Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The blaring of his morning alarm rudely roused T.J. Kippen from his slumber. Groaning, he grabbed a second pillow and pressed it to his face but his phone wasn’t one to back down and continued to ring, hurting his ears. Blindly, he reached out with a hand to try and turn it off. After much fumbling, he finally took hold of it and, after much random tapping on the screen, managed to turn it off.

Sitting up, he stretched and stared at nothing for a while, not moving. He had the weirdest dream but couldn’t remember what it was. He stayed like that until his mother knocked loudly on his door, screaming that he was going to be late if he didn’t get up soon.

So, he got up and got ready for the day.

After an invigorating shower that finally woke him up, T.J. bounded out of his room and into the kitchen.

“Good morning, honey,” his mom greeted as she set a plate of toast on the table.

“Morning, mom.” 

He grabbed two pieces of toast and shoved one into his mouth before pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He spied a plate of chocolate chip muffins next to the carton. He swallowed the toast and washed it down with juice.

“You made muffins?” he asked, turning to open a drawer to grab a Ziploc bag.

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep last night,” she answered, watching as he grabbed three muffins and put them in the bag. “For Cyrus?”

T.J. grinned. “You know it.” 

He zipped the plastic bag close, slung his backpack on his shoulder, and kissed his mom on the cheek before bounding to the door.

“You’re not eating?” she called out after him. 

T.J. wordlessly raised the second toast in his hand to show her before heading out. He jogged to his car, a second-hand gray sedan, and got in. He placed the muffins on top of the storage compartment beside him before shoving the entire second piece of toast into his mouth. Chewing, he started the car, turned the stereo on, and began to drive. 

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to a familiar two-story house, like he had been for the past couple of months when he finally got his Driver’s License. On the steps of the house, a familiar face was already waiting. 

“Hey, Underdog!” 

Beaming, his best friend, Cyrus Goodman, bounded down the steps and jogged towards the car.

“Morning, basketball guy,” he greeted, shutting the door and getting himself settled.

T.J. picked up the Ziploc bag and handed it over. “Mom made chocolate chip muffins. Not your favorite, but close enough.”

“Oohhh, I love your mom’s muffins!” Cyrus accepted the bag and excitedly opened it. He took a large whiff then sighed. “Heavenly.” 

He took one out and took an enthusiastic bite, releasing a loud moan of happiness.

Chuckling, T.J. began to drive them both to school.

“Did you eat breakfast?” Cyrus asked.

“Yes, I had some toast. Don’t want someone to be on my back about it again,” T.J. replied, playfully.

“Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I will nag you until you make breakfast a habit!”

Ever since he got his license and his car and started picking up Cyrus every morning, T.J. tended to skip breakfast so he wouldn’t leave the other boy waiting. Unfortunately, Cyrus found out and went on a 10-minute lecture about how important breakfast was and why he needed to absolutely have something in his stomach before going to school. Needless to say, he now would try to at least have some toast before picking his friend up.

On the drive to school, Cyrus chattered on and on about his classes and upcoming assignments. T.J. didn’t mind just listening to him talk, it made the drive less boring. He chimed in when needed but otherwise, he concentrated on driving while still keeping his ears perked.

Finally, they arrived at Grant High School. T.J. parked in the student parking lot and together, the two entered the school. Cyrus continued to talk, telling him about how unfair his Physics teacher was on his last lab report. 

“… so I marched right in there and demanded he gives me the grade I deserve!” he finished with a flourish.

T.J. chuckled. “Did he give it to you?”

“Of course, he did! And if he didn’t, I would have made my points known in a PowerPoint presentation.”

 “Did you tell him that?”

 “Maybe.”

T.J. laughed and nudged his shoulder. “You’re getting braver and braver every year. I’m proud of you, Underdog.”

Cyrus beamed up at him and T.J. couldn’t help but smile back. It always amazed T.J. how the simplest things could make Cyrus happy.

“Oh! There’s Lance!”

And, just like that, his mood darkened at the mere sound of the name. 

“I’ll see you later, okay, Teej?”

T.J. forced his voice out. “Yeah, see you later.”

With one last cute wave, Cyrus bounded down the hall. T.J. watched in quiet jealousy as he jumped onto the back of another student, his lips parted in wide laughter. The guy turned around and wrapped his arms around Cyrus’ waist before leaning in and pecking his lips.

At this, T.J. turned his head away for a moment but was unable to resist. He looked back just in time to see them holding hands and walking away, eventually disappearing in the crowd of students.

“Wassup, Kippen?” 

T.J. sighed and turned his head. “Hey, Marty,” he greeted with a small smile.

The two walked down the hall together, since their lockers were near each other. 

“Judging from your murderous-looking face, I assume you witnessed our little CyGuy jumping into his boyfriend’s arms again, huh?” Marty said, casually. 

T.J. felt a prick of irritation but he knew Marty didn’t mean anything malicious by it. Ever since they met through Cyrus and Buffy, the track star had surprisingly been a good friend and confidante to T.J. They were both athletic and considered the best in their respective sports. They were competitive. And they both liked a member of the Good Hair Crew so he supposed their bond made sense. Unlike T.J., though, Marty actually succeeded with dating Buffy. Meanwhile, T.J. remained as the best friend. 

From the moment they met back in the 7^th grade, T.J. knew that he was smitten by the cute Jewish boy with the pretty brown eyes and the smile that rivaled the sun. In the 8^th grade, Cyrus came out as gay to him and he was over the moon with joy because it meant he had a chance. But, sadly, even though he also came out to the other boy with confidence, he didn’t have quite as much when it came to confessing his feelings. 

“Marty, don’t even start with me,” he mumbled, finally reaching his locker and hurriedly putting the combination in. 

A few lockers down, Marty was doing the same. “It was just an observation,” he said. “And I still don’t trust that guy.” 

Neither did T.J. but he wasn’t going to say that to Cyrus’ face. Not when his friend was so happy.

A locker slammed and in a few beats, Marty was beside him. “You know, you could try to steal him away. They’re probably not even that serious.”

T.J. chuckled, humorlessly. “They’ve been dating for a month and a half. That seems pretty serious to me.”

“Pshhh. You know that’s not true. How long did Cyrus’ longest relationship last?” 

“A year,” T.J. answered, immediately.

Of course, he knew. He kept track.

“And his shortest?” Marty continued to prod.

“A month.”

“See? Lance hasn’t even come close.”

He was correct about that. But, that didn’t mean that this new relationship wouldn’t last, either.

T.J. regretted being a coward back then. By the time he managed to gather the nerve and strength to tell Cyrus how he felt about him, the other boy started dating someone else. And because of that, T.J. had no choice but to back off so Cyrus could enjoy his first real relationship. It lasted a month and the two only broke up because they were going to different high schools. Back then, T.J. thought it was best to give Cyrus time to heal from his breakup before attempting to confess his feelings again.

But he made another fatal mistake: he waited too long. They started high school and Cyrus met someone new at the GSA Club. They hit it off and started dating. This one lasted a year and they were on and off throughout. They broke up when they realized that they were better off as friends and Cyrus got tired of the breakup and make up routine.

And, now, they were Juniors and Cyrus - after taking a year off from dating to concentrate on his studies and heal his broken heart - was dating a new guy...who still wasn’t T.J.

Lance was also a jock, a lacrosse player. They met a few months ago through Cyrus’ second ex (whom he was still friendly with, interestingly). Lance had, according to Cyrus, “the softest dark hair and the sweetest brown eyes” and had never dated a boy before but found him cute and sweet enough so he went for it and asked him out.

Cyrus seemed to really like him.

Cyrus’ friends did not, but they wouldn’t dare tell him that and ruin his happiness (Buffy had quite a lot to say about Lance but only around T.J. and Marty and occasionally Andi and Jonah). Besides, the guy seemed to treat Cyrus pretty well. Maybe it was their own distrust and worry for their bubbly friend that made them so protective (and the rest of them may or may not be aware of T.J.’s feelings, but he wasn’t quite sure).

T.J. stuffed the things he needed into his backpack before slamming the locker door closed. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, walking down the hall to homeroom with Marty next to him. “Besides, I’m not the type to steal other people’s boyfriends, no matter how much I like them.” 

Marty whistled. “You, my friend, are a martyr.” 

T.J. snorted. “Why do you say that?”

Marty whistled again. “Four years of pining after the same guy? Anyone would go crazy.”

“Well, Cyrus is first and foremost my friend. So, it’s not a big deal if I never date him.”

Saying that out loud, though, really put a damper on his already dark mood.

“Like I said. Martyr.”

“At least I didn’t ignore him for six months just cause he wouldn’t date me,” he threw back. 

Marty hissed. “Low blow, Kippen.”

T.J. chuckled. “You have to admit, it was a crappy thing to do.”

“I was 13! Do I need to remind you of the shit you used to do?”

“Your girlfriend never fails to remind me every day.”

Finally, T.J. reached his homeroom. “See ya later, Mr. Driscoll.”

“Dude, I told you, my last name is-.”

The bell rang, cutting him off. Cursing under his breath, Marty ran off to head to his own homeroom.

T.J. lightly chuckled as he settled himself on his usual seat. He propped his head on his arms on the desk and let out a soft sigh.

During study hall, he made his way to the library. He had an English report to finish writing and there was a book he needed as a reference. He placed his things in a single desk by the window before going up to the librarian’s desk to ask where he could find the title he needed. She directed him to some bookshelves in the back. 

He scanned the shelves, finger brushing the spines of the tomes as he carefully read the titles. Finally, he found the one he needed and pulled it out. He opened it up to a random page, scanning quickly before deciding that it was definitely the right one.

He was about to head back when hushed voices caught his attention.

“Do we have to meet here? What if someone sees us?” 

“No one comes here.” 

“How do you know?”

“Just, trust me, okay?”

Now, T.J. wasn’t one to pry in other people’s business. In fact, he preferred to stay out of them. But, the voice was familiar.

He took a few steps towards the end of the bookshelf and peeked around the corner. 

A familiar face stood there with an unfamiliar one.

“Hey, Lance,” T.J. called out.

The two swiveled to look at him.

Cyrus’ boyfriend looked like a deer caught in headlights. “T.J. Hey. Um, we’re just working on a project.”

T.J. raised an eyebrow. He didn’t ask, but okay.

The girl with Lance flashed him a soft smile before turning around to scan the bookshelves. 

“Okay, cool.” T.J. tilted his head at him before turning on his heels and walking off.

He settled back in his seat with his book. For the next 20 minutes, he forgot about Lance and the girl, too immersed in finishing his report. Finally, he ended it with a period and a satisfying crack of his fingers.

He had another 10 minutes to kill before his next class so he subtly fished his phone from his pocket. He went through his social media accounts, replied to a random text from Cyrus about his perfect score on his last History quiz, and scanned his e-mail.

There was one from the Red Rooster, so he tapped on it. 

Hi T.J.,

Your order of “Cyndi Lauper "Time After Time" Demo 45 rpm” is ready for pick-up at The Red Rooster. Below is your order #.

T.J. cheered on the inside. He bought the record for his mom for her birthday and he was paranoid that it wouldn’t arrive on time.

Quickly, he took a screenshot before exiting his e-mail and opening up his messages. He tapped on Cyrus’ contact and quickly texted.

Do you mind if we stop by the Red Rooster after school? My order came in.

He put the phone away as soon as he was done, knowing that Cyrus was in class but would see it two periods from then. For now, he would just relax. He still had 5 minutes.

“I can’t believe you won’t go to the Red Rooster alone,” Cyrus teased as they walked to T.J.’s car.

Well, T.J. could but he liked spending time with Cyrus.

“It’s not like I won’t,” he tried to explain himself. “I just prefer going there with you. Andi’s dad likes you.” He grinned. “He might give me a discount for being your friend." 

Cyrus’ mouth fell open in mock offense. “Are you using me, T.J. Kippen?!” 

“Of course not, Cyrus Goodman.” T.J. smirked as he unlocked his car. “I’m just using your connections.”

Cyrus made a face at him before breaking into a smile and getting in the car.

The drive was pleasant. They talked about their day, what happened, and what they expect for tomorrow. Normally, they sat together at lunch along with Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and Marty, but after Cyrus started dating Lance, he had been taking most of his lunch hours with the lacrosse player and his friends. Some days, he ate with them, but that day was not one of those days. 

“So… how are you gonna surprise your mom?” Cyrus asked. 

“Well, I was thinking about making her breakfast in bed and then giving her the record,” T.J. replied. “I probably have to wake up early, though, cause that’s a school day. You wanna come over and help me?”

“I’d have to sleep over the night before then 'cause I don’t have a car, remember?” 

“Ahh, speaking of that, when are you taking your driver’s license test?”

“I'm taking my time to be mentally prepared! Driving is no easy feat, you know!”

T.J. laughed and winked at him. “Then, how come I can do it?”

“Because you’re T.J.! You can do anything.”

He had so much faith in him. 

The jock hummed. “Not everything. I still suck at Math, remember?”

“But you’re getting B’s. Doesn’t sound like sucking to me.”

Ahhh, Cyrus always managed to find a way to make him remember that he was fine just the way he was. If only he would apply that notion to himself too, sometimes. 

“You warm my heart,” T.J. replied, giving him a quick glance to smile at him before turning his gaze back on the road. “How about this? Whenever you’re ready, just give me the word and I’ll help you with driving, okay? That way, when you get your license, you can pick me up for once so I can sleep in now and then!”

He tried to sound annoyed but truth be told, he really didn’t mind picking Cyrus up. In fact, he volunteered.

“You volunteered!” Cyrus exclaimed. 

Could you blame him? He liked having extra Cyrus-time in the morning before everyone else did. 

 “But… I’ll take you up on your offer… when I’m ready.” 

T.J. nodded. “You got it.”

They were nearing the Red Rooster and luckily, there was an empty parking space a block away. T.J. put two quarters in the meter, figuring they wouldn’t need more than an hour. They walked side-by-side, hand lightly brushing each other’s, like they always did.

The little bell rang out when they entered. The story was practically empty. Andi’s dad, Bowie, was at the counter, talking to a couple with their daughter.

T.J. and Cyrus walked up and stood behind them to wait their turn.

Bowie looked up at them, anyway. “Hey, guys. What brings you here?”

T.J. held up his phone. “I got an e-mail about my order.”

“Oh, yeah, I think I saw the record out back earlier. Give me 5 minutes while I finish up with these lovely folks here. But, feel free to browse. I’ll bring it right out for you.” 

“Thank you, Bowie!” Cyrus piped.

“Thanks!”

Cyrus looked around before gasping. He turned to T.J. “I spy some new flutes!” he exclaimed, practically skipping over to said instruments, excitedly. 

“Don’t get lost!” T.J. called after him.

Shaking his head, he turned the opposite direction and headed for the back where he knew the sales items were. Maybe he could find some bargain records while he was at it.

He found a box filled to the brim with the item and mindlessly thumbed through them, his eyes sharp for anything he recognized or had an interesting title. His mind was so occupied that he almost didn’t hear the strange sounds and the scuffles, only a few feet away, until something sounded like it fell on the floor. 

T.J. curiously looked up from the box. He didn’t know why but something was telling him to abandon the records and check out the noise.

He followed his instincts and took careful steps towards the back.

He frowned when he came upon a couple, in the throes of passion as their lips seemed to be glued to each other’s, in between the shelves of old CDs and vintage cassette tapes. A CD was on the floor by their feet. 

Of all places to make out, it was at the back of the Red Rooster.

Red mostly from being caught off-guard by the scandalous sight, T.J. rolled his eyes and turned to leave but stopped. He just realized that the guy was wearing a Grant High School Lacrosse Team jacket. 

He narrowed his eyes as he zeroed in on a familiar hairstyle… the height… the blue worn-out sneakers… and the threaded bracelet that he had watched Cyrus labor over for two weeks. 

T.J. felt himself go cold. He stood there for god knows how long, just watching and trying to control the overwhelming urge to hit something. 

Finally, the two must have felt his presence as they finally broke apart and the guy in the Lacrosse jacket turned around.

Lance’s brown eyes, the same ones that Cyrus gushed over, flickered from annoyance to fear.

And, T.J.’s vision turned red.

Chapter Text

Cyrus hummed to himself as he happily explored the rack of flutes. They were so pretty and shiny and his fingers twitched to hold one, but he knew the Red Rooster was adamant about not touching the instruments unless you were planning on buying one. So, he simply admired, fondly recalling his first ex.

Tommy was in Marching Band back in Middle School and played the flute. In the brief time they dated, he taught Cyrus how to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Cyrus could still remember how but he really wasn’t any good at it. Tommy was nice about his lack of musical talent though. Last he heard, his ex was still in Marching Band in private school and doing rather well.  

His second ex, Freddie, played drums but he never taught Cyrus. It was fine, though, Cyrus wasn’t really interested in learning it. Too loud for his sensitive ears. It was fun watching Freddie play with his band, though.

His current boyfriend, Lance, didn’t play any instruments but he was a jock. A lacrosse player. He was really good. Cyrus didn’t understand the game very much but he did his duty as the supportive boyfriend and went to all his games, complete with a large sign.

Cyrus continued to explore, wondering if he could sneak a short test run with one and not get caught.

Just then, a loud “smack”, a girl screaming, a “thud”, and a series of expletives from a voice he knew very well interrupted his musings.

Alarmed, he rushed out of the flute aisle, following the noise. At the counter, Bowie excused himself from his customers. With the man following behind him, Cyrus made his way to the back.

He skidded to a stop, eyes and mouth open wide at the sight in front of him.

“T.J.!”

He saw his friend freeze, his fists still grasping the front shirt of the guy under him. A guy they both knew well. 

Cyrus furrowed his brows. “Lance?”

His boyfriend was coughing and wriggling on the floor, sporting a bleeding lip. 

What the hell was going on?!

“What is going on here?!” Bowie growled as he moved forward and grabbed T.J. by the back of his hoodie and pulled him away from the lacrosse player.

T.J. looked, for lack of a better word, pissed. As soon as he was on his feet, he made to lunge at Lance again but Cyrus grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“T.J.! What is going on?! Why are you and Lance fighting?!”

His friend’s chest was heaving as he breathed in and out.

Cyrus felt torn. On the one hand, he wanted to scold T.J. for hitting his boyfriend and then go and comfort said boyfriend. But, on the other hand, he was worried that if he didn’t hold on to T.J., his friend would go berserk again and punch the living daylights out of Lance. And, plus, T.J. would never hit someone without a reason so something was definitely wrong.

“I’m going to repeat myself,” Bowie said, getting in between the two. “What is going on here?!”

“That asshole is cheating on Cyrus!” was T.J.’s bitter answer.

Those words stopped Cyrus cold. He dropped T.J.’s arm. “W-What?”

T.J. finally turned to him, his face softer now. “He’s cheating on you,” he repeated.

It felt like a hand enclosed itself around his heart… and was squeezing. Hard.

Cyrus couldn’t breathe all of a sudden.

His eyes went back to Lance, who had picked himself up from the floor with the help of a random girl… who, now that he thought about it, was probably not a random girl, at all.

In fact, Cyrus recognized her. She often came to Lacrosse games and sat directly behind him.

“L-Lance?”

His boyfriend opened his mouth to answer but couldn’t seem to find the words so he closed it again and looked away.

“T.J., I know you’re angry but I can’t tolerate violence in my store,” Bowie was saying but he sounded distant in Cyrus’ ears.

He was still staring at Lance.

“W-What is T.J. t-talking about?” he continued to prod, feeling his eyes sting.

Lance… his sweet and ever-affectionate Lance… finally looked up.

“Cyrus, please let me explain,” he said but stopped again, looking hesitant.

The girl beside him squeezed his arm and Cyrus zeroed in on her hands. He wanted to tear those ugly-manicured fingers off of his boyfriend’s arm. He wanted to scream and shout at her. He wanted to ask her why she would do this when he had never done anything awful to her.

He tore his gaze away from her to look at his cheating boyfriend.

Lance. How could he?! He trusted him with everything he was! For the past month and a half, Cyrus was a loyal and devoted boyfriend! And he dared to do this to him?! 

For the first time in his life, he wanted to commit an act of violence and punch Lance the same way T.J. did. 

Cyrus’ hands curled into fists at his side.

“Is it true?” he asked, surprised at how strong his voice was, considering that he was falling apart on the inside.

Again, Lance looked up. “I’m sorry,” was all he said.

That was all the confirmation Cyrus needed. His eyes threatened to spill tears but he forced them not to. He refused to look like the victim.

Instead, he raised his head high and swallowed the lump in his throat.

“We’re over.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “Cyrus, wait, let me explain-.”

But, Cyrus spun on his heels and ran out of the store, refusing to wait or hear an explanation.

He still couldn’t breathe and his legs felt weak but he pushed himself forward, blindly searching for the familiar gray sedan. He could fear footsteps behind him, chasing after him. But, he didn’t stop to wait. He didn’t want to wait.

Finally, he reached the car and tried to pull at the door handle of the passenger seat, but of course, it didn’t budge. It was locked and he didn’t have the keys.

“Cyrus.”

Taking a deep breath, he spun around in his heels.

T.J. was jogging towards him, frazzled.

Cyrus forced a smile on his face. “Let’s go home. It’s getting late and we have homework.” He looked at T.J.’s empty hands and frowned. “Where’s your record?”

T.J. furrowed his brows. “Uh, I told Bowie I’d pick it up tomorrow, instead.” He stepped forward. “Cyrus-.”

“Open the door, please. I want to go home.”

“Cy-.”

“T.J., please!”

He didn’t mean to raise his voice but it worked. T.J. unlocked the doors and Cyrus wasted no time sliding in and slamming it close. The noise made him wince, but otherwise, he kept his gaze out the window. He heard T.J. entering the driver’s side and shutting his own door. It took him a moment to start the car but stayed parked.

“Cyrus, if you want to talk-.”

“I don’t,” Cyrus bitterly replied. “Just… take me home. Please.”

It took another beat of just complete silence but, finally, T.J. put his car into gear.

The drive was quiet, the radio only a faint sound in their ears. T.J. didn’t dare to turn it up and Cyrus appreciated that. He needed to process what just happened. He pictured the scene from earlier over and over again, wondering if it was all just an awful dream that he was about to wake up from. His earlier fury had dissipated, leaving simple numbness and he didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

When the car stopped outside his mother’s house where he was staying for the next three month, Cyrus grabbed his bag from the backseat and turned to T.J. with a forced smile.

“Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow.”

“Cyrus-.”

He was out the door before his friend could finish whatever he wanted to say. But, Cyrus didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear anything. He was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a hundred years.

He ran up to his front door, jammed his key in, and entered. Thankfully, his mother and step-father weren’t home from work yet so he didn’t have to explain his sudden rush upstairs to his room.

Barging into his bedroom, he threw his bag to the side and jumped under the covers of his bed, pulling the sheets over his head. As soon as his head hit the pillow, the sobs came.

Painful. Wracking. And loud.

He hated the way he sounded. He despised how the tears just kept coming and wouldn’t stop. And the hand around his heart was squeezing even harder… tighter.

So deep he was in his grief that he didn’t notice the footsteps coming up the stairs, the sound of his door opening and closing, and more footsteps heading for him. Not until he felt the bed dip with a weight.

“Underdog?” called out the soft voice.

Cyrus sniffled as curled further into himself. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he croaked.

“That’s okay,” T.J. replied, moving a bit.

Cyrus felt his friend settle on the bed next to him, on top of the covers to give him his privacy.

His heart warmed in gratitude at the gesture.

“I’ll stay here with you, if that’s okay?” T.J. continued.

Cyrus hummed his consent.

Having T.J. there distracted his crying and for a moment, he felt calm, simply breathing deeply as he tried to compose himself. Then, his heart ached and the tears came again, spilling from his eyes like an open faucet. He felt so cold, lonely, and… unwanted.

Rolling around, he scooted close to the figure beside him, snuggling into T.J.’s side. He felt a hand place itself on his back, rubbing. It was warm, soothing, and gentle. It made his sobs soften into hiccups, even if the tears still flowed.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed in that position but the exhaustion of the day’s events finally caught up to him and soon, he found his mind going blank as he lost consciousness.

When Cyrus came to, he was alone in his bedroom.

“T.J.?” he called out but there was no answer.

Blinking wearily, he fumbled through his pockets for his phone. The device revealed that it was now 6:30pm so he had slept for two hours. He also had a text from T.J. and several texts and missed calls from Lance.

Cyrus deleted Lance’s messages without opening them and blocked his number. Then, he opened up T.J.’s text.

Best Basketball Guy In The World:  Hey. I left when ur mom got home. I didn’t tell her what happened but I told her that ur not feeling well. Text me when u wake up? Wanna be sure ur ok. I’m here for u, Cy.

His lips quirked into a small smile as he typed his reply.

Just woke up. Thanks for today. I really appreciate it. Sorry I was a mess.

The reply was instant and he wondered if T.J. had been staring at his phone, just waiting for him to text. The image warmed his heart as he read the reply.

Best Basketball Guy In The World:  You’re allowed to be and I’m here for you, ok? Get some rest. I’ll bring you muffins tomorrow. Luv u underdog.

Since they met in middle school, the blonde had always been there for him, being the hand that pushed him to go beyond his comfort zone as well as providing a crying shoulder when it was needed. He wouldn’t have made it through that entire ordeal at the Red Rooster without T.J. For sure, if he had been alone, he would have broken down on the sidewalk outside the store.

Cyrus smiled and texted back. Thank u. Luv u 2 basketball guy.

Sighing, Cyrus laid back down on his bed. It was almost dinner time but he didn’t feel hungry at all. He just wanted to go back to sleep and forget that today ever happened.

Gathering what little strength he had, he sat up again and grabbed his phone. This time, he opened up his group chat with Andi and Buffy.

