Scott and I decided that the group should know about this, About us. Elaine would kill me and Joey would say snarky comments. The others, I really don’t know.
“Guys,” I say seriously as we all sat at the couch in front of the fireplace. “Scott and I are together,”
“HA!” John says and Hanks takes out ten dollars and gave to John.
“Bout time!” Joey says.
Elaine glared at me surprised and barges out the room. Typical Elaine.
“And to escape this pool of uncomfortableness, I am going hunting. Does anyone care to join me?” Joey raises his hand.
“Bows or guns?” he asks.
I answer, “Definitely bows,”
“I turn to Scott and say, “Be back soon,” and kiss him on the cheek.
“You two are to cute together,” Jen says and stalks off.
I take my recurve hybrid bow and Joey takes his compound. We decided on the hunting grounds and take my minivan to the spot. I bring out my bow and my quiver out of the back of the minivan and give Joey’s his. We walk slowly out in to the white winter woods. I load an arrow as I walk. I hear the crack of a stick behind me and quickly turn around. Joey did it. I gave him a disapproving look. Now anything one kilometre from us will flee and we have to walk farther. We walk slowly towards a waterfall. it was flowing but parts of it were frozen. I see a wild rabbit with white and black speckled fur. I aim silently at it and within seconds, the rabbit was dead. I took the arrow out of the body of the rabbit. I felt sorry for it. I felt sorry for everything. I killed a deer once. Got good money but felt guilty.
After my little hunt session with Joey, we sold the meat to a nearby butcher and went back. Scott was on the couch with a hand of cards with John while Jen was with Hank. They were ganging up on each other.
“Welcome back,” Scott says turning my direction.
“It’s good to be back,” I approach him and give him a chaste kiss.
“PDA bro,” John says avoiding us.
“Your’e just jealous,” I say to John and lay on the couch that Scott was leaning on.
Lana Del Rey was playing and I ignore the frequent “go fish” and listen to the lyrics. Lana Del Rey is a walking genius covered in beauty.
Not even they can stop me now
Boy I be flying overhead
their heavy words can’t bring me down
Boy, Ive been raised from the dead
Her voice is beautifully relaxing. They player was vinyl and the record was a little scratched. The album “Born To Die” is a masterpiece. Soon I drift to sleep on the couch.
I wake up to the smell of chicken and french fries. I walked in the kitchen to get a glass of water. Scott was cooking this time. It smells phenomenal. He even made desert. I swear sometimes he is just too perfect. I took the glass and filled it with water. I felt an arm surrounding my hip and a little stubble on my shoulder. I relaxed knowing who it was. His hands are so strong. I let them cover me and I melt in his powerful embrace. I want to stay here forever. Unfortunately he let’s me go and go back to his cooking. I sit on one of the counters just listening to the pans and appliances work.
“Hey Mark?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think we’re going too fast?” he fidgets for a bit then says, “We act like we’ve been a couple for years but in reality, we just came together yesterday,”
“If you think we’re going to fast, then we can always slow down,”
“I don’t think that, I just want to make sure you love me back,”
“What are you talking about?”
“Elaine told me that you’ve been with a lot of girls but never a guy. Suddenly, I kiss you and you’re alright with it,”
“Yes you are the first man I’ve been with, but then, when I dated girls, I believed in same sex couples and how love is love. I just never thought i would be in that position,”
“And that’s the problem, I can’t just go on thinking that one day you’re gonna wake up and say ‘What the hell am I doing dating a guy?’ and then leave me,”
“Scott, that will never happen. Trust me. There was never one person that I have said that to and there will never be. The risk is there but isn’t it worth the risk? Am I worth the risk?”
“I just don’t want to get hurt. This is the first relationship I’ve ever been in,”
“Scott, look at me,” I place a hand on his chin and turn his head towards me, “I love you and nothing will change that,”
“You know, it’s hard for some people to say those magical three words to the other person in a relationship this early,”
“It’s worth the risk,” I close the remaining space between our lips and I make it last.
