To Have Loved [BxB] Book I ✓

Chapter 16

a/n: I'm just leaving this note to say I'm fucking obsessed with this song at the moment and also I wanted some more Elias and Kayden slow burn English debates so have it and enjoy your week.

Kayden always felt like the first half of the school year went so quickly he could hardly tell it was happening. This was no different at Antisto. It was already two weeks into November and, of course, there was talk of things like midterms and end-of-term essays. Those weren't happening until December though, so he figured he still had plenty of time, this meaning that he didn't actually have to worry about the big scary deadlines yet. The time between just then and when they were due seemed like an infinite safety net.

On this particular day, Kayden was in English class discussing the recent chapters of Gilgamesh, or rather he and Elias were mildly arguing about the recent chapters of Gilgamesh while the rest of the class listened. This was how most English classes went. Nobody wanted to talk, so Kayden and Elias filled up the time talking. Mr. Adler seemed to love it, he'd even told Kayden several times after class how happy he was that someone was enjoying the books. He'd also said once that Kayden's essays were well-written and this made the redhead never want to disappoint him with a half-assed essay.

"I'm just saying, if there's a guy who's getting laid so often that it's a serious problem, the gods probably shouldn't have made another one of those. It kinda sounds like they were just doing it to see what'd happen and then they ended up killing him off anyway. Speaking of killing Enkidu off, I think that was a prime example of 'kill your gays' and we shouldn't be overlooking this!" Kayden said, crossing his arms.

"Kill Your gays?" Mr. Adler asked with an amused little smile, seeming a bit confused.

"Y'know, the trope where you have a gay character but they're always the one that ends up dying even if they wouldn't have necessarily needed to. Kinda like how in horror movies the black characters are pretty often the first ones to die." Kayden said as if it were obvious.

"I'm fairly sure Gilgamesh and Enkidu weren't lovers, they talk repeatedly about being friends, brothers even," Mr. Adler said, and Elias didn't talk, just looked at Kayden with an arched brow, as if to ask what his rebuttal would be.

Kayden pulled his book out of his backpack, flipping through the pages before he cleared his throat. "And I quote 'You loved him and embraced him as a wife; and it is he who will repeatedly save you.' I don't think brothers love each other as a wife," Kayden said. "also, not to mention that Gilgamesh talks repeatedly about loving Enkidu deeply, his heart being wretched when he dies, and says that he wants to die instead of going on living without him to every person who will listen." He said with a shrug and closed his book.

"Considering it was written and translated thousands of years ago, I'd say there's too much room for speculation on both sides to say anything for sure," Elias said.

"If one of your friends died, would you go through an existential crisis and consider yourself good as dead without them?" Kayden asked and Elias shrugged.

"Well, no, personally, but it didn't necessarily have to be romantic."

"I don't think their love was characteristic of a platonic relationship. What's the difference between a deep friendship where you kiss and live your life together and a serious romantic relationship?"

"So you're saying romance is just an upgrade to friendship? I'd like to think it has more complexity than that." Elias said, looking at Kayden with a small smile.

"It is kind of. A romantic partner is closer than a friend, it's more exclusive than a friend. Gilgamesh didn't have any friends that were like Enkidu, and they were basically soul mates, literally made for each other."