vi.

Nixel puffed out a smoke from his mouth as he watch the stars above him from his balcony in his suite from his living room. There weren't really that many of the stars. It was cloudy. Only the moonlight was shining up ahead.

He went inside to get some drink and after getting some wine, he checked up on Erold who was still sleeping so soundly.

The smell of the smoke that was puffing out of the cigarette woke Erold up. He rubbed his eyes as he scrunches his nose up. Erold saw that the door was slightly opened but remembering it clearly, he closed it tight. It made him a little bit cautious that's why he stood up, tip-toeing outside ready to jump on some burglar or something but he stopped when he Nixel looking outside the balcony.

Erold came near as he looks at the same sky that Nixel was looking at. Nixel saw the same brown hair locks he just caressed a while ago. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" Nixel asked and Erold shook his head as he place his head on the railings.

Looking down the streets, he saw the glistering of street lights. Now that Erold thinks about it, this was his first time waking up in the middle of the night or so he though when he looked at the clock that points at somewhere quarter to 4 with the short hand.

Erold pouts as he realizes that it's already morning. Wanting to go down, he took a glance at Nixel who was actually staring at him the whole time made him blush. He avoided his gaze and was lost for the right words he just wanted to say earlier.

The cold breeze of the morning made Erold shake. Nixel noticed it, that's why he went inside to make hot cocoa and to get some jacket for him. After getting those he gave him those as his nose and cheeks started to redden from the coldness. He can't blame the weather since it is already nearing winter.

Erold as innocent as he is didn't know that the cocoa he got was hot. It burnt his tongue worrying Nixel. He immediately grabbed Erold's face to see if something was wrong and was relieved when he realize it's just a burnt of tongue.

"You scared me." Nixel told Erold as he gets the hot cocoa from his hand putting it on the table beside them as he grabs Erold's shoulder looking at him with worried eyes. "That was hot, you should've blown into it first before drinking it." Erold tensed up as he got scared from how Nixel had acted.

"Sorry." Erold said picking on his fingers as he gets nervous on what's going to happen next. It was a bad mannerism of him. He picks on his fingers until it bleeds.

Nixel sighed at the sight of him and had ruffled his hair. "There's no need for you to say sorry, babe." Kissing the top of his head and giving the hot cocoa back to him.

This time around, Erold blew air to the hot cocoa before carefully sipping on it so he won't burn his tongue again. It was delicious. It was years since the last time he drank hot chocolate that his mother used to make before he goes to bed and after he wakes up. It was somehow nostalgic for him.

Nixel watched as how the street lights reflect on Erold's emerald green eyes. The cold breeze that swifts through his golden brown locks and as his pale skin reddens from the cold. He was a masterpiece.

Nixel thought of something that Erold will surely love. He drape his arm over his shoulder and smiled widely. "Erold," Nixel muttered as he continue to get mesmerized by his eyes. "Shall we go on a date later?"

Erold furrowed his brows at him with confusion and asked, "Date?" He repeated at what he had heard. What's a fucking date?

"Yeah, date." Nixel confirmed.

"Like...August 25?" He asked Nixel. Nixel blinked two times before bursting out of laughter. What did he just heard? Is he for real?

Erold looked at him with much more confusion. He was wondering why he was laughing and if did he said something weird. He questioned himself as he watched how Nixel die out of laughter.

As Nixel calmed himself down he looked at Erold's troubled face which made him laugh a little. "Can be but the date I'm talking about is where two people go out and have fun."

Erold blinked and the ends of his brows have met each other again. He couldn't pick up what Nixel was talking about and Nixel knew that.

Nixel trying to brainstorm on how he could explain it much more farther fished his phone out of his pockets and search for some images on the internet and showed it to him. Erold scrolled down through the pics, looking at it carefully and remembered his mama and papa.

"You know how to date?" Erold asked Nixel who finally gotten the idea of date that Nixel was talking about.

Nixel nodding his head answered, "Yeah, you can say that."

With Erold's eyes starts to twinkle, he asked Nixel once again, "How do you date?" He looked so eager to hear an answer from Nixel who he thinks knows everything.

Nixel thought about it and usually his dates would go like, they would meet up, eat then talk then sex until morning. Now that he thinks about it, those aren't really considered as date now, does it? More of like one night stands. Nixel sighed as he scratch the back of his neck. "Uh," He trailed off knowing that he can't just casually blurt out sex or worse "Fuck." in front of him.

Nixel avoided his gaze thinking for the right words and when he finally found it, Nixel looked at Erold whose eyebrows are still furrowed and smiled. "You go out and have some fun then you eat, walk by sea, go to different places then go home."

Erol trying to process everything that Nixel had said. He asked him. "Then fuck?" Nixel looked at him with complete shock. Did he just heard him right?

"What?"

"You date and fuck?"

"Huh? Erold? N-No?"

