Scar had to confirm it.

He scrambled out of the bed, and stomped towards his trash bin. It has not been cleaned for ages, and if he is right, the pieces of paper will still be there. He emptied the contents, not caring about the pizza slices, or the rotten half-eaten apples, or the banana peels, and gathered the million pieces he received, the ones Travis threw from his window just beside his, or the ones he received in class.

And yes. There they were. At the corner of each little paper, there were three words, scribbled out messily. It was written so small, with an intention that the reader will not notice instantly if they do not look closely. And Travis knew that he would never. He discarded paper after paper, knowing ng that he'll get the same words, spelling—i love you, again and again and again. But he didn't want to believe it himself. He couldn't fathom the way he felt, the way his heart beat so fast when he saw those words on each paper.

He was scared how this was so wrong, yet felt so right.

Not knowing how to feel, he collected the papers, and put them in his secret place under his bed. Neither did he know why he was keeping them, nor why he couldn't just throw these useless things away. It was all a huge mess.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his jeans pocket. Taking it out, he checked the caller id, Zach.

"Are you still in the hospital?" Zach's voice came from the other end.

"No, I came back like an hour ago."

"Okay. So how was he?"

"Not good. Doc said he was to take three months rest."

"Ah shit. Problem for us, isn't it?"

"Don't worry, I'm visiting him everyday and make his life a living hell."

"That's better."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm hanging up, this shit is not letting me talk." Zach mumbled, annoyed by a still drunk Aaron who thought his butt was a pillow. "Hey no. That's not where you sleep. Go to the couch idiot!"

Scar chuckled at their silliness, and cut the line.

He was just confused and so fucking lost. He can't tell about what he was feeling towards the mute boy, that would probably ruin their friendship. Whatever it was, he had to sort it out.

But he'll keep his word. He'll go back to see Travis tomorrow.

xxx

The evening sun too, was making its way behind the trees. When school got over, Scar slung his bag over his shoulders and made his way through the busy crowd—towards the familiar white building. He tried to calm his breathing, but it was of no use. His heart, yet again, started thumping loudly, reminding that the boy he was going to see held feelings towards him. Feelings he couldn't understand.

But sure as hell, even if he tried to deny it and deny he will, but deep inside he knew. He knew, he didn't hate it.

Scar walked up the stairs, his hold tightening around the straps of his bag. He was nervous for the first time, and that too, for meeting a boy. He didn't know what was to come next.

"You again."

The doctor from yesterday, was standing near room 402, twisting a pen between his fingers.

"Yep." He nodded, and stared at the door with the number 402.

"I assume you're here for him?" He asked.

Scar nodded, his eyes glued to the room behind the doctor.

"Go ahead. I won't stop you today, just again, please don't disturb him, okay?"

Scar didn't need to be told twice as he hastily made his way in the room, softly clicking the door open. He was sleeping again.

His face had fading marks where he punched him, and Scar felt his heart twist in a painful way. All those marks, he was responsible for them.

Since when do you care for him?

The voice in his head mocked. Honestly, Scar didn't know the answer himself. But he did. Somehow, he felt that maybe, maybe he shouldn't have hurt the smaller boy the way he did.

Even after having so many fading purplish bruises on his pale face, he looked.....beautiful.

What?

He couldn't believe his own mind, thinking that Travis was beautiful. But he was, breathtakingly and utterly so. Scar made sure to not make any kind of noise when he sat down on the chair beside the hospital bed. And he just observed him, his every tiny detail.

Travis' brown hair was a mess. It was splattered over his head like a bird's nest, and Scar wanted to run his fingers through the mess, and gently smoothen his hair. He refrained, of course. His eyes were closed, and Scar noticed, his eyelashes were rather long and looked so pretty. He was breathing softly, his chest moving up and down in a soft pace. Scar noticed the tiny freckles peppered over his face, and one could only see them if they observe him from this close. His lips were a pretty baby pink and Scar wondered if they were actually soft as they appeared.

He knew, oh so well, that whatever feelings he was going through right at the moment, were so very wrong. He shouldn't feel this way towards a boy, towards someone who he thought he hated till now. But it was so right. Scar felt relieved when Travis was near him. Looking at the fragile boy, he refrained his urge to hold him close to his chest and soothe him, making him forget whatever happened in the past.

He wondered if these feelings were awakened in him because of what Travis wrote.

Then he discarded the thought. If he really hated Travis that much, he couldn't have felt this way. Never. But somehow, those words made him realise what he had been trying to force down his throat for so long. Under that hatred, maybe their was a tiny of something else that none of the two noticed. But those three words. It was everything his heart needed to break through the barriers, evoking emotions he never knew existed.

He just sat there. And stared at the smaller boy, and again, his heart was beating way too fast as if it would explode.

Tentatively, he extended his right hand and touched Travis' small hand which was strayed beside him. Scar liked to call it an instinct, but as soon as their hands touched, Travis wrapped his small fingers around his long, rough ones as if searching for some warmth. Scar didn't have the strength to pull away, and he too, without letting his brain think anymore, intertwined their fingers. Scar could feel the heat from the smaller boy seeping through his palm as he tightened his hold.

It felt so fucking right.

xxx

huhuhu is the storyline moving on too fast?
or slow? is the story okay?