Paper Hearts

𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕜

Chapter 7: Talk That Talk

Lex walked blindly beside Fern; hand clasped tightly in his. They were walking around the almost empty campus grounds, the wind blowing his hair around. He was glad he wore his sweater; he was going to freeze to death otherwise. Winter was approaching rather quickly, the leaves withering but the sun still shining.

Over the crunch of the leaves beneath their feet, Fern told stories of his childhood, the embarrassment he felt around his first crush after he did something stupid. He told Lex about how his parents were always busy, his father being a surgeon and his mother being a famous dancer in her time. She now owned a studio abroad and aimed to open more all over the world in hopes of teaching more and more people the art of dancing.

Lex stayed attentive, listening to every syllable that left Fern's sweet mouth. He told about how he never seemed to please his parents, since their expectations were too high or that they were never around to notice all the good things he did. Lex somewhat related to him since his dad left him and Lexis and his mother died.

"How old are you?" Fern asked all of a sudden.

"Nineteen." Lex answered without hesitation. Fern stopped walking, tugging at Lex's hand, eyes blown wide.

"Nineteen? You're nineteen?" Fern asked as if he hadn't heard Lex the first time. Lex's brows furrowed but he nodded slowly anyway. "Oh, you weren't joking. I kissed a nineteen-year-old."

Lex smiled and tugged at his hand, walking forward, even if he didn't know where they were going. "I'm not a minor anymore, so you're okay."

"Right. What Uni do you go to?"

"I don't. I attend a high school near that big mall in the centre of the city."

Fern wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "How though? You're nineteen; aren't you supposed to be in Uni?"

Nodding, Lex replied. "I am, but I restarted 5th grade after my mom was murdered. I went to a lot of therapy sessions and moved around the country a lot because of foster cares and when my sister was finally of age, she adopted me."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Fern rubbed a hand on his shoulder. "We're here."

Lex looked up at the building Fern was referring to. It looked like every other building on campus, and it didn't stand out much. "What am I looking at?" He turned to look at a smiling Fern. "The boys' dorm building."

Fern pulled Lex in, walking hurriedly to a dark wood door that had the number 16 on it. He searched for the keys in his jacket pocket, pulling it out and unlocking the door. He pushed Lex gentily inside, locking the door behind him and switching the lights on.

When Lex looked around, the place was neat, but it looked like the place wasn't used much. "Is this your dorm room?"

Fern shook his head, pulling Lex to an empty bed and sitting the both of them down. "No. I don't know who's it is. I just have the key."

"How?"

Fern shrugged. "You ask a lot of questions." He held Lex's hands, smiling up at him. "I like that. It's amusing." And he pushed the boy flat on his back, climbing on top of him and pressing his lips to his. Lex was surprised but still managed to reciprocate the kiss, arms around Fern's shoulders.

Fern seemed to stay respectful, only going as far as holding onto Lex's hips or waist, squeezing down occasionally. When Lex bit his bottom lip, Fern only let out a surprised gasp before slipping his tongue into the younger boy's mouth before Lex could, smiling in triumph. Lex smiled himself, not believing whether this was reality or all in his head.

Fern pulled back a while after, inhaling enough air for two people before letting it all out through his nose as he lay his head on Lex's shoulder.

The two were going through the fridge in the dorm, finding a few cheap drinks, near expired sauces and a half-eaten burger. Lex scrunched his nose in disgust, sighing and walking to lay back on the bed. "Why are we looking through some random person's fridge again?"

"Seeing if this person shows their personality through their room. Judging by the neatness but also the state of the fridge, two different people live here."

Lex rolled his eyes. "Wow, such a smart analysis." He said sarcastically, glancing at the empty bed on the other side of the room. "What time is it?" he groaned, pulling his phone out and checking the time. Letting out a screech, he jumped up. "I have to go."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I should've been at home two hours ago."

"Want a ride?"

Lex nodded hastily, quickly pulling the door open. "Yes, please."