#hamulligan

Oh.

Did Alex know?

He couldn’t. But then again… Herc was always drawing in class. Maybe Alex saw it.

“Fine,” he said, trying to hide his shaky hands as he sat up. He peered over Alex’s shoulder, ignoring the warm, fluttery feeling in his stomach when Alex’s arm brushed his.

They flipped through the book together, admiring Herc’s talent despite the cheap mechanical pencils he always used. Alex’s mouth was left open slightly in awe as he gazed at the art, and Herc eventually found his gaze drifting from the sketchbook to his friend.

Which is why, when the page turned, he didn’t see what drawing it was.

“Oh,” Alex said quietly, blush immediately spreading across his face. Herc’s eyebrows furrowed, and he wondered what caused that reaction, so he looked down—

A light, soft portrait of Alex filled the paper, marked with the date of around two weeks ago. It was from English class, when Alex had his glasses on. He was turned to the side, a perfect profile, a hand curled on his cheek, the other holding a pen, and… his eyes. It captured them like no camera could. Glinting with a look of ambition one could only describe as Alexander-Hamilton-esque.

Alex’s fingertips touched the title, written in Herc’s tiny but neat handwriting.

He’s so close, yet so far away.

“Shit!” Herc yelled suddenly, frantically snatching the sketchbook out of Alex’s grasp and covering the image with his hands. “I, uh, fuck, sorry, I didn’t mean for you to—”

“Herc?” Alex whispered. Herc stopped in his panicked rambling and looked up. Alex’s lips were turned upwards in a smile. “I think I already know what it is, but… do you have something you wanna tell me?”

Herc felt like his entire body was on fire. His eyes widened and he was panicking now, because oh god what if Alex didn’t feel the same, what if Herc confessed and it ruined their friendship, what if Alex wanted him to throw out the drawing because it was too embarrassing when they were only friends—

“I might have a tiny… little… years-long… giant… crush on you,” Herc said, his face as hot as the sun.

“Same,” was all Alex said back.

“Wait, what?” his mouth dropped open.

“Dude, have you read any of those love poems I’ve written in English class?” Alex smirked, inching closer to Herc on the bed. “And you were at that event the art club put on, right? The one where I performed an original song, written by me, titled, Fashionably Late? The song I wrote about wanting to impress a crush? The song I wrote about you!?”

“Oh!” Herc said loudly, all of the pieces finally clicking into place. Alex groaned but it turned into a laugh as he dropped his head to rest on Herc’s shoulder. “I’m… I’m so stupid.”

Alex giggled and moved Herc’s hands off the drawing.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said lightly, nuzzling into Herc’s side. Herc grinned and wrapped an arm around him. “I’m the one that wrote a whole fuckin’ song about you.”

Herc laughed and nodded at his dad’s old guitar. It had been sitting in the corner of his room for years, but now it might finally have a use.

“Now that I know what it’s really about…” Herc trailed off. Alex looked up at him expectantly. “…You wanna play it for me?”

“I don’t have it memorized!” Alex complained, moving out of Herc’s arms and rolling around on the bed. “Besides, I can’t sing under pressure.”

“You sang it in front of the whole school, dude.” Herc raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah! The whole school! Not alone with my crush!” Alex paused, lying on his back, his arms stretched to the ceiling, mid-hand-gesture. “…Boyfriend? Is that what we are now?”

“I like boyfriends,” Herc said immediately. He stared at the floor and picked a thread on his blanket. Huh. Boyfriends.

“Me too.” Alex flipped over and rested his head in his hands, kicking his legs back and forth. He turned to Herc and opened his mouth to talk, but was interrupted.

“I have another song request, then,” Herc said casually.

“Yeah?”

“Alex…a play Wonderwall.”