***this chapter has media***
It was the last day of Senior Year, the seniors had just written their final exams, and were getting their lockers cleaned out. To say they were excited to finally be out of that shit hole would be an understatement. Killian however, wasn't feeling too enthusiastic. Sure, this town was weird and boring and nasty, but school was one of the places where he had made his most fondest memories, granted, the past month had been kind of rough, but he knew he'd always look back on his two years at Easton and truly say that he enjoyed the time he spent there.
As he took out his last textbook from his locker, he spotted the person who was responsible for him not hating high school as much as the other kids did, so he shut his locker door for the last time and walked up to him.
"So, this is it, huh?"
Harper stuck his head out of his locker and glanced over at the last person he expected to see. "I guess so." He muttered.
"I'm gonna miss this place..."
"That makes one of us."
Killian shifted from one leg to the other. He still didn't know how to approach that conversation with his best friend. So he opted to steer the conversation into a different direction instead.
"That's a-- That hair color looks good on you."
He approved with a nod of his head. Harper had turned in his platinum blonde hair for a hot pink color. Legend has it that no one had ever seen his real, natural hair color. Not even his own parents.
"Hair color looks good on me, period."
Killian smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown when he noticed a badly groomed Jensen running towards them. He immediately grabbed Harper's hand in an effort to steer him away from the locker.
"Hey, what are you--"
"Wait!" Jensen yelled.
Harper abruptly froze on the spot. He hadn't heard Jensen's voice ever since he had dumped him. He remembered how he left him multiple voicemails in that first week, the week where he was still trying to wrap his head around all the shit that had happened, the week where all he did was cry and sleep.
Jensen rushed over to where the boys were standing and tried to reach for Harper, but Killian stuck his hand out to block him.
"I don't think so, man."
"Harper, please." Jensen pleaded. "I need to talk to you."
"I have nothing to say to you." Harper stated once he got over his initial grief.
"You heard him, perv. Now leave us alone before I call the cops."
"George!" A woman's voice suddenly screeched.
The boys turned towards where the voice was coming from, and they simultaneously grimaced. Jensen did too, for whatever reason.
Stacy's face twisted into a scowl when she saw who her husband was conversing with, she hurried towards them in an effort to reprimand Harper, but the two boys escaped before she could get to him, leaving Jensen to deal with his crazy wife.
-
After the boys had run away from Jensen and his wife, Harper had gotten into his sports car and sped off, leaving Killian on the sidewalk to fend for himself. They didn't even get a proper chance to talk, mainly because Harper felt like spending the rest of eternity crawled up into a hole, so Killian had waited by West's Toyota, then hitched a ride with him.
-
"What's up with him?" Killian questioned as they came in through West's front door. Paul's eyes were glued to the TV screen and the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table was dangerously close to tipping over.
"His favorite K-drama must be on. There could be a burglar in the house and he still wouldn't move from that couch."
He grabbed the bowl, then headed into the kitchen to dump the overly buttered popcorn into the trash. They were bad for his heart.
He then took out ingredients from the fridge, and proceeded to make sandwiches for his guest.
Killian, wanting to make his presence known in other room, crept towards the TV, and pressed the off switch.
"What the hell?" Paul cried out,
"Hello, Mr Rickert."
"Killian, what are you doing here?"
West poked his head through the doorway and gave his Dad a small smile in greeting, "He's with me."
"Oh," Paul nodded. He got up from the couch, stretched his legs, then sat right back down. "How's your mother?"
"She's alright, Mr Rickert."
"That's good."
Paul switched the TV back on, but was disappointed to see the end credits for his favorite drama already rolling. He let out a low curse, then switched to the News channel.
Killian's eyes darted across the living room, he'd never been inside West's house before, not that there was much to see. The living room was bare, lifeless and cold feeling, the furniture was either black, brown or white and obviously missing a woman's touch. The only thing that caught his eye was a black vinyl displayed in a glass cabinet, amongst other records.
"Is that..."
