41

Gary feels a little better after two episodes of the horror TV show A Thousand Souls Scream in the Night. They're still cuddled up together, the room dark but for the laptop on it's little stand, and Winston hides a yawn in Gary's hair.

comfortable in their positions, Winston and Gary are both nothing more then lumps of flesh snuggled to form one gigantic blob of a human being. The blanket smothering them is soft and heavy, and Gary groans when he tries to push himself up a little.

Resting on Winston's chest, the loss of Gary's' weight wakes Winston from his drowsing state, and he mutters a quiet "Hm?" as he blinks at the screen. The darkness has tricked him into thinking it's night-time, yet it's only just after seven in the evening.

"What were you guys talking about?" asks Gary after a yawn, rearranging himself so he's sitting with his legs crossed and a pillow held to his stomach. But he's not grimacing as much anymore and he seems more awake, his eyes open a little wider.

"Talking?" Winston's body responds to Gary's energy and he straightens up a bit.

Gary points to the closed bedroom door. "You guys were talking in the kitchen, all serious-like."

"Oh," Winston stares at Gary. His mind is blanking for a second, no idea what to say, and then he shakes his head. "You're mother is wise," he points out.

"I know that," Gary rolls his eyes and sighs, pressing his pillow a little closer.

"I'm in love with Jason."

Gary blinks. He tilts his head. "You're... in love with Jason?"

"Yeah."

"You're in love with your boyfriend?" Gary tilts his head to the other side, the side of his face lit up by the screen. It's enough light for Winston to see the furrow between Gary's pale eyebrows, the wrinkles as he scrunches up his nose.

A slow smiles forms on Gary's face, gradually lighting up his expression until Winston is forced to look away lest he be blinded. Gary's voice, when he speaks, is so smug that Winston is despairing even before he realizes what Gary is actually saying.

"Do you mean you're in love with the guy you're dating? You're in love with your boyfriend?"

Winston shrugs mutely.

"In love with your own boyfriend," Gary muses, and Winston dares to peek at Gary's expression. It's filled with so much blatant amusement that Winston exhales, relaxing against the headboard. "How scandalous," Gary drawls. "I can't believe you'd fall so low. I thought better of you, Winnie."

Winston huffs, blowing up his cheek.

Gary leans forth and pats one of those cheeks, condescendingly saying, "I'm truly disappointed in you."

"Oh, fuck you," breathes Winston, pushing at Gary's shoulder until Gary falls back on the bed and bursts into giggles. "You're an ass," Winston reliably tells his best friend, poking at his pillow with his toes while Gary proceeds to laugh himself to death.

At last, when the giggling fit has passed and Gary has collected himself -- red-faced and all -- Gary sits up straight and tips right back onto Winston again. Winston hugs him as soon as he's still, holding him close and drinking in the touch.

It takes a few more minutes for Gary's heartbeat to slow, for Winston to re-settle into that quiet contentment that this bed alone almost automatically give him these days, before Gary says, "So you're seriously in love, huh?"

"Yeah," rasps Winston. He shuts his eyes, listening to the nearly inaudible noises from the laptop, and surrounds himself with Gary's scent, with his touch, tries to sink into that state where the world doesn't exist outside the two of them.

"Jason is a good guy," Gary murmurs into the dark.

"Yeah."

"He's so kind and nice and he's just... a really good guy."

"Yeah."

"And he's stupidly handsome too, even I think so."

"Yeah."

"I bet he's a really good kisser, too."

"Yea--" Winston snaps his mouth shut. Scowls. Gets his hand in Gary's hair and viciously rubs it. "You ass," he says, pulling a little on Gary's half-long hair strands until Gary finally gives up in despair and taps out.

"What, like you weren't thinking it?" Gary giggles and tips his head back on Winston's shoulder, gazing up at Winston with glittering eyes.

Winston rests his chin on Gary's forehead. Humming, he closes his eyes and rests, heart slowing down. He says, "Maybe."

Gary laughs, patting Winston's arm. "You're not any better than me," he smugly says, radiating smugness.

Winston hugs Gary so tightly that Gary wheezes but the other man doesn't stop laughing at him, giggles bursting out every few minutes. In recognition of the miserable day Gary has had Winston deigns to let this stand, instead using his toe and some creative bending to rewind the episode airing on the laptop.

Gary finally settles, and they spend a few minutes watching what they missed while having what was definitely a very serious discussion.

Then, Gary says, "I'm happy for you."

Winston blinks. "What?"

Gary pauses the video, looking up at Winston again. He's no longer got that mischievous shine in his eyes, but he's still smiling. It's small, and kind of shy, and it makes Winston want to hug him and never let go. And since Gary i s already lying on him, Winston gives into this urge.

"Oof," breathes Gary, but he doesn't try to get away. Rather, he more snuggles into Winston's embrace. "I am really, really happy for you," Gary repeats. "I hope you know that."

"I do."

"Good." Gary nods, which looks kind of weird when they're snuggled so tight. Gary adds, deep breath included, "You and Jason seem really good together. You smile a lot around him, you know, and when you're texting and stuff. And when you look at him you like---light up."

"Oh," breathes Winston. He doesn't know what to say.

Gary exhales audibly. "You're beautiful even normally but when you smile like that, when you look like that, it's just... incredible."

Winston bites his lip. He doesn't make a sound, doesn't say a word. His heart feels like it's being squeezed halfway to death; his lungs are so full of air he could fly away on a cloud. He gives Gary another giant squeeze and then eases up before he hurts him, inhaling through his nose until his lungs stop feeling like they're going to give out on him.

They return to watching the show, the darkness of the night lying heavy over them. With the blinds tightly shut, the world is narrowed down to just the two of them, and Winston doesn't want to move.

Doesn't want to let go.

The episode ends. Gary sits up and stretches, stomach pillow abandoned, and Winston follows. There's a smell in the air he can't deny, a temptation from the kitchen that he doesn't intend to refuse himself.

Gary opens the first, hanging onto the handle as Winston passes through. And before he's even on the other side of the doorway, Gary announces, "By the way, this means Liam owes me ten bucks so thanks for that."

Winston freezes. Then he huffs and shakes his head. "Oh my god," he says, "You're a loser."

"Yep, and Liam is doomed with a brother like me, huh," Gary muses.

They emerge into the hallway with more a whimper than a bang, but the kitchen doorway is lit up brightly from the ceiling lamps, and they trudge through on the search for sustenance. Janet and Liam are sitting at the kitchen table, gesturing as they talk too low to be heard. Winston follows Gary to his seat, nods at Janet when she smiles at him and smiles at Liam when the boy glares at him.

"Dig in," Janet says, raising her arm grandly. And they gladly do.