Love & Geckos (multiple-author collaboration)

Chapter 7: Jordan

"Jordy!"

Jordan would recognize that voice anywhere. Its cadence made his insides dance. Deep and melodic like the piano tunes his grandma played for him.

"Dak." Those nicknames were reserved for their tongues only. They hadn't been heard outside the walls of Jordan's room before.

Dakota smiled and Jordan smiled back. An endless feedback loop of happiness that drew him closer.

"Can I..." Jordan stuttered and gestured toward the stone bench where Dakota sat.

Dakota nodded and patted the surface next to him. "Your company would be much appreciated," he said and somehow smiled even wider. "I'm just here with my sister anyway. Our dad left for a date and we needed to eat something. So I figured we could go here."

For a moment, Jordan considered how close to Dakota would be appropriate to sit. He went with an option between "almost in his lap" and "about to fall off the bench" even though he would have preferred the former option. Dakota's chinos–which were accompanied by a dress shirt and tie–looked comfortable to sit on.

"It's not like I had anything else to do today anyway," Dakota continued, fiddling with his leather bracelet. "Like Valentine's stuff, I mean. It's a dumb holiday anyway."

"But what about... weren't you? Sandra?" Jordan asked eloquently.

"Oh I... I didn't know you heard about that," Dakota replied with a sheepish look. "It was... canceled, I guess."

"We do go to the same school, Dak," Jordan mumbled.

"I know... You just never talk to me there."

Jordan looked up, astounded. "You never talk to me," he countered.

"I tried to talk to you, dummy. I've asked you to sit with me at lunch and in class. But you never seem to hear me, or I can't even find you."

Perhaps Jordan's attempt at disappearing into the walls had been too successful. He'd not only disappeared himself but made the world around him fade from his view as well.

"Maybe you should... ask me again," Jordan braved himself to say.

Dakota smiled. Jordan smiled. The world was as it should be.

A foot kicked gently against Jordan's leg. "Maybe I will," Dakota said. "If I can find you."

"I won't hide from you. I promise."

He wouldn't. Jordan could hide from everyone else. But not from Dakota.

A moment of quiet followed as their feet kept stroking against one another, pretending to play a game of dominance. But really... Yeah, what were they really doing? Flirting?

"So... what are you doing here?" Dakota asked. "I... heard you tell your dad you were going to the mall." He looked down at his feet, where a shadow of a small critter ran by. "I was out in my driveway," he added."I thought maybe you had a date..."

"I'm here with my grandma." Jordan pointed toward his older relative, who was merrily laughing at something the man next to her had just said. "I didn't want her to be lonely."

Despite fearing that the other kids at school would find out about his date with grandma, he had no problem telling Dakota this.

"It was nice of you to take her out," Dakota said. "She looks like she's having fun over there."

"It's her high school boyfriend," Jordan explained. "I guess they're... catching up."

Jordan couldn't come up with anything else intelligent, or unintelligent, to say and neither could Dakota it seemed, so they lingered in silence for a moment. But the silence didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Are you nervous?" Dakota eventually asked. "About the big art show, I mean."

"A little," Jordan replied, even though he meant "a lot."

"You'll be fine," Dakota assured him and briefly patted Jordan's knee. "You're so talented. Everyone will be amazed when they see your works. They're all going to wish they had your paintings at home." Dakota paused for a moment as his hand once again touched Jordan's knee and his face turned toward Jordan. "I sure wish I did."

This was the moment. Jordan knew it. But he froze. His gaze was locked with Dakota's and he could barely remember his own name, and much less where he'd put the card.

The sound of his grandma's laughter across the food court helped him thaw.

Clammy fingers hurried into a jacket pocket, afraid that the moment would pass and it would be too late. Thick paper was pulled out and presented by being nudged at the hand that still touched Jordan's knee.

"I made you this," Jordan managed to squeeze out. Then the words ran out.

Dakota picked up the card and examined it. "You made this for me?" he asked with awe in his voice "Like for Valentine's day?"

Still unable to find words, Jordan just nodded, while panic rose in his chest and colored his cheeks scarlet.

This had been a stupid idea. And now everything was ruined.

"It's really cool," Dakota said as he admired every page of the card. "Thank you, Jordy."

Jordan looked down at the stone floor–was that a bunny skipping by?--shy to meet Dakota's eyes. He wasn't sure if the words were just polite or actually sincere. If they meant what he hoped they meant.

That's when a blanket of warmth covered his hand, which rested on the cold stone bench. The hand wrapped around the skin and soothed it.

"Maybe Valentine's isn't so dumb after all," Dakota whispered close to him. Meanwhile, their hands interlaced between them.

Jordan finally looked up again. "I guess it's not." He let Dakota's smile take him away. Because he knew what that smile meant now. It was a smile meant only for him.

"Maybe..." Dakota started hesitantly. "Maybe after the arts show we could go here together and celebrate."

Jordan squeezed the hand in his to assure him that the question wasn't stupid. "Definitely," he said. "My grandma gave me some pocket money to take someone out for bubble tea. And I would love for that someone to be you."

Jordan looked over toward his grandma, who appeared to still be wrapped up in conversation with her former beau. Maybe this would work out for the both of them.

As he met her eyes, and she noticed the hand that held his, she gasped and whispered something to the man next to her. A smile and a wink was all the encouragement Jordan needed to move an inch closer to Dakota.

Not in his lap, but maybe getting there, eventually.

~~~~~~

lisa_london_
Lisa writes fluff, puff, and other stuff. Check out her romcom Sweet Little Birds (and the spin-off Sweet Tea) if you want more sugary sweet cinnabons in love, and if you want more animal shenanigans, her pirate romp Iguanatopia might just be your jam.