It was a small town and a pleasant place to be in. The wind was cool with the sun high up in the sky and one could hear the crickets chirping. It was a pleasant day.
A five year old had just moved into a house with his parents. Rylan Huxley.
Rylan was a timid boy. He had brown hair and amber eyes. He never talked to people voluntarily. And since his parents moved around a lot, he didn't have any friends. But he wanted friends. He wanted a lot of them.
One day he went to the park with his mom and there he met a loud boy. The boy had blond hair and was zooming around the park screaming happily. It honestly annoyed him but it also intrigued him.
The boy caught him staring and happily ran over to him and asked him to play with him.
"Do you want to play tag with me?" he asked with his dark blue eyes looking at him curiously.
"I do" Rylan nodded.
The boy was called Ayden. He was the same age as him.
Ayden was a hyper boy. His parents were sitting on the bench watching with a helpless look and a smile.
But Rylan played with him because it was fun.
They became friends that day.
_______
They found out they go to the same school.
Both of them were overjoyed.
"Rylan! I'll show you around my school!" Ayden exclaimed one day at the park after finding out.
"T-Thanks" Rylan timidly replied. New school. He always hated it. So many new schools, he hated it now.
Ayden grinned and took his hand and ran towards the swings.
"Ayden ah Ayden slow down!" Rylan helplessly said, trying to keep up.
"Nope!" Ayden replied with a grin and sat on a swing. "Push me, Rylan, come on hurry!"
Rylan stopped to take a few breaths then obliged.
"Wooo!" Ayden giggled.
Rylan smiled as well.
______
They were in the same class. They were happy. Their friendship grew steadily and all at once.
Rylan was intelligent while Ayden was average. Both of them would tease the other because of it.
But both of them passed the year with different grades yet matching smiles.
When they were six, they were put in different classes. Rylan was extremely sad and didn't want to go to school. So on the first day of school, Ayden showed up at his house with a big grin on his face.
"Rylan Rylan! Why haven't you gotten ready! It's the first day! Do you wanna get scolded?!" he said right as Rylan's mom opened the door and Rylan was hiding behind her.
"B-But we aren't together anymore. I don't wanna go" Rylan replied from behind his mom with teary eyes.
Ayden then unceremoniously invited himself in and took Rylan's hand and dragged him to the couch and made him sit down.
"Rylan, are you not my friend anymore?" he asked seriously.
"I am!" Rylan exclaimed immediately.
"Then why don't you wanna go? We are still in the same school, we can meet during lunch break" Ayden tried to reason.
"B-But I'll be alone. I don't wanna be alone" Rylan replied teary eyed.
Seeing normal reasoning wasn't working, "I'll get you chocolates. My dad brought a lot of them yesterday. Do you want?" he said then with a grin.
Yes, the thing was, Ayden had found out that Rylan loved chocolates. What better bribe than that?
"C-Chocolate?" Rylan was immediately intrigued.
"Yes yes! Let's go to school and then my mom will bring it to us after we leave. Deal?" Ayden asked.
After hesitating for a while, "Deal" Rylan replied and got up to change.
Both of their parents were very amused at Ayden's method but had absolutely no objections.
That day Rylan got to eat a lot of chocolates. And the day after that. And that. Actually he spent a lot of this school year being bribed by chocolate and getting dropped off to school. And then running around playing and laughing with Ayden.
_______
When they were seven, they didn't get the same class again. Rylan was sad but this time he didn't make a fuss but sulkily went to school. Ayden accompanied him with a big smile on his face.
Ayden had grown taller than Rylan in this last year. It was barely half a head but he never let Rylan live it down. And on top of that, Rylan's body structure was on the thin side while Ayden's was not. Rylan really looked so little in front of Ayden.
"Wait for me in the playground at lunch break! My mom gave me delicious food today!" Ayden said then with a big smile.
"Yeah" Rylan nodded looking up with a small smile. He will grow too. Definitely!
The days went by just like this. With Rylan waiting for Ayden at lunch and both of them eating the delicious lunch box their moms made.
But one day, Ayden was a little late. And some kids a year older than Rylan approached him. They wanted his lunch box. They said some things to him like how he was always alone and-
Well, they couldn't complete it because the next thing they knew, Ayden jumped out from who knows where and directly punched the guy.
