Boy Trouble GT

Chapter 22

[KYE]

Kye stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of Mason's small frame on his chest. It wasn't heavy—Mason didn't weigh much compared to him—but the emotional weight of the moment was suffocating. His hand still rested awkwardly on Mason's back, the touch light and unsure, but he couldn't bring himself to move it.

Mason had always been close, physically and emotionally. He'd always leaned into Kye, nudged him, teased him, forced him into situations that made him uncomfortable but always turned out okay. Mason was the one person who could crack through the walls Kye had spent years building around himself. But this? This was different.

Kye's chest tightened as Mason's confession echoed in his mind.

I care about you. More than I probably should.

The words made his heart race in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying. He didn't know what to do with them, didn't know how to process the emotions Mason had laid bare. He could feel Mason's breath against his chest, warm and steady, and it grounded him in a way that nothing else ever had.

Kye's gray eyes drifted down to Mason, who hadn't moved from his spot. His curls were a messy halo around his face, his green eyes closed now as if the confession had drained all the energy from him. Mason looked small against Kye, fragile even, and the realization hit Kye like a punch to the gut. Mason, who was always so confident, so unshakable, had opened up in a way that made Kye's own vulnerabilities feel insignificant.

Kye swallowed hard, his throat dry. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what he felt. There was something warm in his chest, something unfamiliar but not unwelcome, and it scared the hell out of him.

"You're quiet," Mason murmured suddenly, his voice soft and muffled against Kye's shirt. "That's not a good sign."

Kye's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile despite the storm of emotions inside him. "I'm... just thinking," he said quietly, his voice low and uncertain.

"About what?" Mason asked, lifting his head slightly to look at Kye. His green eyes were bright, searching, and Kye felt his chest tighten again under the weight of that gaze.

Kye hesitated, his hand twitching slightly against Mason's back. "About... what you said."

Mason nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," he said after a moment. "I just... needed to get it out. I couldn't keep it bottled up anymore."

Kye's throat tightened as he looked away, his gaze fixed on the far wall. "It's not that I don't want to say anything," he muttered. "I just... I don't know what to say."

"That's okay," Mason said softly. He shifted slightly, resting his chin on Kye's chest as he gazed up at him. The way he looked at Kye—like he wasn't afraid of him, like he didn't see the awkward, oversized mess that Kye always felt like—made Kye's heart twist in a way he didn't understand.

For a long moment, they stayed like that, the silence between them filled only by the sound of their breathing. Kye's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but none of them felt solid enough to grab onto.

"You don't have to figure it all out right now," Mason said finally, his voice gentle. "I just... wanted you to know how I feel. That's all."

Kye nodded slowly, his hand pressing just a little more firmly against Mason's back. It wasn't much, but it was the only way he could show Mason that he wasn't upset, that he didn't want him to leave.

"Mason..." Kye began, his voice hesitant. "I... I care about you too."

The words felt strange as they left his mouth, heavy and unfamiliar, but also oddly freeing. He wasn't sure what they meant, wasn't sure if they carried the same weight that Mason's did, but they were true. Mason mattered to him more than anyone else ever had, and that was something Kye couldn't deny, no matter how confusing it was.

Mason's lips curved into a small, genuine smile, and for the first time, Kye felt like he might be able to breathe again.

"That's a start," Mason said, his tone light but warm.

Kye let out a shaky breath, his gray eyes flicking back to Mason. "Yeah," he murmured. "I guess it is."

And as Mason rested his head back against Kye's chest, his small frame relaxing completely, Kye felt the tension in his own body start to fade. He didn't know where this was going, didn't know what it all meant, but for now, he was okay with not knowing.

For now, Mason was here, and that was enough.