Cursed

Kieran looked so adorable in his oversized sweater as I picked him up from his house. The way the sleeves went down past his hands. Shailey knew to get into the backseat so that Kieran could sit with me. Personally, I think that she was becoming much more accepting of our relationship as time went on.

The boy leaned over to press a quick kiss to my lips. I pulled the car away from his house as blush covered by face, all the way to the tips of my ears. “Glad to see you’re better,” he said, smiling.

I was just a little too embarrassed to hold his hand as I drove, plus I wasn’t good at driving one-handed.

As soon as we were at school, Shailey was the first to leave. Kieran and I followed after, carry our things, walking a little slower than anyone else because we were talking.

“So, I guess playing tug-of-war is out of the question,” he teased.

“Now you’re just making fun of me,” I said, pretending to pout.

“Well, how are your feelings towards cats?”

“Kieran…”

“What!?” Kieran cried, throwing his hands into the air. “It’s a legit question that could be for anyone!”

“Okay, fine, I’m not really a cat person. But it’s not my fault, it’s like they know what I am and they hiss at me and the way they look at me is just creepy!” I said, shuddering as I recalled the last time I was at the pound with Shailey looking for a pet for her.

“A-ha! And the truth comes out,” he chuckles. As soon as we walked into the school, Kieran suddenly pulled me to the side and into a bathroom.

“Wha-?” I barely have time to question what’s going on before his lips are on mine, kissing desperately.

I pulled away though and looked at him questioningly. “I told you, we were going to make out in the bathroom,” he said, giving me an evil smile. At that moment, I knew I wasn’t getting away that easily.

“What if someone sees?” I questioned.

“You’re such a baby,” he laughed before pushing me into an empty stall and closing the door. But then he goes right back to kissing me frantically and passionately. My fingers tangle with his hair as his are on my hips, keeping us practically glued to each other. In a moment, our tongues were dancing, tangling and fighting. Kieran moaned throughout the endeavor. Then his hands began to dig under the hem of my shirt.

I felt the blush rush up to my ears and down to my toes as his hands began to caress the skin under the fabric. My lips automatically went to his neck because I felt like that might be what I was supposed to do, and I kissed the skin there and sighed into it. I made sure not to leave any marks though. It would be physical proof of our relationship.

Either way, I pulled away a moment later for air. His hands came out from under my shirt and it’s then that I realize we probably shouldn’t have done this as I now have a… “problem” and school was to start any moment…

*~*~*~*~*~*

Luckily, I avoided the entire problem by just not going to my first period class. And, as if I couldn’t get enough of him, Kieran came over that night to hang out. He sat next to me on the floor next to my bed as we watched something on TV.

I felt him playing with my hand as we watched. I didn’t think I could really be liked like this and I was just so grateful that I had Kieran.

“Hey, Finn?” He called.

“Hmm?”

“Do you know what the red ribbon of fate is?” He asked.

“Huh? No, what is it?”

He had a huge grin plastered all over his face. “It’s a Japanese legend that soul mates are connected to each other by a red ribbon connecting their little fingers, we learned about it in geography.”

“That’s… romantic,” I said thoughtfully. Then he lifted his hand to reveal a neatly tied bow on his pinkie finger and tugged on it. I looked down to see that he had tied the other end around my own finger.

“I love that when you blush it goes all the way up to your ears,” he smiled before I leaned in to kiss him. I never knew that one person could make me so incredibly happy. Especially because of my being cursed. It had always stood in the way but not with Kieran. I was just so happy that I could have him, just him.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After Kieran left, my parents called me into the living room. I thought nothing of it, though, until I saw their serious expressions. “So, Finn, how are things?” Mom asked suspiciously.

“They’re fine, why?” I questioned, growing a little concerned.

“I… think you have a right to know that we’ve tried everything and… we can’t find Markus,” my dad spoke up.

“Well, that’s… good right? It means he’s not here,” I said.

“It would be if he weren’t so unpredictable. We don’t know if he won’t come back,” Mom said.

“He needs to be punished,” Dad told me. “We can’t let his crimes go.”

“I know, I… want him punished as much as anyone,“ I said in a quiet voice.

“Oh?” Mom piped up. “And why’s that?”

By her expression, I knew I had been caught. They had to have known what was going on between Kieran and I. “Because… Kieran’s my friend.”

“A friend you have over everyday now, even though it seemed like you didn’t like him at first,” Mom accused.

My lip started to quiver as I pictured all of the horrible things that could happen. I would be separated from Kieran. I could be killed by Shailey’s family for committing this taboo.

“W-we patched things over,” I said, still trying to defend myself. I was so scared that my eyes were watering with threatening tears.

“Finn, honey, you’re my son, do you think I would let anything bad happen to you?” Mom cooed as she hugged me to her. “My own sister is married to a human, do you honestly think that I could shun you if I haven’t shunned her?”

“But… he’s a guy…,” I said quietly.

“Homosexuality is just as common in nature as it is in the human portion of the world,” Dad soothed.

“Please, don’t tell Shailey’s parents, please,” I pleaded as I gripped my mom’s shirt, crying into it like a child would if they broke the neighbor’s window on accident.

“They may be our friends, but you’re our son, we won’t hand you over to them out of fear,” my mother said. “But I’d be lying if I said being with him wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Can I ask you something Finn?” Dad cut in. I looked up at him from my mom’s shoulder. “Is… that what Markus meant when he said something about a pure race?”

“Yeah, he probably smelled Kieran’s scent all over me,” I admitted.

“Then, I have to charge you with protecting Kieran,” he said.

“I already promised myself I’d do that.”