The boy who was a year older than them and half a head taller than Ayden, was on the ground crying like a three year old.
Then Ayden picked up some stones and threatened the kids. The kids ran away crying and then Ayden gave a beaming smile and patted Rylan's head and said,
"What did your mom make today?" while sitting down beside him and trying to snatch the lunch box from his hands.
"Ay- Ayden! No! This is mine, you can't have it everyday! Noo!" Rylan tried but Ayden snatched the lunch box and stood up with a grin.
"If you want it back, you need to catch me! Come come!" Ayden said and started running around.
While Ayden was giggling and running around, Rylan was chasing him with a smile of his own on his face.
They both didn't get to eat at all that break because Rylan couldn't catch Ayden and Ayden didn't stop.
_______
Their days after that went very pleasantly. Their friendship grew and they became inseparable. And just like this, three years had passed.
That was when something happened.
Rylan's father said they might move away again.
It was night but Rylan still ran to Ayden's house with his tears never stopping.
When Ayden saw Rylan's state and heard what happened, he grabbed Rylan's hand and went back to Rylan's house.
When Rylan's parents saw Rylan back, they thanked Ayden. But Ayden simply told Rylan's mom to take him to buy him some chocolates and he wanted to talk to his father.
Naturally, both the parents were surprised by such words from Ayden.
But Ayden didn't wait. He went inside the house and found Rylan's father by himself. And Rylan's mom took him, confused by this whole situation.
He stepped inside the living room and yelled,
"You are such a bad father, Mister Huxley!"
Rylan's father was surprised when he heard that. So much that he couldn't say anything.
"How can you do this! Do you not care about Rylan at all?!"
"Of course I do, Ayden. But I have to do this. It's my job. I know Rylan is upset but he knows I have to do this" Rylan's father tried to coax Ayden.
Ayden immediately exclaimed, "No! You don't know anything about Rylan at all! Do you know how much he hates moving?! How much he hates losing friends?! Do you know that's why he never made any friends?!! Now after so long Rylan made a friend and now you want to take it away from him! If it were my dad, he would never do this! He would rather leave his job than make me sad! You are a bad father, Mister Huxley!" Ayden finished, crying now as well.
Rylan's father looked at him with surprise in his eyes. This kid really...
Then he asked, "So, your father would leave his job if something like this happened?"
Ayden was confused but he still replied firmly, "Yes!"
"Even if his job was very good?" he asked again.
"Yes! He told me his love for me is better than anything!" Ayden replied. He was not scared of Mister Huxley. For Rylan he would never be scared!
Rylan's father smiled then. "Is Rylan a really dear friend to you?"
"Yes! He's my bestest friend ever!" Ayden responded firmly.
Then suddenly tears started pouring out of Ayden's eyes and he said between his sobs, "So please Mister Huxley don't separate us. He's the best friend ever. Please Mister Huxley please. Don't take him away-" then he broke down crying loudly. He had been holding it for long but when the dread that Rylan was going to be taken away came back, his tears couldn't stop.
Rylan's father smiled and hugged Ayden, stroking his back and saying soothing words.
Then the doorbell rang. Rylan and his mother were back.
Rylan's dad picked up Ayden and went to open the door with Ayden in one of his arms.
The door opened and they saw Rylan in his mother's arms with puffy eyes. Both of them looked the same. It was a little funny.
"Why are you still crying, Rylan?" Ayden asked, sniffling and wiping his tears.
Rylan sniffled and said, "You know why" then he added looking at his dad, "Dad, what did you say to make Ayden cry?" with angry little eyes.
Mister Huxley had an amused smile on his face and replied, "I simply told him we were staying and he'll be able to be with you forever. It's happy tears, little Ry" he replied then.
Everyone was shocked hearing that. Even Rylan's mom.
Ayden immediately had a big smile on his face, "Mister Huxley, I love you!" and hugged his neck.
Rylan exclaimed with a happy smile, "Ayden! I'm staying! I'm not leaving! I'm not gonna- waaahhh" but he burst out crying mid sentence.
"You dummy don't cry! You're staying! Why are you crying!" Ayden said helplessly. So Ryan's father let him down and Rylan's mom did the same and Ayden hugged Rylan trying to calm him down.
"How about you stay over today, Ayden?" Rylan's mom asked then with a smile.
