"Why are we walking through a forest ninety miles away from our town? I get you have to tell me something, but why are we all the way out here?"
I moved a branch out of the way, not wanting to get anymore cuts than the two on my cheek and one on my arm which I had already received.
"Stop complaining. The clearing is only a minute away."
He was right; in only a minute or two, we were walking out onto a rocky platform sticking out over a cliff edge around two hundred meters above a large lake. The space of water was beside a small village surrounded by an evergreen forest, and the small puffs of smoke coming from the houses' chimneys were visible from here.
Looking around in awe, I noticed how stunning the place was. The forest we had walked through was filled with pines, all with new growth shooting out of the tips. The ground was a luscious apple green beyond the trees and, apart from the rocky area, it could have gone on for miles.
"Okay how the hell do you manage to find places that look like they're out of fantasy books." I flopped down onto the floor, wincing at the pain in my hands and butt from the ragged rock. Ash chuckled, looking down into my eyes.
"That's for me to know and you to find out, Sky." He winked before sitting down across from me, legs pulled up and spread apart so he could lean against them.
"Anyway, what I'm going to tell you is serious. Only a handful of other people know about any of this, so just... yeah."
I nodded slowly, unsure about what he could have to tell me. Ash didn't seem like the kind of person who had that many secrets, so I didn't know what to think.
"Well, first of all, Ash isn't my real name. I came up with it when I was in primary school because people teased me about my birth name. When I look back on it now I see how racist they were and that I should have done something about it, but at the time it was the worst thing in the world and I didn't want people to hate me anymore than they did." He paused and looked down, clearly not finding this an easy topic to talk about.
Shuffling closer, I took one of his large hands in my smaller ones, gently tracing patterns over the skin to calm him. He smiled before taking a deep breath, preparing to speak once again.
"My name is Tae Minjoon, but Minjoon is my first name and Tae is my surname. It's how Korean names work." He laughed awkwardly, moving his hand so that his fingers interlaced with mine.
I giggled, lips tugged into a bright smile. "That's cute! It suits you. Kids are horrible at that age, especially the ones who seem to think they're better than everyone." He nodded in response, glad that I was understanding everything so far.
"Only five people know. You, Thorn, James, Alec and Cole. That's excluding my family, of course. I know it seems weird that no one knows my actual name, but I'm guess I'm still scared that they might not like it. Although, I've grown to like the name Ash. In some ways I like it more."
He pulled me in between his legs and let me lean against his torso, snaking his arms around my waist and holding me close. "So you like being called both?" He nodded as I snuggled back into his chest, enjoying the warmth and being able to hear his heart beating. "Okay then, I'll use Ash for everyday and Minjoon for more... intimate moments."
He chuckled and squeezed me slightly, pulling a giggle from my lips. "This next part could shock you, but I want to tell you. I'm presuming that you know I kissed a guy before you, right? I recall overhearing Alec telling you around four months ago." I nodded, continuing to rub the pads of my fingers against his free hand, finding it soothing even for myself.
"Well, that was Thorn. He and I were really close once upon a time, so one night when we were both drunk, we ended up kissing. It wasn't anything too heated, just a few small pecks, but it was enough to get me thinking about if I really was straight. I always knew I was attracted girls, but I only started noticing guys in that way when I was around fifteen."
"My parents always told me that you shouldn't be gay or bi because it was unnatural, that people who were just had an illness or were severely confused. Of course I soon realised that they were talking a bunch of bullshit, but I never expected to be like that myself. I tried to ignore it and stop myself every time thoughts of a boy came into my mind, yet it didn't work. I don't know why I though it would to be honest; my excuse is that I was young and oblivious to the obvious."
When I felt a few wet drops hit my back, I looked up into the sky, thinking that it was raining. Although, when I heard a sniff, I realised that he was crying.
"S-sorry." He removed one of his arms and used his hand to wipe the tears away, only returning it once he had composed himself.
"Don't apologise... Minjoonie. It's okay to cry." I twisted around so that I was facing him and quickly snuck my arms around his neck, tucking my head into his shoulder. He smiled a little and ruffled my hair before continuing.
"So... I figured out that I was bi. It kind of clicked when I was seventeen, but I never wanted anyone to know. Thorn found out and so did James, but no one else knew until I told you."
I stayed silent for a few minutes, shocked. I'd always thought he couldn't be straight, but hearing the words come out of his mouth were completely different to thinking it in my head.
"I'm sorry if that's not okay with you. I just presumed that you wouldn't care because-"
"Minnie, shut up. It's one-hundred percent okay. I'm just surprised, that's all." His eyes widened at the nickname I gave him, cheeks turning pink. I pulled my head away from his body so that I could look him in the eyes, wanting to see him while he spoke.
"Do you remember what I said to you after that game of laser tag?"
Memories came flooding into my mind, overpowering any other thoughts. "Yeah. You said that you really liked me. That if the circumstances were more ideal, you would date me."
His lips turned up at the corners, presumably because I still remembered, and he sighed, relieved. "I spent some time thinking about that and decided that there would never be an ideal circumstance. Life doesn't just hand you those things free."
Pausing, he sucked in a deep breath and let his eyes fall shut for a few drawn out seconds. "If people aren't willing to put up with things they don't like, then they better learn how to control their voice."
I wasn't quite sure what he was getting at, but what I did know was that with every word he spoke, my heartbeat sped up.
"So you know what? Fuck life. Fuck everything it's done hurt the people who are the only reason anyone's still here, and fuck everyone who made it hell for them." He grew more angry as the minutes ticked by, but he also became a better person. He became free.
"Because you know what? I don't care anymore. If guys want to wear dresses and have long hair, they can. If girls want to wear suits and cut their hair short, they can. If people want to love their own gender or any other gender, they can."
