4 Cheese Moon

Keith leaves the store and sees that his friend is not where he left off before; he starts looking for him but can't find him anywhere. His phone rings and he sees that it's a message from Senna who had to leave immediately.

—Great, he's left me alone. —He mumbled and then put his phone away.

Keith looks at the sky and sees that the moon is in its full glory, which brings back memories that he doesn't want to forget, but he doesn't want to have them either.

---Flash Back---

5 years ago

It was late, maybe 11:30 p.m, or maybe even later, it didn't really matter. Like every weekend, Keith and the boys were at the site of a once-running train, which are now just abandoned old cans and rails.

—I'm coming for you guys! —Taylor exclaimed with a laugh.

Keith also laughed because of her screams. He still laughs a little but holds his position. He's hiding right now. They were so bored that they decided to play hide and seek, a rather absurd game since they are not children; but interesting since there are many places to hide.

Keith concentrates on the game again and sees his friend Taylor start going in the opposite direction. Taylor can't see Keith at all. That makes him laugh; Taylor didn't see Keith even though he was only a few feet away from him.

—I saw you, Shaun! —He exclaimed.

—Damn i. —Complained the black-haired man, laughing.

Keith's shaking his head, Shaun's been very obvious. He was hiding in a nearby bush, so it was easy to find him. Keith also assumes that the moonlight has helped Taylor; the place is clear, it doesn't look like night at all. It's so clear that there seems to be lights all over the place, but it's really the moon that's at its best tonight.

—Saint, I saw you. —He said while is laughing.

Both boys came out of their hiding places, both Shaun and Saint, and stood in the middle of the place together. Keith looked over the bush that covered him carefully so that Taylor wouldn't see him. Then he sees that Senna is getting closer to where they are supposed to go before the person he is looking for finds them all.

—They're going to catch him. —Muttered someone behind Keith, who jumped up slightly for having scared him. —Shhh, they're going to catch u. —He added with his index finger over his lips and his face close to Keith's.

Keith blushed as he held him so close, his fresh breath caressed his face, and he remained static as a rock for a few seconds, then he remembered that the moonlight could show the red color of his cheeks, so he turned to turn his back.

Both boys stay in the same place while they wait. Nathan is glued to Keith's back; he can feel his heart beating slowly. That makes Keith nervous. He doesn't dislike the closeness they have right now, but that makes him feel nervous.

—I saw you, Senna! —Taylor yelled.

Keith then sees that his friend is put next to the others who have been captured.

—I told you. —Whispered Nathan laughing. —We're going to stay here until Taylor finds Dean, then we'll split up so that he can distract himself with me while you go and finish the game.

—I-It's okay. —Answered Keith.

—The moonlight is helping him. —Nathan said after a few seconds and looked up at the sky.

—Yes, the place is quite bright. —Keith whispered.

—It looks like cheese. —They both laughed at the same time.

—I found you guys. You're a couple of parrots. —Said Taylor.

Nathan and Keith looked at each other and then laughed out loud. Both of them came out of their hiding place and walked to the center of the place where everyone was already. The game was over and Taylor was the winner.

--End of Flash Back--

—Yeah, the moon looks like cheese. —Keith said with a laugh.

—It's not good to walk alone in the streets this late. —Said someone behind Keith.

He turned and there was Nathan with his slightly flowing hair, his dark eyes looking at Keith and a subtle smile that no longer had the same joy as before, but which he found as beautiful as when Keith first saw him.

—Uh, Nathan... — Whispered Keith.

—So you still remember it. —He whispered as he looked up at the sky.

Nathan smiled.

—The cheese moon. —He said.

Keith does the same thing; he looks up at the sky. They both look at the sky for a few seconds. Then Keith feels that Nathan is now looking at him and not at the moon. Keith keeps looking at the sky; he doesn't want to look at Nathan's eyes. He doesn't want to face him. During these last days he has been thinking about the past, and specifically about how he felt about Nathan. These memories make him weak. That's a bad thing, Keith doesn't want to feel that way and he doesn't want Nathan to notice how Keith feels either.

—Yes, I still remember that. —Answered Keith. —What do you want? Are you following me? —He asked with a raised eyebrow.

—What if I said yes?

Keith swallowed thickly at his words, Nathan seemed to notice immediately.

—I am a detective, that's true. —Nathan sighed. — But I don't use my profession as a tool of harassment. It was just a coincidence. —He added.

Keith remained silent for a few seconds while he tried to believe his words, but after everything that had happened to him and Saint, he could no longer trust his words as he once did. That's what Keith thinks.

—Anyway. —Keith said. —I have to go, I'm late. —He added as he looked at his watch.

So Keith turns and starts walking.

However, Keith is stopped by Nathan. His long fingers wrap around Keith's wrist, and prevent him from leaving. Keith turned to look at him, and his eyes are now serious and hard, that is the look of an adult.

That reminds Keith that they're not the same naughty children they used to be. And Nathan is not the same person he fell in love with.

—At the police station your parents told me you're still working hard and studying hard.

God, not that topic!

—They said you're a smart young man, almost perfect... —He whispered.

—What about it? —Keith asked.

—That you keep taking that crap to stay awake and study.

Then with his head he pointed to the bag Keith was holding.

Blessed transparent bags!