"Can I?" Ayden asked with a cute look.
"Of course! I'll inform your parents" Rylan's mom replied and Rylan's father went to call them right away and explained the situation.
After a few minutes he came back and said with a smile, "They agreed. Let's get you both to the room"
Both the boys cheered and jumped up and down and went to Rylan's room with big smiles on their faces.
And as Rylan's dad said that day, they didn't move. He left his job and took a job in this town. Rylan's family struggled for a while but soon they were better than before.
_______
Two years later,
The boys were twelve now. Their previous years went happily without much problems.
Right now, Ayden and Rylan were hurrying back to Rylan's house because Ayden got something in school today. A love letter. It was a love letter.
They locked themselves in Rylan's room and Ayden read the letter. It was from a girl. She was sincere in her words and polite.
"What, What are you gonna reply?" Rylan asked then.
"This" Ayden replied and wrote an apology and a rejection at the back of the letter without hesitation.
"Ayden! Why did you do that?? Isn't she a nice girl?" Rylan asked surprised.
"Sure sure. But I don't wanna date her. I'm still 12. I'm sure I'll get more opportunities in the future! Right now I'm completely fine staying with you and enjoying school" Ayden replied with a smile.
"Really??" Rylan asked surprised. He didn't know why, he was very happy when he heard that.
"Of course! Let's go to the ground and play now!" Ayden grinned and jumped up and dragged Rylan away.
_______
They were fourteen now. This is the year that everything changed for the both of them.
After that day when Ayden got that love letter, he got a lot more as the days passed by. It wasn't surprising. Ayden was a good person and he looked good as well. But he of course didn't date anyone. He just had a good friendship with them.
But that's not what's worth noting. What's worth noting is what happened with Rylan in these two years.
He got a few letters as well. But whenever he saw them, saw the beautiful girl who'd sent it, he.... felt nothing. He immediately got scared. Wasn't he supposed to feel butterflies in his stomach? So one night, with tears in his eyes, he went to Ayden's house hoping he'll know what's wrong with him.
When Ayden opened the door and saw Rylan's appearance, he immediately got worried.
"Rylan, what happened?! Did someone bully you?? I'll go punch them right now! Or did your dad scold you? I'll immediately give him a piece of my mind! Please don't cry! Tell me what happened!" he said panicking.
Seeing Ayden care so much, it made Rylan a little happy. So sniffing, he replied, "There's something wrong wi-with me, Ayden" he said trying to stop his tears.
"What do you mean! What happened?!" Ayden asked panicked.
Then suddenly added, "Wait. We shouldn't talk outside like this. Let's go to the lake. It'll be empty at this time" he said and grabbed Rylan's hand and walked to the nearby lake.
The lake was ordinary. There wasn't much there. But it was quiet at night. And sitting there on the grass, one could see the stars in the sky clearly.
They both sat down and Ayden asked then, "Now tell me what happened. And please stop crying. It makes me want to cry seeing you cry" he pleaded.
Rylan nodded and wiped his tears and said, "Ayden, I got a letter too"
"Huh? Well, that's great! Why are you crying then? Do you not like the person? I can help you reject them politely. You don't need to cry about something like that" Ayden explained confused.
"No, no. That's not why. I- I didn't feel anything. Didn't you say I'd get butterflies in my stomach when I see a beautiful girl I like. I saw a beautiful girl but I didn't get the butterflies. I-I felt nothing- Ayden, what's wrong with me?" Rylan stopped when his tears started flowing again.
Ayden was surprised to hear that but he didn't say anything. He first wiped Rylan's tears and then spoke,
"Shh shh. Nothing is wrong with you. You just don't like girls in general. It's not a big deal. Calm down" he said stroking Rylan's head gently and wiping his tears with his other hand.
"Don't-Don't like girls?! Then who do I like?!" Rylan said shocked.
Ayden sighed with a smile, "Really. How are you the top scorer in our school? Of course that means you like boys" he explained calmly.
"Boys...?" Rylan asked tilting his head to the side.
Ayden found that action really cute but he didn't say that. Instead he said,
"Close your eyes. Think about.... ten years from now. You have just come back from work. Your partner opens the door. Who do you see? Is it a guy or a girl?"
