A/N Thank you so much for 500 reads omg!! New chapter as a reward I guess :)

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Farren flopped down on the booth, seated across from Jesse.

They were in the food court at the mall and were waiting for the Mexican food they had ordered to arrive.

Farren found himself, for what must have been the hundredth time today, zoning out again.

And there was only one reason for this.

Kaden Rivers.

He wondered if Kaden had ran off to his own house last night.

Last night.. after they kissed.

It was his own fault, of course it was. He knew Kaden was in a foul mood, but pestered him anyway. He knew at the back of his mind at the time, that he was standing too close.

Kaden was drunk and in a bad mood. The kiss mustn't have meant anything to him.

As for Farren himself.. he didn't know what to make of it.

"Farren. Hello Farren. Can you even hear me?"

It was Jesse's voice that snapped him out of his thoughts. He focused his attention back to the boy sitting across from him in the booth.

"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking about something. What were you saying?" Farren asked, trying to pass off as carefree.

"I said the food arrived." Said Jesse.

Farren looked down, and sure enough it had. How didn't he notice that?

"I know." He shrugged, lying through his teeth.

Jesse could see through his lie as if it were glass. "Sure you did Farren." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Asked Farren in reply, faking innocence.

This only succeeded in frustrating Jesse further. "Cut the bullshit Farren. We've been friends for how long? Ten years. You don't think I know when something's up?"

He sighed in reply, staring down at his food for a moment before forcing himself to meet Jesse's questioning gaze.

"I'm fine. Well, at least I will be. Don't worry about me."

Jesse's brow creased as he looked at him with concern. "Farren, you can tell me."

"I can't." He mumbled quietly in reply, so low that it was almost inaudible.

"You can Farren. Maybe I can help you get through it?" Jesse encouraged him gently, his voice laced with concern.

He looked up at Jesse, scanning his face. He could trust him, he knew as much as that.

He gave in, realising that he was going to need help if he wanted to figure this thing out any time soon.

"Yeah okay." He nodded, earning him an encouraging smile from Jesse.

He took one last breath to psych himself up. He could do this. "I kissed someone. Or more like they kissed me. But I kissed them back." He blurted out, almost all in the one breath.

Jesse nodded slowly, taking it in. "Okay.. who was it?"

"Kaden."

He braced himself for impact, expecting a wave of emotions pass over Jesse's face. However, to his shock Jesse just shrugged casually.

"About time."

"Wait, what?" Farren managed to splutter out, thrown off by Jesse's casual reaction.

"I said, about time." Jesse repeated calmly, taking a bite of his burrito. "Man, this is good. Sometimes they made the sauce a bit too spicy but this is like a perfect balance."

Farren didn't know what to say, as he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "Enough about your stupid burrito, what do you mean by 'about time'?" He asked with frustration when he finally found his voice.

Jesse put down his food slowly, taking his time before looking up at him. "Farren, you do realise that your's and Kaden's sexual tension was so blindingly obvious?"

Wait what? "Ew Jesse. Gross. We did not have 'sexual tension.' We were just friends."

"No Farren, you and I are just friends. You and Kaden however.. bro just think about it. If I started winking and making sexual jokes at you all the time, you'd probably be really weirded out. But with Kaden.. you seem to not mind at all."

He had to admit that was probably true. "But that doesn't mean we have sexual tension. He's just got a flirtatious personality, it's nothing to do with me."

"Oh really?" Challenged Jesse.

"Oh really." Farren stated firmly in reply.

"Farren, you willingly sat on his lap for a whole movie. And he let you. You can say all you like about his flirty personality, but do you honestly think for second he would let even Luke sit on his lap? No. And they're best friends." Jesse reasoned, as if he was trying to explain something really simple to a child.

He thought about it for a minute. Jesse did have a point, he begrudgingly admitted.

"So what do I do now?" He asked, desperation seeping into his tone.

"Well that depends." Jesse replied calmly.