Hey. You guys free to Facetime?

He anxiously watched the bubbles pop up until he received replies from both.

Andiman: Yeppp!

Slayer:  Yep!

He tapped on the call button.

“Heeey,” Andi greeted.

“Hi, guys!” Buffy piped.

Cyrus forced a smile on his face. “Hi,” he said, softly.

Immediately, the girls frowned. Buffy brought her face closer to the screen, furrowing her brows.

“Cy? You okay?”

He swallowed and shook his head, feeling his chest aching as the tears threatened to spill from his eyes again.

“What happened?!” Andi screamed.

“Cyrus, you can tell us anything!” added Buffy.

That did it. Everything spilled. The tears. Lance’s betrayal. Cyrus’ broken heart.

By the time he was done, Andi’s nose was flaring and Buffy looked ready to kill.

“I never trusted him!” his athletic friend hissed. “He’s dead meat!”

That made Cyrus smile a little. “T.J. already punched him for me,” he said, rather proudly.

“Just one punch? Pfft.” Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Because I stopped him! He would have gotten into more trouble if he kept at it. And as much as I’m angry at Lance right now, I don’t want him to get hurt.” He paused and re-tracked. “At least, not too much.”  

The girls lightly laughed at his attempt to joke.

“You’re too kind sometimes, Cyrus,” Andi said with a sigh. “Do you want us to come over?”

“Yeah, we’ll bring ice cream and awful rom-coms.”

Cyrus chuckled. “Thanks, guys. But, it’s a school night.”

“Just ice cream then!” Buffy compromised.

Cyrus didn’t really think that he could stomach anything at that point but he did need hugs from his best friends. So, he nodded.

“Okay. I’ll let my parents know. Oh, god, my parents!” He bit his lip in worry. “Should I tell them what happened?”

“Do you want them to know?” Andi asked.

“I… I don’t know.”

Well, it wasn’t like his parents met Lance, yet. He had been planning on bringing him over at some point but the opportunity just never came. Now, he was glad that he never did.

Cyrus shrugged before sniffling. “I should get cleaned up before dinner. Come over in an hour? Bring homework.”

“We’ll be there!” Andi promised.

Giving them a smile, he waved good-bye and hung up. As soon as the screen was black, the smile disappeared. He deeply sighed again before pushing himself up to his feet and heading for the bathroom to clean up.

He was quiet during dinner. And he knew his parents noticed because they kept glancing at each other and him. Normally, he would tell them about his day and chatter on about school. It must be unusual to have him be so tight-lipped and poking at his food.

“Cyrus, honey,” his mom finally broke the silence. “Are you feeling sick? T.J. said you weren’t feeling good.”

He forced a smile and shook his head. “I’m fine, mom. You know, T.J. He worries.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Actually, Buffy and Andi are coming over later to work on some homework with me. Is that okay?”

Not out of the ordinary. His friends came over all the time to do homework and work on projects. So, his parents gave their approval.

They weren’t quite as inquisitive compared to when he was in middle school and he was kind of thankful for that. Something about letting him experience a full high school life without their interference, but they always made sure that he knew that he could talk to them if he needed to. 

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell them about the cheating, yet. His mother would surely call his father and he and Todd would probably act tough and say they would beat Lance up for his honor (though neither of them could really hurt a fly). Then, his mom and Sharon would probably not-so-subtly force him to talk about his feelings of betrayal and have him shoot darts at a picture of Lance.... or something along those lines.

Nope. He wasn’t prepared for that. Not yet, anyway. He just wanted to wallow and cry and maybe eat ice cream with the girls.

A little after dinner finished, the doorbell rang. Cyrus immediately ran to answer it.

Andi and Buffy, his best friends in the whole wide world, stood on his doorstep with their book bags and three pints of ice cream.

At the sight of them, his eyes watered and his lips wobbled. Wasting no time, the girls immediately moved forward to envelop him in warm and loving hugs. He pulled them close, allowing himself to cry again.

Lance may no longer want him but he knew that these two always would.

After a night of eating ice cream with his best friends, ranting about how awful boys were, and immersing themselves in homework, Cyrus thought he would feel better by morning.

But, the second he opened his eyes, the memories of the day before came crashing back all at once.

Cyrus felt like a giant was weight on top of him, refusing to let him move.

The pain of betrayal. The feeling of being unwanted. Being made to look like a fool.

How many people knew? If T.J. never found out, how much longer would it have gone?

He stared at the ceiling, silent tears leaving his eyes and he couldn’t even be bothered to wipe them away because they wouldn’t stop, anyway. He had lost count on how many times he had broken down crying.

“Cyrus, honey? It’s time to get up! You’re going to be late for school.”

Cyrus tried. He really did. But, he just couldn’t.

He heard the knob twist and the door opened. Footsteps came closer and his mother appeared in front of him, looking worried.

“Cyrus?”

“I… don’t want to go to school, mom,” he croaked.

“Honey, what happened?!” His mother settled on the bed next to him, panicked. “Why are you crying?! Is something hurting?! Do you feel sick?!”

She placed a hand on his forehead.

Yes. He felt sick. Heartsick.

“I don’t want to go to school today, mom,” he repeated, the tears coming even faster now. “Please don’t make me. I can’t… I can’t go to school today.”

“Cyrus, honey, what’s wrong? Tell me, please. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

For the first time since he was a little boy, Cyrus sought the warmth and comfort of his mother. He gingerly moved towards her so he could lay his head on her lap. He felt like he was small again and he had fallen and hurt his knee after his first attempt to ride a bike.

“Cyrus?” she called out, softly, as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He sniffled. “I got played, mom,” he finally answered. “Lance played with my heart. And I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh, Cyrus.”

His mother wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

And, Cyrus couldn’t do anything else but cry as he felt his heart breaking again.

Chapter Text

When T.J. pulled up to the Goodman home that morning, the porch steps were empty. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he decided to give it another minute or so. Cyrus was rarely late in the mornings but then again, after everything that happened the day before, T.J. couldn’t blame him if he was a little delayed.

When five minutes passed and the door never opened, T.J. grabbed the bag of chocolate-chocolate chip muffins from the compartment beside him and exited his car. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

Cyrus’ mother opened the door. “Oh, good morning, T.J.,” she greeted with a kind smile. “I’m sorry but Cyrus isn’t feeling well enough to go to school today.”

The way she flashed him a knowing look after saying that made T.J. realize that she was aware of what happened.

“He told you?” he asked, hesitantly.

Sighing, she nodded. “Thank you for taking care of him yesterday.”

“Yeah, of course. He’s my best friend.” He looked down at the muffins in his hand before handing them over to her. “Can you give him these? My mom made them last night.”

Dr. Goodman nodded, taking the bag. “Of course. I’ll let him know you stopped by when he wakes up. He went back to sleep.”

“Thank you.”

He gave her a polite nod before turning on his heels to get back to his car.

For the first time since he got his license, he was driving to school alone. The absence of enthusiastic chatter made the silence all the more glaring so he turned up the stereo.

It felt a little strange arriving at school alone and just following the crowd. He had gotten used to Cyrus being next to him. Alone, he went to his locker to grab the things he needed for the day.

“Kippen.”

T.J. froze upon hearing the voice he knew and despised so much. 

Scowling, he turned around to see the brunette Lacrosse player who broke his best friend’s heart standing there. T.J. felt a smidge of satisfaction at seeing a bruise marring the corner of the guy’s lips and a little regret that he didn’t do more than just one punch.

“You got some nerve showing your face to me after what you did,” he spat, making sure to lace his words with poison.

Lance’s confidence faltered before he schooled his features to that of the cocky bastard he was.

“Whatever. Where’s Cyrus? I need to talk to him.”

At that, T.J. barked out a sarcastic laugh. “And you think I’d let him talk to you?”

“Pfft, you’re not his boyfriend, Kippen.”

Low blow, but he didn’t let it bother him.

“Neither are you. At least at the end of the day, I’m still his best friend.” He chuckled without humor. “You think after what you pulled, Cyrus would want to get back with you? You’re over, remember? He said so.”

“I can get him back if I want to,” Lance replied, cockily.

T.J. raised a brow. “Really? You think he’d take you back? A little overconfident there, aren’t we, buddy?”

Lance’s gaze flared. “Look, here, Kippen-.”

“No, you look here, Parker.” Squaring his shoulders and standing tall and intimidating, T.J. took a step forward. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to stay away from Cyrus. Don’t look at him. Don’t talk to him. Don’t even think about him. Or so help me, I’m going to make sure you’ll never play another game of Lacrosse again. A shame to miss out on those college scouts, right?”

It was an empty threat. T.J. would never actually hurt him (much). But, his old reputation as a middle school bad boy still preceded him. Not to mention, his height allowed him to tower over the Lacrosse player. 

Lance seemed to have lost all his confidence and swagger from earlier. He knew that T.J. had the physical capabilities to render him unable to play another game. He had proven it the day before.

He scoffed. “Fine. Whatever. Keep him, then.” He looked T.J. up and down, wrinkling his nose. “He was boring, anyway.”

T.J. made to lunge at him in anger, school rules be damned.

“Whoa there, Kippen.”

A hand landed on his shoulder and forcibly pulled him back. He turned his head to see Marty, flashing him a warning look. When T.J. turned back to Lance, the bastard was already walking away.

T.J. shrugged Marty’s hand off. “You shouldn’t have stopped me,” he said, heading back to his locker.

“If I didn’t and you got in trouble for beating him up and Cyrus found out, you know you’d regret it,” Marty replied, harshly.

He was right. Unfortunately.

T.J. just huffed, choosing not to respond. After getting heated from that encounter, he needed to clear his head.

Marty leaned against the locker next to T.J.’s. “How’s Cyrus?” he asked, more gently.

T.J. sighed, shutting his locker and swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Not good. He’s not in today. His mom told me he went back to sleep.”

“He’s really broken up about this, huh?” Marty stated as they began to walk together.

“He got cheated on Marty, of course, he is!”

Marty raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I just… they didn’t seem serious. At least, Lance didn’t seem to be.”

“When Cyrus likes someone, he gives it his all. No matter what his relationship with Lance was like, I know he gave it his all. That’s why this is breaking him. That… that bastard doesn’t deserve him.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

They walked in silence for a moment, T.J.’s fury slowly being replaced by worry for Cyrus again. He wondered if he should text him just to check in.

“How are you doing, though?” Marty asked.

“Me? I’m fine. It’s Cyrus who’s hurt, Marty.”

“Yeah… but when Cyrus cries, you’re unfocused until he feels better.”

It was true. He hated whenever Cyrus cried. He wanted to cheer him up until he smiled again. For all of Cyrus’ past breakups, he was there as a shoulder to cry on. But, this time, he knew it would take more than just muffins and a High School Musical marathon to take away the pain.

He sighed. “I don’t know, man. I just… I can’t get his face out of my head. How hurt he was and all I want is to just…”

“Kiss his tears away?” Marty teased.

T.J. glared at him but didn’t deny it because, yes, that was exactly what he wanted to do. All the time.

“All I can do right now is just be there for him, like I always am,” he replied.

“At least now you have a chance with him,” Marty tried to help.

“I… wasn’t even thinking about that. You know, too busy being worried about my best friend while trying to not destroy his asshole of an ex.” They finally reached his homeroom. “Anyway, I’ll text him to ask how he is before the bell rings. I’ll see you, guys, at lunch.”

Marty nodded. “See ya.”

T.J. found his seat and sat down before taking his phone out to text.

Underdog Cyrus: Hey. Just checking in if ur OK. I gave ur mom muffins. Let me know if u want to talk. I’ll come right over. Luv u, underdog.

He felt his lips twitch at the last line. He wasn’t shy about telling Cyrus he loved him, anymore. He just wished he had the guts to tell him how deep that love really went. But, as long as Cyrus was okay, he would do everything in his power to make him happy again.

Time seemed to drag on the entire day. T.J. had History with Cyrus and he normally enjoyed the class. But, that day, his friend’s absence was felt even more as he didn’t have a seat partner to do the day’s class activity with.

Lunch couldn’t have arrived sooner and when it finally did, he bought his food and made his way to his usual table with the Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and Marty. (Some days, he would sit with the basketball team for socialization purposes, but that day was not one of those days.)

They were already seated and digging into their food when he arrived. Andi, Buffy, and Marty were seated on one side so he slid into the seat next to Jonah across from them. He sadly stared at Cyrus’ empty spot next to him and sighed.

“Did you hear from Cyrus?” Andi asked him.

He nodded. “He texted me around third period. He said he was feeling better but he’ll probably skip school for the rest of the week. Good thing it’s Thursday.” He stirred his bowl of chili. “I brought him muffins this morning. I hope it helps.”

“We should try to see him after school,” said Buffy.

“That’s a good idea, we can bring his homework,” added Jonah.

T.J. groaned in disappointment. “I have basketball practice today.”

Jonah nudged his arm with his elbow and grinned. “Don’t worry, we’ll tell him you miss him.”

T.J. blushed but before he could respond, Andi let out an excited squeal. She was looking at her phone and Buffy leaned over to look.

She snorted. “It’s just Amber,” she said, exaggeratedly rolling her eyes but she was smiling.

“She said she did really well on her Sociology test!” Andi squealed as she enthusiastically texted back. Finishing, she put her phone down and sighed, forlornly. “I miss her.”

Andi and Amber were a surprise to everyone. Last year, Andi realized that she might also like girls… and by girls, she meant one specific girl: Amber. And, apparently, Amber always knew she liked girls and tried to date boys to get rid of those feelings…until she met Andi, that is. They started dating last year and were currently in a long-distance relationship, since Amber was away in California for college. But, they seemed to be holding on pretty well.

T.J. always wondered how Jonah felt about both his exes dating, but he still hung out with both girls whenever he could so he probably got over it.

As they all dug into their lunch, T.J. took a moment to observe everyone around him. At first, he only really hung out with them because of Cyrus. After Reed and Lester pretty much abandoned him back in the 8th grade, he didn’t really have any other real friends.

He wondered…Would he have found another group of friends? Ones who actually liked and supported him?

It took him a long time to gain this group’s trust. And, now, even without Cyrus there, he no longer felt shy and out of place when Andi handed him her box of fries to share or when Buffy stole a piece of grape from his fruit cup.

“What are you smiling about?” Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.

T.J. realized that he was, chuckled, and shook his head. “Nothing. Now, can you please stop stealing my fruit and start getting your own?”

“Nah, it’s not as fun.” And to demonstrate, she reached over and stole a pineapple.

Yep, these were his friends now. 

He couldn’t help but stare at Cyrus’ empty place again.

He really hoped he was okay.

Thursday ended and Friday passed. Before he knew it, the weekend had arrived. T.J. went to work Saturday morning and by the time he got off in the afternoon, he still didn’t feel like going home. His mom was working until very late, anyway, so he had the day to himself. So, he drove to Cyrus’ house.

He parked across the street from the driveway and made his way to the backyard. Finding Cyrus’ window, he stood under it as he took out his phone and called him.

It took three rings for Cyrus to answer.

“Hello?” His voice was a little raspy.

“Hey,” T.J. greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, thank you. I didn’t cry today.”

T.J. smiled at that.

“Sorry about yesterday,” Cyrus continued.

T.J. had tried to see him after school the day before but Cyrus had shooed him away, saying that he didn’t want to see anyone. T.J. was a little hurt by that but he knew that his friend was going through something that he couldn’t dare to imagine or understand.

“It’s okay, I get it,” he replied. “Are you okay enough to hang out with me today?”

Cyrus chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Great! Then, come out.”

There was a pause.

“What?”

T.J. smiled to himself as he looked up at the closed window. “I’m outside your window. Come out for a drive. We can go anywhere you want.”

He heard shuffling and kept his eye on the window until it slid up. Cyrus poked his head out and found him fairly quickly.

T.J. waved. “Hey.”

Looking confused yet elated to see him, Cyrus replied, “Hey. Why didn’t you just go through the front door?”

T.J. shrugged. “This is more fun.”

His friend did look better, though his eyes still looked droopy and a bit swollen, probably from all the crying. His hair was a messy mop, like he just got out of bed and didn’t have time to brush it.

“And cheesy. What are you? Romeo?”

He was happy to hear that Cyrus was feeling well enough to joke.

“If I’m Romeo then you’re my Juliet,” T.J. couldn’t resist flirting.

To his delight, Cyrus blushed and lowered his head, shyly.

“So… you wanna drive or what?” T.J. asked.

Up on his window, Cyrus nodded. “Okay. I’ll be down in 10 minutes. Just gotta get changed. Come through the front door, you savage! Mom’s home.”

“Okay, see ya.”

Cyrus waved before shutting his window and hanging up. Meanwhile, T.J. bounded back to the front door, a skip in his steps.

Dr. Goodman let him in with a smile, asking how he was and if he would like something to drink. She settled on an armchair in the living room while T.J. plopped himself on the sofa, making small talk.

There was a moment of brief silence where they could hear Cyrus pottering about upstairs as he got ready.

“Is he really okay?” T.J. had to ask.

Dr. Goodman leaned back in her seat. “Well, it’s the first time in days where he’s willing to leave the house. On Thursday, he just slept all day and only came out of his room when Andi and the others stopped by to drop off his homework. Yesterday, he didn’t leave his room at all and was listening to sad music on full volume. I would have reprimanded him but… well… I think he needed to let his emotions out, one way or another. So… I think he could use a distraction today.”

“I’m hoping to do just that. We’ve been worried.”

Footsteps coming down the stairs silenced them. T.J. turned his head towards it to see Cyrus neatly dressed and his hair now brushed.

He flashed T.J. a faint smile. “Hey,” he greeted.

T.J. stood up. “Hey, ready to go?”

Cyrus nodded.

They bid Dr. Goodman goodbye, promising to be back by dinner, and Cyrus followed him out to his car.

“So, where do you wanna go?” T.J. asked as soon as the doors were closed.

Cyrus shrugged.

“Park?” T.J. suggested. “We can go on the swings.”

“Sure.”

T.J. reached over and ruffled his hair, fondly, before starting the car and driving.

Cyrus was silent during the ride, only staring out the window.

“So, you wanna hear something funny that happened in history class yesterday?” T.J. casually said.

“Sure.”

“So we were watching a documentary on the Great Depression…”

Cyrus hummed to indicate that he was listening.

“… and Mrs. Shapiro fell asleep!”

T.J. flashed him a quick look from the corner of his eye and was pleased to see Cyrus breaking into a small smile and chuckling.

“Of course, she did. She finds her own class boring!”

The mood after that turned lighter, even if Cyrus barely spoke.

They arrived at the park and headed right for the playground where, thankfully, their swings were empty and devoid of children. Cyrus immediately went for his swing, sitting on it, and kicking his legs, silently.

T.J. settled on the one next to him, still watching him.

He didn’t like seeing Cyrus so… devoid of life. He wasn’t like this with his past breakups.

Tommy was more of a friend than a boyfriend and sure, Cyrus had been sad, but it was a mutual split. His feelings for Freddie went deeper but they broke up and made up so much that Cyrus didn’t even cry when he broke up with the drummer for the last time. Lance must have been special.

Not for the first time, T.J. wished it was him, instead. He wouldn’t break Cyrus’ heart the way Lance did.

“Legs go up, legs go down,” T.J. began to sing. “That’s how you make the swing go ‘round.”

Cyrus’ lip twitched.

“Come on,” T.J. prodded. “You gotta sing it, Underdog.”

His friend flashed him a look that asked, “Really?” But, eventually, Cyrus sighed in resignation.

“Drag your feet, you go slow,” he sang. “The more you drag, the less you go.”

Smiling, T.J. sang along with him, kicking his legs into the air, enthusiastically.

The sight of two high school guys sitting on the swings and singing what sounded like a nursery rhyme was probably comical to the outside view. But, T.J. didn’t really care what other people of them thought because Cyrus needed this. He needed to feel and be reminded that things would be okay again.

They rarely went to the swings anymore. High school made sure to get in the way of that. But, the rare times they did, it was always for a good reason. Either they were celebrating something or one of them needed comfort. The swings were always there, waiting for them.

“Remember when we first really talked?” T.J. asked, out of the blue. “It was right here.”

Cyrus chuckled. “I thought you were going to make fun of me.”

“Nah, you were too cute. I couldn’t make fun of that.”

Cyrus blushed. “It’s amazing how much things have changed since then, right? Except for these swings. I’m surprised they haven’t fallen apart yet. Unlike my heart.” He dug his feet into the ground, stopping his swinging, and let out a loud sigh. “I’m sorry for being such a downer.”

T.J. shook his head. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to be.”

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore.” Cyrus’ voice cracked as he spoke. “I want to stop crying. I want this pain here.” He placed a fist against his chest. “To stop. I just… want to move on already.”

“And you will, Cy. I know you will because you always do. You always pick yourself back up.”

Finally, Cyrus turned his head to look at him. “Really? You think so?”

T.J. grinned. “Definitely.”

Cyrus’ smile widened. “Thanks, T.J.”

“Anytime.” T.J. pushed himself off his swing. “I’m in the mood for ice cream. What about you?”

“I’ve eaten so much ice cream in the last three days, I feel like my stomach is gonna pop.”

T.J. raised an eyebrow. “So… yes?”

Cyrus stood up. “Lead the way, basketball guy.”

They bought ice cream from a guy with a cart and sat on a bench to enjoy their treats. T.J. regaled Cyrus with stories of what he missed at school, all the shenanigans of their schoolmates, and how he missed the rare day where the cafeteria served curly fries for Friday lunch. At some point, someone came by, walking their puppy, and it resulted in Cyrus getting on his knees on the asphalt to pat and briefly play with the little critter (T.J. took photos and videos).

By the end of their hangout, the color and vitality were back on Cyrus’ face and he was laughing and bouncing as they made their way back to T.J.’s car.

“Today was fun!” he exclaimed. “And that puppy was so cute! I have got to convince my parents to let me adopt one!”

Meanwhile, T.J. placed the key in the ignition, getting ready to drive Cyrus home.

“Hey, thank you, again.”

He turned to his friend, who was watching him, softly.

“You’ve always been there for me, Teej.”

T.J.’s heart fluttered at the complete faith and trust Cyrus had in him.

“I don’t think there’s anyone else in this world I trust more than you…don’t tell Buffy and Andi I said that.”

T.J. chuckled. “My lips are sealed.”

Cyrus sighed and leaned back in his seat, his smile faltering. “I always thought that… Lance would become someone I could completely trust. I’m kind of glad now that I never introduced him to my parents. Can you imagine the humiliation?” He chuckled, humorlessly before sighing again. “Damn, why do I have such bad tastes in guys?”

T.J.s heart began to quicken. “You just haven’t found the right guy. You never know… he could just be… right around the corner.”

Or right beside you, T.J. wanted to say but kept his mouth shut.

Cyrus huffed. “Where? They should just come out and sweep me off my feet.” He flashed him a grin. “I sound demanding. Sorry.”

T.J. shook his head. “It’s fine.” He paused, a lump forming in his throat as he turned his head to look at the wheel, instead. “Actually… Cyrus…”

“Yes?”

“I… um… if you want, you can…”

Go out with me. Date me. Be my boyfriend.

All those words ran in T.J.’s mind. He wanted to say them so badly.

“I can…what?”

Cyrus sounded like he was anticipating his next words. But, they only made T.J. even more nervous.

Cyrus had always said he was an athlete with boundless confidence but he couldn’t be further from the truth. T.J. was a coward when it came to him.

“You can… skip school on Monday,” he ended up saying, mentally kicking himself. “If you’re not feeling better, you shouldn’t go.”

“Oh. Yeah, I thought about that. But, I already missed two days. I don’t want to miss any more. Besides, I need to show Lance that he didn’t break me.”

T.J. finally chanced a peek at him to see Cyrus looking determined.

“I’m strong, right?” he asked, almost tentatively.

Feeling a little brave, T.J. reached out and placed a hand over his. “Very,” he agreed, squeezing his hand before pulling back. “So… ready to go home?”

Smiling, Cyrus nodded.

The drive back to the Goodman home was still silent but it lacked the tense atmosphere of earlier. Cyrus was feeling okay and relaxed enough to turn on the stereo and sing along to a few songs.

Meanwhile, T.J. was in turmoil, mentally scolding himself for being a coward. But, then he reasoned that Cyrus just got out of a relationship and probably wasn’t ready for a new one right off the bat. Besides, he didn’t want Cyrus to go out with him just because he was heartbroken. He wanted Cyrus to go out with him because he wanted to.

He pulled up to the house and parked. It was late afternoon now but he managed to bring Cyrus home before dinner so that earned him brownie points with the Goodmans.

“See you Monday?” Cyrus asked.

He nodded. “Monday.”

Cyrus leaned over and wrapped his arms around his neck and T.J. instinctively brought his own arms up, wrapping around his waist.

“You’re my best friend, Teej.”

T.J. swallowed. “You’re mine too, Cy.”

They hugged for a beat or two before pulling away and Cyrus got out of the car.

T.J. waited until he was inside the house. When the door shut closed, he let out a loud groan, leaning back on his seat, head hitting the headrest.

“I’m an idiot.”

“You’re an idiot!”

“I know!”

“You said he can skip school on Monday?!”

“It wasn’t my brightest moment, I know!”

Huffing, Marty dropped himself on the bed next to T.J. “He was practically giving you an open invitation to ask him out!”

“I highly doubt it’s that.”

“Dude, you are hopeless.”

T.J. snorted. “Don’t I know it.”

After dropping Cyrus off, T.J. had the bright idea of texting Marty and coming over to his house to rant.

He wasn’t sure if it was a bright idea anymore. Marty just kept on going about how he missed an opportunity to finally make his move.

As they both stared forlornly at the ceiling, the door opened.

