Open Hearts

Welcome guys to part 6 of Open Hearts. I'm very sorry this part took so long to come out. A lot happened and it became difficult to write as much. Nevertheless here we are back again with Keaton and Bjorn.

This part has been rewritten a few times now and I've decided to make it a two parter. Chapter 7 will pick up directly where this one leaves off so if you hate cliff hangers you might want to wait till chapter 7 is out and read both of them together.

Thank you guys again for the feedback, suggestions and even the people who shared your own experiences with me. I believe I have replied to most of you. If I haven't then I apologize. I'll try to be better in the future. If you don't wish for me to reply then you can state so in your email and I'll know who I should and should not reply to.

Once again you can always email me anytime at openhearts1999@gmail.com with any comments, questions and/or concerns etc.

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Once again I'd like to thank my friend Danny who is also a writer on here. He's written stories such as "Even If We Tried" and "Spring Tide" and I encourage you to check them out. ************************************ Recap:

Previously on Open Hearts, Keaton and Bjorn wake up to a beautiful day worthy of surfing. Bjorn's lessons gave Keaton the courage to catch his first wave and feel the rush of riding the ocean waves like a pro. However their fun was cut short when David decided he'd seen enough of Bjorn and Keaton's friendliness. David's attempt to bully Keaton was short lived after Bjorn stepped in to protect his new friend. With emotions running high Keaton finally admits his biggest secret to Bjorn and gets a surprising response. ************************************

Open Hearts Part 6:

The room was dark. Actually, it was pitch black, completely void of light. There was no up or down or sense of direction, just blackness. I've felt this sensation before in a dream once. Except this time, I couldn't see a source of light anywhere, just... black.

I wasn't afraid though. The darkness was almost calming, I felt myself floating again. A piano played in the background. It was faint but the emptiness of the room provided only one noise so I tried to focus on it. Unfortunately, I still couldn't remember where I've heard the music before.

Suddenly a second noise started to fill the room. It sounded like... nature.

Crickets chirping, waves crashing and something else too, something not related to nature.

This third noise was something I've definitely heard before. 'Crying, someone was crying, but who was it?'

The noises disappeared, it was now just me in my own room again. I sat up in bed and tried to get my bearings. It was 5:30 pm, and I could hear commotion downstairs along with the smell of food cooking.

'Oh yeah, I was taking a nap.'

I grabbed my phone to check for new messages, yet nothing. I'll probably call Bjorn after dinner. He said he had to go anyways, maybe he's still busy.

Only a few hours ago Bjorn kissed me. He stood up for me at the beach and took care of me when I needed him most. In only a few short days we've gone from complete strangers to something special. I still wasn't sure exactly what we were though. He was gay like me, he liked me and he even kissed me.

'Does that mean me and Bjorn are boyfriends?'

My head was swirling at the thought. I've never had a boyfriend before, or a girlfriend either.

'How do I know if we're dating or not? Should I ask him?' I thought to myself.

It would probably be awkward if I just asked him though. He might think I'm weird for not knowing how it works.

'What if we are dating though, what do boyfriends do? Maybe I should buy him a gift or something.'

This was all so new to me and my mind was having a tough time wrapping around it all.

I could smell my mother's cooking still and decided It would be best if I got something to eat. Downstairs my mother was stirring a pot of chili that was almost ready. My dad was sitting on the couch watching the news again. My mother saw me and struck up a conversation.

"Evening sleepyhead, are you awake yet?" She asked with soft tone and a hint of curiosity.

I realized that my mother knew I had been napping for awhile.

"Yeah, just hungry." I sighed and rubbed my stomach lightly to show the severity of my starvation.

Mom reached out and tussled my hair and said sweetly "Well just a few more minutes and dinner will be ready. Set the table for me please."

I did as she asked and got out the silverware and bowls and a few other items. Once dinner was ready we all took our seats around the table and enjoyed my mother's chili. It was white chicken chili and not red bean chili, I prefer the chicken chili but either will taste good if my mother makes it. My mother decided to take another crack at me and ask me how my day went.

"So, did you learn how to surf today." My mother chided enthusiastically.

"Uh yeah. I caught a few waves, Bjorn was a good teacher." I was partially lying and softly blushing, I only caught one wave before David ruined everything. But I was telling the truth about Bjorn being a good teacher.

My mother gave a warm smile at my comment about Bjorn.

"Well that's good to hear honey. Now you can take that money you saved and buy your own board."