"On what?"

"Do you like him?"

Farren felt himself freeze. He had never allowed himself to entertain the idea that his feelings for Kaden were anything more than platonic.

"No."

"Farren."

"I don't."

"It's okay if you do."

"I don't."

"Okay." Jesse replied simply, sitting back on his chair and typing away on his phone.

Farren sat there for a minute, finally allowing himself to think. Did he like Kaden? As more than a friend?

But even as he asked himself the answer became blatantly obvious, as if it had been there since the start.

Yes, he did. How could he deny it any more, even to himself? Every time they touched, flirted or even sat in the same goddamn car, he felt like he was on thin ice, ready to fall at any stage.

And when they kissed. Oh my days. It was as if his heart had exploded out of his chest. He remembered every little detail, from the way Kaden's surprisingly soft lips felt against his own, the the way his hand ran through his thick dark hair, mussing it up perfectly.

"Okay maybe I do." He blurted out, unable to hold the feelings back anymore.

As soon as he said it, an alarm sounded from Jesse's phone. He looked up at him in confusion, but Jesse just shrugged his shoulders casually. "My guess was right." He said happily.

"What guess?" Farren asked suspiciously.

Jesse held up his phone to show that the alarm that had gone off was a countdown. "I knew you'd admit it in two minutes. And right on cue. God I'm getting better at this." Jesse nodded, seeming impressed with himself.

"You put a bet on my feelings?" Farren asked incredulously.

"Well, it wasn't so much a bet considering I'm only one here. But yeah, essentially I guessed it." Jesse nodded, as if it was the most casual thing in the world to bet on how long it took your straight best friend to admit he had feelings for another guy.

"But how?" He asked in shock.

"Farren, you're so predictable it's kind of baffling." Jesse replied, placing a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"So what do I do?" He asked with despair.

"Tell him."

"Jesse I can't tell him, you know I can't."

"I don't see why not." Jesse shrugged. Was he acting this stupid on purpose.

"He doesn't like me."

"Didn't you say he kissed you?"

"Yeah. Well, kinda. I mean, we were so close together and he was drunk and in a foul mood. I just kept annoying him and on his drunken state that was probably the only way he could think to shut me up."

Jesse rolled him eyes. "Farren don't be so stupid."

Okay, harsh.

"Jesse, I'm just trying to be realistic. Besides, even if doesn't hate me after it, nothing would ever happen between us."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not gay."

"Well neither are you." Jesse shot back.

"I'm not?"

Jesse rolled his eyes in frustration and let out a small laugh. "Farren, you've been attracted to probably a hundred girls this year alone. Your only attracted to one guy so far. I would saying your more bi than anything, but who cares? You don't need to go label yourself. Your not gay, your Farren. Simple as. You like a guy, who cares? Your still Farren, just a whipped Farren."

Farren nodded in agreement until he registered what Jesse had said. "Hey," he protested. "I am not whipped."

"Sure your not." Jesse replied, letting out a small chuckle. Prick.

"Whatever bro." Farren said, rolling his eyes before letting out a reluctant laugh.

God was he lucky to have Jesse as a friend.

XXXXX

It was evening by the time Kaden arrived back at the Milton residency. He had spent the day mostly with Luke, where he learned that Farren and Jesse were out at the mall together.

Kaden closed the front door behind himself, making his way into the sitting room when he heard Grace's voice call him.

There he found Grace and Jenny curled up together on the couch, Rowan resting between them. There was three mugs of hot chocolate on the table, and 'Friends playing with the volume down low on the television on the far wall.

"Hey." He greeted them with a small smile, feeling slightly like an intruder in their family time.

"Hi Kaden dear." Jenny greeted him warmly, looking up from her book and sending him a welcoming smile.

"Kadey!" Shouted Rowan excitedly, jumping up from her space on the couch and running over to greet him.

"Hey Rowan." he replied with a smile of his own, trying and failing to match her energy levels. But he just couldn't.

