Déjà Vu - 2. Chapter 2

Kevin and I walked out of the lobby into rush hour. Even the foot traffic on the sidewalks needed police to direct them. I glanced over to Kevin, losing myself in the music of my playlist and the depth of his eyes.

"So where is the local?" Kevin asked wanting a place to sit peacefully to become better aquatinted with me.

"The local?" I blankly stared at him until the translator in my mind remembered my British English. "Oh, you mean the pub. It is a few block south of here. Maybe you have heard of it, St. Ives?"

"I have. So you know Sean?" Kevin was trying to keep me on my toes.

"I heard of him but I never met him. I do know Mark and Sarah. They live next door to me." I said still listening more to my playlist than to Kevin. "How rude of me! Would you like to listen with me to my playlist?" I offered not giving it a second thought.

I blushed a little, uncertain that Kevin would enjoy my music or not, "Here", as I finished cleaning the right earbud for him to place in his ear. The song had just changed to the 2CELLOS, Game of Thrones Medley. As the first note was drawn from the bow over the strings, all the city noise faded as we were taken to the Westeros. With every beat of the drums, the high cries of the strings, the rise of the music, to the ending, you could not help but feel all the joy, pain, the fire and ice of every moment even if you have never seen the show.

Before we knew it we were walking up to the doors of the pub. We walked in and I said hello to Mark who was behind the bar and to Sarah who pointed me to my normal booth in the back.

"I see Steven has met you Kevin." Sarah gave Kevin a kiss on the cheek then gave me one too.

Fly Me to the Moon, by Frank Sinatra played. Kevin took my hand and twriled me around. I felt like Ginger when he did that. A huge cheese grin came across my face.

"Yes we did and I might have a permanent job now as his assistant." Kevin said as he told Sarah the good day he had.

"Excellent! You finally deserve some good luck. First round is on me, what are you two having?"

In his best 007 impersonation, "Martini. Shaken not stirred.", Kevin said as Sarah stated, "That will never get old. What are you having Steven?"

"A pint of Guinness, please." I said as I sat down.

"I'll be right back." She said as she stopped by a few more tables to check how they where doing.

The acoustic version of Scars by Papa Roach came on. Kevin sat down and closed his eyes. He started to mouth the words, "I tear my heart open/I sell myself short/My weakness is that I care too much/And my scars remind me/That the past is real/I tear my heart open just to feel." A single tear rolled down his cheek.

I reached over and wiped his tear away. I held it in my hand, admiring it like a rare jewel just unearthed and seen for the first time in the daylight. I took a napkin, placed the tear napkin, and put it on the table.

"Why not just wipe it way or wipe the tear on your clothes? Why did you take such care to keep the tear?" Kevin shocked that someone would take that much care in a simple tear.

"My grandmother said, 'Tears are memories. Memories that are so profound, no matter the emotion attached to the memory, they are what makes us unique. Never give the memories away for you don't know who will do what to them.' I guess you could say that she was a Witch about things." As I laughed, "I have never said that fact out loud before. I must really be comfortable around you."

Kevin took out the earbud, wove his fingers with mine, and said, "I could have told you that. Since this morning when you asked if we met before, I have been trying to place where we might have seen each other."

I turned his hand over to expose his palm and with the tip of my index finger I traced his heart, life, and head lines. They were strong and pronounced. I looked up his arm to see covered in goosebumps. Sarah returned with the drinks, in her mock British accent, "Martini shaken not stirred." Then turning to me in an Irish accent, "An'a pint o' Guinness." Quickly dropping the accents when she saw his hand in mine as I traced his lines, she spoke to Kevin, "Be careful with what he tells you. I swear that he has a Witch in his family." She gave me a wink and walked away.

"A wicked or a good witch?" Kevin asked with a grin on his face as I still held his hand in mine.

"I will leave that open for you to decide on your own." I said as I stopped then held his hand as I took a drink of my stout. The effect of alcohol gave me shivers.

"You do not have to impress me by drinking. If want to go, we can leave." Kevin said with concern on his face.

"I'm fine. This happens every time I drink. I can hold my own." I smiled as I chugged half of the pint.

"Very well. I accept your challenge." Kevin said as he slammed his martini and ordered another.

****

Two hours later having drunk five martinis, three pints of Guinness, and three rounds of tequila shots we left the pub. Sarah made sure we had all of our belongings.

"Did you clear out the tab?" I asked trying my best not to appear to be drunk.

"I did and I put your card back in your wallet." Sarah said as she gave me a kiss goodbye. "I gave you Steven's address and keys. Please, make sure he makes it home safely." She gave a kiss on the cheek to Kevin as well.

"I will do so, on my honour as a gentleman. Also I'll ring you when I make it to his flat." Kevin said as he hailed a taxi.

