He watched as his cousin followed the pushy, little woman out of Farin's bedroom with a mixture of surprise and shock. He shared a handful of words with her and Kieran had to admit, the girl the sat near him for a semester and smiled at him in an aisle of books, was actually, quite terrifying and intimidating as all hell.
He shuddered. She was a piece of work. Whether it was a nasty one or a beauty, Kieran guessed that they'd all just have to wait and find out. Even if he wasn't sure of he really wanted too at all. He rolled off his brother's bed and looked at the other boys, whom were all sitting in a bit of a stunned silence. He heard the front door open, Theo's voice calling to his mother, and the front door closing again. They were all still completely silent. Kieran heaved a sigh.
"Well, what are everybody's plans, then?" he asked.
"I'm going to call Suzie, I guess." Blaine said, sounding a bit unsure, taking his phone out of his pocket. He walked towards the open door, "Maybe she wants to do something." And then he was gone. Kieran looked back at Dwayne, who was looking at Ollie.
"What do you feel like doing?" he asked, Ollie shrugged.
"We could do a movie," He answered and Dwayne nodded.
"Sounds good to me." He said. They took their leave together and Kieran watched them go. Farin made a move as though to ask them something, maybe for an invite but Keiran saw Beau give him a swift kick to the shin.
"Let them have their time." He said and Farin looked offended.
"What do you want to do then?" He asked, scowling at Beau. Kieran rolled his eyes, turned on his heel and moved towards his own room.
Farin called out to him, "What are you going to do, then?"
"I don't know, Farin. Something. Maybe go back to sleep." Kieran called back. He saw his cell phone resting on his pillow, the small light flashing blue. He wiped the screen and saw he had a message. He read it quickly.
"Why don't you take a trip to the bookstore? - Bilbo."
Bilbo. Bilbo. Bilbo
Kieran nibbled on his lip, trying to work the message out. He had no need to go the bookstore again, but there was something in him that said: if Billy told him to do something, he should probably, definitely do it. Also, she signed it Bilbo. He almost jumped for joy and squealed at that.
Almost.
Instead, what he did do was cast a gaze over his shoulder and at his brother who was now standing in the doorway to their shared bathroom, and he casually said,
"I was thinking bookstore."
Farin groaned. "We were just there yesterday." He said, dramatically leaning into the frame. "Why do you want to do that, Ki."
Kieran shrugged, "I really like books." he said, tossing his phone back on his bed, "We should leave in like, fifteen."
Farin sighed loudly, "Fine." he said, pushing off the door frame and stalking to his room. "Get dressed and meet us down in the kitchen." He pulled the bathroom door closed behind him. From the other side of the door, Kieran heard him call out to Beau.
"Ki wants to go to the bookstore again. Why do we always end up at the fucking bookstore?"
Kieran never thought of it until he heard it, but Farin was right. They always end up at the bookstore. As if they didn't know of any all night diners or pizza joints to haunt like normal teenagers. Better to be seen as a group of coffee loving book nerds than a bunch of mall rats. He picked up his phone, typing out a message to Billy as she walked over to his closet.
"Why do I need to go to the bookstore?" He typed and sent. He opened the door, kicking away a pile of unfolded laundry that toppled to the floor. His phone buzzed.
"I need you to pick up a book for me. I'll pay you back." He had to reread the message three times to get the full sentence as he rifled through the pile of crumpled clothes. He lifted a shirt to his face and sniffed it. It smelt clean. He tossed it on the bed and began looking for a pair of jeans.
"What book?" He texted back. Within seconds, his phone vibrated.
"Frankenstein" He scowled. Why would she want or need Frankenstein? They'd covered that earlier in the year, during one of the few classes they had shared, and from what he could remember, Billy had excelled with Frankenstein. He typed furiously.
"Don't you have the one from class?" He asked.
"I didn't buy it. It was a loaner." Kieran made a face.
"Why didn't you just buy it?" Her response was slower than he had expected, and for a minute he thought he wasn't going to receive one. He tossed his cell onto his bed again and began to dress. When his shirt was pulled over his head, he glanced at his phone. She had responded.
"I couldn't afford it, you ass. Are you going to pick it up for me or not?" Kieran blinked, then hissed through his teeth, realizing his mistake. He never thought about not being able to afford a simple novel for an English class. He'd asked his parents to buy all the required reading for him, and they had without question.
"Got it. One Mary Shelley's Frankenstein coming your way. Do you have a cover in mind or should I just pick at random?"
He watched the screen, waiting for her reply.
"You pick." She finally responded. Kieran let out a long breath.
He grabbed a green flannel and pulled it on over his tee shirt, looking down at his cleanest pair of denims, which he noticed weren't actually very clean and had specks of paint on them. He grunted as he slipped his usual leather wrist cuffs over his hands and readjusted the thin leather band he wore looped around his neck, moving the ornate silver arrow into view.
Leaving his room and stepping into the bathroom, he was greeted by the sound of Beau and Farin bickering about something from the other bedroom. Kieran rolled his eyes, grabbing his toothbrush and loading it with too much toothpaste.
