Loud And Clear (boyxboy)

With Friends Like These...

Lucas was nervous.

He tended to sweat when  he got nervous.

Now was definitely one of those times.

"Is it hot in here?" he asked, tugging his sweatshirt off.

Blake, sitting on the floor next to him, rolled his eyes.

"You'll do anything for a little attention, wont you?" he griped.

Flushing, Lucas glared at the red head.

"What's your problem?" he demanded.

Blake opened his mouth to give another cutting remark but Grace leaned between them, stopping the argument before it could really take off.

"You flashed the whole room there," she said with an amused glint in her eye.

Lucas didn't get it for a moment and then it clicked and he flushed, growing even hotter. When he pulled off his sweater...

His eyes met William's across the room. The blond was watching the interaction curiously but he didn't say anything.

Lucas looked away, tugging down his t-shirt for extra measure.

William had just arrived. He was standing by the door, talking to Alex, his gaze flying over to Lucas every few minutes.

Lucas wanted to go over there, grab William by the arm and drag him to sit next to him but something was stopping him.

Lucas didn't know whether to call it pride or excitement, but this was the first time he'd ever seen William have a conversation with anyone other than him or his own mother. It made his chest swell in an odd way, made his heart pound, made his body tingle with nerves, for William.

William smiled at something that Alex said, soft eyes crinkling at the edges and his heart pounded again.

Finally, Alex led William into the room where everyone was sitting.

"Hi," William said to him as soon as he was close enough.

"Hey," Lucas said.

"Everyone this is Will, Lucas' friend," Alex said. A chorus of hello's filled the room. William nodded to them all awkwardly and Lucas was tempted to take William and hide him away from all of his friends. They were loud and obnoxious, just like him. Why had he wanted William to meet them anyway?

"Sit here!" Grace said, making room for William.

He nodded and slid into a seat on the floor, wedged between grace and one of her friends. They were just far enough away that Lucas couldn't really say anything to William unless he wanted the whole room to listen in, so instead, he watched with growing trepidation as all of the girls Grace had brought over turned their focus onto William like wolves to their prey.

"What are you taking?" one of the girls asked.

Lucas swallowed.

It was an innocent enough question but she had a musically soft voice.

Lucas watched William's shoulders imperceptibly stiffen. He glanced over, worried eyes meeting Lucas' gaze. When he saw Lucas watching though, William's whole demeanor changed. He took a breath and a small smile touched his lips before he turned back to the girls.

Blinding them with a smile he just shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't have good hearing and sometimes its hard for me to make out what is being said. It would really help me if you could speak a bit louder and please forgive me if I can't hear you and need you to repeat yourself."