☉✝︎VANDALIZE✝︎☉

- Begin -

MEETING NEW FRIENDS had never gone well for Gregory. Any time he found a suitor, his parents would be at odds. His friends were never faithful enough, never clean enough, and never behaved enough.  Gregory was punished for every attempt, for he had failed in the eyes of the Father.

   So he had spent his life alone with only God to guide him and his books to enlighten his mind. He was estranged from reality since.

    Until he met Christophe.

  Christophe was everything his parents hated. He cursed God out, made a mess of everything, hated dogs, and had no filter. The Frenchman was imperfect in every damn way.

   He wasn't too fond of Gregory. He thought Gregory was a sheepish try-hard with too many sticks up his ass. Between Gregory's curly blonde hair, deeply blue eyes, and traditional British blouse, Christophe thought he was too much.

   Christophe himself was ill-kempt and a loner. He liked nature and tunnels and Metallica and he did not like to shower when told because he did not like to be bossed around. And Gregory was certainly bossy.

    But Gregory felt that no matter what his counterpart would say or do that was... Generally repulsive... Gregory couldn't get away. The taste of freedom and rebellion was one he longed to hold in his mouth forever.

    "What's that?" he asked when he sat in Christophe's underground base one day. This tunnel in his backyard was where Chris spent most of his time. The shelves and crevices were lined with rocks, ivy, sticks, and bones.

    "Deer skull," replied Christophe simply as he whittled a giraffe figure.

  Gregory frowned and immediately guessed what his parents would think. He echoed it, "That's disgusting."

   When Gregory looked up, he was pierced by Christophe's muddy green eyes. "Then leave," stated the Frenchman.

    But Gregory stayed put and gazed at the floor in shame. In all the years he had known Christophe, he kept him a secret from his parents. What was he thinking? "I don't think my words are my own."

   Christophe stood up and awkwardly placed a hand on Gregory's back (he wasn't used to physical contact) then said, "What do you think?"

   After a few moments of silent thought and blushing, Gregory said, "I think it's okay."

   "This is a problem," suggested Christophe as he got up. "Stay."