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What was that scent….pumpkin spice? Maple? Dying leaves? Any would be an accurate presumption sometime during late November; coincidentally the time of year it happened to be right now. The air was filled with the enchanting sound of rustling, the smell of changing seasons, and the spirit of heartfelt Autumn festivities. Shades of burgundy and almond crunched under the weight of two pairs of sneakers; one red Converses, the other a pair of completely midnight blue Vans. The steps they made were made in unison; in tune with the soul connection held between the wearers. Ever so subtly the crunching beneath the Converses slowed to a stop. Looking further up, wobbly legs in a pair of dark-wash jeans could be seen, a grunt of discomfort coming to the ear.
"Grrrrrragh! 46 degrees, really Washington? What’d I ever do to you?" The wearer of the red shoes, Dave, exclaimed. The wearer of the dark vans, John, shook his head a little ways up the path as he pivoted on his toe. He crossed his arms with a halfhearted sigh.
"Tsk. As if you can’t handle a brisk walk in the park. A literal walk in the park, Dave! Like three months ago you sat in a bathtub full of ice cubes without so much as a 'shit it's cold'," A coming breeze blew at the purple hued scarf that John had wrapped around his shoulders. It tickled his nose as it did, causing his nose to crinkle and sniffle. Dave swept the blonde locks that the breeze blew away back to where the belonged; in front of his face.
"Dude. That was completely different. Jesus fuck, why did Bro even agree to move us out here? We all can have a drink to the fact that Texas was the shit compared to this hell-hole of a state. It’s not even the capital yet it still has the audacity to be named after our first president. So pretentious. " John with the dark hair made a mocking sound through his abnormal teeth, shoving his hands in his jean pockets for warmth as he walked back to Dave.
"Even though I only lived here a year before I moved to Texas 12 years ago, this is still my hometown. And I won’t have you trashing it just cause you’re a dumb pussy-willow who can’t take the cold, even though you're a self proclaimed ‘cool-kid’. Now, the faster you stop your whining, the quicker we can get to my house for that pumpkin hot cocoa stuff my dad makes that you love so much."
A nod was gained from the totally calmed and cool blonde as he shivered, blowing a stray leaf from his face.
"Hell yeah. Still, it’s my turn with the Holy Scarf of Lalonddon. Pass it over." John boy slid his hands under the scarf with a furrowed brow and puckered lip.
"Ha, no way. You know Rose made me this scarf. I’ll be damned if you ever get your grubby little paws on it, Strider! I can see about getting you one for your birthday, though." John simpered.
Dave made a face, yanking the item from the slightly taller boy’s shoulders.
"Don’t gimme that shit. I’m freezing now. Unless you wanna walk around sharing a scarf with me for the next three weeks, I think you better hurry up with my present." John let out an airy laugh. He took the knit neck-wear from Dave’s hands and wrapped it around his pale, mildly-freckled neck.
"Whatever, you can have it. For now. Just until I can get you a better one." He turned and started the crunchy trek through the tree-lined path again, "but that’s only part one of your present."
Dave smiled briefly and followed after him, his long legs giving him a flowing stride. An inquiring sound was produced in his throat as he caught up.
"Wait, part one? Don't mean to be quoting Spongebob here, but what’s the part two? Is this a trilogy too or are you gonna cheat me here and limit my 14th birthday to two lousy John-gambit joke gifts?" The crunching of leaves sped up as John quickened his pace with a groan.
"If you must know it’s only a two parter-"
"Go figure."
"-But! I also have a surprise for you that isn't a birthday present per se, but is a-"
"I’m gonna stop you right there." Dave now walked along side John, eyes set forward, "I don’t want to know. I can endure the wait, Even if the anticipation gnaws at my heart strings until I go into emotion induced cardiac arrest. Unfit to live. Dead without the closure of your surprise. My soul aching throughout eternity for the answer only solved through theory. But, alas, it was all your fault because you brought it up in the first place."
Buck teeth bore a grin on John’s face. His hand reached out to hold Dave’s, keeping their pace matched. Without his cool hipster scarf, John was getting a chill himself and it was time to get home. He just laughed and tugged on his bestfriend’s arm to decrease their travel time. They walked like that silently for a while, calmly watching the sky as clouds moved along its dimming backdrop. Soon they were away from the dirty tree-lined path and onto open pavement.
