A Cruel Lovestory

Chapter 7

"So Kezia invited you over?" Dante spoke into Ký's ear. He was close behind him trying to reach a packet of chips in the cupboard above him.

"Yeah. He asked me if I was doing anything this weekend. I said no, and then he invited me over. He has been nicer to me and it seems like he really has been making an effort to change his behaviour." Ký rubbed his ear. It was uncomfortably warm.

"But he's an asshole. He's just a narcissistic douchebag who's embarrassed that he got called out on his childishness. Why are you even going over there?" He practically hissed.

"I thought it would be nice." A chill ran down Ký's spine. It tickled him the wrong way. "What...you don't like him?" He mentally face-palmed.

'Of course he doesn't like Kezia, that's so obvious Ký.'

"Yeah I don't like him." Dante put his arms on Ký's shoulders. "He hurt you, and someone like him doesn't deserve your kindness." He was staring at him with the most unreadable expression on his face.

"I'm giving him a chance." Ký sighed, "He has changed. I'm sure of it."

Ký knew what Kezia was like, but something told him he was different, orat least becoming it. He also knew how cliché that sounded and how naive he looked in Dante's eyes but he didn't care. He wanted to go, so he was going to.

"Listen if you're going to go that's fine, I'm just letting you know how I feel about this." Dante raised his hands.

"I appreciate your opinion." Ký took his hand, "But let's stop talking about Kezia." He glanced upstairs and smiled back at his friend. Dante smiled too, and that was all the answer Ký needed.

The door to Ký's bedroom squeaked closed and he immediately made for the bathroom. He needed to shower because he was beginning to smell too much like Dante. Since he had been receiving hugs from him more often, Dante's expensive perfume was beginning to linger on all of his clothes.

"I'm taking player one," Dante yelled. He was holding a controller to the console.

"Just don't break the joystick," Ký begged. "That controller is a limited edition. I'm never going to find another one like that." He held his hoodie to take it off but stopped.

It smelled so much like him. Strong, decadent, expensive. So much like Dante.

Dante was a very well kept person. He showered twice a day, washed his hair once a week and did all the other things needed to maintain a basic level of hygiene.

That was not where it ended for him.

He had a lengthy skin care routine which he followed to the last detail every evening, that seemed to be doing exactly what it was meant to: keeping his skin clear and glowing. Alongside that, his side of the shared vanity was stacked with dozens of colognes so expensive the names were probably all in French or Arabic. He curled the ends of his hair with gel sometimes and maintained the small stubble he had recently begun growing. He could not have been real. But there he was, seated on Ký's bed, playing a video game on the bedroom floor.

"I'm gonna shower." Ký finally took off the hoodie and threw it in the laundry hamper by his door.

"Cool. Don't take too long, I wanna smash you in this game." Dante chucked a handful of chips into his mouth and chewed loudly.

Ký's shower took much longer than expected. Everytime he remembered Dante's scent, he slid back down and sat on the tiled floor. The mere thought of his friend immobilised him.

Eventually when he did leave the bathroom and got dressed, Dante had decided they should watch a movie.

"So why did you pick this movie again?" Ký groaned. Ký didn't know if he'd done it intentionally, but somehow Dante had gotten him to watch a romance movie.