Rylan did as Ayden said and he didn't see a girl. He didn't see any guy either. He saw-
"Ayden!" he exclaimed surprised by what he saw.
"Yes?" Ayden calmly asked.
"B-Boy. It was um, a boy" Rylan timidly answered.
Ayden gave him a smile, "See. There's nothing wrong with you at all. So calm down"
"B-But doesn't that make me different from everyone? What if someone doesn't like me?" Rylan asked scared all of a sudden.
Ayden sighed. This guy really overthinks everything.
So then he laid down on the grass and pulled Rylan as well. He pointed at the sky and said,
"Look at those stars. Every star is different, isn't it? But we still call them stars, don't we? That's the same with you. You are unique but you're still human. Still the same as the rest of us" he calmly explained with a smile.
"Really...?" Rylan asked uncertainly.
"Yes, of course. And this means we have something in common as well!" Ayden casually replied.
"Huh. Wait- you-?" Rylan said shocked, turning his head and looking at Ayden.
Ayden looked at him as well and replied with a smile, "Yeah. I like guys too. I was going to tell you in a few days but since you came out to me here I thought it was only fair that I told you too"
"Oh. I... I still like you!" Rylan blurted then. And then his face turned red.
Ayden laughed, "Yes yes, I know. Thank you"
"How are you so much more mature than me. You talk like a grownup. Compared to you, look at me" Rylan said next with a sad face.
Ayden chuckled, "That's because I don't cry at every little thing, you crybaby"
"Ayden, that's mean!" Rylan said and hit Ayden on the shoulder.
Ayden laughed, "I'm sorry I'm sorry"
"Stop laughing first if you're sorry!" Rylan said looking at Ayden dying from laughter.
"Yes yes" Ayden said trying to control his laughter.
After a while of watching Ayden laughing with a legit pout on his face, Ayden finally stopped.
The atmosphere became quiet and comfortable.
Then Ayden took Rylan's hand and said in a soft voice,
"And don't worry. If no one likes you, just know that I'll always like you" he said raising his hand and pointing it at the sky.
A noticeable blush appeared on Rylan's face. He just hoped that Ayden couldn't see it because it was dark.
"Th-Thanks" he stuttered out. Then as if remembering he blurted, "And me too!"
Ayden looked at him with a grin then and said, "But people do like me, Rylan"
"Ayden!" Rylan exclaimed.
Ayden burst out laughing. Rylan pouted at first but smiled later as well.
They didn't let go of the other's hand.
_______
They were fifteen when Ayden got his first girlfriend.
Rylan wasn't surprised. He knew Ayden was very popular in school because of his kind and outgoing nature. But he didn't know why he felt uncomfortable every time he saw Ayden with his girlfriend.
And that soon became the reason they started meeting less and talking less. It wasn't anything major really. It was just Ayden trying to be a good boyfriend and Rylan not reaching out and almost always denying his requests to meet. It had been almost a year since they had started drifting apart.
Then one day Rylan got a call from Ayden.
"Hey, where're you right now?" he asked. There was no greetings no nothing and his voice sounded down.
"Uh, at home..?" Rylan replied confused. He was at home but he was confused.
"Uh, great. I'm coming to pick you up" Ayden replied then.
"Wait, huh, why?" Rylan asked confused.
"The fair's in town. Didn't you always want to go? I got us tickets... Unless you are busy, sorry I didn't ask before.." Ayden replied apologetically.
"N-No! I'm free! I'm waiting!" Rylan blurted out then. He didn't know but Ayden asking him like this made him feel very warm inside.
"Okay" Ayden replied with a smile in his tone.
Rylan agreed and they both hung up.
Ayden arrived fifteen minutes later in ripped jeans and a loose shirt with casual shoes. He immediately smiled after seeing Rylan.
Rylan was staring at him in awe. In these years, Ayden's hair had turned a dirty blond and he has grown up so beautifully. Compared to his thin, average body and soft features, Ayden had a fit body and sharp features.
"Ready to go...?" Ayden asked after he saw Rylan looking at him in a daze.
Rylan was wearing jeans and a casual t-shirt with casual shoes. He definitely looked nice, Ayden thought.
"Ye-Yeah!" Rylan replied snapping out of his daze and hurriedly walking towards Ayden's motorbike to make sure Ayden didn't see the blush that appeared on his face.
