Seven years of waiting [BxB]

1

"I love you."

Seven years since his best friend had said those words to him. Seven years that he had pushed him away. But also seven years that he couldn't think of anything else. And yet, he had tried everything. Changing cities, immersing himself in studies, finding a girlfriend, going out clubbing, even signing up for a dating site, nothing had worked.

Shun remembered perfectly the day of the somewhat clumsy declaration by the young man. Both had just received their high school diploma results, and for his achievement, he had invited their whole group to spend the afternoon until the next day at his place, enjoying the pool and drinks. Around midnight, as the temperatures were no longer conducive to swimming, the group had moved to the living room, taking advantage of the absence of the redhead's parents to engage in a game of "truth or dare." At first, the requests were harmless, albeit sometimes a bit embarrassing. With alcohol aiding, the stakes quickly escalated, going further and further. Shun found himself having to kiss his best friend, which he didn't refuse under the influence of all the drinks he had consumed. At that moment, Lucien, or rather Luc as everyone called him, froze, not knowing how to react, before eventually responding to the kiss. The game continued, lasting until late into the night. Eventually, the two young men found themselves being the last ones standing, enjoying the calm and starry sky from the veranda. And that was the beginning of the end of their friendship. The young blond facing him had said those three little words to him, and Shun had rejected him. He felt betrayed by this man whom he thought he knew inside out and who had lied to him about his feelings that he had been hiding since middle school. He resented him for not being honest with him even though Luc always encouraged him to talk to him, to open up to him.

The next day, Lucien had left before the redhead even woke up. Shun, with a heavy heart, had then decided to cut ties – whether permanently or not, remained to be seen – with his best friend and had gone to the other end of the country for his higher education, occasionally talking to the other members of the group via messages.

Now that he finally had his diploma in hand, he had returned to work where he had always wanted to go, the zoo that had seen the birth of his dream of becoming a veterinarian. He had not informed anyone except his parents, wanting to settle in quietly before having to endure the excitement of his childhood friends. Especially since, with high school friends also came Lucien, and even after seven years, he still didn't feel ready to see him again after the way they had parted before he left. Granted, he had missed him, but he knew he couldn't talk to him without thinking back to his ex-best friend's declaration and the kiss they had exchanged that night.