"But you said a while ago, Uh..fuck, what's fuck?" Erold's first time saying a complete sentence and this is what he says. Nixel unconsciously facepalmed himself after hearing Erold. He can't believe he literally blurted fuck out loud.

"Do we also get to fuck after we date?"

Nixel snapped at him with pure terror. "What? Of course not!" And with his voice suddenly raising made Erold scared and sad.

"So we won't get to fuck?" Erold asked him being all sad now.

Nixel on the other hand is panicking on how he can explain what exactly fuck is and how you do it and how can explain that no they won't be doing that either. "Erold, no." He told him once again making Erold sulk more.

Nixel's heart ache a little bit seeing his Erold all sad but he just can't say that they will fuck unless, he doesn't know what fuck really is. Oh. "Sure," Nixel blurted letting Erold look at him with stars around him. "We'll fuck." For fuck's sake what in the world is he talking about.

"Really?" As Nixel look at him more, he felt guilt piling up inside him. No, he can't continue this.

"No."

"What? But you said..." Looking all gloomy once again, Nixel groaned at washed his face using his palm.

He took Erold's hands and intertwined it with his. "We can't do that. It's actually very painful and I don't want you getting hurt, baby." He explained it to him holding Erold's hands near to his face.

"Painful?" The look on Erold's eyes was in full of fear as he scrunch his nose up. Nixel giggled as he nodded.

"Yes," He told him as Erold's face softened. "And also, baby, you can't say fuck, okay?" I warned him as I placed his hands around my neck pulling him close by his waist.

"Okay." Erold only agreed as he bury his face on Nixel's chest as he could feel the heat rising up to his face. Nixel brushed Erold's reddening ear, tucking a hair behind it exposing the redness of it. He kissed it, feeling how Erold tensed with the action he did.

As they were in that position, the ray of the sun hit them perfectly. Erold realeased himself from the hug, Nixel settling with holding Erold's waist as they watched their first sunrise together.

Their morning went by pretty quick. They ate some really delicious breakfast made by the one and only guy who can cook inside the house, Nixel Rossi. Erold couldn't deny the fact that he was indeed a great cook, unlike him who just hunts for some wild boar then roast them and share it with his animal friends.

As Erold's checks himself out in the mirror, he pouts, thinking that his style is kind of a bit—bland? Stoic? In other words, very very boring. He only used to have three clothes back in the wild and all of them are mostly torn and near to tearing apart.

In the end, Erold just decided to go with something that Owen suggested while they were out shopping for his clothes. It was very casual. Owen said that Erold in some parts looks like a kid, an bubbly outgoing teenager rather. That's why he gave Erold some short with jumper and an oversized tee that he tucked in.

He was born in the late 90's after all and as far as he can remember, this is how he used or they used to dress back then.

"Nixel," Erold called as he slowly goes out of his room revealing his outfit. "How do I look?" He asked him, his throat still feeling dry with him speaking all of sudden for how many years.

Nixel facing Erold to see what he was wearing made his eye twitch. "You're wearing shorts?" He asked as chew the insides of his cheek, checking Erold out.

He was fucking pretty and it's also Nixel's first time to see him a bit naked. I mean, with less fabric. Nixel never thought that a guy could be this pretty. His legs were long enough to fit his body frame. They weren't also that thick. Just quite enough for a guy. Now he realizes it, it's amazing how he have less body hair for a guy. Not we're talking about toxic masculinity or anything, he just quite noticed it.1

Erold nodded as a response and held the hem of his shorts. "Do I look that bad?" He asked Nixel since he was staring at him for minutes now that leads him to overthinking once again.

Nixel shook his head and answered with all honesty. "No, babe." Nixel told him, moving forward as he holds Erold's slim waist. "You look pretty."

Erold bit his lips telling himself not to blush but his body was a traitor. With his mannerism, he picked on his fingers as he looks down on Nixel's chest. Nixel may want to stay in the house and just be all cuddly with Erold but he chose not to. After all, he did told him that they're going to a date and as he sees Erold's reaction, he knows he can't disagree and cancel their plan.

Nixel pulled his right hand away from Erold's waist up to lift his chin to see those emerald eyes of his. "Baby, we have to go. Shall we?" With a big smile written on Erold's face, he nodded back at him as he says, "Let's go."

Nixel took his keys and wallet with him as they went down to his car. He didn't waste any time and started off the engine.

It wasn't really that long of a ride. The problem is that Nixel doesn't know where to go. His usual dates would usually go with the same meet up place to the same restaurant as they reach the same motel. Every single time. And in this time around, he doesn't want to do that. Something in him screams that he wants to impress him in any way that he can and not just like those other girls who he slept with.

Erold was somewhat special for him.