Ayden had gotten this motorbike on this, his fifteenth birthday, as he was tall enough. Seeing as he was 1.72 meters, it was definitely enough.
And oh speaking of, Rylan had almost caught up to Ayden's height!
Ayden got on and nudged him to get on. Both of them went towards the fair.
_______
When they arrived, they both had big smiles on their faces.
The fair wasn't big but it was beautiful. There were people chattering about and playing around and the bright lights on the different games attracted the eyes so easily. The big rides like the Ferris Wheel and the Swinging Boat had lights attached to them which made them look so magical.
Seeing Rylan looking at everything with big, happy eyes, Ayden had a smile on his face. He wanted him to enjoy everything to the fullest so he decided to bring him out of his daze,
"Let's get something to eat" he said with a smile, offering his hand.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Rylan said excitedly and took his hand without thinking much and followed him.
The two went hand in hand to a stall and Ayden told him to wait till he got him something to eat.
Rylan was looking around when a cotton candy came at his face.
"For you" came Ayden's voice from beside him.
He turned his head and saw Ayden holding a similar cotton candy with a smile.
Rylan took the cotton candy happily and started eating.
"Hey hey, Ayden, let's go there!" Rylan said then excitedly and grabbed Ayden and dragged him to a game stall.
"Yes yes, jeez, Ry, slow down! You'll fall!" Ayden said helplessly being dragged by Rylan. But he had a sweet smile on his face seeing Rylan smiling so happily. He can't believe he actually went almost a year without seeing this smile.
And as the night progressed, Rylan and Ayden went to a lot of game stalls and food stalls. Ayden bought Rylan any food he wanted no matter how much he wanted to eat and he won every prize Rylan found interesting.
Rylan also won a few things for Ayden but he wasn't the best at those games..
It was 9 pm now and they were walking hand in hand with smiles on their faces. Ayden's other hand was holding a big bag full of prizes which he won accompanied by a smaller bag that had all the prizes Rylan won for him. He didn't let Rylan hold anything to which he was still pouting.
After walking for a while, they arrived at the Ferris Wheel. Rylan looked at the people high up with awe on his face.
"Let's go stand in line for our turn" Ayden said then gesturing to the Ferris Wheel.
Rylan's eyes lit up and he said, "Yeah!" excitedly and went with Ayden to stand in the line.
The queue wasn't long. There were around thirty people in line including them. At once five pairs could go, one pair per cabin. If there was a single person, they could go alone or together with someone if they were alright with sharing with a stranger.
While they were waiting for their turn, Rylan suddenly asked,
"Hey, why didn't you bring your girlfriend here?"
"Because I couldn't" Ayden replied.
"W-Why? Isn't this like the perfect place for a date..?" Rylan asked then confused.
Ayden smiled at him, "We broke up"
"What? When??" Rylan asked surprised. Because the last he knew, they were doing pretty good.
"Today. Before coming here. It was a mutual breakup. We both simply don't see each other in our future. So we decided to break up. The feeling was mutual so there was no hurt" Ayden explained.
"O-Oh. Are... Are you really okay? You looked down when I saw you earlier" Rylan said then worried. There was this weird feeling of happiness but realizing it was bad to feel that, he asked that instead.
"I'm really good. And I was down because you ignored me for almost a year. Of course that's going to make me feel down, don't you think?" Ayden replied with a smirk.
"I'm-I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to.." Rylan replied guiltily.
"I'll accept your apology on one condition. Promise me you won't ignore me anymore in the future. If there's something bothering you or if I did something wrong without knowing about it, you'll talk to me instead of running away. So what do you say? Deal?" Ayden said then.
"Y-Yes. Deal!" Rylan nodded with a smile.
"Good" Ayden replied with a smile of his own.
After sometime, their turn came and they both went on the Ferris Wheel.
When they were above, the wheel stopped and they both looked at each with bright smiles and then looked around them at the lit up town.
"Hey, Rylan" Ayden said then.
"Yeah?" Rylan looked at him then.
"Happy ten year anniversary" Ayden said then with a big smile.
Seeing Rylan had a confused and shocked look on his face, Ayden added with a grin,
"It's been ten years since we met. We met when we were five, remember? Now we're fifteen. So, it's been ten years. Happy ten years" he said with his grin turning into an affectionate smile at the end.
