Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cover Artwork by @whereislyn on Tumblr. ❤️
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It was a perfect summer day outside. The morning sun was shining bright, the sky was a soothing light blue and the weather was at just the right warm temperature for anybody to enjoy a beautiful day out on one of the many beaches of Toronto. Driving on the nearest lakeshore road, headed right for the capital of Ontario, was a sea glass-colored truck that had nothing but time to waste and many miles to spare as it continued towards its sun-soaked destination.

Inside the guided truck were two best friends named Alejandro and Tyler, who were both feeling pretty prepared to have a very radiant and cheery day. No worries or concerns were attached to them of any kind. They only desired to have a wonderful time together in the city to commemorate their shared first Saturday post-high school graduation.

All the windows to the car were rolled down so that the late morning air could circulate its way through and around the whole inside of the vehicle. It created a sense of anticipation for the two boys as they arrived closer and closer to their exciting stop. Tyler sat there in the passenger seat and gazed out at the view before him, reaching his hand out the window to glide through the rapidness of the blowing air, feeling the intense breeze brush through the spaces in between his fingers. He hadn’t visited the big city in such a long time and was ecstatic to finally be able to go back, especially for a notable reason like this occasion.

Alejandro peeped away from driving for a moment to observe Tyler, who was casually sitting there in his seat and enjoying himself, viewing out at the Great Lake of Ontario with fascination in his eyes. He caught the relaxed smile that was laying still upon his face and the glow from the sun that glazed down on his cheeks, sparkling up Tyler’s skin from the vivid beam of the sunshine. He looked so happy and catching that glimpse of him made Alejandro warm up intensely inside. He turned back to continue watching the road and silently sighed to himself, gaily. He loved Tyler and was elated to be going on this adventure with him…but as he came back to his driving senses, Alejandro’s smile started to slowly fade away as his mind began to focus on the other reason why he had wanted to go on this trip with his buddy.

Alejandro had only told Tyler that he wanted to go on this day trip with him as a way to celebrate their graduation together, however, he failed to inform him that the other main reason why was to find a memorable way to confess something that he had been wanting to say to him for quite a long time now. Something that he’d been holding onto from deep down inside: the truth about how he really felt for him. Alejandro didn’t love Tyler as just a friend, he wanted to love him on a much more personal level than that.

The two had initially met during their first year of high school, where they both played on the same soccer team together. During the season, the boys got to know each other more, outside of just being teammates, and bonded over their shared interest for sports and athletics. As they got closer, they then discovered that they had a surprisingly lot more in common than just extracurricular activities such as both having a passionate desire to travel the world. As Alejandro and Tyler found out more and more about one another, the two ended up becoming each other’s bestest friend and have stayed that way all throughout their remaining years of high school.

During those following years, Alejandro and Tyler joined other sports teams together, shared some of the same classes and hung out on numerous occasions after school, they even became acquainted with each other’s families. The two friends just loved being together and as they both continued to grow into the people they became, getting to know the other on a much deeper level in the process, Alejandro would soon come to realize that Tyler was somebody he couldn’t imagine not having in his life anymore. He had become a part of it now.

Alejandro liked having many of Tyler’s characteristics around. His honesty and loyalty, determination and care, there was a lot about him that he was starting to adore. Tyler had also been a very great friend to Alejandro as well. Always providing him with help and support, making sure that he felt heard and appreciated, showering him with flattery and even offering Alejandro the little things like a change of clothes or a ride to somewhere. Tyler just had a soul like no other and it was one that Alejandro started to notice made his life feel complete, not ever really feeling much worry about the troubles going on around him. He knew by now that with only a phone call away, his problems could all be softened by having just one long conversation with his greatest friend.

Late one night, Alejandro had laid down in his bed and just thought all about Tyler, how he made him feel and what he meant to his life. He thought about everything, from his generosity to his humorous ways, realizing he had greatly appreciated nearly every aspect about his friend. As he laid there with his blankets and pillows, all comfortable and relaxed, he started to feel toasty inside and suddenly realized that it wasn’t just his bedtop surroundings making him this way…he was steadily beginning to develop a crush on Tyler.

Alejandro wasn’t sure how to handle this realization, almost feeling embarrassed to have these thoughts for him, as he really didn’t want to have a crush on his best friend. However, the pleasure that it made his heart feel was something that he didn’t want to just keep hidden away.

Though he tried to hide them, desperately attempting to push away those troubling feelings and just settle for a friendship, but alas, Alejandro was not successfully able to leave behind his growing love for his friend. Ultimately, he decided to just embrace it as he was starting to feel so hopelessly in love. Tyler soon began to consume his mind, becoming all who he wanted to talk to and be with.

The two friends continued to hangout together and things seemed pretty normal on the outside, but on the inside, Alejandro had become desperate for Tyler’s affection back. Slowly, every little thing about him became something Alejandro idolized: his mannerisms, his glistening smile, his alluring brown eyes, oh, those eyes of his. Alejandro savored all the time that he could get staring into that sea. A body of water full of wonder and astonishment.

Suddenly, Alejandro felt a soft nudge on his arm bring him back to reality. He noticed by his incoming voice that it was Tyler who had gently alerted him, “Hey, how do you think that water is? I bet it feels great.” He remarked, pointing and looking out at the big lake to his side.

Alejandro lifted up his eyebrow, perplexed, and playfully chuckled, “You’re insane,” He teased, “It’s probably cold in that lake, but I suppose we won’t really know until we get there.”

“What else would you like to do once we get down to the city?” Tyler asked, turning to look at Alejandro in wonder.

Alejandro let out a soft smile once he heard Tyler’s question. He could do anything with him if he could, anything and everything. He could never get bored of being around him. Alejandro glanced over at Tyler and felt his heart melt once he made eye contact with him. There were those gorgeous globes of his again, so full of life, so ready for adventure, “Anything you desire.” Alejandro gently said to him, looking back over to watch the road.

Though Alejandro was very excited for what the two were soon to do, he silently sighed to himself, solemnly, as he started to wonder about what the possible outcome of his confession to his friend could be: what if Tyler didn’t feel the same way for him back?

It was a possibility, one that Alejandro knew had an inevitable chance of happening, one that could potentially destroy his love-struck heart. The plausible conclusion gave extreme worry to him, but still, he knew this was something that just had to be said to Tyler. He couldn’t take the fierce tension brewing in his mind anymore. If that was to be the case, for Tyler not to feel the same way back for him, Alejandro’s confession could all just be for nothing and he might have to say farewell to his longtime friend for good, leaving behind everything that they once had before. Nothing left to hold onto other than their joyful memories from years past. If that were to happen, then this day trip would end up being just another one of those numerous memories.

As tough as it felt for him to think about, Alejandro was ready to risk sacrificing his friendship with Tyler so that he could declare his love and devotion for him wholeheartedly. With a truth so grand, he wanted it to be revealed on a day that was as big as his words entailed, and for him, that day was during a beautiful summertime weekend just like this one.

This day could encapsulate the ending of their friendship, the day that things became different, for better or for worse. If things were to become the latter and Tyler no longer felt comfortable to even be around him, then Alejandro could at least feel a sense of closure to their saga, knowing where things would stand between the two of them from then on. He would always have those past good times to look back on anyway, they would never go away. He could remember this time as when he once found a love that had him completely swept away from his sense of reality, one that made him feel like he was in a complete fairytale. And just like a fairytale, there could always be a ‘happily ever after’ ending to this story too.

Tyler could very well feel the same way back for him and oh, how Alejandro wished that that was going to be the outcome to this. If that were to happen, then Alejandro could look back on this day as the trip that brought him and Tyler even closer to each other then they already were, finally putting an end to his heart’s desire. As much as Alejandro anticipated that possibility, he didn’t want to get his hopes too high either, so he tried to keep his mind grounded in reality and just waited to see where things were going to go. He was feeling optimistic, yet terrified.

A flock of seagulls flew above the two friends in unison as they all briefly followed the same path together. The birds were headed for nowhere in particular, but were feeling quite content with just flapping their wings in the sky and relishing in the beautiful day that was ahead of them. So many outcomes for how it was to go later, but only time was to truly determine how the day was going to be.

As the boys continued driving down the paved path, Alejandro kept fantasizing about the many things that he and his friend could possibly enjoy. He wondered what exactly it was that Tyler had envisioned for them to do while they were in the city. Maybe he wanted to do something outrageous or something extreme. Whatever it was, Alejandro wanted to do it too, even if it was something nonsensical. He just wanted Tyler to have the most amount of fun that he could possibly have. Everything was to go his way on this gorgeous, sunny filled day.

Chapter Text

There it was: Toronto, Ontario. Alejandro and Tyler’s long drive was finally coming to an end. As they arrived at their destination, the two friends noticed that the streets were quite busy today, seeing crowds of people strolling all about. The liveliness hyped them up even more so, with both boys feeling completely energized to go out there and discover the activities that were in store for them to do.

The buddies pulled up to a large parking lot to search for a safe space to leave their ride at for the remainder of the day. Once they had found a good spot and parked, Tyler went right on ahead and immediately popped open the door to his side. He leaped out of the vehicle to welcome in the warm summer breeze, which greeted him right back with a salutation to the city.

