Coming out

Chapter 2 :))

Again, this chapter was like 99.99% written by @possiblygwen and @DiamondDust684, who are both cool peoples. :)

 "So... what's wrong?" I look over Michael's face, searching for any clues as to what might be the problem.

"Oh, um... I just—you know what, why don't you forget about it? We can play some Apocalypse of the Damned instead... uhhh Where were we? Level 9?" Michael flashes me one of his crooked grins, a bit nervously. His face is really red and he's avoiding my eyes. Maybe he has a fever.

"Aww, come on Michael." I put the controller in my hand aside. "We can always play Apocalypse later. Just tell me what's wrong." I raise an eyebrow. "Dude, are you sick? Come on, I won't laugh." Michael seems to turn even redder. "No, it's—I'm fine, I—" He takes a deep breath and looks me straight in the eye. "Jeremy, it's just that, um, I'm just, very gay."

Silence.

Michael looks away. When I don't say anything, he continues, "I-I thought you knew—I mean—haven't you heard the people at school—haven't you heard Rich for crying out loud! He's always making fun of us—of, of how cute we could be—"

Right as he says this, I lean forward and hug him. He tenses up as I envelop his body in mine—but almost immediately relaxes into me. He smells like a mixture of Smarties and wood smoke, for reasons that I don't know. I also catch a faint whiff of his basement couch. It smells nice. It smells like home. I breathe in deep trying to hold as much of that smell as possible when Michael quietly sobs into my ear.

"Oh. Oh, no, no no no no no. Don't cry, Michael."

"I thought—I thought you, you wouldn't—you wouldn't—"

"Shhh, it's fine." We've been hugging for a bit longer than what could be considered normal, but I don't want to let go. I don't want him to hurt.

"S-So, you don't mind? You don't mind being friends with a-a homo?" his voice catches slightly.

"Pfft, of course not." I laugh softly and pull him closer. "If you leave your brother behind, it's lame."

Michael sniffs again then starts laughing with me. We laugh somewhat hysterically together—Michael's head buried in my shoulder—for a long time until he finally pulls away and looks at me.

"Alright, dude." He smiles one of his stupid grins at me again. "I know you're straight, so no homo, right?"

"Nah dude, full homo."

"What, wait, uh, really?" Michael's tan cheeks flush a deep red.

"Yeah man, I'm, uh, I'm bi?" My voice goes up at the end, making the statement not nearly as strong as I had hoped. I anxiously pick at the flaking cover of the couch.

"Oh." Michael's stupid, stupid grin slowly spreading across his face. "Oh."

My face grows warm. "Yeah, so that's exactly why I wouldn't ever be not okay with you being you. Besides, I like the you that you are now."

"Reallyyyyy?"

"Yeah. You're my favorite person," I blurt out, then immediately regret it.

"I'm your favowite person?"

"Y-yeah..." I blush and look away.

Michael laughs. It's a beautiful, singsongy laugh. He grabs the controllers next to him and hands me one.

"You up for a round?" 

Anddd the end. Again, this chapter was written by @possiblygwen and @DiamondDust684. Also, by the way, the cover art is not ours. We found it on Pinterest by a Tumblr user, who although I don't know they're name, they are very talented, so kudos to them :)