Zak woke before the sun rose, which was a rare occurrence for him. He usually woke up because the sun was in his face.

Today was different, Zak couldn't wait to get to work. He hoped the day would go quickly because he wanted to see Darryl.

He jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed, putting on a blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black joggers. Lately, Zak noticed he really loved the color blue.

Once he was ready, he skipped down the hall to the kitchen, where his mom was making breakfast.

She heard him coming and she turned around, giving him a confused look.

"What's got you so happy, sweetie?" She asked while a smile. She turned back around, putting her attention on the pancakes she was making.

"Oh, nothing. I just have a date tonight, that's all." He spoke casually, knowing he would get a reaction out of her, and he was right. She turned on her heel, looking at him in shock.

"A date? With who?" She got louder, but she seemed excited for him. Zak smiled, looking at his mom.

"Darryl."

His mother's face twisted back into a look of confusion. She turned off the stove and took the last of the pancakes out of the pan, putting them on a plate with the rest of the stack. "Zak, I thought he was avoiding you."

Zak smiled bigger, sitting down at the dining table. "He came into the shop last night and we talked. I was home later than normal, I figured you didn't notice. We went to a diner and he told me why he ran away, and why he pretended he didn't know me the other day. We made up and he walked me home." He then looked away from his mom. "I'm also going to his place tonight."

Even though he said it quietly, she heard it. She moved to the table and sat across from him. Reaching out, she put her hand on top of his. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You really barely know him, sweetie."

"I know, but he's my soulmate." She sighed, putting her hand on her son's cheek.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again, Zak." She spoke softly, patting his cheek when she was done. Then, she stood up and grabbed the pancakes. "But I won't stop you, you're an adult. You can make your own decisions."

Zak sighed in relief, he really didn't want her to stop him from going to see Darryl. Then, he had an idea. "So it's okay if I spend the night there?"

"As much as I hate the idea, sure," She set a plate of pancakes in front of Zak. "But if you need anything, and I mean anything, I'll have my phone near me. Just give me a call."

"What would I need?" He questioned, taking a large bite of his food.

"I don't know. A ride home, a change of clothes, a condom, some food." She joked, adding in the third one on purpose.

"Mom! No!" Zak yelled. "Too far, mom. Too far."

She laughed, winking at him. "Sorry, I felt it was necessary."

After that, they ate breakfast and chatted about Darryl. His mother could tell Zak really liked the older boy, but she was worried he was getting attached too quickly. She didn't say anything, though. She didn't want to hurt her son's feelings.

Soon, Zak needed to head out to get to work on time. He kissed his mother's cheek as he passed her, thanking her for listening to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, mom!" He called out from the front door as he slid his shoes on. She yelled back a farewell, and out the door he went.

Today, the colors around Zak seemed to stand out. The sky was a bright cerulean, the grass a deep emerald. Along the sidewalk, there were gardens of bright marigolds and daffodils. Zak admired the vibrant flowers as he pulled his headphones from his pocket.

Usually, he listened to upbeat, top 40's pop songs. Today, he felt like a change. Today, he turned on his old playlist of indie music, ranging from Coldplay to The Script. He hadn't listened to these songs in a few years and felt it was the right time.

The song that played was, ironically, Yellow by Coldplay. He turned his music up, listening to the calming voice of the lead singer.

His trip seemed to go by quickly, and before he knew it, he was getting off at the station near his work. He hopped up the steps to the bustling street above, each step he took becoming bouncier than the last. (bouncy bouncy anyone?)

Zak reached his work, unlocking the door as he hummed to a song playing through his earbuds. He swung open the door, still keeping a pep in his step.

He set up the store to open, and from there the morning was a blur.

____________

Nothing could ruin Zak's mood today.

Not even Vincent, who was extremely grumpy. He was angry at Zak, who had neglected to tell him about Darryl. Even on the day they spent at the park, Zak somehow had forgotten to mention the green eyed man.

Needless to say, Vincent was upset that he was left out. He wanted all the details about what happened in the past few days, including their little make-up session the previous night.

Zak apologized multiple times, saying he had a lot on his mind. He did feel bad, he considered Vincent his friend yet he didn't tell him about a huge change in his life.

Before Vincent left for the day, he quizzed Zak like he always had. He grabbed out a box of games and pulled one out, holding it up for the dark haired boy to see.

"What color is this?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Zak.

"Uh, I think it's purple? I'm not quite sure, I did some research but I'm not great with everything yet." He replied, rubbing his chin. Vincent grinned, nodding. He grabbed another case, shoving it in Zak's face.