Alejandro stepped out of his truck and admired that summery air too, slowly inhaling it to take the atmosphere around him all in, “Ahh,” He sighed out, “I was hoping it would feel like this today.”

Tyler browsed around his surroundings and walked over to join Alejandro on the other side of the car, getting a good sense of his environment, “Yeah, it is pretty nice out. Thanks again for taking us up here, that’s really cool of you to want to drive all this way.” Tyler said as he approached his friend.

Alejandro looked over at Tyler and smirked, “Of course, and thank you for being my company for today.” He replied before reaching back into his car. He brought out with him a bottle of sunscreen and started to pour some out onto his hand. Once he finished doing so, he reached the container over to Tyler, “Sunscreen?” Alejandro offered him.

Tyler shook his head, “Nah, I’ll be good. I don’t burn up that easily.” He laughed, putting his hands in his shorts pockets.

Alejandro raised an eyebrow at him with concern, “No protection? From that sun by the water coming down? I suggest you should, just to be safe.” He advised.

Tyler jokingly rolled his eyes and took Alejandro’s suggestion, taking the bottle from his friend. He started to apply on some sunblock and as he did, he continued to look all around his area, trying to recognize what little he remembered from the last time he had visited the capital, “Man, it’s been so long since I’ve last been here,” Tyler began to say, "My family doesn’t really go anywhere that much anymore. We used to see so much when I was a kid, we would go on roadtrips all the time!”

“Any memories that stick out from here?” Alejandro asked.

“Not really,” Tyler tried to think as he handed the container back over, “Oh yeah! Actually, there was this one time when a seagull attacked my dad while we were all out on a walk, dude, that was so scary!”

Alejandro chuckled, intrigued in Tyler’s story, “Oh my gosh, what did that pesky sky rat attack him for?”

“Well,” Tyler began to explain, “My dad had this little tray of churros in his hand and he must’ve been eating them slowly or somethin’ ‘cause then a big seagull flew over and just started pecking at his food. It must’ve been all like ‘Hey, if you’re not going to eat them, I will!’.” He laughed.

“Was he successful?” Alejandro asked as he reached back into his truck.

Tyler laughed, “Yeah, my dad put up a good fight though. I still remember how he gripped onto that tray and started swatting back at the bird. It started to peck at his hand though and it must’ve got him pretty good ‘cause then my dad just let him have it after that. His hand was fine, but the churros weren’t.”

Alejandro giggled, finding amusement in Tyler’s little story, “Well, someone got to enjoy those tasty treats, at least.” He remarked. He brought out a red hair tie from his car and began to brush the back of his long, brown locks with his hand, trying to get them all to look just right for the appearance he was trying to achieve.

“Yeah…” Tyler said as he finished his laughter. He looked away from Alejandro so that he could let his friend finish doing his hair without any lingering eyes on him, turning a slight shade of red as he turned away from his little routine, “I can’t wait for what we’re gonna do!” Tyler suddenly stated.

Alejandro’s heart warmed up at the sound of Tyler’s enthusiasm. He was so ready to show his buddy the excitement from the capital and luckily for Tyler, Alejandro had planned a special surprise for him to get them through the streets faster. He finished securing his hair in place, then reached over in his truck one last time to grab a shoulder bag he had brought with him for the day. Once he was all done preparing himself, Alejandro closed the car door and looked up at Tyler’s anticipated face with a smirk, “Let’s go find out. Got everything?”

Tyler patted himself down to double check, then let out a big thumbs up once he was all sure, “Yep!” He confirmed.

Alejandro grinned, “Great, now, before we go, though, I have a bit of a surprise I wanted to show you.” He announced. He locked his truck’s doors and began to walk him and Tyler over to the trunk, where inside the back was a large tarp covering the majority of the space, with slight bumps around different parts of the material.

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the view and looked up at Alejandro in wonder, “What is it?” He questioned.

Alejandro smirked and decided to show him by hopping inside the trunk, removing the cover and revealing the back to be storing two bikes, “These!” He presented. Tyler’s face immediately lit up once he saw those bicycles, “My parents let me borrow them for us to ride,” Alejandro explained, “I figured driving around everywhere would take too much of our time and money, always trying to find parking, putting up with traffic. I thought maybe this would be a nice alternative to that, what do you think?”

Tyler lifted himself up to join Alejandro in the back, “Dude, this is perfect!” He exclaimed in response, “We can check out way more of downtown with these!”

“Oh, and don’t worry too,” Alejandro continued, “I made sure that all the tires had enough air in them. I also brought some locks to make sure that they stay with us, I don’t think my parents would like it very much if their bikes were to be stolen.” He snickered.

“Wow, you really thought of everything for today.” Tyler praised as he checked out the details on the bikes. Alejandro’s stomach fluttered once he heard Tyler’s compliment. He sure did think of everything, and there was still one more surprise that he didn’t tell his friend yet, but he wanted to save that one for a better moment between the two of them, “Need any help getting them down?” Tyler asked Alejandro.

“Yes, actually, if you don’t mind.” He replied.

“No problem!” Tyler said and right away started to help bring both of their rides down to the ground.

After getting them all setup, the two boys were eventually ready to start making their way downtown. While getting a comfortable feel of his bike, Tyler noticed a bell on the handlebar and decided to chime it out of curiosity, feeling quite delighted to hear the little ringing.

Alejandro looked over at Tyler getting used to his ride and softly gave him a smile. His admiration of the simplicity was just another thing that he loved about him, always appreciating the smaller things about life, “You ready to give these a ride?” Alejandro asked his adventurous friend.

Tyler looked back at Alejandro and beamed at him with exhilaration in his eyes, “Heck yeah! Race you there!” He announced and immediately sprung out through the parking lot.

Alejandro's face lit up in total surprise as he watched his friend dash away, feeling a burst of excitement and instantly took to action, “Race you where?!” He shouted back before riding off, letting out an uncontainable laugh at his friend.

He wasn’t sure where Tyler was riding off to, but he assumed it was to nowhere in particular, just was enthusiastic to see the big city. As Alejandro followed Tyler around, letting him take the lead of their path, the two best friends both got to find out what exactly the thrill was like from visiting the grand capital.

Chapter Text

The streets were flooded with activity, with something different going on at every turn. Buildings across various shapes and sizes were all lined up together as crowds of people roamed the sidewalks to them, trying to reach wherever it was that they were wanting to get to. Alejandro and Tyler strolled through the swarms of traffic as they continued to browse their many surroundings of all sorts.

Tyler glanced around in awe at the marvelous different places that were steadily passing by him. He didn’t know where he would like to check out first, all he knew was that he’d know when he’d find it. For now though, he was having just a great enough time cycling around town with his best friend, seeing the busy street life in all its unique glory.

Alejandro scanned through the sights as well as he too thought about how exciting everything was, not even giving one care about how far they would ride off to. As long as they could get back to where they parked, then pretty much anywhere was up for grabs for them to go to. He watched Tyler ride his bike for a moment and thought about how thrilled he must’ve been feeling right now to be able to go on this exhilarating adventure. Alejandro hoped that he could continue to give his friend that thrill over the course of their day, eager to find out where it would possibly be that would finally get Tyler to pull them both over.

The pair cycled all over town and past the great number of buildings, riding through parks of green and following the many trains that journeyed their ways to their set destinations. Everything was just riveting to the two friends. Tyler inhaled a deep breath as he relished in the sweet wind that blew against him, taking all of the moving view in with total appreciation, feeling so lucky to have been able to see everything that there was to see.

The boys rode up a long, yellow bridge across some railway tracks and momentarily came to a halt as Tyler wanted to stop and check out the gorgeous view that was staring amongst them. The blue of the faintly clouded sky, the CN Tower standing proud and poise, the trains traveling below them, it all gripped Tyler hard and held onto his attention.

Tyler sat still on his bike as he gazed out at the view, “Isn’t it incredible?” He sighed out in amazement, “I mean, just look at everything! It’s all…so…wow.”

Alejandro giggled at Tyler’s expression and looked out at what he was seeing, completely understanding where his reaction was coming from. He too thought that the city was a sight to behold. The two friends stared off in silence as they continued to enjoy the atmosphere that was circulating around them, taking in the many noises that came from the big city.

Tyler, specifically, paused to acknowledge the CN Tower’s large presence visibly in their eye view, and while he was still looking, he suddenly came up with a wonderful idea, “Hey! Alejandro, do you mind taking a picture of me real quick with the tower in the back? This is like a really cool spot!” He stated.

Alejandro turned away from the scenery to address Tyler, “Oh, of course! I’d love to!” He lit up as he got off from his bike, beginning to set it on its kickstand.

Tyler dismounted as well and parked his bike to the side, reaching over in his pocket to grab a little digital camera he had brought with him for the trip. Once he pulled it out, he gave it to Alejandro and then stepped over to align himself with the scenic view. He was unsure how to pose at first, but then decided to just hold up some peace signs with his hands, adding a cheery grin on his face for a finishing touch. Alejandro thought he looked adorable and went ahead and captured a couple photos of his friend.

Then, while Tyler and Alejandro were capturing the moment, a random woman walked by them and just so happened to notice that the two of them were taking pictures. The stranger glanced at the view that the pair were appreciating and saw just exactly what it was that made it such a perfect photo spot to them. She approached the two boys and lightly interrupted their photo session, “Hi, by any chance, would you two like a picture together?” She asked Alejandro.