I had forgotten all about the money I had saved. I wonder what I should spend it on. Yeah a board would be cool but I could just borrow Bjorn's instead. I'll probably just spend it on video games.

My father spoke up now from across the table.

"Are you enjoying it here so far Keats?" He sounded concerned that I might still hold some disdain for this place.

"Yeah. A lot more than I thought I would actually." I excitedly assured him. In truth, it was all because of Bjorn.

"Is it because of your new friend." My mother chuckled from across the table. I swear she could read my mind sometimes.

"He's cool." Was all I said in return. I've got to keep it cool and not raise suspicion.

We ate the rest of our dinner in relative silence. Once I was finished it was time to clean up and head upstairs. Bjorn still hadn't messaged me. Maybe I should text first and see if he wants to talk. I grabbed my phone and opened up my messages.

Sent: Hey what's up

I held my phone for a minute, my eyes firmly planted on the screen. No message came immediately so I decided I'll just do something else while I wait.

At first I tried video games but I couldn't find the heart in gaming . 20 minutes had passed and there was still no response from Bjorn. Something felt a little off about his silence, it didn't seem normal. But in order to keep my sanity I kept telling myself that it's just my imagination and he's just busy right now.

Putting my controller down I decided to pick the pencil back up and try to draw instead. The first thing that came to mind was Bjorn. I imagined him riding that wave like he did before but this time, David was not here to ruin it. In the world I was creating, it was just Bjorn and the ocean.

Time starts to fly when you're into a drawing. The seconds turn to minutes and the minute's turn to hours. The ocean waves were a challenge but I knew that they weren't the centerpiece of this drawing anyways. When I finally got to Bjorn I took my time with every little detail. From his toes to his head I drew him from memory and did my best to recreate the same energy he exuded in real life. His smile shined brightly even though it was only a black and white drawing. His wet blonde hair was flowing through the wind, I chuckled when I noticed the resemblance between his hair and wet pasta. The shadows of his wetsuit displayed his muscles and body definition. Every detail was spot on in my opinion; Bjorn was easy to draw for me because I remembered his details so well and I was intent on capturing his presence.

For the final touch, I decided to add splash of color. I chose the waves and his eyes. Everything would remain black and white except for those two things. They shared a similar shade of blue and you could get lost in both of them if you stared too long.

When my drawing was finished, I ripped it out of the booklet and placed it on my desk. That one would probably need to be framed. I looked at the clock on my phone to check how long I had been drawing. Three hours had passed in what seemed like minutes. I was shocked at how long I had been in my trance but something else surprised me even more. There was still no response from Bjorn.

I decided I should text him again. I did say I would call him later after all.

Sent: "You alive?"

Sent: "Sorry if I'm bothering you."

I was worried that he would think I'm too clingy or desperate. But I was also worried that something was wrong because it didn't seem right for him to ignore me.

'Maybe he's grounded. He beat the crap out of David today there's no way David's parents didn't notice his injuries. They probably called Bjorn's dad and now Bjorn was in trouble because he defended me.'

I felt a wave of guilt hit me when I realized I may have caused Bjorn a whole lot of trouble.

'It wasn't his fault, he didn't start it. You can't blame him.' I was shouting in my head, imagining it was Bjorn's father that I was yelling at. He needed to understand that Bjorn shouldn't be in trouble for protecting me.

Before I could continue my imaginary rant, I felt my phone vibrate. It was Bjorn! He finally replied!

Received: "Yeah I'm good. Just arguing with my dad."

Oh no, it was true, Bjorn was in trouble because of me. I was about to reply and ask why he was arguing with him but my phone vibrated again with another message from Bjorn.

Received: "Tonight's not really a good night. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I was kind of shocked with how blunt he had been. I was almost sure that he was upset with me now too. He probably regretted helping me now. Bjorn probably realized that he could have avoided being in trouble if he had left me to fend for myself. I did my best to not sound too disheartened, he deserved to be left alone if he wanted to be. I could not find it in me to be mean or to be annoyed at him; I was just hurt. I looked at my phone blankly and thought about what to write; I could not tell him how I really felt so decided to keep it short.

Sent: "Oh ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow then."

Received: "kk"

I curled into a ball under my blankets. I did my best to hide myself from the rest of the world to avoid causing anymore issues. He was smiling at me just this morning. How could his mood go so sour this quickly? Maybe it didn't have anything to do with David like I had thought. Maybe it was me.

