Map of your head (chapter 5)
Title: Map of your head
Fandom: U-KISS
Characters & Pairings: Elvin, Xander, OFC, other possible episodic characters.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Humor, Drama
Summary: "Because the language confuses, like computers refuse to understand how I'm feeling today."
Eli is new to this world. Kevin makes him feel like home.
Disclaimer: The title belongs to English rock-band Muse, as well as the lyrics, extracted from their 2002 album entitled ”Hullabaloo”. I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with the named group, or any characters presented in this writing. No copyright infringement intended.
Read: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Day six.
-Part two-
Eli held Kevin’s hand the entire taxi ride back to his house, while occasionally asking him if he was okay, or if he needed anything. In response, Kevin would smile reassuringly, cuddling into him more and more. Eli promised himself to never bring up the reason for Kevin’s condition again, after seeing how severely it had affected him.
As they got out of the cab and entered the building, he could feel Kevin’s excitement. He was just hoping he wouldn’t be too disappointed, since the modest apartment didn’t hold anything extraordinary, not to mention it had been left in a rather messy state. He unlocked the door and let Kevin ingress first, closely following him and watching his reaction. At first he just looked around curiously, but after proceeding into the bedroom, his tampered expression turned into a thrilled one, as he displayed a wide smile. The first thing he did was to take off his shoes and align them neatly to the wall, while Eli simply threw his pair in opposite directions.
‘I haven’t been in an actual house in ages’ Kevin exclaimed, while the ecstatic expression of his face kept on growing. ‘In the beginning, when I was first hospitalized, I would sometimes be allowed to go back home and spend a weekend or so there, then I would come back. But this happened very rarely, more or less once a month. Then it just became more and more infrequent, up to the point in which I stopped visiting home completely. My parents would occasionally come over, but since they have businesses to run, they’re out of the country almost every day of they year. So they pretty much stopped dropping by, too.’
‘Do you miss them?’
‘Not really. We were never really close. Our relationship doesn’t really consist of love, more like of responsibility. They know they should take care of me and pay for my monthly taxes at the asylum, since they’re obligated, while I know I shouldn’t interfere in their trips and business and just play the role of an obedient son. But I don’t mind, I get along with mostly everybody there, so it’s okay. They’re my new family now. And besides, I have Xander, which I love like my own brother.’
‘And he loves you too.’
‘He does.’ Kevin smiled again.
Eli felt a little jealous whenever the younger mentioned Alexander, but he knew he had no reason to. For some odd whatfor, he felt like saying ‘You know, you have me, too, not only Xander’, but decided it was better to just keep quiet. He noticed a major improvement in Kevin’s behavior compared to earlier. His mood seemed to have suddenly lit up, which appeased him.
He took his hoodie off and motioned for Kevin to do the same, then took both of them into the hallway, hanging them onto the peg. When he returned into the main room, Kevin was staring outside the window. He appeared to be dazzled by the view (not at all impressive, by Eli’s standards), thus forgetting to close his mouth, which the older found adorable. He then walked slowly towards him and placed his hands on his shoulders. It was weird how Kevin always smelled good, even if Eli knew for a fact he didn’t use any sort of cologne or perfume.
‘Is there something bothering you?’
Kevin instantly awoke from his reverie, turning around for a second, before deviating his attention to the window again.
‘Nothing’ he answered simply. ‘It’s pretty here.’
‘It’s small, messy, noisy during the day, sometimes even during the night. I have loud neighbors and dust that needs to be cleaned off. Every single person in this building owns a pet, which makes it impossible to have peace and quiet even for a split second. The mold and stains from the walls are slowly building a family together, but I have no money to repaint. The space is limited, the kitchen is falling apart and the ceiling is on the verge of collapsing. The floor is unstable, which means one of these days I’ll probably end up in Mrs. Olga’s bedroom. I know she’ll be delighted to have me, especially after I accidentally made her trip down the stairs last month. It’s anything but pretty in here.’
