Chapter 5: Falling For Him

Eric's POV

Boarding the shuttle, a minibus on wheels, our eyes scanned the vehicle, realizing there was only one seat left. The driver's voice crackled through the speakers, informing us that the rest of us would have to stand for the entire ride. Stephen and I exchanged glances, silently agreeing that Max should take the seat. After all, both of us were fine with standing. As the shuttle roared to life, we clung to the grips dangling from the ceiling, bracing ourselves for the journey ahead.

Everything seemed fine until a sudden red light forced the shuttle to a screeching halt. Caught off guard, I lost my footing, stumbling forward. In that split second, Stephen's arm shot out from behind, securing me and steadying himself with the grip. Concern laced his voice as he asked, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I replied, locking gazes with him once more. Looking into his eyes felt like a warm, gentle summer breeze washing over me. "And thank you, I think..." I grinned, feeling my cheeks heat up. It was my first time riding a shuttle, and the incident made me self-conscious.

"Are you sure? Your cheeks are a little red," he remarked, his worry evident.

"Oh, it's probably because of how sunny it is today," I hastily lied, standing up and trying to shake off the embarrassment. I made sure to hold onto the handle tightly this time, learning my lesson. Max, observing the situation, wore an expression of nonchalance.

"What? It was obviously your first time," she murmured, redirecting her attention ahead.

"What do you mean, 'first time'?" Stephen asked, perplexed by Max's cryptic remark.

"Oh, it's nothing," I interjected, scratching the back of my head, still embarrassed by the incident. "Hey, look, we're about to get off," I quickly changed the subject, eager to divert Stephen's attention away from my embarrassment.

After paying for our journey and disembarking from the shuttle, I noticed Max walking past me with that same unfazed expression, as if she were teasing me. Eric, standing by my side, whispered a question.

"Can I ask you something?" he inquired.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I know we've only hung out this morning, but does Max always make that face when she's at the mall?"

"I wish she only had that face today..." I sighed, my thoughts consumed by Max's enigmatic behavior.

Max turned to Stephen, urging him to lead the way inside. As we walked toward the restaurant, I couldn't help but notice the sparse crowd at this time of day. It was Monday, yes, but lunchtime usually attracted more people.

Within a few minutes, we arrived at "Tokyo Tokyo" and quickly took our seats after placing our orders at the counter. Max insisted on sitting opposite of each other, while Stephen chose to sit next to me. Perhaps she had come up with the idea earlier just to tease me further, something she was known for. Nevertheless, I refused to let it bother me, knowing that my blush earlier was simply a result of losing my balance, not because of Stephen's gallant catch.

Still, a nagging feeling lingered within me. Why did I feel like a warm summer breeze had washed over me when he caught me? Could it be that I was falling... No, it couldn't be. I mean, it's only our first day hanging out in a long time. Could it really happen that quickly, despite how long I've harbored feelings for him?

Similar instances had occurred before, like when he helped me stand up to Stan. That time, it wasn't a breeze but a spark that surged through me when our fingers brushed. So, maybe feelings could develop swiftly, but the question remained – how? I forced myself to stop dwelling on it, convinced that it couldn't be so.

Still undecided on what to order, I stood in line, studying the menu above. I knew my usual order, but every now and then, I craved something new. Yet, the multitude of options left me indecisive.

"Hey, do you know what you're ordering?" Stephen asked, joining me in line.

"Not really," I admitted. "What about you?"

"I'm thinking of trying their Pork Katsudon."

"You should go for it. It's my go-to order whenever I come here."

"Really?" he exclaimed, surprised. "Well, how about you try my usual order?"

"And what's that?"

"The Beef Yakiniku Bento."

"That sounds good. I guess I'll give it a try."

As we conversed, Max interrupted, barging into our conversation. "So, what are you two talking about?" she chimed in. "You seem even closer than before, considering you've only just hung out this morning."

"Max, I swear..." I began to protest, but my sentence trailed off as I noticed Stephen looking at me intently.

