the boy on the bridge ✔️

42. dinner boy

Chapter 42 — dinner boy

"You know you could always come to my place, right?" Elliot says, continuing to run his hand his golden boy's hair.

Josh just hums in reply, trying to not close his eyes as he is getting more and more drowsy by the action. Both of them are at their original hangout place — the bridge. Although Josh is out of the closer and they are free to spend their time wherever and whenever they want to, for them nothing can ever beat the novelty of spending their hours at the bridge, just talking, laughing and sometimes, kissing. Josh is lying on Elliot's lap, feeling very much relaxed than he was minutes ago.

"Ow," Josh jerks up when he feels a sharp pull on his scalp.

"I'm sorry," the curly-haired boy winces, "There was a knot,"

"It's okay — my hair's grown a bit longer," he yawns, "I should probably... get a hair... cut soon," he slurs his words, struggling to stay awake.

"Oi, don't you sleep on me,"

"I'm no– aaahhh– –t," another yawn, and then chuckling to himself, he pushes himself up, rubbing his eyes, "Your hands are just so softy, softy soft," the blond yawns again, raising his arms up, stretching, his eyes closed, "And I did not mean to say that out loud," he grimaces, slapping his hand over his eyes, peeking through his fingers to look at the boy beside him.

Elliot is grinning at him, his dimples only accentuating his boyish grin all the more, and reaches out to remove the blond's hand from his face.

"You know I can use this softy, softy soft hands to wake you up too," he said keeping Josh's hand engulfed in his hand, and trailed his other hand up the blond's hand.

Josh did a little squeal at the back of his throat and retracted his hand away, "I'm up, I'm up,"

"You're up?" Elliot asks teasingly, an eyebrow slightly quirked.

"Yes, I'm-," the blond stops midsentence, the innuendo not lost on him, "Shut up," he groans in embarrassment.

Elliot just guffaws in reply and as mortifying as he feels the blond can't help but laugh along as well. And then a few seconds later when the two have managed to somewhat calm down, the dark-haired boy throws an arm around him and pulls the blond closer.

"Back to what I was saying before," he says, resting his chin on top of Josh's head, "You can always join me and my aunts during Thanksgiving. It'll be just us — you just have to put up with their craziness and you'll be alright,"

Josh sighs dejectedly, "I wish I can. But you know I can't be avoiding him forever,"

"Okay, but you can still come over any time you want,"

"You know what, I might just take up your offer on that,"

⋘⋙

Mr Goldmann does not take a break for Thanksgiving — he usually takes three days off, only goes to the hospital if there were any emergency cases. However this year he goes to the hospital as usual — and even opens up the clinic for extra hours. Josh is starting to think, maybe he doesn't have to face his father after all.

And just as he does, his father appears home early on Thanksgiving, carrying big grocery bags filled with various kinds of munchies, drinks, fruits. He has this big smile on his face that made him look like a different man altogether, and kisses his mother on the cheek who appeared to be just as surprised as Josh was. He completely ignores Josh who was standing dubiously in the middle of the hallways — Josh can't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Josh contemplates going back to his room, maybe even sneaking off to Elliot's when his mother asks him to help her set up the table. Josie is helping her father organise the items he's purchased. It almost feels like they are a normal, happy family — Josh wonders if he had somehow wandered into an alternate universe, where his life was actually perfect.