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Kevin’s arms were safe.
On the back of Kevin’s truck, with a blanket underneath them and another covering them, there was nothing that could make Moose worried.
There was no worrying about what their classmates would think when Moose came out. No worrying about slurs being tagged on his locker or nasty words being thrown at him in the hallway. The other jocks calling him a fag in the locker room if his eyes glanced past them was miles away.
Kevin’s breathing was slow and steady, relaxing to Moose.
There was no worrying about how his younger siblings would take it. No wondering if his dad would throw him out, or if his mom would cry when he finally told them.
And Moose wanted to tell them. He really did. Tell them all about his amazing boyfriend, that was nothing but supportive and was always there for him, lending him a shoulder to rest on. Because Moose didn’t cry. He was a big boy. But maybe he cried a bit, that one night, when it was just him and Kevin and they talked about Moose coming out to his parents.
Kevin’s warm embrace made it all better though. It was safe.
There was no worrying about what Reggie would say. If he’d even still want to be Moose’s friend. Hopefully, he would. Because they were Reggie and Moose. Best friends since they were five and Moose shared his pop-tart during snack time.
It wasn’t even a thought, as Kevin held him.
And Moose held his boyfriend back.
“Thank you for making me feel safe. For making me feel like it’s all okay. That I’m not wrong” Moose broke the silence.
It had been silent for a while. Just the two of them on the back of the truck, tucked into each other’s arms and watching the stars.
“You don’t have to thank me for that,” Kevin told him sincerely.
“I need you to know. You’re like, the best person I know.”
Kevin, the sassy, openly gay guy who always had some smart comment to throw back at you, was silent at that. Blushing.
“Thank you,” Moose told him again, leaning in and capturing the other boy’s lips in a sweet kiss.
And Kevin’s safe embrace was there after Moose came out to Reggie. And again after he told his parents, and things were tense at home. Kevin’s arms were there.