“So they were cool with it?” he asked, ignoring the texts.
“Yeah, Lex.” Ben’s voice grew soft, his eyes lifting to Alexei’s as he took back his phone. “Not everyone’s an asshole, you know?”
Alexei was quiet.
“Sorry.” Ben shook his head. “I didn’t mean to imply your parents are assholes.”
“No,” Alexei said. “It’s okay.”
He looked away, squinting into the distance.
“Is Faraj gay?” he asked, those texts finally processing in his brain.
Ben laughed. “Honestly? I don’t know. I think he was just busting my balls. But”—he shrugged—“maybe Faraj is a little queer. Who knows.”
Alexei took this in.
“When did you come out?” he asked next. There was a whole storm of questions inside him suddenly. “Is it okay I’m asking you these things?” he added.
“Yeah, Lex. You can ask me anything. And when I came out the first time?” Ben tilted his head. “Freshman year of high school. I probably knew by sixth grade. But, you know, middle school sucks.”
“Huh.”Sixth grade.
Did Alexei know by then?
No. He never would have allowed himself even to think it.
But maybe.
“And Ma is okay with it? And everyone?”
“Yeah.” Ben’s voice went soft again. “They are. I’m lucky.”
Alexei sat, thinking about high school Ben, out and loved.
Ben stood while Alexei was still lost in his thoughts.
“We should probably keep moving.” He picked up his pack. “You can keep asking questions, though.”
Alexei nodded. This was enough for now.
Several quiet hours later, they reached Deep Creek Hot Springs. Whatever thoughts still tumbled in Alexei’s head were cut short by the crowd.
Which was sizable.
And significantly naked.
Ben barked out a laugh.
“Holy shit,” he breathed. “This is…”He trailed off, shaking his head and laughing some more.
Weirdly, Alexei wasn’t that thrown by nudity in the outdoors; there were plenty of swimming holes in the Pacific Northwest where clothing was optional. Not that he had ever partaken of the practice himself.
Still, Alexei hadn’t seen Ben’s eyes this full of glee since the Cabazon Dinosaurs. It eased a weight that had been sitting inside his chest.
“Yeah?” Alexei grinned over at him. “You don’t see a lot of this in Tennessee?”
“Nope. Can’t say I’ve ever seen quite so many breasts and balls all in one spot before, but hey”—he shrugged—“I came to the PCT for new experiences, right?”
