You All Over Me [BxB]

Seven

Theodore glances away from Jacob, breaking their eye contact. "No, I'm just curious," he replies quietly.

It's not exactly a lie. He is curious about Jacob's reasons, whatever they may be.

"I'm not straight," Jacob blurts out with an air of apathy.

Theodore's reaction is instant, and he chokes on his food, coughing violently as the burning ache in his chest intensifies. He reaches for a glass of water and takes a few sips to relieve his irritated throat, then wipes the residue from his mouth.

He can't help but admire Jacob's blunt honesty. While Theodore isn't ashamed about his own bisexuality, he carries a lingering fear of being judged.

Of being misunderstood.

He wouldn't be able to say it out loud the way Jacob had. Not like that.

"I... I'm surprised how easy it is for you to come out."

"It's easy if you don't care," Jacob says. "Anyway, that's not something they'd be a hundred percent okay with. I don't want to stay in an environment that can't accept that I can be attracted to anybody."

Theodore nods slowly.

"Did you... tell them?"

"I didn't have to," Jacob replies, pressing his tongue into his cheek. "They heard from other people, which is quite annoying. I didn't think I owed them any explanation for not joining such an organization, or whatever they call it. My sexuality is none of their business."

He threads his fingers through his hair, fixing the side part.

"Other than that, I don't want them being awkward or cautious around me just because I like men, too. That's not how it works."

Theodore toys with his soup and murmurs, "I understand."

Jacob rests his cheek on his fist. "You do?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"I'm..."

A ping. There's a text. He struggles to pull his phone from his pocket, fumbling for a moment before getting it out.

A quick peek tells Theodore that it's from his mother, asking how the hazing went. She hadn't been supportive of it unlike his Dad, but was also not vocal about stopping him.

Theodore finds himself wishing that she'd tried to convince him otherwise, though he knows he would've made the same decision. He had overestimated himself—physically and mentally.

Another text. This time, it's from his father. He's asking: When is the next one?

He blanches.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

"So you were saying?"

Just then, Theodore's phone begins to ring. Stella. Finally. Someone he actually doesn't mind talking to.

"Excuse me."

"Go ahead," Jacob says, resuming his meal.

Stella's voice crackles through the speaker. "Theo! How are you?"

"Hey, thanks for checking in. I'm alright. Pretty beaten up, but I'm hanging in there."

Jacob maintains a deadpan expression.

"Oh, no! Where are you? Do you need me to bring you something?"

"It's okay. I'll be fine after some rest. Probably," he replies with a sigh. "I'm at Jacob's."