Page 69 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“It’s not good. Retrograde can cause a lot of bad things to happen...and Mercury is your ruling planet, since you’re a Virgo.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me, how much longer will this horseshit go on then? I think Mercury has been in retrograde my entire life. It’s stuck there.”

“No, no. Only a little while longer.”

“Sure, whatever you say. Can I turn around?”

“Why? You aren’t enjoying this?”

“No, I am. I just want to look at you.”

I stop rubbing his shoulders and get off of him so he can flip over. He pulls his hair out of the bun and lays on his back. I watch his chest move up and down slowly as he breathes.

“Thank you for that,” he says. “It felt really good.”

“You’re welcome. You look so different with your hair down. I feel like it changes your whole face or something.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s a greasy mess right now. I really should take that shower.”

“What does your tattoo mean?”

“Oh...” He looks down at the tattoo of a broken chain around his bicep. “I don’t know. I just thought it was cool.”

“There’s no meaning behind it at all?”

“Uh...Not particularly. Do you like it? Makes me look tough, right?”

“Oh yeah. You look like a real tough guy. Who would mess with you?”

“Gee, thanks. That was convincing.” He sits up.

Oops.

“Come on, Peter. You know you aren’t threatening looking at all. You’re just...so cute.”

“I’m cute?”

Double oops.

“Yeah, like a cupcake. I mean, not like a cupcake. Like a full-sized cake. Like a manly cake. Cute, but manly.”

“That’s probably why Danny doesn’t take me seriously either. You see him! He’s my height, and he’s not done growing.”

“Maybe he is done growing, though.”

“I hope not. Then he’ll be stuck like me—a man cake, or whatever you just called me. No one wants to be a cake man.”

“It’s not just your height. It’s your face too. Danny is more tough looking, like his bone structure and—” Triple oops. “Danny will be fine. That’s all I meant. Stop worrying about him,” I say quickly.

“Are you even attracted to me?”

“What?”

“I don’t know. That was like...Damn.” He reaches up and rubs the back of his neck.

“Of course I am! I just said I think you’re cute.”

“But do you think I’m handsome?”

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