🏃Clark's POV🏃

"Clark! We have to leave babe!" Clark heard his boyfriend yell from his place in the bathroom.

"Coming!" Clark called back. As quickly as he could he pulled up his jeans and tied his belt buckle. He speedily raced back and forth around his room and picked up anything that he thought he would need.

"Clark! You're taking too long!" Kevin added impatiently after several minutes pass. Clark tensed and he felt that feeling of slight worry take place. He left whatever he hadn't been able to grab and in a matter of seconds he was in front of Kevin.

"I'm sorry, I was worried about our trip, I wanted to make sure we had everything we might need, I didn't mean to make you upset-" Clark hastily explained. Kevin ignored his boyfriend's apology, he turned without a word to walk into his truck. "Babe-"

"Listen Clark," Kevin sighed leaning back as Clark rushed to place all of their bags into the back of the truck. "I thought that we both wanted to head to Seattle together but if you don't even enjoy my company then-"

"No! Of course I want to go with-" Kevin had slammed the car door shut and marched up to a startled Clark. Kevin at this point was steaming but Clark, still trusting the man he thought he might love, didn't think or realize that his boyfriend's anger was no longer harmless. Kevin got close to his boyfriend but fortunately for the innocent younger he closed his eyes and took a long steadying breath to curb his sudden anger.

"Don't interrupt me Clark." Kevin told his boyfriend with an eerie calm. Clark nodded and once Kevin went back into the car he finished loading up their bags.

This version of a relationship had been going on between Clark and his boyfriend for a few weeks now. Kevin had grown the habit of punishment, taking away things like kissing or refusing to drive him home when he upsets him during a date.

The first time Kevin had threatened to leave him to walk home by himself Clark hadn't believed him, but when Clark arrived home with aching calves he had to face the obvious. He was prepared to storm Kevin and express his anger but Kevin beat him to the punch, giving him such an earnest apology and explaining that he had felt hurt and insecure and soon Clark was instead saying that he would never put him in that position again.

They have been dating for over a month at this point and already their relationship was completely in Kevin's control. He had Clark wrapped around his every word and Clark who just wanted a real relationship was blind to see it. But soon he would not have the option to ignore it any longer.

I sat in front of my bathroom mirror, tussling my hair and adjusting my shirt, when I heard the doorbell ring. I grinned in excitement and quickly ran for the door. Once I opened the door I sucked in my lips by habit and smiled at the man who stood before me.

"Hi." I smiled, almost shyly to him.

"Hey Clark." He smiled back. A light blush danced on his cheeks and I thanked his paler skin for making it obvious to me. I stood away from the door and gestured him in.

"Welcome to my house Liam." I grinned to my boyfriend. "Make yourself at home." Liam chuckled and walked into the threshold, unashamed as he scanned to expensive looking entryway.

"I have to admit, I knew that you were rich and your address confirmed this but this place is beyond my expectations." He snapped his eyes down to mine and suddenly looked scared. "Sorry! That came out wrong!" I laughed lightly under my breath and walked over to Liam to give him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Calm down, I really don't mind." I told him drawing his face to mine to give him a light peck on the lips. "Let's go into the living room; the TV is everything!" Liam laughed at my words but followed none-the-less.

"Sure, what do you want to watch?" He asked, his hand snaking its way into mine, and instead of answering I pull him into me. My lips find his with more energy than I had first anticipated and when I go to pull away his hand, which at that point had now wrapped itself around my waist, held on tighter, pulling me deeper into my own personal heaven. We spent half an hour like that, first in the hallway, then on the couch and when we finally pulled apart I struggled to figure out what we had been doing in the first place.

"Why don't you chose?' I suggest breathlessly, watching as a smug grin settles over Liam's expression. He gives me an over dramatized kiss on the cheek before lifting up the remote.

"I hope you like Disney movies."

I leaned further back into his chest, shifting my weight until my head became comfortable. He didn't move away, instead running his fingers through the very tips of my hair cautiously as if he were afraid to do it. I thought of telling him that I didn't mind but I opted instead to just push my head further into his hand. When Liam let his nails scratch against my scalp with real pressure I sighed softly in delight.

This was why I wanted a boyfriend all those years ago, gentle moments just like these where why I still secretly had thought about a relationship when I gave off the front of not caring about being in one.

