Sparks

More than just strangers

He was here again. Sitting in the exact spot he had sat last year and the years before. Staring intently at me with those electrifying blue eyes. A beer can in one hand.

My heart was thumping against the walls of my chest, ready to explode. But my mind was more composed, or so it seemed.

Today was it.

Swallowing back the urge to puke out of anticipation, I gulped down the last bit of my own beer and steeled myself. Today was the day I finally set things straight, the day I confess the feelings I have towards a guy that I had never once spoken to but funnily shared my first kiss with.

What could possibly go wrong, right?

Except the fact that we're both guys and also not forgetting to add the fact that the kiss might not have been mutual on his behalf. 2019 me wouldn't have known how much I was suffering right now because of his stupidly weak tolerance for alcohol. I mentally cringed at the painful flashbacks of an intoxicated me acting like a hormonal teenager. But it wasn't entirely my fault, I mean the man looked like a Greek god literally; with his painfully sharp and defined features, lustrously thick ebony curls and those electrifying sea-blue eyes.

Other than the fact that he was devilishly handsome and worked at the same company as me for years, I knew nothing else about him, not even his name. Dismissing my inner fanboy thoughts, I forced my eyes upwards into the direction of the stranger. My nerves were slowly driving me insane and my brain was repeatedly sending out alarms, however my heart took control of all the cells which made up my body.

And that's how I somehow ended up a good few feet in front of the man. Instantly I let out a silent curse at myself for abusing his personal space. Wincing at my own clumsiness, I quickly jumped back a few steps and planted my feet down. I muttered out another curse as I realized my actions seemed really robotic. In the midst of my self destruction, a deep, husky voice spoke through and my head snapped up immediately.

"Can I help you with something?" With my wide eyes and open mouth, I was dead sure I looked dumb but one look at his raised brow and the growing amusement in his eyes, I steadied myself. Shutting my eyes hard, all the days of me dreaming about the kiss, the days of me unable to sleep thinking about the kiss suddenly had this overwhelming unfamiliar feeling building up within me quickly. So without thinking, I blurted out everything. And I meant exactly everything.

"Ireallyreallyreallylikedourkiss! I know I sound like a mega creep right now but I promise I'm not a stalker or a pervert! I just-for some reason, I can't seem to forget our kiss from last year's party and I know you might not even remember or care-wait! Oh my god! What if you don't remember. You don't remember! Shit. I'm really really sorry. Please just ignore me, I'm going to get out of your sight now. I'm really sorr-" My babbles were cut off by a pair of lips, presumably his lips. At that moment, all my surroundings disappeared, his lips were illegally soft and had the slightest beer taste to it but that didn't stop the kiss from being heavenly at all. It felt just as good as the first time.

Before I could deepen the kiss, the stranger pulled away abruptly. I frowned at the loss of contact but sighed in content as he gave me a gentle peck on the forehead. 

"I remember. You're the drunk guy from last year's party. Now stop rambling. Alright, let me treat you a drink and let's both enjoy New Year Eve's together without things being awkward because why not. Also I'd like to take you on a date tomorrow." I was more dumb-founded than shocked to be honest. I had no idea how the situation escalated so quick in just within ten minutes. But as my brain slowly processed his words, I couldn't stop the wide grin from sprouting on my face. The ever-growing giddiness inside bubbled up but was cut short as the man leaned in for another delicate kiss on the corner of my lips before pulling me into a seat next to him. 

"So other than the facts that we both work in the same company, you in a drunken state, used your first kiss on me during last year's New Year Eve party and you being extremely cute. What else can you tell me about yourself? For an instance, your name." My cheeks went flaming hot at the compliment. Clearing my throat, I answered him.

"Um, firstly, I'm really sorry for kissing you while seriously intoxicated. My name um-I'm Elliot, but you can call me Eli if you want. I-um work in the Marketing department and I'm also gay." I inwardly gave myself a face palm, of course he could tell I was gay. My internal chaos might have caused tiny groans to escape my mouth because he carefully gripped my chin and lifted it so that my eyes leveled with his own.

"Hey, don't be nervous alright. Take your time, I'm not going to run off anywhere anytime soon. I'm Cameron and I work mainly in the Research and Development department. I'm a full fledged homosexual too." Cameron's bright smile in the end was so dazzling, I felt myself swoon. 

God, thank you for blessing my life with this beautiful specimen seated beside me.

"Beautiful, huh. I'd say you're the beautiful one here instead." Dear god, did I speak my thoughts out loud. My ears were probably as red as tomatoes right now, I pulled lightly at one of my curls but it only bounced back to it's original position. I've always thought that I was a decent looking guy, average would have been the word I used to describe my appearance, my overall features weren't that unique: hazel eyes, button nose, freckles scattered across my cheeks and a mop of curls on top of my head. And I was more than fine with being average.

I let out a quiet light laugh, cheeks still scorching from the previous comment. Cameron was holding two glasses of red liquid, no doubt wine in front of me so I grasped one onto my own hand. He held his towards me and I mirrored his action.

Then with the sounds of both our glasses clinking and the sparkling colors of the glowing fireworks shining across the sky above us.

We cheered to a New Year together, as more than just strangers.