Wash 13

Teddy rolled towards Cliff, pressing against the warmth of his arm.

The two lay breathless, soaked from the icy sprinkler water

that had finally stopped.

Droplets clung to their skin, trickling down their faces,

their clothes sticking uncomfortably to their bodies.

Cliff exhaled, pushing back his damp hair.

“What are you thinking, Teddy?

Aside from the fact that we need dry clothes

before we catch pneumonia?”

Teddy turned his head, his gaze trailing over Cliff’s face—

the sharp jawline, the way the dim lighting reflected in his deep-set eyes.

Beyond him, the city that gleamed at night framed by Cliff’s glass walls.

But what caught him the most was something

beyond the surface.

He saw LOVE.

Cliff’s eyes were like an open book,

and every page whispered the same truth: he is in love with me.

Teddy swallowed hard.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“I wish this night wouldn’t end.”

Cliff looked at him, listening.

“I wish we could just stay here, like this.

Lay still, and let the world fade away.”

Cliff reached for Teddy’s hand, intertwining their fingers as they sat up.

“Then move in with me, Teddy. Let’s start a life. Just the two of us.”

Teddy blinked, caught off guard.

“I don’t think that would work. I have a crazy, teenage-hormonal mother.”

Cliff chuckled, brushing a strand of wet hair from Teddy’s forehead.

“She can come too. We’ll take care of her- together.”

Teddy’s lips curled into a small smile before he shook his head.

“And my laundry business?

I have piles of clothes to wash. That’s not coming with us?”

Cliff tilted his head, eyes locked onto Teddy’s with a quiet intensity.

“I don’t want to change you, Teddy. I love you just the way you are.

I want you to do things as you please, keep doing what makes you- you.”

He paused, his voice growing softer.

“I’m not here to take anything away from you. I’m here… to love you.”

Teddy opened his mouth, but no words came.

The lump in his throat made it impossible to respond.

Cliff leaned in, slowly, his hand cupping Teddy’s cheek.

Teddy’s heartbeat stuttered as their lips met—gentle, hesitant,

then deepening into something more.

Cliff’s lips moved against his, warm despite the cold dampness of their clothes.

When Cliff’s tongue grazed Teddy’s,

it sent a shiver down his spine.

He melted into the kiss, savoring every second, every touch.

This is it.

This wasn’t just a kiss.

This was the first time someone kissed him because they loved him.

Not because they were playing a role,

not because of some arrangement.

This was REAL.

A moment later, they both burst into laughter,

the weight of their wet clothes finally registering.

“We need to get out of these,” Cliff said, standing and pulling Teddy up with him.

—————————————————————————————————-

They ran out of the dimly lit building, stepping into the cool night air.

The pavement was slick from the recent rain,

their shadows stretching across the empty alley.

A neon sign flickered ahead, casting a soft glow over a tiny convenience store.

Cliff pushed open the glass door, a small bell chiming.

Behind the counter, a bored-looking clerk sat with her legs propped up,

lazily sucking on a lollipop. She barely spared them a glance—

until she noticed their dripping clothes.

Her lollipop slipped from her mouth, bouncing onto the counter.

Cliff, unfazed, leaned against the counter.

“Do you sell clothes? Preferably dry ones?”

The clerk sighed, picking up her fallen lollipop.

A few ants clung to it. She squinted, flicked them off,

and then stuck it back in her mouth. “Back left shelf.”

As she turned away,

she giggled, NOT because of them

she lifted her phone, recording a quick lazy dance moves of herself

Teddy and Cliff exchanged amused glances

before hurrying to the back.

There, among basic T-shirts and sweatpants,

sat a matching pair of boba-patterned pajamas.

Teddy held them up, smirking. “You think we can pull this off?”

Cliff grinned. “Oh, absolutely.”

Minutes later, they stepped out of the store,

the soft fabric of their ridiculous pajamas

warm against their skin.

Cliff slid his hands into his pockets, glancing over at Teddy as they walked.

“You know,” he mused, “I never thought my night would end like this.”

Teddy nudged him with his shoulder.

“What, you mean soaking wet, wearing boba-print pajamas,

after a near-death experience in a conference room?”

Cliff chuckled.

“No. I mean… walking beside you, like this. It’s kind of perfect.”

Teddy didn’t respond right away.

He just listened to the rhythmic tapping of their footsteps

against the damp pavement, the city humming around them.

This night is definitely perfect.

Now, more than ever he wanted it even more desperately

not to end.