'What if he suddenly felt that this morning was a mistake? What if he regretted kissing me and saying he liked me?'

I shouldn't have believed that I could be that happy so quickly. Only normal boys with girlfriends can feel like that. But Bjorn was normal, no, actually Bjorn was better than normal. Bjorn seemed perfect, he was always smiling and seemed so happy. Even though it's been such a short time since we met I've still never seen him upset, except at the beach this morning of course. He was the opposite of upset most of the time. His energy and smile filled the entire room with light.

'So, what could it be that made him upset tonight. Was it his father; David, or me?'

I fell asleep in that same position, curled into a ball, clutching my knees. My body started to relax and stretch out as the night went on. I began to toss and turn in my bed. My sheets we a jumbled mess and my blanket was in a heap on the floor. I woke up at least 5 times until finally my restless body gave in and my brain drifted to sleep.

I was cold and surrounded by this chilling sensation. The sounds of my previous dream had returned. Crickets, waves, it all seemed so familiar. Then the tears came again. It wasn't me crying so who was it? I've never heard this person cry before but for some reason I felt I knew them. Yes, I knew this person, the presence was cold and distant but still so familiar to me. Suddenly the tears stopped. The waves still crashed and the crickets continued to chirp but the sound of crying was no longer present. Something else was absent from the environment. The cold chill I was experiencing before was gone now. It was replaced by something warm, hot almost. My left side was consumed by this heat that clinged to me. In the cold darkness that populated my mind, this warm presence felt like my only source of security and comfort. I wouldn't let go of it even if it let go of me.

I was awake now, semi-awake actually. My current position was uncomfortable to say the least. My body felt hot and sweaty, my face was covered in dried drool and my blankets were on the floor still. On mornings like these I prefer to not stay in bed a second longer than I have to. I jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom to try and salvage my morning.

The warm shower water was a welcome friend this morning. I scrubbed my face and neck trying to get the dry saliva off. I leaned against the shower wall and breathed in deeply trying to put my mind and body at ease. Last night was rough, and my body feels like it's got a few cricks in it. I finished scrubbing my body and hair and jumped out of the shower. It was time to start the day and first on the agenda was my teeth. After brushing my teeth and combing my hair I got dressed in some fresh clothes but kept it simple, blue t-shirt and white cargo shorts.

I grabbed my blanket off the floor and heard something tumble out of it and unto the carpet. It was my phone, I forgot to put it on the charger last night. The battery was on 20% still so I wasn't too worried about not being able to use it.

'That's odd, I have a text message. It's from Bjorn.'

Received: "Sorry for blowing you off, I hope I'll get to see you soon."

I wasn't expecting him to message me already. Except the message wasn't from this morning, it was from 4 am last night. I mean technically a person could consider 4 am to be this morning but I'm going to think of it as last night.

'Why was Bjorn awake at 4 am and why was he texting me?'

I was happy to hear an apology even though I didn't blame him for anything. It meant he wasn't angry with me I hope. Bjorn also said he hopes to see me soon, surely, I couldn't be the one he was mad at last night. If he was even mad at all, I'm still not sure. But with the slim chance he was, what would I do if he hated me.

I decided it would be best to take the initiative and set up a time to meet.

Sent: "It's cool :) do you still want to meet today? Maybe around lunch?"

I was anxiously awaiting his response, I was desperate for a yes.

Received: "Yeah that's cool. I'll text you when I'm ready and you can come over"

Sent: "Cool. Cya then."

Yes! Bjorn said yes and I was going to see him today. I ran downstairs and found my mother in the living room watching TV. I sat beside her on the couch and silently watched her cooking shows without interrupting her in the slightest. She noticed my silence and calm demeanor and realized what I was doing.

"What do you want?" She asked plainly.

"What?" I stumbled "Nothing, I didn't ask for anything."

"I know you didn't ask but you were going to. You were just thinking about how to ask." My mother said matter-of-factly.

She was good at reading me and knew all my patterns, I dreaded any moment that required me to lie to her. There wasn't a chance in hell I would get away with it.

"I just wanted to ask if I could go to Bjorn's at lunch time." I mumbled.

My mother looked over at me with a slight grin. Did I look desperate to see him, was my mother aware of this? I'm fairly certain she was clueless.

"You and Bjorn sure do get along huh"

I diverted my eyes to avoid blushing at her comment. She had no idea how well we actually got along.