Seeing such a beautiful smile directed at him, Rylan was flustered. Then remembering he didn't reply at all, he hurried to say, "Ye-Yeah! Right! It's been ten years! Happy ten years!" Rylan exclaimed then with a big smile.
Ayden smiled back and then pointed at a direction,
"Isn't your house that way?"
Rylan immediately looked there, "Yeah! I think it's there! Look! Isn't yours that way??" he said excitedly pointing to another direction.
Seeing Rylan's twinkling eyes, no other scenery could compare in Ayden's eyes. He simply wished then to spend many more ten years with Rylan by his side.
A short while after, the wheel started spinning again and soon they were done. They got off and Ayden offered his hand to Rylan with a smile.
Rylan took his hand and followed Ayden with a happy smile on his face. And there he made a wish. To go to many more fairs and spend many more ten years with Ayden by his side.
_______
Their coming years were bliss. They were always with each other and they were more inseparable than ever. It was as if they were trying to make up for the almost year long gap.
They went to movies, played video games, went outside to hang around, studied, Rylan improved Ayden's grades, his own improved again, and passed their freshman and sophomore year easily.
It was Rylan's 17th birthday tomorrow. And in this coming year, Rylan had come to terms with something. His feelings. Towards Ayden that is. He liked him. There was no denying that. And some part of him felt good. And one part of him was scared that Ayden might not like him. So he decided he'll sit on these feelings for sometime before he had the courage to confess.
Night had fallen, it was almost eleven, and Rylan got a call from Ayden.
"Let's go to the docks. I'm outside"
Rylan easily agreed, let his parents know, and changed into casual clothes and went outside. Ayden was standing there leaning on his bike with a smile.
Ayden had grown a little more in these two years but so had Rylan and their heights were very similar now which made Rylan very happy.
Rylan got on the bike and they both went to the lake.
The lake was the same lake they went to when they were younger but now a dock had been built for fishing and other purposes. And at night the place was empty with on one there and it made the perfect place to hang out and watch the stars.
They both sat side by side with their legs dangling and were enveloped in a comfortable silence.
"So why did you take me here so late?" Rylan asked then confused.
"Just wanted to spend time with you and talk. Is that not allowed?" Ayden replied with a smirk.
Rylan sighed then smiled, "Yes, yes it is"
"I'm glad" Ayden smiled.
Then Rylan said, "Oh by the way have you heard about......."
And they started talking about some gossip they heard somewhere, random things, stars, studies, and more. And soon it was very close to twelve.
After they had gotten tired from speaking so much, they decided to just sit in silence watching the lake and not caring about the time at all.
Then Ayden took a bar of chocolate out from his pocket and offered it to Rylan.
Rylan's eyes brightened seeing the chocolate bar. It was his favorite chocolate!
As soon as he took it in his hands, Ayden spoke again,
"Be my boyfriend"
"WHAT?" Rylan exclaimed loudly and dropped his chocolate bar right into the water.
Ayden looked at the chocolate bar and Rylan's regret filled eyes with amusement and then repeated,
"Would you be my boyfriend?"
"You-You-You- Are you playing a prank on me???" Rylan asked stuttering and his face very red.
"Of course not. I genuinely do like you, Rylan. So what do you say?" Ayden replied with a soft smile.
"Like like?" Rylan asked again because he couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes. I have liked you for a long time, Ry. And It's the kind of like that gets married" Ayden replied boldly, never losing his smile.
He had liked Rylan for a long time but he hadn't known what kind of like it was or if it was simply affection. But when he started dating and almost lost Rylan, that fear was worse than anything in his life. He only saw Rylan in his future and that's when he realized he fell in love. So he decided he would tell him that even if Rylan doesn't like him the same way.
Rylan's face took on a whole another shade of red and he stuttered out, "Th-Then I- same.... I like you too..."
Ayden's smile widened and he took out something from his pocket and offered it to Rylan,
"Happy birthday, boyfriend" with a playful smile.
It was a chocolate bar. The same one Rylan had dropped in the water.
Glancing at his watch and seeing it was twelve, Rylan replied with a sweet smile and a red face, "Thank you, b-boyfriend"
Ayden chuckled, "Not bad. And you're welcome"
"You had two?" Rylan asked then looking at the chocolate bar in his hands.