Five minutes later we arrived at my building. Kevin paid the driver and we walked up to the entrance. "Do we have all of our things?" I asked.

"Yes and I have your keys so don't worry about them." Kevin calmly said as we walked in.

"Hello Mr. Cruz. How are you this evening?" I said kind of loudly.

"Mr. Steven? Have you been drinking?" Mr. Cruz asked as he called the elevator down.

"Shh. Maybe. Don't tell anyone." As I placed my finger over my mouth.

"Will you be staying the night?" Mr. Cruz asked Kevin.

"Yes. Just to make sure he is fit for work tomorrow. If you need for me to check myself in, I shall."

"Please. It is protocol for safety."

Kevin gave Mr. Cruz his drivers license and told Kevin, "Fifth floor. Go to the left and it is 5D."

"Thank you." Kevin and I walked in the elevator and before I knew it we were at my door. Kevin unlock the series of deadbolts then opened the door, placed me on my sofa and locked the door back.

"Mind a cuppa? Sorry, do you mind if I make us some tea?" Kevin asked.

"The kettle is under the sink, tea is in the cabinet to the left of the stove, sugar is on the counter, and the cream is in the fridge." I said as the room came into focus. I'm going to go to the bathroom." I said to Kevin.

I stumbled to the bathroom. I was able to relive myself, wash my hands, and splash some water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror seeing the brown eyes and brown short hair man stare back at me was almost surreal. I made it back to the sofa before the kettle went off.

"I am amazed that you were able to go to the washroom properly. You did miss one item though." Kevin laughed as he pointed to my crouch.

"Really, I left my zipper down. Well, at least nothing was compromised." I laughed as I pulled the zipper up, "I still have my dignity." I took a sip of my tea. The black oolong tea was just what I needed to begin my detox. Speaking more coherently, I asked Kevin, "Could you stay with me tonight? I will take the sofa and you can take my bed."

"I can take to sofa if you prefer. I do not mind." Kevin stated.

"You are my guest and I insist that you take my bed. I will be more than happy sleeping here." I smiled at him as he sat next to me. We placed the cups on the coffee table and turned facing each other. Kevin held out his hand, I was drawn to hold his hand. Maybe it was out of comfort or a unknown need to touch him, it just seemed right, natural, safe. "Do you believe in reincarnation? Like we are all souls looking for our other half, our soulmate. And that no matter distance, the time apart, the pain we suffer, our undying love, that eternal bound will guide us back to one another." I felt his hand squeeze mine.

"I do. But tell me, the words that you were repeating on the lift this afternoon, did you remember them from a dream last night?" Kevin half asked as he was scared about the answer and half confirmed as he knew I had the same dream.

"I did have a dream last night. It started off with dawn breaking, water flowing, birds singing, and snoring from someone familiar beside me."

"I was snoring, felt the kiss of someone familiar upon my lips, slowly I awoke saying that I slept the best that I had in a long time."

"I gave a gentle kiss, describing how the other slept, I pulled away to stand and was brought back into bed and kissed again."

"I remember saying that there was so much to do. Then we were holding hands..."

"...we walked out, it was spring at a cottage then desert a dry riverbed..."

"...Joshua trees changed into Sakura trees..."

"...rolling English hills became majestic..."

"...snow capped mountains..."

"...the banks of a lake. A water fall."

"...a rainbow. Midday sun."

Kevin shook and closed his eyes still holding my hand, "I want to be like this, with you, for all time." He opened his eyes and they were like beacons calling my lost soul into the safe harbor.

"You need to find me if you want that to happen." I felt the same feeling like in my dream although I was firmly seated on the sofa.

"How will I know when I see you?" Kevin asked in the same heartbreaking tone from my dream. His eyes fixated on my eyes and his hands now holding each of my hands.

"Follow your heart, it will lead the way. Your missing part, come what may." I began as I became emotional, tears began to form and fall down my cheeks.

"Unlock your mind, you will find. Eyes be kind, heart never blind." Kevin wrapped his arms around my neck and just held me as we both cried. We were exhausted from the events of the day. I cleaned up as he took a shower. I pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of lounge pants for him. After he was dressed I took a shower and put on a set of pajamas. Kevin made some popcorn and we watched a movie. I figure about halfway through the movie, we fell asleep on the sofa. We awoke to my alarm going off at six o'clock in the morning.

"Kevin. Oh, Kevin. Hey. It is time to wake up. We need to go to work." I said as I tried to wake him. He did look so cute just resting on my sofa. I thought I won the lottery.

He came around and asked if he snored, "I was too tired myself to notice, but I do remember sleeping in your arms. And I slept the best I have in a long time."

Kevin smiled and said, "I slept better than I have in ages." As he kissed me softly on the forehead.