The Rebirth

“I heard you were gay.”
Well, yes, actually. This wasn’t new news. Nico had only come out of the closet- say, you know- four years before.
“Um,” Nico responded for lack of a better response. He squinted up. “Yes?”
The guy was built. Definitely strong. Definitely worked out. Naturally blonde hair and “sparkling” brown eyes. Nico zeroed in and took in these details like it was natural to him. After four years, it finally was starting to feel natural to him. To dissect guys out in public. And to have nobody care.
Anyways. Built. Blonde. Sparkling eyes. He was very polished, very tan, very easygoing.
And so very not Nico’s type.
Nico looked back down, sitting back, and sighed. His hair was out of his face for the first time in years, for a fresher look- not all shaggy around his shoulders like it used to. It was still messy and mussed in all different directions, but now he could see. He could see the world. He could see guys without feeling terrible.
Nico drifted back to how he felt five years ago. It was definitely different now. He was still a little moony, a little sad sometimes, but… life wasn’t painful for him. Eighteen years old. Not dead yet. Not even hanging out with the dead twenty-four/seven like he used to! What accomplishments!
And yet, he still felt… like he was waiting. Like he was suspended in a surfaced life. A relatively happy “surfaced life”, but still.
The built guy coughed. Nico looked up again, a tinge annoyed.
“Well, I’m gay.”
“Good for you,” Nico started to say, but the guy cut him off.
“So we’re going to go out.”
After a small note of surprise, and a little bit of admiration at this guy’s guts, Nico rose in exasperation and started brushing off his jeans. He happened to go through this a couple times before, and he’s practically gotten this speech memorized.
He squinted into the other guy’s eyes. “Let’s just go out, because we’re one of the only gay guys of the same age here in this community! It doesn’t work like that. I have to like you first. Sorry. That’s kind of how relationships work.” He backtracked. “Nice, though. Very direct. Very straight-forward. That’s attractive, I guess, but not enough.”
There was a pause. The guy actually laughed and backed off. Nico studied the set jaw, the forced biting of the teeth, his expression. There was a little bit in hurt in there.
He seemed like a nice guy, Nico thought with a small pang. How sad.
And with that, and a small feeling of pride, Nico gave a tight smile and walked out.


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Notes

Sassy Nico is a Good Nico. Much longer chapter tomorrow! Double update tomorrow, actually:)