I Love You, Kevin Hends

Chapter Thirty-eight

Ike's is nearly empty. I am not sure if it is normally like that or if it is just not doing well. "Is it supposed to be this empty this time of day?" I ask the person at the counter who I assume is the owner. He wears a name badge that reads 'Ike' on it. "You boys are the first ones here today." The man says. He is middle-aged and ruggedly handsome. "Well, what can I get you?" He asks with a smile. "We'll have two chocolate milkshakes." I say. Kevin nods with a smile to approve my order for the both of us. I blush, knowing I should have asked first. Ike takes our order and walks into the quiet kitchen. "Sorry, I should have asked your order." I say. Kevin chuckles and shakes his head. "It's fine, Oliver. Really. That is actually what I was going to order. You just beat me to it." Kevin has a bright smile that can only be matched with the light of the sun. "Have I told you how much I love you?" I ask. Kevin looks in my eyes. "Not today." He replies. "Well, then. I love you so much." I say. Kevin leans back and puts his hand on his heart. "Oliver, every time you say those words it makes my heart flutter away and it is just too fast to catch it." His words are sweet and flirtatious. "I love you to the moon and back. Around the sun. Beyond the wind." Kevin says. "If you start singing Over the Rainbow I will walk out of here." I say. "But." Kevin starts. "It's a great song." I say as he finishes with the same words. "I know it is. I just don't want to hear you sing this early in the morning. You take a long time to get warmed up." I say with a smile. "You know you love my singing." Kevin says with a fake pout. "Fuck. You know I do. I just don't want other people to enjoy that song from you." I say. It's not well known by a lot of people, but one of my favorite films is The Wizard of Oz. I don't know how Kevin found out but somehow he did. "Somewhere over the rainbow." Kevin starts singing. I break his voice by leaning over the table and kissing him. Ike arrives with our milkshakes at this exact time.

"Aw. You guys are a great couple. I wish I could have had what you have when I was your age." He says with a smile. He pulls a chair over and sits by us. I'm not complaining, but I was kinda hoping for some time with Kevin. Getting to know Ike is also pretty high on my list after he just gave major hints of gay. "What do you mean?" Kevin asks. "When I was your age, I went to Chaplin Academy." Ike pauses. We go to Chaplin Academy. Despite being called Academy, it is a public school. Ike resumes. "I was the only kid in my group that didn't have a girlfriend. Everyone had one of two responses to it: you haven't found the right girl yet and why the hell don't you have a girlfriend? The second response was mostly from my friend Kasey Klens. He was the jock of our group and believed he could have any girl in the school. Needless to say, I was hopelessly in love with him. I know the old cliché, gay kid is in love with his popular friend. It wasn't a cliché for me. It was a reality. He had been so rude to me for being awkward around, well, everyone. He thought me being awkward was a sign of weakness. Eventually he dumped our friendship because he didn't want to be known as the guy who was friends with the social reject. It was that day that I vowed that I would remove all toxic masculinity from my life." Ike pauses again. "Was Kasey homophobic?" Kevin asks gently. Ike shakes his head. "No. He actually had some friends that were the popular gays. He was friends with them because they were sure of themselves and comfortable in their own skin." Ike pauses. "Kasey Klens was not homophobic in the least. He was just a huge asshole." Ike takes a breath and mumbles something incoherently. "I knew that when Kasey decided popularity was more important than our friendship that he was no longer worth any of my time. I still wanted a boyfriend but I was too scared to come out. So I waited. I was thirty-one when I came to terms with being gay, and I was thirty-nine when I finally came out as gay. It was the most liberating feeling I had felt in years. I finally felt free to be me. I felt like I could take on the world. Just me against them. But I found out soon after I came out that other gay men were hard to find. In 2011 things for gays weren't as great as they are now. And things still aren't the best for gays. I love me and who I am, but sometimes I hate everything about me. That's why I opened this diner. I saw an opportunity to make young people happy and I wanted to be able to see that. I wanted to see young people having what I couldn't have at that age. I know that sounds a little perverted but it really isn't." Ike starts to get defensive and nervous. "Ike, it isn't perverted at all. It just is what a good business person does. Appeals to the clientele." Kevin says. Ike chuckles. "So I was hoping to see young people like you here together, on dates and shit. Stuff I wished I could do. The original name I picked for this diner was 'Ike's diner: where dreams come true', but my partner didn't like the idea." Ike's mood drops as he talks about his partner. "I just was hoping to make a difference in this town." He mumbles. "And you are, Ike. You are." Kevin says. I smile. Each of us put a hand on Ike's arms. "Now how about I get you some fries?" Ike says in a chipper voice. "Yes please." I say. Ike smiles at us. "Coming right up." He says and walks briskly into the kitchen. Kevin and I look at each other. "Ike is so sweet." I say. "I hope he finds...someone." Kevin trails off. "What?" I ask. My eyes follow Kevin's gaze towards the door. A man has just walked in. He is tall and very handsome. He appears to be about Ike's age. "Is Ike here?" The man asks us as he walks over to us. "He's in the kitchen." Kevin says. "Do you need something?" I ask nervously. The man wears a leather jacket with sunglasses. "I just was hoping to talk to him." The man says.

