Coming out, for Otto, was never an event. It was never a sit-down and talk feelings, never a fear of rejection or abandonment. Otto didn't sway one way or the other on "straight" or "gay". He didn't view himself as a sexual orientation, only a person, and didn't care about labels or anyone who hated him for who he ended up falling for. Liking boys was as casual to him as liking the color orange or liking to surf. A trait, not a defining factor. When his family and friends found out about him and Twister, it was, true to himself, casual.
The sun was setting over Ocean Shores, leaving a gorgeous red-orange sunset leaking across the skies. Otto and Twister sat atop the halfpipe at Madtown, hand in hand, watching the clouds float across the auburn sky. Twister let his head fall against Otto's shoulder, prompting Otto to smile and press a kiss against the younger boy's head. Otto gently grabbed Twister's chin to position him for a kiss when a rock hit just below their heels.
Standing at the bottom of the ramp were Reggie and Sam. "Where have you been?" Reggie asked, moving closer to the two. "We've been looking for you. Did you get my texts?"
"Cool it, Reg," Otto replied, pulling out his phone. "It's only—oh," he laughed, turning to show Twister the time. "Have we really been up here that long? I thought it was like an hour earlier."
"Dad's getting worried," Reggie said.
"Alright," Otto sighed, getting to his feet, pulling Twister up with him. "We're coming."
"Lars was worried, too," Sam said, moving closer to the boys as they climbed down the ramp. "But he fell asleep, so I'm out here with Reg instead."
Twister laughed nervously, debating whether or not to let go of Otto's hand. "That's Lars for you."
Otto, sensing Twister's tension and nerves, explained to Reggie and Sam, "Oh, we're a thing, by the way."
Twister tightened his grip and buried his face into Otto's neck.
He nuzzled his head against Twister's. Otto adored how bashful Twist got over things. It was, to him, one of the most adorable things about him. "We have been for a while."
"Not a while a while," Twister mumbled into Otto's neck, too shy to turn and face the gang. "Only a couple of months."
Sam furrowed his brow. "So you're both—"
"Twist goes with gay," Otto explained. "And I don't do labels. I like who I like, and that who is Twister."
Sam just nodded. "Oh, okay."
Reggie smiled. "Awww, my little brother and his best friend! Together!"
Twister shuffled closer to Otto but turned to face the others. "So you guys are… cool with it?"
Sam and Reggie turned to look at each other, nodding.
"Doesn't bother me, dude," Sam said.
Reggie walked towards Otto and Twister and closed them into a hug. "You know I love you guys."
Otto defensively nudged her away. Fist bumps, shoulder smacks, and high fives were cool, but aside from Twister, Otto didn't like to be touched. "We know," he said quickly. "I'll walk Twist home, okay? I'll come right home after. Promise."
Reggie sighed. "Fine, but if you're not home by 10, I'm coming back out to look for you, okay?"
Otto nodded, placing his hand on Twister's lower back and giving him a little push in the other direction. "I'll be back soon. Tell dad I'll be home in like 20 minutes."
Otto and Twister turned to walk to Twister's house, and Reggie extended the same courtesy and offered to walk Sammy home (not that it truly mattered either way—the kids all lived in the same neighborhood).
"I didn't expect to be caught," Twister said quietly, looking behind his shoulder to make sure the others were out of earshot. "But I'm glad they took it well."
Otto squeezed Twister's hand. "Were you afraid they wouldn't? I knew they'd be cool with it."
"You know I just get scared," he responded, voice still in just above a whisper.
Otto kissed Twister on the cheek. "We'll get through it. If anyone doesn't approve, we'll find a way to deal with it. Okay?"
Twister nodded. His voice was returning to a normal volume now. "I'm afraid of what Lars will say, but I don't want to keep hiding it from him."
"Do you want me to stay with you when you tell him?"
Twister shook his head. "I want to do it by myself. I have to."
Otto nodded slowly. "Okay, Twist. I know you can do it. I believe in you."