"I thought you said to meet you down stairs." He called out to them. Farin came to stand in the doorway. He looked at the toothbrush in Kieran's hand and scowled.
"Jesus, Ki. Why do you need so much tooth paste?" His brother chastised.
"Jesus, Farin. Why do you care so much about tooth paste?" He placed the brush into his mouth and gave Farin a dry look in the mirror. Farin muttered something darkly and pushed himself off the door frame, leaving Kieran in peace. After his teeth, Kieran moved to his hair, running some water through the curls, combing the stubborn things off his face, and left them to dry before they turned into a rat's nest of frizz.
After darting back into his room for his wallet, keys and cell phone, Kieran headed down to meet Beau and Farin. When Kieran entered the kitchen his mother looked up at him and cooed.
"Why do you always look so put together?" She asked, warmly.
"Because I'm always a mess." He said casually. "Tied shoes would make me look like a million dollars." He turned to look at the other boys, who were being very civil to each other. If asked, Kieran would put all his money on their civility on the presence of his mother sitting at the table not ten feet away from them
"Ready to go?" Kieran asked.
Beau smiled warmly at him. He was perched on the counter top, a doughnut in his fingers "Sure." He said, around a half chewed bite. "Not like we got anything else to do around here, eh?"
He popped the rest of the doughnut into his mouth and hopped off the counter. He said something incomprehensible with the amount of dough stuffed in his face as he walked towards the front door.
Kieran looked at Farin. His brother was watching after Beau with an expression Kieran hadn't seen on his face before, but before he could have said anything about it, it was gone. Just a flicker of something. Farin looked at him.
"Well, let's go." He said. Kieran smiled and nodded.
"Thank you." Kieran replied softly, as Farin walked past him, "For coming with."
"Eh. What you want I want." His older brother replied. They reached the foyer and realized that Beau had already left the house. They slipped on their shoes and took off after him.
Upon arrival, Kieran left Beau and his brother in the comic books. Farin had asked him where he was going and Kieran answered truthfully. Billy had asked him to pick up a book for her. Farin's mouth twisted a bit when he heard this, as though he were trying to swallow a mouthful of pure lemon juice. He waved Kieran off.
"We'll be around."
Kieran wandered through the fiction section, looking over the spines for last names starting with 'S'. When he found them, he looked further for 'S H'. The selection reached the end of the shelf and Kieran rounded the corner, figuring the selection of S authors wrapped around to the other side. When he rounded, Kieran came to full stop and his eyes widened for a second then narrowed. Levi Greene stared at him, surprise written all over his face.
"Let me guess," Kieran started, darkly, "You're looking for Frankenstein for Billy." Levi looked at the books then at Kieran, then at the books and back to Kieran.
"Actually, yes I am." He said, quietly.
"Un-fucking-real." Kieran muttered, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back. She had planned this, of course she had. Which means she also saw some of what had happened the day before, if not all of it. Kieran looked back at Levi, his stare steady.
"Well, fuck off, Blondie. She asked me first." He said, moving towards where Levi was standing, who took a step back. Kieran looked at the books and grabbed the first copy he found. He pulled it out and turned to walk away when Levi reached out and grabbed the book. Kieran stopped and looked at him.
"Let go." He said, coldly.
"No." Levi said, firmly. Kieran's eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"Let go. She asked me first." He hissed this time, leaning in petulantly. Levi leaned in as well.
"How do you know that?" He hissed back, "She could have asked me last night and I just forgot."
"Did she ask you last night?" Kieran asked. Levi frowned.
"No. She asked me today." He answered. Kieran tiled his head in challenge and Levi went on. "She texted me like, fifteen minutes ago." Kieran smirked.
"Well, she asked me half an hour ago. So," He yanked the book from Levi's grip. "She asked me first."
Levi scoffed and reached for the book again. Kieran held it behind his back out of reach.
"I was here first!" Levi hissed again, their words were becoming harsher in their whispers. "I win by default."
"That's not how this works." Kieran heckled.
"Fine!" Levi said no longer whispering turning back to the books. He grabbed another copy and Kieran let out an indignant gasp.
"That's not how this works!" He repeated, "One book. Not two. What is she going to do with two?"
"I don't know!"
"Then put it back! I win. She asked me first. She's getting this copy. Not that one!" Kieran pointed at the book in Levi's hands.
"Why are you still whispering?"
"Because it's intense!" Kieran held up the copy he had been holding and pointed it at. "It's Frankenstein and it's intense."
Levi looked at him, mouth opening and closing, before they settled on a firm line. His brows pinched then relaxed. "I don't know if you're endearing or insufferable." He said finally. Kieran blanched.
"Yeah, well." He started, moving on from whispering, forgetting it in the moment where he tried to think of something biting to say.
"If you were to compare your people skills to a movie, it would be The Green Lantern." He said. They stood in silence. Levi looked at him, his brows raised as he worked out what Kieran said and Kieran began again, cursing his mouth and his brain, and his inability to say something intelligible.