The friends looked at her and then back at each other, both smiling in agreement of wanting a permanent digital memory of them together, “That’d be wonderful!” Alejandro responded and handed the woman Tyler’s camera. She took the device from his hand and began to start figuring out where the right angle was to take some solid photos of them.

Alejandro rushed over to stand next to Tyler and was swiftly met with his friend wrapping his arm around his neck once he had arrived over. Tyler smiled wide as he was immensely happy to be capturing this souvenir with his bestie.

The near distance between him and Tyler made Alejandro experience that deep, sinking feeling in his chest again, being only just centimeters away from his crush’s face. He loved being this close to him, he just wished that he was able to do something with being this near.

He was so tired of teasing his heart like this, it hurt him every time. The feeling like he wanted to do or say something more to Tyler, only to have to always hold back because he knew that he just couldn't be anything more than simply friendly to him. He hated it. But for this one instant, with this glorious day shining down from above them, Alejandro decided that he could not completely hold back his intrusive thoughts this time and gave his affection to Tyler in the safest way that he felt he could.

As Tyler had him cuffed by his side, Alejandro decided to pose for the photo by wrapping his arm around his friend’s back and sliding his hand down him to firmly place his touch directly onto Tyler’s hip with a soft and gentle grasp. It was all the embrace he could feasibly give him, but with only those crumbs, feeling his warmth right there in his hold for just a couple of seconds, it still just about felt like everything to Alejandro.

The woman snapped a few shots of the two friends then handed the device back over to them once she was all finished, hoping that what she captured was at least good enough.

The boys’ looked over the pictures that she took and gleefully smiled in approval, absolutely loving the outcome of them all. Alejandro’s stomach fluttered as he skimmed through those photos and noticed how very cheerful they both looked in each and every one of them. And, oh, how his hopeless, slightly delusional heart just couldn’t contain itself. Looking at those new memories made Alejandro start to feel like they looked just like a couple in them, standing there all happy and comfortable with one another. Even thinking that reminded Alejandro just how bad he really had it for Tyler.

The two buddies each thanked the stranger for her service and she soon went her separate way from them. Tyler looked at his camera to appreciate the photos one more time and was enthusiastic about them, “Man, these came out so great!” He exclaimed, “Want me to send you them once I have ‘em uploaded?”

Alejandro’s eyes illuminated, “I would love that! Yes!” He replied, unable to resist the appearing grin upon his face.

The two went over to hop back onto their bikes, but before they officially resumed their ride, Tyler began to briefly talk to Alejandro about how nice his newly acquired camera was. However, unfortunately to him, his friend was only able to pay half of his attention as Alejandro was now feeling completely flustered about his little grasp on Tyler.

Alejandro’s come in close contact with Tyler before, they’ve hugged many times in the past, it’s just that everytime he did made him feel like he wanted the moment to last for about forever and this time had been no different. He held onto Tyler like he was his, belonging to no one else but him and that felt so great to Alejandro. That little, gentle grasp on his hip, feeling the soft cloth from his shirt and the tender warmth that radiated from his body. It was such a nice feeling.

Alejandro sighed to himself in exhaustion as he continued to let his desperate mind run rampid, still craving the love that he ever so desired from his best friend. He wondered again how it was going to go once he told Tyler about what his true feelings were for him.

He was still feeling pretty anxious to actually confess them, progressively getting more and more terrified of the possible outcome. He really didn’t want to lose Tyler, but also knew that he just had to tell him now, he needed to. To him, it didn’t seem fair that he was keeping such a big secret like this from his best friend, someone who he’d share everything with, and especially about something this big, something that Alejandro wasn’t going to just simply let go of. He had to do it soon…he just didn’t want to see the possibility of having such a special guy like Tyler permanently leave from his life in a blink of an eye. It was the sole reason why he still had never said any of his feelings to him yet. He felt completely hopeless.

The two looked out at their current view for one final time before proceeding to pedal back down the bridge, trailing onto the road again to head towards their next anticipated destination, wherever that may be.

Chapter Text

Alejandro and Tyler spent hours cycling around to various different spots all over Toronto. They stopped at anything and anywhere that seemed interesting for them to visit. They explored the Hockey Hall of Fame, entered paintings at the Van Gogh Art Exhibit and even got to greet some magnificent sea creatures at the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.

After many grand adventures, Alejandro brought up a suggestion that maybe the two of them could have a little bit of down time and go do some shopping at a mall. Tyler was down with that idea and the friends soon ended up at a huge shopping plaza where dozens of stores stood for them inside, each of them waiting for some friendly company.

The boys’ walked by the large selection of shops with curiosity, occasionally window-shopping through some to browse through items that they wanted to get a closer look at. However, they ultimately kept leaving the businesses the same way as how they would enter them: empty handed.

While they were checking out an establishment, Alejandro was browsing through a jewelry section and finally came across something that really caught his attention. It was a little gold chain with a Myosotis flower charm attached around it

He looked at the little blue blossom and found it to be quite beautiful. He recalled a nickname it had, the Forget-Me-Not flower, and some symbolism that it carried, being a representation to remember a beloved one, alive or passed.

It could just be his apprehension getting in the way, but Alejandro kept worrying that if Tyler didn’t share the same feelings back for him, after he had been told about the truth, what if he would start to feel uncomfortable just being around him, with knowing what he knows? What if he never wanted to see him again? Becoming a relic of Alejandro’s past.

He gently felt the little flower with his fingertips and thought if that were to really happen, if he were to lose his best friend later that day, he wanted to at least go out with a triumph, offering him something to remember their friendship by, even if it ended up being something denied. All that they once had, it was a time that Alejandro knew he could just never forget about, even if he tried to. Tyler had become a part of his life story now.

Alejandro took the necklace off of the rack and looked around the store to see where his friend was hiding at, spotting him hanging around over by the stuffed animals section. He walked over to him and delicately tapped his shoulder, “Tyler, may I see you for a sec?” He asked him.

“What’s up?” Tyler asked back while holding an elephant plushie in his hands.

Alejandro unhooked the chain’s latch and walked up close to Tyler, facing him and leaning forward to attach the jewelry around his neck. Once he was finished, he stepped back to see how his buddy had looked and smiled in approval, his heart melting from joy at how cute he appeared.

Tyler turned to a nearby mirror and looked at what was around him in confusion, not expecting Alejandro to have given him what he did, “What is this?” He questioned, holding the chain in his hand.

“It’s a necklace I found,” Alejandro stated, “It made me think of you, do you like it? I can get it for you if you do.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow and continued to check out the shiny jewelry, deciding on what his thoughts were for it, “Hmm…yeah, it’s pretty nice. I like the color of it, blue’s always been one of my favorite’s.” He said. He then turned away from the mirror to face Alejandro, “But, how come this made you think about me?” He asked back in wonder.

Alejandro swallowed nervously, “Well, uh, because…it’s a nice flower and…I remembered you telling me once that you like nice flowers.” He explained, his cheeks beginning to redden as he spoke.

Tyler held the charm delicately, “Yeah, I do like flowers…” He softly confirmed, lowering his head to face away from his friend, feeling ever so shy.

“And I think it kind of suits you too,” Alejandro continued, “Like, your personality and stuff. I think it makes you look, um… rather lovely.”

Tyler’s eyebrows arched in astonishment, “Oh, uh, thank you…then, sure! I’d like to have it.” He concluded, giving his friend the warmest of smiles through his rosy cheeks.

Alejandro continued to flush up, he couldn’t believe he just called Tyler that…but it felt so nice to tell him that he did anyway. He reached forward to unhook the chain off from him to go and purchase it, but had slight difficulty in doing so as he was beginning to get real nervous just being all up close to him, especially after their little interaction. After successfully avoiding eye contact with his crush, Alejandro had taken off the jewelry from him and went over to the store registers to go pay for his little gift for Tyler.

While he was up there, he began to wonder about what it was that made Tyler get so flustered while they were talking right now. He was probably just bashful from being complimented, but Alejandro’s lovestruck heart made him speculate about maybe there being something more to it than that. Tyler could like him back after all, Alejandro certainly didn’t forget about that being a possibility.

Another symbol Alejandro remembered that the Myosotis flower had was one’s declaration of their devoted love for someone. That necklace could symbolize the ending of their friendship…or it could symbolize the beginning of a new kind of relationship for them. It was a meaning that could go both ways.

After Alejandro finished paying for the gift, he and Tyler walked out of the store and continued to wander around the large, spacious mall. They did so for only a short while longer though as the two friends soon got gradually more interested in finally going out to get something to eat.

While the two began to think about what sounded appetizing, all of a sudden, Alejandro remembered about there being a new beach in the area that had just recently opened up side-by-side with an amusement park. It was an adventurous place that Alejandro knew for sure would have lots of yummy food for them to choose from.

He offered that maybe the two go there for something to eat, as well as having some extra bit of atmosphere to enjoy while they chow down and getting the chance later to check out the waves next-door. Tyler liked the sound of that idea and the pair, once again, got back onto their bikes to pedal off for exploration, this time, at the beach. Where lots of sand and carnival rides were waiting for them up ahead.

