‘I can’t wait until we move in together’ Alyssa was saying, skipping ahead of him happily and swinging her arms merrily. ‘I have everything planned out, I know where I want to live, what I want the place to look like…as soon as we’ve finished college…’ she sighed, turning back to face him with a wide smile upon her face. ‘A soon as we finish college,’ she said to him, ‘we can be married and start a family.’

Ken slowed to a stop, giving her a level expression.

‘Is that what you really want?’ he asked her.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked him, her smile faltering slightly.

‘I mean…’ Ken began uncertainly, ‘do you mind having your future planned out for you like this? You know we are only together in the first place because of our parents…’

Alyssa stopped then, moving closer to him.

‘Meeting you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me’ she spoke genuinely. ‘Do you not feel the same?’

‘I do but…’ Ken hesitated, ‘I just want to know that this is what you really want. I don’t want to think that you're here with me just because your parents want you to be.’

Alyssa reached out to him, taking both his hands in hers.

‘I love you Ken, I love you more than anything…I don’t ever want to be parted from you.’

Ken stared at her, his expression sombre.

Alyssa lifted her head to his, kissing him gently.

Ken’s attention drifted out of focus, and he closed his eyes, closing his fingers as Alyssa held him.

As he kissed her back, Mustang’s words rang through his mind.

Live your life how you want, not how others want you to live.

‘Come on’ Ken said to Alyssa, speaking more confidently now, taking her hand in his. ‘Let’s go to the park.’

*

Time passed, and Ken had not seen Mustang in many weeks.

Things began to slowly slide back to the way they were before, and Ken found himself feeling happy, feeling liberated.

Things are great he thought to himself as he leant back, smiling to the sky. I haven’t argued with my family or Alyssa in ages, not since I was hanging around with Mustang…

The cool breeze lifted his hair, and the warm sun shone its rays gently on his face.

Things are great. They are just the way they were before……so why do I still feel so different?

‘Ken!’

He looked around at the sound of his mother’s voice, seeing his mother and the rest of his family sitting upon the picnic blanket.

He rose and went over to them.

‘Come along dear’ his mother said to him. ‘If you don’t hurry up the food will be gone.’

‘Alright’ Ken laughed, sitting between his mother and his sister, who was busy stuffing crisps into her mouth as fast as possible.

‘Sue, don’t do that’ their mother scolded, ‘you’ll choke.’

‘She’s right’ Ken told her as Sue took a big gulp of water from one of the small bottles they had brought with them, ‘you shouldn’t do that, it’s not lady like’ Ken said taking a napkin and dabbing her mouth dry as she began to dribble.

Sue began to squirm, flinching and trying to get away from him.

‘Why do I care about being lady like?’ Sue protested.

‘How will you find a good boyfriend if you don’t act like a lady?’ their mother said to her.

‘I don’t want a boyfriend’ Sue said wrinkling hew nose, ‘ew.’

Ken only smiled at her as their father shook his head.

‘So how’s Alyssa then anyway’ Ken’s brother Walter asked him. ‘Wasn’t she supposed to come out with us today?’

‘Yeah she’s fine’ Ken answered with a nod. ‘She’ll be here a bit later, she’s visiting her grandparents now, her parents are dropping her off later.’

The happy family stayed here in this park for a long time, talking happily as they ate the food they had packed and brought with them, food that at first had been overflowing from the bag they carried it in. After that they played games, ball games, games involving hoops, they played hide and seek, and when the wind began to pick up, they brought out the kite they had packed away.

Ken was just watching his mother and sister playing with the kite, sitting by the picnic basket as beside him his father and brother played a game of cards.

Suddenly in the distance he saw a figure approaching with corn coloured hair.

His heart leapt in his chest as he recognised Alyssa, and a smile broke across his face.

He rose to his feet running to her.

She grinned happily at him as she watched him approach, throwing her arms open to greet him. He embraced her tightly once before lifting his in his arms and hugging her again.

‘Ken!’ Alyssa giggled, holding onto him as he lifted her. ‘Put me down! Ah! Stop!’ she squealed. ‘That tickles!’

He stayed his hands, gently lowering her and putting her back on the ground.

‘I'm so glad you're finally here’ he breathed. ‘I was missing you so much.’

‘I know…I'm sorry’ she hastened. ‘I came here as soon as I could.’

‘It’s alright’ he sighed, ‘…you're here now.’

