Nobodies

Elliot was sitting in the park, watching the birds fighting over the scraps of food people had thrown for them. It was late-afternoon on a school day, but Elliot just didn't feel able to face anyone, despite having dressed in his school uniform. His phone had been buzzing with the constant arrival of text messages he wasn't going to read, and the phone calls he wasn't going to answer - so he just turned it off.

As he was staring into space, he could hear someone walking along with the familiar crunch of teeth biting into an apple. There was the almost inaudible jingle of music playing through headphones as the person came closer. He looked at the ground when the shadow came over him, not wanting to look up at someone living their life in whatever way they pleased. The shadow stayed over his body for a while, the person not moving. Gritting his teeth and preparing to tell whomever it was to leave him alone, what he saw as he looked up was sunlight through lightly curly red hair and brown eyes focused on him. He was chewing thoughtfully on an apple and carefully inspecting Elliot with his eyes.

"Hey..."

"What fell off the edge of your world?" he asked. He didn't sound patronizing, or mean. He actually sounded much more concerned. "You don't look very good."

Elliot hadn't seen Raleigh since their kiss outside the school a few weeks ago. They'd exchanged numbers, but Elliot was too afraid to actually ring him. Raleigh had sent a few messages his way, but there seemed like nothing was actually happening. Maybe Lake was right - Raleigh wasn't his type. Even though he didn't know what his 'type' was. When he didn't give the older male an answer, he just went and plopped himself down on the bench right next to him and took another large bite of his apple.

Turning the fruit in his hand, Raleigh began talking. One leg was placed atop the other, and his free arm stretched out along the top of the bench, right behind Elliot's head. "I've got this story in my head, but I just can't seem to get it down on paper. Now, I have the characters planned, and the way the relationship is going to turn out, but I just don't have the right way to explain what goes on between them until that critical moment where they crash together and make themselves whole." He took another bite, and glanced at Elliot to see what he was doing. "See, there's this age gap, and neither is sure just what to do about it. Should they get together and see what happens, or should they wait a few years for when age doesn't seem like such a big gap? There's also the fact that the younger one isn't completely sure of himself in the first place, while the older guy has his whole life already planned out, he just isn't seeing anyone at the moment."

"Your story sounds a lot like us."

"Hmm...I did wonder where I got the idea." He shifted on the seat and dropped his leg to the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. "Anyway, the older one decides that maybe whatever connection they had at the start just wasn't meant to be. Yeah, the kid is cute and a really good kisser, but is it really worth it? The kid has something missing inside. Like his heart's not all there. A piece of him walked away, and he's not sure he can follow it."

"And your point?"

Raleigh smiled that oh-so-beautiful smile and flicked hair out of his eyes. "If he stands still long enough, someone's going to come from the other direction."

"But you weren't looking for me."

Raleigh pulled his phone out of his pocket and flashed the message at Elliot. It read: "OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! HAVE YOU SEEN ELLIOT!?"

"Lake?"

"Yep." He pushed the sleek black iPhone back into his pocket. "But I'm not looking for you - I'm looking for muse. I've just happened to come in the other direction." He took the final bite of his apple, and expertly tossed the core into the nearby trash can. "I thought I could just let you walk on, but I guess I'm just not that capable of letting you go easily, even if I thought it would be for the better."

"So what are you asking me?" Elliot asked, looking over at the older man, trying not to let that smile melt him the way it was doing.

Raleigh leaned over, and just close enough to brush his lips over Elliot's. "Go out with me. You don't have to tell me how you lost your heart. I just want to at least try to find it for you again." His fingers curled under Elliot's chin, tilting his head upwards a little, and he smiled, watching as it infected Elliot and those frowning lips twitched in the semblance of a smile. "I'll also stop with the Kingdom Hearts references."