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Bryce hums softly as he walks towards the park. He had a beanie on his head and his hands were tucked into his jacket pockets. It was late October and the air was showing it. It was late evening and it was getting chilly out. The wind was crisp as it blew against his face turning it red but he was determined to do at least one fun thing today. He was in Chicago due to family, and as much as he loved his parents and grandparents, his extended family wasn’t always fun to deal with. They didn’t understand his decision to make YouTube his career, and they certainly didn’t support him when he came out as gay. So when he heard that there were going to be fireworks over the river in the park tonight he decided to slip out after dinner and go check it out.
He wasn’t really well equipped to be out in the cold. The biting wind was cutting through his thin jacket, and his hands were going a bit numb but there was no way he was going back yet, especially not when the park looked this beautiful. The trees were brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, and still hints of green. The plants were also bursting with colors and the path was paved fallen leaves.
And the river was sparkling with lights and the sunset was reflecting off of it turning the water red, pink, purple, and blue.
He leans against the rail and stares down into the water, there were some fish down in it as well as a turtle or two.
The fireworks should be starting any minute until then he was content to stand in the quiet and just observe. The other side of the river there was a crowd of people on the docks and the open field, on this side there was significantly less people since there was no place to sit without being obstructed. So he watches the people across the river, watching as kids ran around playing tag with a smile on his face until he feels a tug at the back of his shirt.
He turns around confused and looks down to see a little girl, about 7 or so, smiling brightly at him.
“Hello?” he smiles even more confused.
“Bryce! I am a huge fan of yours! I watch your videos all the time!” She grins.
Oh.
Oh!
“Thank you! It’s nice to meet you, what’s your name?”
“Elise!” a male voice yells, “You can’t just run off like that! You mother would kill me if she realized you were out of my sight for even a moment!”
Bryce suddenly pauses when he hears that voice, because it sounded so familiar. It sounded too much like him…. But that wasn’t possible right? What were the odds.
“You catch on a lot faster than my mom does when I disappear, so she has no right to judge!” the girl in front of him responds, making him assume that her name is Elise.
The male comes into view out of the trees and stops by the girl laughing, “Is that so?”
The odds were ridiculous. Chicago was a big city with a lot of people.
But that laugh was undeniable.
Bryce could never mistake that laugh.
It was him.
The man in front of him was Ohm.
And Bryce’s heart was hammering in his chest.
“Ohm…”
The man looks over at him and his eyes widen, “B-Bryce?”
That confirmed it, if the laugh hadn’t.
This was definitely Ohm.
“I, I, uh…” Bryce blinks unsure of what to say. What if Ohm was upset that Bryce saw him? No one knew what he looked like and he didn’t want them too. Bryce didn’t want him to be upset and he didn’t want to make their friendship awkward.
But Ohm suddenly grins as he extends his hand out to Bryce, “Brycey!~ It’s good to see you in person!”
Bryce in turn, smiles as well and says “Yeah, it’s nice to see you too,” as he grabs Ohms hand to shake it.
“Bryce!” Ohm yells suddenly causing Bryce to jump slightly, “What the hell, man, your hands are freezing!”
Ohm pulls Bryce’s hands up, enclosing them in his larger warmer hands and rubs them.
Bryce turns pink as he watches Ohm fuss.
Ohm lets go with one hand and pulls out gloves from his jacket, “Put those on!”
“No, Ohm, I am fine, I don’t want to take your gloves!” Bryce protests.
“I don’t need them; my hands are actually warm!” Ohm huffs and pulls off a bag from his back and opens it and pulls out a big hoody and tosses it Bryce, hitting him in the face. “Put that on too.”
“Ohm! I’m okay.” Bryce protests even though he was quite cold and the hoody did feel quite warm.
“You are going to freeze to death! And then get sick with a cold!” Ohm retorts.
“Oh, so I am going to die, then get a cold, huh?” Bryce smirks.
Ohm rolls his eyes and says in that warning voice of his, “Bryce.”
