this is the place ⇝ george x will

6

Two months crawl by, and George stays in his room for most of it. Christmas Day feels like a slap to the face. Alex drags him out of his pit, claiming it's not healthy to be holed up on his own, and set him to work on checking the turkey every few hours and inviting the guests in.

So it's a painful shock when George opens his apartment door to Will and Mia, hands laced together and grins plastered on their faces. Nothing had ever hurt George's heart more than that, just then.

"Merry Christmas," George says automatically, a reflex action, sewing a smile onto his face and opening the door to them. Will grins towards George like it's nothing and says it back as they walk past him into the kitchen. It's stupid how George's lip trembles and his heart jumps around in his chest because it's still him.

He shuts the door and turns around to Fraser, leaning against the doorway, concern in his eyes. George jumps.

"I told him to tell you he liked you," Fraser says. "I didn't tell him you liked him back. But you wouldn't come out of your room for weeks at a time."

George looks at the floor, adjusts the doormat with his foot. He says nothing.

"I think he gave up," Fraser adds. "He went to Mia's house with flowers. I think he thought that was what he was meant to do."

"Okay," George says faintly, turning to head back into the lounge, but Fraser catches his arm.

"You can't tell him," Fraser says. "Not now he's back with Mia. It'll kill her. And him."

*

George lays at the bottom of Alex's bed while the latter edits a video. George doesn't feel sad about Will anymore, just a little empty at the hole in his heart. The last time he'd seen him was Christmas Day, and he hadn't come over since. Deep down, George knows it's his fault. There were so many things he should have said to him that got caught in his throat before he'd had the chance to say them. And he should have said them before he got back together with Mia.

"You should come out tonight," Alex says, drawing him from his haze, and turns to face him in his office chair. "To the New Years party at James and Fraser's."

George stiffens, blinks. He can't. He can't muster up the energy to drag himself to a party where he'll be sad all night and witness Will probably kissing somebody that isn't him.

"I want you there," Alex continues. "It would mean a lot to see my best mate there." He looks at George so earnestly that it pains him to decline.

"I don't really feel up to it," he says, watching Alex's face drop and his shoulders sag. "Sorry, Al."

The younger sighs and turns back to his computer, saying nothing else. George knows it's hard for Alex to deal with him when he's like this, cold and closed up.

There's a silence, and George knows Alex has something to say, and he's working up the courage to spit it out.

"James said he won't kiss me at midnight because he's scared," Alex blurts suddenly. "And that really hurts me, even though it's not his fault."

George looks up from where he's absently smoothing the fabric of Alex's duvet. "What?"

"He doesn't want people to make fun of him for liking guys too," Alex says, big eyes wide, blue, vulnerable. "And I know I'm just being stupid, but I can't help but feel like he's just embarrassed to be seen with me in public." And George hasn't seen Alex this close to tears in ages. He looks suddenly so small, legs tucked to his chin in his chair and arms wrapped around his body.

So George just hugs him and decides at that moment that missing the party is out of the question.

*