“And this is why your moms think I’m some sort of cover-up for your secret relationship with T.J.”

Both boys looked up to see Buffy standing by the door, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, babe, we’re totally in love,” said Marty as he sat up and opened his arms invitingly.

Buffy rolled her eyes but nonetheless, walked over and plopped herself onto Marty’s lap. Meanwhile, T.J. continued to lie on Marty’s bed.

“So, what’s going on?” she asked.

This allowed T.J. to relay the story again, complete with arm gestures and his inner thoughts of the moment sprinkled in. Buffy listened, nodding or rolling her eyes in response to his narration.

When he was done, she was shaking her head.

“I agree that maybe asking him out right in this moment is a little… inappropriate,” she said, carefully.

“Ha!” T.J. blurted out, pointing at Marty. “I told you.”

“But!” Buffy continued, flashing him a pointed look. “You also shouldn’t waste time like you did after Tommy and Freddie. You’ve been crushing on Cyrus for years, T.J.! You’re a better choice than all of his previous boyfriends! And that’s saying a lot coming from me! So, why don’t you just make a move?!”

Yes. Why didn’t he? Ever since 7th grade, there had always been this strange… pull… between him and Cyrus. He never understood what it was. He just knew that he liked him. A lot. Between then and now, he could even say that he had fallen in love. Hard. 

“I’m… scared of losing him,” he replied, softly as he stared at the ceiling. “I should probably just give up. You know how relationships go. Honeymoon stage. Then, you get comfortable. Then, you realize you don’t have feelings anymore. Then, you break up and never talk again. I can’t… I can’t handle it if Cyrus and I stopped talking.”

Buffy and Marty were both watching him now, sympathetic to his plight.

“Is that what you really believe would happen to you, guys?” Buffy asked, gently. “Your entire friendship is not that shallow, T.J.”

“I know… it’s just… I’d rather have him as just a friend and not lose him than go out with him and have things go wrong.” 

He let out a loud and long sigh.

“T.J.-,” Marty began.

“Guys.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” He managed a smile at them. “And, I’m not going to give up. I’m just… going to let him heal a bit. You know, get rid of all the Lance pain before I swoop in and put his heart back together. That’s a plan, right?”

He sounded confident on the inside but on the inside, his hope felt like a dry desert.

And judging by the looks the couple were throwing him, they weren’t buying it either.

It was worth a shot.

True to his word, that Monday, T.J. picked up Cyrus for school and he was waiting for him on the doorstep.

The drive was normal with Cyrus chattering, T.J. listening, and the two of them play fighting over who got to choose the next song that played.

This time, Cyrus didn’t leave his side to greet a boyfriend but simply to go to his own locker.

“Are you gonna be okay when…. You know…. When you see him?” he had to ask.

He didn’t have to say a name but Cyrus stiffened before loosening himself up and nodding. “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “Don’t worry. See you at lunch?”

“Yeah.”

With a smile, Cyrus bid him goodbye and bounded off.

T.J. went about his morning routine of being greeted by Marty, walking to homeroom, and settling in his seat to wait for the morning announcements and other stuff to start.

The announcements were a blur – updates on school events, wins and losses of their sports teams, and what they were serving in the cafeteria that week.

T.J. doodled on his notebook, bored.

Finally, announcements were done and they had a full fifteen minutes to do homework, study, or chat before the first bell.

And, then, the door opened. Everyone in class, including T.J., looked up to see the Vice Principal entering with a guy in tow. He was tall with distinguished curly brown hair and really thick eyebrows (that reminded T.J. a bit of Cyrus’ eyebrows, they were really cute).

The Vice Principal briefly spoke to Mr. Singh, T.J.’s homeroom teacher, before clapping the new guy on the back and leaving.

“Okay, kids! Eyes up here!” Mr. Singh called out, but everyone already had their attention on him, anyway. “We have a new student joining our homeroom. Please introduce yourself to your classmates.”

The guy grinned and lifted a hand in greeting. “Hi, everyone. Name’s Aidan. Aidan Ross. Moved here from Florida.”

From sunny Florida to breezy Shadyside? Quite a change.

“Okay, Aidan, there’s an empty seat right there by the window.”

The rest of the class murmured to each other and themselves as they watched the new guy make his way down the aisle. By this time, T.J. went back to his doodling, no longer interested.

“Hey.”

He raised his head to see the new guy in front of him, still grinning.

Oh, right. There was an empty seat next to T.J. right by the window.

“Um, hey,” T.J. greeted back, politely.

The new guy held out a hand. “I’m Aidan.”

T.J. knew that already, he was just introduced.

Nonetheless, he took the hand and shook it. “T.J.,” he provided.

Aidan squeezed his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He let go before proceeding to the seat next to T.J.

Confused, T.J. managed a, “Um… you too.”

That was odd.

Chapter Text

Collar straight? Check.

Hair perfectly brushed? Check.

Dark circles under his eyes almost gone thanks to the under-eye gel patch Andi had recommended? Check.

Cyrus nodded in satisfaction at his reflection in the mirror. After four days of just lounging around at home, he was finally ready to go back to school.

Four days of on and off crying. Four days of quiet reflection about himself and his failed relationship. Four days of realizing that his cheating ex-boyfriend wasn’t worth his tears anymore.

His eyes strayed to the framed photos on his dresser and felt himself break into a smile. There was one of him with each of his best friends: Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and, of course, T.J. They were all so sweet and patient with him in the last few days, always checking in on him, even if he ignored their calls and texts in favor of being miserable. He loved them all so much.

Taking a deep breath, he gave his reflection one last nod before grabbing his bag and leaving his bedroom.

His mother had milk and cereal, a plate of toast, and orange juice ready for him in the dining room.

“Good morning, honey,” she greeted, looking up from the morning paper.

Cyrus slid into a seat and poured himself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. “Morning, mom. Did Todd leave already?”

“Yes, he’s booked pretty solid all morning so he figured it was best to get there early.”

Cyrus hummed as he took the first bite of his cereal, relishing the sweetness of the cinnamon and sugar. Cinnamon Toast Crunch never got old and was his absolute favorite! He wasn’t going to eat too much, though. T.J. said he might bring muffins.

“Are you sure you’re feeling better?” his mom asked.

Cyrus nodded, not taking his eyes off his bowl. “I can’t stay away from school forever just because he’s there.”

“Well, I’m proud of you.”

He smiled at her. “Thanks, mom. I’m proud of me, too. Besides, all my friends are there. They won’t let anything happen.”

He went back to his cereal, finishing it quickly and downing a glass of orange juice.

“I should start heading out,” he said, grabbing his bag and placing it around his body. “T.J. should be here soon.”

“He’s a sweet boy.”

Cyrus found his lips quirking into a smile. “Yeah, he is.”

“And he really cares about you.”

At that, Cyrus froze in his tracks. He knew that fond tone in his mother’s voice.

“And all four of us really like him,” she continued with a pointed look at him.

Cyrus chuckled. “T.J. is well-aware about that. He never fails to brag about it.”

His mother casually flipped the page of her newspaper. “He’s an ideal future son-in-law.”

“Mom.” He tried to ignore the blush that crept up to his cheeks. “He’s one of my best friends. I can’t…”

She feigned ignorance. “I didn’t say anything,” she said, shrugging. “I know not to interfere in your personal romantic relationships.”

And Cyrus was thankful for that. He, himself, had been toning down his own meddling in other people’s lives over the years (unless it was required). And he appreciated his parents not meddling in his own, especially when it came to his dating life.

Ever since he confided in his mother about his little crush on T.J. back in the 8th grade, she wasted no time telling his other parents and, in turn, all four took it upon themselves to see if the blonde was “worthy of their baby boy’s heart.”

And T.J…. Sweet and polite T.J. unknowingly gained all their favor. So, now, all four were just waiting for Cyrus to make a move… which he was not planning on doing anytime soon. Not if he wanted to keep T.J. in his life.

Thankfully, no one else knew about that little secret of his and he preferred that it stayed that way.

After the failure of his second relationship and now his third, he was convinced that his love life was cursed. And he didn’t want to lose T.J. because of that.

Bidding his mother goodbye with a kiss to her cheek, he quickly headed out to the front porch to wait for his friend.

Cyrus didn’t have to wait too long. He spotted the gray sedan turning the corner, driving down the street, and stopping in front of the house. He made his way down the steps, giving T.J. a wave as he did so. He got in the car and strapped himself in.

“Morning, basketball guy.”

“Morning, Underdog.” The blonde handed him a Ziploc bag of muffins. “Banana nut muffins.”

“Not my favorite but still acceptable,” Cyrus stated as he opened the bag and took out a muffin.

He bit into the pastry, letting out happy noises when the sweet taste of banana and cinnamon met his taste buds.

T.J.’s mom was a pediatric nurse and she often baked treats for the kids in her ward. She would give extras to T.J. so obviously, this meant Cyrus got some too and he loved everything she made.

T.J. laughed. “I gave you two more than the usual last time! Don’t tell me you finished it all?”

Cyrus glared, exaggeratedly. “Don’t tell me how quickly I can consume my muffins!”

“You should have paced yourself!”

“How can I when your mother’s muffins are the best things she has ever made in this world?!”

“Hey! What about me?”

Cyrus took another bite out of his muffin to avoid answering.

“Underdog!”

He swallowed before grinning at T.J. “You’re the second best thing she’s made in this world.”

T.J. huffed. “That’s cold, Goodman. Really cold.”

His offended tone made Cyrus laugh. He felt immensely lighter and more determined to face the day without breaking.

The entire drive to school was pleasant. He cheerily talked about the British baking show he binged the night before and playfully swapped the song playing on the stereo when it finished, making T.J. whine about having to listen to Demi Lovato for hundreth time.

But, when they arrived at school, Cyrus felt the dread pool in his stomach again. Seeing other students entering the building like normal, he wondered if everyone at school knew already. Lance was pretty popular. If he had a new girlfriend, they would know. And Cyrus would be a social pariah. The gay kid who got cheated on and replaced by a girl. Typical.

It felt like people were staring at him when he and T.J. stepped into the front doors, even though it was probably just his paranoia.

“Are you gonna be okay when…. You know…. When you see him?”

Cyrus felt himself stiffen, a lump forming in his throat. Was he prepared to see Lance again? He didn’t know. But, he would be damned if he let it stop him.

He rolled his shoulders back, loosening them up. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll see you at lunch?”

T.J. smiled, complete faith and trust in him. “Yeah.”

They parted and Cyrus headed to his locker. He noticed a few students eyeing him but he held his head up high. No one whispered or stopped him to ask about it, thankfully. He reached his locker with no incident and proceeded to the things he needed for the day.

“Cyrus.”

His blood went cold at the familiar voice and the lump was back in his throat. He painfully swallowed it as he forced the inevitable tears that threatened to fall back in his eyes. He wasn’t going to cry. Not in front of him.

Stuffing his last notebook into his bag, he closed his locker and turned around.

“W-What do you want, Lance?” he asked, cursing his voice for shaking.

His cheating ex-boyfriend stood there in front of him and to Cyrus’ surprise, he actually looked guilty and didn’t look so high and mighty like he always was.

“I… just want to talk to you,” he said.

Cyrus had always admired Lance’s confidence but there was no trace of it now. And, he felt a little mean but it did satisfy him to see that the Lacrosse player’s lip was bruised.

Lance took a step closer to him but Cyrus stepped back.

“What’s there to talk about? You cheated on me and I broke up with you. That’s that. You can go back to your girl now.”

“I’m sorry,” Lance said, softly as he looked down at the floor. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just… happened.”

Clenching his fists, Cyrus made his face as stony as possible. “And do you think your sorry will change anything between us? You already hurt me, Lance. So, just leave me alone.”

“Cyrus, babe-.”

“Don’t. Call. Me. That. We’re through.”

Gathering his dignity, Cyrus quickly walked past him, making sure their shoulders didn’t brush or anything. Whether Lance was following him, he didn’t care. He didn’t want to look at him any longer than necessary.

“Cyrus! Hey!”

A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump twenty feet in the air.

“Jeez! Jonah! Don’t scare me like that!”

His friend took his hand back, raising both of them in defense. “Sorry, sorry.” He squinted at him. “You okay?”

Cyrus sighed as the other fell into step beside him. “Just ran into Lance. Thought I could face him without wanting to throw a punch.”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Punch him.”

Cyrus snorted. “No.”

“You should have. I mean, I would have and so would Buffy and Marty. Andi’s not that violent but she’d probably have words with him. But, T.J. already got a punch in so lucky him.”

Cyrus chuckled. “Classic T.J. Always defending my honor.”

“Yeah, he was really worried about you, you know. We all were.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Jonah beamed. “We can be your bodyguards too until this whole thing blows over.”

Cyrus made a face. “I don’t need bodyguards. I’m not that fragile.”

“We know but what if Lance-.”

“I know Lance is a jerk and he broke my heart but he wouldn’t hurt me… not physically, anyway.” He took a deep breath to calm his anxious heart. “I appreciate the concern, Jonah, but I’ll be fine, okay? I just… want things to go back to normal.”

Jonah still looked worried. “You sure you’re okay?”

They finally made it to homeroom and took their respective seats.

“Jonah, look at me.” Cyrus beamed. “Do I look like I’m not okay?”

Jonah frowned. “I guess you look okay, but… you know we’re here for you, right?”

“Of course.”

Cyrus reached over and patted his arm before taking out his Math notebook to try and occupy his mind by double-checking his homework.

School hadn’t even started but he was already feeling weary. He wanted the day to be over already so he could go home and bury himself under his covers.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he took out to see a text from T.J. – it was a photo of his doodle of what appeared to be a penguin holding hands with a seal. It was cute.

Cyrus smiled, the anxiety in his chest dissipating.

The morning dragged on and on. Soon, it was lunchtime. 

Andi and Buffy were waiting for him outside the cafeteria, greeting him with hugs before they all went in to stand in line for food. Although the two girls were treating him like normal, he could still spot the worried glances they would throw him when they thought he wasn’t looking.

He would have to get used to it for a while but it was nice knowing that his friends cared about him.

When they got to their table, Jonah and Marty were already there. Cyrus looked around as he got settled.

“Where’s T.J.?” he asked the other two boys. “He’s normally here by now.”

Jonah pointed. “There he is.”

T.J. was walking towards them, waving in greeting. “Hey, guys. So, we got a new kid in class. Mr. Singh asked me to show him around and everything. Do you guys mind if he has lunch with us?”

“That’s fine by me,” said Buffy.

“Me too,” added Andi.

Cyrus and the other two boys gave their consent.

“Great! He’s in line getting food. Be right back!”

Cyrus watched him leave and smile. For all his tough exterior, T.J. was always a huge softie.

He went back to his pasta, stirring the noodles around in the sauce before adding cheese from the little packet. His friends made small talk about their classes and he chimed in his thoughts in between bites.

Moments later, T.J. returned with a tray in his hand and an unfamiliar boy behind him – the new kid.

He was tall, about T.J.’s height, with curly brown hair and thick eyebrows. He had a calm and cool aura about him, almost a little cocky, which was unusual for a new kid. They were usually nervous on their first day of school. At least, Cyrus knew that he would be, personally.

“Hey, guys. This is Aidan,” T.J. introduced, placing his tray in his spot next to Cyrus. “Aidan, these are my friends. This is Cyrus and Jonah. And over there are Buffy, Andi, and Marty.”

They each greeted the new guy with a wave.

“Nice to meet you, guys,” Aidan replied with a smile. “Thanks for letting me sit.”

Cyrus quirked an eyebrow. He had hints of a dimple. Not quite as deep as Jonah’s but they were there.

Andi scooted closer to Buffy so Aidan could sit next to her and across from Cyrus.

“So, Aidan,” Buffy began. “Where are you from?”

“Florida,” Aidan replied as he unwrapped his sandwich. “My dad got a new job here so we had to move.”

“That sucks, bro,” Jonah said. “Shadyside must be boring compared to Florida.”

Aidan shrugged. “Eh, it’s not so bad.” To Cyrus’ curiosity, he flashed a look in his direction and grinned. “The people are nice.”

Cyrus felt his eye twitch. The look wasn’t directed at him but to the person next to him: T.J. From the corner of his eye, he could see the blonde practically inhaling his chicken nuggets, oblivious to the eyeing of the new addition to their table.

“You play any sports?” Marty asked.

“Yeah, I was in the lacrosse team back home. I was thinking about joining the team here. Are they any good?”

The mention of the sport froze Cyrus in place, his fingers tightening around his fork. Flashes of himself attending games entered his mind and he suddenly lost his appetite. 

The mood dropped around the table. Marty coughed and Jonah suddenly shoved an entire chicken nugget into his mouth. T.J. leaned closer to Cyrus’ side, their shoulders touching. 

“Ugh, don’t speak to us about the lacrosse team,” Buffy groaned, scrunching her face in disgust. “It’s a forbidden topic.”

Aidan raised a brow. “Are they that bad?”

“Let’s just say we’d rather not talk about them,” Andi replied, calmly. “But, we have a lot of other great teams!”

“Yeah, I’m in track,” Marty supplied.

“Track and basketball,” Buffy said.

“Baseball,” added Jonah.

“I play basketball,” said T.J., now paying attention since the conversation switched to sports.

“Cool, cool.”

“I played basketball freshman year but I wanted to concentrate on my art so I stopped,” said Andi. “Besides, my girlfriend was graduating last year so I wanted to spend more time with her.”

“Oh, you have a girlfriend?”

Andi flashed him a look. “I hope that’s not a problem.”

Aidan shook his head and smiled. “No, not at all.” He turned to Cyrus. “What about you…Darius, right?”

It took T.J. squeezing his knee to tear Cyrus out of his stupor. “Um, Cyrus, actually… And, no, I’m not athletic so… no sports for me! I’m in the Film Club, though.”

“Cyrus’ short films are amazing!” T.J. said, grinning. “He made this cool documentary about dinosaur fossils found in Shadyside last year.”

Cyrus blushed and flashed his friend a grateful smile.

“Cool. Maybe I should join the basketball team, then. I’m pretty decent. Think you can hook me up, Teej?”

Cyrus’ eye twitched again.

Meanwhile, T.J.’s eyes lit up. “I can talk to Coach for you! Have you played on a team before?”

And the rest of the conversation turned to basketball, with Buffy, Marty, Jonah and even Andi chiming in. Meanwhile, although he had attended many basketball games and had gained a pretty good bulk of knowledge about the sport, Cyrus still found himself staying silent the entire time.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to contribute to the conversation. And Aidan seemed nice. The others looked at ease with him, especially T.J. who appeared to have a lot in common with him, including a fondness for hoodies. It was the first time he had seen his blonde friend so enthusiastic when interacting with someone new. He was normally not one to let his guard down. And Aidan kept his attention on T.J., only briefly sparing whoever was talking a brief look but his gaze always flew back to T.J.

It was weird!

For some reason, every time Cyrus opened his mouth to pitch in, no words came out. It felt like he lost all his energy for the day. And his eye kept twitching!

Suffice to say, he finished his food before everyone else and ended up just sitting and twiddling his thumbs as he waited until everyone else finished eating.

“Oh, T.J., will you show me where the library is?” Aidan asked.

“Sure. You done?”

“Yep.”

Cyrus tried not to show his disappointment when T.J. stood up and picked up his tray.

“We’re gonna go ahead.” He looked down at Cyrus. “See you in History?”

“You know it!” the other boy piped with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

With one last word of thanks to them for welcoming him, Aidan followed T.J. out of the cafeteria.

“He seems nice,” Andi commented.

“Yeah, he’s like T.J. 2.0 without the initial jerkiness from middle school,” added Buffy, chuckling.

Jonah hummed. “Never seen T.J. talk that much to someone new in one sitting before.”

So, they made the same observation as Cyrus. It must have really stood out.

All of a sudden, his stomach flipped, unpleasantly. He placed a hand over his belly as he glared at the empty bowl on his tray, wondering if the pasta had been bad but he just didn’t notice.

“Cyrus? You okay?” Andi asked.

His head snapped up. “Yeah, I’m fine. Must have been bad pasta.”

Worried eyes all paid attention to him now. They didn’t really help the weird nausea he was feeling.

“Do you need to go to the nurse?” Buffy asked.

Cyrus shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Probably just indigestion, I’ll grab some ginger ale from the vending machine. Anyway, the bell’s about to ring. Let’s start heading out.”

Standing up, he picked up his tray and waited for his friends to follow suit.

The ginger ale did help settle his stomach but the odd feeling of ennui never left him.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Cyrus went to all his classes, took down notes, and managed to dodge Lance twice. (Thankfully, they didn’t share any classes, a fact that he now celebrated.)

By the time the last bell rang, he was exhausted and ready to go home.

After bidding Andi and Buffy goodbye (they had Art Club and Track practice, respectively), he went to meet T.J. at the blonde’s locker so they could head home together.

Up ahead, T.J. was already there… with Aidan.

Cyrus stopped in his tracks, watching as a laughing Aidan playfully punched T.J. on the shoulder before walking off. T.J. shook his head in amusement as he turned back to his locker, but then caught sight of Cyrus idling by.

Putting on a smile, he bounded over to his blonde friend, greeting him.

“I’m so ready to go home and forget about today,” he stated, forlornly, as they made their way out of the building.

T.J. flashed him a sympathetic look. “Bad day?”

Cyrus sighed. “Kind of. I thought I’d be okay but… I don’t know. Today was off.”

An arm wrapped itself around his shoulders, pulling him into T.J.’s side. “Sorry to hear that, Underdog.”

Cyrus shrugged. “It’s fine.” He looked up at the taller boy (how come Cyrus had barely grown and T.J. just turned into a giant?!). “Enough about me. How was your day?”

As they reached the car, T.J. dropped his arm from his shoulders.

“Well, I gave Aidan a tour of the school,” he said, unlocking the doors.

Cyrus already knew that. He slid into the car and buckled himself in.

“How did he like Grant?” he asked as T.J. started the car.

“He said his old school back in Florida was bigger.” The blonde pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. “But he likes the coziness of Grant. Said he’s likely to remember names now.” He chuckled. “Apparently, he sucks at names like I do. Good thing my name is easy for him to remember or he would have been stuck calling me ‘man’ or ‘dude’ until the end of the semester.”

His tone was fond and the smile on his face was an indication that he definitely liked this guy. And that was huge for T.J. He wasn’t one to make friends very easily, unlike Cyrus.

This was huge. Cyrus should be happy for him.

He cleared his throat. “So, you really like him, huh?” he asked, casually.

T.J. hummed. “He seems cool. I’d hang out with him.”

Cyrus’ chest twitched and he scratched at it while clearing his throat. “He’s handsome too,” he noted, absentmindedly.

“Hmm… yeah, he is.” T.J. flashed him a quick grin. “Why? You interested in dating him?”

He didn’t know why but he felt a burst of irritation at that assumption. “What? No!”

Yes, Aidan was attractive and fit his type (athletic, great hair, nice smile). And Cyrus was not going to deny that, but that didn’t mean he was interested!

“I mean… he is handsome, like you said. And he has nice hair,” T.J. continued, pleasantly.

Cyrus’ fist clenched on their own. “T.J., stop.”

“And his dimples are cute! You like dimples, right?”

“Stop the car.”

Cyrus was surprised at the coldness of his own voice. His heart was beating painfully fast and his entire body was shaking.

“What?” asked a confused T.J.

“Stop the car, T.J.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Stop the car!”

He couldn’t look at the blonde in the eye as the car pulled to a stop by the sidewalk.

“Cyrus, what-.”

He wasted no time grabbing his bag, opening the door, and getting out.

“Cyrus! What are you doing?!” T.J. exasperatedly called out.

But, Cyrus had begun to walk away, fuming on the inside. He didn’t know why but he was so irritated with T.J. implying that he wanted to go out with Aidan. He didn’t like Aidan like that!

Meanwhile, he tried to ignore the gray sedan slowly following him. “Underdog! Get back in the car!”

“No!” Cyrus stubbornly replied, speeding his steps. “I’m walking home!”

“It’s a long way! Come on! What did I do?!”

He clenched his jaw, refusing to reply.

“Cyrus, please.” T.J. was pleading now. “Get back in the car. We can talk about this. Just tell me what I did. Please.”

Cyrus slowed and then stopped in his tracks. What was he doing? Why was he so angry and upset? What was wrong with him?

The car stopped next to him. “Underdog, come back. Please.”

Cyrus turned to look at T.J. through the open window. “Is that what you think of me?” he said, his voice breaking.

T.J.’s brows were scrunched in confusion. “I don’t understand. Cy, please. Get back in the car? It’s a long way home. And your shoes aren’t made for long-distance walking.”

He looked down at his white All Star Converse sneakers, still in pristine condition. They were comfortable but not made for a long walk home. Sighing because he knew the blonde was right, Cyrus pulled the passenger door open and got in. Still frowning, he buckled himself.

T.J. began to drive back into traffic.

The silence was overpowering as Cyrus tried to put into words his sudden careless actions and his confusing feelings.

“I’m sorry, you know,” T.J. whispered that he wouldn’t have heard if he wasn’t paying attention. “Whatever it is I did, I’m sorry.”

Cyrus’ heart softened. “I… No, Teej, I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what came over me.”

The car slowed down again and T.J. pulled up to the sidewalk. He put the car in park before turning to look at him, his expression serious.

“What happened?” he asked, gently.

Clasping his shaking hands on his lap, Cyrus answered, “I… When you asked if I was interested in dating Aidan, I… got annoyed.”

T.J. blinked. “Oh.”

Cyrus bit his lip. “Is that what you think of me, T.J.? That I would just jump into a relationship with some guy I barely know?”

“What? No!” T.J. looked alarmed now as he reached out and took one of Cyrus’ hands in his. “That’s not it at all! I never once thought that about you! I was just joking, really! I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. It was a bad joke, I won’t do it again.”

