Outcast

Birthday Boys: Chapter 1: April 24th

Today was the Keith's birthday. Best of all, it was a Friday.

His party was planned for that following day, Saturday. Under normal circumstances, that would be his and Pico's usual day to hang out and do whatever they wanted. However, this week was going to be different. He set his party for Saturday, and invited his two good friends, Darnell and Cherry and, of course, the final person that would bring light to his special day, Pico.

Since that night of February 14th, during their sleepover, Keith had an epiphany about the redheaded ginger. Those feelings he was experiencing from throughout their friendship had manifested into something greater. It started out so small. He didn't even realize it at first.

A pulling sensation told him to talk to the quiet male. He was always sitting by himself but took the plunge when he managed to catch him alone in the library. That is when it began. The moment they shook hands in greeting, it all came tumbling down from there.

The feelings escalated further when he spotted the smaller male pass out during lunch. It still nearly broke his heart to this day that no one seemed to care about the freckled man. Not one person acknowledged how weak he was. No one even bothered to check up on him in his condition. He was nearly skin and bones when Keith carried him home.

That day was when it officially became a snowball rolling down a mountain. Ever since then, they communicated on a regular basis. Keith got to know Pico in a way that no one else did. He knew what he liked and didn't. They hung out every Saturday at Keith's place. They would play games, watch movies, or just simply talk and enjoy each other's company. The cyan-haired male was the one who mostly did the talking, but Pico listened and gave responses when applicable.

He saw a different side of the redhead when his friends came over sporadically on that Saturday. Keith had been peeling away the layers of protection that the smaller male had up for weeks. He was more open and expressive, albeit he was still really shy and secluded most of the time. Although, whenever it was just the two of them Pico seemed to open up only in Keith's presence. He spoke and smiled more. He was nearly an open book over text messages. The blue boy was so proud of the accomplishments of pulling Pico out of his shell. Although, all that came to a near crashing halt on that day in January.

Darnell came over and nearly derailed his whole escapade of making the ginger feel welcome. It was a harsh smack of reality that hit him and worse of all, Pico. He will never forget those tears that ripped his heart from his chest. The horrid ache that bled from that wound. He hid away once again. All of that effort to help lure him from his shell, nearly crumbled in a blink of an eye.

It took a month of continuous effort to try and pull him back out again with very little leeway. However, after that sleepover, something changed. In fact, something amazing happened.

A stark realization struck Keith like an arrow through the heart.

He was in love with Pico.

All of the times they spent together. The conversations they would have over the phone just talking about nonsense. The tears that were shed on that day in January. The time that they sat together on the couch and watched a movie in the comfort of each other. The vision of seeing that scar that held so much about the other, and that Pico shared a piece of his traumatic past with him. The smile that would take his breath away every single time.

There was no use denying it anymore. After that day, during their sleepover, everything emerged and reared its beautiful head at the feelings that took him over. Keith was awe-stricken, and it completely made him change his outlook on his sexual preferences. He still likes girls and even considers Cherry a really pretty one. He has never, once, liked a guy in the same way. Not until that freckled redhead came along and completely shattered his glass walls that he didn't realize were up.