A Gilmore's Return

Chapter Ten: Bottled Up

The clock on Beau's phone flashed 10:00 PM as he walked through the quiet corridors of the dorm, his footsteps echoing lightly on the hardwood floors. He was looking forward to a relaxing night-he hadn't spent much time in the dorm lately, so the calm of the evening was a welcome change.

When he opened the door, the smell of something cooking immediately hit him. Avery was at the stove, his back to the room as he stirred something in a pot. The kitchen area of the dorm had practically become Avery's domain, and Beau had gotten used to seeing him in this space, cooking with the same ease as he did everything else.

Avery glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door, a grin spreading across his face. "Look who's back. Don't tell me you came to steal my food."

Beau raised an eyebrow as he kicked off his shoes. "Would it be such a bad thing if I did?"

Avery gave a dramatic shrug, his grin not fading. "Guess I could always use a taste tester. But I don't know if your refined palate can handle my... gourmet skills."

Beau snorted, heading to the counter to grab a snack. "I'm pretty sure I've survived your experiments before. Pasta, again?"

Avery nodded. "If it ain't broken, don't fix it," he said, leaning over the pot and adding some seasoning. "Plus, it's quick. And you know how much I hate waiting for food."

Beau chuckled as he leaned against the counter, watching Avery cook. He always found it oddly soothing-Avery was the type of person who always seemed like he had it together, even if no one really knew what was going on in his head. But tonight, something felt different.

Avery was distracted, his movements a little more stiff than usual. It hadn't been like this earlier, but ever since the game, Beau had noticed the subtle change. Avery's usual easy-going demeanor was gone, replaced with a quiet intensity, like something was eating at him from the inside.

Beau didn't let it slide. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, his tone casual but with an edge of concern. "You were off during the game today. You didn't seem like yourself."

Avery didn't respond right away. He kept stirring the pasta, his eyes fixed on the pot as if it held all the answers. Beau took a step closer, watching him carefully.

"It's nothing," Avery said after a beat, his voice clipped. "Just... I don't know. Just got distracted, I guess."

Beau wasn't buying it. He had seen Avery in some tense situations before, but this was different. Avery wasn't one to brush things off so easily. "Avery, c'mon," Beau pressed, folding his arms. "You've been like this since the game. What happened?"

Avery glanced at him quickly, his expression hardening, and Beau immediately knew he'd hit a nerve. Avery let out a sharp breath, his hands tightening around the spoon as he stirred the sauce a little too aggressively.

"I'm fine," Avery muttered, not looking at him. "Just didn't feel great during the game, that's all."

Beau could feel the frustration bubbling up, but he didn't want to push too hard. "Alright, but you're acting like you're not fine," he said, his voice steady but insistent. "You've been acting weird since the first period. Don't just shut me out."

Avery's jaw clenched, and for a second, Beau thought he might explode. Instead, Avery took a deep breath and set the spoon down. He turned to face Beau, his eyes hard but tired.

"I'm just dealing with some stuff, okay?" Avery's voice was quieter now, more raw. "Stuff I don't feel like talking about right now."

Beau stepped closer, his gaze steady. "Avery-"

"I said I'm fine!" Avery snapped, his frustration finally breaking through. He rubbed his temples as if trying to will the tension away. "It's nothing you need to worry about. It's not the game. It's just... personal stuff. Stuff I'll deal with. Just drop it, okay?"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence between them. Beau watched Avery closely, sensing the walls going up, but he knew better than to keep pushing when Avery had locked himself down like this.

"Alright," Beau finally said, his tone gentler. "But don't pretend it's nothing. You don't have to handle it all by yourself."

Avery's eyes flicked to Beau for a moment, then away again. "I know, okay?" he muttered, a sharp edge in his voice that was more out of habit than anger. "I'll talk about it when I'm ready."

Beau didn't say anything more. He wasn't going to make things worse. But he also wasn't going to leave it at that. He'd be there, waiting for when Avery finally opened up.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Avery finished the pasta and served it up. Beau could tell he was still upset, but he knew Avery well enough to understand that this wasn't something he could push on. Not tonight, at least.

"Thanks for the food," Beau said softly as he sat down at the table, trying to keep the mood light. "I'm guessing there's no secret sauce to this, right?"

Avery huffed out a laugh, though it was light and distant. "No secret sauce," he said, finally easing up a little. "Just pasta. But you better enjoy it."

Beau smiled, not pushing anymore. For now, the pasta was enough. Everything else could wait.

The two of them ate in silence, the quiet of the dorm wrapping around them as the night stretched on. Beau knew Avery would talk when he was ready, but until then, he'd be there-no matter how long it took.