Twenty - Three

Scott brushed his thumb over the fading bruise on Elijah's cheeks. Leaning forward and giving him a small kiss on it as if his kiss had the power to heal it. Scott nested back himself in Elijah's arm, tracing his finger along the crook of his neck.

Elijah loved these moments, the moments where he had Scott wrapped in his arms all to himself. Sharing the warmth of each other, legs entangling each other and kissing when they needed to feel more of each other.

Elijah wanted to shower Scott in kisses and his love. Tell him a thousand-- no, a million times how he loves him because he deserved it. He deserved a love that wouldn't betray him. A love that could protect him and cherish him.

Elijah was going to give him that love. A love like no other because he's loved Scott for years on end and more years to come. Elijah would do anything for Scott-- he would cross the seven seas if he had to. Sometimes it all felt too real to be true. That the person who had occupied his heart for years was finally his.

A person he could call his own, his boyfriend, his lover. It all felt like a dream. That if he closed and opened his eyes it would all vanish, leaving him shattered. But dreams come true, when he opened his eyes and Scott was still firmly in his arms or when he calls him and hear his honey coated voice. If he whispered an I love you, he would earn one in return. It was real, everything was real and he loved every moment of it. He never wants to lose Scott.

"Is everything okay?" Elijah asked, brushing away Scott's hair and kissing him on his forehead. He's noticed how down his boyfriend was since he came over. He hated seeing him sad, those brown eyes on the verge of tears.

"It's just..." Scott trailed, shuffling beside Elijah, looking up only for a brief moment to look at Elijah. "Maddie, we got into a fight. It wasn't really a fight but....."

Elijah knew how close Scott and his younger sister was. Unbreakable he would call them. Every sibling had there fight but the Finnegan's-- Elijah never thought they fought. Call him fool, but a little squabble for a few minutes then all forgotten in the next. "Wanna talk about it" he rubbed his hands up and down Scott's arm.

Scott sat up, legs crossed as he stared at Elijah, "Do you think Mikey could have a child?" Scott shot the question at Elijah who sat up and leaned against the bed head. "As in does he look like father material"

"If we're being honest here-- no" Elijah answered, not because Mikey wasn't his favourite person but because of the way he is now, the crowd he hangs with. "If circumstances were different then maybe" he added.

Scott moved closer to Elijah. Placing his head on his lap as Elijah stroked his head in a soothing manner. He felt at ease when he was close to Elijah, feeling his touch. "I just can't believe it" Scott sighed.

"I'm going out on a limb here" Elijah said. "You had a non-fight with Maddie and your question about Mikey, I'm guessing he's the father of--"

"Don't say it" Scott cut him off. If Elijah said it, It would all become more real. He would remember the pained expression on his sister's face. How she kept this a secret for so long. How Maddie must have felt knowing that she couldn't tell anyone without thinking how they would react. But why now, why does Mikey want to get involve now?

"I don't know what to do" Scott muttered. They hadn't spoken about the sudden outburst of truth since that day. Maddie avoided the situation all together. Scott was still wrapping his head around the situation. His once best friend and his sister, how did things end up this way?

Elijah took Scott's hand in his, brushing his thumb over the back of his hands. "Whatever you choose to do I'm here for you every second of the way" Scott 'hm-med' giving Elijah's hand a squeeze. "Now will you stop pouting" he pecked away the pout from Scott's lips. He hated seeing him upset. "Maddie will come around soon. Just give her sometime"

"I'll stop pouting if you get me some pie" Scott smiled, batting his eyes bashfully at Elijah.

"You can have something better than pie"

"I don't think there's anything better than your apple pie" Scott teased, not being able to contain the smile forming on his lips.

Elijah got off the bed, running a hand through his black hair. His heart was thumbing out of his chest. His cheeks redder than a tomato. Scott was being too adorable for his own good. To think someone else had the luxury of seeing that side of him. Elijah wanted to hide that sweet side if him. How he got shy at times but when he was bold, he made Elijah want to hide him from the world. Keep him all to himself. But he already had Scott for himself.

Scott loved him and so did Elijah, he loved Scott. That was all he needed to know that made Scott his one and only. Call him possessive. When he's with Scott he felt like he was overdosed on his love, the way he made him feel.