"Yeah he's cool." I once again tried to keep my cool.

My mother wasn't satisfied with my answer, it seemed like she had something else to ask.

"Honey can we talk about something really quick?" She said in a semi nervous tone.

"Yeah sure" I said puzzled. I wasn't sure what she could want to talk about; but all I knew was that I dreading each ticking second.

"You and your friend Bjorn, well umm..." She tripped over her words a little as she tried to find the right way to ask her question.

"You two seem like you're really good friends. And you seem to really... enjoy his company. I guess I'm just curious... is there a chance... that maybe you like him more than just a friend?" Her question seemed to draw out as she struggled to find the words. I could tell she was trying to avoid being awkward but it didn't help.

I was staring at the floor now, I didn't dare make eye contact. My face was red and I could feel my ears burning with embarrassment. I had to do my best to try and hide my secret from her.

"What do you mean?" I mumbled, I was also on the verge of passing out from humility.

"Keaty you don't have to get embarrassed, I've just seen the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. And you get really excited whenever you talk about him. I'm just wondering if you have feelings for Bjorn."

'Was it really that obvious!? How could she know!?' I was too scared to answer yes. She didn't seem angry or upset, she just seemed curious. But what if all that changed if I said yes? What if she told me I couldn't see Bjorn today or ever again if I told her the truth.'

I kicked my feet gently against the wooden floors and twiddled my thumbs. My nervous fidgeting spoke for me.

'But why would my mother ask me these things? Do I even know the answer to get questions?'

'Yes, yes I do. I like Bjorn a lot. A lot more than just a friend. But I didn't dare say it out loud.' I thought nervously.

"I don't know" I whispered.

'Don't cry, don't cry, keep your cool and maybe she'll just leave it alone.' I begged myself.

I wasn't ready for this, I wasn't even positive what I was yet and now my mom wants to know. She can't do this to me now, it's not fair.

I felt my mother's hand caress my hair and then come to a rest on my shoulder. She spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"You don't have to tell me anything baby. I just want you to know I love you, and I always will no matter what." She said proudly and sincerely.

"Even if..." I murmured; as I kept my eyes glued to the wooden floor.

"Even if what hun?" She replied as she turned her torso on the sofa towards me, it was almost like she was comforting me. She was letting me know that my secret was safe with her.

"Even if I... like him... ya know... a lot." I stammered.

My mother smiled and placed her hand under my chin. She gently turned my head to face her and looked into my eyes.

"Yes, even if you like him... a lot." My mother chuckled. I guess she tried to break up the awkwardness in the room with some light teasing.

I smiled back at her. I didn't expect her to react this way. My mother always had a weird way of surprising me. Kind of like how Bjorn surprises me too.

"Well I do. I like him. A lot." I chuckled back.

"I know honey."

"How did-"

"Keaton I'm your mother. I know these things." She said with the utmost confidence.

"So, wait... it's ok if I like him, we're allowed to be friends?" I blurted out anxiously

"Keaton baby I don't pick your friends or your boyfr- erm... well you get the point. If you're happy around someone then... well, you should hold onto them. No matter who they are or what anyone else thinks."

"So, I'm not in trouble for being... ya know... gay or whatever." I quietly ushered out those last few words, I was almost afraid to say it." Sighing out deeply I tapped my foot on the floor in anticipation.

"Like I said before, I'm your mother, I knew it was only a matter of time before you brought a boy home."

"YOU KNEW!?" I exclaimed, I could swear my heart skipped a beat.

"Of course, I knew. You might be able to hide it from everyone else, even your father, but not me. I've known for a few years now. You always gave different looks to the boys around you and never the girls. A mother's intuition is never wrong."

I was shocked and also embarrassed. My mother knew I was gay even before I did. So far in my life all my attention towards other boys were subconscious, I couldn't even remember ogling any of them but I know I never looked at girls the same way.

"So... dad doesn't know?" I asked sheepishly.

"No, he doesn't. You don't have to tell him now but whenever you choose to I'll be there with you. Don't worry though, your father will still love you the same way I do no matter what." You could hear the sincerity in her voice; I almost felt like I was going to well up.

My mother's words put me at ease. I was much happier now knowing that she knew about me and I didn't have to lie to her. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"So, um... what do you think... of Bjorn I mean." I stuttered, I could not find the words for the embarrassing subject, but I still wanted to know her opinion and test the waters...