And Cyrus knew that he meant it. T.J. was one of his closest and most supportive friends. He was always there for him. How could he have doubted him?

Why was he so dramatic?! Getting out of the car?! Making cars behind T.J. honk at him?!

“I’m sorry, too,” he said, placing a hand over T.J.’s and squeezing, gently. “I… I was being dramatic. This day was just… a lot. Seeing Lance and everyone staring at me like I’m in some kind of zoo exhibit and…”

He trailed off, frowning

T.J. raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Cyrus shook his head. “It’s nothing. This day was just… ugh.”

Finally, T.J. chuckled. “You want to grab ice cream then? Or a muffin? I think you deserve it. I’ll pay.”

His sweetness made Cyrus smile. “I’m in the mood for baby taters and a milkshake.”

T.J. pulled back and started the car. “Detour to The Spoon then.”

“Hey, Teej?”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry.”

“Me too.”

Smiling at each other, T.J. turned his attention back on the road as he drove them to their beloved diner.

Meanwhile, Cyrus couldn’t help but think about why he acted the way he acted earlier. It was so irrational and so unlike him. His emotions just went haywire and he couldn’t seem to control them.

Feelings were so annoying! Well, at least he had quite a bit to talk about with his step-mother at their next session. 

Chapter Text

T.J. fluffed the pillows and neatly arranged them on top of the blown up air mattress. Then, he placed a folded-up blanket on top of one pillow and a folded towel on the other. He finished it off with a flower-patterned comforter at the foot of the mattress.

Taking a step back, he admired his work. It was ready for Cyrus. 

Looking around his room, he cringed when he spotted his overflowing hamper and messy desk. Maybe he should clean up a little. Not that Cyrus had ever cared about the tidiness of his room but since he was sleeping over, T.J. should at least make things a little neat.

He gathered a couple of dirty shirts and jeans from the floor and headed down the basement to drop them off in the laundry room. Back in his room, he grabbed crumpled up papers on his desk and tossed them in the trash. He placed the pens and pencils back neatly in the little pen holder he’s had since junior high and stacked his notebooks to the side of his desk.

While he was making his bed, the doorbell rang. He quickly finished arranging the blankets then grabbed the bottle of Febreeze and sprayed his room.

The sounds of footsteps got closer and in no time, the door opened to reveal his adorable brunette best friend with his school bag, an overnight bag, and an armful of books.

“Hey! Your mom let me in,” he piped, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He paused, sniffing the air and looking around. “You cleaned… and it smells like ocean breeze in here.”

T.J. laughed and shook his head. “I’m not that messy.”

“You know that’s a lie,” Cyrus teased, putting his books and bag on the floor next to the air mattress.

T.J. just rolled his eyes in fake annoyance. “Whatever. Did you tell my mom about our ‘project’?” He added air quotes to the word.

Cyrus opened his school bag. “Yep. I also told her that you forgot so I’m helping you finish it at the last minute because mine is done.”

“What?!”

The other boy flashed him a pointed look that made T.J. sigh in resignation. It was sadly believable since it wasn’t the first time he procrastinated on a project and Cyrus had to come over and help him.

So, his mom wasn’t suspicious when T.J. asked her if Cyrus could sleep over so they could work on it. But, in truth, there was no school project. They were simply having a sleepover so Cyrus could help T.J. cook his mom’s birthday breakfast the next morning.

“We might as well do some work,” the brunette stated, already spreading his notebooks all over the mattress and removing his shoes. He climbed on top and sat cross-legged, looking up at T.J. pointedly. “Well?”

Groaning his complaint under his breath, the jock headed to his desk and sat down. He grabbed his backpack from the floor, opened it, and took his things out.

He could never win when Cyrus had that expectant look on his face that made him want to do well on whatever task was at hand.

For the next two hours, the two boys quietly did their homework. Occasionally, T.J. would ask Cyrus a question and the latter would answer. At times, if Cyrus had a question he couldn’t find in his notes or books, he’d ask T.J. to look it up on his laptop. It was an effective system for both of them.

For dinner, his mom had pizza delivered because she didn’t want to cook. 

(“It’s my birthday! I deserve it!” she announced right before making the call.) 

After dinner, they finished up whatever homework they still had, studied a little, and then plopped themselves in front of T.J.’s laptop and watched random animal videos on YouTube until T.J.’s mom called for them to get ready for bed.

She checked in on them just as they were tucking themselves in.

“You boys good?” she asked, smiling. “Cyrus, are you comfortable?”

“Of course, Mrs. Kippen!”

“Wonderful. Good night, boys.”

“Night, mom!”

“Night, Mrs. Kippen!”

She flipped the switch off, cloaking the room in darkness, and closed the door behind her.

T.J. pulled the blankets up closer to his chin, shuffling so he could get comfortable. It always took him some time to fall asleep whenever Cyrus was over. The other boy’s overwhelming presence made him all giddy.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Cyrus softly asked from his spot on the floor.

T.J. shuffled close to the edge of his bed to peer down at his friend. “Yeah. Thanks for helping me out.”

Cyrus smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “It’s a small favor.”

T.J. hummed. “Mom’s working a lot harder these days. She deserves a break so… I hope she likes tomorrow’s surprise.”

“You’re a sweet son, T.J.”

He blushed and was glad that the room was dark so Cyrus couldn’t see how red his face was.

“I’m not that sweet,” he lamely replied. “Maybe just a little.”

Cyrus chuckled. “Still so humble.”

T.J. rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “We should go to sleep. Early day tomorrow. I set the alarm for 5:30. That should be enough time to get the food ready before mom wakes up.”

“Sounds good.” He heard Cyrus shuffling and yawning. “Good night, Teej.”

“Night, Cy.”

T.J. closed his eyes, willing sleep to come to him, quickly.

He imagined tomorrow morning, cooking for his mom. Watching her exhausted face light up. And how excited she would be to see the record he bought for her.

Ever since his dad died when T.J. was ten, it had only been him and his mom. She sacrificed so much for him, working long and grueling hours so that he would have everything he needed. That was why as soon as he was old enough, he started working to try and help lessen her burdens a little. She wouldn’t even date or find someone else. Sometimes, T.J. wondered if it was for his sake or because his dad was the only true love of her life. He never really asked. 

The persistent shuffling next to his bed let him know that Cyrus couldn’t sleep either.

Opening his eyes, T.J. moved close to the edge again. “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

Cyrus opened one eye, then the other, and made a guilty face. “Sorry.”

T.J. chuckled and jerked his head back. “Come on.”

He moved to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers as he did so.

It didn’t take long for Cyrus to accept the invitation and slide in next to him, settling back against the pillow and pulling the covers up to his chin. He rolled over to his side so he could look at T.J.

“Sorry,” he said again. “I always end up bothering you.”

“It’s fine. I should just give up on you ever using that thing. I get it, it’s not the most comfortable.”

In truth, T.J. knew that Cyrus hated the air mattress. It was lumpy and squeaked really loudly whenever you moved. The first time he slept over, Cyrus didn’t even sleep the entire night. The second time, T.J. felt bad so he had let him sleep next to him on the bed.

Now, it just became a habit for him to lay it out. He figured that maybe one day, Cyrus might start feeling uncomfortable sleeping next to him so he at least had that option. So far, that day had not arrived. Not that he minded one bit.

“It’s been a while since we had a sleepover,” Cyrus said.

T.J. hummed. “Things have been busy for the both of us.”

“Yeah.” Cyrus played with the edge of the pillowcase, flicking it back and forth with his finger. “It’s been a month.”

He wasn’t talking about the sleepover.

T.J. hesitated before asking, “Are you okay?”

Cyrus met his gaze and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine now. It’s annoying to see him in the halls with his new… girlfriend.” He made a face. “But, I’m over it. They seem happy.”

“You’ll be happy too, Cy. I’m sure of it.”

The brunette chuckled. “Who said I wasn’t already? I have you…”

T.J.’s heart skipped a beat.

“… and the girls and Jonah and Marty. You all make me happy.”

Even if it made his heart ache a little, he was satisfied with just being Cyrus’ friend for now.  

“Good,” T.J. said, his cheeks heating up.

They gazed at each other for a moment, neither looking away. It felt like they were holding opposite charges of a magnet that made sure that they couldn’t turn away. T.J. wished that he could move closer and wrap his arms around the Cyrus and hold him close.

For what felt like forever, Cyrus finally broke his gaze. Sighing, he rolled onto his back. “Time to sleep. Good night, T.J.”

Brushing off his disappointment, the blonde followed suit. “Good night, Cyrus.”

It took a few minutes but soon, Cyrus’ soft snores echoed in the room. Carefully so as to not wake him, T.J. rolled onto his side again. In the dark, his eyes could make out the tip of Cyrus’ nose, the curve of his slightly parted lips, and his tousled hair.

He looked so cute and peaceful. And T.J. was so hopelessly in love with him that it hurt.

Slowly, he lifted a hand, reaching out towards his friend’s face. But, halfway there, he stopped. The back of his hand ghosted over Cyrus’ cheek. Despite the distance, he could feel the warmth. But, he knew he wasn’t allowed to touch.

Sighing, he pulled his hand back and tucked it under his own cheek and resolved to just watch.  

He fell asleep like that.

He was awoken the next morning by his alarm blaring. Groaning, he blindly searched for his phone on the dresser. Finding it, he turned it off before rolling around, pulling the covers over his head.

He felt movement beside him before a hand was shaking his shoulder.

“T.J.”

Despite the fluttering in his heart at the sound of the voice he loved to hear in the mornings, he didn’t move.

“T.J. It’s time to wake up.”

He moaned in protest, curling further into himself.

“Come on, Teej. We have to make breakfast.”

“Five more minutes,” he mumbled.

“Tyler James Kippen, get up right this minute so we can make breakfast for your mother’s birthday.”

That made him finally open his eyes. Lifting the cover away from his face, he was met with one of the most beautiful sights he had ever been blessed to see.

Despite being awake, Cyrus was clearly still half-asleep. His pretty doe eyes were all droopy, he had dried drool smeared on the side of his mouth, and his brown hair was a messy mop of spikes.

It made T.J.’s heart race, wishing he could just sit up, lean over, and press a kiss to those chapped lips.

Cyrus cutely tilted his head to the side. “What?”

T.J. felt his lips quirk into a smile. “Good morning.”

His friend beamed. “Morning.” He slapped T.J.’s blanket-covered thigh. “Now, up and at ‘em!”

Sighing, T.J. pushed the covers off of him and stretched.

Together, the two boys slipped on their slippers and carefully tiptoed out of the bedroom.

In the kitchen, Cyrus settled on a chair with a cup of coffee, just watching as T.J. took out pans and utensils from the cabinets.

“Can you grab the bacon and eggs from the fridge?”

Cyrus nodded and slid off his seat.

T.J. opened another cabinet and rummaged through it.

“Here we go.” He took out a yellow plastic bottle and placed it on the counter.

“What’s that?” Cyrus sidled up next to him with the packet of bacon and a carton of eggs.

“Pre-made pancake mix. I figured it would be faster. And, I don’t want to mess up the kitchen and give mom more work.”

“Awww, how thoughtful.” Cyrus smiled up at him. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“Make the pancakes? I’ll take care of the eggs and bacon.”

Cyrus nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

And with that, they got to work.

Cyrus carefully read the instructions on the bottle, added the right amount of water, and enthusiastically shook the container. He seemed more awake now after some coffee.

Meanwhile, T.J. busied himself with the scrambled eggs. He knew how his mom liked them: well done and covered in cheese.

For the first couple of minutes, they worked in silence. Both were still a little tired but taking sips of coffee every now and then slowly roused them into full consciousness.

“Hey, Teej, say ‘ah’.”

T.J. turned his head to see Cyrus holding out a piece of pancake on a spatula towards him.

Ignoring the way his cheeks heated up, T.J. leaned forward and accepted the treat. In return, he took a fork, pierced a piece of egg, and held it out to Cyrus. The latter happily ate it before turning back to his task.

T.J. liked this. It felt domestic. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to live with Cyrus someday. 

Would mornings be like this? The two of them making breakfast and feeding each other straight from the pans. Or maybe he could surprise Cyrus with breakfast in bed? They’d kiss in between bites of pancakes and whisper sweet nothings to each other. That was romantic, wasn’t it?

“T.J., I think your eggs are done.”

He blinked, breaking out of his beautiful daydream and looked down at his pan. The eggs were turning brown in the edges, so he quickly lifted the pan from the fire. He plated the eggs and placed it at the center of the table.

Using the same pan, he added more oil before tearing the package of bacon open and placed a couple of strips in it.

“We have turkey bacon, too. Do you want me to make you some?”

“Yes, please!”

Briefly leaving the stove, he grabbed the other package from the fridge.

“I think this is enough pancakes, right?” Cyrus asked, gesturing to the stack he finished.

Six pancakes in varying sizes and shapes laid on the plate, looking yummy and delicious.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Can you set the table? There’s muffins in the breadbox too.”

“Sure.”

T.J. checked the wall clock for the time. His mom should be waking up soon and they were almost done.

He finished cooking the bacon and moved on to make the turkey bacon for Cyrus.

When he turned to put the plate on the table with the rest of the food, his friend had already finished setting it, complete with the muffins and the bottle of orange juice from the fridge. Cyrus had somehow found a vase with a single flower and put in the middle of the table.

“Wow, this looks great. She’ll love it.”

Cyrus beamed. “I think I outdid myself.”

The clock was ticking now.

Asking Cyrus to watch the turkey bacon, he headed back to his room to grab his present. The record was wrapped sloppily with a ribbon stuck on the side. Just as he was heading back to the kitchen, he heard his mom’s alarm go off.

“She’s about to wake up,” he said, entering the kitchen and placing the record next to his mom’s plate. “Let’s finish up.”

Cyrus plated the turkey bacon and placed it near his place on the table.

T.J. rummaged through a drawer and found a small candle. He grabbed a muffin and stuck the candle on top of it. Cyrus found the lighter and lit it up.

Standing side-by-side with T.J. holding the muffin in his hands, they waited, patiently.

There was some shuffling and moving around on the wooden floors.

T.J. kept his eye on the candle, praying that the wax wouldn’t drip on the muffin.

Then, footsteps.

They straightened up even more.

His mother entered the kitchen, yawning and dressed in a robe with her dirty blonde hair in a loose bun. She paused, looking confused when she saw them standing there, still in their pajamas.

“Happy birthday!”

For a moment, she simply stared, her eyes blinking blearily at the candle. Then, she broke into a smile.

T.J. walked up to her with the muffin. “Happy birthday, mom. We made you breakfast.”

Sniffling, she placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead. “Thank you, honey.” She looked at the candle, closed her eyes to make a wish, and blew the candle out. She pulled him into her arms. “You are so sweet. I have the best son in the world.” Then, she looked towards Cyrus, who was still standing in his spot, and opened her other arm. “Come here, surrogate son.”

Grinning, Cyrus bounded over to them and allowed T.J.’s mom to wrap her arm around him, too. She pulled them both close.

The two boys peered at each other, both conveying the same thing with their eyes: their plan was a success!

“You look like you’re in a good mood.”

T.J. grinned at Marty, who was leaning against the locker next to his.

“Well, my mom liked the breakfast Cyrus and I made and she practically cried when I gave her my gift so… yeah, my morning’s been pretty great.”

“Awww.”

T.J. shut his locker and they began to walk to homeroom.

“So… you gonna make a move on him anytime soon?” Marty casually asked.

“Dude, it’s only been a month since he and Lance broke up.”

Marty flashed him a look. “You’re not gonna wait another entire year, are you? Because you’re going to be too late again. Remember what Buffy said? You shouldn’t waste time. Just ask him out.”

Could he? T.J. wanted nothing more than to do that, but what if Cyrus said “no”? Or worse? What if their friendship changes forever? He wished life was like one of those romantic movies Cyrus liked so much.

In movies, they always liked you back. In movies, things always went okay. In movies, there was always a happy ending.

The thought continued to bother him in homeroom. He spent most of it staring at a blank page on his notebook. Normally, he would doodle something and send it to Cyrus. Sometimes, he would do homework he had procrastinated on. And, other times, he would read a book.

He didn’t feel like doing any of those things, so preoccupied he was with what Marty said.

“Hey, Teej.”

He looked up to see Aidan in front of him.

“Hey,” he greeted.

The other boy sat on the empty seat in front of him (the girl who normally sat there was across the room, talking to her friend).

“You look deep in thought,” the other boy said, curiously.

T.J. managed a small smile and shook his head. “Just had an early morning. It’s my mom’s birthday so I woke up early to make breakfast.”

“Wow, that’s a cool thing to do for your mom,” Aidan replied, sounding impressed.

T.J. shrugged, sheepishly. “Well, she’s my mom. She deserves it.”

For a moment, Aidan just stared at him, head tilted a little to the side, as if he was examining T.J. and trying to read his mind. It was a little strange.

It had been a month since Aidan transferred to Grant and the former Florida resident seemed to assimilate into the student body rather well. For the first week and a half, he sat with T.J. and his friends at lunch. T.J. had introduced him to the basketball Coach and although he couldn’t join the team as of yet since it was the middle of the school year, he had managed to make friends with some guys from the team and sat with them at lunch now. T.J. only really saw him during homeroom, the times when he would have lunch with the team, and sometimes during basketball practices.

“You’re gay, right?” Aidan asked.

T.J. froze, eyes widening.

Well, it wasn’t like it was a secret. He had been out since Freshman year but Aidan was new. Sure, he reacted fairly well to Andi revealing that she had a girlfriend but T.J. wasn’t always sure how people who just met him would react to him being gay, mostly because he didn’t “look or act gay” (whatever that meant).

“I am,” he replied, his guard up, immediately.

Aidan nodded. “I figured. I saw the rainbow pin on your backpack but I figured I’d ask before assuming.”

T.J. nodded, relaxing a little. “Okay.”

Aidan cleared his throat. “So…”

T.J. had to chuckle as he raised an eyebrow. “So…?”

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom and the start of first period.

Aidan got to his feet. “I’ll see you around?”

The blonde nodded as he stood up with his backpack at hand. “Sure.”

He bid the other boy goodbye and headed out to class.

He pushed his worries about asking Cyrus out and coming out to Aidan to the back of his mind for the rest of the day. He had other pressing matters to worry about like his upcoming Math test, so he had to schedule some extra help time with his teacher.

As always, by the end of the day, he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. He wanted to grab a quick cat nap before his mom’s birthday dinner that night. (They were going to the restaurant where she and his dad had their first date. It was a birthday tradition.)

“Hey, basketball guy.”

T.J. turned around, smiling, immediately. “Hey, Cy. I’m almost done here.”

Cyrus leaned against the locker next to his. “Ugh, Physics was exhausting. We had Lab today and I was paired with Shawn Ross. He’s so lazy! He makes me do all the work!”

“Want me to have words with him?” T.J. offered, casually.

Cyrus scoffed. “He’s getting credit for all my work! That’s it! I’m having words with Mr. Jackson next class about it cause I’m done, I tell you! Done!”

“Done with what?” a new voice joined them.

Aidan walked up to them.

“The injustice!” Cyrus answered, his nose flaring. “My partner in physics lab refuses to do the work!”

T.J. wrapped an arm around him. “Hey, I offered to have words with him! You just ignored me!”

Cyrus glared at him. “I would appreciate you not threatening my Lab partners so they can look me in the eye and do the actual work.”

T.J. pouted, exaggeratedly. “Fine. But, if you need my intimidation tactics, you know where to find me.”

Cyrus rolled his eyes again, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Aidan cleared his throat. “You two sure are close,” he commented.

T.J. just squeezed Cyrus closer to him. The latter leaned in as he grinned up at him. His eyes sparkling as they met T.J.’s own, and the blonde had a quick thought that it was so easy to just lean down and peck his cute nose. 

“So, T.J. I, uh, need to talk to you real quick, if you have the time?” Aidan asked.

T.J. reluctantly tore his gaze away. “Sure, what’s up?”

“Alone?” Aidan looked pointedly at Cyrus, whose eyes widened in understanding.

He stepped away from T.J.’s hold. “I’ll wait for you in the parking lot, Teej.”

T.J. reached into his backpack and rummaged around for his keys. Finding them, he handed them over to his friend.

“You can wait in the car.”

Cyrus nodded and took the keys before saying goodbye to Aidan.

He walked off and T.J. watched him for a second or two before turning back to the other brunette in front of him.

“What’s up?”

Aidan looked around them. Seeing that they were practically alone and the few people left paid them no attention, he stepped closer to him. Surprised, T.J. instinctively stepped back, hitting the lockers behind him.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” the other boy started. “Is Cyrus your boyfriend?”

Oh, T.J. wished. He really, really, really wished that he was. But, he didn’t say that.

“No, we’re just friends,” he said, instead. “Best friends. Since Middle School.”

At that, Aidan smiled. “Then, this makes it easier for me.”

T.J.’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Pardon?”

The brunette brought a fist up to his lips and cleared his throat, looking down at his shoes.

“This morning, I asked you if you were gay.”

“….yes?”

Aidan looked up. “It’s been bothering me for a couple of months now, even before I moved here and met you.”

T.J. had a nagging suspicion about what exactly he was trying to say. He didn’t want to assume but the questions and curiosity… made sense.

“Hey, are you… maybe… possibly… gay?” he asked, gently.

Aidan cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes again. “No… I don’t think… Well… that’s not entirely true… I mean… I don’t think I’m straight either.”

It was the first time he had ever seen the other boy nervous and not quite as confident as he normally was.

“Oh,” was all T.J. could manage.

Aidan chuckled. “This is… weird. And confusing.”

“It always is, at first,” T.J. said, kindly. “It takes a while to get used to once you figure it out but eventually, you can’t imagine being anything else but…. Well… you. There’s nothing wrong with you, Aidan. What you’re feeling, your confusion, it’s all valid. I promise.”

T.J. could only watch as Aidan battled with himself. He wished he could offer more comforting words but he was still feeling the aftershocks of the other boy confiding in him about something so important and intimate. He felt rather touched at that. No one else had trusted him so deeply before. Only Cyrus ever did.

Finally, Aidan looked up, meeting his eyes. “Do you think you can help me figure it out?”

Immediately, T.J. nodded. “Of course. What can I do?”

He knew what it felt like to be alone after just discovering and struggling to accept a part of you that you couldn’t understand… something that seemed to make you different from everyone else.

The other boy smiled. “Then… will you… go out on a date with me?”

T.J. blinked. “Um…” 

Chapter Text

The drive home was silent. Cyrus puffed his cheeks and tapped his fingers against his knee. The silence, normally comfortable to him, was incredibly tense. He could practically feel the electricity in the air, but not the good kind.

T.J. was clearly bothered by something. He had joined Cyrus in the car with his jaw clenched, refusing to meet him in the eye for some reason. And his grip on the steering wheel was so tight that Cyrus could see his knuckles turning white.

“T.J.?” he called out, softly. “Is everything okay?”

The blonde jumped a little before shaking his shoulders. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

Cyrus huffed. “You’re lying. Pull over.”

“Cyrus-.”

“Please. You’re distracted. We’ll get into an accident if you keep driving like that.”

It was the right thing to say. T.J. would never allow anything to happen to them, if he could help it. He moved the car to the side and killed the engine. Sighing loudly, the blonde leaned his head back against the headrest of his seat, closing his eyes.

The sight worried Cyrus. T.J. seemed fine before they left school. He was his usual funny and affectionate self. It was only after…

Cyrus bit his lip. “Did something happen with Aidan?”

The blonde stiffened. Slowly, he opened his eyes and visibly swallowed.

“T.J.?”

His friend turned to look at him, looking conflicted. “Um… Aidan… asked me out… on a date.”

Cyrus’ chest tightened and his stomach flopped unpleasantly. “O-Oh?” he managed.

T.J. pursed his lips. “Yeah. It was… unexpected.”

“I didn’t even know he was gay,” was all he could say.

“Apparently, neither does he.” T.J. seemed to hesitate before continuing. “He said he’s trying to figure things out with himself. And… I guess going out on a date with me might help him confirm things.”

Cyrus’ brow furrowed. “Is he okay with you telling me?’

“I… I think so. I don’t know. I just… I needed to tell you.”

He smiled, kindly. “Don’t worry. I can keep secrets.”

T.J. appeared to hesitate again before saying, “He asked if you were my boyfriend.”

Cyrus’ heart sped up. “And what did you say?”

“That we’re best friends.”

“Oh. Okay.” Cyrus clasped his hands on his lap, tightly. It wasn’t like it was a lie. They were best friends. “So…what was your answer?”

T.J. sighed. “Um.”

Cyrus almost laughed if the whole thing wasn’t so serious. “You said… um?”

The blonde looked almost embarrassed now. “Yeah, kinda.”

“Are you Andi?” Cyrus snorted.

Finally, T.J. broke into his first real smile since he entered the car. “I guess I listened to her tell the story many times that it just got stuck in my head.” He chuckled. “But, I told him that I would think about it.” He met Cyrus’ eyes. “What do I do?”

Why was T.J. asking him? Well, he was touched that he took Cyrus’ opinion into consideration but this was about T.J.’s love life, not his. And if he liked Aidan…

Cyrus swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away. “Well, do you like him that way?”

It took a few seconds for T.J. to answer. “I don’t know.”

“But he likes you.”

“I… guess?” T.J. sighed, long and loud. “I mean… he’s cool. And we have a lot of things in common. And he’s very… forward.”

“You should say ‘yes’,” was out of Cyrus’ mouth before he registered what exactly that meant.

A sense of dread and horror fell over him. What did he just say?!

He took a peek at his friend. T.J. was quiet, looking like he was actually considering it.

