Sepia Makes Everybody Cry With a Dyle Fanfic

thirty two

• Dan •
We hung around the restaurant after Kyle and Janna left, and even after we'd finished our food. Will and Woody were giving me looks and I wasted ten minutes pretending to be clueless and finishing up my dessert. Finally, I got tired and lay down my fork, pushing the plate away and staring Will down.

"I know what you're going to say."

"Do you?"

I rolled my eyes and shifted to Woody. "You too?"

He threw his hair to the side and gave me a sideways smile. "Yeah, mate. We just want the best for you and..." He glanced at Will who smirked at both of us. "Well, we're not convinced you're 'gonna be fine.'"

I dropped my forehead to the table when he air-quoted the last bit. "I swear to God I'm doing my best, guys."

Will slid over and tapped me on the shoulder. "What was that? We got a bunch of mumbles."

I groaned and sat up. "I'm doing my best. I appreciate the concern, I really do. But I think I'll be better off... Well," I hesitated, shifting to lean on my elbows, "I think we'd be better off, Kyle and I, if you just let us be. You know?" I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to find the right words. "Some things... Sometimes people just need to work it out alone. It's nothing against you two personally—please don't take it that way—but that's what I think would be best for me."

"So you're asking us to butt out?" Woody raised an eyebrow, deadpanning.

I swallowed. "Sure. If you want to put it bluntly."

He finally broke into a smile and I let out a breath I didn't register holding. Will was cracking up a few seconds later.

"Relax, mate," Woody grinned. "I'll butt out... just as long as you promise this won't be at the cost of the band."

Will slapped his palm on the table, sitting up further while I recovered from shock. "This is my only ride, Daniel," he stared me down with a Cheshire smile. "Don't screw it up for me. As much as I love In-n-Out I'd rather not work there for the rest of my life."

I put my elbow on the table, resting my head in my hands. "Don't even fucking worry about it. I don't want to be sitting alone on a stage ever again."

We dissolved into light chatter and laughter, my chest feeling just a little looser than it had for a long time. I had faith in myself and in the band now.

We paid the bill and left the table. Will hung around the waiter, complimenting the service and food with his usual air of pretending to be richer than we were. (Though, I had to remind myself just how financially blessed we were now.) Woody and I leaned in the doorway, holding the door open for customers. A few minutes in and we hollered at Will to move his ass. On the way out, as I exited and went to close the door behind me, a hand grabbed my wrist.

Time froze around me as I studied the hand, not quite sure why my heart rate hadn't increased by the surprise. It was familiar. The rings...

I finally yanked my gaze up to the face. Kyle.

"Dan, I-I'm so sorry. I need to t-talk to you."

"Again?" A giggle bubbled from my chest. I briefly recalled the few glasses of wine I'd enjoyed. Oh. Right.

Kyle didn't respond, only looking nervously from me to our two bandmates standing still in the cold wind. Will nodded toward me. Woody folded his arms, giving us an expectant look. Then Kyle turned back to me and started talking. He hardly stuttered.

"I don't love you. L-Like that, at least. You're a blessing to my life and every day I'm thankful for what you've turned it into. I-I know this is ridiculously cheesy, but we've got to figure something out. I can't keep pretending there's no tension between us because... W-Well I don't really know. I just know I loved the things we did together—" he quickly glanced apologetically to Woody and Will who gestured excitedly to him to continue, "—so... so... I'm not even sure anymore, but I don't want to stop being your best friend, if I'm even that, or ever was, because goddammit Daniel I love you that way, not the other way. I just want to work something out. Will you—?"

I let out a groan and grabbed his face in my hands, pulling it close. "I really want to kiss you right now because, yes, Kyle, yes I agree and I want to make this work. But what the hell, I mean... Kissing your best friend? Do people do that?"

Kyle made no effort to move out of my grasp, only giving me a pained expression and shrugging.

Then someone cleared their throat and Will stepped toward us. I let go of Kyle and leaned away. "You guys should know there's actually something for that." I gave him a pointed look and he smirked. "It's called platonic relationships. Queer platonic, QP, whatever you will. You don't love your friend romantically—" he looked at me, "—but you do love them more than a casual friend, and you enjoy physical interactions typically associated with romantic relationships."

"You sound like a dictionary," Woody commented, earning him an annoyed look.

"Anyways, that's what you're sounding like."

"So I can kiss him?"

"You can kiss him."

"And we're still just friends?"

"I'm not a cheater?" Kyle put in desperately.

"You are still friends, if that's what you agree on," Will said soothingly, "and no, you're not a cheater. You'll just have to explain it to Janna."

I felt like a movie director had taken over my life as I looked from Will to Kyle, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay."

It was the best kiss I had ever had. I now knew exactly what was making my heart dance in my chest when I saw him—love; a different kind of love—and I had my best friend back and better than ever. I wasn't going to let him go. We could both see in each other's eyes that a new adventure was beginning.

okay so im like reALLY SORRY for the long wait and how shitty i ended this but yeah I think we're good. Do you guys want an epilogue?