"Well, I'll leave you two be. I'll be at our table," Max said playfully, teasingly.

Stephen grew concerned, his brow furrowing. "Is she..."

"Don't worry about her," I interjected, cutting him off. "That's just how she is when she sees something interesting... I mean, when she's hungry," I corrected myself with a giggle. "Let's focus on ordering."

Stephen's gaze lingered on me, his concern evident. "Are you sure you're, okay? Your cheeks are turning red again," he pointed out.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," I dismissed, giggling once more. "Oh, look, we're next in line," I said, trying to divert his attention as I stepped forward to place my order with the cashier.

Why was I suddenly acting this way? Why did I feel so awkward in Stephen's presence? We had only just started spending time together again, and yet I was behaving like a complete fool. I needed to pull myself together and stop being so foolish.

After ordering, the cashier instructed me to wait at our table for the food. I informed Stephen that I would go ahead and save our seats.

"So, it's happening again..." Max commented immediately as I returned to our table. "Well, not exactly again, but somewhat different this time. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, though..."

"What are you talking about? Everything's perfectly normal," I lied, trying to hide my true feelings as I took my seat.

"Eric, we've been best friends for a long time, and I can sense it happening again," she persisted, her unfazed look penetrating my defenses.

"Fine, it is," I admitted, surrendering to her knowing gaze.

"I think it's because of the fall earlier," she suggested. "Did you feel anything when he caught you?"

"Well, not immediately, but when we locked gazes, I felt a warm, soft summer breeze wash over me," I confessed, my embarrassment still lingering. "Is it possible that I'm-"

"Yup, it's possible," she interjected, cutting me off.

"I haven't even finished my sentence."

"You've been asking yourself this question throughout senior year, and I knew it would resurface the moment he walked back into our lives."

"But–" I attempted to object.

"Eric, stop with the 'buts' and just think about it," she interjected once more, leaning in closer. "The universe has given you a second chance for a reason."

"But he's straight!" I exclaimed, stating the obvious.

"I know, but what if it's like in 'Heartstopper'?" she proposed. "You're Charlie, and Stephen is Nick." She settled back into her seat, observing as Stephen finished placing his order.

"I guess that's a possibility..." I mused.

According to Max's theory, there was a chance that Stephen could develop feelings for me as we spent more time together. Though I knew Nick and Charlie were fictional characters, their story was inspiring and made me hope for a similar outcome with Stephen. I could only wish for it, but if it didn't happen, I would likely retreat into the safety of my room.

For now, I would keep my feelings hidden, refusing to confess them, and we would remain good friends. If it didn't progress beyond that, I would accept it, no matter how painful it might be.

Why was I falling for him again? It had merely been a fleeting crush before, but now I couldn't even act normal around him. And what's worse, it happened during my first experience taking public transportation. It was simultaneously embarrassing and romantic, but his heroism in catching me overshadowed everything.

"I know we've just met, but I couldn't resist buying you guys some coffee jellies," Stephen said with a smile as he handed us the treats.

"Thanks," Max and I replied in unison. At that moment, my desire for him grew stronger. His kindness was overwhelming.

Now, as we sat side by side, there was a sense of comfort emanating from him. It was reminiscent of the feeling when he stood beside me earlier. Even though I had experienced that comforting presence almost every day when my mother was alive, Stephen's aura was incomparable.

Why did he make it so difficult for me not to fall for him? I knew there was a possibility that we wouldn't end up together, but I couldn't help but admire every aspect of him.

I wished my mother were still alive. I could seek her advice on what to do now that I had developed feelings for Stephen. Despite my father being present, I hadn't confided in him about my bisexuality.

It wasn't that I didn't want to tell him; it was just that our father-son relationship had been strained since we moved here. Things had become more complicated than they should be. I was terrified of how he would react because he had high expectations for me.

I would probably talk to Gary about it. His advice was always uplifting. As for my father, I would find the right time to tell him, but for now, it would have to wait.