You are not alone

Learning more

"So you owe me some of your time." I said to Jace, while we were walking back.

"Ok, so what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, I kind of just want to sit and talk to you."

"Ok, let's go; I know a good place."

"Ok."I said, as we walked off.

We kept walking for a little while, until Jace started hopping over a fence.

"Woah, what are you doing?" I asked, frantically.

"What? You wanted somewhere to talk."

"Isn't this illegal?" I asked, as he finished jumping over the fence and landed on the other side.

"It could be, but I've never been caught." He smiled at me through the fence, and I followed behind l him.

We made to the house behind the fence, and it looked horrible. It was in way worse condition than where we were staying.

"So you've been here before?" I asked as we started going in through the back door.

"Yeah, I grew up here." He said, simply.

"Really?" I asked, as we sat down in an old bedroom.

"Yeah, there was a somewhat short time where I was in a foster home. My dad got in some trouble and I was sent to live in a home, for a while."

"Wow."

"Yeah, my foster home was this one, and it's an old house, so one day a beam fell and we had to leave."

"Oh."

"I still come back sometimes, it's a great place to stop and think... or talk." He smiled at the last part.

"Yeah."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I don't know either." He gave a light laugh.

"I wish I wasn't so awkward." I said, softly.

"It's ok, you're the awkward asexual, remember."

"Right." I said, half heartedly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't aromantic."

"Why?"

"Sometimes I wish I could date someone, or cuddle with someone, or really like someone, or..." I paused. "Or maybe even kiss someone."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but then other times I'm just like ew, I don't want any of that." I paused. "I just confuse myself sometimes."

"I didn't know that." Jace said.

"Yeah, I don't know, sometimes I just want that closeness."

"Even if it's just a squish?"

"Yeah, I would love to even just be really close friends with like a squish or something."

"That's why I'm so important to you... I'm your squish."

"Yeah, I've never had one before, so I guess I just really like you."

"I get it now."

"Plus, you're really nice, and funny, and you seem like you genuinely care about others."

"Well, thank you."

"Yeah, sometimes I think I want to try some of that stuff, like cuddling, and possibly even kissing."

"Well, if you ever wanted to try it.... you could kiss me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, and we could even cuddle too, if you'd want to."

"Cuddling you, I would be fine with anytime."

"Ok, but I'll do anything for you ok?"

"Ok, Thanks, but I don't think I'll be trying anything new anytime soon."

"Ok."

"It's getting late." I pointed out.

"Yeah."

"We should probably go."

"Or we could stay." He suggested.

"We could." I said, as we walked into the living room and sat on an old couch.

We talked a little longer, and we were both getting tired.

"You want to try one new thing?" He asked.

"I don't want to kiss you." I said, simply.

"No, but I thought you might like cuddling, it could give you the closeness you want."

"It could." I said, and we slowly, and awkwardly got closer, and started cuddling.

"See, this isn't too bad. I mean, I'm gay and I'm fine with this."

"Yeah, cuddling isn't necessarily romantic, just a way to be close to someone."

"Yeah."

"I'd like to be close in a different way, but I do like this."

"What way would you like to be close?"

"I want to be the friend that you go to, I want to be the friend that you think about and smile, the friend that you look forward to seeing."

"We'll get there."

"I know, I guess I'm just rushing it because I'm used to be alone and forgotten, and I don't like that feeling."

"Well, I hope I never forget you." He finished, as we both smiled, and fell asleep laying next to each other.