>>364528
Don't lie. And a little attention. ;)
Personally, I think he likes you as a friend, but maybe he deserves to know you're gay/bi/whatever. If he's really your friend he won't care first of all. Second of all, if he's whatever, or curious then he's going to have an easier time telling you since he knows you're gay. Lastly, he sounds pretty chill from what little you've said.
Be cautious with this though. When I was 15 or so I told my best friend I was pansexual. He thought he was bi, and he definitely wasn't. Long story short we both made mistakes in our youth, and have a few awful memories now.
Just because he does end up being receptive doesn't mean you're doing him a favor by going for it. At the very least take your time, and be cautious because feelings can change things pretty fast.
If you do have a chance with him… By setting good boundaries, and making sure they're kept, you could potentially take things slow. Id say stick to simple dates like going to the mall, seeing a movie, getting food, etc. Try simple PDA's like hand holding, sitting close, or an arm over the shoulder at first, and let him figure out how he feels about you. If you think with your dick, and rush things you could lose a friend. You should consider how important the friendship is to you. Sexual tension will complicate things no matter what. Feelings get more intense, and so do the things that matter to people.
I get the feeling he won't react badly, but that doesn't mean he couldn't because he likely is joking, and if it was weird enough for him I would worry about you. Mostly because when people do react badly, they react really badly. For this reason I'd advise younger boys to watch how much they tell people all the time. It's not exactly safe being gay in most places, and kids especially can do cruel things to each other because they haven't figured out how to respond in all the hard life situations.
So all in all, yea you could tell him that you're gay at least. If after some time it's improved your friendship, or if things develop in a way where you can date, try the next step, but take it slow for both of your sakes. This way there's only that one thing to smear you with if it turned out to be a mistake, and you can save some dignity for yourself if word got out about what you tell him/do with him. If all people know is that you're gay it will blow over usually, and then people who are in the closed will hit you up then so it might not be so bad. If you say too much it could stick to you.
Oh, and another very important tip. Do all important stuff like this in person so you can see their feelings. Not over the text, or phone call. Not only is it important so you can see his feelings, and vice versa, but it also keeps your shit off phones where it could get out far too easily.
There's my thoughts on the situation.