The Fic Where Stephen Realizes He's Gay From a Picnic

Day 67

It was about a week since Hosuh had spoke to Jay and he was doing pretty okay! He'd been making an effort to talk to Stephen 'normally' and he recalls how Stephen was very caught off-guard by the sudden conversations. Hosuh knew it'd take a while for Stephen to open back up to him after everything that happened, but it happened smoother than he expected. He thought maybe at first Stephen would snap at him and accuse him of trying to pry the conversation out of him and Hosuh supposes that'd be somewhat true, but he mostly just misses talking to Stephen like a normal person. The small topics of "We should probably go to the grocery store soon," went to more engaging topics like "I think vacuuming up jello through a metal tube would be a pretty cool sound," which spurred a whole debate that ended in laughter. Hosuh couldn't be happier about this fact.

Even so, Thanksgiving nears and everyone except Hosuh would be going to see their families. Hosuh had celebrated Chuseok with his family in Korea back in September. When Hosuh was alone at home for the first time and longest time in a while, he realized that if he hadn't made those attempts to talk to Stephen, it would've ate at him inside and out. Of course the one thought he'd been having during that time was when they'd talk about everything, and it made him feel sick from the anxiety sometimes, but he's determined to wait until Stephen's ready. Even so, Hosuh made sure nothing collected dust in the house and had enough self-control not to snoop around while he was at it. It was lonely, and he didn't like the silence at first. When he was starting to get used to it everyone was already coming back from their Thanksgiving trips, and he remembers hugging all of them individually in a tight hold while whining about how much he missed them, and that he was bored.

Now, on November 29th, Hosuh was sitting on the couch with his friends and playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and he couldn't be happier. Hosuh is confidently an introvert but he loves spending time with his friends more than anything. He had begun to miss when they would go on adventures throughout October, but now that snow has really started coming down, there's nothing much they can do outside of the house. So video games were the next best bet.

Whatever the coming months bring, Hosuh's know he'll be okay.

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Stephen was definitely scared at first when Hosuh started talking to him directly a while after the talk he had with Daniel. He knows Hosuh hadn't forgotten anything, yet he was speaking to him like nothing happened at all. Even so, Stephen missed talking to him, and he missed the warm feeling in his chest when he did. So as he slowly eased back into talking to him, his heart felt less knotted and sometimes he forgets completely that they even kissed, argued, that their relationship could clearly become something more. In those moments where he forgets, he's truly living in the moment. Stephen loves the way Hosuh makes him feel, hooked on it maybe, even though his feelings are also his worst enemy. He's trying to accept that he has nothing to be afraid of as days go by.

And as days go by, he has to go visit his family for Thanksgiving for at the very least of three days. He felt homesick despite being home. His brother cheered him up though and would listen every time he would talk about Hosuh, not without some teasing though, which Stephen has gotten used to hearing by now from, he thinks, everyone. When he finally could go home, everything felt back to normal. Or at least, what normal had become. He's happy being back with his closest friends, where he's now playing video games with them.

It'd been a while since he'd stayed up so late, it's 1AM now and Jay and Daniel decided to dip and go to bed, so Stephen was playing Minecraft with Hosuh and giggling like an idiot when he gets caught sabotaging whatever Hosuh is working on. Despite his messing around, Stephen had a question in his head that he couldn't push away. He tries not to think too hard when he says it, "Hosuh, so, you like me, right?" Hosuh looks at him for a second, confused a little so Stephen gets embarrassed about the question he's trying to lead up to, "Well sure you're bound to, Stephen is the greatest, but I mean like... Love me," Realization dawns on Hosuh's face so he quickly assures Stephen, "Yeah," His tone is cheerful when he says that, but if anything Stephen feels more flustered from the confirmation, "Okay, so... When did you realize that?"