"And this one?" He smiled, waiting for the reply.

"Yellow and Orange?"

"YES!" He screamed, bringing Zak in for a bear hug. He wasn't expecting it, so he froze up as Vincent's arms wrapped around his torso tightly. After a few moments, he began to hug back.

"I'm so proud of you, dude. You have no idea." Vincent was beaming as he pulled away, a smile tugging hard at the sides of his mouth.

Zak thanked him, asking if he would keep quizzing him every day so he would remember them all eventually. The French boy agreed eagerly, wanting to talk to Zak more about his soulmate the next time they worked together.

Once he left, the store was quiet again. Zak spent his free time thinking about Darryl and their date.

Though it wasn't a fancy date, he was still extremely nervous. He had been alone with the man before, but he was never really in a private place. Last night, they had Debby and the cook in the kitchen the entire time they were at the diner, so hey weren't really alone.

Tonight, they would be completely alone. Apart from his dog, that is.

Zak smiled at the thought, but caught himself. Why was he so comfortable with this? He had only known Darryl for about a week.

Even though that was true, it felt like he had known him his entire life.

____________

Zak was so spaced out, he didn't hear the front door ding, signaling someone had entered the shop. He was busy doodling on a piece of paper, writing Z+D in a heart. His head was bent down so he couldn't see the door.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when a hand waved between his face and the paper. Zak gasped, dropping the pen and standing up straight.

"Oh, I'm sorry! How can I help y-" He stopped when he looked up and saw the green eyed man smiling back at him. "Well hi."

Darryl chuckled, giving Zak a large smile. "Hi, Zak."

Even with the tiniest words, Zak felt his face heat up. He knew his cheeks were turning red, so he turned away so Darryl couldn't see it. "I'll be ready soon, I just need to close up."

He hurriedly cleaned the store, making sure everything was neat and tidy before he counted the register. Zak put the remaining money back in the drawer and put the excess in the money safe pouch, chucking it in the safe in his boss' office just like he did the night before.

Once he was done, he made his way back out to where Darryl was, sitting behind the counter patiently.

"Ready to go?" Zak nodded, grabbing his store key and locking the door behind them as they made their way out.

They walked in silence for a little while, enjoying each other's company. It was dark, just like the night before, but the world around them still seemed bright.

Zak was lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand grab his own, causing him to jump. He looked down at the hand and followed the arm connected to it, stopping when he reached Darryl's smiling face.

Pulling his thoughts together, he smiled back and squeezed his hand, earning a squeeze in return.

____________

Darryl unlocked his apartment door, swinging it open to reveal a dark hallway. They made their way inside and he flipped on the lights.

Once he could see, Zak noticed the hall opened up into a small kitchen and dining area, as well as a living room. Down a little further, there were 3 more doors, once of which he assumed was Darryl's bedroom and the other a bathroom. The third, he wasn't sure. He guessed either a closet or spare bedroom.

The apartment was extremely clean, nothing was out of place. He couldn't tell if Darryl spent time cleaning before he came, or if he was just this tidy all the time.

A few photos hung on the wall near the entryway. Zak studied the photos, noticing there were some of Darryl and another man who looked just like him. Another had the green eyed boy, but much younger. along with an older couple, Zak assumed they were his parents.

Next to that photo hung another of the same woman, her bright green eyes smiling back at him. His heart ached, knowing that was Darryl's late mother.

He looked further down the hall and saw some photos of a small white dog and he smiled. Darryl really loved that dog.

Suddenly, he heard claws pattering along the wooden floor and he turned around. Zak was met with two small white dogs that were wagging their tails rapidly, sniffing his pants and feet.

Zak's eyes widened as he looked up at Darryl. "There's two?!" Darryl laughed, nodding. He knelt down and picked one up, showing her to Zak.

"They're brother and sister, I only sent you a photo of one of them since they look the same." Zak's eyes were glimmering as he pet the dog, laughing when she licked his finger.

"I miss my dog." He said, pulling his hand away before kneeling down next to the other dog. Darryl raised an eyebrow, smooching his little rat on her cheek.

"Where is it?" He questioned, kneeling next to Zak. The dark haired boy looked up at him, smiling slightly.

"He's with my dad, my parents are divorced." He replied simply, not wanting to talk about his father. (I guess I lied when I said I wouldn't mention his dad. It just felt right?)