Cyrus wanted to take it back. He opened his mouth to brush it off as a joke but then froze. Why was he stopping his best friend from possibly finding love and having a relationship?

The jock hadn’t dated during their entire friendship. Sure, he had gone on some double dates with Cyrus and whoever his boyfriend was at the time, but nothing serious ever came out of those dates. The blonde was straightforward about not romantically liking any of them.

It was like T.J. was just not interested in anyone. But, this was the first time he had seen him genuinely consider someone enough to ask Cyrus about it.

“Really?” T.J. asked in disbelief.

“Y-Yeah.” Chest tightening, he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I mean… like you said… he’s cool. And nice. And you deserve to be happy too.”

The blonde stared at him, his face unreadable. Cyrus gazed back, ignoring the way his chest ached and the stinging in his eyes. He wasn’t even sure why he was feeling that way. He should be happy for T.J.

“So…you’re saying I should say ‘yes’?” the blonde asked, his voice unsure… like he was asking for Cyrus’ approval.

So, Cyrus forced a smile. “I think Aidan is good for you, Teej.”

T.J. smiled back and nodded. “Okay,” he said, his voice cracking a little.

That was strange but before Cyrus could ask about it, T.J. turned away and put the car back in gear.

The rest of the drive was silent once more. But, the churning in Cyrus’ stomach never ceased. He felt sick.

He had finished his homework and studied for his English test. His brain was drained and he was ready to pass out. Checking the time and seeing that there was still half an hour before his step-mother would call him down for dinner (he was staying at his Dad’s for this month), Cyrus dragged himself to his bed and dived face-first on top of the covers.

Loudly, he released a groan.

Why was he so annoyed?!?!

Rolling onto his back, he reached out for his phone on the nightstand next to his bed and opened up the GHC group chat.

Facetime?

It took a few minutes for the girls to respond.

Andiman: Just finished my homework so I’m free!

Slayer: Me too. What’s up?

He tapped on the camera option and waited.

“Hiii!” Andi sang.

“What’s up, Cy?” Buffy chimed in.

He smiled, leaning back against his pillows. “Hey. So… I need your guy’s thoughts on something.”

The girls simultaneously nodded, ready to lend their listening ears.

Cyrus swallowed and took a deep breath. “So… today… T.J. got asked out on a date.”

“Wow, really?” Buffy exclaimed, eyes wide.

“By who?” Andi asked.

Cyrus bit his lip, hesitating. “I can’t say. But… ugh!!!”

He rolled over, tucking his chin on top of one hand while the other held the phone to his face.

“It’s been bothering me!” he whined.

The girls were quiet for a moment, just watching him have a mental breakdown through the screen. His head hurt and his body felt like jelly, like all of his energy got sucked out of him. He couldn’t get the image of T.J. asking for his approval to date out of his head. If anything, he didn’t need Cyrus’ permission! He could go on a date if he wanted to!

“Did he say ‘yes’?” Buffy asked, sounding heavily concerned.

Cyrus groaned. “No. Not yet, at least. But, I think he will.”

“Why would he do that?!” she screeched.

Even Andi looked shocked.

Was it really that unbelievable that T.J. got asked out? It wasn’t like it was the first time!

That thought made another vein on his forehead twitch.

“Because he likes them?” Cyrus answered, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“That’s impossible,” Andi blurted out.

Cyrus opened his eyes to both of his best friends looking distressed. “Why?” he asked, curiously. “He’s a great guy, I think. And T.J. seems to really like him.”

Why was his voice so weak and tired?

“What did you say?” Buffy asked, instead.

“Me?” Cyrus shrugged. “I told him he should say ‘yes’.”

“What?!” the girls chorused, making him lift an eyebrow.

“What is wrong with you two? Why do you sound so surprised that T.J. got asked out? He’s a great guy. Who wouldn’t ask him out?”

“Straight guys and lesbians?” Andi provided with a grin.

That made Cyrus chuckle.

Meanwhile, Buffy was still frowning. “So…you’re jealous?” she stated, slowly.

He felt his cheeks turn red. “How did you get that from everything I said?!”

Buffy shrugged. “I didn’t. I was taking a guess. But, based on that, it looks like you are.”

“Why would you think that?!” Cyrus replied, defensively.

“So, you’re not jealous?”

“Of course not!”

The two girls raised their eyebrows eerily at the same time.

“How do you two do that?!”

They simply continued to look at him, being all judge-y. Cyrus wrinkled his nose. They were so rude, giving him looks like that! What did they know?!

He huffed. “And so what if I’m jealous? I still…”

He trailed off, eyes widening in surprise at his own words. Slowly, he sat up, crossing his legs underneath him, realization dawning upon him and making his mind go haywire in confusion.

“I’m jealous?” he whispered to himself.

“I mean, Cy, it wouldn’t be the first time,” said Buffy, gently this time.

“What do you mean?”

“Cy, whenever someone asks T.J. out, you act all jealous.”

“That is completely false and untrue!”

“Really? Remember freshman orientation?”

That was three years ago, it was all a blur to him.

Buffy continued, “This one girl was clearly into T.J. and was flirting with him and when she tried to ask him out, you jumped right in and went, ‘Sorry, you’re not his type. He’s gay. You’re better off not wasting your time’ and practically shoo-ed her away.”

Cyrus remembered now. That girl was in his and T.J.’s History class. Every now and then, she would still stare at the blonde so he guessed that crush never went away.

“But it wasn’t like I was lying!” he responded, defensively. “T.J. is gay. He wouldn’t have gone out with her! I was saving her time and energy!”

Andi piped in this time. “What about the time Freddie tried to ask him out after you two broke up?”

Cyrus’ eye twitched. “He was breaking the ex code!”

“Which is?” Buffy prodded.

“To not date your ex’s friends!”

“That’s a stupid code and you know it!”

Yeah, he knew it was stupid. But, at the time, the thought of T.J. going out with Freddie didn’t settle well in his stomach. And T.J. didn’t even like Freddie that way! The girls were being ridiculous!

“Well, we’ve gone on double dates and I was never jealous of the guys he went out with,” he pointed out, very sure of himself.

Buffy burst out laughing and even Andi hid her giggles behind her hand.

“What?” Cyrus questioned, confused.

“You always had something to complain about the person on a date with T.J.,” Andi stated, matter-of-factly. “They either don’t pay T.J. enough attention or T.J. was too good for them or they made fun of T.J.’s dyscalculia and it made you angry.”

“That last one is valid! You should never make fun of someone’s learning disability!”

“Why are you in so much denial, Cyrus?” Andi asked, sincerely.

Cyrus froze. “I… I’m not,” he stammered, weakly.

“What are you so scared of?” she continued.

A lump formed in his throat. “I… I just…”

“Cyrus.” His pixie-haired friend flashed him a small smile. “Do you like T.J.?”

He dropped his phone in shock.

“Cyrus?!”

“Cy?! Are you okay?!”

With a shaking hand, he fumbled for the phone, raising it up to his face again. The little box with his head showed how red he was.

“Why would you think I like T.J.?!” he blurted out.

Buffy chuckled. “Well, for one, we have eyes. You’re not exactly subtle.”

“And when you’re with him, you always get this… sparkle.” Andi looked dreamy as she said it.

Cyrus opened his mouth to deny the allegations but stopped. These were his best friends. They would know if he lied.

But, would it be lying? It wasn’t like he still had feelings for T.J….did he? It was a long-ago crush that started in the 8th grade.

From the moment T.J. had come out to him, Cyrus had been waiting for him to make a move, but he never did. Cyrus waited and waited, but it began to feel like waiting for the dinosaurs to come back and re-populate the earth.

So, he figured that he should forget his feelings and move on. That was why he dated. If someone told him they liked him, he didn’t hesitate in accepting their feelings.

But… maybe… perhaps… the feelings had just been dormant. Maybe they never disappeared like he thought they did.

“Cyrus?” Andi’s voice broke through his thoughts. “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. But, you know we’re here for you. We’ll always listen.”

“And we won’t judge either,” Buffy added with a smile.

Cyrus couldn’t help but feel touched by his best friends’ concerns. Which was why he couldn’t lie to them anymore. Not about this.

“I’ve liked him since the 8th grade,” he finally confessed. “I… I’m not exactly sure how it happened. But, one day, I just looked at him and realized… ‘I like this guy. He’s one of the best things that had ever happened to me’. And that was why I came out to him. A part of me was terrified that he would stop being my friend, but another part just… hoped.”

He remembered struggling and arguing with himself for several weeks before finally making the decision to tell T.J. that he was gay. And after telling him, it felt like a huge weight off his shoulders. He felt free. He wanted to tell T.J. his feelings but didn’t want to overwhelm him with too much information at once.

Maybe had been too naïve and had hoped…viciously hoped...that things would work out like they did in the movies. That the protagonist – him – would get the guy in the end. But, that hope was unfounded.

T.J. only liked him as a friend. His best friend.

“All these years, I thought my feelings for T.J. had disappeared,” he continued. “I started liking other guys, too, so I thought that I’d moved on. But, as it turns out, just because I liked and dated other guys didn’t mean that I stopped liking T.J. Maybe…maybe that’s why my relationships just never seemed to work out.”

“You heart wants someone else,” Andi stated and Cyrus couldn’t deny her statement.

Perhaps, he also had some shortcomings in his relationships. And that was not fully giving his all in it because of his lingering feelings for his blonde best friend.

“Why don’t you tell him then?” Buffy said, softly. “Before it’s too late. Cy, don’t wait for him to make the move.”

Cyrus swallowed. “I’m scared.”

“About what?” Andi asked, kindly.

“Losing him. He’s so important to me, you guys. I can’t… what if I make a move and things go wrong and we stop being friends?”

“I swear to God, you two…” Buffy mumbled before shaking her head. “Look, Cyrus. You clearly like him. Like, sickeningly in love with him!”

Andi nodded her head in agreement, making Cyrus blush.

“And if you don’t make a move, you’ll be stuck in this eternal loop of being friends and constantly jealous of each other’s boyfriends and ten years from now, you’ll wonder about the time you lost and the regret for not taking a risk when you had the chance.”

Cyrus let the words sink in, his chest aching in longing.

“Cyrus, we love you,” Andi said. “And we just want you to be happy.”

Cyrus swallowed. “What if… things don’t work out?”

“What if they do?” Buffy said, instead.

That left Cyrus thinking about possibilities that he had long ago given up on.

And a new feeling bloomed in his chest and he was both elated and terrified at its reappearance.

He was feeling hope.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”

Cyrus blinked. “Huh?”

T.J. flashed him a quick look before turning his gaze back to the road. “You’ve been staring at me and not saying anything. It’s kinda weird.”

Coughing, Cyrus adjusted his position in his seat so that he was facing the front.

“Sorry. I was…thinking about something.”

“Oh? What about?”

“That’s for me to know.”

“Ooohh you’re keeping secrets from me now, Underdog? Should I be concerned?”

He said it in a joking manner but Cyrus could read between his lines. T.J. was worried about him. His heart skipped a beat and this time, he wasn’t confused. He knew what he was feeling.

“No, nothing to be concerned about,” he said, as lightly as he could.

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

They moved on to talking about other things after that.

For someone who was still coming to terms with the fact that he may still have a giant crush on his best friend, Cyrus was acting pretty normal. Then again, he had always felt comfortable around T.J. He always felt light, like nothing could go wrong as long as the other boy was beside him. Maybe that was one of the reasons he liked him so much.

They arrived at school and entered the doors, laughing and joking about the frogs in the freshman Biology classes.

“I bet you at least five kids are gonna run out of class to puke their guts out,” T.J. chortled.

“Were you one of the five who did that freshman year?” Cyrus teased.

T.J. turned red and was immediately on the defense. “No! I didn’t puke!”

“But you ran out of class?”

“That frog was gonna jump at my face!”

Cyrus chuckled. “I’m sure that it wouldn’t have-.”

“Hey, T.J.”

They turned their attention to the newcomer walking up to them: Aidan.

Cyrus felt himself go cold at the sight of the other boy.

Aidan sported a wide smile as he strode to them with confidence in his steps. He stopped right in front of T.J. and grinned at him before turning to Cyrus.

“Cyrus,” he greeted.

Cyrus forced a smile. “Hey, Aidan.”

The brunette then turned to T.J. again and lifted his hand, revealing a paper bag. “I got you something, Teej.”

Cyrus took a peek at his best friend from the corner of his eye and saw him turn red as he accepted the present.

“Thanks,” he said, opening the bag. “Scones?”

“Blueberry scones.” Aidan sounded proud. “You mentioned blueberries were your favorite.”

“Wow, that’s really… sweet.”

Cyrus held his tongue, even as he fumed at seeing Aidan blush at T.J.’s compliment. The other boy couldn’t get his gaze off the blonde. It was like Cyrus wasn’t even there!

Then, he stared at the bag of scones. It reminded him of T.J. always bringing him treats. When was the last time Cyrus had done that for him? He made a mental note to bake blueberry macadamia muffins this weekend. Maybe he and T.J. could do it together?

“So, I’m wondering if you had the chance to think about what I asked yesterday?” Aidan asked, breaking Cyrus out of his thoughts.

“Oh… um…” T.J. turned his head to look at Cyrus, looking nervous and unsure all of a sudden.

Feeling his heart tightening, he knew he had to remove himself from the situation.

“I’m gonna go right ahead,” he stated, managing to keep his tone steady. “I’ll see you later, T.J. Aidan.”

Not waiting to hear a response from either boy, he sped off.

Days passed.

T.J. didn’t talk about it much but Cyrus knew he had agreed to Aidan’s date. Marty told him. And he watched Aidan practically skipping with glee in the halls.

It was basically confirmed when he asked T.J. if he wanted to hang out after his work on Saturday and the blonde told him he was busy.

Cyrus wondered if he was shy about it or just didn’t want him to know that he was going on a date. Either way, he spent his Saturday at Andi’s, lamenting his woes. The two girls were sympathetic but also jumped at the chance to goad him into making a move and confessing his feelings.

On Monday and Tuesday, T.J. picked him up for school and took him home as usual. But, he never said a word about his date. Cyrus didn’t want to nag him about it but he was driving himself crazy with curiosity!

He was still brimming with it when T.J. came over on Wednesday to study for their History test together.

They were taking a break and T.J. was sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor while Cyrus laid on his stomach on the bed. Both boys were on their phones. 

Cyrus was scrolling Instagram when a photo of Marty and Buffy on a date to the virtual arcade popped up. They really loved that place.

He turned his phone off and twisted his head to the side, staring at the tuft of blonde hair peeking out from the edge of his bed where T.J. was seated. He wanted to reach out and poke it or run his hands through it.

He held himself back, though.

“Hey, so how was your date with Aidan?” he casually asked.

It took a few seconds for T.J. to turn around to look up at him, red with embarrassment. 

“How did you know?

Cyrus smiled a little. “It’s not that hard to figure out. And… Marty told me.”

“Marty,” T.J. hissed before shaking his head. “It was no big deal. We just hung out.”

Cyrus lifted an eyebrow.

At the look, T.J. sighed and got up from the floor. He climbed onto the bed and laid down on his back beside Cyrus.

“It was… fun. He took me to an Escape Room.”

“That does sound like...fun,” Cyrus agreed, not moving from his position. He could see T.J.’s face clearly like this. “What else happened?”

The blonde chuckled. “It turns out we both sucked at it. We lost and they had to let us out.” He broke into a fond smile. “We went to laser tag after that. Then we had dinner at The Spoon. He paid and wouldn’t even let me handle the tip. And then he walked me home. I gotta say...he knows how to treat a date right.”

It sounded so romantic. Very textbook date night, but nonetheless a classic. And, suffice to say, Cyrus was jealous. Insanely. He was sure that he would have taken T.J. out on a romantic date too, if he had the chance!

(Although, he probably wouldn’t have thought of Laser Tag, at first. But, he would tuck that idea in the back of his mind for later.)

“Wow, that’s… that’s nice,” was all he could come up with. He cleared his throat. “Are you gonna go out with him again?”

T.J. was quiet for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Cyrus wondered if he even heard him. He was about to repeat his question when the other boy finally spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh.” Cyrus swallowed. “But, you like him, right?”

“He’s…a nice guy.”

The unsure answer only served to strengthen the hope in Cyrus’ chest.

If T.J. didn’t know if he liked Aidan, then maybe…maybe he had a chance to capture his heart.

Buffy told him to take a risk.

This should be it.

It was time.

He was going to make a move and ask T.J. out.

Now, if only his lips would move.

He opened his mouth to speak.

“Anyway, we should go back to studying,” T.J. stated, pushing himself up and stretching. “It’s my turn with the flash cards.”

Watching him scoot towards the bedside table to grab said flash cards, Cyrus could only sigh in disappointment.

He was always a beat too late.

More days passed.

Cyrus tried to pluck up his courage but whenever he tried, something always came in the way. Either they were interrupted, T.J. started talking about something else, or Cyrus just lost his nerve.

It was so frustrating! Things were easier when it was him being asked out!

Meanwhile, Aidan was idling around T.J. more and more. He waited for him in the mornings. He approached him at his locker. Sometimes, he would even sit with them at lunch.

Cyrus wished he could hate him. But…Aidan was nice. He was friendly and charismatic and he really genuinely liked T.J. and wasn’t shy about it.

By now, the rest of their friends were aware of Aidan’s crush. Buffy and Andi were clearly unhappy about it (they were on his team, after all!) but it wasn’t like they could stop the guy from liking their blonde friend. Marty and Jonah seemed neutral, but Cyrus was sure that Marty disapproved, too (probably Buffy’s influence).

Meanwhile, T.J. remained tight-lipped about what was really going on between him and the curly-haired boy.

It made Cyrus nervous, if he was honest.

And his fears were not so baseless.

One Friday afternoon, he was waiting for T.J. at the blonde’s locker. His friend was running late.

“Hey, CyGuy!” Jonah was striding up to him, hand lifted in a wave.

“Hey, JB!” he greeted back. “What’s up?”

“So, I read this article during study hall about mindfulness. Apparently, it helps with anxiety and stuff. They mentioned this book and I’m wondering if your Dad might have a copy?”

Unfortunately, Jonah still wasn’t getting therapy. The thought of it, alone, made him even more anxious. But, he was making an effort to take better care of himself now and resolved to read every article he came across about anxiety and how to handle it. Cyrus’ dad was only too happy to lend him books.

Cyrus smiled. “Text me the title and I’ll check at home.”

“Thanks! So, you waiting for T.J.?”

“Yeah, he’s running a bit late.” He scanned the crowd for the familiar blonde head. Finally, he spotted it coming down the stairs from the second floor. “There he is!”

His glee at seeing T.J. dampened when he saw another familiar head of curls behind him.

The two boys were talking and laughing as they neared the lockers and Cyrus. Jonah greeted them, friendly as always.

“So, Aidan needs a ride home today,” T.J. stated, looking at Cyrus. “Is that okay?”

Him? In a car with Aidan sending T.J. heart eyes the entire time and T.J. welcoming those heart eyes with that cute shy smile and blush?

“Yeah. Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to tell you that… I’m… hanging out with Jonah today.”

Brows furrowed, T.J. asked, “You are?”

“We are?” Jonah added, looking confused.

Cyrus flashed him pleading eyes. “You said we haven’t hung out just the two of us in a while.”

Thankfully, Jonah got the message. “Oh, right.” He turned to T.J. “Is that cool with you, T.J.? I’ll bring him home, I promise.”

Seeming to be over his shock, T.J. nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Cyrus felt guilty for ditching him but he really didn’t want to be stuck in an enclosed space with him and Aidan for the next fifteen or so minutes. Watching his crush getting flirted on by someone who also had a crush on him? He felt like a coward, but he couldn’t watch it. His after-school rides with T.J. were sacred and he didn’t want to taint them with seeing such a display and his own jealousy overflowing.  

That was how Cyrus found himself at The Spoon with Jonah, basket of baby taters in front of them. He hadn’t spoken a word since the food arrived, only aggressively stuffing tater after tater in his mouth, barely tasting them. He was so annoyed!

“Is something wrong, Cy?” Jonah asked.

“Nope. Nothing’s wrong. Everything is fine and dandy.”

He grabbed his chocolate milkshake and sipped, quickly. A little too fast because the ice cold feeling immediately went to his head, making him flinch.

“Easy there, bro.” Jonah looked worried, now. He had successfully made Jonah Beck concerned. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Aside from Andi and Buffy, Jonah was one of his dearest friends. He was his first ever true guy friend (and gay awakening but he wasn’t going to dwell on that anymore). 

And Cyrus didn’t really lie to T.J. He and Jonah hadn’t hung out just the two of them for a while now. They were always accompanied by the girls, Marty, and T.J. So, it was nice that they could just be bros again.

Maybe he could confide in Jonah? He trusted him, after all.

“Have you ever felt so strongly about someone that you’re scared to be with them?” Cyrus asked, softly.

Jonah’s eyes widened in surprise before nodding in understanding. “Because if anything goes wrong, you could lose them.”

It was Cyrus’ turn to be surprised. He never figured that Jonah, of all people, would say something that resonated so strongly in him.

“Is this about T.J.?” Jonah continued.

Cyrus felt himself blush but nodded, anyway. “You…know?” he asked, hesitantly.

Jonah grinned. “The girls like to talk about how oblivious you are. It’s hard not to get caught up.”

Groaning, Cyrus placed his arms on the table and propped his chin on top of them. “Did everyone figure it out except for me?”

“Possibly. But, hey. I think T.J. likes you, too. It’s weird that neither of you have made a move.”

Cyrus snorted in disbelief. “You’re wrong. T.J. doesn’t like me. At least, not like that. If he did, he would have told me long ago.”

Jonah shrugged. “Maybe he’s scared.”

“What would he be scared about?”

Jonah chuckled. “Losing you? You’re important to him, you know.”

At that, Cyrus blinked. He never thought of that. But, he still couldn’t help but doubt it.

“You should talk to him,” Jonah said, encouragingly.

“Yeah… I’m just… waiting for the right moment.”

Lifting his head, he decided to change the subject. “What about you? You seem to know quite a bit about liking someone very strongly and not wanting to lose them.” He grinned at his friend. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

To his surprise and curiosity, Jonah blushed and sheepishly looked down at the plate of baby taters. But, his lips were smiling.

“Come on, JB. It’s just me.”

Cyrus reached out and placed a hand over his on top of the table. He flashed him an encouraging smile.

That seemed to make Jonah relax.

“I… uh… have been hanging out with Walker more lately,” he started.

Cyrus’ brow raised at that. 

Walker. 

How unexpected. 

Then again, he and his friends seemed to surprise each other with their random crushes and choice in partners. (Except maybe Buffy. That was the only one that made sense.)

There was Andi and Amber, those two were definitely a surprise, considering their past. And then his crush on T.J., which was unexpected and hit him like a freight train.

Walker and Jonah didn’t seem too far-fetched. And the artist was the first boy the dimpled boy had shown genuine interest in.

“But, I’m still figuring things out so…is it okay if we keep this between us?”

Cyrus smiled, touched at Jonah’s trust in him. He patted the boy’s hand before pulling back. “Of course. Your secret is safe with me. And…same with the thing with me and T.J.?”

Jonah nodded.

They sealed their promise with a fist bump.

He truly had amazing friends. 

Chapter Text

It had been days since T.J. and Cyrus last hung out. Sure, he would pick him up for school in the morning and drive him home after and they would have lunch together with their friends. But other than those, they haven’t spent much time together…alone.

Aidan had been hanging around him a lot more ever since their date. The brunette would wait for him in the mornings with some kind of treat, and sometimes, T.J. would drive him home, too. During these times, Cyrus would disappear.

He wondered if his friend had an issue with Aidan but Cyrus had always given people chances and get to know them (like what he did with T.J.), so this behavior was a little off-putting and strange.

And, furthermore, T.J. just missed him. So, he was thrilled when Cyrus agreed to come over his house after school to help him study for his upcoming Trigonometry test.

Cyrus was a good teacher. He was patient and had no problem repeating things until T.J. understood. If he was certified in specialized tutoring for dyscalculia, T.J. would have insisted that he be his tutor instead of the one provided by the school. (She was nice and all but he wasn’t her only student. There were 3 others in the whole of Grant who also had dyscalculia so she had to divide her time between them. She couldn’t always give T.J. her full attention.)

It had been two hours since they started studying. Sitting with his legs underneath him at his desk, T.J.’s head was filled with nothing else but sine, cosine, and tangent functions. He was starting to doze off. Cyrus’ voice started to sound like a soothing buzz in his ears. He wanted to just lie his head down and nap.

“T.J., what’s the answer?”

He blinked and looked down at the equation he had been trying to solve. He was pretty sure he messed up somewhere.

“Um… 42?”

From his spot on top of T.J.’s bed, Cyrus sighed and put the textbook down. “Let’s take a break.”

“Thank you!”

Relived that he could rest his exhausted brain, T.J. plopped his head on top of his arms on the desk and closed his eyes.

He wanted to drift off but knew that he shouldn’t. He still had a lot of ground to cover. So, he would just rest.

“So… how are things between you and Aidan?”

T.J. opened his eyes and peeked at Cyrus, still sitting on his bed, watching him.

“Um… fine, I guess.”

Cyrus cutely pursed his lips. “Have you gone out on your second date?” he continued to ask.

“No. He’s asked me a couple of times. But, I’ve been too busy.”

Plus, he figured it was best not to get Aidan’s hopes up. But, he had to admit, the guy was determined. Not to brag or anything, but it wasn’t the first time T.J. had been pursued. However, most gave up fairly soon. Aidan, so far, just kept asking, never deterred by T.J.’s polite refusals.

It was cute and yeah, it felt good. But, he knew that he had to be firm with him one of these days and reject him properly. He wouldn’t feel so bad about it if Aidan wasn’t so nice.