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The afternoon had been nearing its run for the day as Alejandro and Tyler approached the new beach that the former had mentioned. It was a tourist beach that the city had constructed specifically for the summertime, a place to give people the chance to have their own little tropical-like experience. There were palm trees, little huts staged as bars and a few volleyball nets that were being used for some friendly-competitive games. Standing beside the lakeshore too was a little amusement park that coincided perfectly with the inviting nature of the beach.

The friends locked their bikes on a rack and made their way to the colorful time happening over at the funfair. There they saw a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, a carousel, an arcade, there were many attractions that this glorious adventure park had.

The boys’ began to walk through the area in awe, scanning out the attractions feeling thrilled by all the excitement that was happening around them, “Would you like to go on any of these later?” Alejandro asked Tyler.

“That’d be pretty cool, but, no, I feel like you’ve been spending way too much money on us today. I don’t want you to have to keep payin’ for stuff.” Tyler stated.

“Oh, I don’t mind, Tyler, really,” Alejandro reassured, “I have a fund kept just for days like this. Don’t feel bad.” He smirked.

Tyler smiled back and began to briefly scan around the various different activities going on at the park, wondering if there was any one of them that he would like to do, “Hmm…well, maybe we can go check out the arcade later, but I think right now I’d like to just get something to eat. I’m really hungry.” He said.

“What would you like? Churros, perhaps? There’s some seagulls over there, maybe they would like to share a few with you.” Alejandro teased, pointing at some birds.

Tyler laughed, “Churros do sound pretty good, but I was kind of thinking more like a meal, somethin’ that’ll fill me up, I don’t know what though. You wanna just walk around and see what sounds good?”

“I’d be alright with that.” Alejandro answered with a shrug.

The two friends then began to search the park for a delicious eatery to sit down and munch at. After looking at some options, Tyler eventually came to a conclusion, “I could go for a burger, how’s that sound?”

Alejandro nodded in affirmation, usually he wouldn’t have wanted to eat something so greasy, but for a special occasion such as this day, he didn’t have a problem with it, “That sounds delicious.” He responded.

They walked up to a burger joint together and went ahead to order their scrumptious meals, which consisted of a cheeseburger, some crinkle cut fries and a fizzy soda pop. After receiving their food, the two found a small, square table not too far off from the restaurant and decided to go sit down at the pleasant spot, giving them a nice view of the park as well as the lake water.

Tyler rapidly gulped down his food, not even taking one single moment to stop and catch his breath. Alejandro laughed at his friend’s hungry antics and picked up a fry to munch on for himself. He felt that Tyler might be more famished than he was though so he decided to move his tray over to his buddy to offer him some more food to devour, “Want some more fries?” Alejandro presented.

Tyler slurped his soda and shook his head at his question, “They’re yours, man.” He stated.

“Yes, but you seem to want them more than I do.” Alejandro giggled.

Tyler playfully scoffed, “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good, I swear,” He said before going back to his soda for another sip, “Maybe we can go for some dessert later though? That’s somethin’ I can pay for too.” He shrugged with an awkward laugh.

Alejandro smiled at the idea, “I’d like that.” He replied. He then looked over at his watch for a moment to find out what time it had reached, realizing that it wouldn’t be too much longer now before the sun was to begin setting.

He still wanted to tell Tyler about his feelings and knew that he wasn’t about to chicken out of confessing them. He just wanted to make sure that the moment was to be perfect, however, it was now starting to get late. Alejandro began to feel cold inside and nervously swallowed, believing that maybe he should finally start prepping up the courage to tell Tyler about his little secret, but not right here at the busy amusement park. Somewhere more…intimate.

He scanned further out into his view and saw the waves of the lake impacting the shore, smoothing up the sands it was washing up against. It was so peaceful there, joined by the many sounds of people and seagulls, the sun shining down and reflecting off of the water, glowingly, it all gave Alejandro a scary realization: it was going to be the beach where he was to tell Tyler how he felt for him, right there on the sands. It was perfect.

Alejandro turned back to his crush and saw that he had just finished the remainder of his meal, knowing that this was a sign from the universe to suggest the two go off to check out the beach, “Would you still like to check out the water?” Alejandro asked Tyler.

“I don’t think I’d get in, but I’d still really like to go down there with you, just to see everything. It looks really nice over there by the shore.” Tyler stated.

“It does, maybe we could start heading down there soon?” Alejandro proposed.

“In a bit, yeah. I think I’d like to just sit here for a little longer though, is that alright?” Tyler asked.

Alejandro nodded and giggled, “Yeah, that’s alright. Are you resting off all that food now?” He joked.

“More like all that walking and pedaling we did, I’m exhausted.” Tyler let out a laugh as he stretched back in his chair.

Alejandro chuckled and gave Tyler a warm smile, feeling completely content with just sitting there in silence and enjoying the delightful ambiance with his dearest.

Tyler continued to lie back in his seat and soaked in the relaxation he got from resting in his spot, closing his eyes and beginning to really listen to all that was around him. He savored the few minutes that he wanted to have by just taking in the many various sounds of the area and charging up his energy for later, all the while feeling the warm summer breeze blow against his face.

Alejandro gazed at him in slight despair and let his mind carry on wandering, unable to stop the overwhelming worry that he was so gradually feeling. He thought about nothing more than only what was to happen later, impatiently waiting for time to just pass by already. He let out a soft sigh to himself and lowered his head face down in shame, continuing to do just exactly that: wait for time to pass by. He was ready for this.

Chapter Text

The recently opened up tropical-themed beach had been keeping quite busy from the hype that it built itself around. Crowds of people were intrigued to experience what the new setting was like and made sure to bring with them their most positive spirits for the lively occasion. After Alejandro and Tyler had finished their trip at the amusement park, they decided to head for next door to accompany those many groups at the beach and have a pleasant time there for themselves.

The sun was beginning to set and the orange tint it had been gleaming down spread all over the land, staging a perfect ending for this terrific day. The two friends casually walked on top of the sands together and were at last starting to feel a bit tired after the many activities they had done throughout the day. All they wanted to do now was just to appreciate that calm, peaceful feeling of strolling alongside the shores of the beach.

As they sauntered around the beach, Tyler was also simultaneously browsing through the new memories from his camera roll, wanting to take a look back at all of that he and Alejandro did throughout the day, “Man, I should make these into a scrapbook or somethin’, they turned out great!” He commented as he looked at each photo.

Alejandro lightly chuckled at Tyler’s idea, “You would really go out of your way to make something like that? To remember a little day like this with me?” He asked his friend.

“I would,” Tyler told him back, “I’ve never actually made a scrapbook before, but I’ve always wanted to, they seem really fun to do! I like their purpose, how they hold a bunch of pictures and you can even write little things about them underneath, it’s pretty neat. I want to keep some for all my traveling.”

“Hm, if you could visit anywhere in the world right now, where would that place be?” Alejandro wanted to know.

Tyler put his camera away and smiled at the question, already knowing exactly where he’d pick, “Japan,” He answered, excitedly, “That’s always been my top pick, it’d just be so expensive to go though. I’d have to budget for a plane ticket, a hotel, a ride, food, what kinds of stuff I’ll be doing while I’m there, it’d be a lot! But I’ve been setting some money aside for going on big trips, trust me, Japan will happen one day!”

Alejandro smiled back at Tyler’s wishful thinking, “I know it will, I see that traveling’s been something you’re really passionate about. One day, that enthusiasm is going to bring you to wherever you want to be.”

“And that’ll be to every spot on my bucket list!” Tyler joked.

Alejandro giggled, “Hopefully so, there’s a whole world out there to explore!”

“Yeah,” Tyler agreed, “There’s so much to see…do you ever think about just how much stuff there is goin’ out there? Like every second there’s somethin’ happening to someone in this world.”

“It is a pretty big rabbit hole, alright, but one that’s fascinating.” Alejandro remarked.

“Like all of these people over here and over there, I wonder what they’re all thinking about,” Tyler continued, “What their dreams are, their regrets, what they’re too scared to go out and get, there’s so many amazing stories to hear...” He stopped to ponder for a moment then shook his head and let out a small tisk, turning his head to face Alejandro, momentarily, “I think you’re right, it is all just one big rabbit hole.” He joked.

Alejandro let out a small, awkward laugh. Tyler’s wonders started to make him reflect on what he was really thinking about, what he really dreamed of and what he was ultimately terrified of possibly happening, “Yeah, there’s…a lot that we don’t know about people.” Alejandro softly stated.

“Thanks again for taking us down here, Alejandro. I had a really fun time with you today.” Tyler showed his gratitude.

An emerging smile soon grew upon Alejandro’s face, “So did I.” He gently concurred, gazing over at Tyler.

“I just wish that we could have more of these kinds of days together,” Tyler began to say, “Even if it’s not all the time, like every other month or so, I’d still be cool with that. I just want to explore with you more, you’re a really great person to travel with. You’re really good with coming up with things for us to do and I like how you make sure that we’re always safe. I trust you a lot, man. Next time though, I think that we should go somewhere that you’ve been really wanting to see. I feel like Toronto was more of a place that I wanted to check out, so for our next trip, we should have it be your turn. I could even do the driving this time too! Whatever you’d want to do, I’m down for it!”

