Kiss already

Chapter 4

Clive loved every second of being with Luke, even though Luke hadn't spoken more than 7 times the entire evening.

But that's the reason why Clive decided it would be best to tone things down a little bit.
He couldn't be sure if Luke actually felt the same way, if Luke really wanted to be friends with him.
After embarrassing himself not once but twice within the span of not more than 10 minutes Clive wasn't sure if he could face the other boy for another two weeks without going red in the cheeks and having a minor panic attack.

'If Luke wanted to stay friends he'd approach me, and that'd be the only confirmation I'll need' he thought to himself.

And so he tried to make his interactions with Luke as minimal as possible. However he did smile at Luke every chance he got.

A few days had passed and soon it was a whole week since they had gone to the park, to call Clive's heart an anchor wouldn't do justice to how much of a better job it did at sinking into the abyss of his being.

Luke never came over to him, hell Luke wasn't even that eager to see him at all ever since that day.

'Of course he wouldn't want to see you, Luke's too cool for you Clive. Face it.'

That's the thing! Luke's so cool, yeah Clive didn't know much about the boy but it was just the way Luke carried himself...Clive couldn't and wouldn't get over it.

Clive figured it wouldn't work. He'd have to go back to his mundane life and forget about Luke.

He couldn't secure a proper friendship with someone as aloof, secluded and cool as Luke. He was slowly beginning to accept that.

•••

Luke had given up.

There was no way he'd be able to recover his friendship or whatever it was that he once shared with Clive.

He shouldn't have jumped head first into it, if only he had given it a little bit more of a thought he could have taken this a bit further. But no, he'd scared the little boy off  'he wasn't little, he only stood an inch or two shorter.'  That was besides the point!

Luke had been so expectant the day after they had spent time together, in fact he was so sure he'd be hanging out with Clive everyday after their visit to the park that he waited behind the showers only to have found Clive agreeing on going out with some of his mates from the track team.

'You should have made plans earlier you idiot.' he cursed himself.

Of course Clive was a popular guy.
It wasn't like Luke was his one and only, the things Luke would give for that though...

But Luke craved Clive's company. Every time the latter sent a smile his way Luke's heart would shatter, thinking of what could have been.

It had been a week since Clive had begun to act reserved and awkward and Luke couldn't stand it.

Despite having made his mind about how incompatible the two of them were and accepting defeat he felt a surge of courage rush through him at the sight of the curly haired boy sitting alone in the council room, his back facing Luke.

"Hey" Luke hoarsely said, having not uttered a solitary word all day.

Clive could physically feel his heart swell at the mental image of the person to whom the voice belonged to.
The tired eyes, the jet black hair in neat disarray, the pretty tinted lips-
Clive's heart rate quickened.

'He came to me first.'
He wanted to wipe away the single imaginary tear that had rolled down his cheek, but couldn't...what with it being imaginary and that.

Luke couldn't miss the way Clive's face lit up as he smiled up to Luke's towering figure once he turned to look at him. He'd like to see more of that.

Clive didn't say anything, just stared at Luke from his seat with the biggest smile Luke had ever seen on a face.

Luke took it upon himself to make conversations now that his comfort zone was nowhere in sight. The kind of things he did just to be able to see this boy smile.

"Errr how are you doing?" He finally said using the conversation starter he had picked up from none other than Clive.

Clive only hummed whilst nodding his head slightly. He didn't want to stop staring at Luke just yet but he'd have to, Luke already seemed uncomfortable as it was, looking around the room just to avoid eye contact.

For the first time in the history of Clive's career of being the most friendly boy of the school he felt nervous.
Stuck between what to say and what to expect, Clive wasn't sure if he should be happy that Luke approached him at all.

'He could be here solely for the purpose of giving me that black eye I had so rightfully deserved in the park' he thought to himself.

'Or he'd just tell me to stay away from him' he thought.

It could be anything really, from beating the shit out of Clive to carrying the boy bridal style to a castle Luke now had ownership over after saving the kingdom from the Ice king or something.

He spun in his chair so that his back was facing Luke, not really wanting to have this conversation...or his arse kicked.

"Let's catch a movie?" It came out more like a question but it had come out and that's what mattered to Luke as he restlessly shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

'DID THAT SOUND LIKE A DATE?' Luke panicked inwardly.

He wouldn't take his words back because he knew his intentions were pure and if Clive thought too much of it it was on him and not Luke.

'Why are you acting repulsed by the thought of dating him?' He scolded himself.
He wasn't repulsed, it's just that Clive wouldn't date a loser like him. That would totally jeopardise Clive's social image.

Meanwhile Clive had his own little panic session.

'WHY DID THAT SOUND LIKE A DATE?'

He almost burst out laughing at how unlikely that was.

Nothing weird about going to the cinema with one of your mates.

Besides, Luke looked like the kind of guy who'd shag girls left, right and centre. If anything Clive would be honoured to have that experience with a gorgeous man like Luke.

'What the fuck Clive. What. The. Fuck' Clive was taken aback by his own train of thoughts.

"Yes, of course. I'm free tomorrow." He said before he could think up anymore rubbish like that.

"Brilliant. I'll be waiting by the gates. It's just a 2 minute walk from here,remember?" Luke said before leaving, accenting his steps involuntarily as he couldn't contain the happiness.

Clive shook his head and chuckled at the sight.

'It'd be best if we caught a bus to the cinema it's more than just a 2 minu-'

Clive froze as he realised what Luke had actually meant to say.

The cinema wasn't 2 minutes away from the school grounds, Luke's house was.