Soul Mate (UberHaxorNova)

Chapter 6: We Have To Get Close Somehow

"Hello, Aleksandr." James smiled. He hated to admit it, but he loved the way Aleks' name rolled right off his tongue.

Aleks bit his lip, and held the door open for James to enter. Aleks already seemed to have been ready for the older boy's arrival. He had out glasses of liquor, a movie set, and everything. It all looked really nice, actually.

"Did you do all of this?"

"Huh?" Aleks asked, closing the door.

"You did all this?" James repeated.

"Yeah, I just, I don't know. I wanted to make our second visit special, fuck it. It's really corny I know..." Aleks scratched the back of his neck and kicked his foot around on the carpet floor.

"No. No, it's nice. I like it." James assured.

Aleks smiled and gestured toward the couch as he walked toward it and sat down. James sat down with Aleksandr. He made sure to look over at the other boy before grabbing one of the glasses of liquor sat in front of them on the coffee table. Aleks picked one up as well and clicked the television remote to start the movie. The movie wasn't all that interesting, but James watched it anyway. Neither of the boys spoke during the movie. All was quiet, until the movie was about to end.

"You don't have to be scared or nervous to talk to me."

"What?"

"You don't have to be scared to talk to me, James. We both know we'll have to get used to each other."

James sighed. "I know. It's just-"

"It's just what? James, if you're going to say what I think you are going to say, you'll accept it. i know you may not realize it now, but you'll accept your sexuality-"

"What? No." James cut in. "It's my father."

Silence filled the room once again.

"You never told me about him." Aleks said, his voice small.

"I know I didn't."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to!" James yelled louder than he expected to.

Aleks flinched. "My mother died when I was little. She died from cancer, when I was only 6." Aleks finally said after a minute of silence.

James could see the pain in Aleksandr's eyes, and wanted to make it up to him. "I never got to see my father. He died when I was born. My birthday, my mother got a phone call, and she said her mother - who had been sharing the house with my mother and father - had said these two army men came to inform her that my dad died in war."

Both of the boys had glossy eyes, James more than Aleks.

"I just want to make my father proud, and what would he think of me if I was-"

"Gay?" Aleks said for him.

James looked at Aleks sorrowfully. "I didn't mean it like that, Aleks..."

"I know your pain, James. My father kicked me out of my house when I told him I knew I was gay. He called me a faggot, told me my mother hated me, and to get out."

There was another silence, besides Aleksandr's sobbing. James didn't know what to do, so he just held his arms out and invited Aleks to snuggle into him. Aleks curled under James' arm and laid his head against his chest. James felt a bit awkward, though he petted Aleks' head as he cried on his chest.

That was the first time James started to think less of his father, and more about Aleksandr.