The Gay Nerd Who Stole His Heart

Kylan hadn't thought he would show. To be fair, the offer had completely slipped his mind the instance Charles left the lunch table, and they went their separate ways to class. However, when he arrived home and stood in front of his door, he did not want to return to the hell of being in the presence of his father while he was angry. He could barge into his room at any time of the day and start insulting him, punching him, which Kylan never fought back against since it was the only thing he had left as a family.

Hence why he sat there, staring at the names on the list of musicians who were to present their piece as they marched on the stage, one by one. The different pieces were magical, causing all his hormones to fall at such ease he thought he was floating. He even shut his eyes and allow the music to reach every single tingle in his body, the magnificent players creating such a beautiful sensation through his entire bones. After every one, he applauded with genuine appreciation, exciting to hear the next piece and the next. Until, the next name on the list was Charles', and he shuffled in his seat, leaning forward and watching Charles march to the stage where the large beautiful shining black piano shimmered. Charles smiled at the crowd, then sat in front of the piano. He placed one palm, then the other, and then afterward, he began. Kylan was in total disbelief; it had been the best piece from the entire night. The melody was angelic, as if he was hearing the soft singing of angels twirling during Christmas with such joy and happiness. It was as if he could even see them floating above Charles as his fingers played a beautiful piece. He played tough on the piano in some instances, his face sharpening as he slammed his fingers on keys, and then he would shift to smooth, soft playing with delicacy grazing across the keys. It was a masterpiece, and when he ended, all the audience stood to their feet and slammed their palms in awe.

Even Kylan had to stand to his feet, not having realized how music could have such an impact. He had completely forgotten about Jonah, and all that was in his thought was Charles. There were a few pieces after Charles', and they were sweet as well, and then the recital came to a close. The lights came on, and the audience began standing, the players approaching their families and smiling, chatting, and having conversations with other families. Kylan saw Charles speaking to a woman. She seemed much older with a few children around her. He did not want to disturb them and was quite embarrassed to let him know he had shown up, hence why he put the list on the chair beside him and then exited the hall. He was walking to his car when he heard his name being called behind him. When he turned, Charles was standing there with a grin on his face, his palms shoved into his front pockets as he approached Kylan, who stressfully pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Charles smiled, "I'm glad you came." Kylan nodded his head, a weak smiling tugging his lips. "I hope you liked it."

"It was wonderful," Kylan admitted genuinely, "Thank you for inviting me."

"If you ever want to hear me play, you could always stop by at my home," he welcomed warmly, which Kylan nodded his head again.

They stared at one another for a moment, the air growing tense, and Kylan eventually gulped, "I should go."

He began stepping around to the driver's seat until he heard, "Wait." He faced Charles once more, and Charles has grown closer to him, which caught him a bit off guard. Charles sighed stressfully, evidently flustered, before finally saying, "I have something to tell you."

Kylan raised an eyebrow, and Charles knew it was his cue. "I lied to you about something." He scratched the side of his face, "Listen, I am gay." Kylan's eyes widened, and Charles had expected that shocked reaction, "I heard you and Jonah broke up, and there is no coincidence that I came to sit with you today. I want to get to know you."

Kylan blinked.

"I know you just got out of a relationship, and I don't expect you to want me," he continued, "but I wanted to take my chances and see where this goes. I didn't want to start us off with a lie, so that's the truth."

After a silence, Kylan met his gaze, and although shock, a weak smile tugged the end of his lip, "I'm glad you could be honest."

Charles smirked, "Would you like to come hear a beautiful piece at my home some other time?"

He immediately nodded, without an ounce of hesitation, "Yes."

He entered his car and waved goodbye as he drove away from the parking lot. He had not expected Charles to have such respect and gentlemen features, which did cause his heart to palpitate and his cheeks to flare red. And not once had he thought about Jonah that night, but his mind was engulfed with the image of handsome Charles in a suit, smiling at him.