Dangerous Kisser: Two
“SO, WHAT CAN you say about Thailand?” Angelo asked Charles who was currently busy eating Satay for the first time.
“Hmm… Not bad.”
Angelo laughed. “Not bad but you already ate six sticks of Satay.” Angelo laughed even harder.
Charles immediately glared at the man, which immediately stopped laughing. “Anyways, where are we going next?” Finally, Charles was able to finish his last Satay stick and noticed Angelo staring at him. “What?”
Angelo's hand reached for Charles' chin and wiped something off. “You’re a messy eater. Lindo.”
Charles knew what that word means, because of his best friend but he didn't bother giving a deeper meaning to it.
When Angelo was done wiping the sauce off, he finally answered Charles. “We can wander here until nightfall. Thailand's Night Market is one of the best.”
Charles nodded. “You look like you've been here for a long time.”
“Nah. I just love traveling and reading articles and magazines about different places. Es divertido—I mean it's fun. Sorry for the sudden Spanish expressions.” Angelo laughed.
“It’s fine. I know some of the languages.” Thanks to Wynter.
“Really?” Angelo was half-happy and half-surprised because of it. I should be careful with my words from now on.
Charles nodded. “So, where to now?”
Angelo thought about it. This actually looks like a date, I have to impress this guy. “How about a massage parlor?”
“We’ll have a massage?”
“No, we'll eat ice cream at the massage parlor,” Angelo sarcastically said.
Charles rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” Charles suddenly walked without direction.
Angelo quickly caught up with him. “I was just kidding. But yeah, let's have a massage before we enter the warzone tomorrow.”
Charles couldn't help but chuckle. “Okay, let's do that, Gab.”
Angelo suddenly stopped walking. What did he just call me?
Charles noticed that he was no longer walking with him so he looked behind him and saw that Angelo looked shocked. Charles walked back to check on his companion. “Are you okay?”
Angelo stared at Charles before slowly nodding his head. “Y-Yeah. I… I just… Nevermind.” He managed to put a smile on his lips. “Let’s go?”
Charles thought that Angelo’s smiles were contagious as he found himself smiling for no accurate reason. “Lead the way, then.”
Both of them had fun that day, but little did they know that their friendship was about to be ruined by what happened next.
Dangerous Kisser: Three
DAYS PASSED and soon turned to months, then to years. What they thought was just a year of being roommates lasted until they graduated. They even became best friends.
Charles was comfortable calling his best friend ‘Gab,’ short for Gabrielle. Similar to Angelo who calls him ‘Nick,’ short for Dominique.
But that friendship was ruined by that single phrase.
"I love you, Nick."
Charles can see the sincerity and pure love from Angelo's eyes. But damn! That's their rule number one! No falling in love with each other.
"I... I can't... You're mistaken, Gab. That's breaking rule number one—we're not allowed to even like each other—"
"Fvck the rules! I don't give a hell about them, Nick. You are the only one who set that rule even though I never said yes.”
“No, Gab. Don’t do this—”
“‘Don’t do this’? Does it seem like it was my choice to fall for you? How many times have you pointed out that you don't want to like a friend? How many times have you slapped me with the fact that you can’t love me?” Angelo was close to crying but he did his best not to.
“And I’m sticking to that, Gab!” Charles couldn’t help but raise his voice, but he soon realized the effect when he saw Angelo’s reaction. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout at you—”
“Just give me a chance, Nick. Please. I’ll show you it’s worth breaking the rules—”
“I-I can’t, Gab. Please. ‘Don’t be like that. There are tons of people in the world, please, not me.”
Angelo kept shaking his head. “I love you. I love you so much...At first, I thought it was a plain attraction. I know I'm bisexual, but I also didn't expect it. You're my best friend so trust me, Nick. I just woke up feeling this—like you're the most important person in my life, and I like it, Nick. I like the fact that I fell in love with you." Angelo's feelings were mixed up. Love, joy, fear, and apprehension as he sees the resistance in Charles’s eyes. "Please Nick, give me a chance. Fine! Don't think of me as your best friend, but as a guy who's deeply in love with you."
Angelo wanted to hope. He knew how caring and loving Charles was. He knew for a fact that Charles doesn't like him getting hurt, at all. Charles doesn't want him crying. And right now, he's hoping... Hoping that Charles would break his rule for him... for us.
But he was wrong... So fvcking wrong.
"I don't wanna lose a friend like you but you left me no choice, Gab. Let's cut our ties." With that, Charles left the room and left Angelo, down on his knee, heart's getting shattered.
"And I thought he, at least, liked me back," Angelo whispered to himself. He continued to cry and tried to lessen the pain he's feeling right now. How it sucks falling in love for the first time and ends up getting rejected.