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𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐘.
❛ chapter eighteen ❜
𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯.
when the boy came to, the morning graced the outside with it's gentle sunlight that cascaded the very essence of peace but from the very moment he opened his eyes, he could tell that he was alone. the sixteen year old lay in his bed, at first doubting the absence of the expected presence as he stared up at his wall brightened with the grace of sunlight.
kiyoshi's soft, dark brown curls brushed over his face as he looked over at the empty spot in the bed next to him, his expression, hazed with sleep, barely even budging. in a way, mariano's absence was expected by the boy who begrudgingly pulled himself up, rubbing his swollen eyes as he sat upright in the bed before concern hit him like a truck; sure, mariano had left after kissing him and whispering beautiful things to him under the crown of midnight but how in the world had he managed it in his poor state? it concerned the boy almost immediately as he tiredly reached for his phone, nearly knocking what rested on his floor over before he sunk back into the bed with the device.
though it should've been surprising, kiyoshi was only midly alarmed to see the clock read ten forty-five instead of seven am. despite the immense amounts of efforts the night had exhausted upon him, the sixteen year old had unexpectedly slept like a baby- for the first time in a long time. there was no stirring- no unexpected, sudden arousal's of his concious that jolted him from his sleep- no dreams, nor any other discomfort that might've found its' way towards him.
instead, there was only an odd sort of displaced peace, like the calm that comes after a storm or the weight of sleep that hits you after you cry- that, and the comfort he somehow drew from his presence.
still, it didn't quite help the lone feeling in kiyoshi's hollow chest as he stared up at his phone aimlessly with no idea of the intent he had even purposed it for- not when all he could do was stare at their practically empty text messages, attempting to quell the hurt it brought, and more specifically, the hurt the older boy had brought to him. it was one thing to leave with proper goodbye and gratitude bestowed. it was another thing to completely disspear from the dent in his bed in the earliest hours of the morning, leaving behind no explanation of his disappearance, nor of his state. no. instead, mariano had left silently, disregarding any notion of kiyoshi's feelings towards the tears he had wept for him, and most of all, towards the kiss they had shared that even the next morning, kiyoshi could feel quickening his heartbeat at a nearly unbearable pace from. in fact, the boy couldn't quite wrap his head around what had occurred, seeming to push itself onto his mental quite forcefully and leaving him with a somewhat conflicted feel in his bones.
the truth of the matter was that it had been kiyoshi's first kiss, and while he should've been excited about it, it was exactly what confused him. mariano was like a jumbo puzzle that came with no instruction manual and only about three pieces in the bag; snide remarks and bleeding out on his mattress had led them to kissing- even though they were friends- well, to an extent, more or so frenemies- and even though mariano had kissed him- giving him his first kiss, by the way- he hadn't cared enough to say anything else or provide context, nor had he asked to kiss him in the first place, completely ripping kiyoshi's free will of his first kiss away ... and then left in the morning.
not confusing at all, kiyoshi thought ironically, chewing the inside of his cheek in frustration. in fact, it's simple!
