The Bartender | BoyxBoy

||Sixteen||

"Kyle, you're freaking me out!" I shouted at him as he drove to his house. Who the hell left someone in suspense like that? Why would he do that to me?

I saw Kyle's jaw tick which meant he was trying so hard to stay calm right now. I guess I shouldn't be angry since it was his news and his choice to tell me or not. I couldn't help it. I had always had this bit of suspicion that Kyle was keeping things from me. I mean, he came back from Vancouver with no news whatsoever, he didn't live with his parents, and he hadn't exactly told me why he was living with Brian aside from the fact that Brian was like a brother to him.

Then he suddenly drops a bomb like that on me?

Wow.

We got to his house in no time and Kyle hurriedly entered the house. What was going on with him? I asked myself. I took in a deep breath before following Kyle to the house.

Imagine my shock when I got there. Kyle was chugging a bottle of whiskey like it was water.

"Hey, stop that," I told him and took the bottle from him. "What's going on?"

"Sorry. I just... I just wanted to brace myself I guess."

"Against what?"

"Your reaction," Kyle shouted, making me frown.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just scared of what your reaction will be when I tell you I'm gay!" he shouted.

I blinked. "What?"

"Yeah, I said it. I am gay Aiden. Now give me the bottle so I don't have to deal with you hating me."

I looked at the bottle in my hand and then looked back at Kyle. He was glaring at me and I could see the turmoil and confusion in his eyes. I guess I'd feel that way too if I ever came out to my homophobic best friend.

All this time, I had been hurting Kyle without knowing. All my hateful slurs, my anger directed towards Niall and Brian and I guess all other gay people, Kyle had been hurt indirectly by that.

I really couldn't believe it. I was angry. Yes. I was angry that it had taken him so long to tell him but I understood him too. Given my track record, it was quite surprising that he even decided to tell me.

I shook my head. "No," I said.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Of course. You hate me now."

"No, I don't hate you. I'm not going to let you drown yourself in alcohol just because you think I'll hate you for being gay," I stated.

"Um, did you forget the part where you're homophobic?"

I sighed. "I'm not. Okay? I'll change, I promise. You're my best friend. I'll kill myself before I even begin to think of hating you. I don't care that you're gay, Kyle. It doesn't change who you are, it doesn't change who you are to me," I said and rushed over to hug him. I wasn't even sure he was going to hug me back.

I sighed in relief when Kyle wrapped his arms around me tightly. "I am so sorry," I apologized, tears running down my cheeks. "I didn't know... I wouldn't have said all those things. You're not like them. I'm sorry," I cried.

"It's okay Aiden. I forgive you," Kyle said as he pulled back to look at me. I saw tears welling up in his eyes.

I didn't know how we both got to Kyle's room but we had moved from his kitchen and were sitting down at the foot of his bed with Kyle's head resting on my shoulder as he told me everything that happened.

From the time he met Brian who was a waiter at a local diner he used to frequent, when Brian helped him come to terms with his sexuality, when he started talking to Niall on Tumblr, how they had quickly hit it off, when he finally told his parents about himself and what they did.