We may be damaged but we are not doomed.
- Rebekah Mikaelson

      Peace is essential, peace away from the maddening crowd and their deafening judgements. I woke Saturday morning not as an escape from a nightmare for the first time in a long  while.

I knew it wasn't always going to be like that but I was willing to ride the peace train for as long as it ran. I cleaned my apartment for hours before showering and heading to Baring for brunch.

The place was packed as I had expected but no one spared me a glance as I walked up to the counter/bar and took a seat.

"Hi! What can I get you this bright morning?"
I slowly looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Albert". His sunny smile quickly dropped. I had forgotten that he worked here but it was okay, I had to face him eventually.

"I'm sorry". I apologized.

"You guys fooled me. I honestly thought we were going to be besties". He looked more hurt than heartbroken.

"It wasn't Jake's fault. I asked him not to tell you about our history, I should've been honest with you. I kissed him, everything that happened between us happened because of me and I'm sorry  but don't take it out on Jake".

He held my eyes for a while.
"You didn't force him to do anything, Travis, he did it out of his own freewill. He told me everything and honestly, I can't compete with that".

"Look he didn't..."
"It's fine Travis, really. I always kinda knew Jake and I were never going to work. He hates beaches and I want a mansion by the ocean". He shrugged with a small smile and I relaxed in the uncomfortable bar stool.

"Well, he and I ain't gonna work either".
He scoffed.

"Come on, he's crazy about you. He talks about you more than he does football. I had my suspicions but I just didn't peg you to be gay.

Jake is a great guy, Travis and if dark and brooding is his spec then the has my blessings but all I ask is that you do better for him. He might seem like he has it all on lock down but the truth is that he is still figuring a lot out".

"He is better off without me".
Albert laughed.
"I agree but he wants you, for some reason". He gave me a  look that made me laugh.

"So. What can I get you this bright morning?"
"Burger and fries". He frowned.

"You are so painfully basic, aren't you? Don't worry love, I'll fix you something delicious". He disappeared to the kitchen and came back a while later with a huge bowl packed with food.

"You tryna kill me?"

"I know you think you are buff but honestly you look like a skeleton with muscles and no flesh". He placed his hands on his waist like a mother scolding her child.

"I could be a model".
"No, love. I could be a model, you'd be a stagehand".

He moved on to another customer, greeting them with his huge grin.

       I ate everything, the rice, the eggey chicken, the veggies and everything else he managed to stuff in that bowl and when I was done, he said it was on the house and sent me off.

I roamed the town, truly taking in its beauty for the first time, trying to reconnect with myself.

I didn't try to push anything out of my mind but I tried to focus on the good, on the times when I felt most alive, the times that mattered.

    When I got back to my apartment, it was dark and I was tired.
"Hey boy".
I turned to look at the old lady who lived next door.

"Evening, Mrs. Bradley".
"Mm-hmn". She eyed me up and down.
"Your faggot friend was here".

I didn't even feel it, that ticking in my brain whenever I heard that word.
"Jake?"

"If you mean the big white one, then yeah. He left about a minute ago".
"Thanks, Mrs. Bradley".

I took the keys out of the keyhole and stuffed it in my pocket, ready to go after Jake.
"Is it true?" The woman stopped me.

"Are you like him? A faggot".
I stared at her unpleasant face, marvelling at how I had always hated that word that was nothing more than a stupid word and I smiled.

"No, I'm nothing like Jake. Jake is an awesome man but me? I am an unredeemable faggot, at least we have that in common".

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"That's still better than that Monique person. Hope he ain't a screamer too".

"Oh, he much louder". I laughed as I saw the mortified look on her face before I ran down the stairs and onto the streets.

Jake was there blocks down the road, talking on his phone. He turned when I called his name and hurried to me.

"Travis, I am so sorry".
"What?"

"You were drunk. I should have stopped it".
"Jake".

"We were in a public space and I just went with it, I was sober, I was supposed to have been thinking but... "

"My kisses are mind-blowing, I get it".
He paused and stared at me.

"This isn't funny Travis, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, great actually".

"What? You are not mad that I outed you?"

"That wasn't you, it was a crazy butch who tried to kill me before, accidental or not".

"How are people taking it?" He looked worried.

"I don't care". It felt good to say that and mean it. "It's nobody's business".
His eyes widened.

"Really?
"Really". He grinned.

"How's that feel?"
"Fucking good". We laughed a bit.

"Jake, I'm so sorry about Albert, it wasn't my intention".
He smiled fondly.

"You mean like it was with Katie?" My eyes bulged.
"You knew".

"Wasn't hard to figure out, you possessive motherfucker. Who else was in that room with us?" He laughed.

"I'm so fucking dumb".
"No opposition from this party".
We stood on the calm streets, laughing like idiots.

"Albie is on me. I was going to end things with him anyway".

"Why?" He looked at his shoes, then the sky before finally looking me in the eyes.

"I couldn't drag him into this entanglement of ours. I do want a fresh start but I want it with you, Travis. I'm not sure we are ready or that you even want to. I'm risking a lot, mostly my ego if you say no but I still want you. I still want you to listen to me rant, like I'm doing right now".
I chuckled because he was just so adorable.

"I want to talk to you at 3am, I want you to push me to achieve my goals like you used to. I want you to see the good in me. I want to help you see the good in you and there is a lot to be seen".

I felt weak in the knees, hearing those words, watching him look at me with those sparkly green eyes like I added something to his life. It thrilled me but still it scared me that someone could feel that way about me and not just anyone but Jake fucking Levinson.

"I think I have a few more answers". My voice was breathy.
"Okay". He smiled nervously.

I looked around at the almost empty streets.
"Do you want to come back to my place?"

"Unless you'd be comfortable in my tiny motel room, then yeah, I'd like to come with you to your apartment".

"Motel?"
He shrugged.
"I wasn't going to keep staying with Albie after disrespecting him like that". He explained.

"But he invited you to town".
"And he stopped being the reason for me staying here the second I set eyes on you".

Fire, ice, water, hailstones, tornado storm, hurricanes, none of them took the crown. The most powerful thing in the world is emotion, like the ones that pushed me into Jake's arms.

I felt like swallowing him whole but seeing as that is impossible, I settled for kissing him, with everything in me.

----------------------------------------------------
Too fluffy? Give me a break, they deserve it.
Still tell me what you think ❤️