Elijah turned to look at Scott who sat up, legs crossed as he waited for Elijah's respond. "I love you" Elijah said, making Scott blush.

That was the effect he had on him. Those three words that meant so much. They weren't empty words with hollow bottoms that if you searched for some hint of meaning or love behind it you won't find it. They were real, emotions dripping from each letter because every time Elijah said it and a swarm of butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He knew, he knew that this was true love.

**

They settled for pie after. Sitting on the couch, wrapped in blankets while watching a movie. A sudden downpour started an hour ago, trapping the couple inside. Not that they were planning to leave anyways. There was much to enjoy by being indoors-- cheesy romance movie, apple pie and each other. That's all they needed.

Elijah settled two slices of pie on the small coffee table while Scott had wrapped himself in the blanket, watching the movie he selected. Elijah remembered their first date. A milkshake at pops, could they be anymore romantic?

If Elijah had to say, their official first date was at the poetry group meeting. He remembered the night like it was yesterday. How they both rode through the night, breaking the wind as they lost themselves in the beauty of the night. It was also the first time they hugged. Scott had felt so distanced from Elijah. When they hugged now, Elijah could feel Scott offering every inch of himself to him.

He would never forget those moments and he didn't want to. The familiar setting bought about memories of their first movie night. Though they didn't watch a movie they learnt so much more. Elijah sat beside Scott, pulling the blankets around him. He then placed his hand on Scott's chest, feeling his heart beat much like that time.

Scott broke away from the television, chewing on his slice of apple pie. He chuckled to himself, putting the plate back on the table. Scott rested his hand on Elijah's chest as he did and said, "is it in sync"

He remembered Elijah thought to himself. "It will always be in sync" he replied.

They felt the beating of their hears for a moment, pulling away to eat the remaining pie. The movie was halfway through and only Scott got a good idea of what was going on. "Have you dated anyone?" Scott asked, eyes still fixated on the movie. A scene passed where the protagonist was rejected by her love interest. "Anyone before me" he added.

"I have" Elijah admitted, there was no point in lying. He's dated a few persons in the past but nothing ever lasted long. They were futile, relationships that had little to no meaning. Just single hearts yearning for someone else, someone to love them. "They didn't work out"

They wouldn't work out. He couldn't say I love you because it belonged to someone else. They would be empty and he couldn't hurt them like that. Giving them empty hope. He was already hurting them by accepting a relationship. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't give himself away. Elijah knew how it felt, to love someone and not have their love in return. So he offered them, even for a brief moment he pitted them. He was wrong. It was all wrong.

"What if I didn't return home" Scott continued. Elijah held tighter onto the plate, he didn't want to think of something like that happening. "What if I didn't love you back?"

The possibility was there. Elijah thought about what would happen if Scott didn't fall in love with him. He would replay the scene of his painful rejection over and over but he couldn't think beyond that part.

"Heartbroken" was what he choose to say. He would be, and just as how years full of love he felt he'd go through painful years of heartbreak. How long would it be before he found someone he could give his heart to again?

"Here, have some pie" Scott fed Elijah some of his pie. Smiling as if the last few minutes didn't happen. The questions left Elijah worried, unable to comprehend why Scott had asked him such a question.

"Okay" Scott placed his empty plate down, taking Elijah's own and putting it down. He settled himself on Elijah's lap, taking off his glasses and resting it atop his head. He cupped his cheeks, staring into Elijah's light blue eyes.

"There's no need to worry. I was just curious and that was wrong of me. I'm glad I came home and met you. That you for loving and waiting for me all those years. Thank you"

Scott pressed his lips against Elijah's, tasting the delicious apple pie and Elijah. "You're the best thing that's happened to me over these last two years" He pecked Elijah on his lips. "Don't you ever forget that and mostly don't ever forget that I love you too"

Elijah would say I love you a thousand times-- no, a millions times because Scott deserved it and he knew he would get an I love you too in return because they were both madly in love with each other.

Elijah didn't have to worry about the past, about the 'ifs' and 'buts' of his past self and worries. This was the present and he was going to focus on this moment and work towards the future-- a future with him and Scott. He wasn't going to worry because he had the love of his life secured in his arms and melting away in his kisses.