Kevin started laughing so hard, he was shaking. Eli didn’t find it amusing, he found it disastrous, but couldn’t help to join in, since Kevin’s laugh was addictive.
‘The stains on the wall are special in their own way. They tell stories. All drawings do. Like the ones from the hospital. People need to learn how the cherish the small things in life as well, not only the big ones.’ he said after calming himself down.
Eli wasn’t sure he grasped entirely what Kevin had said, but at least he got the essential of it. He then opened the balcony’s door, allowing him to go outside and have a better look.
‘I’m going to make some sandwiches and popcorn, then we can watch something, or maybe play a game. How’s that sound?’
‘It keeps getting better and better.’ Kevin couldn’t stop smiling, which made Eli’s tummy flutter. He didn’t know why the sudden feeling, but he didn’t stop to question it.
As he prepared the sandwiches, making sure to add everything Kevin would like, a realization hit him. It had been months since the last time a person actually entered his house. During his courses at university, a colleague would occasionally drop by, but only to pick up a certain book, or to briefly discuss something about a project and then leave. The house itself felt big and cold at times, even though its size was barely sufficient for no more than three people. He remembered wishing for somebody to come over during holidays, but that never happened. And now that Kevin was there, enjoying every square inch of it, the house wasn’t a simple house anymore - it was a home. Having Kevin as a guest and preparing breakfast for him felt so new, yet so natural. It was curious how well he matched Eli’s personality, even if he had only known him for a week. They should have been awkward around each other, but instead of arraying clumsy gestures and uncomfortable conversations, they fitted with each other like two puzzle pieces that were destined to suit and form a perfect shape.
After finishing both the sandwiches and the popcorn, he found Kevin peaking his head through the door, drawn by the alluring smell.
‘Looks good’ he added. ‘Do you always cook for yourself?’
‘I don’t think ‘cook’ is the correct term’ Eli said, taking everything and heading for the bedroom. ‘I only know how to make simple dishes, such as soup, pasta, eggs and everything fast-food related. That can barely be called cooking. And sometimes, when I don’t feel like putting much effort into preparing dinner, I’ll just order it. But that seldom happens, since I need to divide the little money I make properly. In fact, come to think about it, the last real meal I had was over a year ago, at a friend’s birthday party. He held it in a restaurant.’
‘Well, cooking seems like fun. I wish I knew how to do it.’
They sat on the bed and turned on the TV, with the goodies next to them. Eli leaned on the bed’s backrest, comfortably arranging some pillows for Kevin to sit next to him. The younger did, but instead of relaxing his head onto the cushions, he placed it on Eli’s shoulder, then started munching hungrily from one of the sandwiches.
‘You were really starving, weren’t you?’ Eli asked, chuckling.
‘These are really good.’ Kevin replied with his mouth full.
After finishing everything up they started playing games. Eli really owned a variety of different action and adventure ones, even if the majority consisted in strategic matches. Each time they had to pick a certain color for their characters’ clothing, Kevin would go for blue, sustaining that it was his favorite color and it brought him good luck. And he didn’t lie - he won on most levels, even though it was his first time playing. He didn’t even need to concentrate that much, since it seemed that handling a race or a robot fight simply came natural to him. It was a surprise to Eli, which was used to winning all the time.
**
They were at their seventh game already, with other various CDs scattered around them, popcorn leftovers and two empty juice glasses, when all of a sudden Kevin got up and stretched, yawning.
‘I feel tired’, he announced. ‘What time is it?’
‘It’s 2:10 PM’, Eli checked the clock. ‘Do you want to take a nap? There’s still time to hang around, I don’t think nurse Bess will mind if we stay a while longer.’
‘Sleep sounds good right now. But I don’t want to sleep alone.’
‘But I’ll be right here.’ Eli said, confused. Kevin didn’t mind sleeping so many nights alone, in a hospital room, but he minded this time?
‘No, I meant alone in this twin-sized bed. Aren’t you also tired?’
‘Oh… well, not really, no…’
Kevin looked disappointed.
