Phases

Part 7 - Secret? Psht, As If!

Sage's POV:

"Aidan!" I called out, spotting him for the first time today. "Wait up!" I jogged quickly to his side.

"What's up man?"

"About the kyle thing..." I trailed off.

"Don't worry, dude! I got your back!" He patted my back and added. "Really, man, I won't tell a soul."

"Thanks..." 

"Not a problem, but uh make sure you tell Kyle what's going on?" He suggested, gesturing towards Kyle walking towards us.

Oh shit. He looked mad. 

"You left without me?!" Kyle was glaring, his eyes burning into me. "Not only did you leave without me, but you didn't even wake me up! I'm two hours late."

 "I'm gonna get going!" Aidan chimed in before running off in the opposite direction. 

Great. I'm in this alone. I took in a deep breath. "Good morning."

"Don't good morning me!" Kyle huffed. With arms folded across his chest he began tapping his foot. 

"Let's take a walk."

"Take a walk!? It's a minute before the bell rings again!" He snapped.

 "Forget about school!" I snapped back at him. I watched his eyes soften as I gripped his hand. Brushing his fingers with my thumb I whispered, "Come on." I read over his eyes one last time before dragging him out of the school.

Dumbass. I scolded myself as we walked out of the school. How many people had seen the way he was looking at me? The way I was gazing back at him? His hand in mine? This would do nothing but help the already existing rumors spread. Dumbass. I continued scolding myself as I led him down the sidewalk quickly. 

Kyle's POV:

What? No car? I tried to pull away several times as we got further and further away from the school's property, but Sage would only sigh and grip my hand tighter. "Thought we were gonna talk." I grumbled, then added. "If you have nothing to say I'd like to go back to my classes and stop wasting my time with you."

Sage let out a sigh and stopped walking. "Kyle, I'm afraid." was all he whispered as he stared past me. His eyes glazed over and he lost his grip on my hand.

I automatically stepped closer to him. "What are you afraid of?" When he didn't respond, I inched closer again. "Sage..." I pleaded. ", look at me."

He turned his head. 

I took his face in my hands and pulled his mouth down to mine.

He pulled away from me quickly. "That." He whispered before bringing his lips back to mine. His nails dug into me. 

I cringed away and stared at him.

"I...uh...sorry." He whispered.

What the fuck. What's with him? I ran a hand over my clawed face. Ouch. "Why are you afraid?"

"I don't want to love you, Kyle." 

"You love me?" I questioned.

"You're cold." Sage sighed taking off his hoodie and shoving it at me. "Let's...keep moving." 

His gentle fingers twisted themselves in between mine. "Thanks for the hoodie..." I muttered as we began walking.

"What I'm here for." He sighed.

"Do you really love me?" I blurted out.

"My whole life I've been told it's wrong." Sage explained glancing at me every few seconds. "It's only a phase. For a time period I didn't want to believe that I am the way I am. Then I came to an acceptance that I'd never be 'normal.' When I told my mother, she freaked. Completely freaked. Accusing me of being confused and well maybe, just maybe, she's right. What if it is just a phase?"

He paused his thought for a moment to look at me. His eyes were waiting for some sort of response as he gazed into mine, but all I could answer him with was silence. What was there to say? Your entire thought process is wrong? I couldn't just shoot down everything he was feeling.

"I mean I already go through phases. I'm not on patrol all the time, only when it's a certain time of year. Several times a year, actually. What if it's just like that? The only problem becomes that my thoughts never ease up. Now that you're around, they never even leave. My feelings for you are too hard to ignore. I tried," He paused for a second and squeezed my hand. ", I swear I really did. I can't not feel for you. I want to hug you, kiss you. I want to just hold you in my arms and never let go. I've never felt that way for anyone, Kyle, ever."

"I feel the same way for you," I chimed in quietly.

"I understand it's wrong, but..."

I cut him off mid-sentence. "If loving and being with you is wrong then I don't want to be right." I told him with a grin as we came to a stop.

"I just don't want people talking shit..."

"You love me, right?" I asked.

"So much, too much."  

His quick response made me smile. "Then what people think about us doesn't matter."

He nodded and put on a faint smile.

I pulled him into a tight embrace. My hands slide down to his rear end.

Sage's POV:

There he goes, squeezing at my ass again. I couldn't help but grin down at him. He was right. It didn't matter who thought what.

My mind still wouldn't clear. I love Kyle. It's what I have to do. I have to face the problem and take it, like the man I'm supposed to be. I'd be made fun of, teased and harassed. I know that's worse case scenario but I'm not as good as Kyle.

Kyle can take everything. He's so strong, quite the fighter. One of the many things I love about him. People can put him down and he'll barely budge. His confidence is always outstanding. The best part? No matter what, no matter how he acts, how he looks, how he lives, people will still love him. He has high energy and a personality everyone can get along with. I envy him for that. 

Me? I don't have that. I can act as high and mighty as I want, but in the end well it's just not like that. So what do I do now? Ignore Kyle forever because I can't handle the situation that will rise? No. That's childish. I need to take everyone's shit because I'm doing it for the person I love. I'm doing it to be in love. I can only hope that knowing I'm facing this with Kyle will bring me some sort of weird comfort.

Kyle was gazing up at me, his eyes sparkling. Those eyes are what made me fall so desperately in love. "Let's go inside." I smiled as we walked to the door hand in hand. My mother was home, but right now that didn't matter. Actually not much mattered. I realize now that only MY feelings about Kyle and I matter. No one else's. Try and shoot me down now, mom! I dare you!