Not Alone

[Rician Serpenthelm]

Rician sat up in the Hufflepuff stands, observing the few people on the pitch practising their skills.
Although Rician was there physically, his mind was elsewhere.
It was a beautiful day with delicate blinding morning sunlight to dazzle all who saw it.
Rician didn't have a great deal to do.
He loved Quidditch- he'd thought about trying out but had been too nervous.
Rician wasn't ready to take on another stress yet- He had only just worked out that he was gay and this was causing an internal fight.
He was protesting that he wasn't gay, that he couldn't be.. But then again, everything just seemed to add up.

Rician watched as two of the players on the pitch fought over the quaffle, the sounds of their shouting distracting Rician from hearing anything else around him.

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

((Sorry it took me so long to reply, I've been away for a couple of days :/))

Kyle hadn't really explored the quidditch fields yet, and today seemed as good a time as any. He'd had his flying lessons here, but he hadn't really spent much time in the area. Discovery in mind, he decided now was as good a time as any to check it out. Wandering around behind the stands, he found the stairs to get up to the seats, and decided that the practice going on certainly sounded interesting and worth watching. He headed up the stairs to the Hufflepuff stands and looked around. And wow. Very, very, very high up. He bit his lip and, to distract himself from the height, went to sit next to the stands's only other occupant. "Hey." He smiled, trying not to think about how high up they were.

 

[Rician Serpenthelm]

Rician jumped slightly upon hearing a voice next to him.
He turned to see a boy he vaguely recognized as a fellow Hufflepuff.
"Hello," Rician said, smiling a little falsely as his internal battle raged on.
".. Nice day."
Rician felt really stupid. This was the icy on the cake.
He couldn't talk to boys anymore without feeling awkward.

Rician looked down towards the pitch but he wasn't paying attention.
His mind was now on the boy next to him who was very good looking..
Rician turned back to the boy, taking a deep breath and fixing his face with a smile.
"I'm Rician.. But call me Ric.. because it's shorter.." He muttered, wanting to slap himself for saying something so obvious.
He reached out one of his hands to shake the boys hand.

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

Great. Now that Kyle was away from heights, the one thing he absolutely could not stand, he realised how weird it was to just go sit by a stranger - a boy no less, and Kyle didn't trust himself around boys these days. He stared at his knees, embarrassed, focusing hard on not blushing, as he was so prone to doing. When the boy spoke again, introducing himself, Kyle lifted his head, smiling tentatively. Thank god. "I'm Kyle." He said, shaking the offered hand. "Nice to meet you. You're in Hufflepuff, right?" He asked, recognising the boy from the common room. A second after he spoke though, he realised how much of a silly question it was. They were sitting in the Hufflepuff stands. Generally, that was where Hufflepuffs sat. 'Idiot!' Kyle thought, cheeks reddening.

 

[Rician Serpenthelm]

Rician, hardly noticing what an obvious answer it was, replied to Kyle's question.
"Yeah, third year in Hufflepuff." He smiled, suddenly noticing Kyle's cheeks redden.
He tilted his head sideways a little unintentionally.
Perhaps he wasn't the only one at Hogwarts? Perhaps there were other gay boys?
Rician took a deep breath.
He had to know.. He just had to.. There seemed to be something in common with the two of them?
That was when Rician couldn't help but fire questions at Kyle:
"So, what year are you in? Do you like Quidditch? I like Quidditch but I prefer flying in general because I'm muggle-born and I hadn't flown before Hogwarts. What's your blood status? Loads of people don't want to be around me because I'm muggle-born.. I thought that blood prejudice was through with but apparently not.. I talk a lot when I'm nervous and I'm not normally nervous so this is a little strange but I might be nervous because your a guy and I recently found out I'm gay-"
Rician forced his mouth shut.
He had been bad enough as it was throwing questions at the poor young lad he'd just met but now he'd told him one of his innermost secrets.. Oh God, Rician thought to himself, You stupid boy, Ric!

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

Kyle smiled. "You're older than me then. I'm only second year." He said timidly. He was grasping desperately for something else to say that wouldn't make him seem like a complete uninteresting moron when Rician set off babbling on a tyrade that had Kyle slightly stunned, cheeks reddening as the boy nervous-spoke the way Kyle would if he hadn't learned to keep his tongue in check at primary school so other kids didn't pick on him. He was opening his mouth to cut Rician off and answer his questions when the last thing slipped out, and the boy shut his mouth. All at once, Kyle's face burned a bright scarlet, and he gasped, staring awkwardly at his knees once more.
After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Kyle spoke slowly, answering each of Rician's questions in turn. "I've never tried quidditch, I've only ever flown in the flying lessons we were given when we got here... I'm muggleborn too, though nobody's ever been mean to me because of it. And... I'm gay too." The last thing he said was barely a whisper; it was the first time he had told anyone since that strange, scary conversation with Jessy when he had figured out why boys made him feel so... strange. "That's the first time I've told anyone." He said, with a tiny, bitter half-laugh. Kyle really hadn't wanted anyone to know, at least not for awhile; how could he tell people something he still didn't understand himself? Rician was gay too though, and had told him, and that somehow made it... different.

 

[Rician Serpenthelm]

Rician felt incredibly awkward and for a moment there was silence.
Then the boy spoke again.
Rician had his eyes on his knees when he suddenly heard Kyle admit that he was gay too.
He looked up at the boy, hoping he hadn't misheard him.
"..I.. You're.. Well.. erm.." Rician took a few breaths, turning to the pitch for a moment where the players were packing their things up.
"I mean.. That's great that you're.. You know- I don't mean that in a weird way.." Rician's cheeks were reddening fast.
"So.. You.. Have a boyfriend?" He hoped this did not seem like too much of a personal question but he was curious- Had a boy younger than him in almost the exact same situation managed to find another person to love him when Rician had searched for a month since knowing?
"I'm just.. I'm surprised. Wow. I thought I was the only one.. Well, at least now I don't have to feel alone."

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

((nkdasjfhkjdsgjbcdjhasv I'm SO sorry it took me so long to reply, I'm living with my dad right now and he doesn't have the internet I'm really sorry!))

Kyle dared to look up at Rician nervously when the other boy spoke again, still not quite believing this conversation was happening. His cheeks were still glowing a bright pink, but he ignored them, curiosity overcoming embarrassment.
"I... er... no." Kyle answered, thinking of Kit, and realising all at once that that was exactly what he wanted Kit to be. His boyfriend.
"I've never even told anyone, I didn't think there were any other guys like me in the whole school. I was kinda thinking I was a freak." He chuckled slightly, cheeks darkening yet again.
"D... Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked shyly, wondering if there were other guys like them in the school, guys Kyle had never met. It would sure make this whole gay thing easier.