Secrets we keep in bottles

Eyes are the windows to the soul

Pale moonlight lit the way for Eric as he walked down sidewalks and crossed streets. Walking fast or slow he wasn't sure, all he could gauge was how terrified he was. Pounding was the only sound that filled his ears and he willed his heart to slow down. Unsuccessful of course but he kept trying. He wasn't even sure if Jacobs parents would let him in as such a late hour, something he hadn't thought up previously. He hadn't really thought this journey through but he was okay with that.

Walking up to the house, he paused in the yard.

Damnit.

The lights were already out. He sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he pressed the tips of his converse into the grass. Part of him felt relieved and he almost turned around but he found he couldn't move his feet. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to remind himself why he was doing this. Don't chicken out now, he's right inside. Reopening his eyes, he scanned around for his options. A large White Oak tree spreads out against one side of the house and a light bulb goes off. Making his way across the still soggy dirt, he looks up into the tree. A couple of branches lay within reach and he sighs again.

It's now or never.

Jumping up with force, he grabs a hold of a branch and pulls himself up. One of his feet slip out from under him and he hits his knee against the hard bark. Hissing quietly in pain, he rubs the injured area but continues the climb. Within a few minutes he finds himself face to face with Jacobs darkened bedroom window. With a hesitant hand, he knocks softly.

No response.

He knocks again, a little louder.

Still no reply.

Frowning sadly, he waits a few seconds. Maybe i can catch him tomorrow. He glances down to gauge the distance between the next branch and his current foothold, beginning the descent. Suddenly the window shoots upwards and a very bed-headed teen pokes his head out.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Are you crazy?" Jacob whisper-yelled.

Seeing his face brings almost no relief to him this time as he looks up at him. "Can i come in?"

A pause, and then Jacob nods, backing away from the window so he can climb through. Switching on his bedside lamp, he sits back down on his bed and crosses his arms. Eric places his feet on the floor and shuts the window behind him, looking over at him wearily. His heart still broke at the sight of him but it also continued to beat him to death.

"What are you doing here. Do you know what time it is?" He questioned flatly.

Eric nodded, pacing around the room slowly. "Mhm. I just needed to talk to you."

Fuck..does he know..? Jacob thought, his own heartbeat beginning to pick up.

"It's about..well firstly its about the kiss." He chose his words carefully, stopping in the middle of the room to look at him.

"What about it..?"

He didn't reply right away, studying his increasingly uncertain expression. "Did you really kiss him?"

Jacob looked away, uncrossing his arms and stuffing his hands into his freshly stitched hoodie pockets. Eric looked down at his fiddling hands and his brows twitched slightly in a concerned frown. He hated seeing him anxious. It was apart of why he gave him his hoodie in the first place. Jacob visibly relaxed whenever he wore it, so it was more than just a thoughtless gift that he passed to him that day in class.

"He kissed me first." He replied quietly, clearly growing uncomfortable. He couldn't meet his eyes. Eric tried to refrain from frowning but he was sure Jacob could tell he was unhappy.