He walked over to the cabinet, then placed his hand on the glass, admiring the masterpiece in front of him. It was his favorite Greenday album, 'American Idiot', which had been released in 2004. He'd long searched for the vinyl version of it, but it had been sold out everywhere he looked.
"Wow, I've been looking everywhere for this record."
Paul inclined his head towards the wall with all his vinyls and noticed that Killian was staring at his all time favorite album. "You like Greenday?" He asked surprisedly.
"No. I fucking love Greenday. This is my favorite album, ever!"
"No shit, mine too!"
Paul leaped off the couch, then made his way over to Killian's side. "I especially love--"
"Homecoming!" Killian exclaimed, inadvertently finishing Paul's sentence off for him.
"Yes! How'd you know that?"
"Just knew," He beamed. He'd never had anyone to Fanboy over Greenday with, it was exciting. "West never listens to them with me, though. Says it makes his ears bleed."
"My son has a shitty taste in music, one of his biggest flaws, I'd say."
"I heard that!" West yelled from inside the kitchen. He wasn't listening in on their conversation, the walls were just paper thin. He was glad the two guys were getting along just like he knew they would.
"Good!", Paul yelled back.
"Have you ever seen them on tour?"
"Nope. Never been to a concert before."
"I have three tickets to their next show in Baltimore, you should come with us."
Killian raised an eyebrow, there was no way in this world, in this timeline or in this dimension, that West would willingly attend a rock concert. He'd probably die in the mosh pit. "Us?"
"I asked Weston if he wanted to come, but he literally threw up in his mouth, so... I think I'll ask my brother. He'll probably say yes."
"I don't know. I don't want him to feel left out, or anything."
"No, you should totally go." West encouraged as he emerged from the kitchen with a plate full of grilled cheese sandwiches. "I'll just stay here and watch One Direction's 'This is Us' for the 450th time."
Killian wrinkled his nose at the mention of the disbanded boy band, "That's gross."
"Thank you. Now, shall we?" West inquired as he gestured towards the stairs with his head.
"Uhm, sure. And I'd love to go to the concert with you, Mr Rickert."
"Please, call me Paul."
Killian smiled, then followed West up the creaky stairs.
"You kids don't do anything I would do."
West turned back to look at Paul confusedly, "Dad, I'm pretty sure it's 'Dont do anything I wouldn't do.'
"No." He disagreed with a shake of his head, "Don't do anything I would do." He gave West a knowing wink which made him grimace, he did not need that image in his mind.
-
"You and your Dad seem to be getting along." Killian commented as they entered West's room.
"We always got along... whenever he was sober, that is."
"I'm just glad everything is going smoothly."
"Makes me nervous, though." West confessed as he placed the plate full of sandwiches ontop of his beside table.
"I hate it when things go too well, something's going to fuck everything up. I just know it."
"Nothing's going to happen, if there's one person who deserves to be happy, it's you."
West wasn't in the mood for that conversation, so he immediately changed the topic. "Have you spoken to Harper?"
"Sort of. I'm heading to his place after this, though." Killian replied.
He scanned his surroundings, hoping to at least find something in the room that indicated that it belonged to a teenager. He wanted to ask why all the rooms were so bare, but felt it would seem rude.
Just when he was about to give up on looking, he noticed the tip of West's skateboard peeking out from under the bed. He walked over to the bed, dropped his backpack, then pulled the board out.
"Wow, I didn't get a chance to see your new skateboard on your birthday. It's pretty neat." Killian complimented while running his fingers along it's smooth surface.
"Thanks, I... still haven't used it yet."
"Why not?" He asked, but quickly regretted it as he remembered the events that had transpired that month. "Oh. I'm sorry--"
"No. It's okay." West assured. He switched on the stereo resting on his study desk, then sat down at the edge of his bed and proceeded to take his shoes off. "Hey, when's your birthday?"
"December 21st."
"Ooooh, Sagittarius, huh?"
"You believe in that stuff?"
"Maybe," West grinned. He then walked over to his bedside table and pulled out a magazine from the drawer, before climbing on top of his bed, patting the empty space right next to him. "C'mon."