Alejandro absolutely adored what he was hearing. It would be wonderful to travel all over the world with his beloved…but unfortunately, that idea was just something too good to be true. He had a divine time today in the city, but he couldn’t possibly do something like that again, not with his heart feeling the way it does. The way that it beat for Tyler, in desperate need for his affection. This yearning he had, it was something that gave him just as much pain as it gave him joy. Alejandro wouldn’t be able to handle another trip where he had to pretend like he didn’t feel this way. He couldn’t continue to lie and make-believe that everything was fine when it really wasn’t, to Tyler or to himself. But most of all, he was tired of even thinking about this very subject. There was nothing left to debate in his mind about this dilemma anymore.

“What are you doing next weekend?” Tyler continued, “Want to try and go somewhere else? Where’s a place that you’ve been really wanting to see? Maybe the woods? We could do like a camping trip up in the forest, that seems pretty chill and plus, my dad has a bunch of stuff we could use for us like a tent and sleeping bags, what do you think?”

Alejandro couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t even feel like saying a single word, he was unable to feel comfortable making merely one more plan with Tyler. He was just truly disgusted with himself for keeping this secret ongoing, he knew he couldn’t keep continuing with it. He started to disassociate from his current conversation with Tyler and was unable to feel like he was even in the same presence as him. He was simply too busy floating away in his mind, struggling to deal with the same aching thoughts that he’d always been dealing with. The exact same ones, for the umpteenth time, in just today alone…and that’s when Alejandro knew enough had truly now been enough. The time was here for him to admit his longing truth to his best friend. The moment had finally arrived.

“Hey, you good?” Tyler laughed and nudged Alejandro’s arm, noticing that he’d been zoning out.

Alejandro snapped back into reality and grabbed Tyler’s arm, impulsively, his nudge breaking him away from the sheer intensity he had been feeling from the many concerns of his mind. His sudden seize alerted them both to a complete halt from their walk as they began to just stand there still by the lakeshore. Alejandro’s heart pounded what felt like a million beats per second as he attempted to gather all those troubles that were scrambling around from everywhere. Once he was able to loosen back up a little, Alejandro gently let go of his friend’s arm and ignored the immense panic that he was feeling inside.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Tyler started to shakingly apologize, as he was caught by total surprise from Alejandro’s sudden change in mood.

Alejandro looked to the ground in shame, feeling completely ice cold inside, “No, I’m sorry, Tyler,” He began to speak out, “I, um…I don’t know if we can ever have another day like this again.”

Tyler was thrown completely off guard by Alejandro’s words and shook his head in confusion, “What are you talking about?” He asked, a slight hurt in his voice.

Alejandro could feel tears beginning to form from both his eyes. He took a deep breath in an effort to relax and tried hard to get himself together, “There’s something that I have to talk to you about.” He choked out.

Tyler increasingly grew worried over his friend’s somber tone, “What is it?” He questioned.

Alejandro reached out to hold onto Tyler again, this time much more calmly so, and guided them both down to the sands, wanting to have this upcoming conversation with him to be resting down on the grainy surface. Once they were all sat, Alejandro slowly brought his hands back to himself and took a few seconds to finish coping with all of the brewing anxiety that was bubbling up from inside. And for an instant, it got quiet.

The two boys took in their conversational pause feeling both uncertain and uneasy. Tyler stared at Alejandro and wondered what on Earth it could be that was about to be said to him, it had to be something important. While Alejandro wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to start all of this, he knew that there was not a right way to, so he decided to just begin with anything.

He reached down for his bag and pulled out the little Myosotis necklace that he had purchased Tyler back from earlier in the day. He barely resisted tears as he delicately wrapped the chain around his crush’s neck, gently clipping it secured around him. But right before he let go of the jewelry, Alejandro held onto the little flower charm of if firmly and pressed out all of his last bit of fears that he had into it, choosing to keep strength and confidence with him as he continued to follow through with confessing his love. Once he was ready to move on, a small gasp of sorrow escaped from underneath Alejandro’s breath as he watched the small, colorful symbol slip away from his fingertips. He scooted away from Tyler and finally felt ready to speak back up to him, clearing his throat before he went ahead, “There’s…something I’ve been keeping from you, Tyler.”

“Something…bad?” Tyler questioned.

Alejandro shook his head, “I don’t know. It depends on how you feel about it.”

“Did you do something? You know you can tell me anything, whatever it is, I’m not gonna judge you.” Tyler reminded Alejandro, putting his hand on his shoulder for comfort.

Alejandro closed his eyes and savoured Tyler’s reassuring touch, “No. Trust me, this is something that you will judge.” He whispered out.

Tyler moved from Alejandro’s shoulder to his back and began to give him a solacing massage, “Just tell me, okay?” He told him with a whisper back, “You’re safe with me. I promise.”

Alejandro reopened his vision and looked steadily at Tyler, who gave him a warm smile in return that gave off a vibe of no judgement. He knew that he could trust Tyler, he always had. He then looked away from his dearest to gaze out at the beautiful Great Lake of Ontario. He saw the waves swaying back and forth, the light of the sun reflecting off of it, the orange glow from the shine as it was setting. The peace of it all told Alejandro that he’d be safe right here in this spot, safe to open up his heart and speak freely from within it. He was okay.

Alejandro took another deep breath and continued to view the lake, feeling like he was ready to finally give this revelation of his a voice, “It’s been almost four years now since I’ve met you. That’s such a long time, and yet, it sort of feels like those years have just flown by us, but we’ve really made the most of them together. You’ve given me some memories that I could never possibly forget. I can’t tell you enough just how great of a privilege it’s been getting to have you with me throughout all of those years. In that time, we’ve really gotten to see the entities that we’d grow to become and we made the decision that who we became are people that we want to continue to have around in our lives. I know I feel that way…I could never imagine my life without you now, Tyler. You’ve become such a sweet and caring person, so thoughtful and honest, funny and…you’re just…a joyous person to be around. Whenever I’m with you, it’s like your happiness just spreads all over me, whatever mood I’m in, you just always bring me to a better place. It’s like I’m always safe around you and…I’m so lucky to have gotten you as a friend of mine. You’re the kind of person that I need with me now, I’ve never met a soul quite like yours before.”

Tyler kept silent as he just sat there and listened to Alejandro’s speech, getting flustered as he heard each and every one of his touching words, “…Thank you.” He softly said.

Alejandro continued, “I feel like, lately, this past year or so, I’ve gotten to really understand even more of who you are and what you value in life and, um…I guess being around you more and seeing how you’ve been gathering yourself through this life so far has kind of made me realize something…”

“…W-what’s that?” Tyler asked, shyly.

Alejandro swallowed nervously, “That, um…I might really like the kind of person that you’ve become. Like…a lot and...I think we might make a better pair together than I thought before.”

Tyler slowly nodded in acknowledgment, “Oh…so, what are you trying to say?” He quietly spoke out.

Alejandro’s heart had been rapidly pounding as he struggled to get his words out, “You’ve been making me feel, um…very nice inside, like when you say or do something silly, my chest kind of feels like, uh…you know the sound a paper makes when you crush it into a ball? Like, how when you crumble it up and the paper kind of makes that crackling sound? Well, that’s kind of how you’ve been making me feel, like that sound it makes, when you draw out what you think it looks like and, um…” He tried to explain, using his hands to motion.

Tyler observed Alejandro’s gestures in complete silence, slowly looking back up at him with slight confusion.

Alejandro lightly grunted, getting frustrated with himself continuing to dance around what he was truly trying to say, “Tyler, there’s no easy way to tell you this, okay? I…I’ve been wanting to become much more than friends with you lately. I think…I think I’m beginning to fall in love with you.” He gasped, tears forming in his eyes out of fear of rejection.

Tyler’s eyes gleamed up in surprise, feeling shocked at his best friend’s reveal to him.

Alejandro could feel himself about to cry, “That’s it, Ty,” He choked out, “That’s what I’ve been wanting to tell you.”

Another silence commenced as Alejandro’s grand declaration continued to linger in the air around them. Tyler froze, there was so much that he was thinking of saying in response to this, but he wasn’t sure where to even begin. Rather than speaking out, he decided to just remain silent and see if Alejandro would continue with expressing anything else from his mind.

“I’m so sorry if this changes things between us now,” Alejandro started back up, “I completely understand why it would. If you need to…keep your distance from me, I understand that too. I just can’t keep hiding from this anymore, Tyler, it was hurting me so much inside.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Tyler began to comfort him, “I get why you’d be afraid to-“

“I’ve tried to hide these feelings,” Alejandro continued, cutting his friend off mid-sentence and finally shedding some of his tears, “I’ve tried to keep them away and hope that they just disappear, but they wouldn’t go away, Tyler. I’m so stupid to have pursued them. You’ve just been making me feel so happy and loved inside, nothing has ever made me feel like this before. Every second I get to have with you would be a moment I’d cherish. I don’t know what I do to even deserve your kindness, but you still choose to give it to me anyways. There’s so much that I admire about you and I…I think you’ve made me know what falling in love is really like.” He finished, scaredly coming to a stop and looking away to the sand, feeling queasy inside after sharing all his honesty.

