Jay nodded a little, getting up and letting out a slow sigh. "Right, yeah. That would be great, thanks."
Marco shot Matt a smile. "I only meant that you're a stranger, by the way." he said, stretching a little as he followed Jay over to the others.
Matt wagged his head tauntingly at Marco, a smile tugging at his own lips.
He followed Lou to the door, stepping in front to open it. He called back to his sister, telling her they’d be walking the other back, and that he’d either be back soon or crash at Lou’s place, whichever came first. She called back in confirmation, and the men were out the door.
Jay reached out to take Lou's hand again, a soft little smile tugging at his lips as he kissed Lou's cheek. "Thanks, by the way. For all of this."
Marco smiled a little, taking a deep breath and letting it out again. It was obvious he was still a bit rattled from talking to his mother.
“All of what?” Lou snickered. “Having us get our butts kicked in bowling? You’re welcome.”
He squeezed Jay’s hand lightly, giving him a mocking smile.
“But all jokes aside, thank you, too,” he said, slightly quieter and leaning in. His smile stayed put. “You’re pretty darn fun to be around.”
Jay laughed. "Yeah, that's definitely it." he replied, smiling over at Lou. "But…thanks." he replied, looking up at Lou with a fond smile. He really liked the Frenchman. He didn't want to leave in a month.
Lou turned his gaze back to the sidewalk in front of him, a slight skip in his step. He was happy. Clearly. And for the first time in a while… he was present, and only wanted to be.
They walked for a while, Matt occasionally pointing out some landmarks they came across. Old abandoned churches and statues and the like, all lit up by the night lights.
They finally came to Jay and Marco’s hotel, and Lou held a slight frown on his face. He didn’t want to have to let go of the warm hand in his own.
Jay looked up at the hotel and let out a loud sigh. "I don't wanna go." he complained. He wrapped his arms around Lou, kissing him softly, closing his eyes. "Do I have to?"
Marco smiled softly at Jay's behavior. He had listened to Matt's explanations of the landmarks, occasionally asking some questions about them. "Yes, Jay, you have to. We need to sleep, remember?"
Lou gave a discreet wink at Jay, implying that sleep was optional for him, at least. He gave a sweet smile, following suit and latching his arms around Jay’s waist.
“You were the one who said you couldn’t stay, might I remind you,” he teased. “Gotta live with those mistakes~.”
Matt flicked the back of Lou’s head. “C’mon, hermano. Bean’s waitin.’”
“Ah— right,” Lou said, although he hadn’t forgotten. He just didn’t want to move.
Jay groaned, leaning his head against Lou. "Me and my stupid mouth." he grumbled. He reluctantly pulled away after a moment, kissing Lou again one last time. "Tomorrow?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.
Marco rolled his eyes fondly. He's smitten.
“Of course,” Lou said, his voice holding a pleasant ring to it. “I’ll call you.”
He reluctantly took his arms from around the other man, stepping aside. Matt took no time in locking an arm around his shoulders, veering him off. He knew if he didn’t, Lou might have never left. And at the moment, Matt was more concerned for the dog than his friend’s love life.
“Matt—,” Lou began, but the man cut him off.
“It was nice meeting you both,” he said with a loose smile. He nodded at the pair, his chocolate eyes reflecting the soft light of the moon. Lou squinted, clearly offended.
Jay smiled, waving to them. "See you." he replied. "It was nice to meet you too, Matt." he nodded a little.
Marco waved, letting out a breath. "Yeah, nice meeting the both of you." he waited a moment, then hauled jay inside to go to bed.
Matt nodded a goodbye, yanking Lou with the arm around his shoulders. They walked back to Lou’s apartment, down a few blocks. Lou ran inside, grabbed Bean, and walked him out. The puppy was excited to see them both, wiggling and wagging his tail frantically.
Lou leaned against the railing as Bean sniffed around the sidewalk’s trees. He looked up to Matt, cocking his head.
“You can stay if you want— It’s kinda late,” he mumbled with a shrug.
“Alright. Gracias, hermano,” he said tiredly. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Sure has,” Lou said, scoffing. “C’mon.”
He flicked his head, gesturing to the door. Matt followed after him, and soon Bean. Lou picked the pup up in his arms, shutting the door after him and walking over to the kitchen. He poured a bowl of kibble for the pup, going over and sitting on the couch. Matt was already there, sliding through his phone.
