Ethan and Jacob: Wish You Were Here
by SalientLane
Chapter 25
"Mom?" I called out tentatively as we entered the new apartment. She emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel before embracing us both.
"Welcome, my love," she said, her smile reaching her eyes.
"Mrs. B, thank you," Jacob whispered, his gratitude heavy in his voice.
"Jacob, how many times must I say it? Call me Mireille." She ruffled his hair affectionately.
That night, Jacob and I lay side by side in my new room, staring at the ceiling that mirrored the one in his room just one floor away. We didn't need words; our breaths were in sync, a silent testament to our reunion.
"Never again," I murmured, the vow etched deep into my bones.
"Never," he confirmed, his hand finding mine in the darkness.
Our fingers intertwined, the simple touch saying everything. Best friends. Lovers. Soulmates. And from then on, no matter in whose apartment we slept, we were never apart.
JD's words slithered through the hallways, a desperate attempt to stir whispers. But as I stood beside Jacob at our locker, I caught more high-fives than hushed voices. Our secret was out, but it turned out it wasn't so explosive after all.
"Hey, did you hear what JD's saying now?" Alice bounded up to us, her eyes rolling in exasperation.
"Let me guess," Jacob quipped, "we've eloped to Mars?"
"Pretty much," she laughed, linking arms with us. "He's really scraping the bottom of the barrel."
"Let him," I shrugged. "We've got something better than his rumors. We've got this." I gestured between Jacob and me.
"Exactly," she said, squeezing our hands before heading to class.
That night, in the soft glow of the moon through the window, our room was a cocoon of warmth. Sheets tangled around our legs, my back on the mattress, Jacob's head resting over my heart. The steady thump under his ear was a comfort, a rhythm we both knew by heart.
"Feels like one big sleepover, doesn't it?" I mused, fingers tracing patterns on his arm.
"Best kind," he murmured, tilting his head up to meet my gaze. "No having to say goodbye."
"Remember worrying about losing friends?" I asked, the thought now seeming distant, almost silly. "Every single one stuck by us."
"Because they love us, Ethan. Just like I do."
"Right back at you, Jake."
In the quiet that followed, the world outside faded away. It was just us, together, the laughter and love echoing in the silence.
Jacob's fingers played with the new fuzz under my arm, a smile tugging at his lips. "Look at you, growing up," he teased, a glint of mischief in his blue eyes.
"Hey, don't start," I grinned, playfully swatting his hand away. "You had your turn already, show-off."
"Can't help it if nature likes me more," Jacob said with a shrug, but his arm stayed wrapped around me, his body a comfortable weight against mine.
"Yeah, but I'm still taller." I laughed, feeling the shift beneath us as we both settled deeper into the mattress.
Our bodies were changing, getting stronger, more defined. We were not little boys anymore. And the path ahead was uncharted, but together, it didn't seem scary.
"Sorry about your dad, though," Jacob whispered after a moment, his voice soft in the quiet room.
"Ah, he would've left anyway," I replied, feeling a pang that wasn't quite sadness. "But Mom's got Henri now. He's good for her. Good to me too."
"Henri..." Jacob mused. "So, I'm getting a father-in-law?"
"Looks like it." My heart swelled a bit at the thought. "He's excited to meet you. Told him he's snagging an instant son-in-law."
"Better make a good impression then," Jacob said, half-serious. His gaze met mine, and there was something like wonder in his eyes. Maybe at the idea of family, chosen and otherwise.
"Trust me, he'll love you," I assured him, knowing it to be true. Because who wouldn't love Jacob? Who couldn't?
"Can't wait." A smirk pulled at his lips before he leaned in, and our kiss was a promise, a seal on all the unwritten chapters of our future.
As Jacob's hand found the switch, plunging the room into darkness, I could still feel his smile against my skin. We held each other tight, two boys against the world, our laughter the last sound before sleep claimed us.
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