Lori watched Kyle with an appraising smile.
"You okay, hunny?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes," Kyle said curtly, drawing himself out of his hurtful ponderance.
"If you're sure..." She frowned walking away.
That's when the power went out.
Lori suggested they all play a board game, Kyle was more than happy to give it a try, but Josh seems less enthusiastic. It confused Kyle, at least until the accusatory glossy pages of 'Playhouse' spill out of the Ouji board box. This intrigued Kyle, are all of these people so ashamed of sex? Was it not as natural as breathing, eating, sleeping? He supposed not, as he felt himself stuttering out, "I-is it my turn?" This was it, he just needed to know. "When is my birthday?"
"You do know this is just a game," Lori admonished, concern etched into her features. Kyle tuned her out as the piece began to move under their fingers. Eventually they had all let go but Kyle, leaving his fingers the only one carried by either a helpful spirit or a piece of his subconscious, breaking free. "781227," Kyle whispered.
Later on that night, Kyle's family consumed the cake Nicole had baked. Lori announced that she would share her birthday, and this delighted Kyle. He became overjoyed when he felt the small pressure on his cheek from Amanda's lips. He smiled, his wish had come true.
The next day, he found himself brooding once more; he was grateful for Stephen's suggested distraction, the only thing that allowed him to think clearly: basketball. He enjoyed the Zen-like feel of the mathematical calculations buzzing through his mind as he shot the ball into the hoop over and over again.
He didn't even notice when Charlie and Amanda came up behind him.
"Nice!" Charlie enthused, making Kyle almost-jump.
"Thank you," he said quietly, a small fringe of hair brushing his eyes. Charlie couldn't help but think betraying thoughts like 'cute' and 'alluring' when he looked into those soft, coal eyes. And that's why he missed his own Benedict Arnold voice asking Kyle to join the team. At least I get to see him smile, he thought, giving Kyle a smirk of his own.
Kyle missed the next couple of baskets, looking after the couple and wondering what that look Charlie had gave him meant, if anything. Nicole always said he thought too much.
When Kyle showed up at practice, Charlie sprinted over, and when he saw the boy's appearance he had to suppress a hysterical giggle that threatened to bubble up.
"What's up, dawg?" Then he just couldn't help laughing at the cute expression on Kyle's face. "It means, 'Hello, how are you?'" he said cheerfully, reaching up to take off the sweat band on Kyle's forehead, letting his fingers linger in his soft dark hair. Kyle blinked at him owlishly, trustingly. He suddenly wanted to test that trust, and he had to look away.
He led Kyle over to the team, introducing them to the odd boy that had caught his affections. They seemed open, but Declan was downright angry. His eyes burned green with jealousy every time Kyle's lithe form made the perfect shot. The coach took some swaying, but after seeing Kyle's skill, he had come around.
After practice, Charlie had felt obligated to drive Kyle home; Amanda had a previous engagement with a friend after all. He just needed the company, right! Kyle had seemed eager, telling Lori to go home without him. She had agreed, happy to see him making friends.
They sat in uneasy silence for the first ten minutes, and just when Charlie began to doubt his decision for company...
"When is your birthday?" Kyle said brightly.
"Why, planning on getting me something?" Charlie teased, laughing when Kyle seemed to actually consider that. "You don't have to! It's January 20th... Why do you ask?"
"Because I don't know my own." Kyle stared straight ahead, being sure to control any visible sign that that bothered him in even a small way.
"Oh, Kyle," Charlie tried for consoling. "I'm sorry..."
"No! It's okay." Kyle grinned. "Lori said I could share hers." So. Cute. The corners of Charlie's lips twitched noticeably. "Are you okay, Charlie?" The real flecks of concern in Kyle's eyes made Charlie laugh. The concern only deepened.
"Of course I am," Charlie said sincerely. "You're amusing," he pointed out, laughing until tears came into his vision. "Hey, Kyle..." No, the inner-Charlie groaned. Just Shut. Up. NOW. But of course his brain would do no such thing. The boy in question just looked to him, curiosity clear and real on his face. Charlie bit his lip. "You want to go somewhere?"
"Oh, want to go a lot of places," Kyle enthused. When he looked to Charlie expectantly, he realized he had gotten it wrong again and he deflated. "That wasn't what you meant, was it?" Charlie chuckled.
"I meant now. With me." His eyes sparkled mischievously.
"To.. "hang out"?" Kyle tried, full with air quotes. He smiled when Charlie laughed at him this time. When his family did it, he felt threatened, but when his kind-hearted team-mate did, he could somehow sense that it was an entirely 'with him' laugh, and no part was 'at' in any way.
"Right," Charlie said, nodding. "To talk maybe?" Kyle smiled at that, he didn't get to talk to many people but Josh. And he was quickly realising how dangerous it could be to listen to Josh.
Charlie pulled up to a small clearing. As much as he tried to suppress his current interest in the boy wonder, he couldn't help but be intrigued. He knew others were as well, but Charlie couldn't stop the nagging suspicion his "interest" was a bit more solid. He gulped.
"Want to um. Get out?"
"You want me to leave?" Charlie winced at the hurt in Kyle's voice.
"That wasn't what I meant.. I'm getting out too, see?" He opened the door for example's sake.
"Oh." Kyle followed him to the hood of the car where they both sat.
"So what do you think of the team?"
"I really like basketball," Kyle started earnestly. "But I don't think Declan wants me there." His eyebrows knitted together in a way that Charlie couldn't not notice. The betraying thoughts supplied a more insistent, 'sexy'. Charlie sighed in defeat.
"I wouldn't worry about him, he always comes around," he assured. Kyle looked genuinely consoled.
"Thank you." This boy was so sincere Charlie could cry. But wouldn't because that was unmanly and... yes, it was the antithesis of manly, and did he need a better reason?
"What for?" Charlie's eyebrow's rose to his hairline.
"Making me feel better." Kyle smiled. Charlie melted, leaning forward subconsciously. Kyle felt his proximity to the other boy and shuddered. What was this new feeling? It was nice. Nicer than the companionship he felt with his family or Declan, nicer even than Amanda's stolen kiss. "Butterflies," he murmured seriously.
"What?" Charlie said, Kyle's words breaking the spell as he leant a safe distance away once more. A more... manly distance.
"Butterflies: Nicole said that when you feel excited or anxious your stomach feels like it has butterflies trapped in its confines," Kyle explained animatedly. Charlie choked.
"Did you feel that way?" he whispered, leaning so that his shoulder was touching Kyle's, their faces mere inches apart. "When I did this?" He pushed his thigh closer to Kyle as well so that their legs rested together pleasantly.
"Yes," Kyle breathed out, inching even closer. He rested his lips on Charlie's hesitantly, as Amanda had done with her lips on his cheek. He went to move away and found strong hands wound in his hair. He decided it was a pleasant feeling. As was the tongue requesting entrance past his lips. He groaned, allowing Charlie to take lead in the kiss as he suckled his lower lip and brought their heads even closer. When Charlie finally pulled away, he bit back a whimper, realising that he needed to breathe.
He looked at the boy who had given him his first kiss and he smiled, bringing up his fingers to trace the strong jawline.
"Thank you," he breathed sincerely, for the second time that evening.
Charlie just cried, and to hell with being manly.