It was just a picnic. Nothing too fancy, but big enough that he would remember it for a long time.

That is, if I don't ruin our friendship.

Today is the day that I'm going to come out to Ian. I was going to come out after I told Kalel, but her reaction scared me.

It hadn't been pretty.

I decided to tell her over a fancy dinner, much like the picnic I have set up today.

When she sat down, I cleared my throat.

"You're so wonderful, Anthony." I looked up at her and she was staring at me sadly, as if knowing I was breaking up with her.

I faked a smile. "You are, more than me, though."

She smiled back. "See? Your so sweet."

I chuckled and cleared my throat again. "Yeah... Look, um Kalel-"

"Anthony, whatever you're going to say, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. For whatever I may have done to displease you-"

"Oh no! It was nothing you've done, I swear! It's just that... you're a... girl."

Her face fell. "What?"

"Kalel, I'm sorry. I'm gay."

She sat for what felt like hours before she stood up. "For how long?" She asked, still calm.

I sighed. "I don't know. I guess it's been... about fifteen years now?"

She took a breath. "So you never loved me?"

"Not as a girlfriend, no."

She laughed angrily. "And here I was thinking that I was going to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams."

"Kalel-"

"I was such a fool! How could you let me live with your lies, Anthony? HOW?"

My eyes began to water. This was a bad idea. "Kalel, I'm sorry! I didn't tell you because I was afraid of coming out... to anyone! I needed a cover-up and I'm just... I'm so sorry."

She was yelling now. "You USED me, Anthony! God, I HATE you right now. Get out. Get out right now!"

I was sobbing now.

"Kalel, please-"

"NO! And don't ever let me see your sorry ass EVER again!"

And with that, I never saw her again.

I shivered at the flashback. If that were to happen to Ian and me...

I think I would LITERALLY die.

I sigh and look up. That's when I notice a large oak tree in front of me. I smile.

I remember when I was little, my mom would take me to the pool. Before I would even step foot into the pool, I'd spend half an hour just climbing the trees. Then, after a couple hours, I'd get out there and get back to climbing.

I wonder if I've still got it, I think.

I grab the lowest branch and heft my slender body onto it. From there, it's easier to climb. I almost lose my footing once, putting my foot in a crevice that was clearly too small for my size 12 tennis shoe.

When the branches grow too thin for me to climb any higher, I look down.

"Shit."

I'm at least fifty feet away from the ground.

"Anthony?" I hear someone call up to me. I know that voice.

"Ian!" I call back down. "I'm up here!" He walks into line of sight and I grin as he looks up.

He shields his eyes from the sun by squinting and putting his hand on his forehead. Even from way up here, I catch his smirk. "Stuck?" He laughs.

"No!" I shout uncertainly. I remove my foot from the crevice it's in and almost fall again. "Maybe..."

He laughs. "Here, I'll come and help you." I watch with awe as Ian climbs up the tree with much more grace than I had.

When he reaches me, I stand there, my jaw nearly touching my feet. "What?" He asks.

"I just didn't know you could climb is all." I say, closing my jaw.

He laughs. "We used to climb together all the time, remember? We'd have those climbing competitions at school! One time, I remember you fell and I started laughing and all the kids got mad at me and sent me away."

I actually do remember that. I smirk, though, because he mixed up one little detail. He didn't laugh, he cried. The kids made fun of him for acting gay and that's why they sent him away. I don't correct him, though.

"Yeah, I remember now."

We stand there, just looking at each other. I love Ian.

I love him so much.

"Anthony?" He says, sitting down on a branch.

I look up at him, blushing. "Yes?"

He turns away. "Nevermind."

Disappointed, I begin to climb down. "Coming?" I ask him. He smiles shyly and I reach out my hand. Hesitantly, he takes it, and my heart flips at his touch.

Together, we climb down the tall tree, not letting go once. It was a bit difficult, but we managed.

At the bottom lay a picnic.

We sit down, finally disconnect our intertwined hands. I pull him out a sandwich.

"Ian," I breathe. Somehow, though, I think that it will be tell Ian than it was Kalel. He's been my friend since sixth grade. I hope that this doesn't ruin our relationship.

"Anthony," he says. "I need to tell you something."

This surprises me.

"Uh, yeah. Actually, I do, too. That's kinda why I brought you out here. You first, though."

He smiles and looks down at the red blanket that I've laid out for us. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time, actually, but I was afraid how you'd feel about it." He looks up and I stare intently into his big, blue eyes.

"I think I'm in love with you."

My heart melts.

I pull him for a kiss almost immediately. He kisses back, passionately. I caress his cheek gently as his lips move in sync with mine. He pulls away but then moves to my neck, kissing me gently. I shiver.

"Ian..." I whisper. As I lean closer to him, I accidentally knock over the pitcher of lemonade and am forced to retreat.

"You klutz," he laughed.

I blush and rub the back of my neck. "Sorry, babe," I blurt out. As soon as I say it, I cover my mouth. "Whoops!" I say.

He laughs. "I like it, though. I mean, you could've called me "Muffin Cakes" or something corny like that."

"So... we are dating?"

"Of course! I mean... as long as it's okay with it." I catch his blush.

I laugh. "Duh! Believe it or not, I was actually going to come out to you today. I didn't have the nerves to tell you how in love I am with you, though."

"How about now?" He smirks.

"Ian Andrew Hecox," I begin. "I am in love with you. There is no one I would spend my life with. I love you to galaxies out of the unknown universe and back times a million."

Ian laughs. "That's a lot of love."

"You deserve it, Ian. You're amazing."

He blushes. "Yes, I am." We laugh.

He kisses me again.

"Beautiful. So damn beautiful."

"Me?" He laughs.

"Yes, you. I love you, Anthony."

"I love you, too."

I look up at the tree, its branches swaying in the wind, as if it were waving to us.

"Do you think that tree got us together?" I asked.

He smiles. "Maybe it did." We stand up and hold hands. "We need to remember this moment."

I nod and pull out a knife I keep in my pocket for safety measures. I walk over to the tree and write:

Ian + Anthony
Love Forever

"Seems accurate," Ian says.

I pull him in for a hug and never let him go.