Things progressed, but not in a way that was expected.

Actually, that wasn't true. They progressed in a way that was unsurprising to James, but seemed to be completely perplexing to Tyler.

For the next few of, Kalen and James spent even more time together than they had when they were living together. What was once afternoons spent with Tyler became afternoons spent with three of them, which evolved into evenings spent just Kalen and him alone in his bedroom. They grew closer, and closer, but just as friends.

For the first two weeks, James assumed Tyler's sudden frustration caused by the current situation was jealousy. Maybe he was jealous that Kalen was getting the majority of his time, and Tyler was not. Maybe he didn't like watching James grow closer and closer to another person.

But then the pestering started. It began with perplexity: What do you mean you're not together, you spend all of your fucking time together? Then, it was, why aren't you together again? Or, you should really just do something about your feelings, or, currently:

"This is pathetic. The sexual tension is killing me". Tyler was laying on the futon in James's room, glaring at him, and James shot a quick look at his bedroom door before allowing his attention to move to his friend. At the moment, Kalen was in his kitchen fetching the snacks his mother had left for them since she was working late, and James didn't want the other boy to overhear one of Tyler's stupid you should be together speechs. It would just be embarrassing for all of them. "James".

"Tyler," he responded, though his voice held much less vigor. He actually sound tired, he realized, though that wasn't really surprising because he was. Tired of the conversation, that is.

He understood that him and Kalen would be good together. They had that kind of chemistry, where things just clicked, but it didn't matter. James enjoyed being the other boys friend and getting to know him better, and he was positive that's what Kalen wanted as well. He had said it himself before, that their friendship was important to him, and that he wanted to preserve it.

"No, James. He's here all of the time... do his brothers know?"

James frowned at this. "I... I think they know he's here all the time, I just don't think they know why".

"But you do, right?" Tyler asked, and James just shrugged.

"Sure. He's here because he can be himself here when he can't at home-"

"Ugh, no James! He's here because he likes you," Tyler accused, and James just shook his head and adverted his eyes back down to Kalen's chemistry book. They were studying together, and had both been sprawled out across James's mattress until Kalen rose to go get food. "James, look man-"

"No," James cut in. "No. We've talked about this before".

"Talked about what?" Kalen asked as he moved into the room, socked feet quiet against the hardwood floors. In his hand was what James immediately recognized as a galon bag full of his mothers carmel corn, and he made a happy noise, reaching his hand out for it. "Ah, here. Your mom is so extra".

"James's mom is a wonderful woman," Tyler agreed, and James watched skeptically as Ty climbed off of the futon and approached them. Kalen took his place on the bed next to James, close enough that their sides were pressed together, and pulled open the bag James had put on his text book.

"This is amazing," Kalen moaned after putting the first piece in his mouth, and James would have smiled if he wasn't watching Tyler so closely. "Oh my god, I love your mom".

"Maybe you should act on that then," Tyler said, finally stopping in front of them, and reaching down to get his own handful of popcorn. "I mean, if you feel something, it doesn't make sense to not do something about it, right?"

"Huh?" Kalen asked, a handful of golden popcorn frozen halfway to his lips. He was staring up at Tyler with very large eyes, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

Tyler looked to James, who just shook his head at his best friend, silently telling him to drop it. "Whatever," Tyler groaned, huffing in disappointment. "I'll see you guys later. My mom is probably wondering where I am".

This most likely wasn't true, since Tyler was leaving at an earlier time than he usually did, but James did nothing but watch as his friend left his bedroom, popcorn in one hand, and his unopened backpack in the other.

"Um," Kalen said once he had left, turning to look at James with raised eyebrows. "That was weird. What's up with him?"

"Nothing," James said with a heavy sigh, pushing the bag of carmel corn off of the text book so he could look down at the words.

"Now you're in a bad mood," Kalen accused, grabbing another handful of popcorn.

"I'm not-" James attempted to protest, but Kalen pushed a piece of carmel corn though his parted lips. At first, he decided to be stern, but then he turned to look at Kalen, who was beaming happily at him, and he found himself laughing instead. "Okay".

"Okay?" Kalen repeated, and James nodded.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks". They just looked at one another then, their gazes locked. It was something that had happened a few times over the last couple of weeks, but Tyler had been there every time to snap them out of it.

James was finding it difficult to do this himself until he noticed Kalen's gaze focus intently on his mouth. Only then was he able to turn his face away and direct his attention back to the text book. His cheeks felt hot.

"James?" Kalen asked, and when he didn't turn back the other boy reached out and gently turned the other boy's face toward him.

It was happening in slow motion: Kalen slowly leaning towards him, lips slightly parted and eyes falling shut. Their mouths were so close to touching, and James wanted it so bad— his entire being hummed with want— but he feared this wasn't what Kalen really wanted.

Carefully, he shifted so his forehead met Kalen's, putting his lips further away. "Hey," James breathed, and Kalen stopped pressing forward, his eyes opening. With a frown, he pulled back.

"What is it?"

"I just... I don't really think this is a good idea right now," James advised, and Kalen pulled back further, his eyes widening. "Just a bit ago you were panicking over your brothers being homophobic, Kalen. Now's not the right time for this to happen".

"Just because I'm worried about my brother's finding out I'm gay doesn't mean I can just stop being gay. I doesn't work like that, James".

"I know," James agreed silently, but he didn't say any more than that. With a soft huff, Kalen rolled onto his back.

"You're really giving me mixed signals here man. I mean, I know you don't have to kiss me if you don't want to, but you kind of act like you want to a lot. Sorry for the confusion," Kalen said, and James frowned, because between the two of them, he felt Kalen was the one giving him mixed feelings.

