Chapter 10: "Seventeen Stan" (IV).

Kai

"Kai! I wanna eat at this place!" exclaimed the handsome teenage boy as he stares at me - showing a picture that he found using one of those modern gadgets he came to despise. Even so, tablets and all existed in 2018 so that wouldn't be so hard for him...

Then I realized that it was my gadget. "Where did you get that?" I asked solemnly. But he didn't look fazed by it and kept showing the excitement in his eyes. "We're going, right?" He gleamed.

I hate when he does those sparkling puppy eyes. It had this magnetic effect on me that I will succumb to any of his desires. His eyes just hold that enchantment which was specifically for me and I wished that I could have a protection spell to counter it.

"Fine... we're going," I surrendered.

"Yay! You're the best!!" He cheered and without warning, he placed a quick peck onto my cheek that had me dumbfounded to the ground. "We're going out!! Yes! A date! A date!" He screamed, going to the bathroom to take a shower instantly.

I put a hand onto my pecked cheek, lost in my thoughts when I replayed the scene. My mind just went bonkers when I think about it a lot. His lips felt the same - the same loving passionate feeling to it which brings me to no choice but be engulfed in his little affection.

Shaking my head, I throw away that feeling from coming near me as I go on and continue to make us a little breakfast before we even went out later. Something tells me that today would be a long day outside of the house, and we would probably get home late.

-

"Wow! Everything looks so different but still feels the same after eight years!" He commented, looking around but not looking at where he was walking. I had to put my hand on him so that he didn't bump onto anyone.

Haha... bumping onto anyone... I remember that so clearly.

"Stop looking at everything and watch where you're going, Stan," I scolded, which he obliged with me instantly. We were walking towards the restaurant that he wanted to go to. Which surprisingly was closer to home than I expected. I never really explore much into the crowded town, but I just know that there were so many new stores and new changes that I had to use the GPS to search our way through.

"What're we gonna do first?" He asked, looming towards my phone as I study the digital map. "To the place where you want to eat. I think it's best that we eat first before we do anything 'fun'," I answered, gaining a nod from him. We continued walking in silence before somebody breaks it. By somebody, it wasn't either me or Stan.

But rather... Charlie.

"Kai and Stan? Oh wow, didn't expect to see you guys here. Are you two on a reconciliation date?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. Stan looks at him with bedazzled eyes and I remembered that I never told Charlie about Seventeen Stan.

"What? This is Charlie now?!" I facepalmed myself from hearing the words coming out of his mouth. Charlie looked at him with bewilderment. "What?"

"Damn... Charles really changed a lot that I can't even recognize him!" He continued, commenting towards Charlie and doing so, I put a hand onto his shoulder and squeeze it lightly. "Stan...," You have got to be kidding me?

The man with the brown curly-haired shot at me, having me to close my eyes tightly in irritation. "What's up with Stan, dude? He's acting weird,"

"Oops... Kai...," Stan mumbled. I didn't know who I was irritated of. Stan's mouth or Charlie, who doesn't realize that Stan looked so young. "You two are seriously getting on my nerves,"

So, after that, I brought them both towards the place where Stan picked for us to eat. Right there, I explained to Charlie what had happened from the very beginning I got Seventeen Stan's call to the point where he met him here. How I thought it was a prank or that he was going to get back at me to the point where he had to wear my clothes and that we would need to get him his own clothes and especially his own underwear after this at the nearby mall.

At first, Charlie was taken aback by the whole information that got into his thick skull. Sometimes he would open his eyes when he heard something surprising then when it's not, he would wear his dummy face.

"Wow... this is something I would play if it were a game," He expressed, looking at Stan as if he was a video game character. Stan just sips his drink - listening to our conversation like a good boy he was. Good boy...

"You'd play anything if it were game-related," I spoke, not surprised by his remarks.

He grinned. "Of course! But seriously... all I know is that you two would prank me instead,"

"What? Why would I want to prank you? Can't you see that this Seventeen Stan right here is nowhere near the present Stan... like he's the same height as me... his hair is longer... like, look at him," I pointed, turning to Stan like there was an invisible glow shining all around him.

"You're right... then, what I said on the phone about you two-," Before he could finish what he was saying and what he meant, I answered. "Yes, that's right,"

Stan looked at me with round eyes. Curious about what Charlie was about to say, but I really didn't want him to know. I can't let him know about that. He shouldn't know that part of his future... as he said, he would start overthinking about it and things would get complicated.

"How's he going to go back?" The brown-haired continued, his hands over his mouth.

"I don't know, man... it's like all of this happens without an explanation. But I know for sure that in the meantime, he's living with me," I answered, added by Stan nodding at me with his eyes closed. Why was he being so cute? Stop... literally, stop.