My mouth was hanging agape, eyes sparkling with an almost childlike glimmer.
"And if I want to ask a guy out, I can."
Ash and I locked gaze.
Did he just ask me out? I honestly can't tell and-
"River Skyter, would you please be my boyfriend?"
Disbelief was all I felt. Although, the hyperactive buzzing feeling of your crush asking you out soon took over.
"W-what? Are you serious? Please don't say you're messing with me. I- I don't know what to-"
"I'm serious, Sky. I... I want to date you."
We were looking at each other with an unwavering tension, the sudden confession shocking both of us.
As much as I hate to admit it, we were both desperate; we'd been through so much confusion and stress, and we were both silently pleading for something to go right.
Even though I didn't answer verbally, we could both tell what my answer was.
Yes. Holy fucking shit, yes.
There was a small part of me that was unsure of whether it would end with a broken heart, but I was willing to risk it. He had changed a lot since the beginning, but so had I.
So as soon as his eyes flickered down, I pushed him back so that he was laying on the ground and straddled his hips, leaning over and ghosting my lips over his.
We stayed like that for a few moments, too afraid to move. It felt unreal that after all these months of mixed signals, there was a possibility that we could have come to a conclusion.
However, when he wrapped his hands in my hair and pressed our lips together, I felt something different to what I felt months ago.
This wasn't hesitant like the kisses we had shared before; though, that made sense considering that we didn't have a reason to be afraid anymore.
Our lips worked against each others slowly, silently hoping that this wasn't just some illusion and that the other would vanish if we pulled away.
Although, when I finally broke off for air, he was still there.
"I'll take that as a yes then?" He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist, forcing me to lay on top of him.
"Oh! Yeah, I forgot to actually say it. I'd love to be your boyfriend, Minnie." He raised an eyebrow before swiftly rolling us over, leaving him propping himself above my much smaller form.
"You have to come up with another nickname, Sky. You make me sound like Minnie Mouse."
I giggled in response, struggling to hold myself together while imagining him in a large polka dot bow. "What else am I supposed to call you?"
He hummed thoughtfully before giving me a playboy smirk. "How about babe... or something like Sir or Da-"
"WOAH there. Until you get your mind out of the gutter, the best you're getting is Mousie or Polka."
"I was going to say darling! Geez Sky, maybe you should be the one getting your mind out of the gutter."
My cheeks heated up at his comment, even though I was sure it was another name he was about to say. "Oh shut up."
He was about to start speaking again when my phone suddenly started ringing, blasting out Dangerous Woman. I swiftly answered, already aware that it was Lila at the other end.
"Where the hell are you! It's half six and you vanished during the day. Are you okay?"
I glanced up at Ash, smirking, and gave him a wicked look, unsure of how we were able to communicate mentally.
"Hey Lila, it's Ash. Sorry for stealing this cutie for the day. He's fine, by the way. I've taken good care of him." His voice sounded so evil, mainly because of how he said it, but I didn't miss the teasing tone his words held.
There was no talking from the other end for a long minute, only rustling and the occasional crackle. However, the silence was short lived.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM? Because I SWEAR to GOD that if he isn't hickey-less and painless I will hunt you down and cut your tiny dick off."
Let's just say that it's a good thing we didn't get carried away... if you get what I mean.
Ash pouted, holding the phone out for me to take. "My dick isn't small."
"Shh! I'm sure it isn't babe, but let me talk to her." He nodded as I swiped the phone from his hands, quickly pressing it against my ear.
"Hey! It's me, Li. You can chill out now. I'm fine; we're just joking around. He actually did take care of me though. Fed me and everything."
She audibly sighed and I heard a soft clink, almost as if something metal had been dropped.
"You weren't holding scissors, were you?" She laughed awkwardly, clearing her throat afterwards.
"'Course not! Now, you need to get home because your mum is worried about you. I'll tell her you're fine, but don't take longer than necessary. Anyway, farewell for now! Tell me about what happened later."
I slipped the phone into my pocked once she hung up, only realising just how tired I was when I let out a yawn.
"You can sleep in the car if you want. It'll be about an hour before we get home, and I can see you're sleepy." He grabbed my hand and began walking me back into the forest, only his strides were a lot larger than mine so I was struggling to keep up.
"T-thanks Ash! But, e-erm, could you slow down beca- woAH!" I screeched when I felt myself being effortlessly lifted up off the floor, almost hitting him in the face as I flailed around helplessly.
One of his arms was supporting my back while the other was underneath my knees, holding me tight against his chest. "Put me down! I'm too heavy for this."
"Oh please, you're as light as a feather."
"Maybe for you! You probably can't feel my weight because of all of your hot as fuck muscles!"
He looked down at me and wiggled his eyebrows, lips pulled into a wide smirk. "You think my muscles are sexy, huh?" I felt him flex purposefully, half crushing me with his iron grasp.
"Shut up and stop doing that before you accidentally kill me!"
A soft chuckle escaped his mouth before he moved his gaze up to the sky - the sky that was burning with a swirling ray of oranges, purples and blues. It looked like one of those sunsets you only saw in magazine pictures or paintings, not the kind that two high school students usually had the honour of seeing.
"As if I'd kill you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."
My cheeks flushed pink and I began fiddling with one of the studs on his jacket. "Oh yeah?"
He brushed his thumb over my cheek, looking down at me with a loving gaze. "Yeah."
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There we go! Minjoon, 'Ash', and River are finally together sksk.
I hope you're happy about that and not too disappointed if you wanted him to end up with James or Thorn.
Anyway, things are slowly wrapping up since there's only three chapters left and, even though I am quite sad, I'm excited. This is the first proper book that I will have finished which is a huge achievement for me.
Thank you for reading!
- Storm ð¹