Cyrus swore he could feel the walls closing in around him. He felt his chest begin to tighten, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. TJ remained silent, looking down at his half eaten slice of pizza that laid on his paper plate. After five minutes of grueling silence, TJ looked up at Cyrus.
"So do you still like him?" TJ asked quietly.
"TJ, I can explai-"
"Cyrus." TJ said a bit louder. "Do you still like him?" He repeated calmly.
"No of course not! He's a good friend, and that's all we're meant to be." Cyrus paused. "But you... you are different." Cyrus scoffed at his incoming monologue.
"I used to be afraid. Jonah... he did nothing wrong really. It's just I realized that it wasn't meant to be. He's straight, I'm not. The trauma of having to play both sides really took a toll on my heart. Him and Andi would date on and off, and I sat there and said nothing. I was happy for Andi because, well she's one of my best friends. But there was always that part of me who envied her. Then you came along. I was so scared of you, but then you actually talked to me. You gave me a chance to get to know you. Then I was scared of myself. Scared that I was going to give into another relationship that wasn't meant to be. Another Jonah situation so to speak. But you proved me wrong." Cyrus smiled and reached across the table and grabbed TJ's hands. TJ was speechless. He had no response.
"I-I-uh..." TJ hesitated.
"Shhh." Cyrus hushed. "Sometimes things are best left unsaid." TJ broke a smile.
"I'm scared too." TJ choked out.
"Of what?" Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows.
"I-I don't know. I have this stupid reputation. I don't know if I can come out yet." TJ's smile faded.
"You're in no rush. I'm still not out to everyone yet." Cyrus said.
"But this relationship-"
"Can still happen." Cyrus cut TJ off. "Nobody needs to know, until we're ready. Well except for my friends, I think they put it together." Cyrus chuckled and TJ's smile returned.
"They're the least of my concern." TJ chuckled too.
————————————————————————
Amber crept her way downstairs and peeked into the living room. Cyrus and TJ were cuddling on the couch, watching some movie.
"Oh look, no more romantic tension." Amber said, waltzing into the room.
"Nope." TJ rolled his eyes.
"Whatcha watching?" Amber asked, sitting down on the adjacent ottoman.
"Amber I'm gay." TJ blurted out.
"Hmm never heard of that one. Who directs it?" Amber rubbed her chin.
"No Amber I mean-"
"Yes Teej. I know." Amber smiled, went over to him and ruffled his hair. "I like it when you don't gel your hair." She said with a smirk.
"Ugh that was easier than expected." TJ said looking over at Cyrus, who was grinning wildly. Cyrus pulled him closer and leaned into his ear.
"I'm so proud of you!" He whispered.
"Oh! You should show Cyrus your glasses!" Amber suggested. Cyrus pulled back and stared at TJ in confusion.
"Glasses?" Cyrus asked.
"Yeah, I wear contacts during the day. Glasses at night." TJ replied nonchalantly.
"Huh." Cyrus scoffed. "You better look cute or else."
"Or else?" TJ raised an eyebrow.
"Or else I may be mad that you never told me you wore contacts." Cyrus joked.
"Hey it never came up!" TJ threw his arms up.
"Go get them." Cyrus began to push him off the couch.
"Alright, alright, I'm going." TJ whined as he was pushed out of the room.
Five minutes later, TJ came thumping down the stairs. Before he could enter the room, Amber pulled him aside.
"Hold up real quick." Amber said, ruffling TJ's hair some more, giving it that signature messy look.
"There." Amber smiled. "Now go get 'em tiger." Amber laughed, TJ rolled his eyes.
"Ta-da." TJ said monotonously, sarcastically doing jazz hands.
"Oh Thelonious, you dashing young chap!" Amber said with a poorly done British accent. Cyrus froze up. His face was red, like very very very red.
"Holy..." Cyrus choked out.
"Okay let's not get ahead of ourselves here." TJ said, turning slightly pink himself.
Cyrus took a good five minutes to think clearly again, and his first thought was how cute TJ looked. He looked like a man.
"Andi and Buffy gotta see this." Cyrus said pulling his phone out and snapping a picture. "They're not going to believe this." Cyrus began to text the picture to Andi and Buffy, while Amber and TJ looked at each other in slight confusion.
**
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