‘But if I think about it, I could use some rest, yeah.’ he then added quickly, seeing his somewhat hurt expression.
They positioned themselves as comfy as they found suited, with Eli laid on his back and Kevin already dozing off with his head on his shoulder and an arm on his chest. The fact that he was using Eli as his personal pillow didn’t seem to bother the older, who had to admit to himself that the feeling was actually kind of nice. Kevin felt warm and breakable, which dictated a weird awareness inside of him, a sensation that was screaming to offer protection to the delicate creature that was clinging onto him. He didn’t feel sleepy at all, but holding Kevin like that felt so right, that it didn’t really matter anymore.
Almost two hours later he started waking up, at first just moving slightly, then opening his eyes completely and looking up at Eli. He was in the same position he had fallen asleep in, which caused Eli’s arm to become numb. Regardless, the named one just smiled down at him, stroking his hair and being surprised that he looked exactly the same as before slumbering. He looked pretty and had an illuminated expression on his face.
‘I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that you’re not tired anymore.’
‘I’m not.’ Kevin smiled, getting up and stretching his arms. ‘I slept really well.’
‘I’m glad. We should eat something and get going.’
‘But I don’t wanna go back.’ Kevin whined. ‘I like it here, with you. I like spending time together, like this. It’s nice.’
‘To tell you a secret, I like it too. But we made a promise and we need to accomplish it. Besides, they’ll worry about us if we don’t return soon. It’s already been like…what, eight hours, more or less, since we’ve been missing. And you made an agreement that you would listen to me, remember?’
‘I know…’ Kevin sighed. ‘Can we do this again sometimes? I really enjoyed it.’
That made Eli feel insanely happy, for some reason, but he didn’t show much of it. He got out of bed and went for the kitchen.
‘If nurse Bess and Alexander agree, we can do this whenever you feel like.’ he yelled from the other room. He heard Kevin clapping his hands.
They ordered pizza and watched more TV, while waiting for it to arrive and during their eating. Kevin kept pointing at miscellaneous things during the broadcasting of several music videos, amazed at how pretty everybody was and how impressive their choreographies were. Eli didn’t think he would know many artists, or even any at all, but much to his surprise he recognized everybody that appeared on TV, as well as naming background information for each and every one of them. He seemed to have very specific opinions about certain artists or groups, while he would criticize others as being too commercial or overrated. It was like he had been in the entertainment business himself and knew exactly what he was talking about. Eli didn’t recognize most of them, only the popular ones.
‘How come you know so much about them? I mean, I know you listen to a lot of music and are very passionate about it, but that’s actually accurate information.’
‘Well, even if we have a television at the hospital, it only streams really boring channels. And since Xander knows how much I love music and keeping myself updated, he brings me a lot of magazines and news about the entire music industry. And even though staff aren’t allowed, he would sometimes also bring his laptop and we watch music channels together.’
Of course, it had to be Alexander again, Eli thought.
‘I see’ he said, without adding anything else. ‘We should get going, it’s getting late. Let me go to the bathroom and when I get I’ll call a cab.’
‘Already?’ Kevin pouted.
‘I don’t like it either, but we must. You know that.’
‘I do. I just wish we could have stayed a little longer. It’s not often that I get to go outside the hospital’s yard.’
Eli felt like hugging him, but something stopped him. He didn’t know if it was the constant reminding of Alexander, or the fact that he was aware he shouldn’t get too close to a particular patient, while ignoring the others. Like nurse Bess said, favoritism doesn’t cut it.
**
The taxi ride seemed to have lasted way too little. Eli wished he would somehow be endowed with a magical force that would allow him to stop time, or at least lengthen it. He still felt as if he hadn’t had done anything special for Kevin (since, who knew, maybe they wouldn’t get a chance like that again), even if the younger kept thanking him for the unforgettable day. They made one final stop to buy Kevin another energizer, which he drunk almost in an instant, then arrived in front of the asylum’s large metal gates. He paid the driver, thinking at the same time about all the economies he had to do in the next few weeks.
