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Lucas Ruiz >>>>>>>>>>
Domingo’s POV
It was Saturday again, and that meant it was Elliot’s leaving party tonight. I could tell he wasn’t exactly excited to be the centre of attention but I was hoping he would liven up a bit once he saw how much effort we had all gone to for him.
We all loved Elliot as if he was our brother too and to be honest we didn’t want him to go either but he was stubborn and he had already signed up now so it was too late to change his mind. I was just finishing off getting ready then I was going to head over to Charlie’s before the party to help him set it up. My mom and Alfie would be following later, mom had already dropped off the food so there was nothing more for her to do.
In truth I was dreading going to Charlie’s house, he was still upset about Theo’s comments when he first arrived and he hasn’t shut up about it all week. Theo seemed to get over his need to embarrass me quickly but Charlie just wouldn’t let it drop and constantly reminded me that I shouldn’t listen because I wasn’t gay.
I hoped he was finally over it so we could just enjoy the party, Theo wasn’t bad after all it was clearly obvious he was just trying to be brave and I congratulated him for that because if I lost my mom I would never survive. I left my room and walked into the kitchen where she was forever cooking something or other, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her.
“Te amo mama.” I kissed her head.
“Yo tambien te amo.” She replied confused at my sudden confession.
“I am off to Charlie’s now I will see you at the party later ok.” I squeezed her then let go.
“Ok son see you soon have fun setting up.” She kissed me.
I walked out the apartment door and down the stairs then I began the ten minute walk to Charlie’s house, I was stopping over again so I had remembered to grab my backpack before I left. I always kept it packed with clothes, shorts and a spare toothbrush because I always stayed over at Charlie’s and he was taller than me so nothing ever fit. Plus it would be pretty gross to use someone else’s toothbrush, Charlie and I are close but not that close.
When I arrived I was surprised when Theo answered the door, he had been holed up in his room all week not really talking to anyone. I couldn’t decide if it was because he was finally coming to terms with what had happened or if it was just his mysterious persona.
“Hey hot stuff.” He said with that constant smirk on his face.
“Hey Theo, you’ve finally left your room then?” I asked.
“Charlie is making me help set up, said he’s sick of me sitting alone.” He grimaced.
“Yup sounds like Charlie alright, plus you won’t make any friends if your alone all of the time.” I smiled.
“What if I don’t want any?” He said.
“Well you have me and Charlie now so you have no choice.” I stated effectively ending the discussion
I moved passed him and I could have sworn I saw him smile but it dropped off just as quickly and his sulky façade crept back upon his face. I went to the kitchen where I could hear Charlie pottering around muttering to himself, I leant against the door and watched him as he filled the piñata with Mexican candy.
“Hey having fun?” I smiled.
“No! I am totally stressing out I am so glad you’re here.” He sighed.
“Why are you stressing, all we are doing is decorating the house, everything else is done?” I asked confused.
“Well all the bloody sweets keep falling back out of this every time I try and hang it up?” He snapped then apologised. “Sorry.”
“No problem and Charlie calm down eh?! You forgot to patch the hole up that’s all see?” I said sticking the patch over the hole for him.
“Oh.” He smiled now embarrassed.
“It’s going to be a great party ok.” I said giving him a hug.
“Aww how cute.” Theo said from the door.
“Shut up Theo I have told you Dom isn’t gay ok.” Charlie snapped again.
“I notice you don’t say that you aren’t gay cousin?” Theo stated.
“I…I never thought about it but no I’m not.” He replied to Theo.
“You don’t sound so sure.” Theo said walking away from us.
Charlie stood there for a few moments watching Theo retreat with a look of confusion on his face, I pulled him into another hug and he seemed to snap out of it. He moved away from me and picked up the piñata to try hanging it up again, he released a sigh of relief when the candy stayed in its shell.
“Sorry if he made you feel uncomfortable there, you know about being gay.” Charlie said.
“It’s ok.” I said and walked away.
We spent the rest of the afternoon putting up streamers and balloons, setting the table with all of the food my mom made and filling the kitchen with different bottles of soda for everyone. At around seven the guests started to arrive, Lucas being the first one, then he was closely followed by my mom, Alfie and Sofia.
“Where’s the guest of honour?” Lucas asked looking around.
“He hasn’t come down yet Charlie just went up to get him.” I said.
