Hi, everyone! I just wanted to notify you that there is some (moderately light) homophobic content in this chapter. I will leave a note before it starts and after it ends so that you can skip it and miss the least amount of storyline. Oh, also there is a lot of cursing in this. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and... enjoy?! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I gave him a confused look and he sighed. "We don't have the best relationship. Or even a good relationship. He's very... aggressive and I, uh, well... I'm not."
I nodded understandingly. "Does he always look at you like that or is he just in a particularly bad mood today?"
"Nope, that's how he always looks at me. If you keep watching, he'll flip me off when we lock eyes again." I turned back to the guy and as Kieran had said, as soon as they locked eyes again, he gave him the finger. Then he made the decision to walk over.
"Hey, Kier." He teased, smirking priggishly as Kieran winced at the nickname.
"What do you want, Clark?"
(Now would be the time to skip ahead if you plan on doing so.)
"Is that any way to talk to your older brother?" Clark asked, still audibly teasing Kieran. Maybe Kieran overemphasized just how bad their relationship is. I mean, he seems nice enough. "And who's this, Kier? One of those little fags you're so fond of?" Nope, he's an asshole.
"Leave me alone, Clark. And don't talk about him like that." Kieran sighed, resigned to his brother's attitude.
"What? It's hardly my fault that you and your merry band of freaks like gallivanting around, spreading your disease to convert normal people. Besides, you people always seem to congregate in packs. Easy for orgies, isn't it? Fucking pansy." Clark sneered. Hold on... Is he saying that Kieran..? He is! I gasped softly, more of a quick intake of breath more than anything but Clark leapt upon the opportunity. He smirked. "Hah! You didn't even tell him, did you? Poor bastard. Just now realizing why you keep fawning all over him. I bet he's disgusted with you." Kieran lowered his head in shame. That's. Enough.
"Kieran doesn't have to tell me shit and you're a horrible person for exposing him like that. Besides, he hardly fawns over anyone. You're probably just jealous that he has the confidence to not hid behind a flimsy, chiffon fabric curtain of heterosexuality in an attempt to convince everyone else that you're quote-unquote normal." I snapped. Kieran chuckled so quietly I'm quite sure I was the only one who heard.
Clark bristled and seemed to shift to an offensive stance. "What do you mean by that, fag?" He asked coldly, glaring at me. I returned his glare with one of my own that was much more effective.
"Well, you may not have noticed but I saw you gazing quite.. appraisingly at myself and some of the other males in the class. Surely no man of solid heterosexuality would do such a thing. Right?" I shrugged confidently, hardly threatened by Clark's dominating hostility. Kieran chuckled again but this time I could tell Clark heard as the hatred in his eyes multiplied.
He basically spat the words in my face as he spoke. "You'd like that, wouldn't you fag? A guy like me taking an interest in you? You'd probably cream your pants over it too." He bent over getting closer to my face as he spoke, tone vitriolic. Kieran shrunk back in his chair, any expression of amusement gone, face pointed down painted in a mural of fear. Surely Kieran shouldn't be so scared. Unless Clark lashes out at him when he's angry. Did he mean physically aggressive and not aggressive attitude-wise?
(You may continue reading here if you skipped ahead.)
"Clark, why are you here?" Kieran's voice was near whispering.
Clark stands back up straight and rolls his eyes. "Dotty wants you to come home this weekend. Her and Mickey want to hear all about how great college is going."
"And, of course, they want us there at the same time." Kieran responded. Clark nodded and Kieran relented. "I'll be there on Sunday. Now get out of here before you get me in trouble."
"And, of course, we wouldn't want that." Clark teased. "Tell them yourself, Queeran." He walked out of the classroom and I relaxed, noticing Kieran do the same. He kept his head down and went back to working on his paper. Wait, I thought he finished? I snuck a glimpse at his paper. He was doodling little shapes: triangles, circles, rhombi. He's never done that before...
"Hey, is something wrong?" I asked gently, slowly putting my hand on his shoulder after making sure he knew it was coming so he could move if he didn't want to be touched. He shook his head. "No, really, tell me."
He shrugged off my hand and I pulled it back. He growled deep in his throat, "Nothing, alright? Leave me alone." Oh, damn. Okay. That was.. What could possibly make him this upset? It was just his.. oh. That makes sense.
"Kieran, if this is about what your bro-" I began but he cut me off.
"I said leave me alone." He snapped. I sat back in slight shock and something I refused to acknowledge. No. I gave him a moment to breathe and calm down before trying again.
"Kieran, I don't care if you're gay," I said after the long pause. I allowed my words to fill the air between us. " It's the way you are and I won't fault you for something you can't control. I like you the way you are and nothing about that has changed since I found out. I'd be a horrible fucking friend if it did, don't you think?"