I'll Share With You My Heartbeat

nine

Buildings were the perfect study subject for shapes. They're everywhere in the city— Towering structures, curved domes, angled slopes. It was an element Lennon spent his time admiring often.

And if he wasn't so caught up in them, tilting his head up to survey their designs, he would've missed the familiar pair of dark eyes peeking down at him from the roof of a commercial building.

His jaw dropped, skidding to a halt in the middle of the pavement. He received a few complaints and annoyed stares for that.

Ghostie? he mouthed.

But as soon as the nickname left his lips, the ravenhead evaporated into thin air.

He wondered if hallucination was part of his injury, glancing down at his arm as he continued down the path to work. Maybe he was losing his mind. Maybe the night he spent tossing around in bed, trying not to think of the way the ravenhead handled him so gently, so prettily, meant more than he wanted it to.

Suddenly, a cold chill seized his bones and he tensed. Nope. Can't be a coincidence. He did a full three-eighty this time, taking in his surroundings—

"Hi."

"Ohmygod." Lennon stumbled over his feet, drawing even more attention now.

Kieran stood in front of him, hand rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Hi, Len."

He could feel the heat blooming from his cheeks to his neck. Lennon mustered up a glare, pulling out his phone to press it against his ear. "I knew I saw you!" he cried as soon as the onlookers had abandoned him, "Stop embarrassing me in public."

Lennon's last words crowded together in a whiny tone that Kieran found disgustingly adorable.

"Sorry," Kieran chuckled, "I didn't expect such a strong reaction from you."

"What are you doing here?" Suddenly, Lennon's eyes narrowed into squints. "Wait a second... were you stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you!" The ravenhead gave his best attempt at acting offended, hand on his heart. "I was... watching over you."

The chestnut boy made a face at him. "Why?" He began walking again, picking up the pace. "I'm gonna be late for work."

Kieran started taking long strides with him, following close behind as if they were attached by the hip.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

They looked ridiculous, starting and stopping around the block like they couldn't make up their minds.

"Why are you following me?"

The ravenhead cleared his throat. "I told you I'd come with you."

Lennon blinked at him. "Huh?"

"To find your camera, remember?"

"Ah," the chestnut boy acknowledged, "You don't need to come with me. I mean— I'm sure Charles has it. I left it with him. And he said he'll be back for his picture."

Kieran shrugged. "How're you so sure he wouldn't steal it?"

"Because unlike you, I believe people are inherently good, not selfish," Lennon revealed, feet moving automatically in front of one another, "At the end of the day, we're all just trying our best."

A good part of Lennon believed in that. In fact, he fought every day to shove that belief down his throat and keep it there. But sometimes even the most radiant streaks of sunshine don't make it past the seasonal thunderstorms.