"Fine. In a way I guess it’s better that I don’t hint to you what I’m planning. Even though we both know that you already know what it is, to an extent. Ironically."
"What even was that sentence. But yeah, why do you have to be such a dork about this anyway? Can’t we keep this professional and subtle, like it’s been for the past three months? I mean, we both get the idea. I never got the whole "make a big scene so everyone knows the extent of my burning fervor" reveal thing anyway. Who cares?" The taller of the two simply sighed and drug them both to the front step of his home. He turned to Dave with a somewhat of a woeful face, which instantly perked up when Dave squeezed back at his hand reassuringly. John tapped him on the bridge of his nose and begrudgingly tugged him through the Egbert-home door.
Dave knew just as well as John did that those three months weren't subtleties, but a vow of silence against fear of embarrassment. They were mutually caught off guard by the bathtub revelation back in August. And since then, neither of them spoke of it in detail, nor did John ever get that second kiss. Things just progressed as usual between them, sans the intensified hand holds; something both parties insisted was completely platonic to their perspective guardians. Homosexuality, after all, wasn't something that most peers would take kindly to. It's just one of those things that everyone knows as common fact, but never brings up for discussion. Despite their silence about the ordeal, it was far from out of mind, and both understood this with exchanged meaningful glances. They knew each other better than they'd like to acknowledge publicly.
"I dunno. I am just getting sick of us both knowing and not acknowledging it out in the open," John grumbled with a tint of distraught pink on his cheek.
"That's just it. If we both already get the point why do we need to talk it out?"
"It's been three months, I guess I just thought some reassurance would be nice. But I guess that's too much to ask of you." He simmered, waving to his father who looked somewhat dumbfounded by their conversation and the two boys wondered into the kitchen.
Dadbert glared at the boys entering the kitchen with knowing and curious eyes, switching back and forth between the two children. Dave would be nervous if he wasn’t already used to the questioning parental death glare. Instead he'd deadpan until he finally loosened up.
Dad cleared his throat and handed the boys their designated mugs with a soothing smile on his refined lip. “You boys stay warm. It’s starting to get cold and I don’t want you getting sick.” His sort of wicked smile stuck as he watched the friends look back from one another.
"Yeah thanks Dad. We will. " John rolled his eyes, though they all knew it was an insincere gesture. John wouldn't say directly, but he was grateful to have such a supportive and loving father. Not everyone was lucky enough to have that.
Dave directed his eyes to his beverage to avoid further contact with Dad. This was ineffective, however, as dad predicatively placed a firm hand in his shoulder, his other on Johns. It was his nonverbal way of saying he was proud without the usual note. Best dad ever.
"My boys." The middle aged man spoke warmly. To him, they were both his sons, and everyone knew. Yeah yeah. Everyone’s in on everything.
"We’re getting so big! You're so happy to see we’re still getting along. Yes, we are staying out of trouble. Ect. Ect. Ect. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, we're gonna be in the backyard," John spoke up with the intent of getting through the formalities as quickly as humanly possible. Dad opened his mouth for a word, but John was already tugging Dave and himself through the pantry and the back door.
"We love you too, Dad." With that the door was shut, separating the boys from a mildly distraught and overly proud father.
They produced a long, mutual sigh as they leaned back against the back of the house. What a relief they could get away so quickly. Encounters with Dad usually require a linguistic showdown or worse; familiar bonding. By now they were used to it, of course, but it still brought a strain when they already had plans other then to goof off with their wily, yet dapper father figure.
John pressed the warm decorative mug to his chapped lips as he stole a glance at Dave. Dave was looking back. Neither of them turned away. John slowly had a sip of his cocoa. Dave mimicked. John had a sip again. And from there it didn't stop. At that moment they were mirroring each other, mug in hand, sneaky staring, back against the wall. All the while they locked eyes with each other in an unannounced staring contest until they were both a mess of quivering grins and shaky, cold hands. Soon they were both choking on the air they breathed as well as the scorching hot liquid they drank. It was meaningless, breathless, and deafeningly ugly laughter, but neither of them could find the means to stop it.
Finally, after the coughing went down, Dave spoke up. "Dude-pfft. Okay man, shut up. No-hah-NOTHING'S FUNNY! What the hell?" He held his mug out from his body and attempted to wipe off the awkward smirk that stained his lips.
"Heh... yeah. I know."
