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(Damien) It's just a crush that's all. That's what I told myself...I thought of I ignored these feelings they would eventually fade away and I would get over it, just go back to normal. But they haven't, I still think about him a lot, which isn't really that odd since he's my best friend and all. Since he started college I don't really see or hear from him much anymore, I know he's super busy but it still hurts to know I've been cast aside. I want to see his smile and hear his laugh again, that crazy high pitched laugh he's so embarrassed about but I find it so endearing. It's so hard for me not to think about him, I want to text him every day but I'm scared he'll think I'm annoying and stop responding. It's been so long since we've hung out in person, I've invited him over several times but he always says he's too busy and we'll figure it out later but we never do, maybe this time will be different...
Damien opens a chat with Shayne.
[Damien] "Come over PLEEEASE, I really miss you..."
[Shayne] "I can't I have stuff to do."
[Damien] "We can play video games and eat pizza like we used to in high school."
[Shayne] "Sorry pass, maybe later."
[Damien] "You always say that...Do you hate me?"
[Shayne] "I don't hate you."
[Damien] "Really? You never want to hang out with me anymore..."
[Shayne] "Alright fine, I'll move some stuff around and we can hang out today, I'll be over soon."
[Damien] "Sweet, see you soon."
(Damien) I'm surprised he actually agreed to come over, I was fully expecting yet another rejection. This is my chance, to finally tell him how I feel, I just hope it doesn't go how I think it will...
Soon Damien gets a knock on his bedroom door, in walks his best friend with his shaggy blonde hair and sweater.
[Shayne] "Hey your mom let me in."
[Damien] "Wow you actually came..."
[Shayne] "Uh yeah I said I would didn't I? I really needed a distraction from all that studying."
[Damien] "Fair enough, I'm just gals you're here now."
(Damien) Why does this feel so awkward? I have no idea what to say to him now that he's actually here in front of me...
[Shayne] "So how's work?"
[Damien] "Work is work, same old same old I don't really want to talk about it. How's school?"
[Shayne] "I feel the same way, I have some big tests coming up that I'm pretty anxious about."
[Damien] "Well I'm sure you'll nail them, you always do. Um...how's Courtney?"
[Shayne] "Oh we broke up over the summer, just wanted different things out of life I guess. How's Angela?"
[Damien] "Yeah we broke up too when she moved away, not too long ago..."
[Shayne] "Guess we both need a shot of escapism then huh? So what are we playing?"
[Damien] "I was thinking a classic like Call of Duty or Splatoon."
[Shayne] "Come on we can play those online I didn't need to come over to play those."
[Damien] "Yeah but it's more fun together, plus I really wanted to see you."
[Shayne] "How about Overcooked? That was always fun even when I wanted to throttle you haha."
[Damien] "Haha yeah I should still have that one let's do it!"
Shayne sits next to Damien on the bed as he boots up the game.
.
[Shayne] "Oh my freaking god I swear if you drop one more bowl of rice..."
[Damien] "Hehe what are you going to do to me?"
[Shayne] "Do it again and find out."
Damien "accidentally" drops another bowl of rice.
[Shayne] "Alright you asked for it," he quickly pins Damien on the bed, "of you think we're too old for a tickle fight you are sorely mistaken!"
He vigorously tickles Damien under his arms and on his stomach, Damien laughs as he tries to wriggle free.
[Damien] "Oh Shayne stop, I can't breathe-."
[Shayne] "Say uncle."
[Damien] "Never..."
Shayne tickles him even harder.
[Shayne] "I'll stop when you say uncle."
[Damien] "Uncle, uncle!"
Shayne releases him and they laugh together until Shayne notices a look on Damien's eyes.
[Shayne] "Damien what's up? You seemed really nervous when I came over even though we're just playing games."
[Damien "M-Me? No I'm totally fine."
[Shayne] "Come on dude you're a terrible liar, I know you too well to hide things from me so spit it out."
(Damien) I guess this is really happening, it's now or never...
[Damien] "Well the thing is...*sigh*, I actually have been hiding it from you for a long time now...Um, how proud I am that you went to college, I tried and failed so I just wanted to let you know that I am very impressed with you making it..."
(Damien) Well you really screwed it all up you freaking idiot, now he'll never know how you feel about him...
[Shayne] "Oh...that's all? Well thanks man, yeah it's really hard but it's worth sticking with."
(Damien) He seems...disappointed, or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part...
[Damien] "Yeah sorry for making such a big deal about it, you know how I overthink things...But just know I'll always be cheering for you to succeed."
[Shayne] "Yeah I know, you always have been."
Things have suddenly got a little awkward so Damien breaks the silence by suggesting they watch a movie.
[Shayne] "Dude we're adults now, do we really need to watch this kid's movie?"
[Damien] "Oh man this isn't just a kid's movie it's a freaking emotional roller-coaster."
[Shayne] "I highly doubt that, it's from the people who made Cars."
[Damien] "You'll see, I guarantee you'll be crying in less than 20 minutes."
[Shayne] "I'll take that bet, what's your stakes?"
[Damien] "I'll decide when I win."
[Shayne] "Oh that's such a copout."
