Black and white make gray
Fandom: U-KISS
Pairing: Elvin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, Romance
Summary: Kevin can obtain everything, except socially-awkward Eli.
2,839 words
Kevin sometimes wondered how could certain people not obtain everything, when he was so good at it. He watched those around him get into fights and often end with nothing, when he didn’t even need to raise his voice to acquire all he had ever dreamed of.
He had been endowed with a face that could make painters cry with joy and a voice that opened Heaven. He had delicate hands and slim fingers that attracted people and made anybody want to touch them. He possessed a slender figure that made models jealous and a character worth of reverence. He didn’t need to ask twice for a favor, because people were allured to him like a magnet and were always ready to please any of his needs. He had always been surrounded by individuals who just couldn’t get enough of him, so he could never really say he was lonely.
Kevin was lucky, people said, because Kevin had everything.
Whenever he would hear those types of commentaries he laughed. If only they knew.
It might have been true that he didn’t lack money, friends, looks, talent. But he didn’t have Eli.
Eli was exactly the opposite of Kevin: he was clumsy, hence people oftentimes avoided giving him things to hold, because he usually dropped them. He was absentminded and mostly never looked where he was going, therefore others would usually form a large pathway for him on the corridors, since he had the dreadful habit of bumping into everybody. His Korean was limited, so he couldn’t really carry a decent conversation, either, not to mention that in the rare occasions when he talked, he didn’t really have anything interesting to say. He didn’t have a distinguishable singing voice -some even claimed he couldn’t sing at all- and his dance moves weren’t fluid, like idols’ are supposed to be.
Eli was pretty much classified at the bottom of the pyramid, but he never really cared.
And while others would normally avoid talking to him, Kevin was slowly dying a little more on the inside whenever Eli would ignore him. He asked himself countless times what was the reason behind his constant abstinence, since he had grown used to perpetual attention.
Kevin had always seen something in Eli that others couldn’t grasp. They had met over two years before and many things have changed since then, but the disregard and indifference remained the same. Eli might not have talked much, but he had a genuine way of analyzing the things around him with such careful observation, like he was trying to see right through it. Whenever someone talked he would stop and listen without motioning a muscle, then lodged pensive for a while after that, replaying and interpreting everything in his head.
And what surprised Kevin the most was Eli’s endowment of reading people like an open book. He felt envious of him, because not once had he been capable of doing that. He had overheard him speaking with members of either their group or their staff and, whenever he was in a position of mockery, or ridicule -and he had been, many, many times- he always came with a reply that could shut anybody’s mouth.
So Eli’s constant lack of receptivity at any of his attempts of befriending him made no sense to Kevin, especially when he was trying so hard to catch his attention, at least for more than five minutes. Sure, they talked, but never about things worth mentioning. They sometimes joked, but as soon as the laugh was over Eli simply walked away without adding anything else.
Moreover, by then Kevin didn’t even know what to do anymore, since he had never been used to having to beg for someone’s consideration. Of course, Eli doesn’t even notice. Or maybe he does but he just ignores it, which puzzles the younger even more.
**
One evening, after practice, Eli announced he wouldn’t go straight to the dorm, with the others, like they usually did -them talking without interruption, him walking in silence- because he felt like practicing more. The statement took everyone by surprise, since he had never been the type to perfect anything. Perfection and hard work was Kevin’s domain, not his. But, alas, they leave without muttering a word and told him they would leave sushi in the fridge for when he gets back.
And obviously Kevin can’t not take advantage of the situation, so he remains behind as well and closes the door after everyone exits. Eli turns to look at him, apparently disinterested in his presence.
‘You need to practice too?’ he asks, going over to the computer to search for a suitable song.
‘No, but I thought I could help.’ Kevin replies hopefully, taking one step closer.
‘Thanks, but I’m fine. You can go eat.’
The indifference in his voice is the same as usual and after Kevin asks him if he’s sure -and receives the same answer- he leaves without saying anything else, feeling stupid for even believing that Eli might want his company.
**
After that night, Kevin decided it was time for one last desperate attempt. His attempt had a name: Dongho.
Dongho was the only person who could wholeheartedly attest he was Eli’s friend. Well, sort of, because Eli didn’t really have any friends, but he was still permitted to hang around Eli far more than others, which everyone agreed it was because he liked the youngest best. They both spoke Chinese to some degree, which automatically drew them closer, but that was far from the reason behind their bizarre bond. Dongho was similar to Eli, although not as much as a loner like he was; they had similar hobbies and joint opinions, which allowed them to talk freely and without constrain. Besides, Dongho never felt the need to philosophize over trifles that didn’t interest the older, which was a win-win situation.
