And he was tired of waiting.
“I’m in love,” Ramin blurted out. “With Noah.”
Farzan and Arya both went so still, so quiet, Ramin thought the connection had frozen. At least until a pair of naked legs passed right behind Arya’s head, dick flapping in the wind.
“Guys?” he asked.
Farzan chuckled. “It took you long enough.”
“What?” Ramin sputtered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Dude.” Arya glanced away for a second. “No thanks, I don’t drink caffeine.” He turned back. “We’re your best friends. We know.”
“How did you know?Ididn’t know.”
Farzan ran a hand through his hair. “That’s because you were too busy telling yourself you were too boring to love.”
Ramin chuckled. Who needed tiny devil Arya and tiny angel Farzan when he had the real thing?
“Well, I was going through something. But I don’t think that anymore.”
“Good,” Arya said. “We love you.”
“Have you told him?” Farzan asked.
“No, not yet. Things have been… complicated.”
Ramin filled them in on everything while Farzan stepped into the kitchen to make tea. Arya turned off his camera for a bit; when it came back on, he was fully dressed and walking down Summit Street; Ramin recognized one of their favorite brunch spots over his shoulder.
“Sorry about that.” Arya gestured over his shoulder. “I can’t believe he showed you guys his dick.”
Ramin snorted. “So, anyway. I guess I’m just waiting to see him in person again to tell him. I don’t want to just, like, text him.”
Farzan sipped his tea and nodded. “When’s he coming back?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.” Ramin scratched at his chest. “Part of me wants to just hop on a train to Turin and go find him.”
He knew that was ridiculous. He didn’t know what hospital Jake was at. Or how long he was even going to be there. How long did it take to recover from an appendectomy? What if Noah and his family were already on their way back? Or what if they were driving?
“Don’t,” Arya said. “I know you love him, but you need to let him come back and apologize.”
“I don’t want him to apologize,” Ramin said. “I get why he left. I get why he panicked.”
Ramin had dealt with enough medical shit in his life to know sometimes all you could focus on was getting to that hospital.
“Still,” Farzan said. “Maybe at least talk to him before you go making any travel plans?”
“You’re right.” Ramin let out a low breath. He was like a wrung-out sponge. “Anyway. Enough about me. What’s new with you guys?”
“Hm. Well, David’s friend Rhett’s coming to visit next week. And he’s bringing Titus with him.”
“Is that—” Arya began.
“The world’s ugliest dog, yeah.”
Ramin laughed and settled onto his couch to let his friends catch him up.
He’d figure out what to do about Noah after.
