Comic Boys

I smiled warily as I heard London's light snore from the passenger seat of my rust bucket, his head lolling against the window, his hands resting on his lap as his mouth parted in a tense oval, his brow creased as the black bags under his eyes hid themselves under the thick frame of his glasses, that slipped down the bridge of his nose. I turned down the volume of the radio as I watched London's chest rise and fall at a steady rate, every now and then hitching or speeding up, but soon lapsed back into its constant rhythm.

London had been exhausted lately, and I kept asking-pestering, almost- about the way he was dealing with his deteriorating health since we got back from London, but he just passed it off as school blues because of the homework he was accumulating. I just left it at that, but there was a painful biting at the back of my brain that knew it wasn't about school. It was about his emotional state, his heart, his guilt and his lingering feelings for Easton though being with me. I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous or upset. I was, that was only natural when the boy of your dreams is trying to block out the feeling for another man but failing miserably, which in turn makes him sicker and sicker by the day. I knew it was my fault- I shouldn't have... made him choose me. That was the guilt I was shouldering, so I guess I understood where London was coming from.

I had hurt him, even though he didn't feel that I was the one who did. I knew I should have never forced my feelings upon him, especially when there was another guy in the question. I should have let things play out and let London choose for himself, instead of stealing him away because of my selfish feelings. I loved him, and that obsession blinded me from taking into consideration his emotions. I just stomped over his heart and fragile defences because I didn't want to lose him to someone that was also head-over-hells in love with him, someone who wasn't a bad guy at all. I had always deluded myself into thinking Daniel was the son of Satan, but when I really, really thought about him in a non-biased way I saw that he was a nice guy, cold on the outside, but to the people he truly cared about he was everything you would ever want in a friend, in a boyfriend, in a husband.

I sighed glumly, glancing at London whilst waiting for the red light to morph to green, my hand stroking his pale, warm cheeks with my thumb.

"You're so perfect, London," I murmured, as I gently pressed the accelerator, the light buzz of the radio weaving between my words. "You're much too perfect for a sop like me."

I parked on the curb in front of the Lurghmann house, before hopping out and opening London's door, his seatbelt keeping him upright. His sleeping form stirred, his eyes opening slightly as he shot me a dazed smile, unbuckling his own seatbelt. I kissed his forehead, telling him to go back to sleep, which he nodded, yawning. I picked him up, his body snuggling itself into my grasp as he slipped back into the land of dreams, where he would hopefully be getting some peace of mind and a decent rest, his body getting back to its healthy, less-zombie-like form.

I knocked on the Lurghmann house, London's mother opening the door with a worried but happy smile, thanking me for taking London home. I smiled at her, before walking up the stairs like I have been doing the past few weeks since London had started falling asleep on me, and lay him down on the bed, taking his Converse off whilst trying not to wake him. I rolled his blanket on top of him, folding it over his torso as he snored, fingers clenching and unclenching as he rolled over, snuggling onto a pillow like the adorable little kitten he was. I found my heart speeding up at the image, leaning over his form to kiss his cheeks, resting my forehead against his skin before stepping back, scribbling a little note on the pin-board hanging from his wall. I stared at the note once, my lips quirking up in a wistful smile, before walking out the door.

I whipped out my phone to call up someone I had only rung once before.

"Meet you in five?" I asked breathily, as there was a chuckle on the other end of the line, one of void amusement before the same voice replied simply.

"Make it two. I can see your car pulling up."



Daniel blew over his decaf coffee, whilst I mulled over my chai latte what to say to Daniel, who took a sip of his bitter drink before turning his cold eyes on me. It had never been 'warm' between us, and now that London had chosen one of us the tension between the two of us was greater than ever, and I had no doubt that the other patrons could feel the tangible awkwardness that radiated off us in waves.

"London's really broken right now," I stated awkwardly, as Easton's once blank eyes flashed with something, before turning angry, his hand grabbing the front of my shirt, reminding me of that time in the aeroplane, but that time I was the one doing the choking.

"You were supposed to make him happy!" Daniel cried, his voice raising with every word, quieting as he noticed the looks we were getting, but he didn't let go of my shirt, nor did he seem he wanted to any time soon. "Now you're here, telling me that he's hurting. You said he would be happy in your hands. I knew you were a douche bag from the moment I saw you."

I didn't say anything as Daniel gritted his teeth, hissing before releasing my sore neck. I rubbed my tender flesh, but didn't retaliate. He was right. I hadn't been good for London, and it hurt me to the bone to admit that. I wasn't perfect for him. I had thought we were meant to be, but we weren't, not when Easton was in the picture.

"That's why I'm here," I murmured, sipping my drink that had gone cold. "I... I don't think I should be with him any more."

Daniel just stared at me, before scoffing, standing up.

"Yep. You really are a douche bag, aren't you. You'll hurt him more if you dump him," Daniel said, picking up his coffee from the table, licking the foam at the top as he thought carefully for a moment. "No... No! Please don't tell me you already broke up with him!" Easton's voice rose again as he ran his fingers through his hair. I nodded pathetically, remembering the swift note I left. I know- I was a heartless jerk for breaking up over a piece of paper tacked to a board. I was hoping that Daniel would pick up the pieces, though. I knew he could be there for London, to be the boyfriend I couldn't.

"Why did you do that?" Daniel whispered, before speaking words that chilled my blood and stopped my heart. "I'm about to leave him, but now you are too."

"You... You are leaving him?" I asked, shocked, as he nodded, turning away as his body tensed.

"Yeah. I'm moving back home. To my old home, and I wasn't planning on telling either of you."