And of course once Kevin drew Dongho away from Eli, the named one would have to come running, because he would be left completely alone. It seemed like the perfect plan and it absolutely had to work.
At least that’s what Kevin thought.
His flawless little world came crashing down soon after, though, after noticing that Eli wasn’t about to move a muscle to recover Dongho. Kevin made sure to be everywhere Dongho was and, each time Eli would come to speak to him, Kevin would approach him first, hoping he could be, this way, involved in the conversation. But Eli stopped dead in his tracks and turned away every time he noted Dongho wasn’t alone, which added even more complication to Kevin’s decoy.
**
There was this one time when Eli -the outcast, ambiguous, unsociable Eli- agreed to take part in a dating program. Their manager seemed to believe that he was ideal for the role of a romantic don Juan, whereas his members viewed the entire thing as plain idiotic. Eli was known for acting weird around girls -he even knew that himself- yet still he accepted, despite everybody’s attempts at making him change his mind.
Kevin watched him return with a mysterious smile on his face the evening after his first date and, after being asked how it went, he just grinned cryptically and disappeared into his room. He woke up earlier than everybody else the next morning -which was a novelty, since he had always been the one to wake up last- and left for his second date, after gingerly packaging goods for a picnic. He greeted everyone on his way out except Kevin, then departed in a hurry.
Kevin had a chance to watch the aired episode one week later and felt disgusted throughout the entire recording, seeing Eli’s unchanging smile and their frequent touching. He turned off the TV before the segment ended and went to bed feeling irritated and disappointed.
**
After a certain period of time Kevin thought Eli had finally settled down from his female craze, as he slowly returned to his hostile, withdrawn self. He even dared to believe now it was the time to try and make a move again and maybe, just maybe, this time he would respond positively.
Maybe.
The filming of their new music video came around and after much searching done by their manager, they all agreed -without Kevin’s consent- to take in a Brazilian model as the video’s negative female character. Kevin had to admit two things after meeting her -one, she was pretty. Very pretty, with those specific intense blue eyes and light pink lips that so many people found irresistible. Second, Eli couldn’t take his eyes off her. They quickly became friends and started talking between breaks, which drew Kevin insane.
And just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, the director came with the brilliant idea of adding dark, smoky make-up and black leather jackets that didn’t cover much. Add all of those on Eli and place him on a motorbike and one could easily obtain Kevin’s dream man. But he would never admit that to himself, since he would never let jealousy dominate him.
They all arrived back at the dorm in the early hours of the morning and started fighting for command over the bathroom, as they had to get the sweat and dust off their bodies. Kevin had the privilege to go first, as no one could ever say no to him, especially when he was using his charms and batting of the lashes upon them.
Eli was the last to make his appearance, because he was Eli and he was slow and inconsiderate and didn’t know about the occupancy of the bathroom. And just as he was walking in, his eyes got glued to a completely naked Kevin, exposed from head to toe, under the steamy drops of water from the shower. They locked eyes for a second and both of them stood frozen in place, until Eli regained his composure and left, mumbling a faded ‘Sorry’ on his way out.
Kevin cursed and blushed madly.
**
If he had tried befriending Eli before and was in dire need of his attention, now all of these were elements of the past, because Kevin never dared to meet Eli’s gaze again. The bathroom scene had caused him a wet dream that night, which involved the older licking and sucking him from top to bottom and he had woken up the next morning hard as a rock and panting.
This only made things worse, hence any further contact with Eli got, from that point on, indescribably rigid, not to mention awkward.
He knew Eli had noticed his sudden change in behavior because he had caught him staring a few times and could almost swear -or maybe he was just going paranoid- he tried approaching him during dinner. But that would have been impossible, since Eli was never the first to start a conversation.
Right?
**
When they received permission to rest for a few days, everyone let out a relieved breath and started making plans concerning their schedule over the course of the following week. Kevin had been invited to the gym, the cinema, the ice-skating rink, as well as to a marathon of video-games and, oddly enough, the countryside -he politely declined all of them, disheartening everybody- while Eli received none. No surprise in that.
What had been quite a shock, however, was waking up the next morning with pillow marks on his face and finding that the dorm was absolutely empty, with the exception of Eli, who was isolated in a corner in the living room with a laptop in his arms. He looked up as Kevin walked over to him with unsure steps -the awkwardness between them was still noticeably unbearable- and greeted him briefly, before turning towards the monitor again.
