37

Winston catches up with Gary outside the library. "How did tutoring go?" he asks as a greeting, mind still distracted by Jason.

Gary glances at him. He hums noncommittally, rising an eyebrow. "That's all you're going to say?" When Winston doesn't respond to that, Gary rolls his eyes, "You haven't spoken to me since Jason came over to your place."

"I know," Winston says, but he doesn't apologize. To be fair, that was just yesterday, so it's not like it's been weeks of silence. So he waits Gary out and as expected, Gary folds first.'

Gary stops walking and turns toward Winston, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at him. "You completely shut me out."

"I'm sorry," says Winston, unable to stand seeing the hurt look in Gary's eyes. It's not one he's seen before, and he despises being the one to cause it. He ducks his head and inhales discreetly through his nose, trying not to squirm as he waits for Gary to -- do something. Yell at him.

Because Winston ignored him, and that's not what friends do, is it?

But Gary sighs and says, "Don't look so glum, I'm not mad."

"Aren't -- you?"

Gary grabs Winston's despondently hanging hand and holds on tight. "Really, I'm not." Gary's smiling when Winston peeks at him, and Winston exhales, hand unclenching in Gary's grip. Gary pulls a little on Winston's hand, bringing his attention back to him and not Winston's racing thoughts, and Gary adds, "If you don't want to talk to me about something, you don't have to. And there's nothing wrong with going a few days without speaking to each other."

"But --- friends?" Winston doesn't even know what he's protesting, or what he means. It's juts an ephemeral idea he's gotten from somewhere, an idea he can barely put into words.

"You do know we don't actually talk literally every single day," Gary points out.

"I know."

"So there's no problem, then, is there?"

Winston shakes his head. He sighs, rubbing a finger under the tip of his nose. He scuffs his foot on the ground and looks back up at Gary with a tentative smile. "Sorry for freaking out," he says, nudging Gary's toes with his boot.

Gary laughs, pulling him along as he starts walking. Winston trod along with him, their hands still connected, and passively follows wherever Gary is going. They don't actually have any classes together today, so he'll need to let go at some point, but he won't yet. Not until absolutely necessary.

"So how did tutoring actually go?"

Gary sighs, staring up in despair at the sky. "The kid's mother came home halfway through and stayed right there the whole time. Majorly distracting, I could barely think with her gigantic boobs right in front of me."

"Oh, right, you like boobs," mutters Winston, and at gray's scandalized gasp, he snickers. "So like really, yesterday was okay for you?"

"Yeah, totally normal," affirms Gary. He knocks their shoulders gently together and gazes searchingly at him. "You're not gonna tell me anything about yesterday?"

"Not yet."

Gary nudges their shoulders once more, and they're barely walking at all. It's a slow, meandering pace through campus park. The grass is covered by frost; it hasn't snowed in a couple of days but there's constantly frost on everything. The morning sun is just peeking over the horizon, still rising later and later every day. They haven't quite hit winter solstice yet.

Meandering over the park, Gary asks, "After Jason left, were you okay?"

"It was... fine." No man can hide anything from Gary's searching eyes and Winston is no exception. He exhales, staring out at the distance and pretending he can't feel Gary's gaze on the side of his face, and forces out, "I just a little lonely, is all." In a rather more self-deprecating tone, he adds, "I guess I've gotten used to your place, Liam and all."

"Aw." Gary mushes Winston's cheek, puckering his mouth, "Little Winnie misses his darling little brat of a brother, how *adorable*." Winston bravely puts up with the manhandling, allowing his cheeks to be pulled in a million directions, but he still rolls his eyes when he's released.

Gary adds, "But really, you know you're always welcome, right? Mom loves you and Liam is like. Well you know, he's like that to everyone so you're not special, dude."

"Thanks," says Winston dryly. "But I'm almost living at your place as it is and your mom didn't sign up for that. I just need to, like, I don't know, go to yoga or something."

"Mom does yoga, I'm sure she'd love to take you along," says Gary, and Winston raises a doubtful eyebrow. Gary merely laughs, pulling him along as he starts speeding up again. "Seriously, dude, don't worry about it. Mom would love you moving in with us. I promise."