[Damien] "Okay smart guy if I win you have to freaking kiss me."
[Shayne] "You're so on dude!"
A bit later Damien checks in on Shayne.
[Damien] "You crying yet?"
[Shayne] "Nope but I know you are."
[Damien] "How can you not cry? He's an old man and his wife dad it's freaking sad dude."
[Shayne] "It takes a lot to make me cry man."
[Damien] "You're a monster."
[Shayne] "Maybe you're just a crybaby."
They both share a laugh again.
(Damien) His laughter is like the music of the angels, I want to make him laugh forever...
[Shayne] "You know I'm kidding anyway, it's perfectly okay to cry."
Shayne leans his head on Damien's shoulder.
[Damien] "Yeah, I know."
(Damien) This is nice, I've missed spending time with him like this."
[Shayne] "Okay I admit it, it was pretty good for a kid's movie."
[Damien] "Hey maybe you're not a totally heartless monster after all."
[Shayne] "Dude you're so mean to me."
[Damien] "Oh I'm kidding you're a sweetheart. Are you hungry Mr Grumpy?"
[Shayne] "Yeah I was promised pizza by somebody but I don't see any."
[Damien] "Oh right yeah I totally forgot to order it, my bad..."
[Shayne] "you're such a scatterbrain."
[Damien] "Hey you forgot too!"
[Shayne] "I didn't forget, I was waiting for you to call it in."
[Damien] "Okay Grumps I'll order it now, what do you want?"
[Shayne] "What I always get dude."
(Damien) I can't ever be mad at his grumpiness when he's so freaking cute.
They eat the pizza sitting on Damien's bed.
(Damien) I can barely even taste this pizza, I'm too freaking nervous. I know as soon as this pizza is finished Shayne will be leaving, it's really now or never to tell him...
[Shayne] "Hey man thanks for the pizza, it's really good."
[Damien] "No problem dude, thanks for coming over it's nice to hang out with you again."
(Damien) I'm feeling awkward again, he doesn't seem to be in much of a rush to leave but it's getting late, just tell him!
[Damien] "Hey Shayne I have something important to tell you and I'd like for you to hear me out okay?"
[Shayne] "Uh sure dude, but if you don't mind I have something I want to say first."
[Damien] "Oh...you do?"
[Shayne] "Yeah I do, I've debated about how to tell you this for a while now but I could never make it happen, the best way to tell you is just to tell you so here goes...I've like you for a long time...as more than just a friend."
(Damien) Wait what...? Did he just say what I think he said?
[Damien] "Y-You do...?"
[Shayne] "Yeah...I do."
[Damien] "Oh...um, how long have you felt this way?"
[Shayne] "Uh, since you threw your pen at the back of my head in English class."
[Damien] "Hey that was an accident I was aiming for Spencer and- wait, that was YEARS ago dude..."
[Shayne] "Yeah I know...I never said anything because I didn't think you'd feel the same way. I wasn't even sure if I liked boys in that way. So I pushed my feelings aside and focused on dating girls, I got with Courtney in junior year and we were together for years, but my feelings for you never went away."
[Damien] "I had the same feelings when I was with Angela, I did love her but something always felt...off when we were together."
[Shayne] "So when I went off to college I uh, decided to keep my distance from you in case the feelings surfaced again and I wouldn't know how to handle it. I really tried but you were so persistent, always texting me asking to hang out together, and I felt awful every time I had to tell you no. So...when you invited me over today I thought to hell with anxiety OK telling you, honestly part of me thought you might never want to speak to me again but I just had to get it out after all this time. So that's it, out in the open, I really like you."
There's a strange tension in the air until Damien starts laughing, partly from nerves and partly from surprising turn this situation has taken.
[Shayne] "Dude why are you freaking laughing? I'm bearing my heart to you here."
[Damien] "I'm sorry it's just, that's exactly what I was going to confess to you myself but you beat me to the punch! I never expected you to say all that, you're always finding new ways to surprise me."
[Shayne] "So Damien..."
[Damien] "Is this really happening? We're not dreaming right, like we didn't fall asleep after eating the pizza or anything?"
Shayne punches Damien in the leg.
[Damien] "OW a simple no would've sufficed dude."
[Shayne] "You're not dreaming man, this is really happening. And if you need any more proof...close your eyes."
Damien closes his eyes and his heart beats faster, Shayne leans in and gently plants his soft lips on Damiens.
(Damien) I can't believe this is actually happening!
Shayne places his hand on Damien's cheek as he opens his eyes.
[Damien] "You couldn't have lead with that instead of punching me?"
[Shayne] "Probably but you wanted proof you weren't dreaming. So what's the verdict?"
[Damien] "Yeah, feels pretty real to me. I can't believe we lost out on is much time together because we were both scared the other one would be driven away."
[Shayne] "Well then, I guess we have a lot to catch up on don't we?"
He smiles and gives Damien another sweet kiss.
[Damien] "I love you Shayne."
[Shayne] "I love you too Damien."
(Damien) I would've never guessed this would happen, he felt the same way I did the whole time. I've never been so happy, I can't wait to start our life officially together.