"Oh, he's adorable, good job with that one hun." Me and my mother both laughed at her comment. It was true though, he is adorable.

"I have a question though. Does he feel the same way about you? Or is it just a crush for now?"

"Well... he did kiss me." I said. I was kind of embarrassed to be confessing this to my mom."

My mother let out a large audible gasp and grabbed both of my hands.

"My baby had his first kiss!" Her voice was now in a high-pitched squeal of excitement.

My embarrassment had surpassed any level I had previously thought imaginable.

"That's great honey! I mean congrats! But um, how did all that happen?" My mother asked.

She was definitely interested in all the details of Bjorn and me. This was the first time me and my mom ever talked about relationship stuff. At first I was embarrassed but this was my first opportunity to vent to someone about what's happened so far in these past few days.

I started off my story with me and Bjorns first encounter on the beach. After that I talked about our bonding over games and swimming. I skipped the part about pulling down his shorts in the pool for obvious reasons. Then came the story of the surf lessons. I blushed when I talked about Bjorn teaching me to surf in the sand and I think my mother knew why. Finally came the story of David. I knew my mother wouldn't approve of Bjorn's methods or of my own physical attempt at dealing with the situation, so I decided to leave a few details out. Mostly the part about Bjorn beating him up was removed from the conversation.

Instead, I spoke of how Bjorn stuck up for me and took me back to his house. I did my best to explain my feelings and emotions at the time, why I felt like he would hate me and how scared I was.

"And then, it just happened, he just kissed me." I took a big sigh of relief after I finished my story.

Not only was this a great opportunity to vent but I also had some boyish pride in getting my first kiss. I enjoyed being able to boast about it even if it was just my mother listening.

"Awww. My baby boy is growing up." My mother was almost on the verge of tears.

They weren't sad tears or tears of concern, she just seemed so happy seeing me brag about my first boyfriend that she couldn't keep her composure.

'Wait did I just say boyfriend? Huh, well maybe we are. I still need to ask Bjorn about that.' I pondered.

"I'm not a baby anymore mom." I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempt to baby me.

"You'll always be my baby." My mother pulled me into a hug and held me against her chest. I tried to pull away but she wasn't having any of it, she just held me in place as if she was trying to prevent me from ever leaving her side.

Eventually I was released from her embrace. No boy likes to be coddled or treated like a baby by his mother. At least that's what we say. However, in truth, we all sorta do like it. The attention and unconditional love reminds us that there's always someone on our side and someone who loves us. If I let her know that then she'll never stop, but every once in awhile I like to remind her that I still need her.

"You know I think it's best this way." My mom said suddenly.

"What is?"

"You being gay. You'd never find a woman as good as your mom anyways. She doesn't exist." My mother said jokingly with a smirk.

Her joke was cheesy but I still found it funny and decided it would be best to agree with her on this one.

"Yeah I know I know. You're the best." I said reassuringly and cracked a smile.

She smiled; patted my leg and got up off the couch.

"Remember what I said honey. Now I need to get ready to go out. I've got errands to run and you've got a date to get to."

"It's not a date!" I said with a hint of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Whatever you say Keaty." I could feel my face becoming flushed, as I watched her walk away.

My mother left to get dressed for her errands, I took this time to lay back on the couch and go over what just happened in my head.

I didn't plan on telling my mother the news so quickly. In truth, I never even imagined when I would tell her at all. It happened so fast, I should have known I couldn't hide anything from her. I can't believe how well it went though.

My mother's words had lifted a great burden from my shoulders. I felt like I had someone I could trust and confide in now, like I wasn't alone anymore.

There's plenty of time left until lunchtime so I had to distract myself for a bit. I decided on watching a movie to pass the time. 'When this is over I'll call Bjorn' I assured myself.

The movie was less than interesting. I found myself just playing on my phone for most of it. When finally, the end credits came, I was bouncing up and down with excitement. I wasn't excited because of the movie, I just couldn't wait to see Bjorn.

I was about to call him when I read over his last text again. Bjorn said that he would call me when he's ready not the other way around. So, I guess it's back to the waiting game for me.

Even though my phone's volume was all the way up I still stared at the screen endlessly. I didn't want to wait any longer. I was pent up with excitement and I couldn't wait to tell him the good news about my mother too.

Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slow today, but eventually an hour had passed. Then a second hour had passed. It was now 2:00 pm and I was worried Bjorn had forgot.