Twister smiled. "Thank you for believing in me."
Otto walked them up to Twister's doorstep and stood on his tippy toes to reach in for a kiss—puberty had given them both generous growth spurts, but Otto still stood a few inches shorter than Twister.
Twister laughed and ducked down a little, pressing his lips against Otto's.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow," Otto said, reluctantly letting go of Twister's hand. He stepped away from the porch and watched Twister go inside, making sure he got in safe.
Not 30 seconds after the door closed, Otto's phone buzzed. He had a text from Twister.
Text me when you get home so I know you're safe.
On the other side of the door, Twister slid his phone back into his pocket. He stood by the door in silence for a moment, contemplating whether or not now was the best time to tell Lars.
His older brother had fallen asleep at the dining room table, presumably waiting for Twister to get home. Their parents were out of town for the week, and, being older, Lars was left in charge of watching over Twister.
'Good a time as ever,' Twister thought to himself. He approached Lars, gently nudging him awake. "Hey, Lars?" He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes already. He was afraid, afraid of admitting his feelings, afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of how Lars might react. His voice felt tight in his throat.
Lars groggily lifted his head. "Oh," he yawned. "You're home, good."
Twister sat in the chair opposite his brother. He tried to compose himself enough to form words rather than choke out a sob.
"Hey, are you okay?" Lars asked, quickly losing the sleep in his voice. He was worried, genuinely; beneath it all, he cared for his little brother more than he'd ever admit.
"I'm—no, I— Lars, I—" Twister put his head down for a moment, trying to steady his voice. His body betrayed him, and tears quickly began falling down his cheeks. He took in a quivering breath and looked up at Lars.
Lars reached over the table to grab Twister's hands. This wasn't something he usually did, and the last time he could remember holding Twister's hand was begrudgingly at a mall when Twister was 8 because he was afraid of the clown walking around the food court and it was either hold his hand or carry him away. "What's wrong, Maurice?"
"I—I like boys, Lars," Twister sobbed, and Lars felt all the tension leave his body.
He let out a relieved chuckle. "Shit, little bro. You had me worried about you! I thought something was wrong!"
"B—but, I—"
"Not important," Lars said, waving his hand around to dismiss it. "You're my dorkass little brother, gay or straight. You know I just want you to be happy."
Twister smiled, sniffling. "You're not upset?"
"No reason for me to be." Lars stood up and gestured for Twister to do the same. "Get a glass of water and then get to bed, okay? We can talk about it tomorrow if you want, but we've both got school tomorrow."
"Can I… can I get a hug?"
Lars snorted. "Come here, twerp." He wrapped his arms around his little brother, rubbing his back for a moment. "I wouldn't care if you were sexually attracted to surf boards. Just be who you are and be safe."
Though not the side of Lars usually showing, Twister knew this side of his brother well enough. He was a pretty good brother, and though they didn't always see eye to eye, Twister knew his brother would always be there for him. He pulled away from the hug, offered Lars a smile, and turned to get himself a glass of water.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Twister's chest. He could breathe easier, he felt less tense, and, at least for now, it felt like the world was gonna be okay. His best friends and his brother supported him, and that meant the world to him.
Lars headed up the stairs. "I love you, dweeb."
"I love you too," Twister nearly whispered back, sleepiness replacing the fear he had felt before. He finished up his water, put his glass in the sink, and headed upstairs to get to bed.
He brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas then dragged himself to his bedroom and settled into bed, nuzzling under the covers. He checked his phone for the time and found a message from Otto.
I'm home. I'm safe. Reggie and I told Ray, he took it well. I'll see you at school tomorrow. Sleep tight, handsome.
Twister felt a small smile spread over his face as he closed his eyes once again, only interrupted by Lars lightly knocking on his doorframe. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, okay?"
A yawn and a sleepy nod acknowledged Lars's words. Twister was out for the night, his body shutting down whether he liked it or not. But a good night's rest filled the hours that separated him and Otto, and he wasn't about to fight it.