"WESTON! Get down here!"
"Coming!"
Paul had told West the night before that they'd finally be doing some much needed grocery shopping that morning. He hopped out of the shower then swiftly put on his grey sweatpants and a black hoodie, completing the 'lazy look' with his blue Vans.
He met his dad downstairs, then they climbed into his pick-up truck and pulled out of the driveway.
Paul switched on the radio and flipped through the different stations until he landed on a rock music station, a Led Zeppelin song was playing.
West grimaced, he hated rock music. He didn't appreciate the way the singers screamed into your ears. He was surprised to see his dad singing along, it made him smile for some reason.
"What're you smirking at, boy? My voice isn't that bad, is it?"
"No, your voice is fine."
His Dad winked, then went back to singing, or rather, screaming at the top of his lungs until they reached the grocery store.
Paul had asked Dennis for a few hundred dollars so they would be able to buy the food that West needed. They pushed the trolley through the different aisles, adding all the necessities into their trolley.
"You still like those pop tart things?" Paul inquired.
West shrugged, not really expecting much from Paul's random question. "I mean... sure, I guess."
Upon reaching the breakfast & cereal aisle, Paul grabbed some strawberry flavored pop tarts, (West's favorite) and threw them into the trolley, then sauntered towards the checkout, leaving West stunned beyond belief.
His dad hadn't bought those for him since 6th grade...
When he finally recovered from his shock, he saw Paul in the midst of conversation with a blonde woman.
As he approached his dad and the woman, Killian Ackerman emerged with a chocolate cake from another aisle, then put it in the woman's trolley. His eyes darted between the blonde woman and Killian, and he made the connection that she probably was his mother.
"Hello." West greeted.
Killian's whole face lit up when he saw who it was, it didn't go unnoticed by Paul, though. He looked at West, who had a veiled expression on his face, then shrugged.
"Anyway... Linda, Killian, this is my son, Weston."
"We kinda already know each other..." Killian said.
"Yeah. We work together." West confirmed.
Linda gave West a tight-lipped smile. She'd already heard the rumors about him and decided that they were true, so she wasn't all that excited to finally meet him.
"Why don't you kids go outside for a bit, I want to catch up with Linda, here."
Killian and West nodded, then stepped outside for a much needed smoke break. Paul spoke up when he was sure they were out of ear shot.
"You're back."
"I came back last year... when Rich died."
"Oh, Linda, I didn't know. I'm so sorry." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to offer his sympathies. He and Richard were friends once upon a time, so he was genuinely sorry that he was no more.
"It's okay." She sighed, before asking the question that'd been on her mind since she saw West, "Does Weston know that you're not--"
Paul knew exactly where that question was headed, he put up his hand to prevent her from further continuing. "He knows."
"I thought you'd have given him up for adoption after Jenn died..."
"I couldn't. He is my son."
"Have you ever tried... I don't know, looking for Simon?"
Paul's expression hardened, and his voice came out harsher than he intended. "What for?"
"Okay. You're right. I'm sorry. I know it's none of my business."
"It really isn't." He responded, annoyed that Linda had the nerve to bring up such a sensitive topic at a fricking grocery store, no less. "I'll see you around, Linda."
"Wait, can I at least have your number? You're the only one I actually like in this godforsaken town."
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"How do you know Killian's mother?"
"Me, Dennis, your mom, Linda and her late husband, Rich, went to Easton High together."
"Oh. She was your friend, then?" West asked in a small voice. He wanted to know more about their friendship and their life in high school, but noticed that Paul looked like he'd swallowed a lemon when he'd mentioned Linda.
"Your mom's."
-
Once they pulled in to their driveway, West carried all the groceries inside at the instruction of Paul.
He put everything in the pantry, then plopped down on their worn leather couch. His Dad joined soon after and switched on the TV.
West watched him from the corner of his eye to see if it was safe to say something. He had a vacant look on his face, so West gave himself the greenlight.
