Work Text:
9/25/23
Bench.
It was cold and softly snowing. The moon shone bright over a frozen pond, creating a rippled aurora of white and blue. Sat on a park bench just a few feet away were two best friends. The taller, blue-eyed one with black hair was named Stan, and the smaller, green-eyed ginger was Kyle. As kids, they could only ever dream of being out so late, but now that they were 17 going on 18, the rules of childhood had changed.
Plenty of things have been shifting as of late. And tonight, the unspoken curiosity between them was finally gaining attention. At least, that was the whole point of this spontaneous meeting in the dark. Ever since they arrived, however, they had only talked of frivolous matters. It seemed that their original bravery had been thrown out the window the minute they saw one another.
Now, things were quiet. They looked anywhere else but at each other. Kyle tugged on the sides of his jeans, meanwhile Stan fidgeted with his fingers. The situation had quickly grown to be incredibly awkward.
Neither one liked that fact. Things were never awkward between them. Growing up alongside a person will do that. They knew all of each others secrets, saw things that no one else would ever see, and shared moments sacred to them and to them only. They were like two halves of one person, synchronized in every way. So how could the air between them feel so drastically different now?
Stan sighed, and decided enough was enough. He hesitantly turned to look at the boy beside him. Now, with his hands resting palm-down on his knees, and his face lifted up towards the moon. The light covered most of him, but it wasn’t harsh. It was perfect. Kyle looked like an angel.
Stan couldn’t pry his eyes away, even when Kyle noticed him staring. Albeit nervously, the redhead stared back with those bright emerald eyes that Stan dreamed about almost every night. Similarly, Kyle felt frozen in time looking up into Stan’s deep blue ones. It was like looking into the sea. Or that Diamond from the Titanic movie. How could Rose throw that away?
As his mind shifted focus, Kyle squinted his eyes. Assuming that was for him, Stan tilted his head and did the same. To this, Kyle couldn’t help but smile. Whenever Stan was unsure of what to do, he copied him. Kyle liked that this fact had never changed, even as they grew older and Stan became more independent. He figured it was Stan’s way of proving to him that after all these years, he still felt confident in his leadership.
Kyle never quite understood that part, however. Sure, growing up he had most of the good ideas, the smart ones, anyway. Yet Stan was always the one to step up and put them into motion. He’d always make the first move, then reach his hand out for Kyle to follow afterwards. As a kid, Kyle thought he simply liked being first, as most children do. But as he got older, and maturity began to gently take over his brain, he realized that this wasn’t the case at all. Stan never saw it as a game, not once was it an attempt to come out on top. He was a protector. Scoping out the land before deciding to settle. Testing the waters to make sure it was safe to jump in. All for the sake of Kyle.
Remembering this, Kyle’s fear began to fade. He once again, recognized the boy sitting beside him. It was Stan, the only person in the world he truly couldn’t ever live without. His super best friend.
Although for a while now, their relationship felt a bit stronger than that. Stan was well aware of it too. It was the reason why they were here. And it was finally time to talk.