his one wish || a mattia x kairi story.

3 weeks since | kairi

IT HAD BEEN LIKE MAGIC. Kairi's lips collided with Mattia's, and suddenly they could feel each other. They could sense each other's every move, every emotion – everything. Their lips were in a fight for domination, a struggle of love. Mattia's lips tasted like candy, sweet and supple, like no lips Kairi had ever tasted before. They could make all of Kairi's problems disappear in a second, and all of his worries melt away. The kiss was electrifying and intense, a moment that would be forever marked in Kairi's brain.

When they had finally pulled apart, both boys were high on love, lazy smiles residing on their lips.

"Wow," was all Mattia could muster, riding on his own high.

"Agreed," Kairi laughed. Mattia's hand came to rest on Kairi's cheek, and the smaller boy rested his own hand on top of Mattia's, studying his friend's eyes.

"You're thinking," Kairi observed, "care to let me in on what the great Mattia Polibio is thinking about?"

"You," Mattia murmured, bringing Kairi's hand around to give it a gentle kiss. Kairi couldn't help but smirk.

"Besides me," Kairi said, using his own cockiness to play off just how giddy he felt inside.

"Just you," Mattia responded, his deep brown eyes full of the emotions he felt towards Kairi. The smaller boy's heart grew 3 sizes when he heard those words but found so much more in the unspoken ones: Mattia was his.

It had been 3 weeks since their kiss.

3 weeks since Kairi had felt genuine happiness.

3 weeks since Kairi had fallen in love.

3 weeks since Kairi had been okay.

2 weeks since the rumors started flooding the hallways.

2 weeks since people started whispering every time Mattia or Kairi walked the hallways, together or separately.

2 weeks since Mattia and Kairi had known the definition of the word 'privacy.'

1 week since the slurs had started.

1 week since the threats had started.

1 week since Kairi had nearly been beat up by a bunch of homophobic highschool boys.

Kairi had been a fool to think that Mattia was his. He had been a fool to think that people would leave him in peace for once. He supposed he should've been more careful about what happened at the soccer field, but goddamnit it shouldn't have meant social suicide.

Kairi had been a fool because of many things, and he hated it. Hated how he blamed himself, hated how he convinced himself that he wasn't worthy of happiness, and most of all hated how corrosive hate was. Kairi was reaching his breaking point with nothing left to hang onto.

When words of the kiss spread to the ears of the highschool, no one left Mattia or Kairi untouched. They constantly interrogated, spat homophobic slurs, or made threats to both. Kairi had underestimated how cruel his school could be, and how few friends he really had. Borderline no one came to his or Mattia's defense – not even the New Jersey boys, besides Alejandro. The rest of them went radio silent, even when Kairi had begged them not to abandon him and Mattia.

Kairi became the weaker target in a matter of days. He was more susceptible to death threats, slurs written on his locker, and because of his smaller size, a better person to try to corner and beat up. Mattia was still harassed, but nothing ever became physical, and he supposed he was lucky. But Kairi was not, and the smaller boy came home each night in tears and fearful of the next day.

Kairi's parents had forced him to stay home from school until the rumors and nonstop bullying came to a halt. But of course, the highschool decided to pretend nothing was happening and released a mediocre at best apology. Instead of making any compromises, Kairi's parents pulled him from the school and even considered pursuing a lawsuit for unjust treatment of their son based on sexual orientation. They could've cared less about his sexuality – they just wanted their poor child to be able to live without fear of harassment.

Even with all the bullying, the nonstop threats and everything in between, what broke Kairi the most was that he couldn't risk being with Mattia anymore. Anywhere Kairi was became a place of immediate danger, and Kairi didn't want to ruin Mattia's life anymore than he already had. Mattia didn't deserve that at all. So one late evening, around 11 or so, Kairi had texted Mattia that being in each other's life was dangerous, and the further apart they stayed, the better. Kairi knew that it was cowardly and all around not a great idea, but what else could he do? He couldn't risk Mattia getting beat up, or worse, because of him.

But Kairi should've known better than to think that Mattia would actually be okay with that.

After Kairi had sent that text, mere seconds later, Mattia called.

"Kairi!" Mattia nearly shouted when he heard Kairi pick up his phone. The mixed Asian boy's voice caught in his throat, as he was hearing Mattia's voice for the first time in weeks. "What the fuck is that text about?"

"You know why I had to," Kairi pleaded, "please, just let it be."

"I won't accept it!" Mattia responded incredulously, "After all that we've been through, I'm not leaving you alone. If anything, we need to stick together right now."

"Mattia," Kairi was on the brink of breaking down, desperate to make Mattia understand, "if you're anywhere near me, you'll get jumped, beat up, or worse. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt because of me."

"And I couldn't live with myself if I was kept apart from you," Mattia countered, "I'm not going to live in fear because of a couple of bullies."

"A couple of bullies who could be serious threats to your safety!" Kairi exclaimed.

"Kairi, they don't scare me. I want to be there to help you," Mattia said insistently, "and I'm going to be. Nothing you say or do will change my mind." Kairi sighed, closing his eyes, not sure what to do or say. Mattia was clearly not going to budge, but Kairi could not let Mattia get involved in any way. It was too dangerous.

"I love you," Kairi whispered into the phone before hanging up quickly. What the hell was he going to do? If Mattia were seen with Kairi anywhere, Mattia would instantly become a bigger target.

Kairi thought on what he could possibly do for a few days, actively avoiding Mattia as he plotted. Kai ignored his texts, calls – everything and anything Mattia tried, Kairi was one step ahead.

As time went on, Kairi became exhausted. He was tired of the hatred that was in his heart, tired of living in fear, tired of the bullshit that everyone threw in his face. He was tired of having to deal with everything alone, tired of constantly being pulled from his own happiness. Would it be so hard for people to leave him alone for one? All he did was kiss one boy for fuck's sake.

Being pulled from school didn't seem to help things at all, and in fact, it made everything worse. All over his social media, people posted threatening messages and hate speech. Everything had been taken way too far and Kairi was ready to end it.

He was going to confront the bastards who had started this shit show and settle things once and for all.

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a/n: this is on the shorter side of my chapters but next one will definitely be longer

and once again I must promise Kairi and Mattia will have their happy ending!!! even tho rn it seems borderline impossible lmao

anyways, I love you all, thank you for the unending support :))

until next time,
mj <3