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“Here’s to turning 26 and a full fucking ride to grad school!” Elena held up her glass, clinking it with the rest of the group.
Kip tried to put on a smile as cheers went up around the room. Shawn gave him a nudge, “C’mon, make a wish.”
Kip looked down at the candle burning in his cupcake. Make a wish. The only thing he wished for right now was the one thing he couldn’t have. He’d gotten into grad school, he had enough money to actually go to grad school, and everything in his life was shaping up like he wanted. Like he thought he wanted.
Because even though Kip had everything he’d been working towards for years, there was this big gaping hole in his chest. And he kind of wanted to cry. Which was ridiculous because he’d been crying practically non-stop for days so he really should be out of tears by now. And he couldn’t cry tonight because it was his birthday and he was with his friends, who he was so, so grateful for, so he needed to put on a happy face. Because he had the people he loved surrounding him, even if the one person he really, really wanted to be there, wasn’t.
So he blew out his candle and wished for more of this – more love and friendship and getting everything he wanted.
Shawn patted him on the back and Maria gave him a hug and Kyle brought over another round of drinks. Kip tried to laugh along, and no one pointed out that the tv over the bar wasn’t playing a hockey game for the first time in months.
This was normal. This was what normal people did. Because Kip was a normal person and this is what he wanted and that was the whole fucking problem—
“Oh, hello there,” Maria’s amused voice came from behind him. It had enough intrigue to make Kip turn around, expecting to see her chatting up a handsome stranger.
There was definitely a very handsome man standing in the door of the bar. Except he wasn’t a stranger.
Kip’s heart stopped.
“Hey,” Scott Hunter gave him that shy smile Kip had come to love. Because Scott Hunter was standing in the door of the bar.
Kip couldn’t breathe. Scott was here. At a gay bar. With his friends.
“I uh,” Scott rubbed the back of his neck, not moving from the doorway. “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
Kip felt frozen, like if he blinked or breathed or just collapsed to the floor whatever hallucination he was having would break and Scott would be gone.
Luckily, Elena was more on top of things, “That’s very nice of you. Why don’t you come in?”
She shuffled over to make room for Scott around their table, everyone else doing the same. Kip still didn’t move. His friends were shooting him odd looks, trying to get a read on the situation. They all knew that something had happened – Kip had been too sad to hide it – but he hadn’t confirmed the breakup for anyone since he’d barely even confirmed the relationship.
Maria stepped away from Kip’s side so Scott could take her place. She shot Kipp a salaciously raised eyebrow. Next to her, Shawn had the same one raised in concern.
Scott’s arm brushed Kip’s as he settled next to him. He looked down, searching Kip’s face, waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, Scott settled on, “Hi.”
Kip just looked at him.
Scott nodded, eyes turning a little sad like that was the confirmation he’d been expecting, “I’ll uh, just go then. Sorry to crash—”
“No,” Kip’s hand shot out to stop him, gripping Scott’s wrist. He marveled at it when his hand met solid muscle and bone. Real. Scott was really here.
He found Scott’s eyes looking down at him, pinched with concern. “You’re really here?” asked Kip.
He watched Scott swallow and glance nervously at Kipp’s friends. Watched him take a breath, seeming to settle on something. He squared his shoulders as he turned back to Kip, “I’m here.”
Kip felt his face break out into an uncontainable smile. Scott’s lips stretched to match it, letting out a little breathlessly joyous laugh.
Kip turned to his friends, “You guys know Scott, right? He gets smoothies where I work.”
Maria stretched out a hand with a grin, “That I do. Pleasure to formally meet you, Scott. I’m Maria.”
Scott, ever the gentleman, shook her hand with a polite smile, “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“Ok Mr. Hockey Player,” Shawn held out his hand next, eyebrows rising appreciatively at Scott’s firm grip. “Must be some smoothies you’re making, Kip.”
Scott blushed and for a second Kip was worried that this might be too much and Scott might leave, but instead he just took a breath and replied, “They certainly are.”
And just like that, Scott was part of the group, and everyone went back to laughing and talking. They sat next to each other in a public place and no one thought anything of it because the people who needed to know, knew, and didn’t make a big deal out of it. And the people who didn’t would only see a group of friends celebrating the birthday of someone important to them.
Kip and Scott might not be able to have everything right now, but this was a start. This was enough for Kip. And every inch that Scott’s shoulders relaxed and he eased into conversation with Kyle made Kip’s heart grow three sizes.
If this was what the foreseeable future was like, then Kip wanted all of it. As long as the people that mattered could be here, everyone with him together, then the rest of the world didn’t matter. Scott could sit next to him and they could be friends. They could be good at that. Except when it took almost the whole night for either of them to notice that Kip had never dropped Scott’s hand.
Yeah, the just really good friends thing might take some work.