First he wanted to kiss him and then he talked about how they should just forget that because their friendship was important and then weeks later he wants to kiss him again? It just didn't make sense. While thinking about this, James zoned out, so he didn't realize Kalen was gathering his things until the boy was saying. "I'll see you later James".

Wait, what?

Kalen wasn't giving him enough time to think, and he was panicking as he watched the other boy leave his room while hastily shoving things into his backpack.

Many things went through his head in that second.

Kalen wanted to kiss him.

Kalen was upset because he thought James didn't want to kiss him.

This probably meant Kalen still had feelings for him.

The outcome of letting Kalen walk away was unknown, but probably not good.

What if he lost him forever?

It was this last thought that spurred James into motion, and he scrambled off of his bed, knocking the carmel corn onto the ground in the process but not pausing to pick it up. He had to stop Kalen from leaving. "Kalen, wait!" He called, slipping on the hard wood flooring in his haste to leave his room. "Don't leave".

Kalen paused at the top of the stairs, his body slightly turned so he could look back at James over his shoulder. "It's alright James, I'm just-"

James cut him off by finally connecting their lips, using the momentum of moving towards Kalen to kiss him hard. Startled, Kalen almost fell backwards, down the stairs– in hindsight it was probably a really stupid idea to kiss him right there– but James's hands clamped down on his waist, pulling the shorter boy into his chest. At first, Kalen hesitated, his body ridgid, but then his arms came up to wrap around James's neck.

For just a moment, everything stood still, and James thought about how amazing it felt to finally have Kalen pressed against him like this, and then Kalen's lips were parting beneath his, and a warm tounge met his. With a low groan, James turned them to press Kalen against the railing, his tongue eagerly exploring the inside of the other boys mouth. He tasted like carmel and Kalen and it filled James's senses, making him feel fire in the pit of his stomach. It was everything he had thought it would be and more.

It was clear that it was Kalen's first kiss, but James found the hesitance enduring. It reminded him that he was the first person Kalen had trusted to do this, and made him kiss him all the harder.

A soft noise left Kalen's throat, and his hands came to grip at the hair at the back of James's head. His movements against him were getting more and more confident, and the pressure of his tongue increased steadily against James's until they were kissing so fervently that his mouth began to ache, and he was sure that Kalen's did as well.

Still they kissed, as if it was all they knew how to do, and James felt Kalen's hands on his shoulders, pushing him backwards while their lips stayed together, parting only for short gasps of air.

James didn't register where he was being pushed to until his back hit the mattress and Kalen's body fell on top of him. Surprised, James pulled back, breathing hard as he looked at the boy above him. Kalen was grinning at him, lips swollen and red, but he looked so happy.

With a content sigh, James raised his hand to push Kalen's dark hair off his forehead. "There isn't a situation in which I don't want to kiss you, Kalen Bradford".

"Then why didn't you right away?" Kalen asked, his hands threading though James hair.

"Well... I was thinking about you said that night, when you were staying here and I found you awake in the middle of the night".

Kalen looked confused then. "What did I say that night that made you not want to kiss me?"

"Well... you said you didn't want to ruin our friendship so..."

"I don't want to ruin our friendship," Kalen claimed, and James furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Isn't... is this ruining our friendship?" James inquired, and Kalen made a soft laughing noise.

"No," he claimed. "James, I want to be with you, romantically, but I also want to be your friend. Why would anyone want to be in a relationship with someone they don't have a friendship with?"

"Uh".

"Are you supposed to be friends with your significant other?"

James had never thought about it like that. Prior to getting together, Taylor and him had been friends, but during their relationship, it hadn't felt that way. As soon as they started dating, Taylor had become more controlling and demanding. If they hadn't of been dating, James was sure they wouldn't have been spending time together as friends.

But if Taylor had stayed the same, had stayed his friend... they still probably would have broken up, but James wouldn't doubt he'd feel more fond about the other boy looking back at their relationship.

James wondered if Kalen had just revealed the secret to a healthy relationship.

"Oh".

"Oh?" Kalen asked, seeming amused. One of his hands began to rub at James temple in a way he found soothing. "Is that not how relationships are supposed to work?"

"I think it is," James provided after a pause and Kalen smiled. "That's what you want then? With me? A relationship?"

With a heavy sigh, Kalen pushed himself off of James and flopped on the mattress next to him. For a moment, James feared he had said something wrong, but then Kalen was turning on his side towards him, his expression gentle.

"Yes," he admitted, bringing one of his hands up to James's chest absently. "Yes I want that. You don't know how long I've been thinking about it. I've been gay my entire life, and I've been attracted to other people before, but I've always been able to push those feelings down or simply ignore them, but for the first time in my life I just can't. Not with you".

"Kalen".

"I wake up and you're the first thing I think about. I go to sleep and I lay in bed thinking about what you're thinking about until my eyes close. You, no, us, isn't a split decision for me, James. It's one I've already fought myself over and come to a conclusion on. I just want you".

He was saying all of these things so casually, as if he wasn't baring a deep part of himself to James, as if it was easy, and suddenly James envied him, because there were so many things he wanted Kalen to know, but it felt as if he didn't have the words to vocalize them.

Finally, after a long pause that involved him gaping at Kalen while the other boy simply smiled at him, James managed a breathless, "Kalen Bradford".

And then Kalen was kissing him again, hand coming up to cup his jaw, and James found that kiss was the only thing in the world he cared about. Not the carmel corn on his floor or the chemistry homework they still needed to finish, or the fact that James's parents would be home soon and they'd need to part. Not the Bradford's triplets, or any of the other Bradford's for that matter. None of it was relevant, not when Kalen was kissing him.

For the first time in months, James felt light.