Husbands But Not

23: In Class

Noah

It wouldn't hurt; being close to someone. I thought of it in a way that was wholly innocent. No hidden meanings or troublesome encounters. But just like everything else, there are always two sides.

My perspective lead me to believe of heartache and wholesome affection of eternal purity. I didn't want to believe of how corrupt something as beautiful as a heart could be, which lead me to think of the thoughts of the heart.

I wondered if love and hate both came from the same place. How would two opposites arise from the same core? It takes a little bit of time and a whole lot of mind space to spectate a war of hearts. But watching the same heart be at war with itself is the most devastating of all.

Then came perspective again, and I realised the duality of every situation.

One question remained in my head as dad woke me up: can you go into one perspective deep enough to reach the second?

Can you love someone so much you hate them?

Can you hate someone so much you love them?

"Noah. Wake up buddy." Dad shook me gently. "Time for dinner" he whispered.

I tried to make sense of what had happened. I had at least three papers sticked to my arms. I was lying on the floor, surrounded by a hurricane of notebooks and pencils.

My back was stiff, along with something else. My legs.

Kent was sleeping with his head on my thighs. They felt numb, but a good numb.

I nodded at dad and sat upright. He left the room and silence washed over like the storm the storm that had wept through town. It happened quite often. We went from a summer day to thunder and rain in the matter of minutes.

Kent didn't wake up. It was fairly dark considering the grey clouds. I didn't know how much we slept and how much we studied, but I believed they were two parts sleep, one part study. The only light in the room was from the hallway, which hit Kent's face, but not like his dad did.

I examined his face and noticed a small piece of pencil shaving protruding through one of his fringes. I removed it but just like that, it was as if a trap snatched me in. My hand got lost in the smooth light brown locks. Suddenly I could see how truly beautiful Kent was.

My hand didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. I felt his forehead, his smooth small nose that made his eyes look even bigger. Tracing his face was like drawing a constellation on the surface of the moon.

I kissed his forehead, which was tough because I wasn't too flexible. It felt warm. Slightly warmer than the rest of his face.

His eyelids fluttered slowly, and then he was met with my face. "What a scene." He breathed heavily.

I laughed. He didn't control his thought process and it always left his mouth unfiltered. He closed his eyes again.

"What? No? Open them up again." I wanted to see him seeing me.

"It doesn't make a difference right now." He spoke with a coarse voice. He needed a drink.

"What do you mean? It's literally the exact opposite of them being open."

"I see your face when I close them too." He had me speechless.

<><>

"So you're the mysterious Kent Sinclair." Grandpa said. He was being playful, I could tell.

"I am, sir." Kent said.

Grandma was sorting the last parts of the dinner table. Dad was helping her. And by her, I meant he was rearranging all the corn to his side of the table.

"So you're my grandson's husband, huh." Grandpa added.

"Yes sir, in class." Kent said.

"And you're Noah's friend?" Grandma asked.

"Yes grandma, in class." I answered one on his behalf.

I didn't think we were keeping anything from my family, but neither Kent nor I knew were we stood.

"And you're supposed to raise a household?"

"Yes grandpa, in class."

"Were you taught in school how a family works?"

"Yes Mrs. Grayson, in class."

"And have you had marital sex." Dad asked and it was my sign to dunk my face in hot soup.

"Please don't say 'in class'" my other dad said and it was really my cue to move towns.

"Boys." Grandpa warned my childish dads.

"We're men." Dad Evan said.

"Yes we are." Dad Zac confirmed.

"Please don't prove it again." Grandma looked scared.

"Terribly sorry, awfully mortified, and deeply disturbed." I spoke in Kent's ear.

"It's okay." He said and continued his food.

When we were done eating, we went back to my room.

I looked at the clock and realised how late we were going to be to the Friday music night at the Mug Drug.

"We need to leave soon and catch up." I said as we put away the school supplies.

Kent was growing sweaty despite the cold winds escaping through my cracked window.

"How are your bruises feeling now?" I tried not to sound like I was babying him. I was just worried.

"They're fine. I just feel the need to lie down a bit."

He went to my bed and sank into the mattress. I finsihed the last bits of cleaning and closed the window entirely because he was starting to shiver.

"I'll get you some water."

"I'll go to the bathroom for a minute." He didn't waste no time going in and closing the door behind him.

I was rounding the stairs and headed to the kitchen in a glance. My parents were still cleaning up and doing the dishes. I filled a glass of water hurriedly and dashed back.

"Don't run with glass!" Grandma screamed. Or talked. I didn't know, she had a loud voice.

I was back in the room but he was still in the bathroom.

So I waited in the fairly cold room, for the door I needed open but was closed, and for the boy I liked but needed to love.

For Kent who never came out of the bathroom.

For when I opened the door, Kent was there, sprawled against the cold tiles of my bathroom floor.

A/N: So this took long for many reasons. One of them is that I almost took a writing hiatus. I had a really tough week (or more idek anymore). I was just not okay in general and I don't know if it'll be better or worse, but I've had supportive people by my side. Especially one ♡.

I was close to putting the story on hold, but then decided against it. Bottom line of this rant is: I'm just not in a good place rn. Though other than that I'm fine.

I made a playlist on Spotify called Sob Land by Aiden Summers. It'd be cool if you check it out to cry and sob.

The story will end in around 10 chapters.

One more thing omg 41k reads and it's not even finished we're over here killing it.

Thank you for reading and let's hope this story wins a Watty because it's nominated.

Kindly vote and comment your opinion.

More soon x.