Chapter 21
“Hi.” Hobie said, feigning nonchalance. Miles didn’t have the same composure though, and was visibly nervous; even with his music.
“Sup,” He said sheepishly.
The silence was piercing, with both boys waiting for the other shoe to drop. They were standing on either side of the playground, both not moving to be closer. Miles didn’t give a crap though, and definitely wasn’t making the move. Nights by Frank Ocean is playing right now and he’d even be vibing if the tension wasn’t so thick.
“I’m assumin’ you heard some stuff from your friend?” Hobie said.
“Yeah, and I was also there so,” he said unimpressed but at the panicked look on his face he quickly added, “I didn’t hear anything though, had these on.” He tapped on his headphones. He wondered what he didn’t want him to hear.
“Oh, good I guess.”
After their now second awkward silence in the last 5 minutes, Miles was starting to think he was worried over nothing. Nothing about Hobie screamed hostile so far. If anything, he seemed just as nervous as he was. He’s yet to decide if that’s a good thing or not though.
“I’m sorry.” “Wanna sit down?” They both said at the same time, with the punk apologizing.
“Yeah… we should sit down for this,” Miles chuckled awkwardly. “On a bench that is, I don’t trust you above ground.” He joked. When he saw Hobie’s expressions though, he realized that probably wasn’t appropriate. Damn his stupid mouth that likes to just blurt shit out when he’s nervous.
“That was a joke I- alright let’s just sit down,” he sighed before walking towards Hobie, grabbing his wrist, and pulling him towards a nearby bench. “Alright, you want to go first or me?” He said, they should just get over it, instead of whatever… this is.
“How are you so calm right now?” Hobie said confused. He could barely stop himself from tapping his fingers and feet excessively, but the boy next to him was able to grab his wrist. Just comes to show who’s the most stable one between them…
“Well, first off: I’m not calm. This conversation is kinda important to me,” he let out a low exhale, smoke from the cold coming out as a result, “And second, you’re not mad right? You don’t look it.” Huh?
Hobie furrowed his eyebrows as he quickly nodded his head no. Why would he be mad at Miles?
“Then that’s a good sign. The whole thing was just a misunderstanding, and both of us aren’t mad. Therefore, we’re good.”
“Or, atleast I think so. We’re good right?” Miles said insecurely. It might be because of the music in his ear, but he’s feeling pretty good about this. Would be mortifying if he was wrong though.
“Yeah…” the punk said wide-eyed. “We’re good.” He smiled, almost hurting his cheeks from how hard he was doing so. Right, they’re good.
“Okay good.” He smiled. He’s glad the boy looks less up tight now, doesn’t suit him. “So, me or you?”
“What?” The punk blinked.
“Like, should I go first or…”
“Oh no, I should go.” He nodded. He doesn’t particularly want to, especially with the nice vibe they have going on, but he knows he has to. He promised himself he would, a promise specifically dedicated to the amazing boy next to him.
“I… let me just say this off the bat, I’m so fuckin’ sorry,” He started, hesitantly grabbing Miles’s hand, since the boy seemed comfortable enough around him at the moment, that said boy smiled at.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like a berk, ‘cause trust me you aren’t.” He said looking at him sternly. “You’re awesome and I shouldn’t have been treatin’ you like you aren’t. You are so much better than… this. But if you’d let me, I’d be better. To you, and in general.” He finally breathed as Miles looked at him stunned, the part of him that didn’t want to show weakness around him completely tossed away.
“Wow. Just, wow,” he looked away bashfully as he tried not to blush. Hobie really thinks that highly of him?
“As flattering as that is, you know you weren’t that horrible right?” He said skeptically.
As much as the boy was mad at him back then-back then being 3 days ago- with everything cleared up he realized he wasn’t any more wrong than he himself is.
“What? Miles, I was horrible to you,” he said bewildered, “I pushed you.” He continued regretfully, squeezing the boys hand that’s still in his grasp. How, he doesn’t know.
“Yeah, almost off a roof that could’ve paralyzed me or something, so what?” Miles shrugged “Asshole move but I didn’t really give you room to act calm did I?” The 2 days Hobie gave him was used productively- by which he means that he took the time to overthink all their interactions together, where he realized that the punk wasn’t entirely in the wrong. And then the next 46 hours were used to have Ganke tell him he himself wasn’t a piece of crap, this one taking a bit longer to ingrain, clearly.