T.J. flashed Cyrus a smirk. “Why? Are you jealous?” he teased.

To his surprise, the brunette just coughed and abruptly changed the subject. “So, did you see the posters for the Spring Formal? Andi made them.”

Chuckling to himself, T.J. raised his head and nodded. “Yeah. She’s in the committee, right?”

“Yeah, she figured since Amber’s not around, she might as well do something productive for the Dance. She’s handling PR and some of the décor.” Cyrus pursed his lips. “Are you…thinking about asking Aidan?”

T.J. didn’t even think about that so he just shrugged. “What about you?” he couldn’t help but ask. “Are you asking anyone?”

His heart thundered against his chest as he waited for Cyrus’ answer.

The brunette also shrugged. “Still thinking about it.”

T.J. tried to ignore the way his heart fell. “Oh.”

Whoever that guy was, he was a lucky bastard.

He forced a grin. “In that case, try not to step on his feet when you’re dancing.”

Cyrus’ mouth fell open in offense at the jibe. “Excuse me?! I’ll have you know, I’m an excellent dancer! I took dance lessons!”

T.J. snorted. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, really!” Looking determined, Cyrus jumped off the bed and flashed T.J. a challenging look. “I’ll show you who can dance!”

Then, to the blonde’s amusement, he began to dance. And he was using the term quite loosely. It involved a lot of jazz hands, shaking his hips, flailing his arms, and spinning.

“You can’t do better than me!” he gleefully cheered.

That sounded like a challenge and everyone knew that T.J. could never resist a challenge.

Getting to his feet, T.J. also began to move his body. A few body rolls here. Waving his arms there. Spinning. He wasn’t entirely sure if his made up routine was any better than Cyrus’ but the boy was laughing and amping up his own moves so it must be pretty good.

There was no music but by some miracle, they were still moving to some kind of beat.

Playfully, T.J. reached out and grabbed Cyrus’ hand and twirled him under his arm. The brunette let out a delighted squeal, spinning himself back into T.J.’s arms.

T.J. spun him again and brought him close, his hands instinctively meeting the smaller boy’s waist. Cyrus giggled, his own hands moving up to wrap around T.J.’s neck, his cold fingers meeting the little hairs there. It made the blonde shiver but he didn’t let go.

They were suddenly swaying to the unheard music.  

“What are we doing?” Cyrus asked, still giggling.

“Slow dancing? It’s a must for every Dance, Underdog! You’ve slow-danced before, right?”

Cyrus shrugged. “I danced with Freddie at the Winter Formal last year… but, he stepped on my foot so we stopped.”

T.J. laughed, remembering.

He had been standing on the side of the school gym, a cup of punch in his hands, silently jealous as he watched Cyrus dance with his then-boyfriend…until the foot-stepping incident, anyway.

“Oh, yeah,” he teased, grinning. “He ruined your shoes.”

“They were pure, 100 percent Italian leather!”

“Well, then, hopefully, whoever you slow-dance with this time won’t step on your foot and ruin any expensive leather.”

“Or I can just dance with you.”

He was sure it didn’t mean anything, but T.J. still felt his cheeks turn red. 

“Yeah,” he managed with a soft smile. “You can do that. I’ll dance with you all night, if you want me to.”

Their swaying had slowed and the distance between them had somehow become non-existent. He wasn’t sure if he had pulled him closer or if Cyrus, himself, stepped closer. But, they were now practically chest-to-chest.

The brunette raised his chin and met his eyes, peering at him from under long lashes as he bit his bottom lip. T.J.’s gaze flicked over to them, biting his own lip and swallowing the lump in his throat.

“T.J.?” came the soft call, making him look up again to see Cyrus watching him.

“Cyrus,” he breathed, feeling himself lean in as his resolve weakened.

He loved him so much and wanted to be with him, so badly. He held off on his feelings for so long, putting Cyrus’ own happiness before his. But, it didn’t change the fact that he wanted to hold him in his arms like this…to kiss him…

It felt like time was slowing down. Cyrus’ eyes were fluttering, almost as if he wanted to shut them but didn’t want to miss what T.J. was doing. Meanwhile, T.J.’s heart was speeding up and wondered if it was loud enough for Cyrus to hear.

Their lips were only mere millimeters away from each other. It was so easy for T.J. to just take the plunge and go for it. Just plant a kiss right there on those pretty pink lips...

“Boys! Take a break! I made cookies!”

Just like that, T.J. felt himself jump away from Cyrus, his hands leaving the latter’s waist. His heart still wasn’t calming down and he could feel his face practically burning. Nonetheless, he was a half-disappointed and half-relieved at the interruption.

Disappointed because he didn’t get to kiss Cyrus like he wanted. Relieved because he didn’t want it to happen like this. He didn’t want to force a kiss on him.  

“U-Um… we should go,” was all he could say.

In front of him, Cyrus had his gaze trained on the floor. “Y-Yeah… Um… Can you give me a minute? I just… uh… I need to check on something… on my phone.”

“Yeah… yeah…”

With a nod, T.J. quickly left, leaving Cyrus still standing there in the middle of his bedroom.

In the hallway, he leaned against the wall and sighed. Whether it was from relief or frustration, he wasn’t really sure, anymore.

And his heart still refused to calm down.

They didn’t talk about it when they were eating his mom’s cookies and drinking juice. They didn’t talk about it when they went back to studying. And not a word was mentioned when Cyrus said goodbye and T.J. watched him walking to his dad’s car from the porch.

As the taillights disappeared, the longing in T.J. only grew.

“Wow, Andi really outdid herself,” Cyrus said, sounding impressed.

T.J. had to agree as they both stared at the giant pink banner hanging from the banister, with the words “Spring Formal This Friday At 7pm!” emblazoned in glittery blue letters and surrounded by paintings of flowers, birds, and hearts. Around them, posters announcing the Dance were tacked onto every bulletin board and taped to every wall.

It was like they were trying to nudge T.J. into asking Cyrus since the brunette didn’t say anything about having a date, yet.

“Have you asked the guy you wanted to ask?” he casually brought up as Cyrus walked him to his locker. 

The other boy shook his head. “Not yet. I was thinking about how I’m gonna ask. Like, should I do a promposal, like what everyone else is doing? Or should I just go for it and ask? What do you think?

T.J.’s chest ached as he replied, “I say go for it.”

They finally reached his locker.

Cyrus flashed him a smile. “You think so? I’m kind of scared he’d say ‘no’.”

“Who would say ‘no’ to you, Underdog? I wouldn’t.”

Cyrus’ face flushed. “R-Really?”

T.J. returned the smile as he opened his locker. “Yeah. Why? Are you asking me?” he couldn’t help but tease.

Cyrus visibly swallowed. He looked a little nervous all of a sudden.

“Well… actually, there is something I wanted to ask…”

A seed of hope blossomed inside T.J.’s chest. Was Cyrus really going to ask him?

“Hey, guys.”

Trying not to be so obvious with his irritation at the interruption, T.J. flashed the newcomer a friendly smile.

“Hey, Aidan,” he greeted.

The other brunette boy stopped in front of them.

“Got you an apple fritter,” he said, holding out a paper bag for T.J. to take.

He didn’t want to accept but he also didn’t want to be rude so he took it.

“Well, I’m gonna head to my locker,” Cyrus announced.

“Wait, weren’t you going to ask me something?” T.J. blurted out in a panic, not wanting him to leave yet.

Cyrus flashed him a strained smile. “It’s not a huge deal. I’ll see you, guys, later.”

And with that, he walked away.

Disappointed, T.J. continued to watch him from afar until he disappeared in the crowd. He was so caught up in his own inner turmoil that he almost didn’t hear Aidan’s question.

“Do you have a date for the Spring Formal, yet?”

He turned to him. “No, not yet,” he replied, honestly.

Aidan brightened up and it made the dread pool in T.J.’s stomach. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“So… would you like to go with me?”

T.J. swallowed. It was time. He couldn’t put it off any longer.

“Aidan…”

He locked eyes with the brunette. The other boy looked anxious with the way his hands tightened around the straps of his backpack. Yet, hopeful at the same time because he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation, beaming that bright smile.

T.J. felt awful. “I’m flattered, I really am. But… I can’t go to the Formal with you. I… don’t feel the same way.”

Slowly but surely, the sparkle in Aidan’s eyes dimmed as his smile disappeared. “Oh…”

“It’s not you!” T.J. added, quickly. “Honestly, you’re a really great guy. You’re sweet and nice and funny and…I bet you any other guy or girl would have no issue going out with you. But, I…”

He trailed off, unsure about going further.

But, Aidan appeared to understand. “You like someone else, already, right?”

T.J. swallowed again and nodded.

“It’s Cyrus… right?”

T.J.’s eyes widened. “How did you…?”

Chuckling, Aidan shrugged. “I wasn’t sure, at first. But, the more I got to know you and your friends, the more it became obvious. I should have backed off when I realized but I just really liked you, T.J.” He sighed. “I’m sorry if I made things awkward for you both. I think I’ve been upsetting him by hanging around you too much.” He smiled in a friendly way. “You should ask him.”

T.J. hung his head. “I don’t know. I want to. God, I really want to. But, I don’t know how he’ll react.”

Aidan reached out and patted his arm. “Well, you won’t know unless you ask.”

For someone who just got rejected, he seemed to take it well. And he was fine with giving T.J. dating advice? Aidan really was a great guy. And he had to admire his guts, too. He liked T.J. and he went for it.

Maybe he should take a page from his book.

By the time they bid each other goodbye (Aidan had now fully accepted defeat and told him he was backing off), T.J. was determined.

With his head raised high and his steps sure and confident, he made his way to Cyrus’ locker. From a distance, he could see him there, talking seriously with Jonah.

Gathering every bit of his nerve and summoning all of his so-called boundless confidence, he walked closer.

“… and I’m wondering if you’d like to go to my Spring Formal with me?”

T.J. froze in his tracks, his body going cold at the words that just left Jonah’s mouth.

Surely, Cyrus wouldn’t say ‘yes’? Surely, Jonah wasn’t the one he was going to ask. He was over his crush on Jonah. He told T.J. that many times.

He watched as Cyrus smiled and said, “Sure, Jonah. I’d love to go to your Spring Formal.”

He could practically hear the ensuing crack and crash of his heart, like a vase that someone accidentally knocked over.

He was too late again.

Turning on his heels, T.J. ran off.

The ride home was filled with nothing but Cyrus’ chatter about his day. T.J. hummed in acknowledgment so his friend knew he was listening, but otherwise, he allowed Cyrus to talk. He knew that he was just waiting for the boy to bring up the Formal and Jonah.

And it made him tense. His hold on the steering wheel was tight but he was surprisingly calm. When it came to being heartbroken, he had gotten very good at hiding his true feelings.

“You okay? You’ve been quiet all day,” Cyrus asked, sounding worried.

T.J. flashed him a smile. “Yeah. Just a long day. My Trig test was pretty hard, but I think I did okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Really.”

Cyrus was silent for a few beats before saying, “Alright."

He didn’t say anything for a while, the only sound was the radio playing.

“So…did Aidan ask you to the Formal?” was suddenly asked.

T.J. swallowed, not taking his eyes off the road. “Yeah, how did you know?”

“Wild guess. He looked serious this morning.”

“Yeah.”

Another beat of silence.

“So… are you going with him?”

“Uh… I haven’t decided. Maybe.”

“Oh…”

No word was said for the rest of the drive.

Suffice to say, things between him and Cyrus in the next few days were…awkward.

T.J. didn’t mean to make it awkward. It was just, every time he looked at Cyrus, he would remember the way he said “yes” to Jonah’s invitation with no hesitation. And, furthermore, neither of them said a word about being each other’s dates. It was like they didn’t want anyone else to know.

Meanwhile, the rest of their friends were looking forward to the Formal. Marty and Buffy were going together, of course. And Andi was going stag but she proudly boasted about how hard she worked on her decorations.

When T.J. casually mentioned that maybe he was going to skip out on it, he had gotten a gasp of horror from her and was then made to feel guilty because he wouldn’t see her beautiful decorations. So, obviously, he now felt obligated to go.

“Hey, are we okay?” Cyrus asked him that Friday, at T.J.’s locker, hours before the Formal.

“Yeah, why?”

“It just… feels like you’re avoiding me? Or you don’t want to talk to me? Did I do something?”

T.J.’s eyes widened. “What? No! You didn’t do anything! I just…” He sighed, feeling exhaustion seep into his bones and guilt for worrying his friend. “It’s just been a long couple of days. But, things are fine, really.”

Cyrus frowned. “Are you sure?”

T.J. stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. “Yes. Things are fine.” He wanted to keep holding him but eventually, he forced himself to break away and step back. “A little fun tonight will probably do me some good. I’ll see you later?”

Cyrus, along with Buffy, was going to Andi’s to get ready and they were sleeping over, too.

The brunette still looked unsure but nodded. “I’ll see you.”

T.J. drove home alone. His mother was working until 8 that night so he got ready alone. He figured it was better, so she wouldn’t fuss over him and his hair and he could contemplate in peace.

It was the same old routine. He was always like this whenever Cyrus went on a date or got a new boyfriend. 

T.J. would wallow in self-pity for a couple of days then pretend everything was okay until he got used to the fact that Cyrus was with some other guy and not him.

So far, it worked well for him...sort of.

After styling his hair and sliding on the black suit jacket over his green button down (Cyrus often said he looked great in green because it brought out his eyes), he took a quick mirror photo and sent it to his mom.

Then, he grabbed his keys and was out the door.

He drove back to school, where the Spring Formal was to be held at the gym. He parked, sent his mom a quick text saying that he had arrived, then made his way into the building. Surrounding him were other students, all dressed to the nines in formal cocktail dresses and fancy suits.

In the hallway leading to the gym, he finally spotted a familiar face.

“Jonah!”

The brunette waved at him, his smile and dimples in full force. Damn, he looked really happy. Who wouldn't be if Cyrus was their date?

T.J.’s chest ached.

“Hey, T.J.!”

They slapped hands and fist-bumped in greeting.

“You look great,” the brunette complimented.

“Thanks. You too.”

Jonah was similarly dressed in a black suit, his formal shirt a deep red, and his hair nicely brushed. He really was a handsome guy, T.J. couldn’t deny that.

“Where are the others?”

Jonah pointed behind him. “The girls and Marty are already inside. Cyrus, too.”

T.J. furrowed his brows. “Why aren’t you in there with them?”

“Oh!” Jonah blushed, sheepishly. “My date’s in the bathroom. He’ll probably be out soon.”

Now, T.J. was definitely confused. “Your… date? But isn’t-.”

“Hey, guys.”

Jonah’s face immediately lit up. “Hey.”

A familiar bright-eyed boy walked up to them, dressed in a maroon suit with a white undershirt and a black bow tie.

“Walker?” T.J. blurted out, eyes wide. “You’re Jonah’s date?”

Jonah suddenly looked shy but Walker was beaming, his hand reaching out to link with the boy next to him.

“Yeah,” the artist replied, excitedly. “I didn’t think he would ask me but…. He really surprised me.”

Jonah grinned. “I have Cyrus to thank for that.”

T.J.’s stomach flipped. “Cyrus?”

“Yeah, he let me rehearse on him. And a good thing, too! I could barely get the words out when I asked Walker.”

“It was cute,” Walker said in a teasing tone, turning to Jonah and bumping their shoulders together. “And really sweet.”

Watching them practically flirt and send heart eyes at each other, T.J. felt stupid.

He had jumped to conclusions.

Cyrus never mentioned going to the Formal with Jonah because he never was.

“So… Cyrus doesn’t have a date?” he ended up asking.

Turning his attention back to him, Jonah furrowed his brows. “Aren’t you guys here together?”

T.J.’s throat felt dry. “Why would you think that?”

“He told me he was gonna ask you…he didn’t?” Jonah’s eyes widened in shock and panic. “Shit…sorry….I… I wasn’t supposed to tell you…I just thought…Please don’t tell Cyrus! He trusted me!”

Cyrus was going to ask him? Was T.J. dreaming? Or maybe Jonah was joking?

No, Jonah would never joke about this. He was funny and oblivious, but he would never joke about this.

So… if Cyrus wanted to go to the Formal with him, why didn’t he ask him? He had all week to ask. But, why didn’t he?

Meanwhile, Walker was rubbing a hand over Jonah’s back, calming him down. The brunette flashed him a grateful smile before turning to T.J.

“I think you should go talk to Cyrus,” he said. “It’s not too late.”

Yes, it wasn’t too late. The Dance only just started. There was still time.

T.J. had a chance. He couldn’t let it slip by.

“I gotta go! Thanks, Jonah!”

With determined steps, T.J. ran down the hall and through the gym doors.

Chapter Text

Colorful streamers hung from the walls in various layers that the gaudy red brick was barely distinguishable. Round tables covered in various shades of pink, red, and yellow cloths were spread all over the gym floor. A stage was set up at the center, decorated with paper mache flowers and confetti, where the D.J. was playing the latest trending bubblegum pop song. A glittering disco ball hung from the ceiling above a makeshift dance floor, where some students were already dancing. Two large and long tables were pushed against the walls, filled with various drinks and food. And by the entrance was a makeshift photo booth, manned by a few freshmen and sophomores with cameras.

Suffice to say, Cyrus was impressed by how the Dance committee managed to make the gym look less like a gym and more… well… Formal-like.

He, Buffy, and Marty were sitting on one of the tables, watching Andi flit about like a fairy. Their pixie-haired friend had her trusty clipboard clutched in her hand and the skirt of her silver dress bounced as she ran back and forth, making last-minute checks.

“Does she know yet?” Buffy asked, randomly.

Cyrus shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He looked towards the entrance of the gym, scrunching his brows. “Where are Jonah and Walker? They’re taking a while. And T.J.’s late, too. They’re gonna miss it.”

“I guess we’ll have to record it for them,” Marty said, taking his phone out.

Another ten minutes and Andi finally appeared to be slowing down. Looking satisfied, she plopped herself on the seat next to Cyrus.

“Doesn’t this place look amazing?!” she exclaimed, putting her clipboard down on the table before stretching her arms up in the air with a satisfied groan. “I think I really outdid myself!”

“Everything does look great, Andi,” Buffy said, grinning. “So, are you done bossing your freshman minions around and finally going to start enjoying the Dance?”

Andi shrugged. “I guess so. Unless something goes wrong. But, I’m sure they won’t. I hope. Oh, god, did I jinx it?!”

She started to panic-flip through her clipboard again.

Meanwhile, Cyrus raised his head and spotted a familiar blonde figure tip-toeing towards them.

“Andi, relax. Just have fun with your date tonight,” he said, grinning.

Andi scrunched her face in his confusion. “What date?”

“Me!”

She swiveled around, gasping in surprise. “Amber?!”

“Hi, babe!”

With an elated shriek, Andi jumped up into the blonde girl’s arms and Amber wasted no time in lifting her up and twirling her around.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Well, I won’t have any exams for a while so I figured, I’d come home and surprise you! I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, babe!” Andi turned to them, her happiness radiating brighter than the sun. “You guys knew?!”

“Of course, we did!” Buffy answered, grinning.

“But, it was a secret so we had to stay silent,” Cyrus added.

“You have a veeeery persistent girlfriend,” said Marty, chuckling as he continued to record on his phone.

“Awww, you guys.”

Twirling back to face Amber, Andi wrapped her arms around the older girl’s neck and gave her a kiss, which the blonde happily returned.

Buffy and Mary exaggeratedly groaned in annoyance, but it was clear on their faces that they were happy for the two girls. Cyrus was too. He truly was.

In the beginning, all of them found it strange that Andi and Amber started going out, considering what they went through in Middle School. But, now, seeing the way Andi couldn’t tear her eyes off Amber and how Amber couldn’t stop peppering the younger girl’s face with kisses, they somehow just made sense.

Suffice to say, they were sickeningly in love with each other.

“Let’s go dance!” Amber piped, taking Andi’s hand and pulling her towards the dance floor.

Andi didn’t even protest or say goodbye to them. 

Cyrus heard himself loudly sigh.

“You okay, Cy?” Buffy sounded concerned.

He turned to her with a nod. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Both she and Marty flashed each other looks, like they were talking with their minds or something. It was a little unnerving sometimes.

Cyrus cleared his throat. “I wonder where T.J. is,” he ended up saying, checking his phone to see if the other boy had messaged him.

There wasn’t. Maybe T.J. decided not to come? But, Cyrus spotted Aidan earlier and they were supposed to be here together…right? It was strange to arrive at a Dance without your date, Cyrus thought. Unless T.J. had said “no” to the other boy?

He tried not to hope too much.

“We’re gonna go get some food,” Marty announced as he and Buffy stood up. “Want anything?”

Cyrus stared at his plate of uneaten chips and salsa. They had some snacks earlier while preparing at Andi’s place and he may have gorged himself on too many cookies. He wasn’t hungry right now.

“I’m good, thanks!”

“Okay!”

The two headed off and Cyrus turned his attention back on the dance floor. 

Andi and Amber were still wrapped around each other, giggling and twirling each other around as they swayed to the music. Andi rose up on her tip-toes to playfully rub her nose against Amber’s. Amber pecked it in return.

A burst of longing stirred in his chest. Cyrus wished he had someone to dance with. Well, to be more specific, he wished T.J. was here so he could ask him to dance. 

Where was he?!

“Hey, Cyrus.”

His blood ran cold at the familiar voice. Lifting his head, he met the deep brown eyes of Lance.

He hadn’t spoken to his ex-boyfriend in months since their last encounter in the halls when Lance tried to apologize. Whenever they saw each other in the halls, Cyrus would walk quickly or turn around and run in the opposite direction. Lance never tried to chase him.

“What do you want?” he said, stiffly.

The lacrosse player pursed his lips as he gestured to Andi’s empty seat. “Can I sit?”

“I’d rather you don’t.”

Lance flushed in embarrassment. “Okay, I deserve that.”

“And more,” Cyrus said, curtly.

Lance just tilted his head in agreement. “Look, Cy. I just… I want to say that I’m sorry. For everything. I mean it. I really am sorry for cheating on you and betraying your trust.”

As much as Cyrus wished he could feel touched by the apology, he couldn’t feel anything but numbness. He had gotten over Lance’s cheating. Maybe it helped that the relationship never got serious. But, still, being cheated on felt like crap.

“Why did you do it?”

His voice cracked as he asked the question but it was the one thing that still bothered him over the months.

“Why wasn’t I enough for you?”

Lance took a deep breath, appearing to contemplate the question.

“I… It’s not that you weren’t enough,” he answered, hesitant and careful. “It’s just… sometimes… you felt… disconnected?”

Cyrus furrowed his brows. “What? What are you talking about? I gave my all in that relationship, Lance! I was faithful to you!”

“I know, I know.” Lance sighed, loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s just…Sometimes… I felt like… You didn’t really see me. Like… you were wishing I were someone else.”

Cyrus felt his chest twitch with something he couldn’t right away identify. Was it guilt? It could be guilt. He was aware of his own shortcomings in his relationship with Lance. But, still…

“You could have talked to me,” he managed in a steady voice. “We could have discussed it and worked it out. We were in a relationship, Lance. We should have been able to tell each other everything. Instead, you decided to go behind my back with someone else. Instead of breaking up with me if you were really that frustrated, you decided to hurt me a million times more by cheating on me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I know you think I don’t mean, but I do, Cyrus. You were a great boyfriend. And I messed it up, that’s on me. And I’m sorry.”

And for the life of him, Cyrus actually believed him. Yes, Lance cheated on him and lied to him. But, at this moment, he could see it. His ex-boyfriend was sincere and meant his apology.  

Lance shifted on his feet. “Look, Cyrus. I regret what I did and I won’t ask you to come back to me.”

Because he already had a girlfriend. Lance didn’t exactly wait to make it official after they broke up.

“But, I just needed you to know.”

At that, Cyrus felt himself nod. “Okay.”

Lance smiled, hopefully. “Are we good? Do you think we can be friends?” 

Cyrus sighed. “I don’t know if I can ever look at you without remembering what you did to me. But, now that I know I made you feel that way, I apologize for that, too. But, friends? I don’t think so. At least, not right now, Lance.”

The other boy’s face fell. “Right. I get it.”

Cyrus nodded and spared him a small, civil smile.

An awkward silence hung above them now.

“I, uh, I’ll leave you to it,” Lance coughed.

Cyrus nodded again and watched as the other boy resolved to walk away and return to his own table. His girlfriend looked up at him, smiled, and asked a question. At his answer, she flashed Cyrus a look, who returned the gaze with steel. Looking uncomfortable, she looked away.

“Hey.”

Almost instantly, his dark mood disappeared as his heart fluttered.

His frown now replaced with a smile, he looked up. “Hey, Teej! You’re finally here!”

His eyes drank the taller boy in – the dark green shirt, the black suit, his perfectly coiffed blonde hair. God, T.J. was so handsome.

“Wow,” was all he could say. “You look…wow.”

T.J. smirked, playfully, looking Cyrus up and down. “You look pretty wow yourself, Underdog.”

Cyrus blushed, pleased that his choice to go with a royal blue suit, white shirt, and a black bow tie had gotten T.J.’s approval.

The blonde settled himself on Andi’s empty seat. “So… Was it just me or was that Lance here, just now?”

“Oh. You saw that?”

“Yeah. I was getting ready to rush right over and punch him if you needed me to.”

Cyrus chuckled and shook his head. “Thank you, but there was no need. He was just apologizing. And…we talked. A bit.”

“Oh. That’s...good.” He seemed to hesitate before asking, “You’re not getting back together with him, are you?”

“Oh, god, no!”

T.J. chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Really glad.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. “Me too. So… any reason why you’re late?”