'Maybe I should text him and remind him.' I grabbed my phone and began typing.

Sent: "Hey you there?"

Another hour had passed with no reply. At this point I was starting to feel hurt. 'Would he seriously blow me off two days in a row?'

I was going to take matters into my hands now. I don't care if he thinks I'm too clingy, we had an arrangement and I'm going to see him.

I got up off the couch and slipped my shoes on by the door. When I had them on I marched down out the front door and across the street on my conquest to see Bjorn again.

It was almost like an angry march. He owed me this date- erm I mean 'time to hangout' and I wasn't going to let him stand me up.

I walked along the path leading to the front door and placed my index finger against the doorbell. I started to feel anxious now. Showing up unannounced like this was probably inappropriate and made me look desperate. But there was no turning back now, I had to continue.

My finger pushed down on the small faded red button and I could hear the chime of the bell ring throughout the house. At first there was nothing but silence on the other side. But after a few seconds I heard a little commotion. I saw a figure appear in the distorted glass panels on the other side of the door and I knew they were checking me out. A second later I could hear the metal of the lock clang and the door knob turn.

Bjorn opened the door, there was a screen door in between us still. I couldn't really see the expression on his face too well, a combination of the blinding sunlight and black tinted screen door made him only barely recognizable. I prayed that he wasn't mad at me.

He opened the screen door. I expected him to ask me what I wanted but instead he just stepped aside and held the door open, inviting me inside. I accepted the invitation and entered his house. Everything was so quiet and still, especially Bjorn. I assumed no one else was home.

I glanced over at Bjorn. Before I could properly greet him, I stopped for a moment to look at his eyes. They were red and puffy, a sign synonymous with someone who was crying.

At first I wanted to speak with excitement and tell him everything that had happened, I was happy to see him after all. But after looking into eyes my tone softened when I spoke.

"Hey, are you okay." I said sincerely. I wanted to reach out and hold him but decided against it, that probably wouldn't be appropriate and I have no idea how he'll react.

Bjorn seemed confused at first but his expression changed for a moment when he realized what I was seeing. He quickly looked away and started heading for his bedroom, avoiding eye contact with me. He gestured for me to follow him and called back as we walked to his room.

"Yeah I'm fine, just some allergies, sorry for not calling you, I was just erm... cleaning a bit." He seemed unsure of himself when he spoke. There was a bit of uneasiness in his words.

"It's okay, sorry for showing up like this." I said fumbling on my words as I trailed behind him unsure what to say or do.

We entered Bjorn's room, there was something on the bed, it looked like a shoebox. Bjorn quickly put something back into the box, pulled the lid over it and slid it under his bed.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad your here." Bjorn took a seat on his bed but still avoided eye contact even as he spoke.

I took my seat next to Bjorn. We were now sitting in the exact same spots that we sat in when Bjorn kissed me. I felt a little tingle in my stomach as my mind relived the moment over again.

"So how was your day?" Bjorn asked.

"Actually, it was great. I told my mom my secret. Well she kinda already knew but I told her still." I said smiling and ranting in excitement.

I gazed over at Bjorn now, he still hadn't graced me with his smile or laugh yet. Maybe I should take the lead this time. My heart was pounding and I felt a little weak but I opted to go for it. I grabbed Bjorn's hand gently and placed my palm against his, then I curled my fingers so our hands were now interlocking.

He looked over and smiled at me, his face was finally showing signs of his usual liveliness.

We both laid back against the bed still holding hands, it was a more comfortable position to continue our conversation.

"What secret did you tell her? About us?" Bjorn asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, she was cool with it. She also said she always knew I was like this."

"Yeah you're not good at hiding it." Bjorn chuckled.

"What do you mean!? You knew before too?"

"You've had your eyes on my butt since we met Keaton." Bjorn said between giggles and returned to quietness.

I was blushing now. I knew he had caught me a few times before, there was no way he couldn't tell. Even through my embarrassment I still found myself giggling along with him.

"She also said you were adorable." I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, did she?" He let go of my hand and rolled onto his side to face me. "Well, do you agree?" Bjorn said in an almost seductive tone.

I looked back into his eyes. Those deep blue eyes that made me melt. I wasn't laughing or smiling anymore. The mood had completely changed. There was this feeling in the air, this tension, it was indescribable.

