Can Ram Say, "I Love You."?

Because I Love You

You don't get to choose who you fall in love with. If love were an emotion you could control, the world would be simpler. People would likely be happier because they could turn off their feelings whenever a person they fell for had harmed them. But the heart didn't work that way. Once you loved someone, there was no going back.

Ram was glad that he was with King. Over their six months of officially dating, their relationship had been stable. The only difference between their friendship and their romantic entanglement was that Ram had the implicit permission to kiss King when he wanted to and force him to cuddle under hot summer nights. Their physical requirement for affection had been met, and they were steadily working on communicating with each other. To many, their relationship was a 'happy ever after'.

Naturally, Ram's feelings grew stronger and soon enough, he realized that he was in love with the plant-obsessed senior. That wasn't the surprising part. How Ram recognized that he loved King was the real bombshell.

It was during a cloudy evening, Ram remembered it being cloudy because King had gotten chilly, and they were walking to a nearby pharmacy. Too much excitement over King's newest cactus addition caused the careless senior to prick his finger. Much to his dismay, cactus needles were not as easy as one thought to pull out. Because they didn't have the proper supplies, and because King had whined for three solid minutes about how badly it stung, Ram insisted they make a quick stop to the store.

"And that's how I found out that Mek and Boss are too bold when it comes to their sexy time. I never want to relive that experience again," King shuttered at the memory.

No matter how much he rambled, Ram could sense King's discomfort. Still, he swayed his arm as he walked, doing his best to ignore the irritant. Concerned, Ram gently took hold of his wrist and raised his hand to eye-level for further inspection. The tip of his index finger was a bright red, puffing around the thin spike that protruded from its nesting place. Subtly, Ram could feel his hand pulsating at the pain.

"I should get a terrarium for my cacti. I'll avoid more spike invasions," King commented. His finger flinched at the warm breath that smacked against the pole imbedded in his flesh.

The silent boy resisted the urge to kiss the injury and released his hold.

"Tomorrow," Ram said strongly. King nodded in agreement and let his hand drop back to his side.

On their way, goosebumps dotted King's arms. Shuttering from the chilled air, King rubbed his arm with his non-injured hand and made a disapproving face.

"It's cold out tonight, isn't it? I guess I should've layered like you," King said with a soft smile. Ram looked down towards his chest and noticed his black tee-shirt covered by his unbuttoned plaid shirt. Not that he would tell King, but it became his favorite shirt since it was the very one he wore on the day King first kissed him.

Ram shriveled out of his blue-plaid shirt and kindly placed it over King's slender shoulders. Taken aback, King glanced at Ram and tried handing it back to him.

"Don't worry about me. My mom said that I'm adaptable," King said confidently with his signature grin. Still not feeling reassured, Ram plopped his hands on the boy's shoulders, gluing his shirt to his body as if to say, "I'm not taking it back."

"Fine but don't complain to me when you get a cold," he teased. Gratefully, King slipped into the shirt and nudged at Ram's side. A sheepish smile appeared as he looked down at the sidewalk. "Why are you so good to me?" he mumbled.

'Because I love you,' Ram almost said out loud. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes popping out of his skull as the realization hit him. King. He loved King.

King was only a foot ahead when he noticed the younger's absence. He turned back curiously and tilted his head. "Are you feeling okay? You look like you've seen a ghost,"

Once reality settled back, Ram nodded his head and marched onward. "Yes, I'm just tired," he lied.

He started to sweat at his discovery. What if King didn't return his feelings? King could be one of those people that loved someone after two years. Considering he'd never been in a relationship before, Ram had no idea what was too fast. The last intention he had was to pressure King into saying something he didn't truly feel or make him feel uncomfortable because they weren't on the same page. Why did dating have to be so complicated?

There was one thing Ram was certain of; He had to tell King. Though he was more of a man of actions than words, Ram knew that words also held meaning. When he told King that he brought the Venus flytrap with him because it was important to him, the look of surprise in King's face said it all. No matter how loud you are by actions, you had to speak up. Actions and words went together. Your actions should reflect your words, and your words must be reflected by actions. If one of them was lacking, it was difficult to convey the message you wanted to someone. Ram knew he had no choice but to let his boyfriend know that he loved him. To his dread, he'd have to communicate it verbally.