𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 - 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧 ✔

𝘌𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 | 𝘉𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥

Tao wasn't talking to Charlie, Charlie was avoiding Nick, which meant Nick was distressed, which also meant Calum had to hear all about how much Nick missed the boy, and how perfect his curly hair was.

Upon that sports day was coming closer, so the boys had to be in their A- Game. "Tao's sitting right there, maybe he knows." Nick said.

Calum shrugged, "He was pretty sad about being the last one to find out, don't say anything wrong to him."

Nick sighed as he walked towards the empty side of the table occupied by Tao, "Where's Charlie?" He asked as he sat down, bringing Calum with him. "I thought he'd be here."

"I thought he was eating with you."

Nick realised Charlie was avoiding Tao too, to which the Xu boy replied by saying, "I'm avoiding him."

"Why?"

"Because I'm pissed off with him." He said as if it was obvious. "Charlie's my friend. I was worried about him joining the rugby team and becoming friends with you."

Calum let out a dramatic gasp as he stared at his lunch.

"Not you." Tao answered.

"Good."

Tao turned his gaze back to Nick, "as I was saying, I was worried about him joining the rugby team and becoming friends with you because I knew that he'd get picked on by some of the idiots in your year. And guess what? He did."

"But we kicked them in the arse for it, look at our faces." Calum whispered trying to lighten the situation up.

Tao and Nick didn't seem to acknowledge him, "I'm done trying to protect him when he's forgotten I exist, like... I deserve to be appreciated. If he's just told me that you two were going out, like... Maybe I would've done things differently. Maybe I would have stayed more low-key and Harry would have left us alone."

"I think Charlie might be nervous about telling you," Nick told him, "because he really cares about your opinion. Because he loves you a lot."

"Yeah. Well, I'll believe that when I actually see it." Tao answered nonchalantly. "Why's he avoiding you?" He asked.

Nick looked down, "I think maybe... he's finding it hard having to lie to people about us. He's not angry about me being in the closet or anything, like... He knows I'm not ready to come out, but..."

"Look..." Tao said calmly, "I've known Charlie since we were 11, and he's always had a tendency to believe that him just existing is annoying for other people."

"Yeah. I sort of got that impression." He nodded slightly smiling knowingly.

"He's not going to force you to come out. Which is good. He would literally never tell you this, but he probably wants to be something more than 'secret guy you kiss sometimes on the down-low.' And if you can't give him more than that then... I mean, that's fine, but it's always gonna make him feel a little bit crap about himself."

Calum smiled at Tao, "you still giving out overprotective monologues, huh? See, you care."

Tao glared at him.

"Oh." Nick realised meanwhile.

"You should talk to him." Tao suggested.

"Yeah, so should you."

"No. I'm gonna stay pissed off with him for a bit longer." He said as he stood a little straighter.

"You should try rugby. It's good for releasing negative emotions."

And now there was an awkward silence.

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