*

They stayed in the park for hours, Alyssa joining in the games the family played. Then as the sun began to set, she and Ken went off alone together, to sit upon the hill and watch the view before them as the gentle orange glow swept across the park and the town that surrounded.

‘It’s so beautiful here’ Alyssa sighed. ‘I don’t think I ever want to leave this town.’

Ken smiled, turning away from the sunset. He didn’t speak, but he leaned closer to Alyssa then, kissing her deeply.

He broke away from her, putting his arm around her and holding her close, as they sat upon the bench gazing at the world around them.

‘So what are you going to do’ Ken asked her quietly, ‘when we finish college?’

‘I want to be a teacher’ Alyssa said, ‘it’s what I've always wanted to do. I just respect them so much….’ She paused, a faraway look in her eyes. ‘I want to be like that someday…’

‘I'm sure you will’ Ken gleamed, taking her hand in his and with his other hand trailing his finger along the back of her hand.

‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘I don’t really know’ Ken admitted. ‘I want to get a job…and earn as much money as I can…so that we can buy a place together and get married.’

The edges of Alyssa’s eyes crinkled joyfully as she listened.

‘I want that’ she breathed. ‘I want that more than anything.’

‘I know’ Ken nodded.

‘Do you…’ Alyssa began, ‘do you think we could stay in this town?’ she asked. ‘I want to stay close to my family.’

‘Of course we can’ Ken said to her. ‘I don’t want to leave my family either.’

‘And um…’ Alyssa began shyly, never having spoken about this before, ‘do you think that…one day we might have children?’

Ken hesitated, caught a little off guard by the question.

‘Yeah’ he said at last. ‘I’d like that.’

*

The next day, Ken went to school. Even here he had managed to avoid Mustang, going so far as to change classes, which had been a big hassle, but in the end had been worth it.

As he sat in his seat, he glanced about him contentedly.

No Mustang he thought happily. Again. He smiled. Good.

The class continued as normal. But something was different that day, though Ken was not the first person to notice it.

One of the other students closest to the window turned from the teacher, who stood with her back to the room as she wrote on the board. Seconds later, a second student turned to stare out of the window, then a third.

Ken completely oblivious continued to write in his book, copying some notes.

At first he heard something tapping the window, which he ignored, and then he heard shouting.

Ken’s heart sunk in his chest as he recognised the muffled voice.

‘Ken! Keeeeeeeen! Ken! Ken! Ken! Hey Ken! Keeeeeeen! Keeeeeen! KEEEEEEEEEEEEN!

Ken’s eyebrow twitched irritant, and he turned in his seat, glaring at Mustang who hung outside the window waving at him.

‘Hey Ken!’ he called to him. ‘Hey Ken! HEEEEEYYY!’

Ken began to feel suddenly very uncomfortable as he realised he was the centre of attention. The other students had noticed, and of course the teacher had now too. Outside the window Mustang was being so loud, there was no way anyone would not have noticed him by now.

Ken rose from his seat, stomping over to him and opening the window.

‘What do you want?’ Ken snapped. ‘You're annoying the entire building! This is the first floor you know.’

Mustang hung precariously to the window ledge, with nothing beneath his legs to hold him up.

‘I found you!’ Mustang gasped, moving his fingers to try to get a better grip of the ledge. ‘Good. Listen I need to talk to you.’

‘You could have called me’ Ken snapped. ‘I'm in the middle of class.’

‘You blocked me remember? And why did you change class? I know you're avoiding me. Why are you avoiding me?’

Ken glanced behind him into the classroom, where the other students and teacher were watching him. Several of the students were amused. The teacher on the other hand was greatly irritated, standing with her arms folded and glaring at him.

‘I've got class’ Ken said to Mustang again moving back. ‘Go away.’

‘Hey wait!’

Ken closed the window on him, turning back and returning to his seat, trying his best to ignore the stares and sniggers of the other students.

‘Ken!’ came Mustangs muffled voice through the window. ‘Ken! Ken! KEN! KEEEAAAAAHHHHH!’

Ken glanced around, eyes wide now.

Mustang wasn’t there anymore. Ken could only assume he had fallen.

‘Stacy?’ he said awkwardly to the teacher. ‘I'm sorry but…can I please be excused?’

‘Just go’ the teacher sighed wearily. ‘I don’t want another interruption like this again. I have a class to run.’

‘Yes’ Ken bowed apologetically as he rose, quickly gathering his things. ‘Thank you…and sorry…’ he added awkwardly in a mumble.

He hurried from the classroom, ignoring the other students that laughed at him.

