32

The bookshop is bright, lights in every corner. Winston browses through a pile of comic books in a box, riffling through the pages and trying to see if there's anything he's interested in. Comic books have never actually been his thing; he likes shows and podcasts and audio dramas, but he's not much for reading text---even with images.

But Gary likes places like this, and he reads comics sometimes. Winston might not understand the appeal, but he's content to find a quiet corner, get a bunch of comics in his lap to pretend he's browsing so no-one tries to talk to him, and put one earphone in his ear to listen something while he waits.

Today, it's an audiobook.

It's a horror science-fiction blend, mixed with ominous music and sound effects, and Winston is quickly absorbed. He looks around the shop from time to time; tries to find where Gary has flown to, but hours pass without an issue.

Gary greets some of the regulars, engages in proper conversations with some of them, but spends most of the time browsing. His hair is red like a firehouse, shining gold sometimes when the lamplights from above hit it just right. He smiles during conversation but is entirely expressionless when he's reading,

It's kind of fascinating to watch.

"I'm done," Gary announces about 3 hours after they've entered, most of the people here unchanged. The clerk behind the counter is in the midst of explaining something to an eager audience; a six-year-old who's holding about thirty comic books to their chest.

Winston knows they're six because the kid has repeatedly and loudly declared it.

"Found something interesting?" Winston asks Gary, eyeing the couple of comics in his hands.

Gary grins. "Yeah, there's a new issue of Deader Still and a couple of special issues I haven't been able to find online. Did you even know that's possible? Why wouldn't I be able to buy them online?" Gary's face scrunches up in thought and dismay.

Winston rises, shifting so he doesn't drop the comics in his lap, and pats Gary's shoulder. "There, there," he says in his most condescending voice, dropping pitch, "I'm sure if you sent them a very nicely worded letter they would definitely this policy so you wouldn't have this issue in the future."

Gary scowls at him, shrugging his hand and off, and Winston freely laughs. "Meanie," Gary sticks his tongue out and then tosses his head. "I know you're just jealous."

"Jealous of what?" Winston raises en eyebrow.

Gary rolls his eyes. "Jealous of how awesome I am, of course."

"Of course."

Gary sticks his tongue out again and turns abruptly on his heel, heading straight for the counter. The clerk is still talking to the little kid, so Gary looses steam pretty quickly and slows to a stop a few meters away, weight shifting between his feet.

Winston comes up behind him and puts his arm around Gary's shoulder. "Busy, huh," he comments, and Gary stiffens under him.

"It's fine," Gary insists, turning direction and heading to the tiny manga section. "Here," Gary points at the manga books. "You like these, so maybe you should see if there's anything new."

Winston's eyes briefly shoot over them, but he shakes his head. "I'll request anything interesting at the local library."

"But will they buy it?" Gary frowns.

"They have a manga budget or something because when I request manga they always get purchased right away but with everything else it's hit and miss," Winston explains.

Humming, Gary looks over the shelf of manga. "I guess there's not much here, anyway," Gary scrunches his nose. It's adorable, and Winston only barely manages to contain the urge to coo.

Gary might actually punch him if he fails.

Still, the kid seems to be taking their time---they've moved onto lecturing the shop's employee about the dangers of space faring pirates and why there should be stringent laws in place to prevent such atrocities---so Winston nears the manga shelf and looks through the available options.

There's not a lot that he wouldn't rather get the library to by for him, and the few books he is interested in actually buying would be easier and cheaper to get as ebooks.

He ends up kind of just standing there, very awkwardly taking up space he's not using and isn't interested in using, and Gary doesn't help matters by glaring at anyone getting too close. They sort of dance around each for a bit--Winston will see a book Gary is standing beside, and Gary will smoothly step out of the way only to then pivot so he doesn't smash right in the bookshelf right behind him.

They're kind of surrounded by bookshelves, and they're not short bookshelves either; taller than both Gary and Winston [who is tallest?]. At least they can reach everything, but still. It's a bit excessive, and makes the shop feel tinier than it is.

Finally, Winston gives in and drawls, "Here," turning to Gary and brandishing the latest volume of a manga he moderately enjoys. Gary instantly whoops, earning nasty look from a person who peeks around the shelves corner seemingly just to glare at them.

Gary mouths sorry with a wince, but as soon as the person in question pulls back, he grins at Winston and whoops again--albeit far more quietly.

Winston rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he grouches, shoulders slumping. "You won."

"I am the master," Gary crows, gleeful and not a bit sorry about it.

Rolling his eyes again, Winston sighs.

The emerge from the little alcove and look around, finding that the little kid has finally absconded from the store, allowing them to pay for their own wares. They do so with little trouble, cards flashing over the machine and moving on.

While Gary is paying, Winston discreetly checks his phone, angling himself away so it's not obvious he's just going through his photo album.

Jason is at practice; there's not a lot of time for messages. But over the weeks he's sent quite a lot of texts and with those texts some pictures, in addition to the pictures Winston has taken himself.

Most of them are pretty blurry, though. To the point that it's kind of hard to understand that is, in fact, Jason in those pictures.

Winston blames his phone.

It's definitely, definitely not because he's bad at photography, no sire. It's the phone. It's old. And has a tiny crack in the screen.

So it's definitely not his fault.

Gary peeks over his shoulder. "Hot," he singsongs right in Winston's ear, because he's a parasite with no sense of personal space.

Well, not that Winston minds.

Strangely enough.

Gary adds, "Having fun kissing in your tree?" tone ridiculously suggestive. Winston tries to glare at him but it peters out pretty quickly; kind of just smushing into an exasperated sigh instead,

"Shut up," Winston grouches, shoulders slumping, Gary sinking with the motion.

"Hmm," Gary very suspiciously hums, almost right at his ear again, and Winston actually does push him off.

"We haven't kissed yet," he says, heading up to the counter and placing his book on the counter, studiously ignoring the kind of surreptitiously interested look the employee keeps peeking at them with. Gary's looking at him with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest and a profoundly unimpressed expression on face.

Winston feels red in the face, and the knowledge that he can't blush doesn't really make him feel any less obvious.

"Duh," Gary says after Winston has paid and they've headed outside and Winston is about ready to put the conversation behind them. Winston glances at him, a question on the tip of his tongue when Gary adds, "You've liked him for like a year, like, really liked him."

Winston is silent for a second. It's almost a whisper, really, when he says, "It's different now." His eyebrows furrow, the streetlight flicking on just as they cross below. Winston's eyes skip to Gary for just the briefest second, returning to the ground soon enough. "I wanna stare at him all the time," Winston rushes out. "Is that normal? I just wanna look at him--he's so handsome!"

Peeking at Gary, Winston continues, "So pretty, you know--" an encouraging nod from Gary and Winston fearfully heads onward, "Every time I look at him my heart just about stops, and when he smiles it's just so fucking ridiculously... but like I also want to hear everything he says. I want to know his every thought and opinion, and everything about him."

"It's a lot," Winston says after a moment of what is, to him, tense silence. "It's a lot different than it used then it used to be."

Gary takes his time responding; Winston doesn't know if he likes that or not. Is there not a quick response?

Is he weird?

Finally, Gary nudges their shoulders together, "You actually know him now, right?" Winston glares at him, and Gary giggles. "You know him, so things are naturally different now! He's not just the hot guy you stare at in class and the hallways sometimes he's like, you know, a real person."

"Yeah," rasps Winston after a second, looking up at the light above, the sky half-way to black beyond. "Yeah," he repeats.