Growing Older (Travlyn Fic)

Aphmau

"You are such a jerk!" I shove Garroth lightly. He sticks out his tongue. It's weird to think that mouth kissed me. I mean, he's my best friend. Same with Laurence.
"All I'm saying is Garroth Jr. is the best possible name for him."
"How do you even know if it's a boy?" Aaron asks raising his eyebrows. We don't know what it is either. Kim and Luci did all of this. Even though I didn't want them too. I just wanted something small. Something short. Something where I didn't run to the bathroom every ten minutes. You know who ever named it morning sickness was so wrong. They obviously never woke up at ten at night to throw up chunks into the toilet.
"Yeah. What if it's Katelyn Jr.?" Garroth turns and launches a grape at Katelyn. Katie being Katie launches it right back and hits him square in the nose. "Don't make me beat you up, Garroth Ro'Meave. I'm not pregnant anymore and can whoop your—"
"DONKEY!" Kim shouts out covering Alina's ears. Alina is sitting playing with Abby. Lina is going to make a great big sister. Abby who has gotten so big. I miss them. Abby, Travis, and most of all Katelyn. She's like my sister and it's hard. Not as hard as it was when she was missing. Which I still have not fully forgiven her for. I don't really think about it, but I still feel a little bit of resentment for it. I'm not quite sure, but I think I know why it rests in the back of my mind.
We're sisters at heart. And she left me, she left us without a second thought.
I blink. This is no time for these thoughts. I move my way through the crowd of people. Okay. There isn't that many people here. But Luci's apartment is tiny. Like why did she insist on throwing the party here. That makes me sound so ungrateful.
I find the boy by the window with the bags under his eyes.
"Hey, Aph. Congrats," he says, his voice scratchy. I sit down beside him on what has to be the most comfortable couch I have ever sat on.
"Hey, Laurie. How you doing?" I try to get him to look me in the eyes.
"Fine." His answers are short. That just makes me more nervous. He hasn't been the same since Cadenza passed. I mean none of us are. There's like a chunk of my heat missing and it still aches. And obviously she was his sister.
But it still gets me worried. I think it's my maternal instincts mixed with my best friend instincts. Aaron always jokes that I could take over the world if someone messes with my friends. He's not wrong.
"You sure? You've been taking your meds right?"
"Yes, Aph. I told you I'm fine." His voice is defensive. Like I bought that. Laurence did this thing when he lied. He sucked his lips in until they were practically inexistent.
"Okay. I'm just checking. Did you go see Mr. Lee today?" Laurence jumps from his seat practically scaring the bijeebes out of me.
"Just leave me alone, Aphmau," he snapped. My mouth drops. The room goes oddly quiet.
"Laurence," Garroth's voice is low.
"No. It's my fault. I was pushing." I try to look at Laurie in the eye. He glances away.
"What Garroth?" Laurence's voice is strained. I notice Travis moving forward.
"What is up with you lately?"
"It's my fault, okay?" What was up with these two? Why are they fighting? They never fight. Never.
"Still."
"What's up with you lately"
"Laurence."
"Just leave me alone! All of you." Laurence brushed passed Garroth. I hear the bathroom door slam. Oh Irene, what have I done. I start to take a step towards where he went and I see Garroth is doing the same. Aaron grips my shoulder.
"Wait." Travis looks at us. "Give him space."
"He could be..."
"He's not. Trust me." Garroth looks upset, but he's probably mostly upset with himself.
"I'm going to go talk to him."
"Give him space, Aph." Aaron pulls me into a hug. "Irene, knows what's going through his head right now."

I knock on the bathroom the door. To my surprise it swings open.
"Laurie," I say quietly, the door clicking shut behind me. He's sitting on the bath tub next to the same trash can I threw up in. "I'm sorry."
"I'm so tired, Aphmau." His voice cracks. I sit besides him, wrapping my left arm around him. "It hurts." He leans into me. I stroke his hair.
"I know." I picture Cad's smiling face. "It's okay. Your okay."
"But it's not okay. She should be here right now. I want her to be here," he whimpered. I feel something wet drip onto my pants. Tears.
"You know it's okay to cry right? You don't have to be some big tough knight in shining armour. Garroth is really worried about you." Laurence's foot taps against the floor. We sit in silence for a few minutes.
"Of course he is. He's not as stupid as he seems you know." I feel the corners of my mouth pull up.
"Yeah, I know."
"I had a major crush on him in like fourth and tenth grade you know."
"We both did, didn't we?" I laugh but it sounds strained.
"All the girls did."
"Did you ever tell him about that?" I think back to a secret I swore to keep a long long time ago. Laurence pulls away from me.
"No. And I don't think I will."
"Well I think you should."
"Who would love someone as broken as me?" I feel my heart shatter.
"Your not broken, Laurence."
"Sure."
"If your broken I'm broken. Travis is broken. Luci's broken."
"He's the only guy I ever crushed on you know. The rest have been pretty girls like you."
"I know." He leans back into me.
"Your the only person I've ever told that. Promise you won't tell Garroth? It doesn't matter anyways. It was a long time ago." I sigh.
"Fine." I run my hand through his hair. "We're all going to be okay you know. You are going to be okay." He just nods this time and my mind drifts off. My mind thinks of another boy. A boy back in tenth grade who also made me promise never to tell his best friend that he loved him.

****
Hello. It's been a while. Garmau is so cute isn't it? I think they are adorable as both friends and boyfriends which is why in some stories they'll be written as the other one.
I don't know if they'll get together in this fic but I do know that they will remain best friends. Also both are BI in this fic.
Anyways thanks for reading. We hit 2k reads on this fic and we have 7k on Too Young. It's amazing. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Thanks again guys.
-AJKBOOKWORM