"Of course" Ayden replied as a matter of fact.
"You knew I was going to drop it??" Rylan asked next surprised.
"Wouldn't it be strange if I didn't?" Ayden asked back with a grin.
"Ayden, you're so mean sometimes" Rylan said then turning away from Ayden and eating his chocolate bar.
"Heyy, it was the truth though! You did drop it!" Ayden said next laughing.
"And what if I hadn't have?" Rylan asked then.
"Then I would've given you both of them! Oh come on don't be mad~" Ayden replied then shaking Rylan.
"Hmph" Rylan still didn't turn back around.
"Rylan~ aren't I your boyfriend now? Don't I get the boyfriend apology pass?" Ayden tried again.
Then a chocolate bar was shoved into his face, "Boyfriend apology pass" came a mumbled reply.
Ayden's face bloomed a big smile and he took a bite out of the bar.
And soon Rylan turned back around and after a while they both went back home.
_______
In the coming years, it was awkward for the best friends/couples. Because on one side they wanted to play around like they always did but on the other they thought they should act more like a couple now. So their highschool years went in a stalemate before they realized that they didn't have to act like anything. They could simply act like they always have. They had known each other for more than a decade. There was nothing wrong with it.
So after they graduated highschool, they decided to move to the city to go to a good college. Their grades were just enough to be admitted in the same college.
They decided to rent a small house and live together near the college instead of living in the dorms. They also told their parents about their relationship before leaving for the city. Both of their parents happily accepted them which made them extremely happy.
Rylan had decided that he would obtain a degree and open a bakery shop. He liked sweet things and he was not half bad at baking. At first his parents were reluctant but then they agreed seeing that Rylan wholeheartedly wanted to do it. And they had a feeling that Rylan's shop would be very successful.
Ayden, on the other hand, had chosen to take over his dad's company. Because in the coming years he had shown great talent for it and he loved business as well. So he would be under training while obtaining his graduation degree and once he was ready, he would take over the company. It was a hard few years ahead of him but it was only a hard few years. Because after he was settled, he could live a comfortable life with Rylan.
Rylan was 23 when he opened his bakery with some help from his parents.
Ayden was 23 when he took over the company and became the youngest CEO the company had seen.
The coming two years were hard for both of the boys. Rylan had to make sure his business didn't die down and Ayden had to make sure he didn't fail his dad's expectations.
But as they turned 26, both of them were living a comfortable life in a big villa with successful businesses.
Ayden had become one of the most successful CEOs the company had seen. He skyrocketed the company's shares and made it one of the most prominent companies in the city. He was respected by everybody around him and always was a pleasant CEO to be around and talk to. The company's reputation also boomed making it one of the hardest companies to get into.
And Rylan's shop was one of the most popular shops in the city with it's appearance even in newspapers and magazines as the one of the fastest growing businesses. He had hired new workers, improved the decor, introduced new items, and also had become less timid.
And between this, their love for each other never wavered. It only got stronger and more permanent. No matter how many girls or guys threw themselves at them or tried to date them, the owner of the bakery and the CEO were much too cold to them. It had become a headline once too.
_______
They were 27 now. Ayden had just gotten home from a monthly meeting and had freshened up.
Then he heard the doorbell.
With a smile he went and opened the door and saw the love of his life standing there with a big smile on his face and a package in hand.
When Rylan saw Ayden opening the door, his heart felt all warm inside. He now understands what Ayden meant that day.
"I brought the new pastry from the shop!" Rylan said then handing the package to Ayden, giving him a small peck on the lips and walking in.
Ayden smiled, "Wasn't this already sold out this morning?" he asked then closing the door and walking inside.
"I saved you some. I just baked it so it's fresh. You should eat it now" Rylan replied with a smile.
Ayden smiled back, "What would your customers say when they find out you lied to them about the pastry being sold out?"
Rylan chuckled, "I'll specially save them one too when they are dating me"
"Like I'm gonna let that happen!" Ayden replied getting the pastry to the kitchen.
"See" Rylan grinned. Then added, "I'm gonna freshen up. Then we can watch that new drama that aired yesterday. How about it?" he asked.
"Sure" Ayden replied with a smile.