"Yeah, I think she's right. You are adorable"

I placed my hand on his chest. I'm not quite sure why I did, except that I wanted to have my hands on him. Feeling his chest through his shirt wasn't so bad either. Bjorn's hand reciprocated and crept along my chest as well. Soon his hand was over my heart, he placed it there and paused for a moment, then he chuckled.

"Your hearts beating fast." Bjorn said softly.

It was true, my heart was pounding.

Bjorn leaned forward a bit and his eyes started to close but then he stopped suddenly.

"Keaton am I allowed..... can I kiss you?"

I was smiling again, he was afraid of kissing me abruptly like he did before, so he was asking permission. He didn't need to ask, I'm not sure I could ever say no. But I took this opportunity to make the first move again, I wasn't going to let Bjorn always be the one in charge.

"No." I whispered sarcastically.

At first Bjorn seemed hurt, like the flame in his eyes had been extinguished in an instant. I quickly reignited those flames when I leaned up and whispered again.

"Because I'm gonna kiss you" With that I pressed my lips against his and grabbed ahold of his shirt, pulling him into me.

We were both still inexperienced but it made the whole situation even more intense. Two inexperienced pairs of lips and tongues dancing with each other in the dimly lit room. All you could hear was the occasional gasp and moan escaping from either my or Bjorn's mouth.

Eventually we both stopped to breathe. I laid back down so that my head was on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. I expected Bjorn to straddle me and kiss me like he had last time. Instead I felt his lips against my cheek, then my chin and then my neck. Soon he was covering every part of my face with kisses. The barrage of lips was almost too much to bare and I was giggling uncontrollably while wriggling around on the bed. Everytime I would open my mouth to tell him to stop he would plant a kiss on my lips and continue. The tickling of his kisses made me almost pee myself, but fortunately, for me and Bjorn's bed sheets, he stopped just before I did.

Now we were both exhausted after all the action but still giggling like little kids. Bjorn asked if I could shift my body so we could both lay on his bed normally and not have our legs hanging off the side. We both moved and laid on our sides so we could see each other. Bjorn's pillows were intoxicating, they smelled just like him and it made me want to bury my face into the soft fabric. Looking at Bjorn's cute face, laying on his bed, my face still covered in a little bit of his saliva, I knew I never wanted this moment to end.

"Whatcha thinking bout?" Bjorn cooed. He had caught me lost in my thoughts.

"Oh nothing, I do have a question though."

"Shoot."

"Are we boyfriends?" I knew I had to ask eventually, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so, but I was nervous of what his response might be.

Bjorn pursed his lips and his eyes seemed to look around the room searching for an answer. Finally, he grinned and looked back at me.

"Hey Keaton." He said with a devilish smirk

"Yeah?"

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

I was the one smirking now. He knew just how to make me smile.

"Will you kiss me like that all the time?" I chuckled.

"Yup!" He exclaimed enthusiastically and shot me a proud smile.

"Well then I guess my answer is yes."

True to his word, Bjorn scooted over and pressed his lips against mine. It was just a quick peck this time but I could still feel the sparks.

"So, I guess we're boyfriends now" Bjorn smiled and rolled over so he was looking at the ceiling again. I scooted closer and draped my arm across his chest and snuggled in close to him, my chin just resting on his shoulder.

"Good. Now I have another question." I whispered into his ear. I wasn't trying to be sexy about it or anything, I was just so close all I could do was whisper like that.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Bjorn asked

"When I came in I saw your eyes, you were crying weren't you?" I asked softly.

"Nah. I wasn't." Bjorn's words seemed hallow, I could tell he was lying and he was rather quickly dismissive.

How far can I pry without being a nuisance? I can't leave a bad impression on him 10 seconds into our relationship. I didn't want to just drop it either. It seemed like something had upset him greatly and I wanted to help him anyway I could. I decided I would try one last time to see if I could crack him.

"You're not supposed to lie to your boyfriend you know." I stated jokingly, hoping that I could break the ice without making him shut down.

Bjorn seemed perplexed as to how to respond now. It seemed like he was about to shoot down my attempt once again but he paused for a moment and just laid there thinking.

"I'm sorry." Bjorn said with a hint of defeat in his voice.

"About what?"

"Lying to you." Bjorn stated firmly, still sounding defeated.

'Okay, I made it in. I got past his first line of defense now I just need to be very cautious and try to figure out what made him upset.'

"It's okay. So why were you crying?"