In the end, Nixel have decided to just go with an amusement park near the city. Erold couldn't help but sleep on the ride. He was a sleepyhead. From all the slow music and how the air coming from aircon just grazes his skin makes him sleepy. Nixel even needed to stop for awhile to adjust Erold's seat so he can be comfortable before going back to drive.

After probably a half and an hour they have finally reached their destination. It was a popular amusement park located there. He doesn't want to wake up Erold who looks so peaceful sleeping inside the car but he have to.

He called his name for atleast 4 times but it didn't budge him. The next thing he did was tap his shoulder but it also didn't work. Now that Nixel thinks about it, how much of a heavy sleeper is Erold actually? As he continue to think of how to wake him up, Nixel couldn't also help but to stare at the guy who was now sleeping inside his car.

He looked so defenseless at this point. Did he really survived the wild all by himself by having a body like this? And the fact that he's so defenseless doesn't make him at ease. Now that he have examined Erold's face clearly, there's actually a wound that have left a mark down his chin. It wasn't that big but it must've been deep for it to leave a mark like that. It doesn't also looked like it was stitched at any point.

The strand from Erold's hair had fallen onto his face. Nixel couldn't hide the fact that he was indeed pretty. He caress the guy's face that trailed off to Erold's pinkish lips. They were soft. As he went nearer and nearer, Erold felt the hot breath of Nixel that was touching his lips for some time now.

Erold opened his eyes and started squinting them when he saw Nixel's face just inches apart from each other. "N-Nixel?" Erold called for him, not sure if he was dreaming or what. Nixel pulled away from Erold as he snapped back when he had called his name.

Starting to realize what he had done, he couldn't look directly at him. What in the hell did he just do? He's a creep. Nixel coughed as he looks at the outside, watching Erold from his peripheral view as he rubs his eyes. "I was trying to wake you up but you wouldn't budge. I'll be waiting for you outside." He told him and went out to the front desk to buy some tickets. It took him quite some time before they could finally get the ticket and to get in.

It was Erold's first time being inside an amusement park. He went riding on all of the rides that he can see. Dragging Nixel along with him who doesn't really care at all and just watched how Erold have fun. They spent their whole day inside of the amusement park, basically riding the all of the rides. Eating food from every food stall. Playing games at every stall and buys souvenirs for Owen and Trisha.

As Nixel heard that he's going to buy souvenirs for Owen and Trisha, he immediately felt that unpleasant bitter feeling inside him. Why does he have to think of someone else when he's clearly with him? How annoying.

A frown crept onto Nixel face as he pays for the souvenirs that Erold especially picked out for the both of them. It was nothing expensive but it felt so special making him envious at some point.

Leaving the souvenir shop, Erold dragged Nixel to those stands where you can take a picture while sticking your head out of the hole. That frown suddenly turned into a smile as he can see Erold enjoying this. Atleast I'm the one who he's enjoying with.

Getting all exhausted from all of that energy. They stopped by a park to buy some ice cream and to walk around. Nixel could feel himself nearing to throw up from all of the food that they were eating ever since and how his stomach went upside down by riding those rides with a full stomach. He shouldn't have agreed to ride with it but how could he resist Erold? He know he couldn't.

Finishing the vanilla ice cream in his hand, he watched how Erold walks with a big smile printed on his face. As long as he's happy then that's enough. Intertwining his hands with Erold made him stop and look at Nixel.

Erold raised his eyebrow at him getting all worried again, "Nixel, any p-problem?" He asked Nixel and the only answer he got was a shake of his head.

"How about you? Did you have fun?"

The lids of those emerald eyes of his got thinner as he smiles with complete joy and nodded as he smiles. "It was fun." He told Nixel.

"Really?" Coming forward to Erold as he pulls him close again by his waist and as he also caress his face pulling his chin up to graze those soft lips of his.

The sun started to sink down the horizon, painting the once blue sky orange. A chilly breeze passed, a sign that night was approaching. Erold's nose and cheeks gained a pinkinsh hue as the cold nipped at his skin.

"Erold," Nixel said, his eyes trained on his thumb that was grazing the brunette's pink lips. He swallowed thickly before continuing "I asked you back then, right? If you in know how to kiss..."

Erold's mind went blank, he nodded slowly, not sure if he could trust his voice to come out right. He looked down at his feet, the gaze on him too intense.

"So, what's your answer to that?" Nixel nudged the other boy's chin, making him look up. Erold shook his head, he never had the urge to do such things, the only people he had ever kissed was his parents and that's it.

Nixel chuckled at the other's response. "You don't? 'Cause I do." he said with a teasing voice while he slowly inched their faces closer, their breaths mingling. Finally their lips met, melting into the sensation, the world vanished around them and all they felt was each other's lips.

With the scenery in front of them, taking in the beauty of the sky, a beautiful mix of orange and pink with almost transparent clouds dusting it.

And at that moment the world seemed to a bit brighter for the both of them.