Making Remy Laugh (BoyxBoy)

Nine- Cecil Clarke

"Remy, calm down," Cecil urged and Remy turned his head to the side, glaring at Cecil. They were sitting in front of the bowling alley, still in the car. Remy had insisted on them getting there early, he told Cecil that he hated being late, but then he also wanted to sit in the car until his nervousness left. It wasn't working.

"I'm perfectly calm," Remy snapped, but his hands in his lap twisted nervously and Cecil sighed, reaching over. Gently, he knitted his fingers with Remy's and lifted his small hand to his lips, kissing all of his knuckles. Unlike two weeks ago, they were smooth an unblemished, leading Cecil to believe that Remy hadn't had any excessive washing sessions lately.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to be nervous. My friends are all idiots and they'll love you".

"They'll love me because their idiots?" Remy asked for clarification and Cecil snorted.

"No, they'll love you because you're you, and you're funny and cute and you're sassy and you put me in my place and they'll love that. You don't need to be worried about them because they're idiots".

"I don't know why I'm freaking out," Remy said honestly, looking out of the front window of the car at the brick wall of the bowling alley. Cecil just watched his face, keeping Remy's fingers against his lips. "I mean, I'm bowling. I like bowling".

Cecil bit his lip. Two days ago he has been in Remy's room, finally getting him agree to come. This had been the first time he had heard the small boy talk about bowling, but since then, it had come up dozens of times. Cecil was curious to see if Remy liked the sport because it was fun, or if he liked it because he was good at it.

"Alright, babes. Do you want to want to go in? You made us get here ten minutes early, and we've been sitting out here for fifteen minutes, so we're already five minutes late," Cecil pointed out and Remy's eyes widened.

"We're late?" He pulled his small hand out of Cecil's grasp. "Why didn't you say something, Clarke?" Remy demanded. He climbed out of the car quickly and shut the door. Cecil watched him run his palms on his jeans through the window.

He looked good. Really good. When Cecil had picked him up, he was at first rendered speechless by the sight of Remy Reed wearing tight black pants and a loose button down shirt, undone over a black v-neck. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and there was something about his forearms that made Cecil want to reach out and touch them.

"Clarke, get out of the damn car. I'm gonna say that it was your fault we were late" Remy said, pulling open the car door a crack so Cecil could hear him.

Cecil pushed open his own door, closing it once he was out and looking at the boy who was standing on the other side of the car, still fiddling with his hands. "Hey". Cecil rounded the car to stand before him. "What's the main issue here? What worries you the most?"

Remy looked up at him for a moment, and then looked away and cleared his throat. "I'm boring, Clarke. People usually don't like boring. They want eccentric and happy and... they want substance and I'm just so blah".

Cecil took a moment to think. "Self-love, my liege, is not so vile as sin, as self-neglecting".

Remy sighed and turned his head down. "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. I think bad, you think good, so-"

"So let's let them decide for themselves, alright, instead of standing out here and being mean to yourself". Cecil raised a hand and placed it on Remy's arm before sliding it all the way down to his hand. "Are you ready to go in? We can just get it over with". Cecil smiled when it was Remy to lace their fingers together and squeeze.