The Increasingly Misnamed Short Story (AKA, This is A Not-So-Short Story, pt. 39): Whoa, it’s Actually Back
It’s been some time, hasn’t it?
Well, it’s back yet again. It’s a brand, spanking new installment. Forgot about how we got here? New to the story? You can find all of the previous installments over here.
As before, this work is copyright to Emily Rush. All rights reserved… yada yada yada.
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He sits up in bed looking towards the blind-covered window. He takes a deep breath as he looks back on the sleeping forms. He shakes his head as he stands up. He lets the sheet flutter gingerly to the bed as he walks towards the door of the bedroom.
The light of the city streams in through large windows. The living room is bathed in the yellow and white of city lights as well as the cold, grey light of the moon. He takes in the stark, emptiness of the room coupled with the strange mix of cold and hot light. The minimal decor leaves plenty of open space.
He plods over to the couch. He takes a moment to look at what was going outside. Tokyo never really sleeps. Nowhere is that more apparent than where His boyfriend had his apartment. It was right in the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku.
He sits down on the couch, his underwear the only thing separating his flesh from the cold leather of the couch.
He puts his head in his hands.
“This has been… “, he starts to think as he runs his fingers through his hair, “This has been a day.”
He looks up, looking at how the light streams through the windows. Almost as though each light stream is riding it’s own wave creating unique and interesting patterns on the hardwood floors.
He sighs deeply.
“I’ve left my fiance for my boyfriend. For a love that I never got a chance to really explore.”, he thinks as
his eyes follow a single stream of light.
“I’ve been asked out by my boyfriend’s boyfriend.”, he thinks as he looks back towards the bedroom, “I have no idea where to even begin. It’s been surprising at best.”
He sits up straight and stretches his back.
“What do I do about this?”, he wonders.
“I’ve never really thought about another boy other than…”, he sighs wistfully as he thinks about all the time he missed with his boyfriend.
“I can what if until the cows come home…”, he says aloud, “I’m in a whole new realm then what I’m used to.”
He voice echoes off all the hard surfaces.
He slaps his hands over his mouth as he realized he was a bit louder than he meant to be. He remained silent for a moment as he waited to hear if he had accidentally awaken anyone.
He sat on the couch, eyes wide open.
“I didn’t realize I was talking that loud.”, he thinks as he waits to hear any footsteps.
A beat.
He breathes a sigh of relief as he doesn’t hear any stirring from the bedroom.
“How do I feel about this?”, he asks himself as he settles back in to the couch.
He rests his head backwards and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath as he momentarily drifts off to sleep.
Yuki and Shuichi from “Gravitation” by Maki Murakami