Unexpected

| vii | shattering skin and steel heart

vii~ your skin is glass, but your heart is steel, i know it's true

vii-vii-vii-vii-vii

In the end, everything shacks up to be Will's fault. Will, the one out of the three of them who is the most eager to have friends for the first time, who is close to both Grayson and Ian without having to pick a favorite between the two of them. Will, who has a nervous smile and whose hair is thin enough to show how red his scalp gets when he blushes. Sweet, smart Will who runs like its a chore but smiles at the feeling of his feet pounding the pavement.

Oh, Will.

Grayson had seen it coming. The way Ian never stayed behind in the locker room after a game. The way he refused to go to any of Grayson's swim meets. How he began to chastely avert his eyes during the summer when Grayson and Will grew to have better bodies.

The truth comes out in two words, practically whispered against the stiff attic air where the three of them are sipping beers stolen from Grayson's fridge (his father barely notices him, surely he will not note the loss of three cans). Two words that wreck their friendship when it is at its strongest point (then again, the empires of old had to reach their peak before they fell).

"I'm gay."

There is silence. Grayson bites his tongue to keep himself from saying 'I knew it!' when he sees Will's face. The thin boy is frozen, staring at Ian as if he is a foreigner in their midst. Slowly, he stands up. His pale blue eyes are as cold as ice. "I have to go."

Ian makes the next mistake by standing up and grabbing at Will's shoulder. "Will-"

That's all it takes for Will's pale fist to come flying out of nowhere and hit Ian's face. Taken aback by the surprise of the blow, Ian topples over and hits the ground hard. The attic shakes beneath him. Will takes one disgusted look at the boy who used to be his best friend.

"Don't touch me ever again, you filthy... faggot." He turns and storms out of the attic, leaving behind nothing but awkward tension.

Grayson can see Ian's heart breaking, and he wants to say something to comfort his friend, but he can come up with nothing. His tongue remains devoid of words. The brunette slowly spares a glance over to where Grayson is looking at him silently. He flinches back when he meets Grayson's eyes. Grayson must have been glaring and he did not even realize it.

Ian stands again and brushes off his pants. Finally, Grayson finds words, "You can finish your beer if you like."

He can tell that Ian knows what lies between the lines: I'll still be here, even if Will is not.

"Thanks, but... I'll just go home. Forget about what I said, alright? And if you see Will again," Ian and Grayson both wince at the 'if'. "Tell him not to tell anyone."

"Ian," Grayson feels like pleading. He has known the truth for what feels like forever, absolutely nothing is affected by this confession. He wants to tell this to Ian, but he can see it in his friend's eyes... They are- they were- a trio. A trio requires three.

"What is it?"

"Never mind."

vii-vii-vii-vii-vii

Madie never once gives any indications of the night before. Not anything about the kiss, or about the truth. Around Grayson, she acts her usual sassy, flirty self. He smiles at her and talks to Erin and suspects nothing. When Erin and Madie part from Grayson to go to class, Madie keeps the conversation on lighter topics, spotted through with giggles and winks.