"Because, you know. Uh - " Shut up. "Because the super suit was green and the whole thing sucked. Yeah. It sucked. Like your people skills." Inside Kieran was wailing in despair. Outside, he was amazed that his face was able to contain itself. Levi just continued to look at him, brows still raised.
"So, my people skills are comparable to The Green Lantern?" He asked slowly. Kieran nodded, refusing to show his misery.
"Yes." He answered.
"And not even Ryan Reynolds can save them?" Levi asked again.
"That's right."
"Ryan Reynolds. Cannot save my terrible people skills." Levi said, again speaking slowly, except this time, his lips began to lift into a smile. "I guess there's nothing left for me anymore."
He looked away from Kieran, shaking his head slowly and dramatically leaning against the shelf. "I'm a lost cause."
Kieran scoffed to hide the laugh that came up. Levi held a hand up. "Leave me. Leave me to my self-hate. Alone. In the fiction section of a bookstore. Maybe I can find something here to end my suffering. The suffering of knowing that not even Ryan Reynolds can save my people skills."
Someone cleared their throat. Levi didn't move, but Kieran did, his eyes meeting the irritated gaze of a customer who had come down the aisle with the obvious intent to peruse the "S" authors. She had her arms crossed as she looked at them from a few feet away. Kieran gave her a look of sympathy.
"I'm sorry, Miss." He said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Levi's arm. "He had a very troubled childhood. First there was the orphanage, and then he ran away, with nothing but the Ninja Turtle pajamas on his back. He had to fend for himself on the streets at the tender age of fourteen. It's scarred him for life." Levi snorted and the woman rolled her eyes, scoffing and stalked past them. Kieran continued to speak as she strode by.
"He's working on it. We're getting him the help he needs. No need for concern. Bless you though, you angel wearing jeans." With a smile on his lips, he looked at Levi, who was in a fit of silent laughter. Kieran let himself smile before he forced it away.
"Stop that." He said. Levi looked at him chuckling. "You're a jerk and I'm mad at you." Levi sobered up after a few minutes as Kieran just watched. Finally gathering himself, Levi sighed and looked at Kieran.
"I'm going to try something." He said, "A way that I would have liked yesterdays incident to have played out. Will you let me?"
Kieran folded his arms. "You can try." He said, almost bored. Levi's face lit up.
"I don't know you. Before the past twenty-four hours, I think we have spoken maybe twice. I would like to get to know you, if that's okay. Maybe over coffee or dinner?" Levi trailed off. His face was stony, as if he were reciting a list of ingredients to bake a cake rather than trying to ask Kieran out. It was sweet, Kieran had to admit, but lacking, and Kieran had an overwhelming urge to be playful. He could be playful, right? He sighed and cocked his hip, looking at his fingernails.
"Coffee?" He started, Levi looked hopeful. "I have that everyday. Dinner? Weak." Kieran sighed dramatically and turned to leave when Levi spoke again.
"I was trying to sound mature and collected." Kieran turned back to look at him.
"You sounded like you were reading from a cue card." He said. "How many times did you practice that?"
"I lost count." Levi said honestly. Kieran wasn't expecting the answer and it made his heart flutter. Levi Greene had actually practised what he thought would be a collected and cool way to ask him out on a date.
"I had other ideas too, but I wasn't sure." Levi said quietly.
"What were the other ideas?" Kieran asked. Levi shrugged, looking embarrassed.
"A trip to the museum. Archery. Things like that. But, those are all things I enjoy and I thought that there should be a casual middle ground somewhere. So, coffee or dinner came up."
Kieran scoffed. "You honestly think dinner is better than archery?"
Levi looked at him and Kieran looked back. He was worrying his lower lip and Levi wasn't breaking eye contact. Kieran had been angry the day before. He had cried and hated himself. He had hated how Levi responded, how unsure he was. Kieran was angry when he saw Levi looking for the same book he was. He was angry that Levi was there before him.
Then Levi had smiled, and Kieran choked back a laugh, and Levi didn't. Kieran made him laugh and Levi made him smile. It was a nice feeling and it overpowered almost every ounce of anger or annoyance. It was a strange feeling. It was fun, it was playful, it could be dangerous, but it was only one date. Kieran knew he could walk away and force himself to get over a little crush. He also knew that he could step out and give it a shot. He was standing before a wall that was begging to be climbed. He could climb and reach the top and see what was on the other side, or he could stay on the ground and never know. So, he climbed.
"Give me your phone." He said. Levi was stunned for a moment and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Unlocking it, he handed it to Kieran. He took it, opened his contacts and entered his information.
"Text me later and we'll go from there." He said, handing the phone back to Levi who stared at it for a moment before a wide grin broke out across his face. He looked at Kieran bright and happy. Kieran smirked back, tapping the book in his hands. "Guess she doesn't need this after all."
He moved to put it back on the shelf, when Levi reached out and touched his wrist, fingers warm against his skin. Levi pushed Kieran's hand and the book away from the shelf. Kieran watched the action and looked at Levi. His grin turned to a fond smile and Levi said,
"Actually, she doesn't have it."