Hosuh thinks about it for a second before putting his hands together and looking away, probably feeling a little embarrassed himself, "Well... I realized I loved you in maybe... July? But I didn't do anything about it, I just had it processed in my brain, but I'm sure I've loved you for a lot longer than that," Stephen let that settle in his brain, feeling a little inferior with how much longer Hosuh has had feelings for him. "How about you then? If you want to talk about it at least," Hosuh looks at him in wait of an answer, Stephen decides he might as well admit defeat with his shorter crush time, "So you know the picnic we had near the end of September? Then," Hosuh looks surprised for a moment, "Oh, I should've guessed that, you've been weird ever since October came around," Stephen laughs quietly, unsure of where to take the conversation, he goes back to focusing on Minecraft.

Hosuh scoots right up to Stephen's side and goes back to focusing on the game too, but Stephen knows Hosuh wants to talk more about it. Stephen still feels that he needs more closure as well, "We can talk about stuff more, you can bring up any stupid thing I've done the past two months right now," It takes maybe ten seconds but Hosuh says "We made out under someone's porch on Halloween," with bewilderment in his voice, Stephen was gonna but in, but Hosuh kept going, "We have won each other plush friends, we have cuddled and held hands but we already did that sometimes, we have made cookies together and assaulted each other with flour, you've pierced your ear, made a Halloween costume inspired by Seoltang, pinned me to the wall and floor in laser tag, and all I had to do was style my hair. I'll even braid my hair right now," Stephen laughs as Hosuh shakes his hair out and starts braiding his hair, "No, no, allow me, you can build your Minecraft house," Hosuh giggles a little and readjusts so Stephen can braid his hair.

Stephen is gleeful to have Hosuh's hair in his hands again for a lot longer than previous times and actually being sober while doing so. "Stephen, I'm gonna say it," Stephen directs his attention back to the voice, "Do you have a weird kink for hair or something? Just wondering," Stephen laughs a squeaky laugh, the fact that he could wake Daniel or Jay doesn't even pass his mind, "I don't think so?! What?!" Stephen messes up the braid and undoes it all, trying to stop laughing before he tries again, "It was just a question, was I the first to ask?" "Yeah! Yeah you were," Hosuh laughs out loud now, but quickly relaxes so Stephen braids Hosuh's silver hair right this time. "There. ...Why did you want your hair braided again?" Hosuh shrugs and shakes his head, "I don't know, but it's braided now," Hosuh scoots back and cozies back up against Stephen's side, and Stephen's happy that they can do this with the both of them knowing the feelings behind it.

He doesn't know if he's ready for anything committal, but right now, Stephen feels safe and sound right where they are.

"Wait, we should do something fun tomorrow, I've been wanting to do something exciting again," Hosuh hums after speaking, thinking of something, and Stephen's brain tries to come up with a fun activity too. Then an idea hits him, "I could try teaching you a dance," Hosuh gasps lightly, "I don't know if I can do that though..." Stephen cuts off Hosuh's doubt, "No it's fine, I haven't danced in like ten years, it'd be a learning experience for us both," Hosuh laughs and nods, before realizing, "Oh you know what, we should've gotten pumpkins to carve for Halloween! We can make up for it when we decorate the house with Christmas stuff," "Hell yeah!" Stephen holds his hand up and high fives Hosuh, but Hosuh just starts holding his hand when their hands meet, making Stephen laugh lightly, "We have plenty of time to figure fun activities out, but..." Stephen picks up his phone and turns it on, "It's about to be two in the morning," "Oh, shit," Hosuh laughs after the initial shock.

Hosuh leans on Stephen's shoulder despite the time, and as much as Stephen would like to cuddle with Hosuh right here and now, there are things just as important. "Hosuh, we gotta get up. It's time for bed and I need to turn the TV off," Hosuh hums and squeezes Stephen's hand, not yet to let him go yet, "I'll let you get up if you come visit my stuffed animal kids," A proposition that Stephen would take without hesitation since it's Hosuh asking, but Stephen confronts what Hosuh's request really is, "You're just trying to make me cuddle you," "But am I convincing you?" Hosuh says without even a second to think, and Stephen rolls his eyes before scoffing, "Yeah," and with that Hosuh takes his weight off Stephen, only letting go of his hand once Stephen was going out of reach, laughing quietly about it after.

Stephen realized his feelings were originally just rose buds, now they're fully bloomed. Maybe they'll be intertwined with a certain someone's roses, that is, once he's ready.