Stupid Mustang he cursed him in his mind. What on earth is he doing? Why is he here? That jerk…

When Ken reached the ground floor outside where Mustang had fallen, he found Mustang had interrupted another class, the one directly below his, and was flirting with another boy through the open window.

Ken faltered for a moment, watching as Mustang spoke teasingly to this boy, stroking his chin and moving his body seductively as if shy.

Yeah right Ken glowered at this.

The teacher in this classroom seemed indifferent to this, and ignored them both, continuing the lecture as if nothing was happening.

Ken felt anger rise in him.

He stormed towards Mustang.

‘Hey!’ Mustang beamed, seeing him approaching. ‘It’s you! I was hoping to…’

Ken grabbed his arm roughly, turning and pulling him with him as he stormed away.

‘Call me!’ Mustang waved back at the boy in the window, who waved back at him, blowing him a kiss.

Ken dragged him around the corner, letting go of him the second they were out of sight, chest rising and falling as he breathed heavily with anger.

‘What the hell?!!’

‘What?’ Mustang asked innocently.

‘What do you think you're doing interrupting my class like that? Do you think you could have been a little more subtle?’

‘Subtle is really not my style’ Mustang replied flatly.

‘No shit.’ Ken’s hand immediately went to his mouth at that. Even Mustang looked surprised.

I can’t believe I just swore. I never swear…I don’t swear…I've never sworn before…

Ken lowered his hand, feeling even angrier.

He’s changing me for the worse…I mustn’t let him get to me.

‘What do you want?’ Ken snapped at him.

‘Just to talk to you’ Mustang told him, ignoring his outburst, ‘and to ask why you’ve been avoiding me.’

‘My life is my own’ Ken glared. ‘I don’t have to hang around you.’

‘What changed?’ Mustang asked him. ‘You used to like hanging out with me.’

‘You're a curse upon me’ Ken said to him, showing his hands. ‘I've never fought with my family or girlfriend before I met you…never…do you have any idea the problems you’ve cause me?’

‘Problems like what?’ Mustang asked flatly, getting irritated himself.

‘My family know what you are. They don’t like me hanging out with someone….someone….’

‘Someone who’s gay?’

Ken bit his tongue.

And then Mustang said something to Ken that caught him off guard.

‘You make me sick. How can you believe your parents truly love you if they treat you that way?’

Ken’s anger instantly dissipated, and he stared at Mustang in shock and confusion then.

‘What is the real reason you’re avoiding me?’ Mustang asked him. ‘Are you in love with me?’

Ken’s heart stopped in his chest at that, so shocked was he at the absurdity of the statement.

‘……What?!’

‘That’s it isn't it? You're jealous of the life I live and you want to be more like me. But it’s more than that…isn't it….?’

Ken could only stare back in silent disbelief, utterly lost for words.

‘Well’ Mustang said, placing his hands upon his hips. ‘If I was going out with you, I would love you for who you are, not who I wanted you to be.’ He smirked then. ‘I wouldn’t try to change your true nature. Not ever.’

He turned and walked away.

*

Shortly after that, Mustang went missing.

Ken was on his way home from college in the afternoon the next day, when several figures rushed up to him. Ken recognised them as some of the men Mustang hung out with at the club.

‘Oh! Ken. I thought that was you’ one of the men said. ‘Listen, have you seen Mustang? We’re really worried about him.’

‘No?’ Ken said pausing and turning back to them. ‘Why? Is something wrong?’

‘He’s been acting weird lately’ another of the men said. ‘He’s not himself. We’re all really worried.’

Ken felt a twinge in his stomach.

Where could he have gone? It’s not my fault is it?

‘I haven’t seen him’ Ken said again. ‘Sorry.’

‘Well…’ one of the men said. ‘If you see him….just…oh….’

Ken began to feel increasingly more nervous as he saw how worried they were.

‘Could you just tell him to call us if you see him?’ one of the men said. ‘It would really mean a lot to us.’

‘Sure’ Ken said flatly. ‘I will.’

‘Thanks a lot.’

They moved off.

Ken stayed where he was, feeling suddenly uneasy.

He forced the worries from his mind, instead turning away and heading home.

But he stopped a short while later, feeling his stomach growing tighter.

What is this? He worried then. Why do I feel so this way?

He turned and looked around him.

….Mustang…

He pulled out his mobile, sending a message to his brother, telling his family he will be home late.

He replaced the phone back in his pocket, then began to walk the town in search for him.