Where Will I Go

22||Time Of Your Life

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life.
~~~~~~~~~

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Ran asked, as Alex curled into his side.

The brunet shook his head, but shrugged his shoulders at the same time. Truthfully, he didn't want to talk about it at all, he just wanted to cry about it. He wasn't even too sure what 'it' was. Perhaps it was his brother leaving, or his dad being in jail, or maybe the events that passed in math class. He didn't know, but all he was aware of was that it wasn't making him happy.

Earlier, Ran had driven them back to his house, and they were now currently laying down in the blond's bed. Alex was curled into his side, hand placed on Ran's chest and his face in the crook of the elder's neck. Ran was laying on his back and had an arm put around Alex's shoulder, keeping him safely tucked into his side.

The blond sighed, and squeezed Alex's shoulder affectionately. A few minutes passed with nothing being said between the two. The only thing that could be heard in the room was their breathing, and the sound of Ran's large and calloused hand stroking Alex's arm. The younger boy felt tired, and mentally exhausted. In that moment, he felt so cared for and comfortable, that he could've slept. When the idea of sleep crossed his mind, he closed his eyes in hopes to fulfill them. He was half asleep when Ran suddenly started to take his arm away.

The younger boy groaned. "Where are you going?" He asked, disappointed.

"Oh, sorry." Ran apologized. "I thought you fell asleep. I was just going to get a glass of water."

"Oh... Ok."

Ran seemed to ponder and debate something in his mind, and he looked intently at the blankets that adorned his bed. Alex squinted his eyes questioningly at his boyfriend, and arched on eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing..." Ran shook his head. "Just, how about we go somewhere?" He suggested.

"Where?"

"I don't know. Anywhere. You've mentioned you like photography, right?"

"Yeah?"

The elder grinned. "How about we just go take a walk somewhere. You can grab your camera and take pictures."

The puzzled look on Alex's face grew. Ran had never offered to take a walk with him before, unless it was to find an abandoned building to smoke or get drunk together. He wasn't at all unappreciative of the invitation, but it still left a slightly unsure feeling in his stomach. Regardless, he trusted Ran, and there wasn't really anything unusual with someone offering to take him on a walk. Couples did it all the time after all.

Even though Alex had slightly reassured himself, he couldn't stop the question that rolled off his tongue. "Why?"

The blond shrugged, and smiled softly as he patted Alex's knee. "Because you're sad." He said simply. "And I don't like it when you're sad. I want to make you happy." He rambled. The words came out rushed, as if he were embarrassed for admitting his feelings.

A feeling of warmth and affection overcame Alex's body, and for the first time that week, a genuine smile found its way on his face. It was small and faint, but it was wide enough for prominent dimples to indent his cheeks. "Ok." He nodded, and grinned excitedly.

*******
After driving back to Alex's house so he could pick up his Nikon d40 camera, the two started their unknown journey to find a forest.

"I think there's one behind the children's park just a few blocs down." Alex mentioned, turning on his digital camera. He was sitting in the passenger seat, seatbelt unbuckled with his feet propped on the dashboard as he tried to remember how his camera worked. It had been a while since he had last gone out with his camera. What with Bristol inviting them to a bed and breakfast, and his dad being in jail, he was busy with both convincing his mom to let him go, while ignoring his father's limited phone calls at the same time.