Bookstore Boy

Theodore met him at a bookstore, much to his surprise. As cliché as it was, it had really surprised him. He didn't have that sort of life, the kind in which indie romance movies were made about. No boy ever took his hand and danced with him in the rain or took him to a rooftop picnic. He had plenty of boyfriends, each were romantic in their own way, but nothing as cosmically lovely as this had happened to him.

Even more to his surprise, he knew the boy behind the counter as he checked prices and set the novels in a pile. It shouldn't have though, he knew he lived here now. Wasn't this what he came here to do? Find him? Yes, it was. He just hadn't expected him to be in the first place he came to. In fact, he'd ducked into the small book story to stall a bit, try to postpone this visit.

Theo wasn't truly sure why he felt this visit was so necessary. The two boys were two different people than they had been back when they were in high school. They'd dated for nearly a year, and kept close (off and on, of course, due to the other's irritable habit of breaking promises) through the years that followed that. He had gone through college, and in a few years, so had the younger boy. They'd texted, but due to slight fights and struggling with school work, they never once met each other face to face.

It wasn't until a few months ago after the young man had officially graduated that the two drifted away. Work was hard to come by for the boy with the teaching degree, but he was determined. His determination turned into less time for Theo, leaving his phone home or off, and eventually, the two of them stopped talking altogether.

That had been two months ago. Today, Theo was determined not to let it end that way. Not without one meeting, one final argument, or a kiss, or something. It would not end without them ever getting a certain chance at meeting each other. Wanting it to be a surprise, Theodore had researched as best he could on Facebook where the boy lived now and sure enough, he was here.

The dark haired man moved away from the door, letting a young girl shuffle by with a new novel in hand. He quickly moved along, avoiding eye contact with the cashier he knew just as well as himself. He soon found himself in small aisle of book shelves. He pulled out a book and pretended to study it but all the while he was studying young Johnathan.

He wore a plaid shirt with a pale gray cardigan pulled on over him, the color highlighted against his pale neck. His hair was shorter now, and much fairer due to more time in the sunlight. Freckles lined the skin under his bright green eyes and his pale lips were curved in a smile as he exchanged a book for cash to his customer. Though they'd never met in the flesh, he'd recognize him anywhere. It was too much, too real, and too fast. Theo was overwhelmed and made a gulping noise.

However, Johnathan was not oblivious as he had once seemed to be. He was the same as Theo and would recognize the other in an instant. And as he scanned the shop, he did. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. They met eyes- emerald against crystal. Theodore blushed, a whirlwind of red filling his face, and he waved at Johnathan.

Johnathan dropped everything he was doing, quite literally in fact, letting books clammer to the floor. He leaped around the counter and ran to the boy, immediately taking him into his arms and squeezing him against his chest. Both boys were panting now; Johnathan from his sprint and Theo from nervousness. But Johnathan did not let go.

"I'm so sorry I haven't talked to you," he said meekly.

Theo buried his head into Johnathan's shoulder. "For two months?" When the answer didn't come he added, "You always do this to me."

"There is no excuse," he said and pressed his face into Theodore's neck. "You shouldn't have come. I've hurt you more times than you should ever have to know from anyone."

Theo simply nodded into his shoulder before pulling away. Tears now streamed from his cheeks. "But you love me, right?"

"For as long as I can remember," Johnathan whispered, clearly aware that his answer wouldn't matter. He looked down, contemplating his romance with Theo from day one. He'd been unfaithful, he had broken his heart into more fragments than was humanly possible. Even when they weren't dating he broke promise after promise, again and again. And through it all Theo still had feelings for him. He knew better to, but he did.

And with all that Johnathan did, the lying, the cheating, all of it- it was not to say that Johnathan didn't love Theo. In fact, he loved him more than any boy he'd ever come across. There was something about talking to him that just made him feel good. He was like the best friend he'd never gotten. He enjoyed his quirky humor and the way he loved to knit or take naps all the time. He even loved when he begged for bedtime stories and when his cat would distract him. But most of all, Johnathan loved -and missed- the late night conversations where each both was so tired that the words were just mumbles but they were plans for the future.

The plan had been to get married on the beach, to live happily ever after with his cat and a few kids. Not this, not Johnathan ripping his heart to shreds time and time again. Theo shouldn't be here now, Johnathan should have been with him the whole time. He should have tried harder. He regretted it, possibly more than any other mistake he had made. Perhaps what Johnathan needed was the time to grow up. He didn't need someone who was there by his side everyday. No, he needed to experience the word and romance and life and he'd done it all and once he'd done so, it was so obvious. He'd just needed to grow the fuck up and make Theodore his.

"You slipped away from me so many times, though you promised you wouldn't," Theo said quietly while tears rolled down his cheeks. Everyone in the book store was watching now, silent but expectant. He grabbed the fair haired boy's hand then and laced their fingers. "So this time I came to you. I'll stick by your side and I won't let you push me away."

"I should have never pushed you away in the first place."

He squeezed his hand. "Just don't let it happen again."

Johnathan looked into Theo's eyes with all the sincerity within him. He'd grown up a lot, maybe it was time to change. If not for Theo, for himself. He didn't want to be like that any more. No, he couldn't be like that. Maybe Theo and him wouldn't be together for a long time, or possibly never again, but whatever the case, Johnathan knew this- Theodore was in his life for a reason and he wasn't going to let him go. They still had a fighting chance in this.

Johnathan kissed Theodore, softly and sweetly.

"I won't."