Happy Endings

50. fight

"Like a tidal wave, we'll make a mess. Or calm waters, if that serves you best."

☼

Kellin Quinn paced back and forth in front of the desk in his bedroom, wondering when the screen of his laptop would change into an incoming call. It was already 10, and they agreed at 10. He was late, which only proved his point that this was not as important as he was making it out to be. At least it appeared to be for his dumb cousin. Whatever, he didn't even care.

Then why was he so nervous?

It was just a call. He called people every day. Maybe it was because he hadn't spoken to Noah in a while. Or maybe it was the fact that he was going to come out again to another person. Was it always going to be like this? Coming out again and again. Sounded a little tiresome to Kellin.

He understood the importance though, as much as he didn't like the idea. It was all part of the process of accepting himself and whatnot. He did. He tried every day. He was taking the steps, and he was being kind to himself. He knew eventually he wouldn't even have to say anything and just be, and it would be alright. For now, he supposed he had to do it this way.

The FaceTime ringtone sang quietly at 10:15. Kellin stopped in his tracks and felt his stomach churn.

Finally.

Oh no.

He faced his laptop on his desk and hurried to sit down, taking a deep breath as he watched his reflection on the screen. His finger accepted the call a second later, and just like that, his cousin was there.

"Dude, are you on your laptop at your desk?" Were the first words Noah uttered, instantly making Kellin regret this entire thing. "Are we actually in a meeting? Wait. I'm not even dressed up."

Kellin rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back on his chair.

"You're late."

Noah grinned, and Kellin squinted his eyes as he watched him move around, wherever he was. It looked like a bedroom, a really big, fancy-looking bedroom with high ceilings and—was that a gold chandelier hanging up there? Kellin frowned, confused over his whereabouts and... was that daylight coming from the windows?

"Where the hell are you?"

Noah chuckled on the screen, and Kellin watched as he went over to what Kellin could only assume was a table, placing his phone over something so he could get a clearer view of him. A breeze was blowing Noah's long—longer now—hair all over his face, and he put it behind his ears before taking a grey shirt and putting it on.

The front read Iridescent in an overdramatic gothic font, and it was a size too big for him, but Kellin couldn't focus on that too much when Noah crossed his hands over the marble surface.

"Well, Monaco," he said so calmly, like it was the most normal thing in the world, like he just said around the corner or something. Kellin thought he didn't hear him right at first.

"Monaco?!"

"Yeah, it's gorgeous," Noah mused. "Hot as fuck right now, but..."

He shrugged his shoulders and got a smile on his face that made him look like a fool, but not just a fool. A fool in love. Oh... Now it was starting to make sense. Kellin still mentally rolled his eyes at the notion. Noah looking this smitten was weird. Everything about this was weird, but he was already doing this. No going back now.

"You didn't think to tell me that first when settling a time for this call? What time is it there?"

"It's fine... It's 7 am, and we have early plans today anyway, so it worked out," Noah explained.