Bjorn turned his head to look at me. We were so close our noses were almost touching. He raised an eyebrow at me and looked into my eyes.

"You ask a lot of questions don't you." I could tell he was trying to divert attention away from him crying but I wasn't going to give up that easy.

All I did was smile. I was doing my best to seem cute and innocent so he didn't feel like I was forcing my way into his psyche.

Bjorn observed my silent smiling face and realized there was no way I was going to let it go. He turned his back so he was facing the ceiling again and gave a big sigh.

"Well, I was sad, Obviously. I remembered some things that I didn't want to remember and I got a little upset. But I'm ok now."

He was being very cryptic and obviously defensive over his emotions. I felt inclined to ask another question but Bjorn spoke up before I could.

"Keaton, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything." I was serious, I felt like I would do anything Bjorn asked me to.

"If I promise you that I'll tell you when I'm ready, can you please not ask about this again?" Bjorn said in an almost pleading tone.

I felt bad now. He was obviously uncomfortable and I shouldn't have pried into his personal life so quickly.

"Of course, I'm sorry I asked." I grabbed his hand and held it gently.

"I promise I won't ask again. Whenever you want to talk I'll be here." I gave my sincerest response.

I could only hope that Bjorn wasn't upset about my questioning. Whatever it is that has him upset is definitely too touchy of a subject for me to bring up again. At the same time I think I can take some satisfaction in the fact that he did say he would talk about it when he was ready. Now I would play the waiting game, I was anxious to know, mostly because I thought I could help him.

I felt Bjorn's arm move out from under me as he raised it above his head. At first I wasn't sure what he was doing. 'Maybe he was stretching' I thought. But instead of pulling his arm back down, he just held it there, above his head, and gave me an inviting glance.

Still confused, I just stared back at him in a frozen stupor. Bjorn rolled his eyes and exclaimed "Ugh! You're so bad at this!"

He chuckled and pulled his arm back down, this time he reached behind me and placed his hand on my back and pulled me into him. Once I felt my body and face get pulled into his chest I finally understood what he wanted me to do.

I shifted my body so it fit perfectly with the contours of his and rested my head on his chest. I also swung my right leg over so it draped across his. Now my entire body was clinging onto Bjorn's. This was my first experience cuddling, or snuggling, or whatever this is called. All I knew was it felt right being so close to him, feeling his body next to mine and embracing the warm radiance of his body heat.

Bjorn's right arm was free to roam and he wasted no time rubbing up and down my back. He never ventured too far south however, but I'm not sure I would have a problem with it if he did. But no, instead he just used his fingers to occasionally draw circles in between my shoulder blades and then his palm would glide down my spine until he reached the small of my back. Then he would repeat the process, the gentle massage I was receiving was unimaginably soothing. My entire body just melted into his during this whole ordeal and before I knew it my eyes were beginning to involuntarily close.

I have no idea how long Bjorn kept rubbing my back. I'm not even sure if Bjorn knew I fell asleep, but there we were. Two newly acquainted friends, who turned into best friends, who then became boyfriends, all in a matter of a few days. The two of us slept soundly in each other's arms, never stirring or shifting, just a still and pleasant slumber between me and Bjorn.

This was a memory that me and Bjorn would never forget. Our first real cuddle session as a couple, a peaceful nap that I hoped could last for ever.

All that came to an abrupt halt when a very intrusive and booming voice woke us both up with a sudden shock. The voice seemed to ring through the room with such power it felt like they were using a megaphone.

Both me and Bjorn shot up and tried to figure out what had invaded the sanctuary we had created. Our attention turned to a large figure standing in the room's doorway. At first it was merely a dark silhouette, but as my eyes adjusted, I got a good look at the source of the loud noise.

"Hva i helvete dokke to gjor!"

His voice felt like it was echoing through my bones. I trembled with fear as he roared. I couldn't understand his words though, they were Norwegian and he was clearly addressing Bjorn. This must be Bjorn's father and he doesn't sound happy. I feared for the worst when he stepped forward and approached me. With his angry eyes now glaring down on me, my body shivered and shook.

"What was he going to do to me?" That was my final thought before I saw him raise his hand in my direction.

************************************ Okay guys that's that's the end of part 6.

There will not be a preview this time because of the obvious cliffhanger ending. Chapter 7 will pick up directly where this left off and will hopefully be out a lot quicker than this part was.

Thank you guys again so much for the feedback and support. I will see you guys next time on Open Hearts.