“Hey, up until a week ago, nevereverdid I think I’d be having this conversation. But you’re right. Here we are. Andwe’ll be okay if we can talk about this. And you and me, we can talk about anything. Anything at all. If you’re feeling weird or anxious or worried, tell me. I know I joke about shit, but I won’t joke about this, not if I know you’re serious. You can tell me anything.”
“I’m bisexual,” he blurted out, as if it was something he’d wanted to let out for years.
“Okay. I kinda gathered as much.”
“I’ve never said it out loud like that. Not really. Before, you asked if I was, and I said yeah, but I’ve never said those words to anyone.”
Oh, man.
I lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you for telling me now.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I keep waiting for you to be sarcastic. I never really know with you.”
I scoffed. “I’m not! I mean it. Thank you for telling me. And not Maddox.”
“There it is.”
I laughed. “No, I’m just joking about him. But I’m being serious about you. It’s not an easy thing to admit out loud, and you kinda blurted it out like a pressure valve, so I know it wasn’t easy.” I leaned over and kissed his shoulder. “Say it again.”
“Say what?”
“That you’re bisexual.”
“Why?”
“Say it until you’re not nervous about it anymore.”
He laughed like that was ridiculous, then he mumbled, “I’m bisexual.”
“And again.”
“I’m bisexual,” he said with a little more confidence and a bigger smile.
“See? Now I can introduce you to people like,This is Luke. He’s my boyfriend, and he’s bisexual.”
He laughed. “Please, dear god, don’t ever introduce me like that.”
“But it got you laughing, so it was worth it.”
“And you called me your boyfriend,” he added.
“And you also said we could watch porn together.”
“You’ve got a one-track mind.” He swatted my arm. “We can watch it later, maybe. When it’s not broad daylight and we’re sitting out where people could see us.”
“Uh, my sudden one-track mind is your fault,” I claimed. “Whenever I’m near you, I...” I shrugged. “It’s like I finally realized how I feel about you, and my dick is like,yes, please.”
“Like you’re demisexual, maybe.”
“Like I’m what? I said I’m Luke-sexual. I mean, Demi who? Lovato? Moore? I don’t even know them.”
“Not that kind of demisexual,” he said, shaking his head. Then he leaned over and kissed me. “It doesn’t matter. You said before that labels aren’t really your thing, and that’s totally fair. But I was just thinking, it does fit. Maybe. I don’t know. Luke-sexual works, although I can only hope you won’t be introducing yourself as that.”
“Luke-sexual? No. Luke’s boyfriend? Yes.”
His eyes met mine. “You will?”
“Hell yes, I will.”