Of course, I would. It didn’t matter what he asked. I would be there for him. I would do anything for him. Anything so long as he didn’t leave me alone. Just being near him felt so good, I would do anything to make sure that feeling didn’t go away.
“Really?” Keaton asked. Relief washed over his face. I wondered if my face had looked like that not ten minutes ago.
“Really,” I confirmed.
“Oh, god,” Keaton grinned. “Thank you, really. That’s such a weight off my mind.”
“Anytime,” I nodded.
Keaton gave a breathless, giddy half-laugh. “What a day.”
I nodded. “Very intense.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Keaton laughed. “God. The news about your foot. It’s so good, Ol.”
“Ol?” I repeated with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, sorry,” Keaton laughed. “Do you not like it? I have this kind of habit because of what me and my sister do. We’ve always shortened each others’ names down to the first syllable.”
“Keat?” I said quizzically.
Keaton nodded. A light blush came over his cheeks. That was curious. Why was he blushing? “Anyway – sorry.”
“I like it,” I declared.
“Keat, or Ol?” Keaton asked.
“Both,” I said decisively.
Keaton laughed. “Alright, then. Keat and Ol. Just two roomies, going along together.” He made a kind of walking motion with his arms. I had the feeling he was being very awkward. I couldn’t understand why. Sometimes he just got awkward for a while.
I tilted my head. The conversation was going well. Maybe he wouldn’t get mad if I was playful back. “Dork,” I said.
Keaton’s eyes turned into saucers and I laughed. “Hey,” he said, but I could tell it was only mock indignation.
“You look so adorable when your eyes go wide like that,” I chuckled. Then I froze. Had I said that out loud?
“Adorable?” Keaton repeated. He had raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Like a kid?”
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing at him. He hadn’t noticed the undertone in my words. That was good. “Not like a kid.”
His eyes widened further. “Then, like what?”
I shrugged. I suddenly couldn’t think of anything at all to say. “I’m just happy today,” I said at last.
“Me, too,” Keaton beamed. “I’m really happy for you, Ol. You can play again.”
“I can play,” I said. The grin on my own face spread wider. “I can play!” I grabbed Keaton in what was meant to be a fake, gentle tackle.
Somehow it ended up feeling more like a hug as I lifted him into the air.
“Woah!” Keaton shouted, but he was laughing. “Oh my god, put me down!”
I planted him back on the ground again, laughing hard myself. It was just that as I placed him down, my head swung towards his. At that moment when I settled him on the floor our heads were suddenly very close.
So close I couldn’t resist leaning in and kissing him again.
Something in my mind was screaming at me. Warning me that I was making the same mistake twice. But I couldn’t stop myself.
