your beauty never ever scared me.

chapter thirteen

vance's pov

bruce was close to me the whole way to my house. when we got there my mom was on the couch and instinctively had bruce sit down next to her. i told bruce he could use the phone next to the couch to call his mom so he told her on the other line that he was done with practice and he was at finney's. some of it was in japanese so i didn't understand all of it but he had a good coverup.

" she said that i can stay for dinner. " he said , looking at me but intended it for both me and my mom. " i'll cook. " she said while smiling. " bruce , right? " she asked him , putting a hand on his leg. he nodded at her and she nodded back , standing up. she walked towards me still standing by the front door and hugged me before walking to the kitchen. bruce turned his head to look at me with a confused expression on his face and i just shrugged as i went over to him. my mom has only ever seen bruce once before and it seemed like she really liked him. it was a little strange but i'm not complaining , i'd rather have her like him than dislike him.

i sat next to bruce on the couch and he leaned into my touch. i turned my head and looked down at him and smiled. he was so hurt today , and more than i could imagine. people never got to bruce or his feelings but whatever happened today definitely set him over. i don't wanna' push him to tell me anything but i need to know who did this to him , and i need to give them what they deserve. i adjust myself so that his leg is over mine and my arm is around his shoulder , holding him.

" are you okay? " i asked him making sure to use a soft tone. i can be very hot headed when i'm annoyed or mad but i didn't want to scare him. " yeah.. i guess so. " he mumbles. he obviously wasn't okay with the situation and i could tell that pretty clearly. i held him closer and he rested his head on my shoulder while starting to idly play with my hands like a little kid. " bruce , can you tell me who made you cry? " i ask him , i really need to know. he shakes his head slowly , " i can't. they said that if you go after them that they'd tell everyone. " he says , staying looking down at my hands. " tell everyone what? " i asked , confused. i remember him saying that the boys called him names and threatened him , it was most likely about us. " that we're dating. " he says quietly.

i was mad now. i clenched my hand into a fist as bruce was holding it and i felt my face burn. it angered me so much that people were always going to be against me and bruce's feelings towards each other. " why? " i asked , intentionally for myself but bruce heard anyways and he just shrugged. he leaned deeper into my touch and sighed , " it was cole and ethan , from finney's team. " he says quietly. i should've known it was cole and ethan. i noticed the two of them eyeing bruce the whole practice , they even looked over at me a few times.

i was keeping my composure while i was with bruce but inside i was filled with rage and hatred. the anger i felt reminded me of all the times my dad made me mad and it just made me even madder. i'd say it was pretty much the equivalent to each other , bruce being harmed was a terrible fear and my dad was the same. i kiss bruce's head and rest mine on his , sighing. " i'm sorry. " i mumbled to him. he lifted his head which made me lift mine and he looked up at me and smiled weakly. " it's okay. it's not your fault vance. it's nobody's but theirs. " he says looking at me before placing a kiss on my cheek. i smiled softly at him.

bruce's pov

it was comforting to talk to vance about what happened today. i didn't feel scared or anything as he held me and allowed me to fondle with his hands , i admired his patience for me. i always try to be patient with him so it was nice that he was doing the same thing , and i quite liked his hands. they were only a little bit bigger than mine and usually scratched and bruised , but they were soft. he kissed my head and rested his head on mine and sighed before saying sorry. i frowned a little and lifted my head to look up at him and smiled at his beautiful face. " it's okay. it's not your fault vance. it's nobody's but theirs. " i said to him before kissing his cheek.

" boys! dinner! " vance's mom called from the other room and we both turned our heads. i got up first and started walking over , vance following behind me. i sat down on one of the chairs , presumably his dad's because there were only three and vance and his mom took the other two. there was a medium sized bowl of spaghetti in the center of the table along with a paper plate with garlic bread. spaghetti wasn't my favorite thing in the world but it was a very nice gesture from vance's mom so i didn't mind it. dinner was mostly silent , me and vance weren't in the most upbeat and giddy mood but his mom definitely was and she snuck in a few questions and statements which just got short answers and head nods in return from the both of us.

vance led me to his room before i'd leave and i sat on his bed while he stood by his dresser. i was a little confused why we were here right now when i should probably be getting home but i didn't mind at all. " vance? is something wrong? " i asked him and he just shook his head . " i don't know what to do bruce. i can't just let those assholes get away with it. i cant. " he sounded both mad and sad at the same time. i frowned and stood up before walking over to him and intertwining our hands as i rested my head on his chest. " i know. " i said quietly and sighed , " i don't know what to do either. "

he let go of my hands to wrap his arms around me and hold me close before kissing my cheek. i smiled at him , " vance. i need to go home. " he pouted sarcastically and whined , " noo , i want you to stay with me foreverrr. " he said in a playful tone as he held me and swung me side to side. i laughed , " i need to gooo im sorryy! " i start to wiggle my way out of his playful grasp as he starts tickling my sides and i laugh louder.

" no you're mine! mine mine mine! " he says as he stops tickling me and resorts to kissing me all over my face. i laugh as i hold the sides of his face while he kisses me with a 'muah' sound every time. he stands back up straight and looks at me , smiling. i smile back at him and say , " wanna walk me home , handsome? " as i tilt my head. his smile widens as he grabs my hand and leads me out the door with a quick " i'll be right back mom! "

it's not completely dark outside but the streetlights are on. vance stops abruptly as were walking and laughing and i stop to look at him. " get on. " he says as he bends down , referring for me to get on his back. i smile and roll my eyes as i do so , him standing up after i'm securely attached. i wrap my arms around his neck making sure not to choke him as he holds me up by my thighs. he starts walking again , effortlessly holding my weight on his back. " am i not heavy? " i ask him.

" nope. you weigh nothing at all. " he says as i can see him smiling. his blonde hair glows every time we pass under the glimmer of a streetlight and i am mesmerized. i rest my head on his soft but messy head of hair as he carries me in a comfortable silence. i forgot vance knew where i lived and i smiled thinking back to the time he threw rocks at my window , i chuckled. " what're you laughing at pretty-boy? " he asks. i shrug my shoulders aware that he can't see the action , " you. "

" oh? " he asks. " how come? " he follows up his question. " you're funny. and i love you. " we both pause for a moment as i feel him gently slide me off his back and notice we're in front of my house. " well. i'm honored , and i love you too. " he smiles as he stands at the bottom of the porch steps. i smile back at him as i walk up the steps and stop at the top , turning around to face him. he stays quiet as we look at each other and i quickly go back down the steps and kiss him before saying , " goodnight vance , i love you. " as i am still positioned in a close proximity, he kisses me as i kissed him and says , " goodnight bruce. i love you more. "

i smile at him and look down before turning around and walking up the steps again , looking at him once more before opening the door and going inside. i press my back against the door as it closes and stand there smiling and blushing very intensely.