"It's for the best then...well I should get going. I got another date with Ryan," His face showed much happiness and giddiness - too much that I felt that the two had done it several times.

"Who's Ryan?" Stan asked, poking my sides harshly. I turned to him with a glare, forcing him to stop. "No one. You don't need to know,"

As Charlie stands up and walks past us, I grabbed his wrist. Another question was aching my mind and I just want to know if he knows. "Have you... reach for the guy...," I spoke, nudging my head wordlessly to Seventeen Stan so that he knows what I was talking about. He shakes his head, a frown replacing his happy face.

"Nope... you do know right that we don't play games together anymore. But should you try asking his best friend?" He suggested, and I immediately remembered about Felix.

"Oh yeah... thanks, Charlie. Well then, go and enjoy your date," I smiled, letting him go but not before he stops and turns to me yet again.

"Do you want me to tell Liara?" He asked which I shake my head side to side rapidly. I can't have her know about all of these fiaschi at this time. Because it would be much worse if a lot of people knows about this. Sooner or later I would tell but as of right now, I need to bring this needy kid to the mall.

From there, everything just went slow, and I had to wait for Stan to finish eating his meal for about twenty minutes more. He was sure a big eater and the way he ate the food made him look he would go fat in any minute but still... I know pretty damn well that the skin underneath his shirt is covered with hard abs and just flat. Like... how?

When we finally finish having the time of our life (note the sarcasm) at the diner, I brought him to the nearest mall to us and try to find any clothing outlet that would have Stan's current style. By current, I mean his seventeen styles.

Eventually, Stan found a store that attracts his eyes and to my surprise, it was the store that his present self used to go. Interesting...

"You liked these kinds of clothes?" I asked, going beside him as he felt the fabric of a navy blue coloured shirt. He then glances at me with a huge grin - one where it made my heart stopped beating, and it much resembles his present self. What was happening? "No... it's for you. Look! This would look good on you," He said, pulling the clothes out and bringing it to my body.

I flicked his forehead with my fingers, reminding him why we were here. "We're looking for your clothes... not mine,"

"Aw... but I'm comfortable just wearing yours... it brings out the couple vibe~,"

I flinched when I heard that term. Hearing the word 'couple' had made me whisper sorrow. Since it's not like we were a couple anymore. He was just saying that because back then we were one and now, it flew away like dust. Which he had to remind me over and again. There weren't any more invisible strings that attached us together. We're just nothing.

"Hey... what's the sullen face? It's not like we're not seeing each other again," He consoled, putting a hand over my shoulder and pulling me into a side hug. I could only smile softly as he did that. At least at this moment, we were a thing.

Ultimately, we got what we needed from this store. Luckily... it wasn't that late in the evening, and we would go home before it was even eight at night. Now, we were walking our way towards where the car was parked. Certainly, walking from the car to the diner and the mall wasn't that far. But when we were walking back, it felt longer.

To ease the boredom that would come our way, Stan started the conversation. With a happy grin on his face, he holds both of his hands to show numerous shopping bags. "Being out here and going out with you was great! Everything is so amazing!"

"It was bored to death, huh? At home," I replied, smiling to myself when knowing he was happy about this.

"Hm... not really, I guess," He replied, his brows furrowed thinking about it. "To be honest, being here even if it's just staying at home... it kind of opens my eyes on certain new things. Like... the new information they had on the internet... the whole new futuristic vibe even when it's irritating the first time I try these modern gizmos,"

If staying at home made him be that way... then I guess letting him out would be not a bad thing. He would bring back some of the new modern ideas to 2018 and... I don't know, maybe speed up the modernizing process?  Maybe he'd be richer by now if he does so... what a lucky bastard.

"Fine. You can go outside when you get bored," I uttered, breaking his thoughts away.

"Woah! Really?!"

"Sure. It's not even something illegal," I added, making him grin even wider. "Hm... you're so easily satisfied," I whispered, looking down to my shoe. He started looking at me with round wide eyes then it perks into a happy smile.

"Can I hold your hand?" He invited - the tip of his pinky finger brushing against mine.

I glance at him with geekily. "Go ahead...," I offered my hand which he takes tenderly with his warm hand and to that, it had made me grew happier.

My heart went into a mode that I used to felt before when we touched each other. I know I wasn't supposed to do this yet I yearn to be doing so. Taking his hand felt like there was a chance for us to be together again in reality. Whereby I would not feel the way I was actually feeling inside every time I saw his bright face. He, in his seventeen, was able to make me happy and make feel content again of which I didn't want to. Yet he could break it that undoubtedly.

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