Kevin mumbled a greeting in return and quickly changed his course, walking to the counter instead to eat a slice of bread. They didn’t say anything for a few minutes, as Kevin munched on his bread and Eli made typing noise with the tip of his fingers.
Awkward.
‘So what are your plans this week?’ Eli asked calmly after what seemed an eternity. Kevin chocked, astounded by the unexpected approach.
‘Not much.’ He finally said, trying as best as he could to steady his voice. ‘You?’
‘Same.’
‘Uhum.’
Kevin looked at the clock, for no apparent reason, while Eli didn’t take his eyes away from the screen. He wouldn’t let that be the end of their conversation, like it happened countless times in the past.
‘Can I ask you something?’ he finally build up the courage to continue.
‘Sure.’ Eli replied disinterested.
‘Why are you always avoiding me?’
Eli shot him an indefinable look for a few moments, seeming slightly surprised. It was first time in over two years that Kevin saw this kind of countenance on his face and found it sort of cute.
‘If I knew we were going to have this conversation, I would have said I’m busy.’ Eli voiced in the end, turning his attention at the monitor.
‘So you admit you’re avoiding me.’
‘I’m not avoiding you, I never have. Why would I do that?’
Kevin shrugged.
‘I don’t know. You tell me.’
‘There is nothing to tell, because you’re imagining things.’
That was the last drop. Kevin immediately stood up, feeling more angry than ever. He was breathing heavily through his nose.
‘I’m imagining.’ He echoed his words. ‘I’m imagining when you walk away in the middle of the conversation. I’m imagining when you run off whenever I try to approach you. I’m imagining when you barely pay any attention to me. If you don’t like me just say it to my face, but stop acting like I’m fucking invisible.’ He raised his voice.
Eli paid acute attention during his short speech, then looked at the screen and back at him again. He closed the laptop and put it aside, then stood up and came closer to Kevin, to face him better.
‘So you noticed.’ He said calmly.
‘Noticed?’ Kevin asked incredulously. ‘Eli, I’ve been going over this in my head again and again, asking myself what the hell am I doing wrong. I’ve worked my brains out, trying to come up with an explanation for your shitty behavior. I’m going insane because I don’t know how to make you speak to me. I’m not asking to be your friend, I just want for us to at least talk. Am I requesting too much?’
Eli sighed.
‘So you think just what everyone else thinks. That I’m a dumb, socially-awkward kid who is too impractical to form a relationship with anybody.’
‘That's the thing, I know you’re not.’ Kevin said exasperatedly. ‘Which makes me even more confused, because I don’t get your behavior. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? At least speak out, so that I can change whatever I’m-’
‘It’s me.’ Eli interrupted him. ‘I always want to talk with you, but I never know what to say. You’re always surrounded by people and it’s like everybody wants a piece of you. I want you all for myself, because I’m selfish, but sometimes you just seem so unreachable, I just give up.’
Eli looked at him, waiting.
Kevin stared back with his mouth slightly opened, not knowing how to reply.
‘I don’t know what to say anymore.’ The older finally admitted. ‘Once again, I don’t know what to say. I want to say something intriguing, but I’m always under the impression that you won’t find it interesting and you’ll just laugh it off.’
‘Tell me if you like me.’ Kevin whispered.
‘What?’ Eli asked confused.
‘Tell me you like me.’ The younger repeated. ‘I’ll find that interesting.’
Eli paused for a second, before inhaling deeply.
‘I like you.’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘I’ve liked you since we were first grouped together, but thought you didn’t, so I didn’t do anything about it. At first I told myself it was just a teenager phase and that it would pass over time, but it didn’t. And I’m pretty sure it won’t anytime soon.’
Kevin looked at him serious, not daring to believe his ears. There it was, the moment he had been waiting for God-knows-how-long and he didn’t know how to react.
‘Did you like the girl you dated for the show? Or the model for our music video?’ he finally blurted out. Eli smirked.
‘The girl giggled too much and annoyed the crap out of me. The model acted too girly and had a boyfriend. She annoyed the crap out of me. And I’m pretty sure she annoys the poor guy she’s with, as well.’
Kevin grinned and grabbed his hand, then murmured an almost inaudible ‘Good.’
‘Kevin?’ Eli asked softly, coming closer.
‘Hm?’
‘Can I kiss you now? ‘Cause if not, that confession will make things even more weird between us.’
Kevin laughed and grabbed him by the neck, then nodded.