As they were getting out of the elevator on the second floor, Alexander was just about to enter it. He smiled widely when he almost bumped into them. Eli didn’t feel particularly happy to see him, even if technically he hadn’t committed anything wrong to him, and felt even more miserable when Kevin jumped into his arms.
‘Well, look what we have here.’ he exclaimed. ‘How was it? Did you two have a good time?’
‘The best.’ Kevin almost squealed. ‘We walked a lot on the side of this gorgeous lake, like you wouldn’t imagine, and then we visited an aquarium and an observatory, which was far better than anything books or the TV could cover.’
And that was when Eli saw a different side of Kevin. A mischievous face capable of lying way better than he had imagined. It didn’t even look like he was trying, it just came so natural that it made him wonder exactly how many times had Kevin done this before.
‘So you did, huh? And were there a lot of people?’
Eli sensed a trick question, like he was testing both of them. So maybe Alexander knew Kevin was capable of acting and was trying to make him confess something hidden. If that was the case, he knew it was better to shut up and let Kevin do the talking.
‘Surprisingly, no. There were a bit, at the food stands, but besides them it was sort of empty wherever we went. And then we walked on a giant bridge and made wishes by throwing coins into the river.’
‘You throw them into a fountain, not a river.’ Alexander laughed.
‘That’s what I told him.’ Eli joined in, rolling his eyes and pretending to be amused.
‘I see. Well then, I need to take these files to the archives, before I get scolded again by doctor Warwick. I’m glad you had fun. I’ll see you a in a bit, Kevin. And Eli, are you going home now, or later? Should we share an elevator?’
‘Actually, I’m going to drop Kevin off properly, then I’m on my way.’
‘Right then. See you tomorrow.’
And with that he disappeared inside the small metal box that still made the noise Eli couldn’t stand. The other two started walking towards Kevin’s room.
‘You know, that was… very good lying.’ Eli said. ‘Where did you learn to fake like that?’
‘In school.’
‘They taught you how to lie in school?’ Eli asked with awe.
‘No, not like that.’ Kevin laughed. ‘I mean I had to display a normal attitude in front of my classmates all the time, even if I felt weird being around them. So it kind of develop by itself.’
After arriving in front of Kevin’s door, he turned towards Eli and hugged him.
‘Thank you again. You have no idea how much this meant to me.’
‘I’m glad I could make you happy.’
They stood like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s warmth and scent. After pulling apart, Kevin still kept his arms around his neck, while Eli hold his hands a little above his waist. There was nobody else on the corridor.
‘I… I want to try something.’ Kevin whispered, coming closer. ‘But I don’t want you to get mad at me.’
‘What?’ Eli asked softly, undergoing a strange sensation in his stomach. Kevin’s face was dangerously close. So close, he could feel his breath on his lips. His heart was beating fast, but he didn’t know why.
And then, as the distance between them had vanished and Kevin’s lips touched his own, an explosion went inside him. His entire body felt like electrified, as a sweet and soft pair of lips were massaging his own. He closed his eyes, entranced by this new feel; and then he felt Kevin’s tongue trying to reach out.
‘Stop!’ Eli shouted, taken a step back.
Kevin looked shocked and hurt at the same time. He had been left with his arms hanging.
‘This isn’t right. Why did you do that?’
‘I’m sorry, I… I thought you liked me.’ Kevin barely spoke.
‘Goddammit, Kevin, I do. But not like that.’ Eli said, turning his back and walking away.
Kevin felt like screaming after him, but he simply stood there, watching him pacing off quickly, without looking back.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Notes: So, the highly awaited kissing scene. Which was, eh, let's say different from how you expected it. Also, I need to apologize for any mistakes I might have made. I wrote this at 5 AM, 'cause I'm cool like that. And one last thing: I know for a fact more people read this than it is shown, so please stop being a silent reader. Comment, because comments are love. <3
And because I like offering visual support, here is what Eli's apartment looks like. They gray thingy in the bedroom is the bed, and the blue markers are windows.