"God, we're dumb. Jesus take the wheel."
"I think we'd be better off crashing than interrupting Jesus' day."
"Ain't that the truth." Dave gulped down a good portion of what was left of his cocoa, eyeing John who looked down at his. It was silent for a moment as they both calmed down. "So...what's up with my birthday? I mean part two, what's that all about?"
John snickered at the question and took another sip. "It's...something. Nothing could live up to the last gift I gave you. And I thought you didn't want any hints."
"Well I change my mind. Maybe you''ll get me an even more ironic pair of shades that I'll genuinely love."
"Like that's even possible! Anyway, it doesn't matter. You'll just have to wait and see, you impatient, insufferable ass."
"Waiting is bull shit if I'm going to find out anyway. You might as well spill the beans while I'm already worked up instead of exacting the moment right when my anticipation is boiled over and frothing from the metaphorical pot of childishness."
John nudged his shoulder, shaking his head. "Calm down, Dave. You probably won't even think it's such a big deal when I finally do give it to you. Material things between us is a little...mundane of a gesture. At least that's what I think. Me giving you this is more for me than it is for you."
"Well, I sure hope this present you're giving me on MY birthday will make you very happy."
"Shut up. What I mean is that it goes without saying how I feel about you. And I... like to think you feel the same way whether you admit it or not. Gifts and all that jazz are just like a fancy icing on a cake that was already good enough and not made by Betty Crocker."
"Firstly, you can never over-improve a cake, Egbert. And secondly, it seems like you're finally starting to get this. I still don't see the point in you making such a big hubbub about this gift if it was never that much of a big deal in the first place."
"Hang on a minute, I am not the one that was making a big deal about it! I just told you there was something that you weren't aware of yet and you just ran with it! Maybe I just wanted to give my boyfriend a nice surprise for his birthday. Is that so much of a crime?"
"I mean, in some states you'll lose your job over it. In some countries you might even get lynched," Dave set his mug down in the frosted grass with a small 'thud'. "If you haven't noticed, John, not everyone gives a shit if we're "in love" or whatever the hell you want to call it. Nobody cares because we're both guys and it's no news to either of us that guys who mac on guys get their asses kicked. And if it wasn't clear I don't really like the idea of my boyfriend getting his ass kicked over something fucking stupid like that."
"What? What are you even talking about."
"Why do you act like this is all news to you‽‽ It's not that hard to comprehend really. The guy is gay, his ass gets handed to him. He filed for a lawsuit, guy gets blamed because it was apparently his fault for flaunting his appreciation for dicks all over the place like some kind of phallic-happy, rabid peacock-sucker!" Dave shook his head and gathered his thoughts. "Look, I get that we have this thing going on, and you're excited, because you're John and anything that excites you you just have to preach it to the heavens, but the fact of the matter is we are dangerous together. And I don't get why it's such a huge thing that we don't do typical lovey-dovey stuff out in public. Why can't this just be enough for you?" Dave stared at John with the sincerest of questioning glances on his face.
John sputtered, "B-Because it isn't!" He yelped, shaking a nearby tree of its feathered inhabitants. "I don't care what kind of risks come with it, if I did I wouldn't be so insistent on being open with you. But you always," he exhaled sharply, "you always shut yourself off from me. It's like what everyone else thinks of us is more important to you than what we are. If that's the case why don't we just stop pretending like we have a relationship and just go back to being friends. If that would make you happier than I'd be glad to do it. Anything is better than being your burden."
Dave was offended by the notation. "A burden? That's what you think you are to you? Because, look if I'm not enough for you like I am now," He paused and swallowed, gripping his fists as he looked at John, "I will try harder."
John looked on befuddled. "What?"
"You're right. I have been neglecting all the important shit that it takes to be in a relationship with someone you really want it to work with. I'm just... so afraid that something is gonna happen to you and it'll be my fault for dragging you down to my level."
"How many times do I have to tell you that this is my choice?? I want to be with you and I want you to be happy. Think about my side of this for once, you aren't alone." He reached out and held Dave's hands. "I am here. It's not "you and i". It's just "us" and it has been for as long as I can remember."
Dave straightened his legs and tilted his head up so his lips would catch John's for a fleeting moment. He squeezed the taller boy's hands in his own as he pulled away and let the cloud of his breath ghost over his pink lips.
"John. I love you. But your boyfriend is an idiot."