He saw the contents inside the bag; no doubt he noticed the energy drinks that Keith bought for that purpose. It's annoying to admit, but he's right. However, Keith will not say that, he does not want to tell Nathan that he is right.

—That's not... —Keith looked away. —It's none of your business, Nathan.

Keith walks away from him.

—It never has been, and it never will be. —He concluded.

Nathan is silent; he knows that Keith is right.

—Are you still looking for perfection?

Something in Keith's chest hurts to hear his question; it's so annoying and painful that it's confusing. Keith cannot explain how he feels. It's not humiliation or mockery; it's a reprimand.

Then Keith feels his eyes burn, he wants to cry.

—I... —Keith opened his mouth to say something, but closed it immediately.

Keith knows that if he says something he will end up shedding tears and not words.

In the end, Keith did what he does best.

Running away.

He started running as fast as his legs would allow. Keith thanks God. Nathan did not follow him. That's good. Keith doesn't want to be vulnerable in front of him, not again.

***

Senna gently opened the door to see if anyone was inside the house. That's kind of stupid; he knows there's no one. There's never anyone in the house except for him.

Senna moves his hand so that his partner enters, which he does without hesitation. They both walk into the living room. His friend keeps walking along the corridor while he watches the place. He smiles at the pictures on the wall.

—Your family seems nice. —He said.

Senna laughed grudgingly to himself, his friend didn't listen.

—Do you want to take a shower? —Senna asked. —Then I can heal your wounds.

The boy took off his hood, and showed his wounds, which were not serious but should be disinfected.

—That would be nice. —He answered.

—Well, my room is to the left. —Senna pointed out the place.

The boy nods his head and then walks to Senna's room.

Once he disappears Senna feels he can breathe properly again. He had air in his lungs since he had seen him, he couldn't believe his friend was so disheveled, as if he had fought with someone. His dark hair was disheveled and it was obvious, both from it and from the blows, that he had had a fight.

Senna wanted to ask him the reason for his blows, or at least his sudden appearance, but doing so was a bad idea. It would only drive him away. His friend is complex, secretive, and as surly as a cat; when someone asks him something insistently he feels cornered, and feeling the threat, he simply disappears.

He has always been like that, in the past and in the present, he is still the same person. He has never changed his personality.

—Senna, I need clothes!

Senna wakes up then and puts aside his thoughts. He goes to his room and takes the loosest clothes he has and passes them on to his friend. However, Senna is surprised to see that his friend is standing in the bathroom doorway with only a towel around his waist. His eyes travel across the boy's naked torso, from his neck to his waist. The water drops fall from his dark hair, and then Senna tells himself that they are lucky to be able to touch the boy's skin. And that's something Senna can't do.

—I-I'm sorry. —Senna said as he looked down at the floor. He reached out his hand and handed him the clothes his friend was supposed to wear while he was in Senna's house.

The boy takes the clothes and goes into the bathroom again to get dressed.

—For the love of God. —Senna whispered and then ran his hand through his hair.

Senna looks at his pants and the growing lump between his legs makes him look like a pervert. Yes, he's excited about seeing his friend almost naked.

—Did you get the gauze and everything else? —He asked from the bathroom.

His deep voice makes Senna shudder. The lump between his legs also shook

—Y-Yes, I have everything. —Answered Senna, and then he sat down on the edge of his bed.

After a few minutes the black-haired boy came out clean and dressed. Senna is happy about that; his little problem is under control now that his friend is properly dressed. The boy looks at Senna as he dries his hair with a towel. He walks over to the bed and sits down in front of Senna, his eyes connecting and Senna prays to God that the blush on his cheeks will not be too noticeable.

—This might sting a little...—Senna whispered as he smeared alcohol on a small cotton mop.

Since Senna is sitting on his heels, he stands up a little so that he can get close enough to the black-haired boy. Senna wipes the cotton wool over his broken eyebrow and the boy makes a slight moan.

—I'm sorry. —Senna said.

—It's nothing, go on. —Whispered the boy.

He put both hands on Senna's waist and gently pulled him closer to himself; Senna bit his lower lip, and tried not to get more nervous than he wanted to show. Senna doesn't want to be so obvious.

God...

The hairy boy's hands don't touch Senna's skin directly, but his mind imagines they do. Senna feels warm again.

—What happened? —Asked Senna in a whisper as he continued to heal his wounds.

He needs to distract himself right now.

—It looks like you had a fight. —He added.

—I did. —He answered. —Some jerk picked a fight with me and I didn't back down, he did worse than I did of course.

—You... Where have you been? —Senna asked.

His friend was silent for a few seconds and that gave Senna the impression that he was touching swampy ground. He's asking something his friend doesn't want to answer.

—You don't need to know. —He walked away from Senna.

The black-haired boy gets out of bed and starts walking to the window.

Senna sighed. He has to be patient. Senna must try to be a patient person. His friend is very complicated sometimes.

—I'm full of problems, and I wouldn't want the boys, or you, to get involved in this. —He said as he shook his head.

Senna bites his lower lip again; he knows that the next question could take him completely away from it. However, Senna will do it. That is necessary.

—Dean...

Senna whispered his name. The black-haired boy turned to look him in the eye.

—Was it you who killed that man? —Senna asked.

Dean looked at him with serious eyes and kept silent, he didn't admit it but he didn't deny it at all either. He wouldn't say anything to Senna; he had closed himself up completely.