“Yeah, because I was being an asshole.” Hobie refuted, almost desperately. The boy said it himself, he could’ve really hurt him back then. He should be seething at just the thought of him, not letting him hold his hand!
“And after that I escalated it, which led to the pushing. This isn’t the point the finger game, we can both be assholes in the situation while not being the asshole. You know what I mean?” He rebutted back, just as quick.
And… surprisingly, the punk did actually know what he meant. In fact, when absorbing his words, he found that he was actually right. Damn that stupidly smart brain, trying to stop him from loathing himself. If it weren’t so attractive and all the logic was concrete he’d probably call it naive for how it switches narratives to a positive.
“…How do you do that?” Hobie playfully groaned, yielding from their little debate.
“You have to be more specific. Questions like that started this whole mess you know,” he rolled his eyes. Does he always have to be so mysterious all the time?
“Is that why you banned questions that night at the skatin’ rink?” He chuckled. “Was it a prophecy?”
“Yeah yeah, now no deflecting,” the boricua scoffed while grinning ear to ear. This is one of the exact reasons why he couldn’t stay mad at the boy.
“Caught me, didn’t you?” He grinned before getting serious. “How do you… just be so nice?”
“Pfft- is that what your question was?” Miles chuckled into his hand that wasn’t holding the punk’s. “I’m bein’ serious! Why try so hard to defend me when I’m obviously the arse?” He sighed, leaning into the bench chair. It was an opening question for the one that really gnawed at him, why does Miles look at him so differently than everyone else?
“Cause you’re not?” Miles tilted his head.
“Well most people would think I am.” He huffed. The boy just doesn’t have a clue how special he is, does he?
Like he was reading his mind, Miles smirked and said “Well I’m not other people, now am I?” all while leaning further into Hobie. Fuck all that subtle shit, Hobie’s is his now in all but labels. Holding his hand was basically a marriage proposal, so the boy only has himself to blame really.
“Nope, you definitely aren’t.” He chuckled, wrapping his hand around Miles.
“Ah, the famous arm wrap, could make any boy smitten,” he joked, melting at the touch. The punk was always cold as fuck but oh well, physical affection is still physical affection.
“You noticed?” He said shocked.
“Yeah dude, you only do it like, everytime we’re in 3ft of each other.” He laughed. He thought the boy did it on purpose to tease him, but guess not.
“Oh.” He said dumbly.
“Yeah, oh.” He chuckled.
“No wonder you thought I was leading you on,” he sighed. He really was an idiot, no matter what Miles had to say about it. And in the boricua’s mind, he certainly did.
“Boo don’t be like that. We’re both human. And gay. It happens.” He nudged him. “All in the past now.” He said confidently, head held up high.
“What if we make the same mistake again though?” Hobie said smugly, still jokeful. He won’t ever make those mistakes again, but who is he not to poke fun at his frankly adorable crush? Certainly not Hobie Brown. “We should atleast talk about it.”
“Mmm I don’t know, we’ve changed a little already. Like for example,” Miles looked over at the punk with a tiny smirk as he unexpectedly grabbed his jaw, “If I tried to kiss you right now, would you back away again?”
Hobie let out a tiny gasp as he’s pushed closer to the others face, which happens to give him a good luck at his eyes.
Instead of the old fear he used to feel when he gazed upon them, all he feels now is butterflies dancing in his stomach and a heat to his cheeks. And while he still doesn’t have the exact reason why the bloke looks at him like that,
Miles seemed to be trying to show him.
“Absolutely not.” He finally responded softly, barely a whisper.
Leaning in, with none of the hesitation from last time, they finally locked lips. Hobie had no idea what he was doing, and he doubts Miles did either, but that just made it feel so… real. This was actually happening, and he loved it.
It took them a second to adjust their heads and lips in a comfortable way for both of them, but once they did he didn’t ever want to let go. It was a smooth kiss, with Miles pulling him down by his light hold on his jaw. He melted at the touch, melted because of Miles in general, and just got more sucked in. His lips tasted like mint from his chapstick, and Hobie has a suspicion his own will too. The thought is so endearing and exhilarating to him that it just pushes him to lean in even further, practically getting so close they fit like puzzle pieces.