"Killian invited me to his siblings' birthday dinner tonight."
"So?"
"Can I go?"
Paul didn't take his eyes of the TV, he was now engrossed in the Korean Drama playing on Channel 3.
"Since when do you ask me to do anything?"
West almost smiled at that, "Okay." He said.
"Okay."
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Killian and Dove were playing Monopoly in her room, it was a cheap birthday gift from Killian since he didn't know what to get her. She seemed to like it, though.
"Your boyfriend totally bailed on you, huh?" Dove remarked as she landed in jail.
Killian rolled his eyes. "He is not my boyfriend. And I kinda expected this. He's... very reserved and not fun."
"Then why bother with him?"
"I ask myself that everyday."
Dove was about to comment, but was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. They both looked at each other quizzically, it was already fifteen minutes to midnight and the rest of their family had gone to sleep.
Killian ventured down the stairs to answer the door. He was surprised to see West standing on the other side.
"You're..."
"Late, I know. I'm sorry." He was too embarrassed to tell Killian he'd been so caught up in Korean Dramas that he completely forgot about dinner.
"It's cool. Come in."
Killian and West made a break for the kitchen and sat on the barstools, their arms resting on the island. West's eyes wandered about, he took in the sight of the shiny white countertops, to the chandelier that only had one light bulb, hanging from the ceiling.
"Nice digs..."
Killian would've never imagined that the boy he kinda liked, but not really, would one day be sitting in his Kitchen, he was nervous.
"We have cake. Do you want cake?"
"Sure."
Killian tore the refrigerator open and pulled out the chocolate cake that they had bought earlier, only two slices remained, so he placed them on two plates and handed one over to West.
"I thought you weren't coming."
West shrugged his shoulders, "I said I would."
The boys ate in silence. The only sound being the clinking of their forks against the ceramic plates. There was nothing uncomfortable about it, though.
"I'm playing an away game on Thursday. Would you like to come?" Killian asked.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
West shook his head, his dark hair falling over his face. "Killian..."
"Isn't that why you're here? Because we're Friends?"
"I don't know..."
"We can be friends. I don't have an ulterior motive. I swear."
West pushed his plate aside and frowned. "It's not that."
"Then... what is it?"
"You make me want things I can't have." He murmured.
Out of all the reasonings Killian thought West would give on why they couldn't be friends, that one was certainly unexpected. It startled him, and made him realize that maybe he did have an ulterior motive, he didn't just want to be West's friend.
He slowly got up from his stool, then stood in front of a seated West.
West glanced up at Killian, whose electric blue eyes were tenderely gazing into his coffee colored ones. Killian's lips parted and his gaze drifted towards West's lips. He shifted closer to West so that there was no space left between them, and his hand reached out to caress the base of his neck. West lowered his eyes and sighed in content.
"West..."
"Yeah?" West responded, his breath visibly hitching.
Killian leaned in so their foreheads were almost touching, his warm breath fanning West's face.
West anchored his hands around Killian's waist, stroking the area with the pads of his thumbs. He couldn't stop the wild thoughts that were running through his head, and Killian's scent; a mixture of fabric softener and sandalwood, was flooding his very senses.
Unfortunately, a raspy voice interrupted their little moment and catapulted them back to reality. "What's going on here?"
Killian and West immediately jumped apart, knocking down a barstool in the process. Killian fumbled with the chair as he struggled to put it upright again.
Linda moved towards the sink and poured herself a glass of water. She gulped it down quickly, then squinted her eyes at West. "Weston? It's late. Does your father know you're here?"
West avoided making eye contact with her, she was kind of scary. He hoped she wouldn't mention what she'd seen to his father. Because he'd literally jump off Mount Kilimanjaro.
"I should go."
"I'll walk you out." Killian offered.
"NO!" West suddenly exclaimed. "No. I'll see you tomorrow."
West hightailed it out of Killian's house, cursing at himself the whole way home for showing Killian a side of himself that he swore he'd to reveal to anyone.
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