The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Eli’s unmatched smile.
Pairing: Elvin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, Romance
Summary: Kevin can obtain everything, except socially-awkward Eli.
2,839 words
Kevin sometimes wondered how could certain people not obtain everything, when he was so good at it. He watched those around him get into fights and often end with nothing, when he didn’t even need to raise his voice to acquire all he had ever dreamed of.
He had been endowed with a face that could make painters cry with joy and a voice that opened Heaven. He had delicate hands and slim fingers that attracted people and made anybody want to touch them. He possessed a slender figure that made models jealous and a character worth of reverence. He didn’t need to ask twice for a favor, because people were allured to him like a magnet and were always ready to please any of his needs. He had always been surrounded by individuals who just couldn’t get enough of him, so he could never really say he was lonely.
Kevin was lucky, people said, because Kevin had everything.
Whenever he would hear those types of commentaries he laughed. If only they knew.
It might have been true that he didn’t lack money, friends, looks, talent. But he didn’t have Eli.
Eli was exactly the opposite of Kevin: he was clumsy, hence people oftentimes avoided giving him things to hold, because he usually dropped them. He was absentminded and mostly never looked where he was going, therefore others would usually form a large pathway for him on the corridors, since he had the dreadful habit of bumping into everybody. His Korean was limited, so he couldn’t really carry a decent conversation, either, not to mention that in the rare occasions when he talked, he didn’t really have anything interesting to say. He didn’t have a distinguishable singing voice -some even claimed he couldn’t sing at all- and his dance moves weren’t fluid, like idols’ are supposed to be.
Eli was pretty much classified at the bottom of the pyramid, but he never really cared.
And while others would normally avoid talking to him, Kevin was slowly dying a little more on the inside whenever Eli would ignore him. He asked himself countless times what was the reason behind his constant abstinence, since he had grown used to perpetual attention.
Kevin had always seen something in Eli that others couldn’t grasp. They had met over two years before and many things have changed since then, but the disregard and indifference remained the same. Eli might not have talked much, but he had a genuine way of analyzing the things around him with such careful observation, like he was trying to see right through it. Whenever someone talked he would stop and listen without motioning a muscle, then lodged pensive for a while after that, replaying and interpreting everything in his head.
And what surprised Kevin the most was Eli’s endowment of reading people like an open book. He felt envious of him, because not once had he been capable of doing that. He had overheard him speaking with members of either their group or their staff and, whenever he was in a position of mockery, or ridicule -and he had been, many, many times- he always came with a reply that could shut anybody’s mouth.
So Eli’s constant lack of receptivity at any of his attempts of befriending him made no sense to Kevin, especially when he was trying so hard to catch his attention, at least for more than five minutes. Sure, they talked, but never about things worth mentioning. They sometimes joked, but as soon as the laugh was over Eli simply walked away without adding anything else.
Moreover, by then Kevin didn’t even know what to do anymore, since he had never been used to having to beg for someone’s consideration. Of course, Eli doesn’t even notice. Or maybe he does but he just ignores it, which puzzles the younger even more.
**
One evening, after practice, Eli announced he wouldn’t go straight to the dorm, with the others, like they usually did -them talking without interruption, him walking in silence- because he felt like practicing more. The statement took everyone by surprise, since he had never been the type to perfect anything. Perfection and hard work was Kevin’s domain, not his. But, alas, they leave without muttering a word and told him they would leave sushi in the fridge for when he gets back.
And obviously Kevin can’t not take advantage of the situation, so he remains behind as well and closes the door after everyone exits. Eli turns to look at him, apparently disinterested in his presence.
‘You need to practice too?’ he asks, going over to the computer to search for a suitable song.
‘No, but I thought I could help.’ Kevin replies hopefully, taking one step closer.
‘Thanks, but I’m fine. You can go eat.’
The indifference in his voice is the same as usual and after Kevin asks him if he’s sure -and receives the same answer- he leaves without saying anything else, feeling stupid for even believing that Eli might want his company.
**
After that night, Kevin decided it was time for one last desperate attempt. His attempt had a name: Dongho.
Dongho was the only person who could wholeheartedly attest he was Eli’s friend. Well, sort of, because Eli didn’t really have any friends, but he was still permitted to hang around Eli far more than others, which everyone agreed it was because he liked the youngest best. They both spoke Chinese to some degree, which automatically drew them closer, but that was far from the reason behind their bizarre bond. Dongho was similar to Eli, although not as much as a loner like he was; they had similar hobbies and joint opinions, which allowed them to talk freely and without constrain. Besides, Dongho never felt the need to philosophize over trifles that didn’t interest the older, which was a win-win situation.
