"Are you okay? Sorry I startled you but I had to get them out." I nodded, squinting, annoyed at the light, and then slowly raised my head. Vikk was perched beside me on the sofa with one hand now on my stomach, but with the blanket still over the lower half of his body. The fire was out.
"How long were we asleep?" He shrugged.
"2 or 3 hours? I'm not really sure, but a while if the boys are back already." I nodded.
They were ment to be gone for at least 6 hours, going to the indoor football park to record a Sidemen Sunday. Vikk was injured with a crook ankle and also sick with a small cold so the boys had excused him for the day to stay back with me in the warm, where he couldn't get more ill.
"Mmmmm" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes fiercely with my fists and stretching my legs carefully. I was still exhausted, warm and fuzzy and honestly wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep.
Vikk, his legs now crossed, carded his hand absentmindedly through my hair and thought for another minute.
"I suppose we're gonna have to tell them now, aren't we. Simon knows, and he probably told everyone else." I nodded again, not really paying attention. Vikk knew it too.
"Lachlan!" I startled, flinching and bringing my arms across my chest. "Oh- sorry Lachy." He squeezed my hand, helping me sit up a little. "You just weren't listening, but it's kinda important."
"I know, but I..." I sighed through my nose. "I know it's important, but I- I don't think I can do it. I can't do that to you, cause I know you don't want to tell them." He nodded.
He had a very good reason for not telling anyone and I stood by him through that, having had my fair share of bad reactions. Mind you, none of them had been as the reactions Vikk got but I didn't mind not telling anyone. We had to make a decision together and if one of us didn't want to do it, especially with something as serious as this, neither of us did.
I was pretty sure that the Sidemen knew that I was gay at least, I was more flamboyant than all of them combined, except Ethan sometimes, but they'd never mentioned it to my face.
"I- I think I'm up for it." I looked him straight in his cinnamon brown eyes.
"Are you sure? We don't have to if you don't want to." He squeezed my hand back.
"No point in hiding it anymore. They know you're gay and okay with it, so I don't think they'll have a problem with us." I smiled.
"I though so, they never mentioned they knew about me to my face at least." He nodded.
"They talked to me about it a few months ago and there was a bit of a bet running as to whether you were gay or bi or anything else but I shut it down by saying it was rude and insensitive." I shrugged.
"Fair enough, but they could have had a bit of fun with it."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ready?" There was a nod in confirmation.
"Yeah."
We had taken a few minutes to just sit in silence and for me to help calm Vikk's anxiety by rubbing my hand up and down his back, soothing the tension in his shoulders.
He took my hand and squeezed it as we walked out of the living room and into the hall that led to the room next to the kitchen with the pool table. The room wasn't used for anything in particular other than as a way outside to the lawn or as a meeting place.
"I love you Vikky." He smiled, standing up on his tiptoes and I rolled my shoulder forwards so he could give me a quick kiss on my cheek.
"I love you too Lachy."
We took the last few steps around the corner and into the common room, not surprised to see all three boys sitting in a circle and chatting quietly. We could hear them from down the hall, chatting quietly with cups of water clutched in their hands.
"Are you guys okay? I'm- I'm sorry for barging in on you guys, but I thought you'd be upstairs or something and I was going to check on the fire to see if it was still on and I ju-" Vikk cut him off.
"It's fine Simon, we fell asleep and didn't realise how long we were out." He looked up at me with uncertain eyes, clutching at my hand and squeezing it for reassurance.
"We weren't- exactly expecting to come out... today..." I paused. "Or anytime in the near future actually, it wasn't exactly on our agenda."
Josh shrugged, pulling a blanket from off the floor behind him and throwing it at us. He nodded at us to sit down on the floor and I sighed, knowing that we were in for a long conversation. Then JJ spoke up.
"Alright, questions now. How long have you been together, why didn't you tell us, sexualities, how the hell did you keep it a secr-" Simon elbowed him.
"JJ! Stop being insensitive, there's a reason they haven't told us you nob!" Vikk nodded.
"It's okay, but yeah, there is a reason we haven't told you just yet." I took over.
"We've been together for... 3 years and a few months now, and I'm gay. If that wasn't already obvious to you." Josh let out a crow.
"Boom! I told you, pay up boys!"
"Josh!" Vikk complained, frowning. I shook my head, smiling.
"It's whatever Vikk. And Vikk is biromantic and asexual by the way." Josh nodded, grinning to himself.
"Well welcome to the ace club then." Vikk's head snapped up.
"Really?" He nodded.
"Known for years now, Freya's awesome with it." He smiled, bowing his head and looking up at me through his lashes. I squeezed his hand.
Under his breath, JJ started humming a song with creepy undertones.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are...."
"JJ!" Vikk screeched, throwing the blanket across at him. He had made it his mission to make it sound as creepy as possible, adding an evil laugh at the end for extra effect.
"Well I mean that does kinda summarize it..." Vikk punched me playfully.
"Don't you encourage him, he doesn't need it."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, smiling.
"Just for you, maybe."
Vikklan- Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
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