Tyler noticed Alejandro had come to an abrupt pause and felt that it might be a good time now for him to respond back to his friend’s passionate words. Unsure how to start too, Tyler decided to just simply go for it, “Wow,” He began, “Uh…I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Alejandro fought more emerging tears as he went back to feeling petrified about what he wanted to say next, “I do, Tyler.” He simply answered, gazing up at his love to see the mixed emotions scrambling upon his face, “I really do.”

Tyler repositioned himself on the sand and sighed in exhaustion, still trying to process all that had been said, “Um…Alejandro, I-“

“I know, look, I can just take us both home now, Tyler.” Alejandro cut him off, unable to think clearly and blindly just assumed that he knew exactly what his crush was going to say back. He got up from the sands and grabbed his bag, tears falling down from his face once again, “God, I never should’ve told you that. I should’ve done a better job at hiding how I felt, I’m so sorry. I ruined this perfect day for us.”

Tyler shook his head and felt absolutely heartbroken seeing Alejandro be so scared of him, “Hey, no, you didn’t ruin anything.” He tried to reason with his hysteric friend.

Alejandro continued to ramble on, “I’ll just call a ride for you, I don’t want you to have to feel uncomfortable driving home with me, or, better yet, here,” He stopped and then reached into his bag to pull out his car keys, handing them over to Tyler and cuffing them secured in his hand, “Just take my truck home, please,” He told him, “I’ll be fine, my brother doesn’t live too far from here. I can just have him come pick me up and then we can take my truck later over at your-“

Suddenly, Tyler had enough and launched straight up to cease Alejandro in mid-panic by holding onto his bag-free hand. He let out an uncontrollable laughter and gave his emotional friend an enthusiastic smile, “Stop, okay!? You don’t have to do all that!” He told him.

Alejandro felt his heart flutter as he heard Tyler’s cheerful tone, wondering where exactly his expression could lead into.

Tyler inched closer to Alejandro and lifted his hand to give him back his car keys, securing them shut within his hold. He gazed intently at his bestie, presenting a warm, soft smile upon his face, and wiped away the tears that were clouding up his vision, “You’re okay, I…I’ve actually been feeling the same way about you too.” Tyler admitted.

At the sound of that statement, fireworks began to shoot up from all inside of Alejandro. His eyes widened in shock, he couldn’t believe this, surely he must be kidding. He couldn’t fathom what Tyler had just said and irresistibly let out a small gasp of total astonishment, “Qué?!” He squawked.

“I didn’t think that you’d feel the same way back for me,” Tyler laughed, “I thought you were just being really nice to me.”

A huge grin sprung up on Alejandro’s face as he felt a major sense of relief come off from him, like a heavy weight was being lifted from his shoulders. He let out a loving giggle and slowly wrapped his arms around Tyler, bringing him in for a big, bear hug, “I thought you were just being really nice to me.” Alejandro stated, letting out tears of joy as he kept his bestie close to him.

Tyler broke away from their hug, but still kept a bright smile on him, “I didn’t wanna freak you out or anything by telling you so I just never did, but…I guess I don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

Alejandro felt like he was in total dreamland right now with what was being shared to him. This all felt so unreal, he was so happy. He sat there in the sand and continued to remain quiet as he just wanted to hear everything that Tyler was about to say to him.

“Ever since we met,” Tyler started, “I always thought there was something about you that was just…so special. There was no one else like you, not even close. I really wanted to be your friend but, I didn’t think that you would care to even talk to someone like me, but you did! You actually liked being around me and listened to what I had to say and, I don't know, that kind of made me feel like…like I was someone important. I started to realize over time that I kinda really liked how you would make me feel and uh…I thought that meant I just loved having you around as my friend, but…no, there was definitely something more there that I felt for you. Whenever I would talk to you in class or just in general, really, my chest would feel like…” Tyler paused to let out a quick chuckle before continuing on with his sentence, “Like that sound the paper makes when you crumble it up, I knew what you meant by that, like those little squiggly lines all over each other, right?” He asked to make sure, calling back to Alejandro’s analogy.

Alejandro laughed too and nodded, “Yeah, exactly!” He confirmed.

Tyler continued, “Yeah, I felt just like that…I was really scared to tell you about all this too, I was surprised that we even gotta be this close together. I didn't want to risk our friendship ‘cause I was starting to feel this way for you, so I just didn’t even bother trying to do anything with it, but, Alejandro…I never stopped feeling the way that I have been for you, and actually, I think it’s only been getting bigger. I…I think I’ve been falling in love with you too.” Tyler finished.

Alejandro felt as happy as he could be hearing Tyler utter those words, “I was scared to risk that too,” He spoke back up, “I didn’t want to destroy what we had just because I felt more for you, I know exactly what you went through.”

“Did you really mean all that stuff you said about me?” Tyler questioned, “I feel like I don’t really have that much to offer for you, I’m kind of simple.”

“Are you kidding?” Alejandro rhetorically asked, playfully, “Of course I meant what I said about you, you’ve got wonderful spirits, so much love that’s built from inside. I’ve always admired that about you, Tyler, even been inspired by, really. You’re everything that I could ever want in someone.”

Tyler smiled at the compliments to him and started to blush, “I’ve never been told that I’m inspiring before.” He softly said.

“Well, now you know that someone thinks you are.” Alejandro whispered, booping Tyler on the nose.

Tyler giggled, “Thanks…you know, you’re pretty inspiring too.” He told his friend.

“How so?” Alejandro wondered.

Tyler repositioned himself and sat with his arms folded across his knees, facing Alejandro with an admirable gaze, “Well,” He started to say, “For one thing, you’re really smart, it’s like you know about everything! Whenever I have a question on stuff, I feel like I can always come to you for help. That’s another reason why I’d love to have you travel with me. I feel like you’d be great at guiding us around places, you know? Like you have a pretty good idea on what’s the best thing for us to do. You’re also really strong, you have such a nice build, I’ve always aspired to be like you at the gym. Sometimes, when we’d be in the locker room after practice, I would just look at you and think like ‘wow, I wonder how he keeps himself like that?’”

“You’d…check me out?” Alejandro teased with a flutter in his stomach.

Tyler reddened up and let out a nervous grin, “Well, um…anyways...” He shook his head, deciding not to want to get into further detail on that particular subject.

Alejandro giggled as he heard Tyler’s flattery, feeling like he was floating on a fuzzy cloud in the sky as he heard his crush speak, “You’re also very talented,” Tyler went on, “You’re so gifted at a lotta things, like making food, man, one of these days, we have to hangout and have like our own little cooking show, that’d be so fun!” He laughed, “But I think most of all though, I love how patient you are with me. You take the time to understand who I am and, like I said, I just feel like I’m someone important when I’m with you. The things I have to say feel like they actually matter, even if it’s just nonsense, they don’t really feel like that when I tell them to you. I’m not just someone with an active imagination, I’m…someone that knows what they’re doing.”

“You are important, Tyler,” Alejandro stated, tenderly, “You always will be, anything and everything that you say, it matters. You’re so much more than what you say you are, there’s so much greatness that you have inside your heart, I see it. Don’t ever have any doubt that I don’t.

Tyler shook his head, feeling slightly disbelieved that Alejandro could feel such a way for him, “You really think that, huh?” He wanted to make sure.

Alejandro gave him the sweetest, most harmless smile that he could possibly give back and slowly nodded in affirmation, assuring Tyler that there was absolutely nothing disingenuous about what he was saying to him right now.

Tyler silently let out a gentle sigh and calmly rested his head against his arm, feeling completely captivated by Alejandro and fixing his whole sight entirely on him.

Another silence commenced as the two boys romantically looked upon each other. In the middle of his admiration, Alejandro boldly decided to lean in forward to Tyler and gently place his hand on top of his, slowly tracing alongside it with his fingertips. Tyler opened back up his arms and repositioned himself to give Alejandro’s hand a better hold, really liking the way that it felt on his.

He moved his hand away from his lap to lie on top of the sand with Alejandro’s following him in pursuit, desiring to rest back on Tyler’s and continue to delicately caress his smooth skin. Sparks were flying all around them as the two friends finally got to enjoy what that extra closeness was like they both had been ever so longing to have.

As they detected each other’s warmth, Alejandro decided to want to be the one to break their quietness, “You know, to be honest with you, Tyler…I always knew that I wanted today to be when I told you about how I felt. Even though I had no clue how you were going to react, I still knew that today should be the day, but I was still so scared. I thought that maybe you would freak out and would never want to see me again. I mostly gave you that necklace earlier because I was worried that today could be my last day I’d ever have with you and if that happened, I at least wanted you to have that little flower as just…something to remember me by, something to remember our trip by. I guess it was just my way of saying “don’t forget about us”.” Alejandro revealed.

Tyler reached down to hold onto the tiny charm and felt touched knowing that that was Alejandro’s real intention behind his gift. He briefly looked at it for a moment before softly looking back up into Alejandro’s eyes, giving him a heartfelt smile of appreciation, “I wouldn’t ever want to be away from you, Alejandro.” He told him, tenderly.

Alejandro quietly gave out a fond sigh as he stared back deeply into Tyler’s eyes, “Neither would I.” He whispered to him.

The two ended up in another intimate stare off as the sun continued to set over the horizon, the glowing light beaming across both of their faces, making the boys’ shine. Alejandro was finally able to comfortably admire Tyler’s appearance, knowing with true confidence that his love was something that was reciprocated. He was still completely elated that this was all really happening, feeling like he was just about the luckiest man in the whole world right now.

