"You really look like a snowman," Liam's voice rang out as Evan waited, leaning against his car door, reading the rest of the script.
He looked up and felt a surge of happiness seeing Liam there, waiting for him.
He stuck his tongue out at him in a childish gesture at the nickname.
"I'm not a snowman. It's called camouflage to avoid paparazzi."
Liam laughed louder and set the box he was carrying down. With his free hand, he ruffled Evan's hat, making a few blond strands escape uncontrollably.
"I've always wondered… Don't you get hot with all those clothes on?" Liam asked, and Evan smiled.
"No, actually, I'm usually always cold."
"I see. So you really are a snowman, and you're in the process of freezing."
Evan couldn't tell what amused him more: Liam's words or the fact that he said them with a completely serious face as he left the medical school of one of the most prestigious universities in the world. He laughed.
"That... Is that the script for your new movie?" Liam approached and read it while the blond boy was caught off guard. "What's your role?"
For a moment, the boy's nearness surprised him, but honestly, it didn't bother him, so he just smiled.
"This one," he pointed to the lines of the nameless angel.
"Wow, you're an angel," Liam stared at him intently. "It suits you," he smiled.
"Are you saying that because of my appearance?"
Because I have blond hair and pale skin, extremely blue eyes like the sky, and androgynous features, or at least that's what everyone always says.
"No, it's not because of that," Liam shook his head. "I say it because you always worry so much about others," he said with a smile.
Evan was speechless. He didn't know what to say. Was he really like that?
Liam bent down to pick up the box again and held it in his hands.
"Shall we go now?" Liam asked.
"Sure," Evan smiled, and with the car key in his hand, he unlocked the doors.
Liam put the cardboard box in the trunk and then got into the passenger seat while Evan took a sip from his can of Coca-Cola.
"You say you get cold easily, and you're drinking cold soda?" Liam laughed in the passenger seat as he fastened his seatbelt.
"The cold doesn't matter if I have my favorite soda," he said, and made another adorable pout.
"Actually, according to research from Cambridge University, drinking hot beverages won't stop our bodies from feeling cold. Quite the opposite, in fact, since our body temperature will rise, and with it, sweating," Liam began to explain. "It turns out that when you drink something hot, the receptors responsible for identifying the sensation of heat in the body pick up the signal and tell the brain what's happening. Upon receiving a message of heat, the brain activates a natural mechanism to cool the body: sweating. When it evaporates, we cool down quickly. On the other hand, with cold drinks, the body seeks to feel less of a difference with the outside temperature. So your logic of drinking cold drinks if you're cold isn't wrong," he paused his medical explanation to burst into loud laughter, leaving Evan bewildered. "What is wrong is that you drink carbonated beverages with artificial sweeteners so often. That's going to damage your health."
He gave Liam a light shove on the shoulder.
"Idiot! First, you talk like a medical expert, and then you come out with this nonsense!" Evan said, sticking his tongue out at him.
"It's not nonsense," he said, looking away through the car window. "I'm worried about your health, that's all."
That sweet moment felt somewhat awkward. Maybe it was because both boys had flushed their cheeks, or perhaps it was because they were both avoiding eye contact.
Evan started the car and began driving toward the younger boy's apartment.
"Wait," Liam said at the first red light. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, why?"
Liam smiled.
"Then let's go somewhere. I'll tell you which way to go."
.
.
.
They arrived at a local burger restaurant, where the grill was whirring outside and the smell of fresh meat wafted out onto the street. And, like every burger place, they had a soda machine.
Upon seeing the place, Evan beamed like a little kid, his eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.
"Come on, you can order a special cheeseburger and all the soda you want from the machine," Liam said with a smile before getting out of the car.
The excited blond boy stepped out, his mouth watering as he went through the door and smelled his favorite, freshly made food. Additionally, in contrast to fast-food chains, this local restaurant had fewer people, so he could relax without being recognized and eat comfortably without feeling exposed or guarded.
Looking at the menu, his eyes sparkled with excitement. Clearly, his manager was going to scold him when he found out he'd broken his diet, but for one day, it wouldn't hurt to treat himself to a cheeseburger, fries with ketchup, and soda. His mouth watered just looking at the pictures and reading about the different burgers.
Liam smiled at him. He was still the same blond, blue-eyed boy who got excited about the simplest things.
"Do you know what you're going to order?" Liam asked.
Although Liam already knew the answer, since Evan always ordered the same burger.
"Yes! A cheeseburger and fries," he replied with a smile. "And obviously, my Coke."
"Don't you get tired of drinking the same soda?" the blond boy replied with a smile. "Go find a table while I order."
