Chapter 20
Stephen reached his home, where his parents were anxiously waiting for him.
"Stephen, what happened? Christine came by so upset and left with all her bags. And what happened to your face?" Beverly asked.
"Nothing, Mom. I need to rest," Stephen replied.
"First, let me treat your nose. Then you can rest," Eugene said calmly.
He made Stephen sit on a chair and began attending to his wound.
"All done," Eugene said.
"Now, do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.
"Dad, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I love Christine, but after I met him, everything feels different. I can’t stop thinking about him," Stephen said, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Who is it, son?" Eugene asked, gently caressing his head.
"It’s Tony. I never realized I might have a different sexuality. It’s all so new to me, and I tried to ignore it. But now, I’ve hurt Christine," Stephen said.
"Stephen, it’s okay to feel confused. If you truly have feelings for Tony, go for it. It’s better for Christine too," Eugene said.
"You’re okay with that?" Stephen asked softly.
"Why wouldn’t we be? We love you, Stephen. And Tony is a good kid too. If you’re sure about this, we’ll be with you," Beverly said.
"But Mom, I don’t even know if he feels the same way," Stephen said.
"Talk to him and find out. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, that’s okay. You might feel sad, but you should respect his decision," Eugene said.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad," Stephen said with a smile.
"Always, my baby. Now go and get some rest. We can talk about this later," Beverly said, kissing his forehead.
Stephen nodded and walked to his room.
"My poor baby. He’s been going through all this on his own. We should’ve talked to him earlier," Beverly said.
"Bev, sometimes it’s better for them to figure things out themselves. Stephen has done that. We just need to show him that we’re with him no matter what," Eugene said.
Tony was feeling low after everything that had happened that day. Jarvis entered the room and sat beside him.
"Tony, come on. Eat something," Jarvis said, gently caressing his head.
"I don’t want anything," Tony said in a muffled voice.
"Tony, I told you to be ready for what’s coming. Life isn’t easy; we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes, we have to let go," Jarvis said.
"Why did I fall for him, Jarvis? If it had been Steve, everything would’ve been fine," Tony said, sobbing.
"Feelings are like that, Tony. You can’t decide who you feel them for," Jarvis said.
"What should I do, J? I think I’ve lost both Steve and Stephen," Tony said, leaning on Jarvis.
"Tony, have you talked to Stephen?" Jarvis asked.
"No. I don’t even know what to say," Tony replied.
"Did you listen to what he has to say?" Jarvis asked.
"No."
"Then how can you say you’ve lost him?" Jarvis asked.
"I can’t take rejection from him, J," Tony said.
"You can’t ignore him forever. You two have to work together on that project," Jarvis reminded him.
"Alright, I’ll do it," Tony said.
Stephen was scrolling through Instagram when he got a text from Tony:
Come to the lab at the usual time. Let’s finish the project.
Stephen replied with a simple Okay.
He didn’t want to seem too eager after the park incident, but his heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing Tony again.
Tony’s heart was racing as he waited for Stephen in the lab. He wasn’t sure how to face him.
Stephen entered silently and sat beside him.
"Hey," Stephen said quietly.
"Hey," Tony replied.
He noticed Stephen’s swollen nose.
"Does it hurt?" Tony asked timidly.
"Yes, a little," Stephen replied.
"I’m sorry. Steve isn’t usually like that. I don’t know what got into him yesterday," Tony said.
"It’s not your fault," Stephen reassured him.
"Shall we start working?" Tony asked.
"Yes, but I need to talk first," Stephen said, sitting closer to him.
"Yeah?" Tony asked.
"Do you like Rogers?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, he’s my friend..." Tony started.
"No, not as a friend. Do you like him more than that?" Stephen interrupted.
"I don’t think so," Tony said.
"Okay, I’m getting straight to the point. What do you feel about me?" Stephen asked.
"Why... why do you ask?" Tony stammered.
"Because I need to know if I’m delusional," Stephen said.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Tony said, his face turning red.
"Do you like me?" Stephen asked.
"Stephen, let’s stop this..." Tony said.
"Do you have a crush on me?" Stephen pressed.
"Stephen..."
"Tony, I see it in your eyes when we were having that conversation. I know it’s me you’re talking about," Stephen said.
"Yes, I’ve had a crush on you for a long time. I like your stupid self. God knows why. But what’s the point? You’ll go back to her, won’t you? She’s your home, isn’t she?" Tony snapped.
"Tony, I’m not going anywhere. If you want me, I’m yours," Stephen said.
"Stephen, it’s not funny. I enjoyed your petty flirting, but now it hurts," Tony said.
"Tony, this isn’t a joke. I’m being honest. I like you. I think I’ve been obsessed with you even before meeting you in person. When we met, I was drawn to you every time. I was confused because I’d never felt this way about a boy. So, I made excuses to hate you, but it was no use. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Tony. You’ve been on my mind since the moment we met," Stephen confessed.
Tony was stunned. He sat there, looking at Stephen in disbelief.
"You like me?" Tony asked.
"Yes, I do."
"So... you want to date me?" Tony asked shyly.
"Yes, if you want that too," Stephen said.
"What about Christine?" Tony asked.
"I told her everything. She’s upset, but I’ll make it up to her," Stephen said, though he sounded unsure.
Tony still looked surprised.
"Tony, don’t you trust me?" Stephen asked.
"I don’t know. I never expected this. You and Christine were perfect together. I don’t even know if you’re playing with me," Tony admitted.
"For God’s sake, Tony," Stephen said, leaning in to kiss him—a soft, short kiss.
Stephen pulled away, his face flushed. Tony was blushing too.
"Do you believe me now?" Stephen asked.
"Yes," Tony said with a shy smile.
"Good. So, what’s next?" Stephen asked.
"Will you take me on a date?" Tony asked timidly.
Stephen found it adorable.
"Yes. How about this evening?" Stephen asked, chuckling.
"Works for me," Tony said.
"Okay," Stephen said, leaning in to kiss Tony again. This time, it was slow and deliberate, as if sealing their relationship.
Tony had kissed many before, often without genuine interest. But this kiss felt special—a promise of forever, not a fleeting fling.
When they pulled away, Stephen smiled.
"Shall we start working on our project now?" Stephen asked.
"Mmh. Yes," Tony replied.
"So, Tony, what’s your type?" Stephen teased.
"Tall, annoyingly handsome med students with egos bigger than them," Tony said.
"I think that’s my type too—though one thing’s lacking," Stephen joked.
"What?" Tony asked.
"Tall," Stephen said.
"Hey! I’m tall for my age! I’m only 16; I can still grow," Tony said, pouting.
"True. You’re a baby who needs to grow," Stephen teased, laughing and kissing him again.
Tony smiled throughout the kiss. He never thought he could be in a real relationship with someone like Stephen, but it all felt like a dream—a dream he never wanted to wake up from.