Straight as Guitar Strings

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝟭 [𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵]

WE headed to the SaveMore market to buy some fresh groceries for tonight's dinner. Leo and I strolled through the aisles, carefully selecting vegetables, fruits, and other essentials for our meal. As we filled our cart with goodies, Leo took the lead and paid for everything at the counter.

I asked him how much he paid because I didn't see it. He refused to tell me. I insisted that we should split the bill, but he wouldn't hear of it, saying not to bother. Sigh. Still, it felt comforting to be by his side, making mundane tasks like grocery shopping feel like an enjoyable shared experience. I never imagined that such a moment could happen to me... with him as my companion.

By the time we left SM, it was already late afternoon. I had suggested staying longer to avoid traveling in the heat, even though the bus was air-conditioned. I just didn't want to walk through the subdivision in the sweltering sun.

It was the perfect time of day when we got home—the golden hour. The sun was no longer harsh on our skin as we walked down the streets of the subdivision towards my house.

I carried almost no groceries because Leo insisted on holding all the brown paper bags. I was busy munching on the chocolates and snacks he had won.

As we walked, I asked him out of the blue if his parents knew about his relationship with Colleen and if he had come out to them. He said they didn't know about either. He wasn't sure how to tell them since they had closed minds about such things, especially same-sex relationships.

I just listened quietly. I didn't know what to say. So, I continued eating the chocolates.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

We were finally back home and already in the kitchen. Leo was helping me organize the groceries we bought. He joined me in arranging the vegetables and fruits in the containers, while I kept an eye on the snacks and other items. Each time our hands accidentally brushed against each other while sorting things out, I felt a unique sense of joy because of his presence.

As we continued sorting through the items, I noticed Leo's eyes light up when he picked up a ripe tomato.

"Hey, Liam, look at this tomato! It's perfect for a salad," he exclaimed, turning the tomato in his hands.

I grinned, acknowledging his idea. "Yeah, looks good. That'll be delicious in a salad later."

Leo nodded eagerly and suddenly grabbed the lettuce. "Let's make a salad then, baby, shall we?"

It dawned on me that this was the first time we were cooking together. Just thinking about it filled me with excitement and a giddy feeling. "Yeah, let's do it. It's our first time cooking together."

We continued organizing the groceries.

After we finished organizing the groceries, I suggested we hang out in my room. I told him I wanted to take a nap. He lay down beside me, but I couldn't fall asleep because I could feel his eyes on me. When I opened my eyes, I saw him watching me, lying on his side with his head propped up on his hand.

"You're treating me like a baby, watching me sleep," I said.

"Well, you are my baby," he replied and pinched my cheek.

"Tsk, you're so flirty!" I said, pushing his hand away.

"If you don't call me 'baby,' I'm going to sulk!" He turned his back on me, pretending to be upset.

"Seriously? Drama queen," I muttered, giving him a gentle kick on the back.

He didn't budge.

"Hey!" I said, shaking him. "Oh, come on, don't ignore me..."

I tickled his armpits and sides, but he didn't react. "Leo, this doesn't suit you. You're too big to act like this!"

The room fell silent as I stopped talking. He refused to respond, so I had to swallow my pride for his sake.

"Baby," I called softly.

"What?" he shouted, feigning anger but clearly pleased.

"Really? You're still mad even though I called you 'baby'?" I said, tugging at him, but he wouldn't turn around.

"Tsk."

"Baby... Baby Leo..." I moved closer and whispered in his ear. "My baby... I'm sorry."

He kept his eyes shut, refusing to look at me. "Nope, I'm still upset."

"I'll kiss you. Come here." As soon as I said that, he opened his eyes, but gave me a stern look as he rolled onto his back.

"Don't you want it?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Yes, I do," he replied, puckering his lips.

"Mwah!" I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Still upset?"

"Just a little," he said, giving me a small smile.

"What do you mean, 'just a little'? You're so cheeky!" I pinched his nose, overwhelmed by his cuteness. "What do you want me to do so you won't be upset with me anymore?"

"Let's do a cover," he said suddenly, as if he had been thinking about it all along.

"Sure, baby. Is that all?" I agreed without arguing. I wanted him to feel heard and appreciated.

"Yes, baby," he nodded, his eyes turning into a puppy-like gaze.

"Okay, let's get the guitar, baby." I jumped off the bed. He didn't follow right away, so I called back to him, "Hey, get up now, baby!" and playfully slapped his butt.

"Can you help me up, baby?" he pouted, his eyes still giving that puppy-like effect.

My god, what happened to the Leo I knew? I realized he only showed this side of himself to me. I never saw him act this way with Colleen.

"Okay, baby!" I smiled at him. I took his hand and pulled him up with all my strength.

He pretended to be weak and then 'lost his balance,' falling into my arms. He apologized, claiming he lost his balance. Oh, really?

He 'lost his balance' just to lean on my shoulder? He was almost kissing and sniffing my neck. And one of his hands had immediately grabbed my chest, squeezing it.

Right, his loss of balance was totally planned!

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Leo strummed a few chords, setting the rhythm for our impromptu jam session. "Do you have a song in mind?"

"Not yet, do you?" I adjusted the camera angle because it was slightly crooked. "Hmm... how about 'Sway'?" I suggested, wondering if he knew that song.

"Sway by Bic Runga?" he clarified.

I nodded, feeling the excitement build within me. "Yeah, do you like it?"

"Sure, baby. Let's make our version."

With that, we started singing, our voices blending harmoniously as we poured our hearts into the music. Even when we hit wrong notes or missed the beat, we just laughed it off, encouraging each other to keep going and enjoy the moment together.

As we reached the final chords, we exchanged satisfied smiles, proud of what we had accomplished. "Nice," Leo said, his eyes shining with pride.

I couldn't agree more. "True. Wait, let me save it."

"Liam, I want to hear you sing..." Leo said, watching my phone screen as I saved the video.

"I just sang, didn't I?" I looked at him, amused.