SMILING PINK MILKSHAKE

SPECIAL 2

Win frowned as he waited in front of the cinema.

The truth was that he wasn't even sure what he was doing there. At first he hadn't thought about accepting Off's invitation, only the movie they were going to see and the pleading looks of his brother and Singto had finally made him give up.

And yet ...

"He's late ..." he told himself as he looked back at the stairs that led to the cinema's entrance.

Moments later he checked the screen that was near him. Five minutes left for the start of the film and Off was still not there...

A growl rose to his lips and, with a determined gesture, he turned towards the place where Krist and Singto were waiting for him. They were both whispering, but Win could certainly see that they hadn't realized that Off wasn't coming, much less that they couldn't wait any longer.

"Surely they wouldn't even mind not seeing the movie .."

- "But I'm not going to miss it ... I am not that much of an idiot..." - he whispered as he took the tickets out of his pants pocket and headed towards his brother. However a hand grabbed his arm just as he started to walk towards them.

Win, startled, turned to the young man who, with a guilty expression on his face, was greeting him with one hand while still holding him with the other.

- "I'm sorry for the delay" - said Off - "my boss did not want to let me out until I finished fixing the deliveries".

- "It doesn't matter..." - Win said. A few seconds later, however, and under the watchful eye of Krist and Singto, he started walking towards the small establishment that was full of sweets and drinks - "But, because you're late, you're going to have to buy us a couple of things and also pay for dinner ... "

Off laughed while, without resistance, he followed the young man toward the store. Krist, just behind them, tried to intervene but a brief glance from Win made him shut up to, with a worried expression, turned to Singto. The latter, however, shrugged his shoulders and, approaching the store, began to order various drinks and sweets with Win who, with a smile, kept repeating that he wanted the same.

A few minutes later, the four boys had their hands full of bags of popcorn, jelly beans, and chocolate balls, not to mention the drinks.

- "I'm going to pay" - Off said as he took out his wallet.

Win smiled and nodded.

- "We'll wait for you inside"

After which he turned towards the movie's room, entering without looking back.

Off watched him go and, with a sigh, headed toward the clerk.

- "How much is it?" - he asked as soon as he arrived in front of the cash register.

It was then that he saw the bear-shaped jelly beans next to the machine.

"They were his favorites ... maybe I should buy him a bag ...", he said to himself while giving it a glimpse full of sadness and longing, "although perhaps he doesn't like them anymore..."

The man sighed as he remembered that morning when he thought he had lost everything. The morning of the accident ...

THREE YEARS AGO ...

Off woke up with a big headache and his body numb from the cold air that was coming through the large windows that were opened.

- "I must definitely stop drinking ..." - he muttered as he put a hand over his head. His eyes, slightly sore from the light coming into the room, narrowed.

With a sigh he turned to the other side of the bed.

It was then that he realized he was not alone. That someone else was with him and, from what he observed, that person was completely naked.

"It can't be," he told himself as he lightly lifted the sheet that covered his waist and legs. A growl rose to his lips when he verified what he feared so much. He was also naked.

- "Good morning" - muttered, in a tired voice, Porsche as he looked at him from the other side of the bed.

- "What happened?" - asked Off with a low voice - "I don't understand ..."

Porsche shrugged as he smiled.

- "Well, I suppose we drank more than we should and ... well ... we decided to celebrate Gun's entry into the group like we have done many other times ... spending a good time between the sheets ...".

Off growled and, standing up abruptly, he searched the floor of the room for his underwear. When he finally found it, on one of the arms of the nearest chair, he put it on and turned towards the young man who was watching him, without moving, from the bed.

- "But it is no longer the same as before, Porsche ... now I have a boyfriend. I love Gun and this ..." - he said while pointing to himself and Porsche - "this should never have happened".

- "Come on Off ... you have had other boyfriends before and we have always ended the same ... you are not one of those who are satisfied with a single person. If not, you won't be here.."

Off growled but, knowing that Porsche wasn't saying anything that wasn't true, he said nothing, just grabbed his pants, put them on, and went out into the hotel hallway.

However, just before he left, he turned to Porsche to stare at him.

- "I mean it, this is over ..." - he said and then started walking down the hall, ignoring the screams that could be heard now inside the room.

He was so upset with what had just happened, that he did not see the shadow that was at the end of the corridor and that had seen and heard everything.

- "So you were with Porsche ... you lied to me and ... and cheated ..."

NOWADAYS...

Win smiled wryly as he watched Off enter the room with a bag of gummy bears in hand.

"It's going to cost you a lot more than a couple of jelly beans to make me trust you again Off ..", he thought as he reached for the pendant that was hidden under his clothes. A pendant whose matching earring was now safely tucked away in one of his drawers.

Win still didn't know how it had appeared in his room but he had no doubts who had put it there.

Fiat...

He undoubtedly owed the young man a lot, especially after remembering how he had jumped on Porsche when the man, after getting near the canoe, had started hitting him while demanding that he get away from his lover.

In the end the boat had capsized and they had both ended up in the water. Then ... then he just remembered Porsche hitting his head with a stone and little else ...

He had been saved thanks to Fiat and, without a doubt, he will never be able to pay him for everything he had done for him ... or for his brother. With a smile he turned to Krist who, next to Singto, was sharing a bag of popcorn while talking to each other with their heads close together.

- "Bro ... pass me one of the bags ..." - he whispered, ignoring the young man who had just sat down next to him and that, with a smile, was trying to show him what he had just bought.

As soon as the first sounds of the film began to be heard, Win smiled and, opening one of the popcorn packages, brought a handful to his mouth.

Beside him, Off sighed and, with a slight pout, picked up his own drink. However, when a hand took the bag of bear-shaped jelly beans to open it moments later, the young man could not help but smile and, clearly in a better mood, he also looked at the screem..