Under the Texas Sky

CHAPTER 73

TRENT

“It's about fucking time you two got here. I already ordered the pizza. I was so hungry, I was about to wither away,” is our greeting as soon as I open Mitch’s door.

The hallway to the living room is covered in mine and Kian’s achievements, and I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to truly take in what is lining these walls. They’ve just always been here, like the hole in the wall in our old bedroom where I accidentally tickled Kian too much and he fell off the bed, putting his foot through it. We moved the dresser in front of it, just in case. It’s not just pictures, though, and Kian leaves me behind to go to Mitch while I get sucked into a trance.

Papers we wrote in high school, ads Kian did while he worked at the marketing company, both of our highschool diplomas. Mitch has framed every moment from when me and Kian came to live with him. No matter how crabby the old man is, I love him down to my core.

My heart has been hollowed out, leaving room for the two of them. I’ll hold them close to me everyday and do what it takes to give them both the life they deserve.

I hear Mitch and Kian talking, their voices quiet and serious. I’m going to give them a few minutes before I go in there, because while we’ve all been working on repairing what’s broken, it’s taking time. Kian loves Mitch, and Mitch loves Kian, and at the end of the day that’s all that should matter.

As long as I have them, I can survive anything life throws at me.

***

Two pizzas and a bottle of Dr. Pepper later, and Mitch is halfway asleep resting his head against Kian’s shoulder while we watch the newest action movie that Mitch has been asking me to rent. Of course he would close his eyes in the first ten minutes and only crack them open when a bright flash of light comes off the TV.

Kian isn’t faring any better. His head is tipped back onto the couch, his eyes half-lidded while he stares at the screen without really watching it.

I’m not watching it either. My attention has been on the two of them since we all sat on the couch. The jokes, banter, and shit-talking from Mitch fizzled out pretty quickly after we finished eating. He’s still not back to one hundred percent, but he’s getting better everyday, and that’s the only thing I can ask for.

This life is the only one I need, with Kian by my side, and Mitch along for the ride.

T he movie ends, and I gently lift Kian’s head up, his bleary eyes staring at mine.

“What time is it?” he croaks.

I check the clock on the wall. “11:07.”

“I fell asleep,” he says. Obviously, but his confusion is too cute to sass right now.

“Yeah, you did, Freckles, but Mitch did, too. Both of your snores were so loud I couldn’t hear the movie.”

A gasp of outrage. “I don’t fucking snore. That was all him.”

Mitch lifts his head off Kian’s shoulder and glares at me. “I don’t know who it was, but you were loud.”

“I do not snore!” Kian objects, then stares at me with his bright green eyes. “Tell him I don’t!” he demands.

I mime zipping my lips shut.

“That’s y’all’s cue to leave. I’m not going to be talked badly about in my own house.” Mitch slaps his palms against his knees and pushes himself up. “And lock the door on your way out.” He leaves us, walking down the hallway to his room, and the resounding shut echoes through the living room where me and Kian are sitting.

Kian looks up at me with doe eyes, the slight crease in his brow from where he’d been concentrating hard on sleeping.

“You ready to go, Ki?” I ask him, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and tracing my fingers down his warm cheek.

Yawning, he tilts toward me before he rights himself. “Yeah, I guess.”

I stand up first, helping him to his feet. He wraps his arm around my lower back, holding me close to him as we walk through the house where we grew up. If only the younger versions of us could see how we are now. Two grown men who split apart to come back together, I’m sure they would be as shocked as we were when we were forced apart.

I open the heavy wooden door, and we’re assaulted with the cold breeze from outside. Light snowflakes fall around and create a snowglobe scene right in front of my eyes. The shock of seeing snow in Texas, no matter that it’s not sticking, has me staring at the black sky surrounding us. Houses line the blocks, lights off in every window, not knowing that history is changing for the first time since I’ve been alive. Snow. Falling from the clouds in perfect little white flakes.

Kian’s laugh is loud, and it’s easy to fall into the sound, and let it coat me in its warmth. “Trent. It’s snowing, like actually snowing right now.”

“I know, Freckles. I know.”

“Do you think it will stick?”

I don’t want to crush his dreams, but I also refuse to lie to him, not even about something as minor as this. “No, I don't think it will, Ki.” I pull him in front of me, pressing my front against his back. Leaning in and pressing a kiss to the crown of his head, basking in the scent of his floral shampoo.

“I guess that’s okay. We’ll go somewhere where it snows all the time,” he says easily, making the most of every moment in that simple way that only he can. He calls me sunshine, but he doesn’t realize that he’s the sun, moon, and all the stars in my galaxy. I am nothing without him.

I hum in agreement. “I hear Canada gets snow all the time.”

He turns to face me, standing on his tip toes and wrapping both his arms around my neck as he kisses me. “Then Canada it is.”