Chapter 109 - Back Home

It was a surreal feeling to be back home. Outwardly, nothing had changed, but Evan felt as if he had returned to another world. His parents were thrilled to have him home, and although they had asked him about his trip, none of their questions even hinted that they thought Evan might be considering applying to NYU.

On the other hand, Riley had sent him all the interesting websites about his university. Evan had discovered that they even had a secret club for supernatural beings, pretending to be a club for people who liked to watch the clouds. According to Riley, they had chosen this activity as a cover, hoping that people would find it boring and decide not to join.

Evan couldn't stop laughing when he read the message on his phone.

Another reason he had a smile on his face was that he was back to his routine. His days at school were spent with his friends and his mate was always waiting for him at the bus stop in North Hallson. His incredibly handsome mate.

"Did you get more handsome while I was away?" Evan gave him a squinting look, studying every detail of his face as he kept his arms wrapped around his neck.

Ryan chuckled at his comment, and with his arms wrapped around his waist, it wasn't hard for him to pull him even closer and kiss him.

"You're cute and all, but save it for home," Angie's voice reached their ears as they didn't stop exchanging saliva.

"Preferably for Evan's home," Michael chimed in, smoking a cigarette nearby.

Their words worked as the couple pulled away and Evan walked over to Michael, taking the lit cigarette from him so he could take a drag. It had been a long time since he had shared his habit with him, but it couldn't hurt now and then.

"I'm going to disappoint you since we decided to stay at our place today." Ryan announced to his cousin.

Evan puffed out a cloud of smoke and handed the cancer stick back to Michael. Then he walked over to his mate and snuggled into his side. He'd never kissed him when he reeked of cigarettes and decided not to risk it.

"We're going to watch a movie," Evan added the last bit of information.

"And you didn't invite me." Angie put her hand to her chest theatrically and Evan rolled his eyes.

"Last time I checked, you had your own plans," he reminded her.

"I still do," she assured him. "But I know you'll be bored without me."

"Sure, like the last few days... oh wait." Michael's ironic tone, coupled with his words and Angie's expression, was a comedic high for Evan.

"Your mum already told me you missed me. Just so you know." The brunette pointed a finger at him and he frowned.

"That's bullshit."

Evan turned his head towards his mate to silently ascertain the truth of Angie's statement. Ryan, feeling his gaze, turned to him and shook his head in disagreement. The corners of Evan's mouth twitched upwards.

"I bet you didn't text me back because you were too busy sobbing in bed," Angie continued with her exaggerated arguments.

"You wish." Michael snorted and took a long drag on his cigarette. He decided on his usual tactic - to ignore her. Angie didn't give up, though, and turned to his cousin.

"Ryan, how many times have you caught him crying for me?"

Ryan laughed, surprisingly cooperative. "I can't even count."

Michael pierced him with his eyes, and when he turned to him at his words, all the smoke from his mouth flew at the couple. Ryan wrinkled his nose and didn't look comfortable, so Evan decided to rescue him, pulling his waist a step to one side.

"Maybe we could have a movie night this weekend," Evan suggested, changing the subject.

"We could, and you know what else we could do? Make a special plan for Ryan's birthday," Angie interjected. Right. They'd talked about Ryan's birthday so many times and now it was only a week away.

"I don't need anything special," he immediately began to reassure her.

"Speaking of your birthday..." Evan instantly took the opportunity to remind him of the lingering debt. "Is my invitation to a party at your house still valid?"

Judging by the look his mate gave him, the answer was clear. "Of course." The beaming smile disappeared from his face for just a second as he reached up to kiss Evan.

"Someone's meeting the family," Angie sing-songed.

"Thank God it's not you," Michael interjected.

"Maybe I should join in," Angie replied promptly, giving him a smile. Even though she was joking, Ryan took the bait. "You can if you want."

"Really?" She asked him in surprise.

"Of course. You're my friend and it's my birthday." That sounded like a pretty convincing argument.

"If you go, my parents will have even more reason to say yes," Evan chimed in. Having just come back from a trip a few days ago, he didn't dare ask his parents for permission for another one yet.

"That's right." She looked lost in thought for a moment before a broad smile appeared on her face and she nodded. "Okay. I'll go too. Someone needs to bug Michael." From the sound of the named one, he wasn't happy about it.

"But we're still going to celebrate your birthday on Thursday, right?" Ryan's birthday fell on a Thursday, while the trip was planned for Friday afternoon after school.

"We should," Evan supported her words and looked at his mate, partly curious, partly pleading.

"We can." Ryan had never been able to resist Evan's gaze and this was no different. "We can have a little celebration at Michael's house."

The topic of the party obviously appealed to Angie, as she immediately asked: "Do you want anything special? I'll arrange it."

"Nothing special," Ryan assured her. "I just want us to be together and we can watch a movie."

"So the four of us and Mallow?" Evan reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. Ryan smiled immediately and Evan didn't know if it was because of the kiss or the fact that he had decided to include his cat. Probably both.

Although Ryan didn't want anything special, as it turned out, the subject of his birthday became the main topic of conversation for the next few days. Angie decided that even though it was only going to be a small get-together, they needed decorations, while Evan tried to think of the perfect present.

In the end, he decided to take advantage of the fact that he now had a constant opportunity to talk to his favourite cousin and consult with him.

"It's his first birthday I'm celebrating with him. I want it to be perfect," Evan explained to him. "I'm not overreacting, am I?"

"Of course not," Riley assured him immediately. "I felt exactly the same the first time I celebrated Sam's birthday."

"So, do you have any ideas?" Evan asked, not expecting a question in return.

"What did he give you for your birthday?" Thankfully it was just a phone call and not a video call, so Riley couldn't see him blush.

"Um..." He started, but wasn't sure if he should finish the sentence. "Does his virginity count?"

At first it sounded like Riley was starting to choke, then there was silence on the phone. After a few seconds Evan decided to speak up, "Is there still a rule about not talking about sex with teenagers?"

"Definitely," Riley confirmed right away, his tone making Evan laugh.

"Should I have called Sam then?" He asked, amused.

"No, I'm glad you called me," his cousin assured him, sounding as if he had recovered from his initial shock. "I keep forgetting you're not a little kid anymore," he added.

"I'm not," Evan confirmed. "And for the record, Ryan and I started our bond on my birthday. Neither of us expected that it would be harder to control because we waited so long. It was supposed to be just a kiss."

"When you put it like that, it almost sounds romantic," Riley pointed out, and Evan laughed.

"So we're back to my dilemma of how to make Ryan's birthday romantic."

"Well, if you think about it, he gave you a deed and not a thing for your birthday. So maybe you should make a gesture as well," Riley suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Evan murmured, lost in thought the moment Riley finished his sentence.

"Maybe something he said he wanted to try, or maybe something you saw through his eyes," Riley continued, and suddenly Evan knew exactly what the perfect gift for his mate would be.

"That's it!" He declared excitedly. "I think I've got it, Riley." He immediately began to explain his idea, and his cousin listened intently. When he finished, he briefly worried if he was being silly, but Riley's words quickly reassured him.

"He's going to love it." The smile returned to Evan's face, this time more genuine and tender. Now all he needed was Lola's help.