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The sky was dyed a glowing amber as the last rays of the setting sun scattered across the horizon. Jayden stood by the window, his face set in a brooding expression as he watched the picturesque scene play out before him.
He shuffled his feet impatiently as the last shafts of light disappeared beneath the horizon. Darkness soon settled and the stars twinkled one by one, glowing softly in the moonless night.
Jayden didn’t move from his position. He watched as a lone plane flew silently overhead, its dark shape only visible from the outline it drew against the stars.
The doorknob jostled and Jayden finally moved, turning to watch as it swung open to reveal a tired Samuel. He watched silently as his boyfriend took off his shoes and threw his backpack onto the couch.
Samuel did a doubletake when he saw Jayden at the window. ‘What are you doing over there? And why aren’t the lights turned on yet?’
Jayden ignored his questions. ‘How was it?’
‘It’s too early to say. The robotics club are as tight-lipped as those robots they love to work on. I’m heading over there again tomorrow with Leo. He’s friends with everybody. Maybe he can get them to talk.’ He walked over to flip the switch, bathing the room with light. ‘What about you, how was your day?’
Jayden hummed noncommittedly, walking away from the window. Samuel stared after him with a curious expression on his face.
‘Jayden,’ he said. ‘How long were you standing there?’
Jayden blinked. ‘A few minutes. Why?’
‘You were in the same spot I left you in.’
Jayden averted his gaze. ‘No, I wasn’t.’
Samuel struggled to contain his laughter. ‘Did you really stand at the window for close to two hours just waiting for me?’
Jayden scowled. ‘No.’
‘Oh my God.’ Tears were streaming down his face as he held his sides in mirth. ‘I can’t believe… you really… and you call me an excited puppy!’
Jayden’s scowl deepened. ‘I fail to see the humour of this situation.’
‘Sorry,’ Samuel gasped. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just… oh my God, I can’t.’
‘If you are just going to laugh at me, maybe I should just leave you to it.’
Samuel smiled and walked up to place a soft kiss on his lips. ‘You really are the most adorable person in the world.’
Jayden’s scowl disappeared and a flustered look took its place. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he mumbled.
Samuel smiled. ‘I missed you too.’
‘Where is Noel?’ Jayden said quickly, changing the subject. ‘I haven’t seen him in a while.’
Samuel was amused but let it go. ‘He’s sleeping over at Cam and Leo’s. Paul has got prefect duty so we won’t be seeing him all night.’ He cocked his head suggestively. ‘We’ve got the whole place to ourselves.’
Jayden gave his boyfriend a strange look. ‘What are you thinking about?’
‘What are you thinking about?’ Samuel answered back sweetly.
‘Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?’
Samuel snorted. ‘Your boyfriend is currently obsessing over school elections while you’re stuck here with this alien.’
‘Hey, you promised not to worry about it,’ Jayden chided gently as he pulled him down on the couch. ‘I’ve seen the effort you put in, so I know you’re going to win.’
Samuel didn’t look reassured. ‘But what if I lose?’
‘Then you’re strong enough to handle it when you do. I didn’t fall in love with a weakling.’
Samuel gave him a droll look. ‘Very comforting.’
‘Good. Now that we’ve settled that beam back to your spaceship and give me back my boyfriend.’
‘Too late, he’s one of us now.’
‘Do I need to get violent?’
Samuel looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘Would you still love me if I was-‘
‘No.’ Jayden cut him off firmly. ‘We are not doing that. I refuse to engage in that conversation.’
‘But why?’ Samuel whined.
Jayden wrinkled his nose distastefully. ‘One, it’s cliché. Two, I would rather swallow a bucket of nails and walk barefoot down the flaming road of Tartarus.’
‘Please, pretty please,’ Samuel pouted, tugging his boyfriend’s arm as he pleaded. ‘Pretty please with a smiley face on top?’
Jayden was unmoved. ‘Your penchant for banality is perturbing.’
‘Jokes on you, I don’t know what any of those words mean.’
Jayden let out a tired sigh. ‘And here I was hoping that our dissimilarities would enable us to raise the level of our discourse.’
‘Is that a yes?’ Samuel asked hopefully.
‘No.’