Fandom: U-KISS
Characters & Pairings: Elvin, Xander, OFC, other possible episodic characters.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Humor, Drama
Summary: "Because the language confuses, like computers refuse to understand how I'm feeling today."
Eli is new to this world. Kevin makes him feel like home.
Disclaimer: The title belongs to English rock-band Muse, as well as the lyrics, extracted from their 2002 album entitled ”Hullabaloo”. I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with the named group, or any characters presented in this writing. No copyright infringement intended.
Read: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Day six.
-Part two-
Eli held Kevin’s hand the entire taxi ride back to his house, while occasionally asking him if he was okay, or if he needed anything. In response, Kevin would smile reassuringly, cuddling into him more and more. Eli promised himself to never bring up the reason for Kevin’s condition again, after seeing how severely it had affected him.
As they got out of the cab and entered the building, he could feel Kevin’s excitement. He was just hoping he wouldn’t be too disappointed, since the modest apartment didn’t hold anything extraordinary, not to mention it had been left in a rather messy state. He unlocked the door and let Kevin ingress first, closely following him and watching his reaction. At first he just looked around curiously, but after proceeding into the bedroom, his tampered expression turned into a thrilled one, as he displayed a wide smile. The first thing he did was to take off his shoes and align them neatly to the wall, while Eli simply threw his pair in opposite directions.
‘I haven’t been in an actual house in ages’ Kevin exclaimed, while the ecstatic expression of his face kept on growing. ‘In the beginning, when I was first hospitalized, I would sometimes be allowed to go back home and spend a weekend or so there, then I would come back. But this happened very rarely, more or less once a month. Then it just became more and more infrequent, up to the point in which I stopped visiting home completely. My parents would occasionally come over, but since they have businesses to run, they’re out of the country almost every day of they year. So they pretty much stopped dropping by, too.’
‘Do you miss them?’
‘Not really. We were never really close. Our relationship doesn’t really consist of love, more like of responsibility. They know they should take care of me and pay for my monthly taxes at the asylum, since they’re obligated, while I know I shouldn’t interfere in their trips and business and just play the role of an obedient son. But I don’t mind, I get along with mostly everybody there, so it’s okay. They’re my new family now. And besides, I have Xander, which I love like my own brother.’
‘And he loves you too.’
‘He does.’ Kevin smiled again.
Eli felt a little jealous whenever the younger mentioned Alexander, but he knew he had no reason to. For some odd whatfor, he felt like saying ‘You know, you have me, too, not only Xander’, but decided it was better to just keep quiet. He noticed a major improvement in Kevin’s behavior compared to earlier. His mood seemed to have suddenly lit up, which appeased him.
He took his hoodie off and motioned for Kevin to do the same, then took both of them into the hallway, hanging them onto the peg. When he returned into the main room, Kevin was staring outside the window. He appeared to be dazzled by the view (not at all impressive, by Eli’s standards), thus forgetting to close his mouth, which the older found adorable. He then walked slowly towards him and placed his hands on his shoulders. It was weird how Kevin always smelled good, even if Eli knew for a fact he didn’t use any sort of cologne or perfume.
‘Is there something bothering you?’
Kevin instantly awoke from his reverie, turning around for a second, before deviating his attention to the window again.
‘Nothing’ he answered simply. ‘It’s pretty here.’
‘It’s small, messy, noisy during the day, sometimes even during the night. I have loud neighbors and dust that needs to be cleaned off. Every single person in this building owns a pet, which makes it impossible to have peace and quiet even for a split second. The mold and stains from the walls are slowly building a family together, but I have no money to repaint. The space is limited, the kitchen is falling apart and the ceiling is on the verge of collapsing. The floor is unstable, which means one of these days I’ll probably end up in Mrs. Olga’s bedroom. I know she’ll be delighted to have me, especially after I accidentally made her trip down the stairs last month. It’s anything but pretty in here.’