Much as he tried not to show it, he was exhausted. He had slept soundly through the night, but with all his worrying during the day, he was completely drained. He wanted nothing more than to just sit down.

His prayers were answered when Grace, seeming to sense his exhaustion, spoke up. "Rowan dear, why don't you let Kaden sit down. He's probably tired, why don't you wait until tomorrow to play with him."

Rowan obliged, albeit reluctantly, and made her way back over to her space on the couch.

He shot Grace a grateful smile. Much as he liked Rowan, he was too tired to be of much fun tonight.

"Kaden, there's a couple of things I want to bring in from the kitchen, would you mind giving me a hand?" Grace called over her shoulder as she made her way into the adjoining kitchen.

He towed behind her, coming to a rest in the kitchen He felt his heart start to race again as the memories of what happened the last time he was in here came flashing back. He replayed the kiss in his mind, each part of the room reminding him of a different aspect of it.

"Earth to Kaden." It was Grace's voice that snapped him out of his reverie.

He looked up to find her looking at him with concern. "Sorry." He said, smiling apologetically.

"Kaden, is everything alright?" She asked, voice laced with concern.

He was all set to deny everything he was feeling, to fake being okay. But as soon as he opened his mouth, a wave of emotion came over him, catching him by surprise.

Perhaps it was the fact that being in this kitchen just reminded him of how badly he had screwed up. Or perhaps, and he thought this was the more likely explanation, having someone actually care about him felt so new that it left him so vulnerable.

Growing up all those years without a caring mother figure, or father figure that matter, had really taken it's toll on him.

All it took was Grace asking him if he was okay and he broke down.

He felt hot tears beginning to pool in his eyes.

Grace noticed, and her expression softened further. "Oh honey," she said sympathetically, pulling him in for a hug.

By this stage, the tears had started falling and he let out a choked sob and he hugged her back, gripping tightly to her soft dressing gown.

"It's okay Kaden." She said soothingly rubbing his back as he let out another few sobs.

They broke the hug and she held him by the shoulders at arms length, smiling kindly. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked sympathetically.

Kaden surprised himself by finding the ability to use his voice. "Not really." He managed to say.

"You sure?" Grace asked. "I'm here for you Kaden." She said almost sternly.

God, why couldn't he have ended up with a mother like this.

"I'm fine. At least I will be." He said, giving her his best attempts at a reassuring smile.

"Okay sweetie." She replied. "Why don't you head on upstairs the bed and I'll bring something to eat up to you in while. You can throw on a movie on Farren's television if you want." She said, smiling kindly at him.

He just nodded in reply, not trusting his voice. He headed upstairs and into the room.

He stripped down until he was just in his boxers and climbed into his side, the right side, of the bed. He sat up at Farren's end so that he could see the tv screen, figuring that Farren wouldn't be home for at least another couple of hours.

But how mistaken he was, when a mere half hour later he heard the front door open and Farren calling out a hello to his family.

Kaden froze still, not knowing what to do. He heard the muffled voices from downstairs ceasing, and soon there was a loud clambering of footsteps heading upstairs.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit.

What was he going to do? He looked around the room frantically, hoping the wardrobe would swallow him whole and he wouldn't have to face this awkward situation.

But before he had time to prepare himself, he heard Farren's footsteps reaching the top of the stairs.

They paused outside the door for a moment, leading Kaden to believe that Farren was just as nervous as him.

Kaden waited with bated breath, and then finally, after what seemed like years of waiting, the door was pushed open and Farren stood there, a pizza box in one hand and a bottle of coke in the other.

The two made eye contact, both remaining silent.

"I brought food." Farren said, stating the obvious as he made his way over to the bed and sat cross legged facing Kaden, blocking his view of the television.

Then Kaden found the courage to speak. "We need to talk."

XXXXX

Hope you enjoyed! Xx

Qotc;  Biggest pet peeve?

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