"A horoscope mag, really?"
Killian hated horoscopes, they were all just a bunch of lies to him. He didn't even understand how they worked.
"You read Cosmopolitan." West countered.
"Hey, it gives great advice!"
"Just take your stinky shoes off and come cuddle."
Killian rolled his eyes, but took off his Converse as instructed and got onto the bed right next to West.
They laid down with their heads on one pillow, and their knees in the air, Killian made sure to scoot extra close to West so that he could accidentally on purpose brush his knee against his every few minutes.
"It doesn't qualify as cuddling if your arms aren't around me, y'know."
"Killian, I can literally feel the heat radiating off of you, I'd say we're pretty much cuddling right now."
He flipped through the pages until he found the Sagittarius Zodiac sign.
"Your monthly horoscope says... Venus is the planet of love, money, and beauty-things we often like to flaunt, wouldn't you say? Well, while Venus is in secretive Scorpio, you'll likely want to keep all these things hush hush and behind the scenes. A secret affair may even be on the menu! Or you might simply be in a private mood. (For any lovers reading this horoscope with their Sagittarian crush in mind, it should be noted that under the influence of possessive Venus in Scorpio, your Sagittarius's big mouth will not allow them to keep any kind of affair truly secret-and that's if you've even managed to find a Sag who'd get off their moral high horse long enough to have one)"
"I don't know what any of that means." Killian responded with a puzzled expression on his face. What did planet Venus have to do with him? And why was Scorpio in his horoscope?
"In simple English," West began, "You're probably going to have an affair this month. I think. I don't know, either." He threw the mag across the room, because honestly, he didn't understand horoscopes either. He just liked reading them, the idea that his whole life was written in the stars fascinated him.
"I think, in order to have an affair, I'd have to be dating someone at that specific point in time."
"Not necessarily. Plenty of single people have affairs, but those types of affairs are usually illegal. Like incest, that's an affair."
"A very controversial topic that we will not discuss. Ever." Killian asserted.
"Why would I want to discuss the copulation of two blood relatives? It was just an example."
"You literally speak like a politician sometimes, you know that?"
"Do politicians speak on such matters?" West continued.
He flipped over on his stomach, then propped himself up using his elbow before slowly leaning in towards Killian's face. "Carnal Pleasures?" He teased in a low, tantalizing voice.
Killian's whole face flushed and he swiped his tongue along his bottom lip, consciously drawing West's eyes to his mouth. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Please stop."
West gave Killian's lips one last glance, then leaned back and sat up straight, with Killian following suit. "My humblest apologies."
"Weston."
"Sir Marshall?"
Killian crossed his arms and pouted like an overly spoiled child, West was obviously making fun of him. He wanted to be upset, but deep down, he loved the banter. "I will literally kill you."
"You would murder your only companion?"
"I have plenty of companions, okay?"
"Oh? And here I thought you were monogamous, how foolish of me." West quipped with a look of feigned hurt on his face.
"W-what?"
"This is so sad. Alexa, play 'I'm not the only one' by Sam Smith."
(Brittany had been educating him on modern pop culture references.)
But his favorite radio station started playing 'The Moment' by Tame Impala instead.
"How would you be the only one if we're not even boyfriends, Weston?"
West put a hand on his chest, then released a dramatic, fake gasp. "We're not?"
Killian furrowed his brow in confusion, he didn't remember having the 'What are we?' talk with West, even though he'd already planned to have it with him that day.
"We are?"
ok, West, just play it cool.
"Uh, yeah. What'd you think? That I let just about anyone crawl onto my bed with their dirty socks?"
Nailed it. No, Really. You did.
"Hey! I washed these, like, two days ago." Killian grumbled. "And I don't know, I guess I'm still a little old fashioned. You never asked me to be your boyfriend."
"You never asked me, either."
"Good point."
West inched closer to Killian on the bed so that they could face each other, "The Universe decided on its own. And then informed me in a dream."
