I Like Me Better when I'm With You (COMPLETED)

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea

***

Will threw his backpack to the couch, and walked to the sink. After washing his and in the sink, he opened the refrigerator, and started taking out some things.

When Austin got out from his room, Will was in the middle of cutting green peppers.

"You're early," Austin said.

Will only made some non-committal sound, didn't even bother to spare a glance at Austin. His roommate opened the fridge, and took out an apple.

He leaned against the kitchen island, eating his apple as he watched Will cutting more vegetables with Master Chef worth precision in the counter.

"What are you making?"

"Beef teriyaki stir-fry," Will answered, keeping his eyes on the chopping board.

"Will?"

"Hm?" This time Will glanced to look at Austin over his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?"

It took a beat too long before Will answered him.

"Yeah, everything's good," Will said, gripping the knife a bit tighter than before.

Will turned his head to look at Austin, this time forcing himself to give Austin a smile that he hoped was reassuring enough.

"Why do you ask?" Will asked back. He took out an onion and started mincing it.

"I mean, I know you like cooking. But you usually cook like that if..." Austin's voice trailed off and he stopped mid-sentence.

Will glanced at him again for a second, and continued working with the knife in his hand.

"Never mind," Austin said. He took a small step closer to Will, and clasped his shoulder. "Anyway, if you need anything, lemme know, okay?"

"Okay," Will said. He stopped mincing the onion. He turned to smile at Austin. A small smile, but a sincere one. "Thanks, dude."

"Anytime," Austin said. "I'll cook some rice to go with the beef, okay?"

"That would be great, thanks!"

Austin measured the rice and the water. After put them in the rice cooker and pressed the cook button, he went back to his room, telling Will he was working with his homework for tomorrow.

For the next 30 minutes, Will busied himself cooking. The steady sound of the knife hitting the chopping board was strangely calming. And focusing on cutting the vegetables into pieces with the same size helped Will in stopping the stupid thoughts running in his head.

When he finished, he knocked on Austin's door to tell him that the food was ready.

They sat on the couch, an old episode of How I Meet Your Mother on the TV. They ate together, talking and laughing, and for a while, Will forgot that he was upset for reasons that he found stupid.

Austin said that he would do the dishes. Will took his backpack from the couch and walked in to his room. He let out a long, exasperated sigh as he dropped next to his bed, and climbed on to his bed. Crossing his arms over his forehead, Will stared at the ceiling.

Images of Nico, and Drew, walking into the coffee shop flashed in his mind. He remembered how Nico looked so comfortable talking with Drew, how Nico even remembered how Drew took her coffee.

It made Will felt so stupid.

Their library time had been something that Will had secretly cherished as a part of his life now. The thought of getting to spend a few hours in the library with Nico as a company had been something that made him go through the day with a bit more excitement than usual.