Darryl noticed, dropping the subject. He didn't want to make Zak uncomfortable.

They sat on the ground, petting the dogs for a while. It was a silent until Zak spoke, "I guess some soulmates aren't truly meant to be."

He spoke so softly that if it weren't silent in the apartment, Darryl wouldn't have heard it. He looked over at Zak, a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"My parents were soulmates, but didn't stay together. They just didn't work." He sighed, continuing to scratch behind the little dog's ears.

Darryl didn't know what to say, he thought all soulmates were supposed to be perfect for each other. He decided to not comment and try to change the subject instead.

"Why don't we go pick out a movie?"

Zak nodded, standing up and following Darryl to the living room. He had pulled out a few cases before Zak came, so he sat down on the couch and let the dark haired boy look through them.

Zak sat next to him, but made sure to leave a little space. He didn't want to seem too forward.

He picked out a movie quickly, handing it to Darryl. The older boy smiled, taking the case from Zak. He walked over to the television set and knelt down, sticking the DVD into the player. Once it was in, he made his way back over to the couch.

This time, he sat closer to Zak. There was a little space between them, but if either of them shifted, their thighs would brush.

Zak noticed, but didn't say anything. Instead, he kicked off his shoes and brought his feet up underneath him.

Darryl did the same, but stood up and took both pairs of their shoes to the entrance so they wouldn't be in the way if they stood up. He also went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of popcorn, popping it into the microwave.

While the movie was playing the previews, Darryl put the popcorn in a large bowl and grabbed a few cans of soda. He made his way back to Zak, handing him the bowl and setting the sodas down on the coffee table. With coasters, of course. Wouldn't want to wreck the wood.

He then grabbed two blankets, handing one to Zak and keeping one for himself.

Darryl sat back down beside Zak, pulling the blanket over himself. He settled in and made sure to get comfortable before offering to take the bowl so Zak could lay his blanket down.

Instead, Zak took the end of Darryl's blanket and pulled it over himself, forcing them to inch closer together.

"Is this ok?" Zak blushed when Darryl nodded slowly. He tucked his feet further under himself and scooted closer to the green eyed man.

There was a slight tension in the air, and Zak couldn't tell if it was because Darryl wasn't moving, or because they were so close yet awkwardly touching.

He took a moment to look up at the man who was completely enthralled in the movie. His glasses were propped down low on his nose, his hair ruffled. He had a look of concentration on his face and mindlessly stuck popcorn into his mouth.

Zak couldn't focus on the movie, he could only focus on the man in front of him. So although it didn't surprise him when these words came out of his mouth, it made Darryl freeze.

"Can I kiss you?"

Darryl's hand stopped near his mouth, a piece of popcorn in between his fingers dropping down onto his shirt. His eyes were wide and his body was rigid. Zak realized it seemed like he had stopped breathing.

"Darryl? Are you okay?" Zak tapped his shoulder, causing Darryl to snap out of his trance.

"Oh, uh- yeah." He shook his head and rubbed his face. "Can you repeat what you said?"

Zak smirked, putting his hand on the man's chin and turning his face towards his own. "I said, can I kiss you?"

Thought he seemed confident, he was a ball of nerves on the inside. He wanted nothing more than to kiss the man in front of him, but he had never kissed anyone before.

"I mean, if you want to you ca-" Before he could even finish his words, Zak pulled his face forward. They were inches apart, yet neither of them moved.

"Are you sure?" Darryl was breathless, he didn't know what to say. Wordlessly, he nodded, and Zak didn't need to be told twice.

He pressed his lips to Darryl's softly, not really knowing what he was doing. He cupped Darryl's cheek in his hand, pulling him forward more. The older boy was hesitant, but moved his body towards Zak's and sat up straighter. He slid his hand so it was resting on Zak's waist.

Their lips moved slowly and cautiously, neither of them wanting to make a wrong move. They both made sure to move when the other was comfortable.

There were tingles on Zak's lips, but not like they describe in books. It was more like the feeling of butterflies in his stomach combined with sparkling water. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he didn't care at that moment.

To Zak, Darryl tasted like strawberries and vanilla. A good combination, but nothing like he thought a kiss would taste like. To Darryl, Zak tasted like popcorn and cherry, popcorn obviously because of what they were eating.

The kiss felt like it went on forever, while in reality it had only been a few seconds. They both pulled away hesitantly, resting their foreheads together.

Breathlessly, Zak whispered, "Wow."

Darryl just chuckled softly, pulling Zak in for another.