653 words
.
.
.
The night had been nothing short of epic—bright lights, nonstop laughter, and music that made the whole street come alive. Darrian had been having the best time. He loved going out with David, and tonight was perfect. They'd hit up a house party in the hills and danced until their legs felt like jelly.
Now, though, Darrian was starting to regret one thing—his shoes.
He winced, trying to ignore the throbbing in his feet. The sleek dress heels he'd worn looked amazing, but they were basically torture devices after hours of standing and walking around. Every step felt like someone was stepping on broken glass, but Darrian wasn't about to say anything. He didn't want to ruin the vibe.
"You good?" David asked for probably the tenth time, giving Darrian a sideways glance as they walked toward the bus stop. "You're walking kinda slow, baby."
Darrian forced a grin, hiding the pain shooting through his feet. "Yeah, I'm chillin'. Just a little tired."
David didn't look convinced, his eyes flicking down to Darrian's feet. "You sure? Yo shoes don't look too comfortable."
Darrian waved it off, determined to tough it out. "Nah, I'm fine. It's no big deal."
David gave him a long look but didn't push it further. They walked in silence for a minute before David stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face him.
"Okay, nope. I'm done watching you limp around."
Darrian froze, blinking at David in confusion. "What?"
"Your feet are obviously killing you. Take the shoes off."
Before Darrian could protest, David was already bending down. "babe, seriously, I'm good—"
"No, you're not," David cut him off, already tugging at the laces of Darrian's shoes. "I'm not gonna let you suffer just 'cause you wanna look cool loves."
Darrian couldn't help but laugh nervously as David slipped off one shoe, then the other. He let out a sigh of relief, instantly feeling the pain fade now that his feet were free, dropping from 5'7 to 5'5. But before he could say anything, David started unlacing his own sneakers.
"Sop, what are you doing?" Darrian asked, eyes widening.
David pulled off his sneakers and held them out. "Here. Put these on baby."
Darrian shook his head, totally caught off guard. "David, no way. I can't take your shoes."
David gave him a look like he wasn't giving him a choice. "Either you take my shoes, or I'm carrying you the rest of the way. Pick one."
Darrian stared at the sneakers, then back at David. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious." David stepped closer, his expression softening a little. "Come on, you know I'm not letting you walk barefoot."
Feeling his heart race at the sweet gesture, Darrian hesitantly slid his feet into David's sneakers. They were way too big, but they felt so much better than his dress shoes.
But before Darrian could thank him, David turned around and crouched slightly. "Alright, hop on."
Darrian blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"
David gave him a teasing grin. "I told you, I'll carry you if I have to. You in or what?"
Darrian burst out laughing, but his chest felt warm from David's words. After a second, he gave in and climbed onto David's back, wrapping his arms around his neck. David stood up with ease, holding Darrian securely while clutching his shiny dress heels in one hand.
"You know I could've just worn your sneakers, right?" Darrian said, still laughing.
David shrugged, adjusting his grip. "Yeah, but this is more fun."
Darrian's heart fluttered as they continued walking down the quiet streets. The night had started with him trying to act tough, but now he was being carried by the one person who always had his back.
"I'd carry you anywhere," David added, his voice soft and a little shy.
Darrian smiled, resting his chin on David's shoulder. "And that's why I love you."
With David's strong arms wrapped around him and his aching feet a distant memory, Darrian knew this night had turned out better than he could have ever imagined.
___
yall stop being ghost readers
feel free to request!!
byee!!
