Beside you Forevermore (BL-Complete)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, Carl woke to the constant thrumming pain. He dragged his lethargic body out of the hard wood bed and dressed himself in his practice armour. A simple breakfast later, he was already heading out to the training fields. Along the way, people greeted him enthusiastically which he returned with mirrored enthusiasm. His eyes searched for Evan amongst the row of knights that greeted him. Among the throng of knights, he made out the deep-brown haired Evan leaning up against a wall to avoid the crowd of hurrying knights. Swept by the current of people, Carl had no choice but to follow along as the crowd dispersed to their respective training fields.

Evan approached Carl with a smile on his face. How he managed to overcome his rejection each and every day was honestly beyond Carl, but he enjoyed being told that the man he loved, loved him. Was it selfish of him to ask to be loved, but unable to love in return? His life was important to him, but the demonic child was always followed by a trail of grief. He had to stop himself from reaching out and grasping Evan's hand. Evan turned to Carl with a smile on his face again today.

"Do you want to go drinking today?" Evan asked as he held up his hand in the sign for drink.

Carl thought for a moment and nodded. He didn't know what would happen once he beast was released, after all, it was the first case of its kind, so he might as well enjoy the present.

Evan smiled ecstatically and practically danced his way to the fields. Throughout the day, Evan's happiness didn't seem to lessen. While he waved around his sword, he did so with jubilant movements and a broad grin stretching from ear to ear. Carl, who watched Evan's bizarre actions with glee, burst out laughing from the comedic effect of Evan's actions. Evan stood star struck for a few moments after witnessing Carl's laugh, and threw his arms around Carl with a loud rumbling laugh of his own. The two sweaty bodies rubbed together causing sweet friction that had to be disconnected all too soon. They continued to swing their swords as part of their training regime until the instructor dismissed them. By this time, the sun was already beginning to set. The bodies of sweat-covered men walked towards the change room. Carl was heading for the direction of home until he was hauled in the direction of the change rooms by Evan.

"You promised to go drinking with me, why are you walking in that direction? The bar is on the other side?" Evan asked.

"I always change at home. That's where my clothes are. I didn't think you ask me to go to the bar with you," Carl responded.

"I'll lend you a shirt, so hurry up before the pub gets full!" Evan yelled over his shoulder as he joined the mad dash to the bathroom to beat the throng of other knights.

Carl stood still for a moment. If he was even a little careless, the symbol of the black beast would be exposed to the world, but with Evan's good intentions, he couldn't refuse the invitation especially when the shirt that Evan would lend him smelt of Evan himself. Carl sighed to himself; sometimes he was more of a fool than he realized. With heavy legs, Carl moved towards the direction of the change rooms.

In the change room, Carl couldn't help but notice the number of eyes that were settling on him.

"What?" he asked.

"You've never changed here before, we just assumed you slept in the damn stuff," a knight explained.

Carl's mouth twitched as he walked over to Evan's pigeon hole. Evan pulled out a shirt which Carl recognized as being from Evan's early teen years. He grasped the shirt in his hand and withdrew into the toilet stall.

He could hear some of the knights outside insulting his pride as a man for hiding away when amongst a group of burly men, but he didn't really have a choice at this moment. No one's opinion mattered to him except one.