His Best Friend. (Hamlaf)

| chapter 13 |

Alex's POV

I noticed that Lafayette wasn't coming to lunch. If I'm being honest, I was extremely concerned. As John and Herc indulged in their meals, I anxiously fidgeted with my pen and awaited Lafayette's arrival. But, he never came.

So, after about 15 minutes of staring at every entrance and nervously tapping my foot against the white marbled floors, I stood up. John and Herc glanced up at me, confused. "I'm.. going to look for Laf." I muttered.

In the corner of my eye I saw John silently, subtly nod. I hastily made my way out of the cafeteria and checked the nearest mens bathroom, but he wasn't there. So I made my way upstairs and checked that mens bathroom that no one ever uses because the delinquents made it so filthy that it's basically unusable at this point... but he wasn't there, either.

I checked everywhere that I believed he could be. The library, the band room, the JROTC room... Hell, I even checked his German teacher's room. Nothing. No where. I was starting to panic, just a little bit.

As I left his German teacher's room, I twirled my hair and started to hyperventilate as I paced around in the hallway. Where could he be?

Locker room...?

He's not even in PE or sports, but it's worth a shot.

I ran down the hall and stopped in front of the locker room entrance to take a breather. I wiped my forehead and exhaled before opening the door.

And there he was. He was in the middle of the locker room, staring into his locker. I didn't even know he had one in there. I swallowed.

"Gil, there you are."

That was new to him, I bet. Pretty much no one else had called him by his first name often besides Hercules when they dated. I rarely did. Only when I deemed necessary, or it slipped.

Lafayette flinched, and he glanced to me with misty eyes as he moved the locker door out of the way. Oh, shit. He'd been crying. It seemed to me that he was looking at himself in the locker mirror... Fixing something. Fixing makeup?

Oh.

I knew what he was doing.

"Gilbert.." I muttered, speed walking over to Lafayette and grabbing his wrists as I stared up at him. The parts of his face he hadn't been able to put makeup over had these big purple bruises on them. He looked like he just escaped hell, that's the only way I can put it. "Holy–"

"It is bad, yes?" Lafayette croaked out, taking a glance at himself in the mirror. "I-I was trying to fix–"

I subconsciously pulled him into an embrace. He flinched and his speech cut off. I pulled back gently and looked up at him. "Sorry.. What were you saying?" I murmured.

Lafayette sniffled. "I.. was trying to fix.. my makeup." He quavered as his hands shook and he struggled to hold the makeup brush. I grabbed his wrists once more. "How did your makeup get messed up?" I questioned, softly.

Lafayette glanced off and blinked, causing two salty tears to fall down his face. "Thomas." He mumbled before swallowing harshly.

My eyebrows furrowed. I gritted, "..Thomas?! What did that asshole do to you, Laf? I'll–"

"Nonono!" Lafayette interjected. "He did not do anything specifically.. It's.. complicated."

My gaze softened. "Oh."

"See, eh, Thomas upset me. So, I– I decided I no longer wish to be close with him. I walked out on him. I didn't feel bad at first, but," Lafayette's eyes welled with tears. "I don't know. I feel like a.. horrible friend." He let out a sob after that.