Solby One Shots ✔

44.everything will be okay

To anyone else, Colby Brock would have looked perfectly fine - albeit a little windswept, but fine nonetheless.

However, when Sam Golbach opened his apartment door at 10pm on a Friday night, and his eyes met the dark familiar maze that was Colby's distracted gaze, his heart stuttered in his chest, for more reasons than one.

The younger boy was pale, the veins in his neck visible like blue water under a sheet of white ice. His hair - which usually lay perfectly over his forehead in a dark brown curtain was pushed back, revealing a forehead which gleamed with sweat. And despite the fact that Sam noticed this within the first moment that he saw his friend, the small and desperate smile on the other boy's face told him to drop it, immediately. Whatever was bothering Colby, Sam knew if he pushed it, it wouldn't end well. He just knew, because that was how Colby was, and that was okay.

"Come in," Sam found his voice, smiling back as he turned and walked into his living room, Colby just behind him. "I wasn't expecting you today, I thought you had loads of work to catch up on?"

"Oh, yeah I - Well, I did. But I finished it," Colby's reply was a stuttering mess, and alarm bells went off in Sam's head once more. They both missed a beat, the only sound the blaring voices of the television in the background.

Sam studied him for a few quiet seconds, and then repressed a sigh, fighting the urge to turn into a therapist and ask Colby what was going on in his head.

"Oh, right, well sit down, we can order food and catch up on Stranger Things if you want," Sam suggested lightly, keeping his voice casual and soft. Colby smiled again with a nod, and it was almost unsettling how uncomfortable and forced it looked on his face.

By the time the pizza arrived, Colby was gnawing at his knuckles and rapidly bouncing his knee up and down, up and down, up and down. He was totally relentless - but Sam bit his tongue. It was fine, Colby would be alright. He was probably just stressed with his family drama and all the people who want something from him.

They were two episodes into the latest season of Stranger Things, but Sam got the feeling that Colby hadn't really been paying attention to it. He didn't mind much, but it was unnerving to say the least, since they'd both agreed it was an awesome show.

"You going to eat some or what?" He asked when he was on his second slice of food and Colby hadn't even had a bite, even though it was his all time favorite, besides chicken nuggets of course. The other boy didn't reply, his eyes focused on something that Sam obviously couldn't see, his brow furrowed deeply in distress. He looked like he had the weight of the whole universe resting on his shoulders, and Sam felt his heart clench at the sight of it.

"Colby?" He prompted, an eyebrow raised quizzically.

"What?" He was quiet, and as if he'd been pulled out of a trance, his eyes snapped towards Sam's in one rather swift movement. Though their eyes were locked for a conflicting second, deep ocean blue meeting bright sky blue, Sam felt as if Colby was simply looking throughhim rather than at him.

"I said are you going to eat some or what?" Sam was slightly put out by the way Colby was acting - it wasn't like he was just in a bad mood or something, it was like he was a totally different person. It was like he wasn't even present and to be honest, it was quite disconcerting.

"Oh, right, sorry - um," Again with the stuttering, Sam noted as he watched Colby reach out for a slice of the pizza, which was probably a bit cold at that point. As another episode of the show began, Colby stared limply at the food in his hands, his teeth chewing at the skin on his lower lip. He took a minuscule bite, and then set it down as if he was full.

"Thanks for getting the food, Sam, you really didn't have to," His voice was scratchy and raw, and before Sam had the chance to reply he continued, "It's my favorite, as well, I hope it didn't cost too much. You know, I'll pay you back when I've got the money. I feel like you're always the one that gets the food, it should be my turn by now," Colby paused his manic ramble, a high pitched and obviously fake ha ha ha laugh escaping his mouth, which he then clamped shut tightly.