Secrets (boyxboy)

~Chapter Thirty Two~

"How was your art exhibition?" Parker asked his flatmate, who had finally emerged from his bed after many hours of just sleeping. It was obvious he was tired from his recent trip, but he was glad to be back with his friend, and Parker was glad to have him back. He needed him to be back after finding out about his brother's illness.

"It was good, actually. Someone wanted to buy some of my work, but I said no," Xander told him.

"What? Why?" Parker questioned. That sounded like an amazing opportunity that any artist would want.

"Because... I worked hard on it. I don't want it to go away to someone else, especially because the piece is so personal," Xander answered.

"I still haven't seen what you've been working on for so long," Parker reminded him. Apparently Xander had been meaning to show him for weeks, but he came up with a different excuse not to every time. Maybe he was just scared to have it be judged by someone close to him.

"Yeah well... some day," Xander muttered quietly. "Anyway what did you do while I was away? I see you didn't put the Christmas decorations up," He commented.

Parker chuckled half-heartedly, then his laugh and smile faded. "I got some news."

A serious expression appeared on his flatmate's face. "Did something happen with Will? Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah Yeah," Parker responded immediately. "We're great... It's Elliot."

Xander gulped. "Is he okay?"

Parker shook his head, eyes welling up with tears at the recent news. "He has cancer."

"Shit Park," Xander pulled him into a hug, tears also forming in his own eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"I haven't told anyone yet," Parker explained, taking a deep breath to try and stop the tears.

"Not even Will?"

He shook his head. He couldn't tell Will, not when he had so much already going on with his own family. That would only give him one more thing to worry about, and the boy didn't need that. He couldn't do that to him, so he would wait and deal with it on his own. As long as he was there for Elliot, everything would be fine. There was no need to worry his boyfriend. And it's early stages, so there was a chance he would be fine because they caught the cancer so early.

"I can't tell him," Parker admitted.

"You can't keep this a secret. You can't keep everything from him, it's not good for you," Xander reminded him, then sighed.

"I know but... It would ruin everything. One more secret won't hurt, just until things with his family get better," Parker said more to himself than to Xander, just for reassurance. Everything would be fine, because Will needed to be protected. "I could tell Jack about me and Will..."

Xander gave him an incredulous look. "Are you insane? If Jack finds out you're dead, and Will doesn't know the whole truth. You said you would tell him the truth. He has to know."

"Maybe I could convince Jack not to get mad." Parker gulped.

"Not again, Parker. You can't do this again. Will can't get hurt," Xander said. "You said this was different, that Will was different. You love Will, and telling Jack just isn't safe. He needs to hear the truth from you, not his brothers."

"I can convince him," Parker determinedly told him. "I know I can."

"You can't." Xander shook his head, grabbing his friend's shoulders and making them face each other. "You can't Parker. Will can't get hurt."