I'm His (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 8

"It's not that hard. Just lift it up to your mouth, secure it, and suck." he said. I sighed and lifted the limp noodles to my mouth and slurped. I didn't need a step by step on how to eat spaghetti, I just wanted to know how to keep it on my fork.

Although he said we'd get more time to work on our project, it was completely disregarded when we went to go get food and it got dark.

He nodded in approval and I rolled my eyes.

"There, now you're a professional." he said proudly.

"I know how to eat noodles, you know." I said. He shrugged and returned to his ravioli, taking a mouthful before setting his fork down again. His playful mood turned a bit more serious as he stared at me. After swallowing a mouthful full of spaghetti I have him a confused look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair.

"I wanna say something, but you can't judge me on it or change how you feel about me because of it." he said. His eyes bore into mine and I gave an awkward smile and set down my fork.

"Okay? What is it that's so lethal?" I asked. He leaned back towards the table and searched my face for something to stop him from saying what he was about to say.

"Liam, I like you," my heart skipped a beat and a light headed feeling coursed through my body, "and I don't know what it is, but I can't resist what I feel for you. No matter what I do or say to myself.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to stop being friends with me because of this, I just wanted you to know. Are you okay?" I nodded and stopped gripping the seat of the booth so hard.

"Yeah no, I just didn't expect that." I wiped my hands on my knees and let my mind wander about for a minute until I heard Mark ask something.

"What?" I asked, coming back into reality.

"I asked if we were cool, if this wouldn't bother you."

"Oh. Yeah we're cool, I guess it isn't that big of a deal." I said. He scanned my face and shook his head, obviously seeing right through my lie.

"No, it's not. Why are you lying?" he asked. My heartbeat sped up and I swallowed hard.

"I...I'm just confused." I said.

"About what?" he asked. I'm confused about my feelings for you...

"I'm confused about why you like me. There are so many other guys in our school that are way more attractive than me. Why aren't you crushing on them?" I asked. He chuckled and covered his mouth, his face lighting up.

"Isn't that obvious?" he asked. I tried to find a reason, but my mind kept coming up completely blank. "You know who I truly am. You're the only one to know that I'm gay. You're the only one to know about my powers. Yet, you still accept me. How can someone not like someone like you?" I processed this information carefully, stifling my swelling heart.

"Someone like me?" I asked. He grinned and seemed to be in disbelief at my ignorance.

"You're so kind hearted and open minded, everyday I wonder how you can tolerate someone like me: someone who can shift into a terrifying beast that kills without thought. It's amazing to me that such a person can exist." he said. My heart seemed to explode at his words and I coughed. Heat found its way into my face and I couldn't look at him.

"T-thanks I guess..." Was all I could say without giving away how I felt. I heard footsteps and looked up, seeing our petite waitress standing at the end of our table.

"Everything okay? Need anything else?" she asked. I shook my head and Mark asked for the check and thanked her. With only small talk between us, we left the restaurant and entered the silent and snowy outside. I breathed in deeply and headed for the car, about to pull at the handle when Mark called my name.

"Where are you going? Our date isn't over yet." he said. I turned to see him still in front of the restaurant and pulled my jacket closer to myself. I walked back to him and we left the car where it was at, walking down the dark street with only streetlights to guide us.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked after a few minutes of perpetual silence. A smirk appeared on his lips and he pointed at a park ahead.

"The only place sensible enough to visit in ten degree weather." he said. I scoffed and hugged myself tighter. We entered the park after another minute and he went straight for the slide. I laughed as his large figure scaled the small ladder and slid down the minuscule slide.

"Maybe you should try something more your size." I said. He smiled and crossed his arms, leaning against the frame of the slide.

"Small is kind of my thing. Not like I have a choice since I'm so big." he said. I chuckled and started walking towards the swings, him at my side like a puppy. I plopped down on a swing and he sat on one next to me. I noticed a large building right next to the park, a sign displaying the name Apollo Elementary. I looked over at Mark and gestures towards the school. 

"Is this a playground for the school?" I asked. The lamps' light around the park barely reached us and I almost couldn't see his smile as he nodded.

"Yeah. It's an open park though. Except during school hours of course." he said. I chuckled and looked up at the muddy grey sky.

"Where in the world did you take me? I've never even heard of this school." He looked down at the ground and kicked at the grass.

"This is where I grew up." he said. I let my eyes leave the sky and focus on him, his body lightly swinging back and forth on the low swing. "I was supposed to go to high school here, but my father died while I was in the seventh grade, and during the summer after my eighth grade year my mother remarried. Damn did she hit the jackpot, too."

He shrugged and looked up from the ground, his eyes resting on my face.

"But if it wasn't for what happened, I would have never met someone as wonderful as you." he said. I nodded and looked away from his face, a sad and powerful feeling erupting inside me.

"That's one way to look at it." I said. He sighed beside me and I picked my head up, my eyes following him as he stopped in front of me. He held out his hand and I took it. It was effortless to him to lift me like that, like I was a feather in his palm.

"I hear every sound you make, you know. Every mumble and every blink of your eyes is like a gunshot to my ears. I hear your heart slow and regulate, but more often than not I hear it speed up. I know you don't fear me, I've heard your screams and cries and every thud that went along with it. So why then? Why do I hear your heart the way I do?" I couldn't speak, my body was failing me at his words. A lamp near us decided to turn on at this moment, and for the first time since we arrived I saw his eyes.

His beautiful copper brown eyes shone in the pitiful light that illuminated above us. They searched me for an answer, anything that could derail the thoughts tossing and turning inside his head. My hand instinctively reached for his face, my cold fingers brushing against his warm cheek. I let out a deep breath and a cloud formed between us.

"Isn't it obvious why you hear my heart the way you do?" I asked, my voice a whimper in a sea of snow. "Can't you hear my heart now?"

His eyes scanned mine once more before we both leaned in, our lips colliding and the world around us crashing and falling. I could taste the smell of cool morning air and dewy grass that I smelled on him when he stood in front of me as a werewolf for the first time.

It was a smell I hadn't forgotten for the wrong reasons, but now as it flowed through me, I knew I'd remember it as a part of him. And dear lord I loved him.