Kevin started laughing so hard, he was shaking. Eli didn’t find it amusing, he found it disastrous, but couldn’t help to join in, since Kevin’s laugh was addictive.
‘The stains on the wall are special in their own way. They tell stories. All drawings do. Like the ones from the hospital. People need to learn how the cherish the small things in life as well, not only the big ones.’ he said after calming himself down.
Eli wasn’t sure he grasped entirely what Kevin had said, but at least he got the essential of it. He then opened the balcony’s door, allowing him to go outside and have a better look.
‘I’m going to make some sandwiches and popcorn, then we can watch something, or maybe play a game. How’s that sound?’
‘It keeps getting better and better.’ Kevin couldn’t stop smiling, which made Eli’s tummy flutter. He didn’t know why the sudden feeling, but he didn’t stop to question it.
As he prepared the sandwiches, making sure to add everything Kevin would like, a realization hit him. It had been months since the last time a person actually entered his house. During his courses at university, a colleague would occasionally drop by, but only to pick up a certain book, or to briefly discuss something about a project and then leave. The house itself felt big and cold at times, even though its size was barely sufficient for no more than three people. He remembered wishing for somebody to come over during holidays, but that never happened. And now that Kevin was there, enjoying every square inch of it, the house wasn’t a simple house anymore - it was a home. Having Kevin as a guest and preparing breakfast for him felt so new, yet so natural. It was curious how well he matched Eli’s personality, even if he had only known him for a week. They should have been awkward around each other, but instead of arraying clumsy gestures and uncomfortable conversations, they fitted with each other like two puzzle pieces that were destined to suit and form a perfect shape.
After finishing both the sandwiches and the popcorn, he found Kevin peaking his head through the door, drawn by the alluring smell.
‘Looks good’ he added. ‘Do you always cook for yourself?’
‘I don’t think ‘cook’ is the correct term’ Eli said, taking everything and heading for the bedroom. ‘I only know how to make simple dishes, such as soup, pasta, eggs and everything fast-food related. That can barely be called cooking. And sometimes, when I don’t feel like putting much effort into preparing dinner, I’ll just order it. But that seldom happens, since I need to divide the little money I make properly. In fact, come to think about it, the last real meal I had was over a year ago, at a friend’s birthday party. He held it in a restaurant.’
‘Well, cooking seems like fun. I wish I knew how to do it.’
They sat on the bed and turned on the TV, with the goodies next to them. Eli leaned on the bed’s backrest, comfortably arranging some pillows for Kevin to sit next to him. The younger did, but instead of relaxing his head onto the cushions, he placed it on Eli’s shoulder, then started munching hungrily from one of the sandwiches.
‘You were really starving, weren’t you?’ Eli asked, chuckling.
‘These are really good.’ Kevin replied with his mouth full.
After finishing everything up they started playing games. Eli really owned a variety of different action and adventure ones, even if the majority consisted in strategic matches. Each time they had to pick a certain color for their characters’ clothing, Kevin would go for blue, sustaining that it was his favorite color and it brought him good luck. And he didn’t lie - he won on most levels, even though it was his first time playing. He didn’t even need to concentrate that much, since it seemed that handling a race or a robot fight simply came natural to him. It was a surprise to Eli, which was used to winning all the time.
**
They were at their seventh game already, with other various CDs scattered around them, popcorn leftovers and two empty juice glasses, when all of a sudden Kevin got up and stretched, yawning.
‘I feel tired’, he announced. ‘What time is it?’
‘It’s 2:10 PM’, Eli checked the clock. ‘Do you want to take a nap? There’s still time to hang around, I don’t think nurse Bess will mind if we stay a while longer.’
‘Sleep sounds good right now. But I don’t want to sleep alone.’
‘But I’ll be right here.’ Eli said, confused. Kevin didn’t mind sleeping so many nights alone, in a hospital room, but he minded this time?
‘No, I meant alone in this twin-sized bed. Aren’t you also tired?’
‘Oh… well, not really, no…’
Kevin looked disappointed.