Tyler then let out a small giggle, “So, uh…what do we do now?” He asked him, amusingly.

Alejandro chuckled, “Well, what do you think we should do now about this? With us feeling the way that we do?” He asked, flirtatiously.

Tyler cleared his throat out of agitation, “Well, I think, uh…I think I’d like to do something about it. Something…more, maybe. If that’s what you’d be interested in?” He hoped for, his heart thumping from inside.

“I would like that.” Alejandro whispered, narrowing his eyes at Tyler.

“I’d just be worried about our friendship then, what if we end up losing that forever?” Tyler wondered.

Alejandro broke out of his trance, momentarily, and seriously thought about Tyler’s question. The two of them would be taking a major risk by deciding to date each other, Alejandro knew that…but he also knew that these feelings seemed like they were right and he wanted to see them blossom into something so beautiful. They would just have to accept the possibility of a future where they wouldn’t be together, and as scary as that seemed to both of them, Alejandro was ready to commit to that chance. He wanted to have the love from his longtime best friend, it was something that he needed to feel. And even with all of that presented in the air, that didn’t necessarily mean their friendship would entirely come to an end either. They could still keep with them their initial chummy ties that were there since the very beginning, that didn’t have to just go away. They could now be besties…and lovers!

Alejandro shook his head, “You’ll always have me, Tyler. No matter how different things may become, I’ll still be there with you. That’s something I just know will never change. I promise you.” He stated.

Tyler contemplated what was being said, he wondered about what would be best for him and Alejandro’s friendship, now that they both knew about their mutual romantic feelings, “Hm…well, it does feel kinda nice thinking about getting to call you my boyfriend.” He quietly said, gaining a gleeful smile upon his face.

Alejandro grinned and began to flush up with joy, “That does sound pretty lovely…” He remarked.

Tyler then took a deep breath and straightened up his posture, looking at Alejandro sharply and earnestly, “Then…Alejandro? I have something that I’d like to ask you.” He announced.

Alejandro stared at him back, “And what might that be, Tyler?” He played along.

“Would you…would you like to go out with me?” Tyler asked him, face turning as red as a tomato.

Alejandro completely melted inside from hearing Tyler’s question. This was the moment that he was hoping would happen. He couldn’t contain his excitement and reached over to cuff Tyler’s face in his hand, gently beginning to caress his cheek with his thumb. He narrowly kept himself away from his lips and continued to brush against Tyler’s skin, keeping him close in his hold. He got to see all of the features from him that he had adored before, but now closer than ever, “You know I would.” He whispered to him.

Tyler let out a pleasant hum as he felt Alejandro’s warm touch bestowed upon him, dreamfully gazing up to look deep into those gorgeous emerald eyes of his. Though strands of his hair had peaked in front of his vision, Tyler could still see that Alejandro’s focus was fiercely set only for him, noticing just how large his pupils grew as he continued to stare so profoundly into them. He had never seen Alejandro this up close before.

He lifted up his hand to Alejandro’s face and brushed up some strands of his hair, wanting to get an even better look at the love glistening in his eyes. He delicately pushed them over to the back of his ear and as he was about to move his hand away, Tyler started to realize that he really liked where his touch was and slithered to start fondling Alejandro’s dark brown hair. He let out a shy, adoring laugh as Tyler ever so slightly brought Alejandro closer to him, feeling so hypnotized by his clutch, “You’re so…beautiful.” Tyler whispered, tenderly.

Alejandro giggled and sweetly rubbed his nose against Tyler’s, “So are you.” He whispered back. Alejandro had been complimented many times before, but right here at the beach, with his true love sitting beside him, it just about felt like it was the very first time he ever received a remark about his appearance.

He couldn’t resist himself from this tension any longer and finally decided to break out of it by leaning in to give Tyler a burning kiss he had been so longing to project onto him. He moved his other hand over to get a good hold of both sides to his face and passionately made his mark of love onto Tyler’s alluring lips. He focused on nothing more than just letting out all of the emotions that he had been piling up from deep down inside him.

All of Tyler’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as he let out a small gasp from Alejandro's embraceful impact. He continued to slide his touch through his hair as he pressed intimately into his locks, pulling him in even closer than he already was. Tyler’s heart thumped hard and fast as his lips compressed onto Alejandro’s, nothing else mattered to him at all right now. He just wanted to feel the intensity from their kiss while the flame was still hot.

As their moment came to a steady end, the sparks around the two boys slowly started to lose their heat. They eventually departed from one another and came out of this experience feeling both mesmerized and breathless.

They still kept a close hold on the other as they each continued to slowly catch their respective breaths. Neither one of them really knew what to do then, so they decided to sit there in a comfortable silence and just let their heavenly energy continue to circle around them, feeling completely engulfed by the other’s affection.

The sun had now left its appearance for the day, but still showcased a little bit of light before it was to leave entirely until its next arrival. Tyler glanced out at the view and noticed that there was still enough time to finish gazing out at the scenery before total darkness was to reach. He then turned back to face Alejandro, “Would you like to, uh…finish watching the sunlight with me?” Tyler asked him, still in awe after their kiss.

Alejandro chuckled, “I do believe it’s gone now…but yes, I’d love to watch the sky with you.” He replied.

They both turned away from each other to begin watching the emerging twilight sky, while still keeping each other’s body heat close and dear. Alejandro laid his head on his newly-labeled boyfriend’s shoulder and was feeling completely unafraid to show any of the affection that he’d been wanting to give out to him, he could now express everything that he wanted to. There was no need to feel fearful about such a thing anymore.

He closed his eyes and pressed against Tyler some more to feel even closer to him, gleefully wrapping his arm around his back and resting his hand firmly right on his hip in a soft, gentle grasp. His clutch felt significantly better than it had earlier now that he could show Tyler exactly how his touch was meant to be felt, giving him a much firmer squeeze than he did before. One that he hoped Tyler could understand meant that he did not want to let him go.

Tyler laid his head back onto Alejandro’s as he took pleasure in the loving feeling that he got from having him relax on top of his shoulder. He felt so snug having him latch onto him too and decided to return the same gesture back, bringing him as near as he could as they both continued to lay there by the shore in a pleasant, calm silence.

Alejandro softly sighed in delight, he was finally able to know what that gentle touch was like from Tyler and it felt just as great receiving it as he felt giving it. He was so protected in his hold, and with the realization that he could feel this way again and again from now on, oh, this was just the greatest gift to Alejandro. What a perfect day, he was loved back.

Chapter Text

In now came the lights of twilight, coloring the sky in all of its gradient glory. As the daylight was coming to a close, Alejandro realized that he was starting to feel just a little too comfortable resting on Tyler. He let out a drowsy yawn and suggested that maybe it was finally time for the two of them to start heading back for home.

Tyler yawned too and agreed that it probably was time for them to leave…but before they could, he made a request for an extra few minutes to have for some last warm snuggles with his new boyfriend.

Alejandro chuckled and approved of his wish. He resumed his head position back on Tyler’s shoulder and savoured the last bit of enjoyment to have of the lake surroundings, capping off their magical time at the beach on a sweet and soothing note.

The rest of the evening had been a time filled with admirable glances and blushing grins from the two friends turned lovers. Once they concluded their big moment by the lake, Alejandro and Tyler got up, brushed off the sprinkles of sand still lingering from their shorts, and proceeded to walk back over towards their bikes.

As they made their way there, something frozen and flavorful suddenly caught Tyler’s attention: ice cream! There was a parlor that had just so happened to be near the vicinity, and although he was feeling quite tired, dessert still seemed like something that Tyler wanted to have. He looked over at Alejandro and gave him a frisky smirk, suggesting that the two of them go inside for a little munch.

Alejandro shook his head, playfully, and decided he’d be down with going on a little bonus excursion. Besides, now that they’ve established themselves as an official couple, getting this cold treat seemed to be like a nice way to celebrate something just as equally delightful.

They walked inside the nearby shop and realized that they only had less than an hour before the place was to close, so the boys decided to waste no time at all and went ahead to place their orders. They made the most with what time they could have there at the parlor and spent their visit by sharing a last few sets of laughs and enjoying some delicious flavored dairy scoops with each other.

As Alejandro slurped on his ice cream cup at a table with Tyler, he experienced this sinking feeling from inside that who he was sharing this pleasant occasion with right now was someone he’d been long desiring to call his boyfriend. He was finally able to let all those past worries go and just relish in the reality that he was in. All the thoughts that he was too afraid to say, they actually paid off once he spoke of them and his relationship with Tyler turned out to be something even better than alright. It was incredible.

Tyler had been enjoying his time quite nicely at the shop too, his dessert was satisfying and he was feeling very cozy sitting there close with his bestie. He thought to himself about how much more fun things were going to be for the two of them now that they were dating. He didn’t even have to worry much about trying to impress Alejandro, after what he said about him at the beach, Tyler could sense that he really did love him for who he was and wouldn’t want him to change a single thing about himself. He was sure of it.