Jay and Marco headed into their room, and Marco collapsed onto his bed, letting out a long, slow breath.
"How was the conversation with your mom?" Jay asked, taking his shoes off and sitting down, looking over at him.
Marco sat up, grabbing makeup wipes and starting to wipe off his makeup. "It was hell." he replied quietly, voice a little ragged. "She…kept saying shit and…" he let out a breath again, shaking his head. "I can't keep doing this."
Matt looked over, keeping his voice low as he asked, “You really like him, huh?”
Lou, without looking up, replied, “Of course. Why?”
The other man shook his head, glancing out the window. “I don’t know. I just haven’t seen you like this
since—.”
“Hey,” Lou mumbled, cutting him off. He looked over quickly, narrowing his eyes. “Not yet.”
“Lo siento,” Matt replied. “I’m just happy to see you like this again.”
Lou nodded, watching as Bean teetered over to the couch. He had crumbs from the kibble on his fur and looked innocently gleeful. Lou got all excited— Bean following suit— as the man lifted him up, beginning to play with the pup. Bean gnawed on his fingers, using his paws to hug Lou’s wrist. Lou let out a smile as Bean playfully growled. Although, with Bean’s size, it sounded more like a squeaker toy.
"Marco…what do you mean?" Jay moved to sit next to the other male.
Marco let out a shaky breath. "I just…you have no idea how hard it is, Jay. To be called the wrong gender and the wrong name and told that you aren't good enough, that you're sick in the head and that you need therapy, you're just confused, you're a girl no matter how you feel that you're not…" his voice got thick, on the edge of tears.
Bean calmed down after a while, soon falling asleep in Lou’s arms. It didn’t take long for Lou to drift off either, snuggling up with the small puppy and a couch cushion.
Matt looked over, gave a slight smile, and clicked off his phone. He kicked back on the couch, taking a folded up blanket and draping it over Lou. He then looked up to the ceiling, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.
Jay wrapped his arms around Marco, closing his eyes. "You're right, I don't know." he said softly. "I'm so, so sorry, Marco."
Marco leaned into Jay, taking shuddering breaths and trying not to completely break down.
(Timeskip?)
(Sure. Want me to go?)
(sure!)
(Alrighty)
Lou woke up, his tired eyes blinking away the morning drowsiness. Bean was still cuddled in his arms, sleeping peacefully. Lou made sure to not disturb the pup as he sat upright, taking a deep breath in.
The couch was empty, and Lou soon figured out why when Matt’s voice sounded behind the kitchen counter.
“Buenos días, mi amigo,” he said, looking up from his phone. He propped himself on the table with his elbows, crossing his legs behind the counter. “Took you long enough.”
“What time is it?” Lou yawned.
“…. seis y media,” Matt replied, looking at the digital clock.
“Six thirty?” Lou mumbled.
Jay and Marco were both preparing to go down to breakfast. Marco had eventually broken down and cried, Jay holding him and trying to comfort the taller boy, trying to tell him that it didn't matter what his mom thought, that Marco was whoever he wanted to be. He wasn't a girl, he wasn't sick in the head. He was who he was. Marco still looked exhausted, eyelids drooping and purple smudges beneath his eyes.
“Si,” Matt answered, looking back to his phone. “Por qué? You got somewhere to go?”
“No,” Lou replied, flopping back into the couch. He put Bean on his stomach, scratching the pup’s head. “Just wondering how early ‘too early’ is to text Jay.”
Marco hadn't bothered putting on much more than just some concealer, and he still looked exhausted. Jay hated that just one conversation with his mother could do this to his best friend, could tear him apart so easily.
“I think any time before like… nine is too early,” Matt said, walking over to grab his coat. Lou pushed himself to his feet, keeping Bean in his arms as he walked over to his room.
Before shutting the door, he murmured, “Good point.”
He dressed himself, grabbed his coat and Bean’s leash, then met Matt at the door.
“I wanna get breakfast, if you don’t have to be home too soon,” Lou said, followed by another yawn.
“Nah, I gotta get back,” the man replied. “Addie and I are doing some stuff for the theatre today.”
“Alright,” Lou said. “Let me walk you back.”
And with that, the three were out the door.
As they walked down to breakfast, Jay stayed with Marco. He debated texting Lou, but decided that being here for his best friend was a little more important, no matter how much he liked the Frenchman. Because he was worried about the deadness in Marco's eyes, worried about the way Marco was behaving.