Around thirty minutes later Charlie still wasn’t down and I imagined Elliot being difficult, that guy hated being the centre of attention but he couldn’t stay away all night. There was also no sign of Theo so I assumed that Charlie would be convincing him to come down too and sure enough once all of the guests had arrived the three of them came down the stairs Charlie leading the way.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, the food was going down a treat and even Mrs Adams looked slightly happier tonight. Theo was sitting in the living room and I noticed for the first time that my brother was talking to him, it seemed from Theo’s expression that he was torn between wanting Alfonso to stay or leave. At that point Sofia walked passed me to the front door so I grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Hey where you going?” I asked smiling.
“Those two have ignored me for the last two hours, not a single word so I am going home.” She said sullenly and left without another word.
I looked back to Alfie and Theo and noticed how happy my brother was he had clearly clicked with Theo but I couldn’t imagine what they could have in common. I hoped Theo wasn’t convincing him to get a load of tattoos or something, Alfie could be so impressionable sometimes. I left them too it and walked into the kitchen to get a drink and was surprised to find Elliot in here all alone.
“Are you not having fun?” I asked concerned.
“Yeah but you know me, this wasn’t necessary.” He smiled back.
“It will keep your brother and your parents happy though.” I smiled and he nodded. “So what’s going to happen Elliot, I mean you’ve barely spoken about what you’re getting yourself into but you don’t need to protect me so come on spill.”
“Well I have around eight weeks training then I am pretty much shipped straight out to Camp Barber which is in base two of Camp Bastion, apparently because I have dual nationality I am to be working close to the English in Afghanistan.” He said.
“What? They will make you go in so soon?” I asked shocked.
“Well yeah there’s a war going on Dom what else would I be doing?” He asked confused.
“What is your job out there?” I asked.
“I will be maintaining aircraft and going out on patrol to make sure there are no attacks.” He said simply. “It’s my duty and I will be fully trained.”
“Well I guess that’s ok then.” I gulped not really believing it. ”Please just don’t do anything stupid out there ok Elliot, be safe and don’t try to play the hero if not for you, then for us ok?”
“I will don’t worry.” He said then his eyes snapped up to someone behind me and I turned to find Lucas.
“Do you… Erm… Do you mind if I have a word Elliot?” He asked.
“I’m going to find Charlie anyway.” I said leaving them be.
As I left I turned and watched as Lucas walked and stood very close in front of Elliot, before I could listen though I left and ran straight into Charlie. He smiled at me with a questioning look, almost concerned and I looked back at him perplexed I wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
“Hey I haven’t seen you all night I hope you’re still not upset about Theo calling you gay?” He asked.
“No Charlie I told you its ok.” I huffed.
We hung around for the rest of the evening, Elliot got to take first go on the piñata and ripped it open first time, well at least he had good aim he might need that. Everyone scrambled to help pick up the candy and we all laughed and cheered Elliot for getting it first go, my mom’s food had completely gone and she was very pleased that everyone had enjoyed it so much. People were slowly starting to head home and at midnight all of the adults had gone including Charlie’s parents who had gone up to bed.
“Hey Dom have you seen Sofia?” Alfie asked.
“Are you kidding bro?” I asked shocked. “She left at nine pm because you two were ignoring her.”
“I wasn’t ignoring her, we were just talking.” He said gesturing to Theo behind him. “Well I will just call her tomorrow seen as I am stopping here tonight, I hate that airbed so I am just going to crash with Theo. Night Dom.”
“Night Alfie.” I said confused as he walked away. “Er Theo, Just be careful with him, he has a girlfriend.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about I’m just being polite?” He said walking away.
Lucas interrupted my thoughts at that point as he came out of the kitchen with Elliot, had they really been talking for that long? Elliot walked straight passed and head up to bed while Lucas stood next to me watching Charlie saying goodbye to the last few people.
“Well I am off home, your stopping here right?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah I thought you were too?” I asked.
“I was going to but you’re an awful person to share a bed with no offence mate, so I called my mom and she’s waiting for me outside. See you later yeah?” He hugged me.
“Hey I am not that bad.” I chuckled hugging him back.
I watched as he went to the front door and repeated the conversation with Charlie then I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water before I head upstairs to crash out. When I went back into the hallway Charlie was heading towards the stairs waiting for me to catch up before climbing them. When I caught up he turned around and I watched him climb the stairs two at a time and walk into his bedroom, then he turned to me and handed me my back pack so I could get changed.
I went to the toilet and brushed my teeth twice due to all of the candy and soda I had consumed tonight, then I stripped and put on my shorts and head back out to Charlie’s room. He left to do the same routine and I sat on his bed and waited for him to come back, it was late but I was hoping we could watch a movie or something.