“Traffic. And I got to talking with Jonah and Walker on the way in.” T.J. pursed his lips. “I didn’t know they were together.”

Cyrus beamed. “Yeah, it was totally unexpected! But, apparently, they’ve been hanging out a lot lately and some feelings happened and… well… Jonah wanted to ask him but he didn’t know how so he practiced on me a few times. It was so cute, he was actually stuttering. But, I’m proud that he did it!”

“They did look pretty cozy when I saw them,” T.J. laughed. “I’m happy for them.”

“Me too.”

T.J. turned his attention towards the dance floor. “And I see Andi now knows that Amber is here.”

“That she does. It was really cute. Marty got a video, he’ll probably send it to you, guys, later.”

T.J.’s brow furrowed. “Where is Marty? And Slayer?”

“I don’t know. They said they were going to get food but that was a while ago.”

Cyrus tapped his fingers against the table. He was happy that T.J. was finally here, but part of him wondered if he was there with a date. Was it Aidan?

“So, uh, where’s your date?” he casually asked.

T.J. smiled up to his ears, green eyes sparkling. He looked so excited. Wow, he must really like his date.

“About that…” the blonde began.

“Hey, Cyrus.”

Trying not to groan at the interruption, Cyrus looked up to see Emily, one of his classmates. She was in homeroom with him.

“Hey, Emily. What’s up?”

The girl linked her hands together in front of her chest. “Please dance with me?” she asked, acting cute.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. “Emily… you know I’m gay, right?”

She huffed. “Of course I know! But please spare a dance for this straight girl and make her dream of dancing with a cute guy come true?”

He laughed, amused. Well, it couldn’t hurt. Emily had always been nice and respectful to him.

He turned to his blonde friend. “Do you mind if I go ahead and dance with her, Teej?”

The blonde nodded. “Yeah. Go on. I’ll be here.”

Squealing in excitement, Emily pulled Cyrus up from his chair and dragged him towards the dance floor. She kept a respectful distance, allowing him to take her hand and lead as he spun her around. A few times, Cyrus couldn’t help but look back at T.J., just to make sure he was okay. He did kind of abandon him so soon after he just arrived.

Whenever their eyes met, T.J. would wave and Cyrus would wave back.

“I’m sorry for taking you away from your date,” Emily’s voice burst through his thoughts. “Don’t worry, I’ll return you when the song ends.”

“Date?” he questioned, confused.

Emily frowned as they swayed. “Aren’t you and T.J. dates tonight?”

“Oh. Oh no. No, we’re not. Um…I… uh… didn’t get the chance to ask him.”

“So, you do like him!”

Cyrus flinched. Oops. He didn’t mean to reveal that. “He’s here with someone else… I think.”

Emily raised her eyebrow. “You think? Have you asked him?”

“Uhhh…” He looked at her and couldn’t see any hint of mockery. Just genuine curiosity. “Why would you think we would be here together?”

“Well… I don’t know about everyone else, but some of us actually thought you two were dating already.”

“Wait… really?”

Cyrus felt himself slowing down, as he stared Emily. She was someone whom he rarely he spoke to but was civil with, and she thought that he and T.J. were dating? It made sense if his friends said it but a random classmate? Was he that obvious?

“When we heard what happened with you and Lance, we thought for sure that you two would be together by now!”

Cyrus pursed his lips. “Am I that obvious?” he asked, sheepishly.

“You both are,” Emily giggled.

Cyrus blinked. “Both?”

Emily stopped dancing, the upbeat pop song already changing to a soft ballad.

“Yeah. Both,” was all she said before stepping away from him. “Thanks for the dance, Cyrus!”

And with one last wave, she walked off, practically skipping in her high heels. He watched her approach another guy, pointing at the dance floor, and soon, she was back with her new partner, slow dancing away.

“Both?” Cyrus repeated to himself.

What did that even mean?

Still pondering, he turned around to head back to their table and maybe tell T.J. about what Emily said.

But, he froze in his tracks.

Sitting in front of his blonde friend now was Aidan. When did he get there?

The other brunette said something and T.J. laughed, shaking his head. He looked so happy. When was the last time Cyrus had seen him genuinely enjoy someone else’s company? 

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, they looked really good together. Cyrus paled in comparison compared to Aidan, who was just as handsome as T.J., just as athletic, and had a lot of things in common with him.  

Why would T.J. even consider going for Cyrus when perfect Aidan was there?

T.J. turned his head and met his gaze.

Cyrus’ chest tightened.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, he looked away and sped towards the doors.  

“Cy?!”

He heard the call but he couldn’t face him.

He couldn’t breathe.

He pushed the doors open, ignoring the concerned looks of other students idling around. He didn’t know where exactly he was going. He just needed to get out of there.

He turned and walked down an empty hallway, thinking that he could just find an empty room to calm himself down in.

“Cyrus!”

A hand wrapped itself around his arm, pulling him back, gently.

Cyrus flinched and broke away, taking a few steps back.

T.J. put his hands up. “Cy, what’s wrong?” He sounded worried.

Cyrus shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Cyrus, it’s not nothing. You’re shaking.” T.J. took a step closer.

But, Cyrus backed away. “I-I’m fine. You can go back.”

“But, Cy-.”

“Just go back to your date!” Cyrus’ eyes stung. “Why are you even here with me?!”

T.J. frowned in confusion. “What date?”

Cyrus sniffled. “Aidan. Aren’t you two together tonight?”

“What-.”

“You two look good together. I’m happy for you. So, you can go back now. I’m fine.”

But, even as he said it, his eyes began to water and his vision turned blurry. Hastily, he turned away and wiped the moisture away with the back of his hand. He made to walk away but T.J. held him back again, forcing him to turn towards him.

“Cy, something’s wrong. Tell me, please. Why are you so upset?”

“It’s nothing!” Cyrus insisted, refusing to look him in the eye.

“It’s not nothing!”

“Why do you even care?!”

“Why do I… Because you’re my best friend, Cyrus!”

“I don’t want to be!”

T.J. pulled back.

For a moment, there was only silence. Only Cyrus’ deep breathing to calm down filled the space. He could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead and the tears brimming at his eyes. He couldn’t bear to look at T.J. He was afraid to see what was there.

“What do you mean?” came T.J.’s soft voice. “Cyrus… you don’t want to be friends anymore?”

His head shot up in alarm. “No! It’s not like that!”

T.J.’s lips were in a thin line, his eyes guarded. “Then, what do you mean? You don’t want to be what?”

“I…” Cyrus’ voice lodged itself in his throat, refusing to come out.

T.J. stepped closer now and this time, he didn’t move away. The blonde gently placed his hands over his arms.

“Cy, please.”

“I… I don’t want to be…” Cyrus forced his voice out. “Just friends.”

T.J.’s eyes widened. He didn’t say a word so Cyrus continued.

“I love being your best friend, T.J. But… but… Sometimes… it’s just… not enough.”

Finally, T.J. found his voice. “What do you mean by that?”

Was he really doing this? Was he really going to confess his feelings for T.J. when he was a such a mess?

He had already lost control of himself. He thought he could continue to hide it. But, seeing T.J. with someone else… it hurt. Like his heart was being torn in two.

What was going to happen to their friendship if he did end up confessing? He didn’t want to lose T.J.

But… on the one in a million chance… what if T.J. returned his feelings? Or was at least willing to try and see if Cyrus could be someone who was more than just a friend?

“I like you…” he whispered.

T.J. bent his head down. “Huh? What?”

“I like you,” he repeated a little louder. “I like you, T.J.”

“You… you like me?”

Cyrus sniffled. “Yes.”

A mixed feeling of relief and dread pooled in his stomach. Did T.J. hate him now? Was he going to end their friendship? 

His heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

To his surprise, T.J. chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?!” Cyrus whined, frowning.

T.J. kept laughing. “Because you have no idea how long I waited to hear you say that,” he replied, sounding happy. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve liked you? Since the 8th grade, Cyrus. Probably since the moment we met.”

Cyrus’ mouth dropped open. Did T.J. just say what he thought he said?

“That… That long? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

At that, T.J.’s smile dimmed a little. “How could I? You were always with someone else.”

Cyrus felt his heart twitch in guilt. T.J. wasn't wrong there.

His head spun at the new and the unexpected information. T.J. liked him? He liked him!

He felt himself finally smile. “You like me.”

T.J. looked shy now. “Yeah. And… you like me?”

“Yeah… since 8th grade.”

As quickly as it appeared, T.J.’s smile disappeared. “Wait… 8th grade?”

Cyrus nodded.

There was a sudden shift in the air. T.J.’s gentle hold on his arms fell away and he took a step back. Confused, Cyrus tried to take his hand but the blonde shied away from him.

“You’ve liked me… all this time?” he asked, frowning.

“Y-Yes,” Cyrus replied, wondering why T.J. wasn’t holding him or kissing him like they did in the movies. Didn’t they both just confess their feelings?

“And… you didn’t say anything?” T.J. looked distressed. “Instead, you went out and dated other guys?”

The pit in Cyrus’ stomach grew. This all felt wrong. T.J. wasn’t supposed to look like that. They were supposed to be happy. This strange tension... this wasn’t supposed to happen.

“I...”

T.J.’s forehead was creased into a frown and Cyrus didn’t like it. “Are you kidding me? All this time, Cyrus?”

“T.J., I…”

“Was I not even worth asking? Were you ashamed to date me? Is that it?”

“No!” Cyrus shook his head in distress. “It’s not like that! T.J., I just… I didn’t want to lose you. You’re my best friend. I... I just didn’t want things to change between us if... if things went wrong.”

T.J. swallowed and when he spoke, he sounded broken. “Do you know how hard it was to watch you be with other guys, Cyrus? My heart wouldn’t stop breaking every single day. But, I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn’t with me.”

Cyrus’ chest tightened even more. “I thought you didn’t like me that way. You never said anything, even when I wasn’t dating anyone.”

It was the wrong thing to say.

T.J. let out a chuckle devoid of humor. “You’re right. I didn’t make a move because I figured I’d let you heal from all of your heartbreaks, you know. Then, when you were ready, maybe I’d take my shot. But, every single time, I’m too late. That’s my fault for waiting too long.”

Cyrus swallowed. “Teej…”

“But, I get it.” T.J. took a deep breath before flashing him a strained smile. “I wouldn’t take a risk with someone like me either.”

“T.J., that’s not it!” Cyrus cried out, desperately.

He loved him. He wanted to be with him so much. But, he was so afraid. Could you blame him for being afraid? But, maybe it was his fault, too. He was so determined not to lose him that he didn’t realize had been hurting him. All this time, he had been hurting T.J.

He tried to take another step towards the other boy but T.J. took a step back.

“I…need a little space. I’m sorry, Cyrus.”

No.

Nonono!

How did things go so wrong?!

“T.J., wait!”

Cyrus tried to follow but T.J. spun around and the look on the blonde’s face stopped him in his tracks.

T.J. looked like he had given up on everything.

“I just need a little space, Cy,” was all he said before turning on his heels and walking away.

“T.J…” Cyrus tried to call out.

But, the other boy didn’t look back like he normally did.

Cyrus’ heart shattered.

Best Basketball Guy In The World:  Running an errand tomorrow. I’ll ask Marty to give you a ride.

For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Cyrus sighed as he read the text over and over again. The pit in his stomach never really went away the entire weekend. It felt like it just kept growing and it was never going away.

The entire weekend, T.J. ignored all his phone calls and left his texts on “Read”. 

Cyrus cried on and off. Out of all his heartbreaks, this one was the worst. Buffy, Andi, and even Amber came by with ice cream and they spent the entire Saturday watching Netflix and gorging themselves on junk food. It didn’t make Cyrus feel any better.

T.J. finally texted him last night. Cyrus had excitedly opened it, only to discover that T.J. wasn’t going to pick him up for school the next morning.

He sighed again.

“Hey, it will be okay,” said Buffy, looking back at him from the passenger seat. “Just talk to him today.”

“Want me to beat him up for you, Cy?” Marty piped from the driver’s seat.

Cyrus’ lip quirked a little. “Please don’t. I like him.”

Marty chuckled. “And he likes you too. He’s just being dramatic.” He spared Cyrus a kind smile through the rearview mirror. “He’s pined for you for so long. I guess finding out that you liked him back all this time just stirred up some old insecurities.”

Cyrus bit his lip. “How long have you guys known?” he asked, softly.

“I sort of figured it out when we became friends at the end of 8th grade,” Marty replied. “And he cracked when Buffy interrogated him, freshman year.”

“Oh.”

There was a silence for a few moments as Cyrus gathered his thoughts.

T.J. had liked him all this time but didn’t tell him. Why didn’t he? Didn’t he like Cyrus enough to go for it?

But, then again, Cyrus was no better either. He was a coward, too. And he avoided his feelings by dating other guys. Maybe, for a moment, those guys were able to make him happy. But, in the end, none of them ever felt right.

He had only ever felt right when it came to T.J. But, it all went wrong.

He had to fix it. 

“So, you like him back, too,” Marty stated, casually.

Cyrus nodded, absentmindedly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I… didn’t want to lose him.”

Marty hummed. “You two are a lot more similar than you think.”

Buffy turned back around again. “T.J. is stubborn right now, but trust me, Cy. He can’t say ‘no’ to you. Just ask him to talk.”

“Right. Okay. Talk. I can do that.”

Could he?

“It’s not like I broke his heart with my own stubbornness, right? Not like I was too afraid to lose him that I could actually, potentially, lose him if this talk doesn’t go well. No pressure.”

Huffing in distress, he leaned his forehead against the window. From the corner of his eye, he could see Buffy and Marty giving each other concerned looks.

He chose not to say anything else.

When they arrived at school, Buffy wrapped an arm around him in a side hug, kissed Marty’s cheek, and headed off to her locker. Meanwhile, Cyrus followed Marty to his, hoping T.J. was already there. He knew the two often walked to homeroom together.

The universe was on his side.

T.J. was already there, swapping his books and looking worse for wear. His hair was a mess, devoid of its usual product, and he sported dark bags under his eyes. His movements were also slow and weak. 

Freezing in his tracks, Cyrus’ throat was suddenly dry. Now that he was there, he didn’t quite know what to say.

Marty patted his back. “You got this,” he said before heading to his locker.

He gave T.J. a greeting, which the blonde returned.

Cyrus watched as Marty tilted his head towards him, making T.J. turn his head. His eyes widened when he saw Cyrus there.

“Hey,” the brunette greeted, nervously.

T.J. swallowed, lowering his gaze. “Hey,” he returned before turning back to his locker and shutting it. “Sorry about this morning. And I have tutoring this afternoon so I can’t take you home. Marty, you can give him a ride, right?”

Before Marty could even answer, T.J. was already walking away.

Cyrus forced his feet to move and chased after him.

“T.J., wait!”

The blonde didn’t slow down.

“T.J., please. I know you’re mad but hear me out.”

T.J. stopped and Cyrus almost bumped into his back. He almost wished that he did. Then, maybe T.J. would turn around and finally look at him.

“I’m not mad,” said the blonde, softly. “I just… I need space.”

“But, we need to talk.”

T.J. sighed. “Cyrus-.”

“Please.”

Cyrus was practically pleading at this point. And if T.J. asked, he would go down on his knees and beg if it meant he would listen to him.

“I… uh… need to get to homeroom.”

“T.J.-.”

But the blonde was already walking away. Cyrus tried to follow but a couple of students moved in front of him, getting in the way. By the time he managed to get through them, T.J. was gone.

Now, he wondered if Buffy was lying and T.J. was perfectly capable of saying “no” to him (even though he technically didn’t say it, but he didn’t exactly waste any time trying to escape him, so that was practically a “no”).

He felt a hand at his back and looked to see Marty giving him a sympathetic look.

“Just give him time, Cy,” he said. “But, I’ll try to knock some sense into him, okay?”

Cyrus managed a smile. “Thanks, Marty.”

Knowing that there was nothing he could do right then, he resigned himself to a T.J.-less morning and headed to his locker so he could grab his things for the day.

The morning went by in a blur. He barely registered anything that happened in class but, somehow, he managed to take notes. He counted the minutes until lunch, hoping that at least in the presence of their friends, T.J. might talk to him. Or even just look at him!

But, T.J. didn’t show up to lunch, either. He wasn’t even at the basketball team’s table.

“There’s still time,” Andi had tried to reassure him. “You guys have History together, right? Talk to him then.”

The others agreed that T.J. wouldn’t be able to escape him during class.

But, he was wrong.

During History class, T.J. barely looked at Cyrus, choosing to stare at only the board or his notes. He didn’t even wait for Cyrus to finish packing up before leaving. They didn’t walk to their next class together like they always did.

By the time he managed to drag himself to his last class of the day, Cyrus felt like crying. 

The last time he and T.J. hadn’t spoken was after the gun incident back in Middle School. But, even that wasn’t mostly his fault because the girls were too protective at the time. Aside from that, they never gave each other the silent treatment in their entire friendship. Cyrus had always been proud of their amazing ability to communicate without resorting to such a thing.

But, now, he wasn’t so sure.

When the last bell rang to signal the end of the day, he dragged himself to his locker, sighing to himself.

Solemnly, he gathered what he needed before taking out his phone to text Marty to ask where to meet him and Buffy.

“Hey, Cyrus.”

At the familiar voice, he looked up and flashed the newcomer a small smile. “Hey, Aidan.”

The other boy didn’t normally approach him unless he was with T.J. Which, yet again, reminded him that T.J. wasn’t speaking to him. Now, his mood was even darker.

“What’s up?” Cyrus asked, to be polite.

The other boy pursed his lips. “Did something happen with T.J.? He seemed a little off today. When I asked, he said nothing was wrong. But, I’m still a little worried.”

Cyrus felt a tinge of jealousy.

“We… had a little misunderstanding,” he replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. He hesitated before continuing, “He’s not talking to me right now.”

Aidan’s eyes widened. He seemed to carefully choose his words before answering.

“Listen, I know that I haven’t known you guys for that long. But, I know that T.J. cares about you. A lot.”

Cyrus frowned. “Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you interested in him? You asked him to the Spring Formal.”

Aidan shrugged. “I did. But, he turned me down. He said he wanted to ask you. But, at the Dance, he told me didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure what happened.”

Cyrus recalled the moment when he saw the two of them talking. It was the moment that made him walk out of the gym. The moment that sparked their confessions. The moment that led to T.J. misunderstanding his feelings.

“I… I completely misread the situation between the two of you,” he finally confessed.

Aidan looked confused now. “What do you mean?”

“I… All this time, I thought something was going on between the two of you.”

The other boy chuckled. “Well, I’m gonna tell you now that it was all one-sided. He didn’t like me back. I may be new to this school but I figured out pretty quickly that T.J. only has eyes for you.”

Was he really that blind and oblivious?! Everyone could clearly see T.J.’s feelings except him?! How much of an idiot was he?!

He, now, understood. If seeing T.J. with Aidan for a brief moment had sparked such intense feelings of jealousy in him, what more did T.J. feel when Cyrus blatantly dated and displayed his relationships in front of him?

It felt awful! He truly did break T.J.’s heart! Many times!

Sympathetically, Aidan patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you two will make up. Don’t give up on him. He’s an amazing guy and you’re really lucky.”

“Yeah…” Cyrus replied, softly. “I guess I am.”

Bidding him goodbye, Aidan left just as suddenly as he appeared, leaving him to his own thoughts once more.

Everyone saw what he was too afraid to see. He ran away instead of facing his feelings head-on. He allowed his own fears to rule out the possibility of having something special with the person he most wanted to be with.

He was done running away.

Filled with new determination, Cyrus grabbed his things. He wasn’t going to leave until he and T.J. talked.

Making his way up the stairs past other students lingering behind for after-school activities, he headed for one of the Math classrooms on the second floor. This was where the students getting special tutoring often met.

He peeked through the little glass panel, searching for a familiar blonde head. He found none. T.J. wouldn’t skip tutoring, would he?

“Cyrus?”

He almost jumped out of his skin at the voice.

“T.J.! Hi!” He managed a smile, wanting the other boy to know that he was happy to see him.

The blonde was flashing him a curious look. “What are you doing here?”

He inwardly flinched at the lack of emotion in T.J.’s tone.

“We need to talk.”

T.J. looked away. “I have tutoring.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. I’ll wait until after you’re done.”

“Cy-.”

“I’ll do my homework out here so I won’t disturb you, guys.” Clutching the strap of his bag in front of him, Cyrus bit his lip. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. I have to explain my side. And so do you. T.J., please. I don’t like it when we’re like this. We need to talk. Please, basketball guy.”

Finally, T.J. looked up, their eyes meeting.

Cyrus’ stomach churned with nerves.

Closing his eyes, T.J. sighed. When he opened them, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll be done in two hours. You sure you can wait until then?”

Happy and finally relieved, Cyrus eagerly nodded. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”

“Okay.”

With one last nod, T.J. entered the classroom and shut the door behind him.

Elated and feeling hope burst in his chest, Cyrus settled himself on the floor. He sent a quick text to Buffy and Marty, telling them that there was no need to wait for him. Then, he took out his Math notebook, textbook, and a pen.

Let the waiting begin.

Chapter Text

His alarm was blaring, pounding through his head like a hammer. Blindly, he reached out to his bedside table, fumbled for his phone, and managed to turn it off. Then, groaning, he rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

T.J. had never gotten drunk before but he wondered if this was what a hangover felt like. His eyes felt dry and so did his throat. There was a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and he felt like throwing up.

Did all broken hearts feel like a hangover?

He laid in bed for several more minutes, wondering if he could pass off having a fever or something.

“T.J.?! Time to get up or you’ll be late!”

He really didn’t want to go to school today.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to sit up and stretch.

He went through his morning routine in a daze – showering, getting dressed, and packing his things. (He skipped the hair gel for the day, he didn’t feel like looking at himself in the mirror. He looked awful!)

At the breakfast table, he sat down, picked at his cereal before giving up on it, and downed a glass of juice. Pretending not to see his mother’s concerned looks, he kissed her cheek goodbye and headed off.

He was already halfway when he realized that he was driving his usual route to Cyrus’ house. But, he had texted Cyrus the night before that he wasn’t picking him up, lying about doing an errand.

He just wasn’t sure if he could face him yet after that disaster that was the Spring Formal. He had walked out on the other boy, not letting him explain his side. And because of that, he was wracked with guilt the entire weekend.

Pulling over, T.J. sighed and leaned his head back against his seat, closing his eyes.

“Get it together, Kippen,” he scolded himself.

He made this bed. He would lie in it.

The silence as he drove to school by himself was overpowering. He didn’t like it. He missed Cyrus’ chatter.

He missed Cyrus.

When he arrived, he headed straight for his locker. His body felt heavy as he dragged himself down the hall, weaving through chatting classmates. He was pretty sure he bumped into a few and hoped that his soft “sorry” was heard.

As he was swapping his books, he spotted Marty from the corner of his eye.

“Morning, Kippen,” the other boy greeted.

T.J. managed a small smile. “Hey, Mr. Driscoll.”

Marty looked like he was about to protest but decided against it. Instead, he tiled his head to the side, flashing T.J. a pointed look.

Confused, T.J. turned around.

His eyes widened to see Cyrus standing there, clutching the strap of his book bag like a lifeline.

“Hey.”

The brunette looked utterly exhausted, as if he, too, spent the weekend crying like T.J. did.

Maybe he did. T.J. hated himself for making Cyrus cry.

He swallowed and looked down at his worn-out old sneakers. “Hey.”

Turning back to his locker, he shut it. “Sorry about this morning.” He wanted to apologize for his behavior last Friday, but instead, what came out was, “And I have tutoring this afternoon so I can’t take you home. Marty, you can give him a ride, right?”

Not waiting for the track star to answer, T.J. turned on his heels and hurriedly sped down the hall to homeroom.

“T.J., wait!”

It took every fiber of his being not to slow down.

“T.J., please. I know you’re mad but hear me out.”

That stopped him in his tracks.

He could feel Cyrus almost bump into him and kind of wished that he did. If only to be given an excuse to look at him.

“I’m not mad,” he managed, forcing his voice to be steady. “I just… I need space.”

“But we need to talk,” Cyrus insisted.

He sighed. “Cyrus-”

“Please.”

It took everything in him not to turn around, hug him close, and give in.

“I… uh…need to get to homeroom.”

“T.J.-.”

Before his resolve fully waned, T.J. forced his feet to move.

He knew he was being a coward by running away. But, he couldn’t help it. He was so ashamed.

Cyrus told him that he liked him. He should be overjoyed. He should be asking him out and finally be happy. But, knowing that Cyrus had liked him all this time but never said a word… knowing that Cyrus dated other guys while having feelings for him… it made him feel like crap.

Those old insecurities flared. He wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t smart enough. He wasn’t enough for Cyrus to even try.

T.J. knew he was being ridiculous. Cyrus was his best friend and he had always cared for him and accepted him.

But, he couldn’t help feeling that way.

He was too ashamed to face Cyrus, again.

All morning, he tried to forget about everything. Even when Aidan asked if he was okay during homeroom, he brushed him off, insisting that he was fine.

At lunch, he debated sitting with his friends or the basketball team. Sitting with his friends meant that he and Cyrus would be sitting fairly close. And, not to mention, he might be subject to some confrontational glares from Buffy and Andi (he had received angry and questioning texts from them over the weekend). Then, sitting with his basketball team might raise some questions because it wasn’t his usual day to sit with them. And, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist looking at Cyrus from the team’s table and his resolve might weaken and he would end up saying more things he shouldn’t say.

So, he decided to skip lunch.

“Dude.”

He jumped up, almost slamming his hand against his locker.

“Jeez, Marty! Stop sneaking up on me like that!” He tried to glare at his friend, who simply shook his head.

