College Secrets (An EddiexGaege Fanfic)

Chapter 5: The Boys

"Hey, how are you and your new friend?" Josh smiles at Eddie mischievously as he turns the corner. "You seem to be hanging out with him a lot more than before."

"What? You mean, Gaege?" Eddie licked his lips, the thought of Gaege crossing over his mind for the tenth time today. Gaege had been stuck on his mind all day. It was as if his favorite song was on constant repeat, and he wouldn't be able to get it out until he heard the familiar tunes and notes once again.

"Yeah, who else would I be talking about?" Josh glanced over at Eddie with a shrug, "You just seem happier with him, that's all. More like yourself."

A small smile crossed over Eddie's face, but he turned away from Josh before he could see. He was less embarrassed about being himself around Gaege. He didn't know if Gaege felt the same- or if he even considered Eddie that close of a friend- but Eddie sure did.

As Josh and Eddie pulled up to the diner that the other guys agreed to meet up, Eddie's heart began to pound uncontrollably. A chorus of excitement, nervousness, and the pressure of making a good impression on Gaege's friends began to rise in his chest. He hoped that Josh wouldn't say anything offensive or stupid while they are meeting either.

Although as Eddie met a familiar pair of hazel, green eyes from across the diner, the corner of his mouth curved into a bright smile. "Eddie! Over here!" Gaege waved in their direction with a wide grin, gesturing them towards the large booth in the back.

Eddie slipped into the seat besides Gaege as Josh followed after him, meeting his eyes with a soft grin. Gaege laughed shyly, brushing his hand over his hair when his gaze drifted to Eddie's face.

"You look nice," Eddie then said to him, tugging at the sleeve of Gaege's denim jacket with a chuckle, "I like your jacket. It really brings out your eyes, you know." Eddie didn't exactly know why this slipped out of his mouth, but he said it low enough so the others wouldn't hear.

Before Gaege could answer, Mully wrapped an arm around Grant before tilting his head towards Josh, "So you're Josh, right?" Josh nodded, fixing his beanie on his head as he answered, "Yep. Weren't you in my Advanced Physics class last year?"

Mully narrowed his eyes before laughing, "Yeah, I was!" Grant cocked his head to the side, "So you all know each other already?"

"Well, we never actually spoke until now," Josh replied with a small smile, "And you must be Grant. Nice to meet you, mate." Grant exchanged smiles and hand shakes with Josh, and Eddie was relieved they were getting along well so far. It wasn't as awkward as he initially intended.

Gaege had been glancing at him throughout the conversation between Mully, Josh, and Grant, and Eddie met his eyes before Gaege had the chance to turn away. It was then that Eddie realized how attractive Gaege was before freezing.

No, what was he thinking? Gaege was one of his best friends for fuck's sake. Plus, Eddie was never attracted to guys. He had never stolen a side glance of someone who was the same gender as he was. Especially not another guy who he didn't even know was into guys or girls or-

Eddie snapped out of his thoughts as Gaege asked quietly, "What? Is something wrong?" The sunlight pouring through the window made the specks of green appear in his eyes again. Eddie was always enchanted by the magic behind his eyes, almost as if the whole universe was behind them. No one else was able to grasp his attention like Gaege did, Eddie realized.

"Um, no... Everything is fine," Eddie swallowed a lump in his throat before quickly looking away. What were these emotions bubbling in his chest? And why did they make him afraid of what to say next?

Gaege stared at him for a few more seconds with a puzzled expression before looking away with a concerned frown. "I'm going to the restroom," Eddie told the others after a few minutes, eager to escape the intense awkwardness between Gaege and him.

He burst through the restroom door, relieved that there was no one in the men's room to bother him. Eddie slapped hot water onto his face, hoping he could somehow wash away the unknown emotions piling within him.

Eddie looked up at himself in the mirror, rubbing his eyes as he blinked. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel nauseous at the thought of Gaege in the diner? Why did he suddenly grow frustrated with himself for feeling this way?

"Eddie? Is everything alright?" Eddie snapped his head in the direction of the door, only to see Gaege standing there with his hands in his pockets. Eddie glanced down at his hands, realizing the the faucet was still running.

"I'm... I'm fine," Eddie said quietly, slowly shutting off the faucet with a sigh and resting his hands against the cool sink. "Sorry, I don't know whats wrong with me." Gaege was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond or why Eddie was suddenly distant.

"Hey, it's okay, big guy." Gaege walked up to him, wrapping his arms gently around Eddie's waist from behind. "It's alright."

Eddie didn't move for a few seconds, only stared at the sink faucet. Eddie tensed when he saw the shorter man's eyes flutter close with a smile on the reflection, praying that Gaege wouldn't be able to hear Eddie's heart race a million miles an hour. His hands were shaking, but he forced them to his sides as he searched for an excuse to let go.

"You do realize we're still in the men's room, right?"

Gaege quickly let go when Eddie said this, and Eddie could've sworn he saw him blush a light shade of pink in the dim lighting. "Oh, sorry. I was just trying to comfort you..." Gaege said quietly as he pulled away from Eddie, keeping his head low to avoid his gaze.

They both awkwardly headed out the restroom without exchanging a word about their embrace. Eddie wasn't entirely sure why Gaege did that, but it, surprisingly, made him feel slightly relaxed.

It was until someone tapped Eddie's shoulder that he spoke. "Eduardo?" The soft voice was awfully familiar to him, and Eddie gasped when he saw her face.

"Ashley? I haven't seen you since high school!" Eddie smiled, pulling her into a friendly hug, "How have you been?"

Gaege glanced over his shoulder, realizing Eddie wasn't behind him anymore. He turned to see him speaking to a brunette girl with green eyes. She was a lot shorter than he was, but her smile was bright and inviting. Gaege scratched his head, trying to find out where Eddie had known her from.

"Good, actually! Wow, it's been so long since I've seen you." Ashley said sweetly, clutching a black purse in her hands. "I'm actually here for my friend's birthday today."

Gaege sided with Eddie before saying, "Um, well, I'll see you back at the table, okay?" Eddie gently grabbed his arm before Gaege could leave, causing Gaege to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Wait, Gaege. This is my best friend from high school," Eddie nodded towards Ashley with a small grin, "We were in band together."

"Uh, nice to meet you..." Gaege awkwardly shook her hand, his voice becoming more quieter than usual. Eddie seemed to notice his sudden change in tone before saying, "Well, it was nice seeing you again Ashley, but we got to get back to our friends."

"Oh, can I have your number?" Ashley then asked with a hopeful smile, "So we can stay in touch?" Eddie exchanged a glance with Gaege before slightly hesitating.

"Sure, here you go," Eddie pulled out his phone from his pocket, but Gaege took a step away from him. Eddie wasn't the type to maintain a friendship over texting, but he gave her his number regardless.

He looked up to see Gaege avoiding his eyes. A distant look crossed over his face, an expression Eddie had never seen before. His lips turned down with a small frown, and he shoved his hands in his blue jeans. Eddie was about to ask what was wrong before Gaege turned around.

"Let's go." Gaege pulled at his collar before walking towards their table without another word. Eddie opened his mouth before closing it again, wondering what could possibly be wrong. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ashley walking back to her table on the other side of the restaurant, but he couldn't help but still feel nervous about his own emotions.