And of course once Kevin drew Dongho away from Eli, the named one would have to come running, because he would be left completely alone. It seemed like the perfect plan and it absolutely had to work.
At least that’s what Kevin thought.
His flawless little world came crashing down soon after, though, after noticing that Eli wasn’t about to move a muscle to recover Dongho. Kevin made sure to be everywhere Dongho was and, each time Eli would come to speak to him, Kevin would approach him first, hoping he could be, this way, involved in the conversation. But Eli stopped dead in his tracks and turned away every time he noted Dongho wasn’t alone, which added even more complication to Kevin’s decoy.
**
There was this one time when Eli -the outcast, ambiguous, unsociable Eli- agreed to take part in a dating program. Their manager seemed to believe that he was ideal for the role of a romantic don Juan, whereas his members viewed the entire thing as plain idiotic. Eli was known for acting weird around girls -he even knew that himself- yet still he accepted, despite everybody’s attempts at making him change his mind.
Kevin watched him return with a mysterious smile on his face the evening after his first date and, after being asked how it went, he just grinned cryptically and disappeared into his room. He woke up earlier than everybody else the next morning -which was a novelty, since he had always been the one to wake up last- and left for his second date, after gingerly packaging goods for a picnic. He greeted everyone on his way out except Kevin, then departed in a hurry.
Kevin had a chance to watch the aired episode one week later and felt disgusted throughout the entire recording, seeing Eli’s unchanging smile and their frequent touching. He turned off the TV before the segment ended and went to bed feeling irritated and disappointed.
**
After a certain period of time Kevin thought Eli had finally settled down from his female craze, as he slowly returned to his hostile, withdrawn self. He even dared to believe now it was the time to try and make a move again and maybe, just maybe, this time he would respond positively.
Maybe.
The filming of their new music video came around and after much searching done by their manager, they all agreed -without Kevin’s consent- to take in a Brazilian model as the video’s negative female character. Kevin had to admit two things after meeting her -one, she was pretty. Very pretty, with those specific intense blue eyes and light pink lips that so many people found irresistible. Second, Eli couldn’t take his eyes off her. They quickly became friends and started talking between breaks, which drew Kevin insane.
And just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, the director came with the brilliant idea of adding dark, smoky make-up and black leather jackets that didn’t cover much. Add all of those on Eli and place him on a motorbike and one could easily obtain Kevin’s dream man. But he would never admit that to himself, since he would never let jealousy dominate him.
They all arrived back at the dorm in the early hours of the morning and started fighting for command over the bathroom, as they had to get the sweat and dust off their bodies. Kevin had the privilege to go first, as no one could ever say no to him, especially when he was using his charms and batting of the lashes upon them.
Eli was the last to make his appearance, because he was Eli and he was slow and inconsiderate and didn’t know about the occupancy of the bathroom. And just as he was walking in, his eyes got glued to a completely naked Kevin, exposed from head to toe, under the steamy drops of water from the shower. They locked eyes for a second and both of them stood frozen in place, until Eli regained his composure and left, mumbling a faded ‘Sorry’ on his way out.
Kevin cursed and blushed madly.
**
If he had tried befriending Eli before and was in dire need of his attention, now all of these were elements of the past, because Kevin never dared to meet Eli’s gaze again. The bathroom scene had caused him a wet dream that night, which involved the older licking and sucking him from top to bottom and he had woken up the next morning hard as a rock and panting.
This only made things worse, hence any further contact with Eli got, from that point on, indescribably rigid, not to mention awkward.
He knew Eli had noticed his sudden change in behavior because he had caught him staring a few times and could almost swear -or maybe he was just going paranoid- he tried approaching him during dinner. But that would have been impossible, since Eli was never the first to start a conversation.
Right?
**
When they received permission to rest for a few days, everyone let out a relieved breath and started making plans concerning their schedule over the course of the following week. Kevin had been invited to the gym, the cinema, the ice-skating rink, as well as to a marathon of video-games and, oddly enough, the countryside -he politely declined all of them, disheartening everybody- while Eli received none. No surprise in that.
What had been quite a shock, however, was waking up the next morning with pillow marks on his face and finding that the dorm was absolutely empty, with the exception of Eli, who was isolated in a corner in the living room with a laptop in his arms. He looked up as Kevin walked over to him with unsure steps -the awkwardness between them was still noticeably unbearable- and greeted him briefly, before turning towards the monitor again.