“Are you going to ignore Cyrus all day?” Marty scolded, instead.

T.J. felt his chest twitch with guilt. “I’m just… figuring things out.”

“Well, figure things out sooner cause Cyrus is miserable.”

The guilt multiplied tenfold. “How is he doing?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“How do you think he’s doing?”

Touché.

T.J. sighed. “I’ll talk to him, eventually, okay? I just need a little more time.”

Marty leaned against the locker beside his. “You had an entire weekend, dude. And you keep running away from him. If you waste any more time and keep him waiting, he might think you didn’t mean it when you told him you liked him. Unless…” He flashed T.J. a pointed look. “Your feelings changed?”

“No!” T.J. answered, immediately, feeling scandalized and somewhat offended. “Of course not! Cyrus is the most important person to me right now!”

Marty didn’t look too impressed. “Yeah? Maybe you should start showing it.”

“Marty-.”

“Just come to lunch, bro.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’re running away.”

“I’m not,” T.J. insisted, following it up with a deep sigh. “I’ll talk to him. I swear.”

Marty pursed his lips. “Okay. But, I suggest you do it soon. Or you’ll really lose him. For real this time.”

Those words swirled in T.J.’s mind, embedding into his heart. Losing Cyrus was the last thing he wanted.

Marty clapped him on the shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to go to lunch?”

Absentmindedly, T.J. nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’ll grab something from the vending machine.”

Marty nodded and walked off towards the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, T.J. stayed rooted in front of his locker, staring at the photo he had of him and Cyrus taped on there. It was taken back in Middle School during costume day. Cyrus was dressed as a salt shaker and T.J. had on board shorts and a sleeveless shirt (they went as “Somersault”. It was T.J.’s idea. Cyrus thought it was clever. They didn’t win against Andi’s Mt. Rushmore but it was still fun). Sometimes, he wished he could back. Life seemed simpler back then. Crushing on Cyrus and just being his friend… it was simple.

He knew he messed up – big time. And he had to make up for it, somehow.

Sighing again, he shut his locker and made his way to the nearest vending machine.

After school, he lingered a little too long at his locker, his mind still pre-occupied with thoughts of Cyrus.

He knew Marty was right and he couldn’t run away forever. He didn’t want to run away from Cyrus. He wanted to fix things between them. But, he couldn’t help but be apprehensive. 

After the way he reacted to Cyrus’ confession, did he still like him? Or did it further prove to him that T.J. wasn’t really worth his time?

Shaking his head, he shut his locker and headed to the second floor for tutoring. He already missed a couple of sessions and he was sure Miss Hart was really going to let him have it. 

When he neared the classroom, he spotted a familiar figure peeking through the glass window.

T.J. slowed down as he got closer. “Cyrus?”

The other boy jumped, looking like a dear in headlights. “T.J.! Hi!” He smiled, faintly.

“What are you doing here?” he tried to sound nonchalant.

Cyrus bit his lip. “We need to talk.”

Anxiety pooled in his stomach so he looked away. “I have tutoring,” he lamely excused.

“I know. That’s why I’m here. I’ll wait until after you’re done.”

T.J. tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. “Cy-.”

“I’ll do my homework out here so I won’t disturb you, guys.” Cyrus bit his lip again. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. I have to explain my side. And so do you.”

T.J. couldn’t find his voice.

“T.J., please,” Cyrus pleaded. “I don’t like it when we’re like this. We need to talk. Please, basketball guy.”

That did it.

He looked up, his eyes meeting Cyrus’ brown ones. As always, he could never deny him.

Closing his eyes, T.J. sighed before opening them again. “Okay. I’ll be done in two hours. You sure you can wait until then?”

Finally breaking into a wide smile, Cyrus nodded. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”

T.J.’s heart skipped a beat again. “Okay.”

Giving him one last nod, T.J. entered the classroom and shut the door. He took a deep, calming breath, heading for an empty seat.

Miss Hart greeted him and told him to get his homework out. Strangely, she didn’t say a word about him missing some of the sessions. He was grateful for that.

T.J. was determined, for the next two hours, to try and concentrate on the lesson in front of him so he could do his homework and leave sooner.

Since the other three students were in different grades (one was a freshman and the other two were seniors), Miss Hart had to jump from one to the other.

“Do the first three problems while I take care of Kate and Sam,” she instructed.

T.J. nodded and focused all his concentration on the problems. He took his time, carefully reading and re-reading the numbers and re-checking his steps.

He tried not to think of Cyrus outside, sitting on the floor, waiting for him.

Seeing that Cyrus had taken it upon himself to approach him, never giving up despite T.J.’s pathetic attempts to ignore him, how could he turn him away?

He really wanted to get this session over with so they could talk.

“T.J.? Are you finished?”

His head shot up. “Um… I did the first one.” He gestured to his notebook.

“Do you need more time?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright.”

Miss Hart went to check on the freshman next.

Meanwhile, T.J. couldn’t help but look towards the closed door.

Swallowing, he shook his head and went back to work.

The two hours flew by, to his relief.

While the others and Miss Hart started getting ready to leave, T.J. stayed rooted to his seat, trying to calm his rising nerves and anxiety by taking deep breaths.

It was time.

“T.J.?”

He looked up to see Cyrus poke his head through the door.

Damnit, he was so cute.

“I’ll be right there,” he said, looking away and packing his things.

Cyrus patiently waited for him. When T.J. was done, they both made their way out of the school. 

The walk to the car was silent – almost tense. T.J. was afraid that if he uttered a word, something would break. Cyrus seemed to have the same fear as he simply fell into step beside him.

Sometimes, when they walked side-by-side, their hands would brush. It was a normal occurrence for the two of them ever since they met and neither of them ever brought it up. It just became their thing. T.J. had been tempted many times to reach out and hold that hand.

Right now was no different.

They got to the car and slid in and buckled their seatbelts. Now, in this enclosed space, the silence was even louder.

T.J. cleared his throat. “Um… so… where to?”

Cyrus jumped, probably not expecting him to talk first. “Um… park?”

Of course. It was their place. They had many memories at the park as well as many important conversations.

T.J. started his car and began to drive.

The radio played the newest song from Arianna Grande. Under normal circumstances, Cyrus would probably turn it up and sing along.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a normal circumstance. So, T.J. reached out and turned the volume up a little.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted a little smile playing on Cyrus’ lips.

They made it to the park. This time, Cyrus led the way. He seemed to know where he wanted this talk to happen and T.J. followed closely behind him.

The brunette led them to one of the man-made ponds. He settled on the stone edge and T.J. sat beside him, a little gap in between them.

It reminded him of the time they made up after their fight back in middle school, involving a gun and one of T.J.’s ex-friends. That was probably one of the most important turning points of their friendship. That was when T.J. realized exactly how important Cyrus was to his life.

“I’m sorry,” T.J. said, softly.

Cyrus flashed him a confused look. “Why are you sorry?”

T.J. swallowed. “For the way I acted back then. At the Formal. I just…” He clenched his fists. “I know I should be happy ‘cause… well… you like me back.”

Cyrus sheepishly lowered his head, blushing.

“But… I was… just…” T.J. sighed. “I don’t know why but I felt like I wasn’t worthy enough for you.”

Cyrus’ eyes widened in alarm. “T.J., that’s not it! That’s not why I didn’t say anything.” He swallowed. “I didn’t want to lose you. You’re so important to me. You’re my best friend and I was scared that if something went wrong between us, I’d lose you forever. I don’t want to lose you, Teej.”

Cyrus said the exact same words as before, but this time, T.J.’s thoughts weren’t clouded by his insecurity. He could hear Cyrus loud and clear. This time, his heart warmed and fluttered.

“I started dating other guys, thinking I could get over my feelings for you. And, I guess it worked for a little while, but in the end, I just… I can’t seem to stop wanting to be with you because I…” Cyrus bit his lip. “I love you too much, T.J.”

This time, his heart soared along with his entire being. Cyrus loved him. He loved him!!!

“But why didn’t you tell me about your feelings?” Cyrus asked, looking distressed.

T.J. swallowed. “Same reason you didn’t. I didn’t want to lose you. I was afraid that… I wasn’t good enough for you. Or maybe I’d mess up so badly that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore. And… it just seemed that every time I tried, I was always too late. You were already with someone else and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Cyrus’ lip wobbled. “I-I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m really sorry, T.J. I didn’t know. I was hurting you, wasn’t I? For so long, I’ve been hurting you and I didn’t even realize. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

The tears started gathering around Cyrus’ eyes. Quickly, T.J. scooted over, closing the gap between them, and pulled Cyrus into his arms.

“Hey, it’s okay. Cyrus, I’m fine, okay? I just wanted you to be happy.”

“I-I didn’t know.” Cyrus’ voice was muffled against his shoulder as he clung to T.J. “I-I’m sorry, T.J. I-I’m so so sorry.”

They stayed like that for several minutes. T.J. held back his own tears, knowing that he needed to be strong. If he cried, Cyrus would cry harder. Then, where would they be?

With a sniffle, Cyrus pulled away from his hold, tears tracking his red cheeks. Green eyes met brown ones and they gazed at each other for what felt like hours. He always felt like he could drown in those pools, as cheesy as that sounded.

Placing a hand on his cheek, Cyrus brought his face closer to T.J.’s. “I won’t make you wait anymore, Teej. I’m sorry I took so long.”

His heart skipped a beat.

“Cyrus… I…” T.J. tried not to get choked up on his tears. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

The other boy smiled. “If you’ll still have me… despite everything that happened… I’d like to be with you… please.”

All of a sudden, the world seemed brighter. The air seemed fresher. All the weight in his mind seemed to float away, leaving nothing but lightness.

Was this what being on cloud nine felt like?

T.J. felt himself smile. “I’m done waiting for you, Cyrus.”

The other boy’s eyes widened, looking fearful. “O-Oh…”

He must have misinterpreted what T.J. was trying to say. That seemed to be a common issue with them. But, they could work on it. What mattered now was that they were finally on the same page.

Chuckling, T.J. leaned his head down until their noses were touching. “I’m going to make a move now. If that’s okay?”

Cyrus appeared to breathe in relief, releasing a soft laugh. “Y-Yeah…”

“You’re so cute, you know that?” T.J. breathed, his eyes drifting down to Cyrus’ slightly chapped lips.

“So are you,” the brunette replied, softly.

T.J. brought his eyes back to meet Cyrus’ gaze. “Can I kiss you now?”

“Please.”

Cyrus barely got the word out before T.J. was already leaning in. His eyes fluttering close, he captured the other boy’s lips.

Finally.

A soft gasp was heard from Cyrus.

T.J. kept the kiss light and chaste, not wanting to scare him or push further than what he may be comfortable with. But, as Cyrus placed his hands around the back of his neck, pulling him closer, T.J.’s resolve weakened.

Arms around Cyrus’ waist, he deepened the kiss.

His senses were full of Cyrus. His skin. His scent. The way his fingers played with his hair at the back of his head.

Everything was Cyrus and everything was finally… finally... perfect.

When they broke apart for air, they remained entwined, foreheads pressed against each other’s as they breathed heavily.

“Wow,” Cyrus whispered.

“Yeah,” T.J. agreed.

“We should have done that sooner.”

“Like three years ago.”

Cyrus chuckled, shyly nudging his nose against his. “Better late than never.”

“True.” T.J. pecked his nose. “We were idiots, weren’t we?”

“Yeah…” Cyrus smiled. “I love you, T.J.”

His heart continued to soar. “I love you too, Cyrus.”

This time, it was Cyrus who leaned in to kiss him, taking T.J.’s breath away and holding his heart in his hands.

The wait was long… but so worth it. 

Chapter Text

T.J. was awake before his alarm even went off. For a few minutes, he laid in bed, perfectly aware of the smile painting his lips. He could see the light seeping in from the window, splashing his bare ceiling in orange light and thought how wonderful his morning was already starting out.

He dreamily continued staring into nothing until his alarm went off, breaking through his thoughts.

Filled with newfound energy, he got up and got ready for the day, catching himself humming every once in a while and realizing that he didn’t mind it at all.

His mother flashed him strange looks when he came down for breakfast and served himself a bowl of cereal. He couldn’t blame her for being a little puzzled – he was early.

“You’re in a good mood,” she commented.

T.J. felt his lips immediately upturn into a smile. “Yeah, I woke up pretty great.”

His mother chuckled. “Really, now?”

“Mmhmm.”

T.J. finished his cereal before putting the dishes on the sink. Then, he grabbed a Ziploc bag from a drawer and filled it with three blueberry muffins.

With a bounce in his steps, he kissed his mother goodbye and headed out to his car.

He turned the stereo volume up, humming along and drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove.

Cyrus was bouncing on his toes on the front porch when T.J. pulled up to the Goodman home. Of course, he was. He was always early, waiting patiently for T.J.

Catching sight of the car, the brunette perked up and bounded over, immediately. He pulled the car door open and slid in.

“Hi, boyfriend,” he greeted with a bright smile. 

His heart soaring, T.J. unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Cyrus’. He could do this now. He was allowed to.

Cyrus’ lips were soft and he tasted vaguely of milk and cinnamon. Very sweet. It made him dizzy but in a good way… a very good way.

When he pulled away, the other boy’s face was red but he was beaming, brown eyes practically sparkling.

“Hi, boyfriend,” T.J. greeted back, loving the way it sounded coming from his mouth.

How could one simple word manage to make him feel like the luckiest guy on Earth?

Cyrus moved his head forward and nudged their noses together. It was sweet. Affectionate. And so darn cute.

T.J. wanted to kiss him again.

So, he did.

Could he ever get enough of Cyrus?

He didn’t think he would. He waited for him for three years. So much pining and yearning on both of their sides because they were too afraid to make a move. They had a lot to catch up on.

This time, it was Cyrus who pulled away, chuckling softly. “As much as I want to keep doing this, we’re gonna be late for school.”

Resigned, T.J. sighed, pecked his nose, and pulled back. He picked up the bag of muffins and handed it over.

“For you, my muffin,” he stated, perfectly aware of how cheesy he sounded.

Cyrus tended to bring out that soft side in him that he often tried to hide from everyone else.

His boyfriend (the thought still gave him tingles) accepted. “Thank you...” He seemed to hesitate before adding, “Honey.”

Then, his cheeks turned red. T.J. thought he looked even cuter. Plus, the pet name just made him giddy all over again.

Cyrus called him a pet name! T.J. should call him one too, right? Did “Underdog” count as a pet name? Maybe muffin, since that was their thing? Baby? Cupcake? Love?

This whole thing was still new. They only started dating approximately 14.5 hours ago so it was normal for them to be so shy, even though they’ve known each other for years. Yet, T.J. couldn’t help the feelings of excitement and giddiness taking over him.  

“Ready?” he asked.

Cyrus nodded.

With that, T.J. pulled away from the curb and drove them both to school.

It was a perfectly ordinary drive. Cyrus munched on muffins and played with the radio. T.J. complained about him changing the songs and singing with his mouth full. Cyrus fed him muffin pieces at stop signs and red lights.

Perfectly ordinary. But, it felt extra special, somehow.

When they arrived at school, T.J. hesitated before thinking, to hell with it, and grabbed Cyrus’ hand, linking their fingers. Cyrus turned an even deeper red but didn’t let go. In fact, he tightened his hold as they walked into the school building.

A few students stared. Some pointed. Others whispered. And T.J. swore that he saw one guy give another money while looking their way.

Beside him, Cyrus nervously let out a soft chuckle. “D-Do they have to stare?”

“Pretty sure the good news will be all over the school by third period,” T.J. replied, unable to resist smiling.

Yes, this was his boyfriend and he would proudly display their relationship.

“Hey, there, love birds.” Marty strolled over to them, eyeing their entwined hands, amusedly. He flashed T.J. a smug look. “Finally got your crap together, Kippen?”

“Shut up, Mr. Driscoll,” he retorted, grinning.

Cyrus chuckled. “You’ve been a great help to us both. Thanks, Marty.”

The track star shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Well, seeing you happy makes my lady happy so… And… I really am happy for you, guys. Truly.”

T.J. felt a tug on his hand and turned his head to his boyfriend. (Still giddy.)

“I should start heading out,” he stated, pouting a little.

Why must their lockers be on different hallways?

T.J. tugged him closer. “I’ll miss you.”

Cyrus beamed. “I’ll miss you too.”

T.J. leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, which Cyrus returned, enthusiastically. Hands made their way up to his shoulders and his own wrapped around Cyrus’ waist.

“Ahem… guys…”

They broke apart, still smiling.

“I’ll see you later?” T.J. asked, unable to tear his gaze away from Cyrus’ pretty brown eyes.

Cyrus nodded as he gently squeezed his shoulders. “See you later, honey.”

T.J. pecked his nose, internally cooing at how adorable Cyrus looked when he scrunched his face.

Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. Cyrus let his fingers linger on T.J.’s hand before their distance was too far and they were no longer touching.

Giving him one last wave, the brunette made his way down the hall. T.J. continued to watch him until he disappeared among the throng.

“You look really happy, you know,” Marty commented as they made their way to their own lockers.

T.J. felt like skipping in the halls. “Yeah,” he replied, perfectly aware of his smile reaching his ears (it kind of hurt but he couldn’t stop). “I am.”

Lunchtime couldn’t come fast enough for Cyrus. Since history class wasn’t until the afternoon, it would be the first time he would see T.J. all day since that morning. 

Was it possible to miss someone only a few mere hours of seeing them? He couldn’t remember if he missed any of his exes in between classes.

All he knew was that it had been four hours since he saw his boyfriend and he missed him.

He, Buffy, and Andi arrived at their lunch table, first. It was chicken nuggets and French fries for him that day. To distract himself from watching the lunch line, Cyrus got busy, separating his chicken and fries before positioning the little cup of ketchup in the middle.

He felt a presence behind him and a burst of joy and excitement bloomed in his chest. He knew he was smiling like a fool when T.J. placed his tray of food next to his own and settled down beside him.

“Hey, babe,” T.J. greeted.

Cyrus’ stomach did a little backflip as his heart fluttered.

He wasn’t new to that pet name, but coming from T.J…. it made him feel all kinds of things. Including the urge to lean in and plant a kiss on his boyfriend’s lips… which he did.

T.J. eagerly responded, placing a hand on his knee.

“Ugh, guys, we’re trying to eat!” came Marty’s protesting voice.

“Are we really going to get tortured like this from now on?” added Buffy in an exaggerated annoyed voice.

Chuckling, Cyrus pulled away. His cheeks felt warm. T.J.’s face, too, looked rather red.

“Hush, guys, they’re so cute,” Andi piped, smiling happily at the two of them. “We’re really happy for you, guys. And, T.J.?”

“Yeah?” the blonde asked, entwining his hand with Cyrus’ under the table.

“You better treat him right… or else,” she warned, with a glare.

Cyrus knew Andi was harmless but he felt T.J.’s hand twitch in his.

T.J. chuckled. “Don’t worry.” He turned his head to look at Cyrus, squeezing his hand. “I would never treat Cyrus any less than he deserves.” He lifted the hand in his hold and pressed a kiss to it. “I really love him.”

After those words, Cyrus was definitely full-on blushing right now. He knew how he felt for T.J. It was more than a simple like. He loved him and could see him in his future. He had always hoped T.J. would feel the same and now that Cyrus knew he did, the knowledge made him feel like the happiest and luckiest guy in the world.

Was it truly possible to be this happy? Like the whole world was suddenly at your grasp and you could do anything? It was so overwhelming that it should be illegal. But, Cyrus had no complaints. He finally had T.J. No way was he letting him go now.

“Hey, guys.” Jonah arrived and placed his tray next to T.J.’s. Then, spotting the two of them next to each other, his eyes widened. “You guys made up!”

Cyrus furrowed his brows. “I texted the group chat last night.”

“Oh. Sorry, I was talking to Walker all night so I guess I missed it. But, congrats!” He sat down next to T.J. “So… are you guys together, now?”

T.J. turned his head to look at Cyrus again, the affection and adoration there made his heart flutter again.

Would it ever stop? 

“Yeah,” the blonde stated, proudly. “We’re dating.”

Cyrus just about exploded with joy right there. “We’re boyfriends,” he added, unable to look away from T.J.’s soft green eyes.

He loved how they reminded him of fresh cut grass in the summer, with sunshine splashed across them.

“Okay, okay, we get it! Please let us eat in peace!” Marty whined, dramatically.

Laughing, they went back to their meals.

Cyrus picked up a French fry, dipped it in the ketchup, and turned to T.J., holding it out in a gesture to feed him. Grinning, the blonde accepted it. Then, he picked up a nugget, broke it in half, dipped one in his own ketchup, before offering it to Cyrus.

“Come on!” Marty groaned, turning to Buffy. “Babe, they’re being embarrassingly cute. We can beat their cute with our cute!”

Buffy scrunched her nose. “What?”

Marty broke off a piece of his sandwich and offered it to her.

“Seriously?”

Cyrus watched in amusement as Buffy rolled her eyes, dramatically, but eventually gave in and accepted the food. Then, she turned to them and smirked, mischievously.

“See? We can be cute, too!” she announced.

That statement must have instilled the fires of competition in T.J. as he dramatically declared, “We’re cuter!”

And, thus, began a fierce banter between the two on who had the cuter relationship which evolved into who had the cuter boyfriend.

Cyrus found all of it utterly ridiculous.

But, since T.J. referred to him whenever he said “my boyfriend”, he didn’t mind so much.

After school, T.J. drove him home, as usual. This time, the other boy got out of the car, too. Hand-in-hand, they walked up to Cyrus’ front door.

“This is me,” he stated, spinning around to smile up at him.

T.J. nodded, dreamily gazing down at him.

Cyrus tilted his head to the side, curiously. “Why are you looking at me like that? Something on my face?”

The hand in his tightened. “This is real, right?” T.J. asked, sounding worried.

Cyrus’ chest twitched. “Yes…?”

“So… we really went a whole entire day being a couple? Finally?”

He had to chuckle. “You don’t like it?” he teased.

T.J.’s eyes widened. “I do! Oh, God, I really do. I’m so damn happy right now, I don’t know what to do. But… it’s real, right?” He pouted. “I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and start pining after you again?”

God, he was so cute. How did Cyrus get so lucky to have such a cute puppy to finally be his boyfriend?

He went up on his tiptoes and planted a soft kiss to T.J.’s lips. It was quick and chaste, but he hoped it was sweet.

Cyrus grinned. “Is that real enough for you?”

T.J. flashed a dopey smile. “Maybe another reminder?”

Cyrus kissed him again. This time, the blonde immediately responded, wrapping an arm around his waist to bring him closer. His lips were soft and gentle, making the butterflies in his stomach stir up in a frenzy. He felt light-headed from it.

Reluctantly, Cyrus pulled away. “Are you worried?” he couldn’t help but ask.

T.J. bit his lip. “A little. I don’t want to mess this up. You’re too important to me and I don’t want to lose you, Cyrus.”

He squeezed T.J.’s hand in his. “Hey, we’ve always worked well, the two of us. Whatever happens throughout this relationship, I know we’ll make it.”

T.J. smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

The blonde leaned in and Cyrus tilted his head up to receive the inevitable kiss.

The door suddenly opened and an “Oh my!” made them jump away from each other.

“Mom!”

Flustered, Cyrus knew he was probably red as a tomato right at that moment.

Meanwhile, his mother stood there, staring at both him and T.J. The latter couldn’t look her in the eye. It felt like torture, standing there with his mom and his boyfriend only a few feet away from each other. 

Cyrus prayed to God that she wouldn’t embarrass him, but it was probably waaay too late for that.

“G-Good afternoon, Dr. Goodman,” T.J. greeted, politely.

“Hello to you, too, T.J. What are you both doing out here? You should come in.”

T.J. looked like he was considering it but eventually shook his head. “I would but I have a few errands to run for my mom and a lot of homework, too. Another time?”

Cyrus’ mother looked like Hannukah arrived early. “Of course, dear.” She stepped forward and brought a shocked T.J. in for a hug, patting his back, affectionately. “You’re always welcomed here. You’re family, after all.”

Pulling away, she smiled, knowingly, at Cyrus before saying her goodbyes and going back inside the house.

“U-Um… sorry about her,” he apologized.

T.J. pursed his lips. “She knows, doesn’t she?”

Cyrus sighed. “She got it out of me last night. Pretty sure Dad and Sharon know by now. So, get ready for a dinner invitation with all four coming up soon.”

T.J. stepped closer to him and took his hands in his again. “I’m ready for anything with you.”

Breaking into a smile, Cyrus moved forward and wrapped his arms around the taller boy, tucking his head on T.J.’s shoulder.

“I’m really happy,” he said, softly.

T.J. hugged him closer. “Me too. I love you, Cyrus.”

“I love you, too, T.J.”

They stayed like that for some time, savoring the feel of having each other in their arms. If it was possible to burst with joy, Cyrus was sure he would happily be in smithereens right then and there. He felt like he was flying into the sky every time T.J. said those three words to him. And whenever he said it back, it was like a weight off his own shoulders.

Some might say they were too young for “I love you’s”. But, it just felt right for them.

They were the right words.

When T.J. pulled away, it was with great reluctance accompanied by a pout.

“I have to go,” he stated, sadly.

Cyrus didn’t want him to go, either, but they both had homework to do and T.J. had errands. They could still talk that night, like they always did.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll be waiting.”

T.J. leaned in and pressed one more kiss to his lips, squeezed his hand, before pulling away. He was practically dragging his feet away, waving at Cyrus, who waved back.

He stayed there on the porch, watching as the gray sedan pulled away from the curb and disappeared around the corner.

Cyrus missed him already. But, there was still tomorrow. They would have many more tomorrow’s.

The waiting was over.