The other boy didn’t seem to complain either, never letting his hold from his jaw go. Like as if he was daring him to even think of pulling away. And what a stupid thought that is, he wouldn’t pull away even if he couldn’t breathe.
Miles himself didn’t seem to have the same sentiment though, or atleast the willpower, and separated them in a gasp. “Jesus,” he huffed, before laughing giddily and peppering Hobie with kisses all over his face.
“My lips weren’t enough?” He teased, but flushed as the boy just kept going. “My bad, just had to let it out,” The boy happily sighed, satisfied at the expression on the punks face.
“Wasn’t complainin’ love,” He smiled. He really wasn’t.
“Woah,“love”, that’s new.” Miles grinned. This whole moment felt like a fever dream, one he definitely doesn’t want to wake up from.
“Yup, thought it’d fit,” Hobie said smoothly as he squeezed his hold on the other boys hand- that he never let go of- and grabbed his other, “So… we boyfriend’s now or what?”
Miles’s brain froze as he looked at the soft smile on the boys face. This is actually happening right? Yeah, he thinks it is. It actually is.
…
Holy shit.
Holy shit!
Right when he was going to agree profusely his phone started ringing, and he started stuttering on his words.
“What’s wrong?” The boy said with furrowed brows. He forgot with everything that was going on but, Hobie couldn’t hear the ringing because he had his headphones. And that also means, he was listening to Lost by Franck Ocean while having his first kiss. Heh, good for him. Obviously a perfect start to a relationship.
“Oh nothing nothing, of course I wanna date! Hell yeah!” Miles cheered, ignoring the incessant ringing in his ears. It kept going however, and as much as he wanted to keep disregarding it, if it ended up being his mom and he didn’t answer it would be his own death sentence.
“My bad, can I just answer this quickly?” He sighed, relenting and pulling out his phone. “Oh yeah, go ahead. Could’ve told me sooner,” The punk said blankly, “Almost had me worried there.”
“Oh please, we just kissed,” Miles chuckled while waving him off. “Wouldn’t back out now.”
“Hi,” he said to his phone, finally answering. “Where are you? I’m outside your school.” He gawked at his phone in shock before immediately recognizing the voice. It’s just Uncle Aaron.
Oh crap, it’s Uncle Aaron!
“Oh uh- I’m down the block let me just go to my dorm and get my bag,” he said alarmed as he looked between Hobie and his phone.
“What are you doing out at this time, out with a girl?” He teased on the other line, not knowing just how close yet so far off he was.
“No!” He blushed. “Uh- I mean, I wish! Ha ha ha…” he said awkwardly as Hobie just looked at him with an amused expression. Which, rude. He didn’t even know what he was talking about!
“Ima be right there alright?” He finally said, not trying to dig a bigger whole for himself.
“Aight, I’m outside on my motorcycle so you’ll see me,” He chuckled, clearly enjoying his nephews suffering. “You know you should really start looking for someo-“
“Okay bye!”
The Puerto Rican slumped into the bench sighing. “I have to go.” He mumbled disappointingly. “My uncles waiting outside the school right now, forgot I planned to hang out with him,” the more he spoke, the more he let his body fall off his seat. He really didn’t want to leave Hobie now, especially since they just made things official.
“Well that’s a shame,” Hobie pouted, feeling the same disappointment the boy next to him felt. “Can I atleast get a goodbye kiss?” He playfully puckered up his lips.
“Pfft- in what world would I say no?” He chuckled, standing up and giving him a quick peck on the lips. He can’t believe he’s finally able to, but won’t let the his disbelief stop him from jumping on the chance to kiss this wonderfully handsome boy.
“How about… I see you tomorrow?” He asked happily.
“Of course, in what world would I say no?” He smirked, repeating the blokes words right back at him.
”Bye Hobie,” Miles shook his head laughing. “See you tomorrow.”
”Yeah, see you tomorrow,” he said infatuated. The bloke- no- his boyfriend just walked away, but he already couldn’t wait for tomorrow.