Reaching my own house, I unlock the door and dump all my clothes in the washing machine. The next thing I do is make myself a hot cup of black coffee and call my parents.
The conversation goes surprisingly well - Ada's not home, she's somewhere with her boyfriend. Mom and Dad say they miss me, they wish I went back home and patch things up with Dylan.
I just stand in my balcony hearing them, but not really listening.
Not that I ever do...
Cutting off Dylan was one of my best decisions: I'll not be going back on my words.
*
A ringtone is what wakes me up.
My face lifts itself from the book I was busy reading - Turtles All the Way Down.
The caller reads Everest.
My heart skips a beat, I don't know why, though.
"Hello? ", his voice an audible whisper.
"Hello, Ev? You okay? "
"Hmm.", he manages to say.
"You definitely don't sound like it."
And then, there was a roar of laughter.
"Oh... Ohhh-ho myyy God! You did fall for it. Shit, Robin said you would. Oh my God, my stomach hurts, I can't... I can't stop laughing! ", he speechifies in between laughs.
There's some noise on the other side before -
"Hey, yeah sorry about that.", Robin says.
With anger erupting like lava, I croak out, "Kiss my ass."
And with that, I hang up.
It was not funny.
Joking about Everest's health is not something they should be doing.
*
Hours later or so I think, my doorbell rings.
Ignoring the first one, I continue watching Avengers: Infinity War.
Then there's a second one.
I ignore.
Why? Don't ask.
A third one.
Grumbling under my breath, my lifts itself from the couch and walks up to the door.
As soon as I open the door, Everest and Robin start singing at the top of their lungs -
"DO YOU WANNA BUILD A SNOWMAN? IT DOESN'T HA- "
"Shut up.", I say showing my palm to their faces.
Just when I hold the door to shut it, they pull me by the arms and before I could even react to Robin saying "Geez, someone's on their periods.", I am pushed in the passenger, squeezed between the two men.
"What is the matter with you two? Aargh, lemme go! "
Everest then holds my face by the sides to make me look at him and I do.
He calms me down before leaning in for a kiss. Slightly brushing my lower lip, he pulls away, blushing.
"Allergic to PDA! ", Robin says looking away, while the both of us chuckle.
"Where are we going? ", I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
"At Leo's. And before you ask why, look."
I do as told and a building comes in sight. It's the one where we would want to pay visits to when we were in highschool.
Getting off the car, the three of us walked in the building, third floor, 7th room to the left. The door read "Leopold Stevens", carved in golden cursive.
*
"On your bellybutton? Ouch, that must've been painful."
"Not gonna lie, it did hurt, but eh, you only live once."
After muttering "Lame.", I walk in to see Everest pierced on his left upper ear. I do the same.
"Why did we get these? ", I ask the boys referring to the piercings.
"Well,theymnish.", Robin answers with his mouthful of Oreo cookie-ice cream.
"What? "
"They're nice. You look good.", Robin flashes a smile at me.
I raise my hand to wipe a bit of cookie carelessly resting in his lower lip when I catch Everest notice my action. Immediately lowering my hand, I finish eating my ice cream before paying.
Robin drops Everest first who looks pretty low. I go in with him and ask if anything's wrong. Obviously, he denies, although I have a feeling I know.
"What's the matter, Ev? "
"Nothing, I swear. Just a little exhausted."
A line of perspiration is visible above his upper lip and I know he really is tired. After he washes himself up and changes into a comfortable pair of clothes, I pin him by the bedroom door and brush my lips against his dry ones. The skin feels rough against mine as if blistered. He grabs onto my waist and leans forward to deepen the moment before turning my body against the doorframe.
It feels wonderfully necessary.
We pull away at the same gasping for air, Everest breathing hard than I am.
Waving Everest goodbye after making sure he takes his antibiotics, I walk outside to see Robin leaning against the car. He's tapping away in his phone with an unreadable expression.
His hair is a tad messy as if he ruffled it multiple times; the collar of his jacket is turned up and he's engrossed in whatever content the screen of his phone displays. How come I have never noticed his features before?
They're kinda breathtaking.
"You have a boyfriend, stop drooling."
"Wha- I know I have a boyfriend. And I wasn't drooling - "
"- I know, I know, I was kidding. Geez, Aaron.", he looks up with a surrendering smile.
He looks worn out too (and you have no idea how good exhaustion looks on him).
"Hop in then, lemme drop you home.", he says, "GOODNIGHT, EVER! SLEEP WELL! ", he yells.
No reply is heard meaning Everest's fallen asleep.
The drive to my place is quiet except Let it Go by James Bay plays - it's comfortable.
When we reach the destination, I stay in the car with Robin for a few more minutes.
"I think you're growing on me.", I slowly said, careful not to let too many words out at a time.
Robin turns to look at me. I do the same to see his face.
We stare at each, in utter silence, the tension building up - a pleasing tension.
I notice his gaze advert to my lips, or so I think.
Oh no, he wouldn't look at my lips, now, would he?
"I liked you since the very first day.", he then speechifies, placing his head on the headrest.
I let out a laugh.
"The very first day? Is that why you called me Avery? "
"What? Oh no no, that's not I meant by the first day, no no."
Confused, I look at him.
"You know when Ever invited some friends for the art exhibition a few years back? We met, you remember? I liked the posture you held since then. It's weird, I know."
"Gosh, that was you? Hell, why can't I remember? "
My stomach does a weird somersault and I feel an explosion of joy within me.
Don't ask me why.
"Thank you, Rob, really.", and with that, I lean forward to wrap him in a side hug to which he replies with a mirrored act.
"Take care, you.", he says before I get out of the car.
Why hadn't he walked into my life earlier?
YOU ARE READING
Wanderlust
General Fiction"First one in my list is to go bungee-jumping. Oh, wait, no! It's to get a tattoo that says 'wanderlust'. Yeah." "You had vertigo and you're suffering from cancer now, Ev." "Oh, the encouragement you give me, Aaron." I looked at him with a straight...
