Fanfic: On the life of others.... 12/20
ON THE LIFE OF OTHERS 12/20
By Marea67
About: The Walkers and a few others.
Rate: G
Disclaimer: They don’t belong to me. Written with love, not for money.
Summary: The effect that Kevin has had… in the life of others. Cooper discovers that he can confide in his uncle!.
Written for the Love-Bingo prompt: infatuation
*****
CHAPTER TWELVE : COOPER : INFATUATION
*****
“Come in.” Kevin says and Cooper enters Kevin’s office at Café 429. Kevin smiles upon seeing his 16 year old nephew. Tall and handsome, with a few clear traits that reminds Kevin of his father, William Walker. That boy is going to break the hearts of lots of girls, he’s sure of it.
“Hi, uncle Kevin, is uncle Scotty in?” Cooper asks. Kevin shakes his head.
“No. He won’t be back for another three to four hours.” Kevin answers. “Why? Did you need him for something?”
“I just wanted to talk to him.” Cooper shrugs.
Kevin smiles. Kids find it easier to ‘talk’ to Scotty than to him, he’s used to that by now. Not expecting it to make a real difference, he nonetheless explains:
“I’m a good listener. You can talk to me.”
“And then mom will know about it, before I get home.”
“No, she won’t.” Kevin immediately says. Cooper tilts his head a bit and his face betrays his disbelief. “Okay… I will try to not let her find out… how’s that for a comprise?” Kevin offers and Cooper laughs. Though Scotty is the easiest to talk to, Cooper loves Kevin also and he knows that Kevin will do anything to protect him.
“It’s about Caspar.”
“Caspar?” Kevin repeats, remembering the young man, who introduced to them last week. Too skinny and with sad blue eyes. A kid who also needed a hair-cut.
“Did you know?” Cooper asks.
“Know what?” Kevin asks in return, though he suddenly has a clear idea now why Cooper is here to talk to him or Scotty and not to Justin.
“That he’s gay. He came out to me just a while ago…” Cooper breathes deeply and slowly trying to control his anger and confusion.
Now that he’s here with Kevin, he’s not sure what to do or say. Or what to think. Should he, of all people, have seen it coming? Is that what his friend Caspar had expected? That he had known or that he would, at least, understand?
“Scotty and I had toyed with the idea that he could have been. We weren’t sure.”
“He… He says he likes me.”
“He’s your friend…”
“Not like a friend.” Cooper explains sharply and Kevin sighs.
“I was afraid of that… How do you feel about that?”
“Weird. I know about you. And Scotty. And Saul. And Jonathan. I’ve met Jason McCallister and Chad Barry. I know plenty of people who are gay, but … Am I a homophobe for being weirded out, because my best friend told me, that he’s in love with me?”
“I think you’re genuinely surprised by this, aren’t you? Didn’t you have a little idea that he could be gay?” Kevin wonders. Cooper shakes his head. "Well, does this change how you feel about him?” Cooper shrugs that he doesn’t have an answer. “Do you still want to be friends with him?” Cooper nods.
“Listen, it could be just an infatuation. Perhaps he felt a certain sense of security for knowing that you knew people who are gay and you're alright with them and with us. You could even be the first person he came out to.”
“I am. His parents don’t even know.” Cooper’s lower lip trembles.
“He was very courageous. It take a lot to come out to someone. Especially at that age and for the first time…”
“He just blurted it out.”
“Believe me. The pressure behind the ability to ‘blurt it out’, is incredible.” Kevin assures him.
Cooper remains quiet for a while.
“I don’t think I did it right.” He says eventually.
“What did you do?” Kevin asks, hoping his nephew hadn’t hurt the boy.
“I turned around and ran away. I just ran. Left him standing there.”
“Then you have to call him and tell him that you’re sorry… provided that you are sorry that you did that…?” Cooper nods at Kevin’s words. “Do you still want to be friends with him?” Cooper nods again. “Tell him that. And explain that you’re sorry, but that you’re not interested in taking the relationship further than friendship.” Kevin adds.
The moment he says the words, he knows that he’s wrong. Cooper looks at him, shame in his eyes.
“I can’t. Because… I’m not all that sure of where I want this to go…” Cooper finally whispers and Kevin puts an arm around him, knowing this is going to be a long afternoon.