Kevin mumbled a greeting in return and quickly changed his course, walking to the counter instead to eat a slice of bread. They didn’t say anything for a few minutes, as Kevin munched on his bread and Eli made typing noise with the tip of his fingers.
Awkward.
‘So what are your plans this week?’ Eli asked calmly after what seemed an eternity. Kevin chocked, astounded by the unexpected approach.
‘Not much.’ He finally said, trying as best as he could to steady his voice. ‘You?’
‘Same.’
‘Uhum.’
Kevin looked at the clock, for no apparent reason, while Eli didn’t take his eyes away from the screen. He wouldn’t let that be the end of their conversation, like it happened countless times in the past.
‘Can I ask you something?’ he finally build up the courage to continue.
‘Sure.’ Eli replied disinterested.
‘Why are you always avoiding me?’
Eli shot him an indefinable look for a few moments, seeming slightly surprised. It was first time in over two years that Kevin saw this kind of countenance on his face and found it sort of cute.
‘If I knew we were going to have this conversation, I would have said I’m busy.’ Eli voiced in the end, turning his attention at the monitor.
‘So you admit you’re avoiding me.’
‘I’m not avoiding you, I never have. Why would I do that?’
Kevin shrugged.
‘I don’t know. You tell me.’
‘There is nothing to tell, because you’re imagining things.’
That was the last drop. Kevin immediately stood up, feeling more angry than ever. He was breathing heavily through his nose.
‘I’m imagining.’ He echoed his words. ‘I’m imagining when you walk away in the middle of the conversation. I’m imagining when you run off whenever I try to approach you. I’m imagining when you barely pay any attention to me. If you don’t like me just say it to my face, but stop acting like I’m fucking invisible.’ He raised his voice.
Eli paid acute attention during his short speech, then looked at the screen and back at him again. He closed the laptop and put it aside, then stood up and came closer to Kevin, to face him better.
‘So you noticed.’ He said calmly.
‘Noticed?’ Kevin asked incredulously. ‘Eli, I’ve been going over this in my head again and again, asking myself what the hell am I doing wrong. I’ve worked my brains out, trying to come up with an explanation for your shitty behavior. I’m going insane because I don’t know how to make you speak to me. I’m not asking to be your friend, I just want for us to at least talk. Am I requesting too much?’
Eli sighed.
‘So you think just what everyone else thinks. That I’m a dumb, socially-awkward kid who is too impractical to form a relationship with anybody.’
‘That's the thing, I know you’re not.’ Kevin said exasperatedly. ‘Which makes me even more confused, because I don’t get your behavior. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? At least speak out, so that I can change whatever I’m-’
‘It’s me.’ Eli interrupted him. ‘I always want to talk with you, but I never know what to say. You’re always surrounded by people and it’s like everybody wants a piece of you. I want you all for myself, because I’m selfish, but sometimes you just seem so unreachable, I just give up.’
Eli looked at him, waiting.
Kevin stared back with his mouth slightly opened, not knowing how to reply.
‘I don’t know what to say anymore.’ The older finally admitted. ‘Once again, I don’t know what to say. I want to say something intriguing, but I’m always under the impression that you won’t find it interesting and you’ll just laugh it off.’
‘Tell me if you like me.’ Kevin whispered.
‘What?’ Eli asked confused.
‘Tell me you like me.’ The younger repeated. ‘I’ll find that interesting.’
Eli paused for a second, before inhaling deeply.
‘I like you.’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘I’ve liked you since we were first grouped together, but thought you didn’t, so I didn’t do anything about it. At first I told myself it was just a teenager phase and that it would pass over time, but it didn’t. And I’m pretty sure it won’t anytime soon.’
Kevin looked at him serious, not daring to believe his ears. There it was, the moment he had been waiting for God-knows-how-long and he didn’t know how to react.
‘Did you like the girl you dated for the show? Or the model for our music video?’ he finally blurted out. Eli smirked.
‘The girl giggled too much and annoyed the crap out of me. The model acted too girly and had a boyfriend. She annoyed the crap out of me. And I’m pretty sure she annoys the poor guy she’s with, as well.’
Kevin grinned and grabbed his hand, then murmured an almost inaudible ‘Good.’
‘Kevin?’ Eli asked softly, coming closer.
‘Hm?’
‘Can I kiss you now? ‘Cause if not, that confession will make things even more weird between us.’
Kevin laughed and grabbed him by the neck, then nodded.
The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Eli’s unmatched smile.