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“I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.”
They’re sitting on the loveseat when he says it. More like whispers, his voice is soft and at first Kyle isn’t sure that he heard him right. A few moments of silence stretch between them as he considers his answer.
Stan is his best friend, affectionately dubbed his super best friend back when they were just little boys. They’d been through so much together. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered the possibility, it wasn’t like he’d ever had eyes for anyone else. So long as he had Stan by his side he was content, no matter what was happening or where they were.
So it only made sense, didn’t it? That they would wind up together. But Kyle himself had been too afraid to ever bring it up, for fear that he would ruin the good thing that they had going on. If he had to keep his confusing feelings to himself forever just to keep their relationship intact, then he could do that. A chance at real love blossoming between them wasn’t worth the possibility of losing the other boy forever.
But now here they sat, on a rainy evening, curled up together in Stans living room and listening to the pattering of raindrops against the window. Occasionally thunder would rumble in the distance and the house would shake with the force of it. The rest of the Marsh family was absent, Shelly was gone to college and Randy was out working in the shed. No doubt playing with new strains that his son would get to be the first to try. Kyle didn’t know where Mrs. Marsh had gotten to, he just knew that he was grateful for the privacy they were currently enjoying.
Before he could formulate any sort of meaningful response he reached out and closed his hand around the small pipe laying on the coffee table. He lit up and took a few short puffs, expertly holding the smoke in his lungs for a long few seconds before billowing it out into the open air in front of them. It was already foggy in there, but it always seemed to be.
Setting the pipe back down, Kyle finally turned to his friend to address his whispered confession. He opened his mouth and found that, even after spending several moments considering his response, he’d come up empty.
However, he did know one way to convey his feelings. Now that Stan had made his feelings about him clear the ginger felt he could make his move without fear of rejection.
He reached a hand out and gently rested his fingers against the other boys jawline, turning his head so that they were facing one another.
“Look at me,” he urged when Stan attempted to shyly avoid his gaze.
Kyle felt heat rising in his cheeks when sapphire eyes finally met his emerald ones. He leaned forward and saw the other boy hesitantly do the same. When their lips finally met his first thought was that he would need to offer Stan some chapstick, the boys lips were dry and cracked against his own soft and smooth ones. Not that he minded, he’d been waiting what felt like an eternity for this moment.
They stayed like that for a moment, sitting as close as they could without one of them being in the others lap. Between little pecks they found themselves softly laughing, grins splitting both of their faces as they basked in their newfound love.
“I don’t know how long I’ve spent,” Kyle started, “knowing that I was in love with you and being too terrified to tell you.”
Stan nodded, understanding evident in his eyes. He reached an arm out to wrap around his ginger companion and drew him close, allowing him to snuggle into his side. Kyle spotted a throw blanket laying on the back of the couch and drug it down to lay over their laps. They spent the rest of the evening curled up together, smoking and enjoying one another’s company, along with the steady sound of rain hitting the windows.
Kyle felt his chest swelling with what he could only call love. He felt safe, cared for and loved. There was no place he’d rather be.