However, when Karlos wrapped his arms around him to keep him steady, he jerked and pushed Karlos off, causing him to collapse back on the bed.

"Sorry," Gabriel said under his breath.

Karlos shook his head. He leaned close and offered his arm. "Why don't you hold me instead? I won't touch you unless it's absolutely necessary."

Gabriel hesitated at first. But having no choice, he let clutched on Karlos' arm and pulled himself up. After they composed to a position that they were both comfortable with, they headed for the door.

The moment the door swung open, they were met by Amalia who was still in her nightgown. The three of them halted, eyes shifting from one another.

"My god, Gabriel, what happened to you?" Amalia gasped.

They knew the old woman would find out soon enough, but they did not expect she would catch them the moment they stepped out of the room.

The two glanced at each other, silently communicating how they are going to deal with the situation.