Stumbling Steps

bonus chapter| a pair of untied shoelaces

It felt strange. Sometimes it felt like yesterday when I took admission in university and sometimes it felt like it has been a million years. Either way, this was my last year here. I had pursued architecture. The previous years had been boring but the last year had become interesting. We were taken to construction sites. There were more practical modules than all years combined. Something I always looked forward to.

I said bye to my group of friends whom I had made in all these years and was walking towards the main gate with Maya when I took notice of someone. Thankfully, I and Maya were enrolled in the same university though different fields, yes, but still the same university and that single fact provided both of us with immense courage. We both didn't make a lot of new friends but still what we had were a lot. The practical modules took place in groups hence I became good friends with all the people in my group.

I squinted my eyes to see that I was seeing right. Two boys wearing baseball caps stood at the entrance door. I poked Maya in her shoulder and gestured towards the door. She first looked, her lips curled upwards and then she ran towards the person that awaited her. Daris quickly took her in a hug.

I smiled, my eyes meeting with my best friend. My best friend and the person I loved. Though his cap created a shade over his face it could never hide the brown of his eyes.

I also ran towards him but didn't have a swift and smooth landing like Maya but I did end up directly in his arms after stepping over my shoelaces.

If cupid was a thing I would say they were my shoelaces. I looked up from Kev's chest and up at him and he leaned down to drop a small kiss over my hairline and then at my nose.

"Hey my Bob the Builder," he was softly smiling down at me. Somehow, that nickname stayed with me apart from Ly.

"I didn't know you were coming," Kev and Daris chose the same university for their further goal. They both were in the basketball team while also continuing their studies. And if I said girls fawned over them, it would be an understatement.

According to both him and Daris, girls lined up and fought to confess to them. When they told us this I and Maya ended up throwing whatever was in our hands at them. Maya threw a script of a movie she was given while I threw at Kev, the pieces of cardboard and wood, glue and a couple of different things that he kept dodging but still a few hit on target.

"Handsome surprises are actual surprises," I rolled my eyes but didn't disagree. He was handsome. "Come on. We gotta go,"

He entwined his hand with mine, throwing a goodbye at Daris and Maya and pulled me along with him. I didn't know where we were going but I knew there was something going on in his mind.

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We were at our secret hideout again and this place had only gotten better. Our visits here in the last few years had been frequent like always. I stared at Kev in confusion, raising my eyebrows in question but he walked away towards the gazebo and picked up a small box from there and sat down.

"What are you doing?" I was getting suspicious of his behaviour and the box he held. It wasn't what I think it was...right?

"Enjoying the weather," He replied in monotone and I couldn't hold back my eyeroll.

"It's 38 degrees. We are in the middle of summer,"

"Summer was before. Spring walked in when I saw you," Should I smile or should I hit him with something? In these last four years this boy had gotten more smoother. I ended up smiling.

"What's in that box?" I gestured towards it with my head and he nervously stared at me.

"So you wanted to change your necklace chain and I told you I would get it done for you and I-" He fidgeted with the box in his hand. "I got another loop in the pendant above it. I'm sorry I didn't ask because it was your-"

He stopped ranting when I sat beside him, taking the box and opening it. In it was my necklace with a new silver chain. The old infinity loop was kept like that but another infinity loop was added above it over the outer side.

"It's lovely. Really," I took out the necklace from the box and wore it around my neck. "Lock it,"

Goosebumps rose over the part of my skin where his fingers brushed.

"I was scared you would kill me," He muttered as we both sat side by side over the floor of the gazebo. My eyes took in the sight of the necklace on my neck.

"I am not that violent," I mumbled, picking up his fingers and playing with them.

"I was so happy when I saw you today,"

"Geez Kev. we stargazed last night," I reminded him.

"You stargazed. I moongazed,"

"You were looking at me,"

"And your point is?" I broke out in a laugh and so did Kev.

Every moment with Kev was like this. We argued on nonsensical topics, we fought on weird things, we cried but at all times we ended up smiling and hugging each other.

It was like this. Infinite. Infinity love. What we had for each other could never be explained in words. It could only be felt. I had found a lover in my best friend. I had found a best friend in my lover. We don't need words to understand each other.

You never know where you would find your love. At times it's miles away but at times it's near you but one thing that I have gotten so sure of was that even if it is miles away or is near you, you would find your way to them whether it takes a couple of flights or just a pair of untied shoelaces...