Winter Diner

The sky was blue and clear today, the downside was that it was still freezing cold outside; all the trees were bare signaling that winter was just around the corner peaking at Charli and me walking side by side down the path in the park. I watched as Charli kicked up the leaves as he ranted about all of the things that made him happy about nature. I couldn't hear a word he was saying, I was taken away when I noticed how the sudden cold gust of wind made his thick black hair fly away; his face was fully visible. His almond-shaped brown eyes struck me as he looked over his shoulder and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. Damn...when did he start looking like that?

"Benjamin? Are you even listening?" Charli whined pouting his bottom lip slightly.

"Huh?"

He narrowed his eyes resting his hands on his hips, he looked silly, I couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I chuckled.

"Wow, as I was saying, don't you think the leaves are beautiful? I mean, look at them. When I grow old, I want to live in a place where the leaves change depending on the season" He said.

"I find it beautiful as well, to be honest. But you know what I think?" I replied smirking slightly.

"What?" he answered.

"You stand out most as the most beautiful because I find you most interesting and unique. I have been thinking, your overactive imagination and curiosity pique my interest. Sometimes I wonder how you stay so positive all of the time" I said trailing off into thought a bit.

"Benjamin" He awed "Thank you for saying that, I don't know whether to kiss you or not. That was cute" He teased.

"Nah, don't do that" I laughed "Just felt that you needed to hear it that's all".

Charli nodded and smiled again "Well thank you," He said before taking a seat on a park bench and patting the space beside him gesturing me to sit down; I took a seat next to him, in front of us there was a small pond that glistened in the sunlight reflecting the colors of orange, green, red and yellow from the trees that still had left on it across from it. Charli Dangled his feet out in front of him like a little kid humming some song he knew; he then took out some candy from his back pocket offering me some. It was peach-flavored candy...Charli's favorite, I fell so deep into thought cot realizing Charli was talking to me again.

"Benjamin? You're spaced out, are you feeling ok?" he asked giving me a concerned look.

"Yeah" I answered breaking out of my thoughts "I'm just hungry I guess, Let's get some food before we head back", why am I so out of it today?

"Okay," said Charli before standing up to stretch "It's not far from here so we'll walk," he said leading the way "You have really been out of ever since you got up this morning, are you sure you are feeling ok? You also have been chewing on your lip non-stop".

I just shrugged it off "I feel ok, I'm just having a nice time hanging out without you, that's all"; last night was crazy, it was just an accident, Charli can not know. Telling Charli this would ruin our friendship and how people look at me because...I'm not gay.

"We're almost there" Charli sang looking both ways as we crossed the street where we entered a cozy little diner. It was tucked away with a little red door, you could tell that it was family-owned. It seemed to get pretty good business despite its location, the whole place smelled like bacon, the smell hit me making me realize how hungry I was. We sat in a cozy little booth by the window across from each other when Charli started to sing and hum a little, "I was sitting by the window at the diner on the corner, get it?" He giggled.

"Yeah, I get it" I smirked, there he was, being a little kid again, it never gets old.

The waiter came over, he had blue-green eyes and brown hair, he was tall and had tattoos trailing up his arm. He paused at Charli, then he smiled "Hello I'm Freddie and I will be your waiter today, what can I get for you two " he asked, his eyes were still fixed on Charli.

Charlie stared back at him and smiled "Helloooo, I would like just the regular bacon egg, and cheese sandwich please!" he sang tucking his hair behind his ear again.

Then the waiter turned to me with a dimmer facial expression, it wasn't nearly as bright as the one he gave Charli "What can I get you, sir?".

"I'll have the same as him with orange juice please" I replied looking over towards Charli "Do you want orange juice too?".

Charli smiled "Yesss!" he exclaimed.

The waiter smirked "Okay, I got you both. I'll be ready with your food in a moment".

Charli stared out of the window, the sunlight shone against his skin and made his face look warm and inviting, he bit his lip and raked it against his teeth as he thought for a moment. "I don't want to miss these moments with you. Maybe I'll move back home yeah? And we can be together forever" he said; something about the way he said "together forever" made me feel strange inside...a warm longing feeling.

"Yeah, it would be nice to see you home again, I don't think anything has really changed either. Mom would be happy to see you too" I said.

Charli smiled "Ok, then I'll think about it more. Maybe even look up a place there, I want something nice with a reasonable price like I have here" he replied. Then our food came along with our drinks, I don't know why our drinks didn't come first but It's ok. The food smelled really good and tasted even better, I was starving. "Benjamin, you have food on your face" Charli laughed reaching his thumb out to wipe a bit of jelly off my cheek and licking it.

Damn.

"What's that look for dummy? I was cleaning your face".

I shook my head "Thanks Charli the cat, I am all clean now" I chuckled; these last few days so far have been so strange, I swear that I must be sick or something. Maybe I should seek some therapy. Every time I look at Charli's face I feel strange, I start to notice things about him that would never cross my mind before my trip here. I think things that I shouldn't think about Charli, I shook my head, It's so weird. I am fine, just the weather maybe, or I am just missing the relationship with Charli that we had as kids.

After breakfast we walked back to the apartment where Charli turned on the TV to the weather channel "Aw Benjamin, it looks like it's going to snow for the rest of the week, I am glad we had the chance to have a nice day when we did, the park was really nice" he said pinning up his hair.

"Well," I started "If it's going to snow for the rest of the week which sucks, it shouldn't interfere with my flight home; In the meantime, we can find some things to do to keep warm inside," I said with a smile.

"Yeah but what are we going to do, I am already bored just with the thought of staying inside all day. And I need a cigarette" sighed Charli turning off the TV before walking out to the balcony. I followed him leaning against the rail beside him while he lit up his cigarette that once again burned my nose with the pungent smell of the nasty smoke.

"We can watch some scary movies and eat popcorn, I brought my Nintendo Switch so we can play Zelda or Mario Kart. Sound fun?" I suggested, but Charli's uninterested facial expression stayed the same; I couldn't help but ruffle his hair "Don't worry we'll think of something to do so you won't be so bored".

"Bahhhh!" Charli huffed and sulked blowing smoke out of his nose like some sort of dragon, it made him look cool and dangerous; Then he looked at me and smiled softly making his almond eyes squint more as he grinned from ear to ear to ear.

"Well, what do you wanna do while we are stuck inside huh?" I questioned.

He hummed in thought for a moment then shrugged "I don't even know. Can you carry me around on your back like when we were kids?".

I shook my head "Charli you're twenty-one now, you're not a little kid anymore." I chuckled.

"Worth a shot" he sighed.

"Oh, I know. Let's build a fort out of pillows and blankets. We can watch a movie and eat whatever you want" I suggested.

"Oh well, since we have nothing better to do, I guess that could be fun" he smiled.