"Karson?" Ike says as he walks into the area with our fries. He sets our fries down in front of us and walks over to the man. "Hi Ike." The man called Karson says. "It's been years." Ike says with a smile. "The last time I saw you you were more of a nerd than I was." This causes Karson to chuckle. "Well you got hot too." He says. "Well I guess we both got hot." Ike says. "And gay." Karson adds. "No." Ike says in shock. "What happened to Terri Kerstin?" Karson shifts nervously on his feet. "Terri was a woman. I was in high school and I wanted to fit in, so I dated her. We broke up just before graduation. I came out to her. She was very understanding and we are still close friends." Karson says awkwardly. "You've been out since 1989?" Ike asks. Karson shakes his head. "2019." He says. "I just told Terri because I really liked her as a friend and I wanted to keep her as a friend and I didn't think a regular break up would suffice." Karson says, still shifting. "In truth breaking up with Terri was more than just about me not wanting to be with her. I was in love with someone else." Karson's shifting turns into more of a shuffle. "Who?" Ike asks. I can tell he knows damn well who it is. Still, Karson hesitates for several moments. "You." He finally squeaks out Ike's jaw drops to the floor. "You were in love with...me?" Ike's voice is small and unsure. "I am in love with you." Karson corrects. "I have been for years. I have been kinda watching you. Not in a creepy way though. I would come to see you but end up being too chicken to talk to you so instead I would just watch." Karson's little shuffle has become more awkward. "When you came out, I saw it as my chance to finally tell you how I feel, but I was too scared." Karson's dance is slowing now. "You did it when you were ready. So did I. And now you are telling me...you love me?" Ike asks. He is starting to shift uncomfortably. Karson nods. "I love you, Ike." Karson says. He reaches forward with both hands and grips Ike's. Ike and Karson both hesitate for a moment before leaning in and kissing. Kevin and I stupidly applaud. This causes Karson and Ike to break their kiss with a shared chuckle. "Boys!" Ike laughs. "Sorry." Kevin and I say in unison. "It's really no trouble. I'm just glad that I have witnesses to tell me this wasn't a dream." Ike says. "Or you could have my number and have me to remind you this wasn't a dream." Karson pulls out his phone from his pocket. Ike does the same. They swap phones and enter their numbers in the other man's phone. "Text me or call me." Karson says with a shy smile and walks out. Ike exhales a breath that it appears he has been holding the entire time. "That was...phew." Ike is out of breath. "Congrats Ike." I say. "Boys, those milkshakes and fries are on the house today. We're celebrating." Ike says. I pull out my phone and text May and Anthony to hurry themselves over to the diner. "Ike, it was our pleasure to be here." Kevin says with a wide smile. "Damn right it's your pleasure." Ike says in a strong voice that he didn't possess even five minutes ago. "Don't get used to free food though. It's todays only." "Can we share the free food with our friends?" Kevin asks. "What the fuck? It's a celebration! Of course!" Ike's mood has gone from zero to ten thousand in less than a minute. I'm so happy for him. "I hope you boys and your friends become regulars here because I really like you. You guys have a lot of character. And plus you guys really gave me the confidence to actually talk to Karson, with actual words." Ike chuckles wryly. "I owe you two a debt of thanks." Kevin and I smile shyly. "It really was nothing." I say. "It was everything." Ike says.

"Everything."