บท 50: Fallen For You
[Adrian's POV]
It's as if a century-old thorn impaled in his chest has been extracted, replacing his uncertainty with conviction—a resolute decision to be with the person who can truly make him happy.
'I should have done this a long time ago.'
Despite the silence, Adrian felt at ease beside Johan, their arms brushing as they strolled the long narrow street going to Kristoff's place. He hadn't gotten an answer yet. He's not even sure if Johan had heard him. The truck's engine overpowered the sound of his voice.
Biting his lower lip, Adrian chanced a sideway-glance. The magnetic pull of the skin grazing against his knuckles made him spontaneous. Slowly, Adrian slid his fingers into Johan's palm, linking their hands together.
Hazel eyes turned to him, and Adrian's heart soared when Johan gave a squeeze. He didn't pull away like what he'd normally do, not a single trace of resistance at all.
It's a pleasant feeling to not hide; to not pretend, to be free, to be with the one who completed him.
'Let's be together for real, Han.'
Looking ahead, Adrian realized how secluded the place was becoming the more they walked. He smiled at the bickering two not too far from them.
Kristoff had one arm extended to support Sean as he tried to stabilize himself on Kristoff's skateboard, yelping at the intentional pull to outbalance him.
"Stop pulling, Kris! I'm going to fall!"
"You're fine. Don't be scared." Kristoff gave a forceful tug, and the skateboard toppled over, but Sean landed safely in his arms. "I'll catch you if you fall, anyway."
"Y-y-you—!" Sean stuttered and sent a flailing fist to Kristoff's chin, hurrying back to their side with a flustered face. "Pig! You're such an impudent pig, Kris! Couz, help me!"
Yep. They're definitely cousins.
When they reappeared after talking in private, just after the truck passed by, Kristoff invited them to hang out at their place, to which Johan agreed despite Sean's protest.
Johan snorted in amusement as Sean hid behind him. "Don't call someone a pig, Couz. Body-shaming is bad."
"That's not what I meant!"
"Besides." Johan ignored his cousin's protest. "Kristoff looked ripped. Are you sure he's just a friend?"
Sean gasped, looking indignant. "Who's side are you on? I feel so betrayed, Couz. I'm your cousin! I'm your cousin!"
"Stop being a drama queen, Couz." Johan smirked and waved his phone at Sean's face. It's as if the cousins were having a childish revenge war he's not aware of. "By the way, I also took a picture of you two. You're so cute together. Kensuke would agree."
"Right, Cousin-in-law. Tell him!" Kristoff quipped, chasing Sean as they circled around them. "How can you date someone you haven't met in person while I'm here all along!"
"Shut up! Shut up! Ahh!" Sean sprinted away, clutching his reddened ears with Kristoff hot on his trail.
"They're cute, aren't they?" Adrian said and chuckled at the exchange. "Maybe they're more than just friends."
"It's fine if they are." Johan retrieved the abandoned skateboard, a smile on his face. "Though, I'd prefer if Couz broke it off with Kensuke first. Even if they haven't met each other, they're still bound in a relationship they both agreed on."
"Is that your answer to me as well?"
Johan halted with his question, looking up to him with surprised eyes.
The cool breeze swayed the branches of eucalyptus trees beside the empty road, carrying its refreshing summer scent that was calming to the mind. Amplified by the green beauty of rice fields on both sides, Adrian couldn't help but lean for a kiss.
Johan didn't protest. He welcomed the kiss with half-lidded eyes, and Adrian imprinted the perfect moment in his mind.
Pulling away, Johan hopped onto the skateboard and wheeled slowly, their hands still joined. Unlike Sean, he didn't have much trouble balancing himself.
Adrian playfully tugged Johan's hand, trying to reenact Kristoff's stunt. But Johan latched onto his arm, keeping a strong balance before he leaped on the asphalt road.
"What? You don't want to fall for me?" Adrian joked.
"Why? Are you worth falling for?" Johan laughed, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Adrian opened his mouth to rebut, but Johan already pulled away and tried to skate again. "Don't just stand there. They're waiting for us."
It wasn't long before they reached a left turn where Sean and Kristoff stood under the shade of the last eucalyptus tree.
"Let's take a shortcut here," Kristoff pointed across the rice field, adjusting Sean's bag over his shoulder. "Our house is behind those mango trees."
Johan handed the skateboard back to Kristoff and turned to Sean. "You didn't have a quickie, did you?"
"Couz!"
Despite his embarrassment, Sean trudged after Kristoff to the narrow elevated grassy path between paddies. Hands gripping the hem of Kristoff's black tank top, Sean tried not to fall into the mud and growing rice stalks.
Adrian stared at the field's wayside with calculating eyes. Damn! What if he slipped and embarrassed himself? He didn't have a change of clothes.
As Adrian weighed his options, Johan thrust a hand in front of him. He had an encouraging smile as he waited for him to reach his hand. "It should have been the other way around, though."
With an exasperated eye-roll, Johan fastened his fingers around his wrist and dragged him forward. "I'm used to walking along field banks, Adrian. I grew up surrounded by trees and rice fields."
"Really? Interesting." Adrian mused, taking his smartphone with his free hand. He snapped a photo of Johan holding his wrist; back turned against him, his opened white buttoned-up shirt flowing freely in the wind—a wonderful contrast to the rich verdant background.
He's like an angel that graced the earth. And said angel was holding his hand right now.
Johan turned his head to look at him, and he pressed the capture button again. "What are you doing? Eyes on the ground, Idiot."
That was perfect.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm just—whoa! Shit!"
"Fucking hell!"
Adrian stepped on an uneven ground and he lost his footing, knocking himself splat on the muddy field, pulling Johan with him.
Groaning, Johan raised his face from his chest and fired curses as he uprooted his hand stuck on the wet soil. The cute glare he sent him was worth the fall, making Adrian laugh.
"You, Idiot! I'm wearing white!"
"Sorry, Han... Haha... That was an accident..." Adrian raised a hand and thumbed the mud dotting Johan's cheek, his lips curling into a fond smile. "Now, am I worth falling for, Han?"
The intensity of Johan's glare melted as laughter bubbled from his throat. Snorting, he smeared his muddy hand on Adrian's face. "Crazy."
Light flashed from above, accompanied by Sean's giggles. "This is going to be the scandal of the year. Headlines! Two men caught in the act—"
Sean scrambled away as Johan pushed himself off of him, chasing after his cousin. Their yells and guffaws rang above the swaying rice stalks. Adrian could only give a helpless chuckle.
"Cousin-in-law is right. You're crazy." Kristoff stuck a hand for Adrian to grab and helped him to his feet. "But who am I to talk. I'm crazy over someone who's already taken. To each their own, I guess. We're all crazy when it comes to love."
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K_Contiello
K_Contiello Originally, I'm going to add more scene's in this chapter and this should be the end of Volume 2, but as much as I tried, it won't work like that. It frustrates me because I'm so obsessed with equal chapter counts per volume, but whatever. Haha!
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