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Ray sat on the kitchen counter in a shirt and boxers, filling out the crossword puzzle from the daily newspaper. Pete jokingly made fun of him for weeks for having a hobby similar to his grandma.
"If you weren’t into girls, you would be into guys, Pete?” Ray always asked questions, but maybe this one was a little more than strange. Pete pours sugar over his cereal and glances at Ray.
“Do you need to tell me something Ray?” Ray looked over at him and quickly shook his head.
“Then no I don’t think it’s like that at all, like I've literally been into girls since the first time I remember seeing tits.” Ray slightly cringes at Pete’s foul mouth. They always found themselves bickering, as it was only friendly.
“But how do you know that came from you? Are you sure you didn't like them because it’s normal to like them? Like socially normal?” Pete cocks his head at him. Ray was straight, with his loving girlfriend Jan, and last time Pete checked he thinks he’s straight (mainly because he never thought of himself with a man before). When he doesn’t say anything Ray picks his head from the newspaper staring back at him.
The question did slightly catch him off guard. Maybe he was hinting at something he needed to confess to him. Is Ray… gay? Pete's eyes squinted at his best friend’s and Ray moved his eyes back to the newspaper. If he was gay he would've told me by now. Would that make Pete a bad best friend if his best friend came out to him 8 years later? Pete did remember Ray saying something over doing research for one of his classes but that was just too drawn out to assume. Pete brushes off the light odd feeling and answers his question.
“No, I just think that my dick pointed to girls an’ I followed it. ’m a simple man.” Ray rolls his eyes as Pete cackles.
“You're an idiot. Okay what’s a four-letter word for unwritten?” Ray passes the newspaper at him, letting him read the small printed letters.
“Oral.” Pete passed it back, talking through a mouthful of cereal.
“Maybe you’re not an idiot after all.” Ray mumbles as Pete playfully shoves his shoulder.
“That's right. Respect me.” Pete flexes his muscles, kissing his biceps just as Ray tossed his shirt to his head.
-
The two sat on their couch playing the fifth round of mortal kombat, like clockwork on every free Saturday.
“How do you not know this? It was way back when they didn’t associate sexual relations with binary labels.” Ray explains as he focuses on beating his roommate. Pete glances at him for a half second, confused about him still being on the topic. Ray is definitely gay. There’s no way he was still on this topic.
“Dude, wait it’s stuck.” Ray says, hitting the side of the controller repeatedly.
“Nuh uh, jus’ wait. Don’t break it.” Pete’s character quickly fights Ray’s as he couldn’t fight back. Ray smacks the controller one more time, it finally unsticks and he continues playing.
“What was I saying?” Ray mumbled trying to remember his train of thought.
“Something with the labels, Ray.” Pete says with his eyes never blinking at the tv screen.
“Yeah so spartan men, like warriors, would bang each other before they went into battle and-“ Pete looks at him and cuts him off.
“Oh that’s some bullshit, Ray.” He rolls his eyes and sighs, hoping he would drop it. Pete didn't have a problem with gay people. He finds it endearing when he would get complimented by gay men. Does that make me gay?
“We're in the same ancient history class, well I don't know if you’re listening or not-” Ray mutters, shrugging his shoulders.
“No Ray, ‘m too busy jerking off under the desk,” Pete interrupts, letting out another fit of giggles. Ray sits up and quickly tries to defend his player, watching the health bar decline quickly.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” Pete screams as he lands the final blow to Ray’s character. Ray tosses the controller on the couch and sits back crossing his arms over his chest.
“Let's go baby!” Pete shakes Ray by the shoulders as he screams in his ears. Ray shoves him away and grabs the controller.
“You wanna go again?” Ray sighed as Pete tilted the controller towards him. Pete smiles knowing Ray won't stop until he’s at least beaten him once.
Ray rolls his eyes and mutters, “Yes, I want to go again.”
-
“Now don’t misquote me Ray, but I understand how men could be attracted to other men. Like Colman Domingo, that's a good lookin’ man.” Pete nods his head as he floats on the pool ring. It was a nice day to be in the pool but now that Ray was still left on the topic, he didn't care anymore.
“You think Colman is hot? He was great in ‘Beautiful Something’. ” Ray mutters as he floats on his own pool ring next to Pete. Pete lifts up his shades and looks at Ray.
“When did you watch that?” Pete asks as Ray looks at him.
“When did you watch that?” Ray cocks his head and stares back at Pete, who rolls his eyes and slips his shades back on.
