Drunk Kiss-Lestappen

25-real life

Pierre was scrolling through his social media feed when he came across a shocking headline. Apparently, his best friend Charles had been caught kissing Max and the news was spreading like wildfire.

Without wasting any more time, Pierre picked up his phone and dialed Charles' number. After a few rings, Charles finally answered with a hoarse voice.

"Hey, Charles, what's going on?" Pierre asked, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

"Pierre..." Charles sniffled, "have you seen the news?"

"Yeah, I did," Pierre replied calmly, "but I don't care about that stuff. What I care about is how you're feeling."

Charles let out a sob. "I don't know what to do, Pierre. Max said it was a mistake and ran away. I can't believe I let myself fall for him."

Pierre's heart went out to his friend. He knew how much Charles had been crushing on Max ever since their relationship got a bit better. But what he didn't know was that Charles and Max had actually started seeing each other secretly.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Pierre soothed, "it's not like you did anything wrong. You were just following your heart."

"But what about Max?" Charles cried, "What if he never talks to me again?"

"We don't know that for sure," Pierre said, "but what we do know is that you can't keep beating yourself up over this. You need to take care of yourself first and foremost."

Charles let out a shuddering breath. "You're right."

"I am," Pierre agreed, "and if you need anything, just let me know."

"Actually..." Charles said hesitantly, "would you mind coming over? I could really use a friend right now."

"Of course," Pierre said without hesitation, "I'll be there in a bit."

As Pierre hung up the phone, he knew he had a long night ahead of him. But he didn't mind. Because for him, being there for his friends was the most important thing he could do.

When Pierre arrived at Charles' apartment, his friend was curled up on the sofa, shaking and crying.

Pierre laid his hand on Charles' forehead and could feel how hot with fever the other's skin was. "I'm sorry," Charles said through the sobs.

"I feel completely ridiculous, but I couldn't stop myself."

"Don't worry," Pierre whispered. "I'm here for you."

He held Charles, who had curled up into a ball in the sofa, trembling and crying. He stroked his friend's hair and rubbed his back until Charles' breathing returned to normal.

He made some chamomile tea, and they sat on the sofa together, sipping on it in between quiet conversations.

"I thought he liked me," Charles whispered finally. "We had something special."

"Maybe he did," Pierre replied. "But everyone has different priorities. Maybe he's not ready for a relationship or maybe he has other things going on."

Charles nodded, but he still seemed so hurt and confused.

"Listen," Pierre continued, "what he said or did doesn't change the fact that you're a great guy. You're still my best friend, and I'm here for you."

It took time, but gradually, Charles began to calm down. Pierre stayed with his friend for the night, and they talked until the wee hours of the morning.

As Pierre and Charles were talking, Charles mentioned something that caught Pierre's attention.

"Max said it was a mistake and ran away," Charles said, sniffling.

"Wait, he said it was a mistake.?" Pierre asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Charles said, "and he kept apologizing and saying that he was a disappointment."

Pierre frowned. "A disappointment? Why would he say that?"

Charles inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. "I don't know if I should tell you this..." he trailed off, biting his lower lip.

"Charles, you can tell me anything," Pierre reassured his friend.

"Max's dad is really homophobic. When he found out what had happened between us, he went crazy. His dad just kept shouting at him and saying that he was a disappointment. Max was really upset, and he didn't know what to do. He eventually ran out of his house, and I haven't heard from him since."

Pierre's heart sank at those words. He couldn't imagine what Max was going through, or how hard it must be for Charles to see the man he cared about so deeply hurt like that.

"He's probably really confused right now," Charles continued, looking down at his hands. "I don't know if he's ever going to come back."

"Listen," Pierre said, sitting up straight and placing a calming hand on Charles shoulder. "You can't think that way. Max has always struck me as the kind of guy who stands up for what he believes in and fights for the people he cares about. Just give him some time and space to figure things out. Trust me, Max will come around."

Charles looked up at Pierre, tears brimming in his eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely," Pierre responded without hesitation.

With some encouragement from Pierre, Charles decided to call Max. When Max answered the phone, Charles could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

"Hi Max," Charles said softly. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Charles..." Max's voice was hesitant, almost timid. "I'm so sorry. I didn't handle things very well."

"It's okay. Listen, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay," Max said, though Charles could hear the hesitation in his voice. "I'm just going through some things right now, and I needed some time to sort things out."

"I understand," Charles said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Just know that I'm here for you. And I believe in us, Max, I truly do."

Max was silent for a few seconds, and Charles wondered if he had hung up. But then he spoke, softly and hesitantly.

"I believe in us too," Max said, his voice trembling. " I just need some time to think. I am sorry." Max said, hanging up the phone.

Charles let out a long breath. He was relieved. But he also knew that they still had a long way to go.

Pierre smiled at his friend. "See? I told you he'd come around."

Charles let out a small laugh, wiping away his tears. "Thanks for believing in us, Pierre."

"Always," Pierre replied, giving Charles a hug. "And don't worry. We'll get through this together."

Pierre knew it wouldn't be a quick fix, but he was determined to help his friend get through this difficult patch.