Page 59 of Encounter

He’s bringing this up? Has he been thinking about it?

I held my breath, turning to him just enough for his face to be in my peripheral vision because if I faced him head on, he would have noticed how blushful I was getting.

“It’s stupid, really... Was probably better for my ego. Or masculinity, or whatever, to tell myself I would fuck a guy only when I’m horny and that’s that.”

I think I’m entering a parallel reality.

“Are you... co-coming out to me as bi?” Barely comprehending the words coming out of my mouth, I focused my gaze on Chast, and the second he saw the shock on my face, he desperately laughed, shaking his head and grabbing onto his chest for support.

“You kids and your damn labels these days. I—I guess so, but... I don’t need no pride flag flown. All that stuff means nothin' to me.” Grinning at me, he waited for me to process it all.

I concluded that no matter how unexpected what he said was, it made me feel ten pounds lighter. Like therewassome fear I was carrying with me when I was around him, or everyone, fear of judgment, but seeing Chast so vulnerable made it simply go away.

I softly ran my hand over Kitty. “Are you... going to tell me something about self-defense then?” I asked, wondering where in this surprisingly domestic atmosphere that even fit in. Just us, sitting in front of the TV, somehow became all I wanted.

“Nah,” Chast said, waving his hand. “I’m tired and loopy. I only really told you to come here ‘cuz you were already waitin’ and it was my fault we missed a session. You’re free to go home if you want.”

There he was again—the confident, ‘whatever happens, happens’ Chast.

I couldn’t tell if he was trying to get rid of me or really didn’t mind if I was there. Hesitating, I observed Kitty, comfortable spread out against the side of my thigh and kneading against the couch like her life depended on it.

Noticing, Chast lowered his eyes. “I can see she likes you,” he said in a mellow, pensive tone. “Usually, she hides when strangers are here. Rarely ever cuddles up to anyone like this.”

Maybe the truth was... neither of us wanted to be alone. Maybe it was going to be good for the both of us.

“She’s very sweet,” I whispered. “How old is she?”

“Probably a few months older than you, actually.” Looking up at him in shock, I opened my mouth. “Yep. This here is a senior citizen,” he chuckled, itching her chin, to Kitty’s satisfaction.

“Wow. I’ve always wanted a cat, or a dog. But... Dad isn’t exactly a fan.”

Chast frowned. “Why wouldn’t he be? Your house is massive.”

“I don’t really know.” I shrugged, remembering all the times I begged him when I was younger. Back then, it made me furious—made me feel like Dadwantedme to be all alone, just like he was, and that was why he wouldn’t allow it. “He probably doesn’t want the house to get dirty. He’s really strict about that. It’s not like he cleans it, but— Well, it doesn't matter.” No point in getting hung up on that, especially now that I had a lovely, fluffy creature to love next to me.

Chast’s stare fixated on me, and unlike most of the time, it wasn’t intruding or making me anxious, he was just... there. “Let me order some food,” he announced after a while and got his phone. “What do you want?”

?

It just turned 10:30 pm when I got back home.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I expected from the visit—certainly not simply sitting down, watching TV, and eating some pizza. I almost didn’t want to leave him there, all hurt, but he was falling asleep, and I started to feel like I overstayed my welcome.

He said he would call in a week or two, when he felt well enough to at least move without a hellish amount of pain.

I promised I would keep up with my training, and planned to do anything I could to keep that promise.

With Dad out, having to leave early to catch a flight to some important conference the next morning, I had the house all to myself. Usually, coming to an empty, dark house in the late hours would make me feel uneasy—like I wasn’t alone, but in the most uncomfortable sense.

This time, I threw myself on the bed, taking in the smell of my hoodie’s sleeve lingering with Kitty’s scent, bringing me back to Chast’s apartment.

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