Paper Hearts

𝔻𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖

Chapter 26: Double Take

Lex chewed on the tapioca pearls in his mouth. His drink was slowly finishing as he watched his friends shout and joke around in front of the bowling lanes. He was tired. His arms felt like jelly and his voice was slightly hoarse from shouting and screaming at his friends so much. There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and he was just about ready to cool off.

He leaned back in the chair he was sat in, legs spread wide and stretched in front of him. A sigh left his lips, a content smile bunching his cheeks up. The day had been so fun so far, and he wanted to end it off well. His phone hadn't buzzed with any notifications all day, and he was grateful his boyfriends respected his wish for them to focus on each other nad let him catch up with his friends.

But now he wished he hadn't said anything. He missed them, like he always did when they were apart. He was tempted to pull his phone out and ask how they were, but he knew better than that. Maybe they were enjoying each other's company. He wondered what they were doing. He sighed again.

Someone draped themselves across his lap and onto the table he was sitting at. "Who won?" He asked Eero.

"The guys, obviously." Eero looked up at him through his lashes. "What's up? You're frowning." Lex thought Eero definitely didn't need to know what he was thinking, or his friend would send him to his lovers. He smiled softly, innocently, and pushed Eero off of his lap, watching him land on his butt with an unmanly shriek.

"I wanna go to the beach."

Lex shivered. "It's cold." The moon above them shone brightly on the dark beach, the waves crashing against the shore and cliff rocks. The sand beneath his feet and sticking in the spaces between his toes was cold and wet, the sky so dark blue, it looked black.

Another one of their friends pushed him aside and walked passed him, laughing to themselves and running away from their friend group as they announced a game of tag. "You suggested we come to the beach. Come on!"

Playing on the beach at night under the stars and the moon was exhilarating. It set loose a tornado of free-sprit feelings inside oneself. Removes all stress and replaces it with bursts of happiness and excitement. It clears the mind of any negativity and helps you destress. It relaxes you.

After a long game of tag and trying to find people in the dark, Eero suggested they build a campfire from wood they could buy. It took another thirty minutes before the campfire was set up, but they managed, sitting in front of it and warming up their bodies. Lex lifted his gaze to the stars above, watching them twinkle and tell stories he'd only understand once he was a part of them.

There was something mesmerising about the stars and how calm the sky mostly was. How the sky always stayed blue and existing. The sky taught a lesson of how, even when there were bad days and horrible things that happened, happiness and calmness could always be found.

Lex could definitely learn something from the sky.

In his long-sleeve button down, the thin material did nothing to keep him warm, but the fire worked wonders. A body barreled into his, and both he and Eero fell back against the sand. Lex let out a boisterous laugh, hugging Eero's body to his as the younger boy lay his head on Lex's chest.

They stayed like that, close to one another and Lex's mind brought forth their time together, before Eero cheated. Before his unfaithfulness had their relationship crumbling to tiny, non-existent pieces. They started as two random strangers forced to work on a project together. After spending time getting the project done together, it was an obvious fact that they didn't work together all that well.

Lex moved on with his highschool experience, forgetting all about the boy he was forced to work with in his first year of highschool. Until they were brought back together in there second-to-last year. Both were surprised they'd forgotten the other, but from then on, they shared sweet smiles and memories.

He found it hard to admit to the other about his feelings after he'd found about them. Like many others, he was afraid of rejection, especially from someone as outgoing and bright like Eero. It wasn't a secret that Eero, back then, was outwardly homophobic and since he was popular, his opinion made an impact on the ones he surrounded himself with.

So imagine his shock when Eero showed up one day on his doorstep, drunk and smiley, stumbling his way into Lex's arms, and further into his heart.

That night, Lex took care of the boy, and learned how hard it was for Eero to disguise his feelings for him, and how he wasn't homophobic but only said and did the things he did to mask his own sexuality. Lex believed him. Of course he did, besides the fact that Eero was drunk and would most probably only tell the truth, he wanted to really believe and hope the best would come out if Eero finally confessing.

Eero did try to kiss him, but he made sure it didn't happen since he was drunk and Lex wasn't sure he'd remember it the next morning.

He didn't.

He woke up the next day on Lexis' couch, groaning about a headache and apologizing to Lex for even showing up at his house. He didn't acknowledge his confession, but Lex guessed that was most likely because he forgot he ever spoke about it.

It obviously hurt, bit Lex ignored his feelings and continued to act normally around him. And in turn, Eero went back to acting like the homophobic boy he was before. So, he gave up after that, spending less and less time with Eero in hopes of getting rid of his feelings.

It almost worked. Almost, but after Eero confessed at a school event in front of most of the student body, Lex's feelings returned tenfold. He remembered crying, red-faced, in front of everyone and the embarrassment he felt after. He also remembered cringing a little at the long speech Eero gave about love and loyalty.

He still cringes now.

He let out a chuckle, staring at the twinkling stars that seemed to shine brighter now that he seemed lighter. "I miss you," he heard Eero say against his chest, and his eyebrows furrowed, head tilting down to look at the boy who hadn't looked at him.

He tapped Eero's temple, as if to remind him that he was with him in the flesh. "I'm here though?"

"No, I mean," he shook his head, moving over Lex's body and slotting himself between his legs, "I miss you, you and me. Us."

Lex pushed at his shoulders. "Stop. I have boyfriends."

Eero winced as if what Lex said sent an arrow through his chest. He sighed, lying next to Lex and watching the waves. "I know. I'd say I'm happy for you, but that would be lying."

Scoffing, Lex got up and walked towards the rest of their friends. "It ended, Eero. You ended us."