"Okay!"
When Liam arrived with the owner to place their order, the friendly middle-aged man smiled at him. Evan and Liam were regular clients. They used to go there on weekends to eat a burger together ever since they discovered the place a few months ago. Because of this, Liam didn't let the blond man approach the employees and start a conversation.
"The usual?"
"Yes, the same as always."
He didn't even need to repeat his order, since they both always got their burger with cheese and fries.
The man smiled at him and handed over his ticket with their order number. Once they were ready, Evan's eyes shone with excitement.
.
Liam still remembers the first time they ate at that place with a pleasant nostalgia. He and Evan were still just friends, but they were starting to see each other more often, using any excuse to get together. They just wanted to see each other and be together, even though each one was busy with their own work and doing different things. Being in the same space as the other made them feel calm, comfortable, and happy. That's why Evan often insisted on accompanying Liam to his academic projects. While the younger man worked on his computer and studied with various open books scattered on the table, the actor memorized his scripts in a chair next to him. Each in silence, but together.
"Liam! I'm hungry, let's get something to eat."
"Well, go get something to eat. I'm busy."
The older man puffed out his cheeks in a pout. He went to the other's kitchen with complete nonchalance, as if he were in his own home, and began to search.
"Do you have anything other than instant noodles?" he asked with disappointment when he saw that, indeed, the university student's kitchen was empty.
"Who told you that you could come into my kitchen? This isn't your home." Even so, he wasn't really upset.
Evan laughed and innocently raised his hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Since you're so busy, I thought I'd be a good friend and cook for both of us, like a good guest. But I just realized your kitchen is emptier than mine."
"It's not like I have time to cook. I prefer to get takeout or eat at the nearest cafe."
"That's really bad of you, Liam!" he pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're supposed to be studying medicine, and you yourself aren't setting a good example by eating healthily at the right times."
Liam closed his laptop after saving the files where he'd left off, planning to continue later. He had plenty of time; it wasn't like what he was doing was urgent, so he could easily spend that afternoon with Evan and finish his project that night before going to bed.
"Oh, how annoying, you complain so much," he said, getting up from his chair and visually scanning the books he was using to remember where to continue.
Evan looked at him, confused, and swallowed nervously. He hoped he hadn't upset the younger man by crossing the line. He just wanted to be with him, just wanted to be with Liam. He didn't want to be a burden to the person who brought joy to his monotonous days.
But, fortunately, his thoughts were far from reality.
"Okay, let's go get something to eat," Liam said with a smile, and the blond's cheeks flushed pink.
He nodded and, after putting on his black cap and matching face mask to hide his face, eagerly followed the younger man to eat together.
They left the apartment building where Liam lived and began walking along the sidewalk without a specific destination in mind.
"What's your favorite food?" Liam asked, trying to sound nonchalant and hide his nervousness.
"Hamburgers, of course!" Evan replied, excited like a kid.
Liam laughed and smiled at the blond boy's bright smile.
"Seriously, your favorite food is something so simple?"
"What's wrong with that? Hamburgers are the best thing in the world!"
"I was expecting you to say some fancy gourmet food with a weird name, since you're an actor."
"Did I get that impression?"
Liam looked at him silently for a few short seconds.
"Yeah, a little," Liam said.
Evan's expression was a mixture of sadness and horror.
"When I first met you, you were putting way too much sugar on a caramel latte, and you got mad because I told you the caramel was already sweet. You can't blame me for thinking you had extravagant tastes because of the industry you work in."
The older boy's cheeks flushed red as he recalled that embarrassing moment from when they first met.
"It has nothing to do with my liking for sweet things."
Liam smiled at the blond boy with blue eyes. He was sure that his love for sweets stemmed from the fact that he himself was an extremely sweet person. Evan was incredibly kind and sweet.
"So, what's your favorite food?" Evan asked him.
"Honestly... anything is fine."
Evan laughed softly.
"Really? Then let's get a cheeseburger!
They searched online for nearby local burger restaurants that weren't big chains to avoid the crowds, finding a cozy place a few blocks away run by a friendly middle-aged man. Evan's eyes lit up like a child when he saw the menu, and he convinced the younger boy to order a cheeseburger and fries for both of them.
"Wow, this tastes really good," Liam said after trying it, under Evan's expectant gaze.
"Isn't it?" the blond boy smiled broadly, happily eating his burger.
And seeing him smile, Liam smiled too.
From that afternoon on, cheeseburgers became Liam Stone's favorite food, and he treasured the memory of that afternoon with Evan.