As I was contemplating what movie I would want to watch, Charlie came back into the room closing the door and locking it behind him. He had taken up that habit since Theo had come into the room and found us hugging that day, and had been muttering about privacy all week.
“Hey you’ve been quiet tonight you ok?” He asked.
“Yeah sure.” I replied confused I had been talking all night.
“You know if you’re upset about Theo’s comments you can tell me?” He said and I groaned, he continued when I didn’t reply. “I mean he’s just being Theo so it doesn’t matter right?”
“Charlie Stop!” I snapped.
“What? What’s the matter?” He asked.
“Charlie the only one that seems bothered about Theo’s comments is you! I am not bothered about what he said or whether he called me gay and I am sick of you trying to convince yourself that I am straight.” I snapped.
“I was just trying to help.” He said quietly. “I didn’t want you to get offended.”
“Well I am not offended ok?! I am offended that you would think I would be so bothered about being gay.” I said.
“What are you trying to say Domingo?” He asked.
I did the first thing that came to my head and I raced forward, grabbed his head and kissed him on the lips, I allowed myself a few moments to feel and taste him then I pulled away. The look on his face was one of complete and utter shock, and I thought that maybe Charlie was homophobic after all. I waited and waited as he just stared at me then his face broke out in the last thing I would ever have expected, a smile.
“Charlie?” I asked.
“You kissed me, you are gay?” He asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know, but this last week and the whole Theo thing. You kept telling me I wasn’t and it made me think what if I am? And you kept going on and on and it hurt my feelings to think you thought it would be so wrong for me to be gay. I didn’t want to tell you like this but I couldn’t think of another way, I like you Charlie… as more than a friend.” I said looking at my hands.
“Now that I think of it I was completely ignoring your answers, I was busy trying to get you to tell me if you were or not and you kept saying it was ok that he was calling you that. But my mind convinced me that you were lying when really, you were actually telling me that you are gay.” He said.
“Charlie.”
“I should have listen to you, I just kept going on and on and I could have found out so much sooner if I had just listened to you.” He continued and I just kept looking down. “If I had listened to you then I would have been able to tell you….I like you too. As more than a friend.” He finished.
My head snapped up at this and I looked at his face to find him smiling at me, I was speechless this was happening really fast and I didn’t know what to do. My eyes filled up and I tried to talk but nothing came out of my mouth, I saw through tears that he had come closer to me and I looked up at him again. He reached up and wiped the tears from my eyes gently then he pulled me closer and brushed his lips against mine in another sweet and gentle kiss.
“So what will happen now?” I asked pulling away.
“Well I don’t know, this has all happened quite fast.” He said and I nodded my agreement. “Will you be my boyfriend?”
I gasped, I had thought that this would take time. That he would want to think about this for a while first but now he was asking me out, already? I couldn’t comprehend this, Charlie was my best friend, and it was obvious I already loved him we were so close. Theo was right we were closer than most friends would be, I had never been this way with Lucas.
“Are you sure, I mean don’t you want to think about this?” I asked.
“I have been thinking about this all week. We are so close, I love you already Domingo we have been best friends since we met and I want to be more to you now.” He said mirroring my thoughts exactly. “So will you be my boyfriend?”
“Yes I will.” I smiled at him. “But without sounding awful right now can we please keep this to ourselves until we have both come to terms with this properly, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now.”
“Yes that is probably a good idea.” He agreed pulling me into a hug.
I placed my face into my usual spot in the crook of his neck, and I smelled his usual smell and it made me smile that now I could do this and it wouldn’t seem weird. I wouldn’t have to worry if he thought I was over stepping the mark or being too full on. He pulled me to the bed and sat me down and he went and put a movie on, then we climbed in and I wrapped my arms around him like I usually do and before I knew it I was laughing.
“What’s up?” He asked confused worry flitting across his features.
“I am just so happy, I wish we had figured this out a long time ago so I could have kissed you all of those times we slept together.” I smiled.
“Well we will have plenty of chances to make up for lost time.” He turned to face me.
“Yeah and I don’t think I will ever get sick of kissing you.” I replied.
“Me either.” He smiled.
I leant forward and pulled him close towards me, then I kissed him twisting so I could get better access to his lips. He hummed in appreciation and ran his fingers through my hair, which made moan slightly and as I pulled away, I pecked him one more time on the nose. Then he turned over, scooted closer to me as I wrapped him up in my arms then I watched the movie with can you believe this… my boyfriend!
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