Work Text:
Aristotle and Dante sat next to the pool. Both their feet were hanging in the water. It was a hot day and both boys desperately needed some refreshing. Dante suggested that that maybe could go to the pool together. Aristotle was glad that he did. Both of them hadn't been there in a long time, with school keeping them trapped in either their own rooms while making homework, or the confined rooms at school. And then there was also the fact that they hadn't done something together in a long time. Almost always if they went somewhere, their parents were there too. Not that they didn't love their parents, but some alone time would also be appreciated.
Aristotle was mulling over these thoughts in his head when he suddenly felt something touch his side. He turned his head to the left and saw Dante staring back at him with an amused smile on his face.
"Did you space out again, Ari?" he asked. That's the nice thing about Dante. When other people would ask him if he was spaced out again, there was always this tone in their voice, telling him they were making fun of him. With Dante that was never the problem. He always made sure that whatever he asked could not be perceived as an insult. That was probably one of the reasons Ari loved him so much.
Ari hummed as an answer and heard Dante softly laugh. That was also something Dante did a lot: laughing. Always so light. Dante was good at a lot of things that Ari wasn't. Ari didn't have the emotional range like Dante did, but Dante didn't have the level-headedness that Ari had.
That didn't mean they were polar opposites. No, definitely not. Aristotle knew that both of them also had many similarities. Otherwise they wouldn't be so comfortable around eachother. Although he also knew that if his philosophy teacher now came at him and asked him what the similarities were, he wouldn't be able to name them. He suspected that that was because it was all so natural, their relationship. Everything fell into place, like pieces of a puzzle. And that's also important in a relationship, isn't it? Not having to think about why, but just knowing. Feeling.
He was startled out of his thoughts when he felt a hand touch his. His eyes focused again at the smiling face of Dante. The sun making Dante's skin have a golden undertone. A golden smile with a golden skin.
Dante's hand grabbed Ari's and he started rubbing his thumb over the back of Ari's hand.
"Sometimes I wonder what's going on inside your head, you know? Like, sometimes it looks like you aren't here, and you have this look on your face as if you're thinking about the world ending."
"Who says I'm not thinking about that?"
"The world isn't ending, Ari."
"Maybe."
"Maybe not."
"Yeah, maybe not."
---
After that they both went to Ari's house. For some reason, that was the house they always went to. Well, they know why. Their parents probably do, too. Yet everyone acts as if it isn't something between them. That's what they're all good in. Acting. Pretending. Hiding. It probably comes with their sort of relationship.
They walked through the door and took their shoes of. Aristotle took them of calmly, while Dante quite literally threw them of. He was 16 now, yet his strange but also endearing dislike for footwear has never left. When they first met, Aristotle used to find it quite weird. Now it's not. It's just another thing that makes Dante, well, Dante.
As they went in the living room, they heard voices coming out of the dining room. Dante glanced at Ari and both walked into the room. There, seated at the dining table, were both their parents. No one made any sign of showing that they noticed they'd just come home. Ari's eyes caught Dante's again and he immediately turned around and walked to the stairs. He didn't need to talk to Dante to know that he'd rather not be there right now.
Climbing up the stairs he glanced behind him, making sure that Dante was close behind him, not wanting to lose him out of sight again. It was an irrational fear, but it was present. He doesn't want to create distance between them again and not be close enough when it's needed.
They reached Ari's room and walked inside. The room was messier than normal. Ari sat on the chair at his bureau while Dante sat on his bed. Ari could sense that something was on Dante's mind, but he didn't want to push him, so he patiently waited until Dante was ready to talk.
When it didn't happen, he started to get irritated.
He was never one for patience.
"Dante, what's wrong? I know you want to talk about something. You can say it. I'll listen."
Dante's face slowly turned red. He looked up and Ari and cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just.. nervous." Ari rolled his eyes. Yeah, that much was obvious.
He stood up from his chair and walked over to the bed. He sat down next to Dante and turned to look at him. Dante looked at him and quickly turned away. Ari slowly brought his hand up and softly grabbed Dante's jaw and turned his head. Dante tried looking away again but Ari kept his head in place.
"There's something bothering you, Dante. Please tell me. I don't want to see you hurt," he muttered softly. Dante swallowed. The 'again' unspoken, but still heard.