‘But if I think about it, I could use some rest, yeah.’ he then added quickly, seeing his somewhat hurt expression.
They positioned themselves as comfy as they found suited, with Eli laid on his back and Kevin already dozing off with his head on his shoulder and an arm on his chest. The fact that he was using Eli as his personal pillow didn’t seem to bother the older, who had to admit to himself that the feeling was actually kind of nice. Kevin felt warm and breakable, which dictated a weird awareness inside of him, a sensation that was screaming to offer protection to the delicate creature that was clinging onto him. He didn’t feel sleepy at all, but holding Kevin like that felt so right, that it didn’t really matter anymore.
Almost two hours later he started waking up, at first just moving slightly, then opening his eyes completely and looking up at Eli. He was in the same position he had fallen asleep in, which caused Eli’s arm to become numb. Regardless, the named one just smiled down at him, stroking his hair and being surprised that he looked exactly the same as before slumbering. He looked pretty and had an illuminated expression on his face.
‘I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that you’re not tired anymore.’
‘I’m not.’ Kevin smiled, getting up and stretching his arms. ‘I slept really well.’
‘I’m glad. We should eat something and get going.’
‘But I don’t wanna go back.’ Kevin whined. ‘I like it here, with you. I like spending time together, like this. It’s nice.’
‘To tell you a secret, I like it too. But we made a promise and we need to accomplish it. Besides, they’ll worry about us if we don’t return soon. It’s already been like…what, eight hours, more or less, since we’ve been missing. And you made an agreement that you would listen to me, remember?’
‘I know…’ Kevin sighed. ‘Can we do this again sometimes? I really enjoyed it.’
That made Eli feel insanely happy, for some reason, but he didn’t show much of it. He got out of bed and went for the kitchen.
‘If nurse Bess and Alexander agree, we can do this whenever you feel like.’ he yelled from the other room. He heard Kevin clapping his hands.
They ordered pizza and watched more TV, while waiting for it to arrive and during their eating. Kevin kept pointing at miscellaneous things during the broadcasting of several music videos, amazed at how pretty everybody was and how impressive their choreographies were. Eli didn’t think he would know many artists, or even any at all, but much to his surprise he recognized everybody that appeared on TV, as well as naming background information for each and every one of them. He seemed to have very specific opinions about certain artists or groups, while he would criticize others as being too commercial or overrated. It was like he had been in the entertainment business himself and knew exactly what he was talking about. Eli didn’t recognize most of them, only the popular ones.
‘How come you know so much about them? I mean, I know you listen to a lot of music and are very passionate about it, but that’s actually accurate information.’
‘Well, even if we have a television at the hospital, it only streams really boring channels. And since Xander knows how much I love music and keeping myself updated, he brings me a lot of magazines and news about the entire music industry. And even though staff aren’t allowed, he would sometimes also bring his laptop and we watch music channels together.’
Of course, it had to be Alexander again, Eli thought.
‘I see’ he said, without adding anything else. ‘We should get going, it’s getting late. Let me go to the bathroom and when I get I’ll call a cab.’
‘Already?’ Kevin pouted.
‘I don’t like it either, but we must. You know that.’
‘I do. I just wish we could have stayed a little longer. It’s not often that I get to go outside the hospital’s yard.’
Eli felt like hugging him, but something stopped him. He didn’t know if it was the constant reminding of Alexander, or the fact that he was aware he shouldn’t get too close to a particular patient, while ignoring the others. Like nurse Bess said, favoritism doesn’t cut it.
**
The taxi ride seemed to have lasted way too little. Eli wished he would somehow be endowed with a magical force that would allow him to stop time, or at least lengthen it. He still felt as if he hadn’t had done anything special for Kevin (since, who knew, maybe they wouldn’t get a chance like that again), even if the younger kept thanking him for the unforgettable day. They made one final stop to buy Kevin another energizer, which he drunk almost in an instant, then arrived in front of the asylum’s large metal gates. He paid the driver, thinking at the same time about all the economies he had to do in the next few weeks.