“Like I was sayin’, ‘m okay with homosexual men, if that's what you keep hintin’ at Ray. I jus’ so happen to be attracted to women, and I think that's okay. Besides, who do you think is hot?” He looks at Ray again, watching him think of an answer.
“Ryan Gosling, Blade runner changed me..” Ray mutters as he leans his head back and closes his eyes, basking in the sun. Pete glances at him and shakes his head.
“Every straight man loves Ryan.”
-
It was very late that night, they sat on the backyard patio playing jenga. It was the third game of the night, Ray leading by 2 games. they were only 4 beers deep into the 12-bottled pack. Ray enjoys the silence by taking a swig of the bitter beer, swallowing it immediately. Ray rubs his arm as the breeze blows, wishing he wore a jacket rather than a stupid tank top outside.
“You wanna go again?” Ray asks looking at Pete but two words quickly stop him.
“Let's kiss.” Pete says as he looks at Ray who has a surprise clear on his face. The words replay in Ray’s head. He had to be joking… right?
“…W-what? Pete, cut it out.” A nervous laugh leaves from his lips, leaving Pete to sit back in the chair. He takes a swig of his beer but the man across from him just stares.
“What? No, you've been going about this all day. Let's get to the bottom of it.” He shrugged his shoulders, setting his beer near his feet on the floor.
“I mean like… are you serious?” Ray waits for him to say it all, a big joke he’ll never let go for weeks. His fingers tap the glass bottle lightly before looking back at him.
“Why not?” Pete’s question lingers in the air. Ray tries to find some excuse that wouldn’t sound incriminating enough.
“A few reasons. A, I’m with Jan and I'm only into girls so technically I don't have-” Ray mutters as he avoids his roommate’s gaze. Technically?
“After everything you said, I don't agree with that-” Pete slowly shakes his head, a smile spreading across his face.
“B, you’re not my man type anyways-" Ray says, avoiding his eyes again and Pete makes a mental note of it. But Gosling gets a pass.
“Yikes, ouch, I can feel my heart breaking. But you’re saying you do find men hot to some degree-“ Pete starts pointing at him, forcing his eyes to lock on his.
“And c we’ve been best friends for years, it’s weird on all fronts. I'm not gonna-” Ray tries to excuse himself again.
“Okay Ray, you and I know for a fact I'm way cuter than Jan, let alone that girl you kissed sophomore year, besides I've made out with so many of my friends that are girls, it’s not weird at all. Unless you’re scared?” Pete waves his arm around, drinking the last of his beer. Ray sighed and looked at Pete one more time who just winked at him.
Ray mutters a light okay fine, and motions him to stand up. They both move away from their chairs, looking at each other for a few more seconds. Pete hears him say under his breath, please hurry up, and he hits him on the shoulder. “Relax, I don't bite.” Pete’s words soon be forgotten as Ray grabs him by the shoulders and presses his lips against his, a soft kiss Pete’s mind reminded him of one of the many girls he kissed before. He didn't expect Ray’s lips to feel soft on his. It almost felt scary how quickly he enjoyed it.
Ray’s hands snaked up to his jaw, holding him softly. Pete’s hands grab his waist and pull him closer to him. Slowly the kiss grew more urgent and needed, Ray abandoned his hands from his jaw up now tangled in his hair. He tugged at the hair in his hands causing Pete lips to leave his partner’s, and groaned tilting his head back. Ray presses a small kiss to Pete’s neck almost in a not so friendly way. He drops his hands as Pete does the same, stepping back to sit back in their chairs.
It would be a lie if either had said they didn’t like the kiss. They both avoid looking into the eyes of each other, soaking up the silence. Ray silently tries to level out his ragged breathing. Maybe he could blame it on the breeze in the air? As soon as Pete finally looks at Ray, his phone rings causing him to immediately pull it out of his pocket. He quickly stands up and accepts the call, walking a little away from Pete. Pete watches him silently and tries to listen to whoever called him, seeing it was 2 am on his phone.
“Hey Jan..”
“No, no I'm not busy..”
“You’re calling me about your bangs?”
“It's just late Jan..okay, okay, get the bangs…Show ,e a picture in the morning.” Ray walks back and forth for a bit, and nods his head as if the caller could see him.
“Love you too, goodnight.”
He hangs up the phone and sits back in the seat across from Pete whose eyes shift back to his feet once he gets closer. Ray grabs his beer, finishes the rest of it, and sets it down next to his feet. Ray’s eyes slowly make their way to Pete’s.
“You wanna go again?”