your beauty never ever scared me.

chapter seven

bruce's pov

our coffee trip was nice. we stayed and talked about a variety of pleasures these days and the whole time i just look at his beautiful eyes. not his scars or his slightly swollen bruising , just his beautiful blue eyes.

we are at the park now , just idly sitting on the swings rocking back and forth a little bit. now i'm looking at his bruised face. who could've done that to him? vance never gets beaten that bad in a fight. " vance , who did it. "

" my dad. " oh. i should've known his dad was like that. i feel so bad , vance doesn't deserve that. people are so afraid of him , they avoid him like he's some plague but really , he just doesn't have an outlet. i want to be here for him always , because i've never been afraid of him or the things he's done to people or what they say about him. " you know- i don't think you're all that bad vance hopper. " i tell him.

" you don't? i think i'm pretty scary. " he says back to which i smile at. " you never scared me , ever. you're really sweet and funny. " it's true , vance is very sweet and super funny. after us both agreeing on that , i just need to ask him. " vance? can i ask you something? "

he looks at me with a concerned expression , " what's up? " he asks. " well i was just wondering i guess- like if you think a boy would like date another boy , you know? "

vance's pov

oh. i nod at this and answer " i mean , i guess so if they wanted to. it's just people , i don't think there should be a restriction on who you can and can't love , right? " he nods in response and agreement. " would you? " i just had to ask. he blushes a bit after i asked him that. " uhh well i don't- i don't really like , i don't know , maybe? i never thought like- about that before. " he finishes up with an anxious expression and looks at me just looking at him. " i-i mean , would you? i know you said you liked a girl but i don't know why you would ask me that. " ah , of course he remembers.

" umm , yeah uh i don't like any girl. " i say almost apologetically. " that was a lie. well- no not really- like not a complete lie but i did lie about liking a girl. " now we're both red and anxious. " why would you lie? i-i don't really care you know. " he responds. i can hear the slight pain in his voice. i look around trying to collect the thoughts and words in my head before standing up and facing bruce , him now looking up at me. " it was about you. "

" me? " he asks tilting his head a little to the side. " what about me? "

" all those things i said about the girl that i liked- they were about you. " i just stand there waiting for him to say something. " oh. " that's all he says. " i'm sorry , i shouldn't be seen with you right now. i'm sorry bruce. " i almost turn around and start walking the other way but he stops me.

" wait- vance. i- i like it. i mean- i like you , like uhm not just a like you thing but like- as a like like you. i think. " he says , also standing up. i just look at him half embarrassed and half flustered. " i gotta go , sorry this is so messed up. stop by my place tomorrow around noon okay? " i nod to him , i didn't wanna say anything right now. he gives a half smile and picks himself up just a little bit to place a kiss on my right cheek before smiling and walking past me , picking up his bag and leaving.

bruce's pov

ugh. why'd i have to do that? i think i like boys but i don't want to , i just want to be normal. why can't i be like everybody else? did something go wrong? is it my fault? vance said that all those things were about me , me. vance likes me , i think. and i think i like him back. i want to like him back , but i don't. i don't know , but i did invite him over tomorrow so maybe i can redeem myself. i'll just spend the rest of tonight thinking about it.

once i get to my house i can hear my mom from the living room , " bruce honey , where've you been? " i walk over to where she is and she's sitting on the couch with my sister , supposedly watching some show or movie. " sorry mama , i got a ride from brandon and his mom but we stopped to get some late lunch i guess. " she just smiled at me , " okay honey. go put your stuff away and take a shower , i'll make dinner in a couple hours. " i nod and walk upstairs to my room

i put my bag down on my bed and take vance's jacket off. i forgot i was wearing it and my mom must've noticed , if she didn't ask about it when i got home she'll ask about it later. i go to the bathroom which is right next to my room and just take a quick shower before returning to my room to get dressed. a couple hours pass of me just thinking about vance , and what i said to him. i like him , i said it myself . he knows i like him and i know i like him so why am i scared? he likes me back , at least i think he does. i'll just have to confess tomorrow.

" bruce honey! dinner! " i hear my mom call and i go down the stairs to the dining room to take a seat. " bruce , baby who's jacket we're you wearing when you came in? " i knew she'd ask about it. " i found it at the bottom of my bag i guess , put it on cause' i was cold. must've been an old one. " i thought that was a pretty good cover up. she nodded in response and we all ate in silence for a couple minutes before i heard my dad.

" so bruce , anyone catch your eye yet? " he asks. goodness. my dad is always on me about having a girlfriend , i don't know why he has such an interest in my love life. " no dad , i don't have time for girls. " is what i respond to him with. " all you kids have time these days , why not find a cute girl hm? " i just rolled my eyes and continued eating , i don't like a girl dad. my mom responds to him , " leave him alone honey , he has to focus on school and baseball. " to which he just shrugs to and continues eating.

vance's pov

i was so embarrassed that i had just confessed to him. i was definitely expecting him to not want to ever talk to me again but he told me to stop by tomorrow. why though? he said that he likes me but does he really mean it? i'm me , i'm just vance , what's so special about me? i'm a douchebag ass beater lowlife who doesn't have anything to show for it and he's a grade a primed and proper prodigy. i don't wanna screw this up for him.

later that night around 10 i just couldn't take it anymore. i had to see him , i had to figure out what the hell was going on. i quickly put on my shoes and and left the house , quietly shutting the door behind me. i made my way over to bruce's neighborhood , i probably look like a criminal right now. i make it to his house and go towards the back , standing below his window. a look around a pick up a small rock , winding my arm back and aiming a perfect throw to his window.

" bruce! " i whisper shout and throw another small rock.