𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬【𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧】

6

Awsten was sitting on the counter in the bathroom as Geoff wet a rag beside him.

"Shit, you got some scratches on your face, too," Geoff frowned.

The cold fabric on Awsten's face stung when Geoff wiped off a trail of blood. He knew that could only mean worse for his leg.

"You fell so hard."

Awsten shot Geoff a small smile. "I must have looked so fucking dumb."

Geoff ran the rag back under the cold water. "I mean, of course you looked dumb, but it seemed like a REALLY bad fall. I was more concerned for your safety."

The rag came back in contact with Awsten's face as he wiped away another small spot of blood. He then took the rag down to Awsten's knee.

"This is going to hurt super bad at first."

Awsten nodded and winced at the feeling. "Oh shit, that's lethal."

Geoff laughed a little bit and dabbed back at the injury. Awsten felt so cared for as he watched Geoff do so. They both knew that Awsten was perfectly capable of fixing his injuries alone, but neither of them wanted to let it happen. It was just the two of them, alone, like it had been last summer, and Awsten had pined for that feeling every day since.

Awsten couldn't help but notice how soft and pretty Geoff's shaggy brown hair looked. He missed running his hands through it like it were a soft rug, but that happened last summer, and Geoff's hair didn't belong to Awsten anymore.

He suddenly came up with a bad idea.

"Geoff?"

"Mhm?"

"Does..." he asked in a soft tone, "does Aubrey like me?"

Geoff paused for a moment, which resulted in a sharp inhale from Awsten, and Geoff took the rag away from his leg. "Sorry. Yeah, she does. Why?"

Awsten hesitated before answering. "Just wondering."

The brunette continued to wipe away at Awsten's injury until there was no trace of fresh blood. After a minute or so of searching for band-aids, Geoff finally found some and placed them carefully along Awsten's knee.

Soon Geoff came back to Awsten's eye level again and surveyed his face.

"You have one more scratch. Let me get that for you and then I think we'll be all good."

He wet the rag and slowly wiped the last of Awsten's wounds away. But there was still one wound that couldn't be fixed with a rag- Awsten's heartache. Before he knew it his eyes were watering as much as the washcloth and he had to keep the tears from spilling out.

What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he crying so much lately?

Geoff took notice and put the rag down, cupping Awsten's cheeks in his hands.

"Are you okay, Aws?"

The younger clenched his eyes and jaw tightly to keep from full-on sobbing and nodded. Geoff took one of his hands from Awsten's cheek and used it to move strands of green hair away from his eyes. Waterfalls of hot tears fell on Geoff's thumbs, and he tried to wipe them away as best he could.

"Aw, no, please don't cry! What's wrong?"

Geoff was looking him right in the eyes again, with that soul-searching glance, the one that he always used to show he was listening intently.

Awsten pushed out another stream of hot tears before answering, "Nothing. My-my-my leg h-hurts."

Geoff's thumbs were just as wet as Awsten's face now but he tried hard to soothe his blushing cheeks with them.

"I know that's not the truth, Awsten," he cooed. "You can tell me anything."

Awsten just cried for a moment, letting Geoff hold Awsten's face in his hands, letting Geoff hold the burden of Awsten's troubles.

Last summer came back to him in dreadful waves and hit him like a tsunami. Awsten just wanted it to be over, to be back to normal, the way it was before he and Geoff realized they- no, they didn't love each other. They weren't gay. End of story.

"I can't, G-G-Geoff," Awsten hiccuped. "I think-k there's some-something wrong with me."

Geoff looked at him sympathetically. "No. No, Aws, there's nothing wrong with you."

Awsten nodded wildly, more tears spilling from his tightly-shut eyes, trying to keep from drawing outside attention.

"There is, G-Geoff."

The brunette took his one hand off of Awsten's face again and brought it to the side of his head, softly playing with the green hair there. Geoff knew how much it soothed Awsten.

"You're perfect exactly how you are."

Sure enough, the tears came out slower and slower until there were just hiccups and sniffles. Geoff pulled Awsten's head into his chest and held it there, moved his other hand to the back of Awsten's hair, and leaned his head down onto the boy below him.

The smell of Geoff always made Awsten feel better. The hiccups and sniffles were reduced to heavy breathing. It was silent between the two- being friends for ten years, and maybe something else for one of those years, let the silence have as much meaning as a conversation.

"How's your leg?" Geoff asked after a few minutes.

Awsten let out a shaky breath. "It's okay now. I'm sorry."

"Oh my god, Awsten, don't be sorry," Geoff laughed a little and pulled Awsten's face back up to his. "That's what friends are for."

Awsten could just put his lips on Geoff's and everything would be okay again...

All of a sudden, the door swung open, and Aubrey was in the doorway staring daggers.