One thing that Tyler fantasized about them doing now as boyfriends’ was taking each other out on dates, to anywhere doing anything. Seeing how thrilled Alejandro was to ride around the capital today made Tyler start to wonder about all the adventures that he could have in the future with his new partner. There were so many uncharted waters to explore, from cities to forests, the possibilities seemed absolutely endless. They had a whole summer to explore after all and that season would only be the beginning for them! Toronto was just the first place that Tyler could cross off as where he and Alejandro had left their mark on. A trip that he could now officially encapsulate in one of his many planned scrapbooks.

With that sudden revelation, Tyler swiftly put down his ice cream cup and reached down to begin rummaging through his pockets. He whipped out his camera with excitement and waved the little device over at Alejandro, suggesting that the two of them capture one last moment together of their spectacular day.

Alejandro loved that idea and went ahead to go pose for the upcoming photo. He touched up on his appearance, wrapped his arm around Tyler and soon felt all ready to say cheese to the glass lens. Tyler held onto Alejandro back and lifted up his ice cream cup for his pose, smiling cheerfully at the camera and clicking the shutter button to officially snap this colorful scene in time.

Once he had finished, Tyler spun the camera back around so that the two of them could determine whether or not the photo was good and much to their surprise, it was perfect on the first try. Alejandro thought the two of them looked just adorable, and with the inability to contain his affection for Tyler anymore, he reached over to his sweetheart and planted him a big peck on the cheek. He had a magical feeling inside that that picture not only represented a digital start to their open relationship, but also as a final conclusion to their long, joyous day.

They finished up their consumption of their ice cream as Tyler began to fantasize about one more thing he could do involving Alejandro: fill up a scrapbook that was solely dedicated to only him. Featuring all of the wonderful times that they had from back then, as well as memories they would soon create together in their near future.

Chapter Text

Nighttime was now here and the atmosphere of the streets had changed alongside the present colorless sky. With bar crowds and clubgoers alike coming out of the shadows, the mood had officially been all set to engage in some late night fun. Alejandro and Tyler peddled by the frivolous activity as they continued to make their way back over to the truck, taking one final stroll through the grand city of Toronto. They were exhausted and solely looked forward to just being able to lie down in bed, pass out and catch up on some much-needed rest after having such a long and pleasant day.

After riding through some miles, the two finally pulled up to the familiar large parking lot, noticing that the area was significantly less crowded than earlier in the day. Once they reunited with the sea glass-colored truck, Alejandro immediately went ahead to leap into the trunk, lift up the large tarp and make way for their bikes to lay back down. As Tyler passed the two-wheelers up to him, Alejandro grabbed them each and had them both secured on their sides, making sure they were tucked in safely and that the tarp was covering them from right above.

After they finished organizing, Alejandro hopped back down and closed the back of the trunk. At last, they were all ready to embark on their long drive home. He and Tyler then walked away from the tailgate to reach their respective car doors and once Alejandro unlocked them, the two boys both plopped down on their seats and each let out a fatigue sigh, “What a day.” Alejandro commented, followed by a yawn.

“Yeah…what a day.” Tyler repeated, yawning back himself. Alejandro removed his bag from off of his shoulder and placed it comfortably away from him in order to start driving. He was about to ignite the vehicle’s engine, but got interrupted by Tyler suddenly speaking up again, “Hey, um…can I ask you something…before we go?” He said.

Alejandro looked over at his new boyfriend and let out a smile, “Of course you may.” He answered.

Tyler looked down at his lap and twiddled his thumbs, feeling slightly agitated, “What are you doing tomorrow morning?” He questioned.

Alejandro thought for a moment, “I’m not sure, probably something with my family,” He shrugged, “They’ve always got stuff going on during Sunday’s.”

Tyler slowly nodded in acknowledgment as he continued to look towards the floor, “Oh…okay.” He simply responded.

Alejandro sensed that there was a little bit of disappointment coming from Tyler’s tone and reached over to pat his thigh with solicitude, “Why do you ask?” He grinned, curiously.

Tyler looked back up at Alejandro and nervously swallowed, “Well, I was wonderin’ if maybe…you’d like to spend the night with me?” He shyly asked.

Alejandro’s face lit up with pure enchantment and tilted himself in his seat to look more comfortably at Tyler, “I would love to!” He expressed.

Tyler beamed at Alejandro’s answer, “Really? Cool! Uh, do you think your parents would be okay with that, though?” He wondered.

“Yeah, they would be alright with me sleeping over,” Alejandro replied, “I’d just have to let them know first, but they shouldn’t mind, my family trusts you. They wouldn’t even have to think twice about you.”

Tyler let out a giddy smile and soon, ideas started to brew up in his head for what their sleepover could be like, “Okay…” He said mid-imagination.

Alejandro thought that his reaction was cute and scooched over to be closer to him. He slowly moved his hand over to the back of Tyler’s hair and gently started to play with it, “Plus, I couldn’t pass up the offer of spending a night with you, Tyler. I’d be a fool to do such a thing.” He softly whispered.

Tyler went red, “I’ll make sure there’s space for you on the bed,” He quietly stated, “We could watch a movie or something too, maybe play a game, or go outside and…look at the stars...”

Alejandro chuckled, “You little night owl.” He teased, booping Tyler’s nose.

“…I just can’t be away from you tonight.” Tyler told him, a look of desperation on his face.

Alejandro let out a quiet, loving sigh after hearing Tyler’s statement, feeling sparks sizzle up from all inside of him, “You won’t be.” He promised him.

The last time that Alejandro was in his truck, he was feeling completely worried about how things were going to unfold once he confessed his love to Tyler, but now, he got into his vehicle feeling entirely stress-free. He considered himself to be so incredibly lucky to have taken this major risk and have it all work out for him. His fairytale had come true, he got to have his Prince Charming in the end.

The two began to sit there in a comfortable silence and just absorb themselves with each other’s auras. Alejandro fixed his sight fully on Tyler and scanned him all up and down, reaffirming to himself that yes, this was the choice that he wanted to make. Tyler was the one for him. His adventurous, sporty best friend with a soul as pure as gold, that’s who his heart had belonged to. He was sure of this decision.

Overwhelmed with joy, Alejandro suddenly brought Tyler in for a warm, bear hug, wrapping him tightly in his arms and locking him secured in his possession, hoping that he could feel just how much he loved him by his adoring embrace.

Tyler squeezed him back and felt just as happy as he was, knowing in his heart that Alejandro had been serious about everything he told him. He could just feel it in his hold he was being nothing more than only truthful and not one doubt could even cross his mind about that. He felt loved.

While still holding each other close, Alejandro slowly opened up his eyes and narrowly looked out the passenger side window, the moon glimmering down all across the spacious parking lot. He came to notice his reflection on the glass of the window and caught a visual of himself hugging Tyler in his safe protection. He also saw that a sparkle of the gold from Tyler’s necklace, still around his neck, was ever so slightly visible as it reflected off of the lamppost light. Alejandro warmed up a smile on his face at the sight of the chain, taking great comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t have to say goodbye to his best friend after all. There was no reason to even give a second of his time to that concern anymore. That necklace was now a symbol of their love, not a relic of their past.

Then, as he was enjoying the gratifying silence, Alejandro suddenly heard a little voice come from his boyfriend, “…I love you, Alejandro.” He heard a shaky, passionate whisper come out from him.

Alejandro felt a swirl of emotions start to form once he had heard Tyler’s innocent declaration for him and clasped him even tighter. He could just hear the affection in his voice, knowing that his words were ever so earnest, “I love you too, Tyler.” Alejandro whispered back as he delicately closed back his eyes.

And at this moment, neither one of them wanted to break apart from the other, mutually feeling like they could hold onto one another for just about forever. But once they did finally feel ready to break apart, it almost felt as if that hug let out all of their remaining hidden desires that they’ve been holding onto since the very beginning of their love.

From all that time of keeping things in, the two boys got a triumphant sense of freedom once they let each other go. At last, Alejandro and Tyler were able to finish off this long chapter and embark on a whole new one, a magical installment that the two of them could co-write together. Their high school days were behind them now and it was time to discover what was next to come for them in the future. Their new journey had officially started here.

Alejandro gave one final look at Tyler before beginning to start up his car, eventually pulling out of the parking lot and embarking back home through the lengthy, dark roads. As they rode along them, the next thing that the two started to plan together was what exactly they wanted to do once they got back to Tyler’s house.

They started to envision what they were going to do in the morning, then planned for a day when they would see each other again…and then planned for all the stuff that they wanted to do together for the rest of the summer. They had a long drive ahead of them so that gave the new couple plenty of time to plan some wondrous ideas. Even though they were now officially together, that didn’t change the fact for them that they were still each other’s best friend too and they couldn’t wait to have this summer be one to remember, especially after today.

And throughout all their time making proposals on the road, the two boys never let go of the other’s touch. They held hands for the entirety of the drive and were unable to break apart from one another for even a solid second. Alejandro and Tyler had meant what they said earlier: they just wanted to be with each other for the whole rest of the night and by their side they stayed at. From being seated shoulder to shoulder in Alejandro’s truck to when they eventually rested their eyes in Tyler’s bed, wherever they were, the pair kept close together until they saw the emerging sunlight from the following morning. It was the only way they could conclude their glorious day, by getting to express their bewitching love that they had for one another. It had been restrained for far too long…and now it was time to let that deep affection all transpire.