Trusting someone to support you emotionally when you are feeling down or having someone who you kiss as a way of comfort. Just being able to hug someone close without it being weird was enough for me and I thought that I had gained that with him, but clearly I was wrong.

Years after the fact and still I find myself frowning at the thought. Liam, currently acting as my pillow for the moment is unable to see my face so he has no idea of my sudden mood change. I decide not to tell him, this is something that I have to get over personally and telling Liam every time so he can baby me does not seem appealing at the moment. So I suck it up and try to forget about my ex, distracting myself with the movie that we had been playing.

"You're an idiot." I told him, picking my phone up and adding his comment to my notes so that I could remember it for later. "A genius idiot." Santiago laughed heartily and ignored my frustrated frown.

"Clark, I don't think someone can be an idiot and a genius at the same time." Santiago told me apologetically, similarly to the way you would gently disagree with a child.

"Yeah you can." I continued, pulling up a game so that I could look busy and avoid his dumb eyes.

"Oh really?" Santiago hummed with a smirk, his tone teasing and slightly sarcastic. "How?"

"I don't really know." I told him, my eyes finding anything but his. "Why don't you ask yourself." By Santiago's drawl stare I knew that he was not impressed but I still found myself laughing at my own joke.

"You're not that funny." He grumbled, picking up his root beer and taking a long swig.

Santiago and I were hanging out again, this time meeting up at a restaurant. Santiago had suggested the place to me and we ended up dropping by when we were shopping nearby. It was all going wonderfully until I brought up a fight I was having with Meaghan over a job she proposed to me. I had shared my concerns over it because the job she was suggesting did not only seem extremely cool but it offered more than double what I was currently made, working for her would possibly allow me to move out. I was still not sure if I even wanted to move out but the option was there and now I wanted to do it.

But there were things in the way, Ethan was not my guardian so he could not support me on papers, I had grabbed almost no important papers when I ran away and that would make it hard for me to advance working for Meaghan, Micheal's bookstore needed employees desperately and I worried that having to hire a new employee and train them would make many days stressful for the wonderful woman who owned the store. But Santiago only had to think for a few moments before he had an answer to everything. He spit out names of government services and companies that were sure to help me with my papers plans to help me make a smooth transition out of the bookstore and after all of that I just felt stupid. Santiago couldn't know that of course. So here we are.

We both pouted like children for a little while before laughing suddenly when we saw the others face and talking each other's head off until the restaurant closed. We left without complaint and started our slow walk to the nearest subway station. I was immensely enjoying it and found myself casually touching his shoulder or pushing him as a joke and realized that in a few weeks we had grown rather close. Talking and laughing with him was always very memorable and I started to get kind of soft at the thought.

I looked up at Santiago and found him looking at me as we walked down the dark street, it was far from calm with the night goers now wandering around and making noise but it was quieter than it was in the mornings. I wanted to thank the night for the quiet it provided, if it had been loud right now than I probably would not have said my next words.

"You know how we met is really weird." I suddenly said, ignoring Santiago's warm yet confused smile. "Some guy that was on my train a few weeks back is about to fall into the tracks, let me help him, talk to him, and ask for his phone number." I unconsciously mocked Santiago's deep baritone and heard the man I was imitating chuckle softly from beside me.

"Yeah, when has someone ever talked about having any sort of relationship with anyone after meeting them on a train?" Santiago asked, laughing as he tried to come up with someone. "No one I know at least- well, I know you." We both laughed and our smiles turn nostalgic as we thought of the moment. I looked up at Santiago once again, taking in his bearded chin, dark eyes, and soft smile.

"I'm really . . . glad that we became friends." I whispered, watching as Santiago's eyes, for the first time that night, met my own. A look, something that I could read but not understand, passed over his face. But before I could try to figure it out he had it hidden again

"I agree," He smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me into his side. "You're one of my closest friends. I am glad that I have you."

I was smiling but I wasn't fully happy, I wasn't fully satisfied. Something was wrong with this situation, but for the life of me I could not figure out what it was. So I acted like normal, laughing and making jokes like I usually would and letting Santiago go and head home without a fuss because that is easier for him, but I did not feel normal and I would not know why for a long, long time.