Can We Kiss Forever? (Wattys 2022)

Levante

He regretted eating that burrito supreme.

No matter how much he loved them, they never seemed to love him back. It was a one-sided relationship that resulted in some nasty messes. Specifically, ones in the bathroom of Levante.

Whilst it was true that the food rose him up in more ways than one, he wondered if the aftermath was worth it.

Although the bathroom smelled nice, it was barely big enough to hold two cubicles and a small row of urinals spaced awkwardly close together by the back wall.

Feeling heavy, he stumbled his way over to pee. Releasing the stress from his bladder was his favorite part of the day. Watching it all flush away was therapeutic in more ways than one. All the impulsive shots, beers, and swings of liquor left his system at a rapid rate. He could finally breathe and move easier.

Before he could finish, the door creaked open. Swinging his head around to see who it was, he was distracted enough to forget about what he was doing to focus on the figure:

Dory Smith eating in a cheap place like this? Nah. That can't be right.

Twisting his neck to the left, his heart skipped a beat as the figure approached him and stood next to him. Unzipping his jeans meant that Julio could finally get a good glimpse at him:

No way it IS Dory?

His mouth widened as Dory raised an eyebrow at him and said:

"Dude? You're peeing all over the floor. It's kinda gross."

Feeling a tingle below the waist, he realized that it wasn't the only embarrassing thing going on.

His face began to flush as he backed up a bit to look at the floor. When the last dribble had finished, Julio pulled his shorts back up again and made his way over to the sink, trying to look as suave as possible.

Starting to whistle, he turned around and started to wash his hands. Rubbing all the germs from them, he smiled as Dory joined him at the left-hand sink:

"Huh, you really are Dory Smith. Wow." Julio added excitedly. "Who woulda thought that a world-class boxer would've hung out in such a crap dump?"

"I'm here with my parents." He responded, bluntly and tried his best not to glare back. "Are you one of those crazy fanboys?"

"Yeah—I mean I'm a fanboy but not crazy—put it this way, I went to see one of your matches and was in the VIP section. I never got to meet you because I was passed out in the front row."

"Was I that boring?" Dory joked in a monotone voice.

"Well, you were fighting Tchaikovsky. Everyone knows how easy that is." Julio smirked back. "I bet Chico could even beat him."

"Which Chico?"

"Your Primo. He's too easy for your Doggo."

Dory nodded. "Aside from the stiffy, you don't seem so bad, kid."

"The only stiffy here is you." Julio smiled at him as he began to loosen up. "Good."

"Yeah. I'm more flaccid than a Friday night at the bingo hall with a bunch of abuelitas talking about who has the best grandson."

"Tell me about it? Clearly me. I'm the G-O-A-T. Greatest grandson of all time."

"That's not how you spell goat."

"Greatest grandson is one word."

Dory shook his head as he dried off his hands. "In an alternate universe, yeah but the current one? Nah."

"It is. If you put a hyphen in it. Or if you cram it together and say it all at once."

Dory laughed. "Where'd you get your education from?"

"The streets."

"Thought so."

"I'm kidding. I now own a car dealership. Fix bikes and cars in my spare time. Not bad for a guy like me." Julio nodded with a grin plastered across his face. "It's not about where you learn, it's about how and what you learn. And how to apply that to reality."

"You have ambition? I like that, Kid."

Dory began to swing open the door. Before he decided to leave, he held out his hand and offered it to Julio with a wink.

"It's nice to meet an interesting fan such as yourself."

Ripping a piece of paper towel from the dispenser beside him, he pulled out the pen from the top pocket of his shirt and scribbled down a number:

"Here. Take this, kid. Call me when you're bored, lonely, or just want a chat. You seem like you also need someone to chill with."

Julio took the paper from him and froze on the spot in stunned silence as Dory left.

A/N: How are you enjoying my Wattys entry so far? I know that it's being posted late, but I hope that you all enjoy it. Please vote, comment and share this story to your profile if you're enjoying it so far. Thank you!