‘But-‘
Jayden grabbed his face and pulled him close. ‘I love you. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would spend each of them searching for you just to love you more than I did in our previous lifetimes. You can never be ugly to me no matter the vessel which contains your soul because by the very act of housing you, it has become beautiful and sacred in my eyes. If I had the choice of saving you or the world, I would choose you time and time again. What is the point of the world if you are not in it? For you, I will watch the world burn.’
Samuel’s mouth parted in shock. He worked his jaw, but no sound came out. He had been left speechless.
Jayden continued to look into his eyes. ‘Is that clear enough for you?’
Samuel nodded wordlessly.
‘Good.’ Jayden stood and pulled him to his feet.
‘Wait, where are we going?’ Samuel asked in confusion.
Jayden looked back and smirked at him. ‘I’m taking you up on that offer.’
~
The next day was one of the last good days of the year before the chill came in. The sun shone brighter than it had in weeks but instead of fiery, the glow it gave out was warm and golden. The sky was painted in the brightest azure you had ever seen and the clouds seemed fluffier than usual.
The world seemed more colourful than it had ever been before and instead of wasting such a beautiful day indoors, both teachers and students decided to take full advantage by spending their time in the sun.
Cam and Leo had snagged the best spot in the school gardens. Their table was right next to the sparkling fountain and from their spot, they could see everyone that came and went.
Cam, as always, had his head bent over a book and Leo, surprisingly, was following Cam’s advice for once and working furiously on his homework. They worked in silence, the only sound coming from the soft tinkle of water as it trickled brightly down the fountain.
That was the sight that greeted Samuel and Noel as they walked up the cobblestoned path. They had just come out of their last class for the day and when they caught sight of their friends, they immediately changed their direction to walk toward them.
Samuel winced slightly as he sat beside Leo. He rubbed his leg softly before reaching to place his backpack beside him.
Leo looked up and gave him a suspicious look. ‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘Nothing, just overexercised myself last night,’ Samuel answered vaguely.
‘But I was at the gym last night and I didn’t see you there,’ Leo said with a frown.
‘I didn’t say I was at the gym.’
‘Where were you then?’ Leo pressed.
‘Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,’ Cam answered, not looking up from his book.
‘Why wouldn’t I want to know the answer?’ Leo asked in confusion.
Noel opened his mouth but Cam cut him off. ‘Leave it. If you wait long enough, he will get there on his own.’
‘What’s with the cryptic answers?’ Leo demanded. ‘What could he have been possibly up to that…’ he trailed off as his brain finally made the connection.
‘Told you,’ Cam stated.
‘Ah!’ Leo yelled out, shooting to his feet. ‘Why would you put those images in my head?’
‘I didn’t even say anything,’ Samuel replied exasperatedly. ‘You were the one who wanted to know in the first place.’
‘I wouldn’t have wanted to know if I knew it was that.’
‘But Cam told you-‘ Noel began, but it was a futile attempt.
‘Enough. All I’m hearing is excuses.’ He picked up his books and moved to the other side to sit by Noel. ‘There, now you won’t be able to give me cooties.’
Cam looked up to give him a weird look. ‘What are you eight?’
‘You wouldn’t understand.’ He looked around the garden. ‘Where’s Paul? He’s the only one who gets it.’
As if by magic, Paul and Jayden suddenly appeared around the corner. They had just come from their last class and their heads were drawn together in deep conversation. They didn’t notice Leo barrelling towards them until he had cannoned into Paul, almost throwing him off his feet.
‘Paulie!’ Leo yelled in happiness. ‘Where have you been, mi amor? I’ve been so lost without you.’
Paul stared at the screaming boy in his arms in surprise. He looked around at the heads which had turned towards them and quickly mouthed off a dozen apologies. Most of them just smiled and returned to what they had been doing, having already grown used to Leo’s antics.
Jayden shook his head in amusement and walked ahead, leaving him to deal with the still-screaming Leo.
‘You have no idea what I’ve just been through, papi.’ He shuddered as he recalled it. ‘It was horrifying.’
Paul sighed. ‘It’s alright,’ he said in a comforting voice as he half-carried Leo back to his seat. ‘I’m here now. Why don’t you tell me all about it?’
Jayden had taken his abandoned seat next to Samuel and watched as Paul tried unsuccessfully to get Leo to sit back down. In the end, he just gave up and let him sit on his lap as he recounted -very graphically- the conversation that had just taken place.