For the first time in forever, Weston told a lie. Albeit an unbelievable one, but a lie nonetheless. He just didn't know how to hit on Killian, or anyone else for that matter, his exes had all been the ones to propose a relationship. The Universe theory was just a farce, and Killian knew that, but he decided he'd play along.
"So we're dating just because The Universe said so?"
"Exactly."
Killian snorted, a small grin flashing across his face. "That's hot."
"You know what else is hot?"
"What?"
West tilted his head to the side and the plate on his bedside table came into view. "Definitely not your grilled cheese sandwich." He jested.
Killian released a resigned sigh, he knew he had no sense of humor but West was on an entirely different level.
"Why are you the way that you are?"
"I know you love this side of me. Unboxed and pop-culture-y and slightly funny."
He wanted to tell West that he just loved him. But felt it would scare him away. "I love all sides of you." Killian said instead, although it was no different from confessing his love.
"Yeah? Even salty me with a stick up his ass?"
"Even salty West with a stick up his ass. Cause I know that wasn't the real you."
"What can I say? You bring out the best in me." He winked. Though it looked more like he had something stuck in his eye.
Killian let out an unrestrained laugh at West's failed attempt to be sweet and sexy, "That was so lame and cheesy."
"You know what else is lame and cheesy?"
He felt the onset of a horrible joke coming along, so he made a move to stop it before West could tell it. "I swear, if you even mention, my grilled cheese--"
And he would've gotten a chance to finish his sentence, if only it weren't for the sudden heat he felt pass throughout his entire body as West unanticipatedly and without warning - lay a kiss, with lips as soft as a rose, on his mouth.
It took him exactly 0.5 seconds to get over his initial shock, and to kiss West back.
That simple, tender touch made time stop. Even with his eyes closed, could he see a million galaxies exploding into tiny magical bursts of color.
Killian wrapped a hand around the nape of West's neck and pulled him down onto the bed, so close, that there was no space left between them.
West let out a low moan at the contact of body heat against his own, his hand moved over Killian's waist and he started stroking the exposed skin with the pads of his thumbs. His touch was intoxicating, it sent bolts of electric current up Killian's spine, and caused goosebumps to form all over his body, and blood to rush down his manhood.
At that moment, his only wish was for the kiss to be neverending.
"What was that?" Killian asked as they reluctantly broke apart for air. West's face was just inches away from his, he could feel the warmth of his breath all over his own face. It took everything in him not to crash his lips against West's once more.
There was something beautiful and ethereal about their very first real kiss. It wasn't rough, nor was it filled with hunger, as you would expect it to be after they'd both waited so long.
It was pure, and innocent, and delicate... like butterfly wings. An outer body experience that left them feeling like they were floating in space, lost in the feel of how one's lips caressed the other's in a slow, gentle movement that left them both in a state of heavenly bliss.
This. This was the kiss that would change everything for them... forever.
The sigh that escaped West's lips next, was one of complete contentedness. His eyes scanned Killian's whole face, to him it felt like he was seeing him - really seeing him, for the first time. And, oh, was he beautiful.
West extended his right hand to brush away the strands of Golden hair that had fallen over Killian's forehead, before placing one last chaste kiss on his nose. "Now, we're even."
He untangled himself from Killian's arms, then hopped off the bed and into his bathroom.
Killian's mouth fell wide open, he grabbed a pillow to cover his boner, then hurriedly followed West inside. "That's what this is about?"
"Mostly."
"You're so sneaky-- You know what, that was lame and cheesy. Like, a lot lame and cheesy."
"That was too easy." West chuckled, "Riling you up, I mean. Can't I kiss my boyfriend, just because I want to kiss my boyfriend? And you can drop the pillow, I felt your dick poking my stomach." He casually remarked.
Killian's cheeks reddened, but he still refused to remove the pillow covering his erection. "Are we really together, now?"
"Yes! Now get out, I need to take a piss."
"Rude." Killian muttered, before giving West the finger, and leaving the bathroom.
As he lay on top of West's bed again, he couldn't help thinking about their first kiss, about their new relationship, and if it was going to last. He hoped it would... because he knew he was in love with West. He just wish he knew if West was too.
