“I can’t do this Kevin. I can’t be your boyfriend. I’m going back into the closet. They wrote "faggot” on my locker in gym class and someone told me I was going to hell.“
"Brazos.”
“What?” he pouts, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
I grasp his jaw in my hand and walk towards him until our foreheads touch. “Brazos, you are stronger than this.”
“No I’m not. I’m a nerdy hockey goalie, not a popular jock quarterback. I’m not made of Teflon.”
“But you are. You don’t even know it yet. You’re gonna graduate in a few months, go off to college, and this whole backwards town will roll right off your back. You’re gonna go and do incredible things, move to the big city, and leave them all in their backwards dust.”
“I am?”
“Yes you are.”
“I’m not so sure about that. They’ll probably call me "faggot” there too.“
"They might. But by then, you’ll be a man. You’ll be educated and employed and you’ll have confidence. Let them. Let the ignorant assholes broadcast themselves so you can avoid them. When you grow up, you won’t be forced to be around them all the time.”
“Kevin that’s in the future but now…” he looked down.
“Who got the student counsel to organize a fundraiser for Ms. Kramer after her child died from cancer?”
“…Me.” Brazos blinked, wondering where this was going.
“Who made that amazing back-handed save in double overtime, giving our team the puck, which lead them to score and win the regionals?”
“…Me.”
“Who got out of bed at 3 am to come pick up his brother from a party that went south?”
“Me.”
“Who brought me their bunny to cuddle with last year, when I was stuck in bed recovering from getting my appendix out?”
“…Me.” The corners of his mouth lifted up.
“Who kissed me first, when we sat on the grass at that music festival and watched your favorite band play that ballad as the sun set behind the stage?”
“Oh man I was so nervous! It was so cheesy.” he laughed. “But that was me.”
“Did you like it?” I ask.
He looks to the side, shy. “Yeah. I did.”
“Who is going to go off to college with me, and is gonna help me pick out our first apartment, and have an amazing first year with me getting into trouble, exploring our sexualities, and making banana bread in the middle of the night?”
“Me.”
“You got that right.” I kiss him, and he reciprocates with a little smile. “And what has Dirk Kessler done worthy of remembering?”
Brazos opened his mouth, then shut it, and furrowed his brow. “I’m sure there are things, but football is an inferior sport to the greatness of hockey so…”
It’s my turn to chuckle. “Then who cares what he thinks?”
“Suddenly, not me.”
“Who is going to be proud and out and be an inspiration to any other kid in our high school still closeted?”
“Me again.” He beams.
“And who is going to prom with me?”
Brazos blinks. “Prom? Prom? Oh my god are you serious? Are you asking me to prom? Like, with other people?”
“Yes, Brazos.”
He hesitates, then looks at me. He takes a deep breath and nuzzles my nose with his nose. “Me. I’m going to prom with you and I’m gonna look like a stud in a suit.”
“That’s my boy.” I kiss him again.
“Hey Kevin?”
“Mmhm?”
“Who is going to be giving me another kiss? Cause I think I’ve been missing out on those lately, being an idiot who doesn’t appreciate how wonderful his boyfriend is.”
I grin. “Oh that is definitely going to be me.”
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Text is fictional. Found a tag that said this is from Helix Studios.