“You best just listen to him, he’s a mother hen! Worse than my mom!” Elise grins,
Bryce starts laughing as Ohm huffs, “I am not!”
“Oh yes you are!”
“No.”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
Bryce starts laughing, “Alright, alright, I will put on the jacket. Just stop with the arguing.”
Ohm grins and Elise starts giggling.
Bryce tugs the hoody over his head, reveling in how it smells, and also pulling on the gloves.
“So, what brings you to Chicago, Bryce?” Ohm asks
“Family. Who’s the girl you’re with?” Bryce answers, before changing the topic immediately. He didn’t really want to explain about his family right now.
“Elise? She’s my neighbor’s daughter. I watch her a lot for her mom.” Ohm says and Bryce nods.
“She’s really cute.”
“Only to people she doesn’t know.” Ohm laughs.
“Aww, don’t say that-”
Suddenly an explosion goes off in the sky scattering light everywhere.
Elise squeals and tugs on Ohm’s shirt, “They are starting, shut up and pick me up!”
Ohm raises an eyebrow at her and she flushes and starts laughing, “Please?”
Bryce laughs and Ohm hoists the girl up onto his shoulders, impressing Bryce with his strength.
The watch the fireworks together in silence.
Marveling as the sky and the river light up with a multitude of colors. Crackling and pops filled the air as the flashing lights burst in an array of shapes and sizes.
It was a dazzling sight, and it was even better now that they were together.
Bryce hadn’t been able to do any recording or play any games over the past week and he had missed Ohm. He didn’t realize just how much he had missed him until he heard his voice, but he was happy to be able to hear it now. And it thrilled him that he could hear it in person while looking into his eyes, not just over a mic.
It was amazing.
Meeting Ohm had turned one of the worst trips in his life straight to the best.
So when Ohm asked if Bryce wanted to tag along with them home, Bryce just had to accept.
So after the fireworks, they were off. Walking down the path of the park heading to Ohm’s car.
Elise was running ahead, kicking leaves and exploring the area.
“So you watch Elise a lot?” Bryce asks
“Yeah, her dad left when she was 3 and her mom works full time. So I take her when she’s not in school until her mom gets home.” Ohm nods
“Oh wow.”
“Mhm, she loves watching our gaming videos. She’s obsessed with them.”
Bryce laughs, “Yeah, she told me.”
“You’re her favorite.” Ohm laughs, “She likes you even more than she likes me!”
Bryce laughs as well and grins, “No way, I am sure she loves you more.”
“No, I think she has a crush on you.” Ohm chuckles.
“No!” Elise yells from ahead and comes stomping back towards them. “I don’t have a crush on him, you do!”
Bryce blinks in surprise, completely stunned. Where did that come from? Was it true? Did Ohm like him?
Ohm’s face goes bright red and he stutters before finally getting out a “Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!” Elise protests and sticks out her tongue at Ohm, causing him to do the same.
Bryce, having come out of his initial shock, starts laughing.
Seeing Ohm interact with Elise has just made him love him more. And with that realization he decides to take a risk.
“That’s okay, because I kind of has a crush on him too.” Bryce hums.
“Huh?” Ohm looks at him in shock, his face bright red matching Bryce’s.
Bryce smiles softly and kisses Ohm’s cheek.
“SEE! I told you!!!” Elise yells.
Both boys start laughing.
“Come on, keep walking.” Ohm nudges her along.
She laughs running along that path yelling, “I told you so! I told you so! I told you so! You owe me an ice cream!~”
“Ice cream?” Bryce looks over at Ohm.
Ohm grins, “It was summer when we made the bet.”
Bryce laughs and Ohm just rolls his eyes, grabbing Bryce’s hand in his pulling him along.
“You’re still cold.” Ohm comments casually.
Bryce groans but then smirks, “Well, you’ll just have to help me get warm at your house!”
Ohm nods and smiles at him, “I do have hot chocolate.”
Bryce beams and squeezes Ohm’s hand. “Sounds like a plan.”
They continue down the path hand in hand with the little girl running ahead of them.