LGBT Short Stories and One Shots

I Said I Wouldn't Call

CW: Implied panic attack
Ship: Theo/Kyle sort of
Word Count: 1125

Theo never liked to be vulnerable. He had walls built up so high and thick that even his father couldn't get through them, and around those walls were chain linked fences that warned people away with big yellow yielding signs.

He hated prying questions and people caring. It was stupid, he knew, but he couldn't risk the hurt that came after the confession. His chest always felt heavier and his heart always felt tighter after. He hated it.

But he would always jump at the opportunity to help a friend out, especially one who was paranoid out of his stoned mind.

"Teddy, I swear," Kyle heaved into the phone, obviously trying to bite back tears, "if I go home he'll murder me. Literally. He'll-"

"Kyle," he coaxed, "You'll be safe. I promise," but Teddy even questioned his friend's safety. He'd never let him know that though.

"No, no!" Kyle sobbed before gasping for a breath, "He'll kill me. He'll see I'm stoned, and he'll- oh God."

"Kyle," Theo started. "You're going to be fine. Come crash at my place, and avoid him till morning. I promise. We'll work something out."

"Shit," Kyle gasped, before taking a few shaky, deep breaths. "Shit. Right. You're the rational one in this relationship."

"You good?" Theo asked, thinking about hopping on his bike and riding to go pick Kyle up.

"Yeah," he breathed through the phone, "I'm on my way." Theo stopped his pacing, not even realizing he was in the first place. He hummed and kept the phone firmly placed against his ear, not daring to hang up. A blanket of silence rested over the two boys, only occasionally being broken by a heavy sigh from Teddy's receiver.

"Theo?" Kyle asked after minutes of quiet.

"Yes?" he responded, sitting down at the edge of his bed, nervously twiddling with the loose threads of his quilt.

"Oh," Kyle sighed, before leaving another space of silence. "Just checking to see if you were still there."

But of course Teddy was. He'd never leave a friend high and dry like that. He would always sop up their problems and make them his own. Sure, he was hurt many times before because of that, but he's stubborn, and he liked things to go his way, no matter the outcome. And sometimes, something good comes from it.

"Okay," Kyle sighed through the phone, "I'm here. At the back door."

"Okay," Theo replied, getting up and walking out of his room and down the stairs. "I'm coming to unlock it." He whispered into the receiver, wishing not to wake up his family. He creeped toward the back door and quietly unlocked it and slid it open before hanging up and pocketing his phone.

Kyle looked horrible. His usually carefree messy look translated to Theo as paranoia. His hair was sticking up like Kyle ran his fingers through it too many times and his eyes were bright red, either from the weed or the tears. Theo's guess was both.

"Sorry," Kyle mumbled, tears spilling over. Theo couldn't help himself from pulling Kyle into an embrace.

"You're fine," he reassured, tucking his head against his friend beating heart. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, at least until Kyle's breathing and heart rate settled out.

"Come on," Teddy urged, pulling away from Kyle. "We're letting all of the hot air out." He slid the door closed and locked it, before turning back towards Kyle.

He was just staring. Staring as if Theo just did the most selfless thing anyone has ever done. Kyle's eyes were wide and his lips were gently parted, and Theo didn't want to admit he stared a bit longer than necessary at those lips.

"We should..." Theo started, causing Kyle to step forward and close the small amount of distance between the two of them. He leaned down so his face was level with Teddy's as he slowly leaned in.

"We should head upstairs," Teddy blurted, cringing at his volume level, and turning away from Kyle. He heard a dejected "oh" from Kyle as he led the way back up to his room.

"You can take the bed," he said, closing the door behind Kyle.

"Um... no?" Kyle chuckled, "it's your house. You take the bed."

"You're my guest," Theo rebutted, crossing his arms, "you take the bed."

"Well I'm not letting you sleep on the floor, or something," Kyle argued, referring to the floor, then the room with big hand movements.

"Who said anything about the floor?" Theo asked, uncrossing his arms.

"Well, I just assumed," Kyle scoffed, and sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Well, you assumed wrong, and-"

"Sleep with me," Kyle said. He didn't ask. He didn't command. He said it like it was a common phrase that came out of his mouth everyday.

"What?" Theo asked, staring at Kyle incredulously.

"I mean," Kyle mumbled, suddenly looking embarrassed, "we might as well." Theo kept staring. "Look, I'm tired and I don't want to argue. Can we please just sleep?"

"Fine," Theo agreed, continuing to stare at Kyle. Kyle got up off the bed and pulled down a corner of the quilt to get under. Theo decided to do the same, keeping himself a good distance away from Kyle.

"Night," Theo mumbled, clicking off the lamp and placing his phone on the bedside table.

"Goodnight," Kyle yawned, getting settled in next to Teddy, before stilling.

Silence fell between the two boys again, this time thick and uncomfortable, like the quilt on top of them. Theo couldn't doze off, aware of every move and sound from Kyle and every twine sticking into him. He held his breath when he felt an arm gently fall around his waist and pull him closer to the body of heat.

"This fine?" Kyle asked, his breath hot against Teddy's neck.

"Yeah," Theo's voice cracked, but he melted against Kyle, feeling the most relaxed he's felt in a long time. He let all stressful thoughts wash off of him, and into the sponge that was Kyle in that very moment. Sure, he'd realize how much he burdened Kyle, and sure, reality would come crashing down around him in the morning, but in that moment, Theo was calm. It shouldn't have been that way.

He should have been more worried about Kyle and he should have been taking care of him, but the pair leveled the other out. Teddy brought Kyle down, and Kyle brought Teddy up. Teddy never really felt the energy coming off of Kyle. His presence was just there. And Theo found a strange amount of comfort in that.

Theo found a strange amount of comfort in Kyle's arms at three o'clock on a Sunday morning.

Theo found peace.