Separated by Cardboard//a fanfiction

Bologna and Cheese Sandwiches

it had been 3 days since the incident, but malek was still pretty shaken up. he almost never left julian's side, who would help him through his nightmares and rough times. they spent every night talking to each other, and julian would always be within earshot of malek when they slept. the "first scooping", some referred to it as, had made malek's depression and nervousness a bit worse, and julian was glad he started being friends with him when he did, in fear that if he had done it any later, malek wouldn't be with him right now.

"julian?"
julian snapped out of his thoughts and returned to the real world.
"huh?"
"i said i needed to, uh, tell you something."
julian had a concerned look on his face, "of course, malek. you can tell me anything. is everything okay?" julian took malek's hands in his.
malek looked at him with a confused look, "julian, it's okay. i'm just gay, is all."

julian removed his hands from malek's and sat back for a second. "a-are you serious?"
"uh, y-yeah. pretty serious. why?"
julian looked at him with a blank expression before a smile crept on to his face.
"why are you smiling? did something happen?" malek looked behind him then back at julian with a confused expression. "oh, oh, no. not at all. i'm just.. happy."
"why? because i like boys?"
"i don't know, i just think gay nuts (i am so sorry i just couldn't say people because well they're not) are cool."
malek let out a breathy chuckle, "whatever you say, julian. even though we're just like all the others."
the two stared at each other for a moment.
god, i just want to kiss him. malek thought while looking at julian.
"malek? you okay there, buddy?"
malek blinked and snapped out of his thoughts.
"yeah, i'm okay."

that night malek and julian stayed up a bit later than they normally did. they weren't doing anything special, just talking.
"so what are you?" malek asked.
"um, an almond?"
malek giggled, "no, silly. like straight, gay, what?"
"what do you think i am?" 
"i think you're sexually attracted to linoleum flooring."
julian turned over and gave malek an are-you-serious glare and malek grinned. "try bi," julian responded.
malek nodded, "ah."
they say in silence for while before malek said, "you know, i thought you would've been as straight as an arrow."

"malek, i told you i liked you as soon as i layed my eyes on you. does that sound "as straight as an arrow" to you?"

malek shrugged his shoulders. "what do you think it's like? being a human, i mean."

"terrible. i mean," julian threw up his arms in an angry and confused gesture, "do they even know what they're doing? they almost took you, malek. you almost died."

malek let that sink in. it hadn't really occurred to him that if julian hadn't convinced him to jump he wouldn't be there talking to him. julian seemed pretty upset about it, which confused malek. why does julian care about him so much?
".. julian, why do you care so much? about me. i mean, i'm nothing special. i'm just a pean—"
"malek, i swear to bologna and cheese sandwiches if you put your self down one more time i'm going to.."
"what? you're going to do what?" malek grinned.

"kiss you."

malek put on his best "sad" persona. "but i'm just a sad, pathetic, peanu—"
and at that, as if on cue, julian kissed malek. they both smiled in the kiss. it was passionate and love-filled, all their feelings they had for each other injected in to it.

julian pulled away after a while to look at malek, who was quite flustered.

"i didn't," malek said after he mostly caught his breath, "i didn't think you'd actually do it."