"Ari.. I'm scared."
Ari's mind went blank at that. What? That wasn't what he was expecting. He wasn't exactly expecting something, but yet this still shocked him.
"Why?" he asked. Dante let out a humorous laugh. He looked at Ari and raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you think?" he replied, a bitter chuckle escaping him. Ari wanted to say he really didn't know why, but then it hit him.
"You're scared what people will think of.. "
"Us."
Ari let his hands fall down to his sides. He wasn't really worried what people thought of them, and he thought that Dante also wasn’t. Or maybe he hoped Dante wasn't worried. He knew Dante would be scared. That was inevitable. It was selfish of him to think that Dante wouldn't be scared. He had a perfectly good reason to be scared. He still asked it, though:
"Why?"
Dante looked at Ari, tears brimming at his eyes.
"Please don't-" he started. Ari grabbed Dante's hand and started caressing it as Dante did with him at the pool. He knew that Dante needed to talk about it. He could pretend and lie and say he didn't, but Ari knew him.
Dante took a deep breath and started talking
"I'm just.. I love you, Ari, I really do. And I want that other people know that. I'm not ashamed of loving you. I'm not ashamed of being.. you know.. I'm just.. like I said.. scared. Scared of how people will react. I don't even know what my parents truly think of it, maybe they hate me-"
"No," he interrupted.
"No?"
"No, they don't hate you. They love you so much. When you were.. When you were in the hospital, they were so sad. When they found out what happened, they weren't angry- well, they were, but not at you. They were angry at those assholes who hurt you."
Some tears escaped Dante's eyes and Ari reached out and wiped them away.
"I'm also scared because.. I'm scared that you'll leave me, Ari."
Ari reeled back, a pain shooting trough his heart. What? Did Dante really think he would leave him?
Dante saw how Ari reached and quickly shook his head.
"No! No! I don't- I don't mean I don't trust you! It's just- just- ugh. It's just that when I got.. attacked, he ran away and left me alone. He didn't stay by my side, but ran away. And the biggest part of my mind knows that you would never leave me. Hell, you attacked some boys a month after we met because they were mean to me," he chuckled, "but there's this small part in my brain which keeps whispering stuff like 'he'll leave you' and that sort of things." Dante looked to the side, avoiding Ari's eyes once more.
Ari felt mad. At 'he', for leaving Dante alone, at himself, for not being there for Dante, but also at Dante, for thinking Ari would do the same. Ari was always one to let anger cloud his mind, control his thoughts. It was tempting, the thought of just getting angry and not having to think. This time he wouldn't. Dante needed him not to.
"Dante I'm- I'm sorry."
Dante gaped at him, mouth wide open in disbelieve.
"You're sorry? Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for!" Dante said stubbornly, frustration clear in his eyes.
"No. I do. If you think I would leave you, that must mean I haven't made it clear enough that I won't. That's what I'm sorry for, Dante."
Dante opened his mouth again, retort lying at his lips. Ari ignored him and kept talking.
"I'm sorry that you doubt my feelings for you. I'm sorry that you think I would leave you alone. I'm sorry for not being there for you. I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
"Don't, Ari, please. I didn't mean to put the blame on you. It's just- my mind can't comprehend that I really have a boyfriend that actually cares for me.."
"Well, me neither to be honest. I didn't even know I liked you until you were beaten up. If I noticed earlier you wouldn't be beaten up.."
Dante chuckled, "God, we are a mess, aren't we? Both hurting and blaming ourselves and just being a sad mess of compressed teenage angst and emotions."
"Hey, I'm not the one crying my eyes out, am I?"
"Just because a person doesn't cry doesn't mean they're not hurting," Dante kindly supplied.
Ari smiled at Dante and grabbed his hands again. Dante squeezed his finger and they both looked at eachother.
"I can't immediately reassure you of everything with words, I'm afraid, but I can show you how much I love you. I'll keep doing that," Aristotle said.
"Yeah."
"And you've been sitting with this for a long time, haven't you?"
"..Yeah."
"Can we promise eachother to talk to eachother when we're not at our best? A relationships isn't a healthy relationship if it isn't built on trust and friendship."
"Okay. I'll try," Dante replied.
"You promise?"
A kiss.
"I promise."