‘Alright, I think Paul has gotten it,’ Samuel spoke up just as Leo was about to launch into another tirade. ‘Can we please now move on from my sex life?’
Jayden, however, was enjoying this way too much. ‘I’m sorry if I was too rough babe. If you want, you can take revenge on me tonight.’
‘See! See!’ Leo cried, pointing an accusatory finger at them. ‘They’re doing it again. Save me from the gays, pijo.’
‘First of all, I’m not even gay,’ Samuel began. ‘Second-‘
‘You’re not?’ Noel asked curiously.
‘I’m more of a pansexual.’
Leo waved him off. ‘Who cares, potato po-tah-to.’
‘Please stop bothering Leo so I can get him off my lap,’ Paul said tiredly. ‘He’s heavier than he looks.’
‘Get off Paul’s lap, Leo,’ Cam ordered half-heartedly.
‘No,’ Leo said defiantly, curling his arms possessively around Paul’s neck. ‘He’s my safe space.’
Noel stared at him. ‘Your safe space?’
‘Yes. He’s like my emotional support prince.’
‘How nice,’ Paul commented in a dry voice.
Cam shrugged. ‘Better you than me.’
Jayden glanced at his boyfriend. ‘Weren’t you supposed to be at a campaign at the robotics club?’
Samuel looked at his watch and cursed. ‘You’re right. I’ll see you later. Come on, Leo. I’ll need your help.’
‘No,’ Leo stated firmly. ‘I’m not going anywhere with you.’
‘I’ll buy you ice cream later.’
‘Wait for me,’ Leo said hurriedly, getting up to quickly shove his books into his backpack. ‘I’m coming. I’m coming.’ He waved a quick goodbye to the others before rushing after Sam.
Noel stared incredulously after him. ‘Really? All it took was ice cream?’
Paul chuckled. ‘Don’t underestimate what he would do for ice cream. I have a sneaking suspicion he would even sell his soul for it.’
‘You joke, but it’s very concerning,’ Cam stated. ‘You don’t know how scared I was that he would get kidnapped when we were growing up. He used to follow the ice cream trucks for blocks. No matter how many times we drilled stranger danger into his head, all it took was for a stranger to offer him ice cream, and he would happily follow them wherever they wanted. I shudder to think about what would have happened if I wasn’t with him.’
A contemplative look fell on Noel’s face. ‘Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if you two had gotten together?’
Cam laughed a little at the idea. ‘Oh, it would have been a disaster. I’m now very glad it didn’t work out because looking back, it would have been very toxic. We would have fought almost half the time.’
‘But the make-up sex would have been mind-blowing,’ Noel replied, wriggling his eyebrows with a grin.
‘Yes, I suppose it would have been,’ Cam said wistfully. ‘But some crushes are better off in your head.’
Noel’s grin faded. ‘I learned that the hard way.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…’
‘Don’t worry, I know you didn’t. Anyway, Paul seems to be the only one with the patience to deal with Leo.’
Paul, who had remained silent until then, snorted. ‘How did he put it? I’m his ’emotional support prince.’ How flattering.’
‘Again, better you than me.’
Paul shrugged. ‘I don’t really mind. He gets overstimulated very easily and it helps to let off some of those emotions on me. He’s like a turbulent over-flowing lake and I’m like a cool empty valley.’
Noel chortled. ‘Poetic. Jayden would be proud.’ He paused and looked around him. ‘Speaking of, where is he? Wasn’t he here just a second ago?’
Paul was silent. If his thoughts were correct, he knew exactly where Jayden had gone and it wasn’t anywhere pleasant. He crossed his fingers discreetly under the table and tried to keep the worry from gnawing at his mind.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Another long chapter to tide you over till I’m done with my midterms. I’m about halfway through and so far it’s been a breeze. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it continues like that.
PaulxLeo has become my little crack ship and I love it with all my heart🤭. Like, I mean there’s definitely potential there and to all the PaulxNoel shippers, sorry but I’m now rooting for the other team😶🌫️.
Now which ship is going to sail I have absolutely no idea. This story left my hands a long time ago and it has now gained sentience. Where it ends up is completely up to it and even I as the author have no say😔.
Anyway things are really going to start moving from the next chapter. The scene would be set, battle lines would be drawn and the actors shall take their positions. I can’t wait!
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