Boy Trouble GT

Chapter 21

[MASON]

The dorm was quieter than usual, the stillness heavy in the air. Mason had just come back from training, his body sore and his mind clouded with thoughts he didn't know how to process. The words from his teammates still rang in his ears, harsh and unfair, and the anger they had stirred was still bubbling beneath the surface.

He didn't understand why it upset him so much—why he felt like he had to protect Kye from words that Kye would likely shrug off anyway. But it did upset him. It hurt in a way that Mason didn't have the words for, and it left him feeling raw and unsteady.

When he walked into the living room, Kye was there, sprawled out on the couch like a an asleep cat. His long limbs hung over the edges, his pale skin almost glowing in the dim light of the room. One of his arms was draped over the side, the other resting loosely on his chest as his breathing came slow and steady.

Mason stopped in the doorway, his green eyes flicking over Kye's lanky frame. He looked peaceful—more peaceful than Mason had seen him in days—and for a moment, Mason hesitated. He didn't want to disturb him, but the storm of emotions swirling inside Mason refused to let him stay quiet.

Before he could think it through, Mason found himself walking over to the couch, standing beside Kye and frowning down at him. He didn't know what he was doing, didn't have a plan, but the sight of Kye's quiet, sleeping form tugged at something deep in his chest.

Without thinking, Mason climbed up onto the couch. It was awkward—Kye was huge, and the couch was already too small for him—but Mason managed to find a spot. Slowly, carefully, he stretched out across Kye's chest and stomach, letting the side of his face rest against the center of Kye's chest.

The warmth of Kye's body seeped into him immediately, steady and grounding. Mason's small hands curled slightly into Kye's shirt, the soft rise and fall of his chest beneath him comforting in a way Mason didn't fully understand.

Kye stirred after a moment, a faint groan escaping his lips as his body shifted beneath Mason. His muscles tensed, his chest tightening beneath Mason's cheek as he woke up.

"Mason?" Kye's voice was low and groggy, rough from sleep.

Mason didn't move. He stayed where he was, his face pressed against Kye's chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. It was louder than Mason expected, deep and rhythmic, and for a moment, he closed his eyes, letting the sound fill the quiet in his mind.

"What are you... doing?" Kye asked after a long pause. His voice was softer this time, hesitant, and Mason could feel the tension in his body as if Kye didn't know whether to push him off or let him stay.

"I don't know," Mason admitted, his voice muffled against Kye's shirt. "I just... I needed to be here."

Kye didn't respond immediately, but Mason felt his chest rise with a deep, shaky breath. He knew Kye was probably confused, maybe even annoyed, but Mason couldn't bring himself to move. Not yet.

After a moment, Mason started talking, his words spilling out before he could stop them. "I've been thinking. About you. About us. And... I don't know what's going on in my head, Kye. I just know that I care about you."

He felt Kye stiffen beneath him, his heartbeat quickening slightly under Mason's cheek.

"You... care about me?" Kye's voice was barely above a whisper, and Mason could hear the disbelief in it.

"Yeah of course," Mason said, his fingers curling tighter into Kye's shirt. "Like... more than I probably should. And I don't get it. I don't know what it means. But when people talk about you like they don't know who you really are, like you're just some... some weirdo or something, it makes me so—" He stopped, his throat tightening as the words caught. "It makes me so angry, Kye."

The silence that followed felt heavy, but Mason pushed through it. He had to.

"I don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone," he admitted quietly. "It's confusing as hell, and it makes me want to scream sometimes, but... I know I care about you. And I don't know what to do with that."

Kye let out a slow breath beneath him, his body relaxing just enough for Mason to notice. He didn't say anything, but Mason felt the faintest shift as one of Kye's massive hands moved to rest lightly on Mason's back. Seeming at a loss for words

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

Mason closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the warmth of Kye's chest, the steady beat of his heart grounding him in a way nothing else could. He didn't know where this was going—didn't know what any of this meant—but for now, he was okay with not knowing.

For now, he just wanted to stay here, close to Kye, and let the rest of the world fade away. He kept his eyes closed, staying sprawled on Kyes chest listening to his thrumming heart beneath him