Kemp and Jacob sauntered off, and Chase was left feeling empty. He tired desperately to keep his tears in, but his eyes watered nonetheless. He didn’t dare look at Tristan in fear of seeing contempt in his eyes, for Tristan to demand that Chase leave, to tell him he was done with being looped in with Kemp and Jacob. And for Tristan to tell him he was done being with a freak.
Tristan waited until they were out of sight before he let his jaw loose in a grumbling sigh. Why can't they just leave people be?
He glanced over at Chase. He felt like everything that happened was dyed black from Kemp and Jacob. "…..Chase?….."
Chase couldn’t take it any more, he scrambled off his chair and speed walked to the bathroom. As soon as he was in the safety of a stall, tears came out and a sob escaped from him.
Tristan felt like a jerk as much as they were. What have I done? He wanted to finish eating his food, but that seemed like an internal slap in the face. Do you want him to stay upset? At something you did?
Tristan finished as much as he could before packing his stuff up at his table and loosely followed him into the bathroom. He was hesitant to ask, but he had to know. "…Y… You okay???"
Chase let out a sob again, mostly because all he wanted was for Tristan to hold him again. “N-N-No-“ He was cut off by his own sob again. “W-Why was I-I born th-this way?” Chase cried out, his shoulders shaking and tears pouring off his face.
Tristan couldn't help but feel a stinging lump in his throat. "Well, I…" He wasn't sure what to tell him. But whatever it was that he wanted to say, it was that he was no freak in his eyes.
Why? Why can't I think of anything????
"Um… Do you want to talk about it later?"
Chase finally unlocked the stall, looking with tear stained eyes at Tristan, “Y-You shouldn’t l-l-love me, n-no one sh-should.” Chase buried his face in his arms, feeling so cold and alone.
"But I do love you," Tristan tried his best to get Chase's arms away from his face. "And you said you loved me…." He couldn't just let Chase throw that feeling of togetherness away. No…. Don't do this….
Chase finally buried his face in Tristan’s neck, curling his arms around him tightly as he sobbed, “I-I-I d-do,” He sapped off Tristan’s warmth, sapped off his comfort and cried it out.
Tristan began to rub Chase's back comfortingly, his hands getting a bit hot. "It's gonna be alright…. Remember, I'm here for you…" Just saying that and noticing that was true gave him a high sense of purpose that he never felt before in his life.
His heart lurched in his warming chest, but he tried to ignore it and helped Chase do what needed to be done.
Eventually the tears stopped and he was left just hugging Tristan. He was so comforting, so kind…… “I loved you for a while now…” He confessed softly, not moving his head from Tristan’s shoulder.
"I could say the same to you." Tristan chuckled lightly, but tried not to distract from the moment. He felt Chase's tears dry up, and he had a feeling the situation was going in a certain direction. But maybe the bathroom isn't the best place for having this kind of moment… But he shoved the random thought away. He didn't care. He just wanted to be with Chase, happy without a care in the world what others thought.
Chase picked his head up, their noses almost touching they were so close. “Tristan…” Chase wanted him to kiss him so badly, because there wasn’t a chance he’d be able to make the move himself just because of his nervousness. So he held still, there proximity so perfectly close…
The nerves in Tristan's cheeks tingled as he brought him closer. "….Yes?" He answered, knowing perfectly well what was coming next, and it made his gut twist.
He could feel the essence of love in the atmosphere, and he wanted nothing more but for the moment to last forever.
“Will you…” Will you kiss me? Chase couldn’t dare finish the sentence, fear that had been ingrained in him from his father and people like Kemp and Jacob holding him back. I can’t do this…
"Don't be afraid…" Tristan told him softly. "Remember…. I'm here to listen to you, not judge you…." He leaned against Chase, hearing the strong beating of his heart. Chase…. He thought warmly. …I never want to leave you….
Chase took a deep breath, preparing himself for rejection, for disgust, and took a chance. He finally breathed the d-mining question that he had been dying to ask, “Will you kiss me?”
The question threw Tristan for a loop he'd never forget. D…Did he j-just….? He looked up at him, past his glasses and into his eyes– he couldn't say no to a face like that. Yet, he never got a kiss from anyone, let alone kissed someone else.
But he went for it. "Of course I will…. How can I say no to the person I love most?" To keep it safe for both himself and Chase, Tristan brought himself to his tip-toes and prepared for the moment of his life, the one he'd never forget– his very first kiss.
Chase felt lighter than air hearing the words, he felt invincible. He never imagined someone would ever kiss him for real. He never imagined he’d let himself feel that ember in his chest again.
Tristan cupped both of his hands around Chase's face, and he closed the dreaded gap between them. He closed his eyes, wonderfully transporting himself to heaven.
His heart began to tingle with a sense he could never describe, his stomach tying into a knot to trap the butterflies in. His mind screamed for it to go on. I love you!!!
Chase melted when their lips touched, the embers in his chest turning into a raging fire. The moment was soft and gentle, Chase didn’t want it to stop. Like endless grassy fields with butterflies moving from flower to flower.
Tristan continued, highly surprised Chase didn't pull away too soon. He liked being with someone who loved him– not people who only pretend.
I never want to let go of me, Tristan thumbed at Chase's cheeks, loving how smooth they were under his fingers.
He pulled away only to ask in a whisper…. "…Do you promise to never leave me???"
“Of course. Of course, I love you…” Chase promised, leaning in for another kiss. As their lips brushed against each other… Chase felt so weak, his heart belonged to Tristan.
Tristan loved the feeling of love– real love. And everything in between.
His gut soon unraveled, and his butterflies settled the longer they stood in a true lip-lock. But his heart still flared with that newly-discovered passion he never knew he had in him.
Chase found himself having trouble pulling away, but the lunch bell forced him to. He let out a tiny smile, bashfully confessing, “That was… That was really nice…” He blushed, biting his lip as the smile seemed to grow.
"That was more than nice," Tristan couldn't help but smile– he made it happen. "That was absolutely fantastic." He had one last look at Chase's happiest face he sworn he'd ever seen. "Well… I– I'll see you after school." He pecked him on his cheek and departed from the bathroom, a chest full of love and a new perspective on the one he never thought he'd fall in love with.
Chase could hardly believe, and took a minute to recollect himself. He was breathless. Chase’s heart was still racing when he went to his neck class, it was still racing until the end of the day when he grabbed his stuff from his locker and headed to the music room excitedly.
Tristan was already there, practicing away like usual. Except it wasn't just a usual day. It was the day he confessed. I can't believe someone could actually stand the way I kiss… He closed his eyes and his fingers ran ofc the keys. Just as he thought of him, Chase came through the door.
Tristan grinned warmly. "I'm glad you could make it."
Chase smiled shyly, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” He grabbed a chair and moved it to sit closer to Tristan than usual. “But… Could I ask you, um, a question?” Chase chewed his lip, glancing at the floor.
"Oh, sure," Tristan stopped playing and spun around on the piano stool to face him. "What's up?" ….What does he want??? He began to wonder if what he did was all wrong– after all, it was his first relationship.