As they were getting out of the elevator on the second floor, Alexander was just about to enter it. He smiled widely when he almost bumped into them. Eli didn’t feel particularly happy to see him, even if technically he hadn’t committed anything wrong to him, and felt even more miserable when Kevin jumped into his arms.
‘Well, look what we have here.’ he exclaimed. ‘How was it? Did you two have a good time?’
‘The best.’ Kevin almost squealed. ‘We walked a lot on the side of this gorgeous lake, like you wouldn’t imagine, and then we visited an aquarium and an observatory, which was far better than anything books or the TV could cover.’
And that was when Eli saw a different side of Kevin. A mischievous face capable of lying way better than he had imagined. It didn’t even look like he was trying, it just came so natural that it made him wonder exactly how many times had Kevin done this before.
‘So you did, huh? And were there a lot of people?’
Eli sensed a trick question, like he was testing both of them. So maybe Alexander knew Kevin was capable of acting and was trying to make him confess something hidden. If that was the case, he knew it was better to shut up and let Kevin do the talking.
‘Surprisingly, no. There were a bit, at the food stands, but besides them it was sort of empty wherever we went. And then we walked on a giant bridge and made wishes by throwing coins into the river.’
‘You throw them into a fountain, not a river.’ Alexander laughed.
‘That’s what I told him.’ Eli joined in, rolling his eyes and pretending to be amused.
‘I see. Well then, I need to take these files to the archives, before I get scolded again by doctor Warwick. I’m glad you had fun. I’ll see you a in a bit, Kevin. And Eli, are you going home now, or later? Should we share an elevator?’
‘Actually, I’m going to drop Kevin off properly, then I’m on my way.’
‘Right then. See you tomorrow.’
And with that he disappeared inside the small metal box that still made the noise Eli couldn’t stand. The other two started walking towards Kevin’s room.
‘You know, that was… very good lying.’ Eli said. ‘Where did you learn to fake like that?’
‘In school.’
‘They taught you how to lie in school?’ Eli asked with awe.
‘No, not like that.’ Kevin laughed. ‘I mean I had to display a normal attitude in front of my classmates all the time, even if I felt weird being around them. So it kind of develop by itself.’
After arriving in front of Kevin’s door, he turned towards Eli and hugged him.
‘Thank you again. You have no idea how much this meant to me.’
‘I’m glad I could make you happy.’
They stood like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s warmth and scent. After pulling apart, Kevin still kept his arms around his neck, while Eli hold his hands a little above his waist. There was nobody else on the corridor.
‘I… I want to try something.’ Kevin whispered, coming closer. ‘But I don’t want you to get mad at me.’
‘What?’ Eli asked softly, undergoing a strange sensation in his stomach. Kevin’s face was dangerously close. So close, he could feel his breath on his lips. His heart was beating fast, but he didn’t know why.
And then, as the distance between them had vanished and Kevin’s lips touched his own, an explosion went inside him. His entire body felt like electrified, as a sweet and soft pair of lips were massaging his own. He closed his eyes, entranced by this new feel; and then he felt Kevin’s tongue trying to reach out.
‘Stop!’ Eli shouted, taken a step back.
Kevin looked shocked and hurt at the same time. He had been left with his arms hanging.
‘This isn’t right. Why did you do that?’
‘I’m sorry, I… I thought you liked me.’ Kevin barely spoke.
‘Goddammit, Kevin, I do. But not like that.’ Eli said, turning his back and walking away.
Kevin felt like screaming after him, but he simply stood there, watching him pacing off quickly, without looking back.
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Notes: So, the highly awaited kissing scene. Which was, eh, let's say different from how you expected it. Also, I need to apologize for any mistakes I might have made. I wrote this at 5 AM, 'cause I'm cool like that. And one last thing: I know for a fact more people read this than it is shown, so please stop being a silent reader. Comment, because comments are love. <3
And because I like offering visual support, here is what Eli's apartment looks like. They gray thingy in the bedroom is the bed, and the blue markers are windows.