A minute later, West came out of his bathroom and found Killian relaxing on his bed. He wondered if now was a good time to bring up something that had been bothering him ever since he took Killian out to the woods. He figured he'd ask, though. If Killian didn't want to talk about it, then that was also fine.
"Hey, remember the time we went on our date?"
"Yes." He responded as he sat upright. "What about it?"
West walked over to the bed, then plopped down next to his new boyfriend. "You said that you'd never gone camping before, but the way you said it... you sounded almost... sad..."
"Oh. You noticed that."
West lightly bumped Killian's shoulder with his own and smiled, "Of course, I did."
"Well... back when we lived in Philly..." He began, "I'd always wanted to go camping with my dad. Do manly stuff like fishing, or eating tree bark for dinner, y'know."
"I don't think anyone has ever eaten tree bark before."
Killian rolled his eyes at West's serious tone before carrying on with his story, "My Dad was literally a workaholic, not that he had a choice, he had 4 kids to take care of... and a wife, so he never really had time for relaxing, or spending time with us for that matter, but when he did spend time with us... it was amazing."
"And you know I-- I always nagged him about going camping, something always came up when we were supposed to leave, though... but not that weekend. That weekend he cleared his schedule and cancelled all his meetings... just for me. I should've known something was going to happen..."
Killian's hands started shaking on his lap, he was about to clasp them together, but West made the first move, and interlaced their fingers which earned him a sad smile from Killian.
"I waited for him to get back from work, and a few hours later he still hadn't arrived, so I called his work... turns out he was stuck in meetings, but he reassured me that he'd rush over to our place so we could leave..."
Killian wished his brain could repress that certain traumatic event, but no matter how much he tried, he could never forget the details of the worst night of his life. The night when his very soul was ripped from his body.
"I told him to be safe, and that I loved him, he told me he loved me too... that was the last time I'd ever hear his voice." A glass eyed Killian uttered weakly.
"The police came to our house about two hours later, I ran to the front door cause I thought it was my dad, which is stupid, because why would he knock at his own house, right? He was going 40 miles over the speed limit, so when a stray dog suddenly decided to make an appearance in the middle of the road, he unintentionally swerved onto oncoming traffic in an effort to dodge it, and was hit by a truck. They said he died instantaneously."
Reliving the entire ordeal was harder than he expected it to be, he had expected the agonizing pain in his heart, but not the tears.
"I insisted on going camping," He sniffled, "Maybe if I'd just let the matter go, he'd still be here."
West engulfed Killian into a warm embrace at the sight of his tears. He'd never seen Killian cry before, the idea of him being in pain made him feel sick. He wanted to take away the hurt, but at that moment, all he felt was helplessness.
"Don't say that. It's not your fault, okay? No one knew what was going to happen." He consoled while stroking soothing circles onto Killian's back.
Killian's tears ceased a few minutes later, he pulled back from West's embrace, then pouted when he noticed how wet and soggy West's shirt was.
"Your shirt's all ruined, now."
West's eyes dropped to his shirt, and he shrugged. "I like it this way."
"Lame."
"I know."
Killian suddenly remembered that he wasn't the only one that had lost a loved one, West had lost his mother, too.
"What about your mom? Do you know what happened to her?"
"Yes, but... that's enough sob stories for the day. I actually have a picture of her if you'd like to see it?"
"I'd love to." Killian nodded.
West got up from the bed then ducked out into his bathroom once again, he had stashed the picture away where he knew Drunk Paul would never look; behind the sink. He got the picture out, then headed back onto the bed.
"It's kind of old and wrinkled, but..."
"She was so beautiful."
"She was." West agreed. That picture was all he had left of his mother, he had found it in his basement a few years back when he had hid in it to escape one of his Dad's drunken fits of rage.
The picture had been taken by Paul in 1999 on her 16th birthday, a few months before she fell pregnant.
Killian's eyes darted between the woman on the picture and the boy sitting next to him. He couldn't see the resemblance. "You don't look like her. You don't look like her at all. You resemble Keanu Reeves than you do your own mother, how is that even possible?"