As Rylan was changing, Ayden's social media saw a new post with a very famous pastry and a very braggy caption,
'Fresh pastry always tastes great'
And let's just say that post blew up. Very fast.
Ayden's social media had a lot of followers. From business colleagues to friends to friends of friends to fans to people who just followed him because he looked good. So he had a lot of followers.
After Rylan came back, he had his phone in his hand and he said showing his blowing up notifications,
"Ayden, really?"
Rylan also had many followers on social media. It was not as much as Ayden but it was enough to be called a lot.
"What, it's just a normal post~" Ayden replied with a growing grin.
Rylan sighed and shook his head fondly and joined Ayden on the couch.
They then proceeded to watch the drama cuddling together nor caring about how the internet had blown up and the people questioning the both of them about various things.
The drama was a very cliche drama about a love triangle where the other female lead only has tragedy in her life. These dramas were very famous these days.
The story was something like, female lead and male lead used to date for years but the male lead got seduced or whatever and broke up with the female lead and since they weren't married or anything, female lead could only wallow in her misery.
"Don't go and get yourself seduced or whatever. You have such a kind personality, people might take advantage of it" Ayden said then with a playful smile.
Rylan rolled his eyes, "Then why don't you marry me, huh?"
"Really?~" Ayden said then with an amused look.
Rylan's face turned red immediately when he realized what he said and no words came out of his mouth.
"You know, I think it's a great idea" Ayden said then and got up.
Rylan was surprised, "Huh? What do you-"
Before Rylan could finish his sentence, Ayden had gotten down on one knee in front of him holding a ring in his hand,
"Marry me?"
The villa and it's neighbors heard a very loud scream that moment.
Ayden chuckled, "Man, that really was loud"
"Y-Y-Y-You-You r-re-really??.." Rylan stammered out a half sentence with an incredibly red face staring at the beautiful ring in Ayden's hands.
Ayden smiled, "Of course. My knees hurt. So will you marry me?" he asked again with a grin.
"Yes! Yes!" Rylan replied immediately and pulled Ayden up.
Both of them shared a deep kiss and Ayden slid the ring on Rylan's finger.
Both of them hugged each other from pure joy and their faces had smiles that never went away.
"Wait here" Rylan suddenly said then and went towards their bedroom.
He came out after a few minutes hiding something behind his back looking very nervous.
"What're you hiding?" Ayden asked with a smile.
Rylan was so nervous no words were coming out, "So um- I- um- This" so he just shoved his hands in front of him.
Ayden was shocked to see what Rylan had in his hands.
It was a ring box.
Ayden actually burst out laughing, "You-You too?"
"I wanted to but I um didn't have the courage and so I but now you so you know" Rylan replied in broken sentences with a big blush on his face making vague gestures.
Ayden chuckled, "Well, are you gonna put it on or not?" he said offering his left hand with a big smile.
"Yes!" Rylan replied with a big smile and opened the box and put the ring on Ayden's finger.
Ayden looked at the ring on his finger with an affectionate smile. It was so beautiful.
"Do you.... like it?" Rylan asked then.
"Are you kidding? Of course!" Ayden replied and jumped on Rylan and peppered his face with kisses.
Rylan giggled, "Yes yes I get it, Ayden, stop"
Ayden laughed and kissed him on the lips one last time and both of them decided to continue watching the drama.
_______
The next day there was a post on both of their social medias showing off two very identical rings. The internet froze.
And in the coming days, they told their parents, had a lot of parties, celebrated alone as well, and set the dates for the wedding.
After the bachelor parties and a lot of publicity for no reason, today they were standing here.
"Ayden Caddell, do you take Rylan Huxley as your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked.
"I do" Ayden replied with a big smile.
"Rylan Huxley, do you take Ayden Caddell as your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked again.
"I do!" Rylan replied with a beaming smile.
"I now pronounce you both as husband and husband. You may now kiss your husband" the priest said next with a smile.
Rylan and Ayden both looked at each other with a grin and leaned forward.
Applause broke out as soon as they kissed. They separated with a big smile and held each other's hand and faced the crowd and raised their hands in the sky with a happy look.
Standing here, they both knew that whatever happened, they would always be together. Their life didn't have many obstacles but there were some. It wouldn't have been realistic if there were none. But now as they're standing here, they knew that they could overcome everything by holding the other's hand.
The End.