THE END
By Marea67
About: The Walkers and a few others.
Rate: G
Disclaimer: They don’t belong to me. Written with love, not for money.
Summary: The effect that Kevin has had… in the life of others. Cooper discovers that he can confide in his uncle!.
Written for the Love-Bingo prompt: infatuation
*****
CHAPTER TWELVE : COOPER : INFATUATION
*****
“Come in.” Kevin says and Cooper enters Kevin’s office at Café 429. Kevin smiles upon seeing his 16 year old nephew. Tall and handsome, with a few clear traits that reminds Kevin of his father, William Walker. That boy is going to break the hearts of lots of girls, he’s sure of it.
“Hi, uncle Kevin, is uncle Scotty in?” Cooper asks. Kevin shakes his head.
“No. He won’t be back for another three to four hours.” Kevin answers. “Why? Did you need him for something?”
“I just wanted to talk to him.” Cooper shrugs.
Kevin smiles. Kids find it easier to ‘talk’ to Scotty than to him, he’s used to that by now. Not expecting it to make a real difference, he nonetheless explains:
“I’m a good listener. You can talk to me.”
“And then mom will know about it, before I get home.”
“No, she won’t.” Kevin immediately says. Cooper tilts his head a bit and his face betrays his disbelief. “Okay… I will try to not let her find out… how’s that for a comprise?” Kevin offers and Cooper laughs. Though Scotty is the easiest to talk to, Cooper loves Kevin also and he knows that Kevin will do anything to protect him.
“It’s about Caspar.”
“Caspar?” Kevin repeats, remembering the young man, who introduced to them last week. Too skinny and with sad blue eyes. A kid who also needed a hair-cut.
“Did you know?” Cooper asks.
“Know what?” Kevin asks in return, though he suddenly has a clear idea now why Cooper is here to talk to him or Scotty and not to Justin.
“That he’s gay. He came out to me just a while ago…” Cooper breathes deeply and slowly trying to control his anger and confusion.
Now that he’s here with Kevin, he’s not sure what to do or say. Or what to think. Should he, of all people, have seen it coming? Is that what his friend Caspar had expected? That he had known or that he would, at least, understand?
“Scotty and I had toyed with the idea that he could have been. We weren’t sure.”
“He… He says he likes me.”
“He’s your friend…”
“Not like a friend.” Cooper explains sharply and Kevin sighs.
“I was afraid of that… How do you feel about that?”
“Weird. I know about you. And Scotty. And Saul. And Jonathan. I’ve met Jason McCallister and Chad Barry. I know plenty of people who are gay, but … Am I a homophobe for being weirded out, because my best friend told me, that he’s in love with me?”
“I think you’re genuinely surprised by this, aren’t you? Didn’t you have a little idea that he could be gay?” Kevin wonders. Cooper shakes his head. "Well, does this change how you feel about him?” Cooper shrugs that he doesn’t have an answer. “Do you still want to be friends with him?” Cooper nods.
“Listen, it could be just an infatuation. Perhaps he felt a certain sense of security for knowing that you knew people who are gay and you're alright with them and with us. You could even be the first person he came out to.”
“I am. His parents don’t even know.” Cooper’s lower lip trembles.
“He was very courageous. It take a lot to come out to someone. Especially at that age and for the first time…”
“He just blurted it out.”
“Believe me. The pressure behind the ability to ‘blurt it out’, is incredible.” Kevin assures him.
Cooper remains quiet for a while.
“I don’t think I did it right.” He says eventually.
“What did you do?” Kevin asks, hoping his nephew hadn’t hurt the boy.
“I turned around and ran away. I just ran. Left him standing there.”
“Then you have to call him and tell him that you’re sorry… provided that you are sorry that you did that…?” Cooper nods at Kevin’s words. “Do you still want to be friends with him?” Cooper nods again. “Tell him that. And explain that you’re sorry, but that you’re not interested in taking the relationship further than friendship.” Kevin adds.
The moment he says the words, he knows that he’s wrong. Cooper looks at him, shame in his eyes.
“I can’t. Because… I’m not all that sure of where I want this to go…” Cooper finally whispers and Kevin puts an arm around him, knowing this is going to be a long afternoon.
THE END