"She was Vietnamese and Caucasian, I think I look more like Simon. He's Vietnamese... I think."
"The fuck is Simon?"
"My real Dad."
"Paul isn't your real dad?"
"We're literally different races..."
Killian mentally face palmed himself, of course Paul wasn't West's real dad. He had always just assumed that he looked more like his late mother because some of the Asian kids he knew from school had either a white mother or father, and 9 times out of 10, their features were more Asian than Caucasian.
"So how did you... end up with Paul?" Killian reluctantly asked, he wasn't sure if it was too touchy a subject for West or not.
West thought about all the times he'd ask about his dad's relationship with his mother, Paul's response was always the same, though. 'You ask too many questions. Jennifer's dead and she ain't never coming back.'
A bit insensitive considering he was actually Jennifer's son, but Paul hadn't exactly been the best person in the past. He probably didn't even remember half the horrible things he'd said to his son in the past.
"No idea." He replied truthfully.
"Well, have you considered asking?"
"I've been asking about my mom ever since I could talk, he always shuts me down. And as for Simon..."
"I get it." Killian nodded, "Do you want to... I don't know, look for him or something? Like on social media?"
"He probably has a whole ass family now. I don't wanna complicate people's lives."
Killian considered that, but he always believed that it was better to have tried and failed, than to never have tried at all. "Or he's a loner with absolutely no family or friends and craves human connection."
"It's a possibility." West conceded. He'd always wondered why Simon was never around, or if he even knew he had a son at all.
"So?"
"Yeah. Yeah let's do it."
"Give me your phone."
West got out his cell from his back pocket, then handed it to Killian who scrolled through his entire menu bar before frowning.
"Uhm, West... where are all the apps?" He questioned. West's phone was boring, the only remotely interesting thing on there was Candy Crush Saga.
"Those are the apps."
"Where's fucking-- Facebook, Instagram... Twitter?"
"I don't have any social media." West shrugged.
"Of course you don't. What's his full name?"
"Simon Kaneko."
Killian pulled out his own phone from his backpack then inputted the name onto the Twitter search button. "Okay, so, we have about a million Simon Kaneko's. One of them is your dad."
"This is gonna take forever." West groaned as he shifted closer to Killian so he could see the screen.
"Okay, first Simon..."
Syâ
@Simon_Kaneko
Graced the cover of Nuyou Magazine this month! Out tomorrow.
4:45 ⢠30 Aug 18 ⢠Twitter For iPhone
5,678 Retweets 31.2K Likes
--
"He's pretty hot, to be honest." West acknowledged.
"Ew. That could be your Dad."
"Nah, He looks more Chinese than Vietnamese. Next?"
$imon.
@S_Kaneko333
Me and the real love of my life, sorry babeð @KatyGood43
06:21 ⢠02 Aug 18 ⢠Twitter For iPhone
12 Retweets 567 Likes
--
West stared at the second guy's picture for a moment. He looked just about as old as Paul, or just about as old as his real dad would be. He looked happy... and he seemed to have a girlfriend or wife, too. West didn't want to take that away from him. Or maybe he was just scared he'd reject him, God knows he was no stranger to rejection.
What would Simon do if a literal grown man showed up on his doorstep, claiming to be his long lost son? West didn't want to find out.
"Maybe we should DM him." Killian suggested when he saw the look of longing in West's eyes.
"No..." West answered in a barely audible tone. He shook his head vigorously to will away the negative thoughts that had invaded his mind, before forcing a smile.
"Y'know what, I'll just... ask my Dad for his contact details. We can't spend the whole day going through everybody's profiles."
"Do you think he has them?"
"I don't know."
He knew Paul didn't have Simon's contact details, though. He just didn't want to tell Killian how truly scared he suddenly felt. How he didn't want to meet Simon anymore.
"Okay, so what should we do until then?"
West reached for the plate on his bedside table before shoving it in Killian's face, "Eat the goddamn sandwiches?"
_________________________________________