shield me from sorrow

Lionel rolled his eyes at his best friend and turned his attention back to Gabriel instead, “Yeah, you go to bed, just like… Don’t die in your sleep or whatever.” He shoved on the other’s shoulder so he’d sit, accidentally adding a bit too much force for a concussed person.

Lionel stared at Mickey, unamused and slightly irritated by her attitude. “Just this once, have mercy, please,” he pleaded, pleasantly surprised when she actually began helping and he started guiding Gabriel carefully toward the mattress that was haphazardly spread across the floor. “Thanks, you’re the best — here, just lay right there and do not move.”

Mickey looked at him with a bit of confusion, a bit of hurt  ——  why did there need to be any mercy? “Jeeze, chill. I just helped move your shit here and ate his ex out. You think I need to show anyone mercy?”

“He slipped and fell,” Lionel clarified, although he began second guessing that excuse. What if Becca had decked him and he was too ashamed to admit it? Brushing the thought aside, he grabbed onto Gabriel and pulled him close again. “Come on. My man, my patient. I have to stay here and make sure he doesn’t die.”

“Slipped and fell? How the hell was this the big sports star of high school? How much brain damage do you think he has by now?” Mickey couldn’t help but laugh, uncaring of the fact that Gabriel was standing right there. She paused, finally getting up to figure out wherever the Ziploc bags were. “Fine. I’ll do this for you, not for your man.”

Lionel sighed once they were back inside, anticipating the slack Mickey was already giving them. “Please refrain from being hilarious and witty in this moment, this man is injured. Get a Ziploc bag from one of these boxes and fill it up with snow, we aren’t rich enough for fancy ice packs and frozen food.”

“Really? Did Becca actually knock you out?” she asked Gabriel, wondering what on Earth happened. She looked back to Lionel, wondering why he was so bratty all of a sudden. “Hey, you can do it yourself. Your man, your Ziploc bag to fill.”

“… Maybe, like, a year or something. But that could’ve just been infatuation.”

“Oh. Alright. Well, I’m glad things worked out in your favor, then.”

“Does it really matter? I mean, the feeling is still the same.”

“Now that you won’t tell me, yeah. Maybe.”

“And I’ll try not to be so explicit in responding to her dumbass comments,” Lionel returned, thinking this was a good compromise as he pushed the door open. “We won’t fuck it up again.”

Mickey was looking at one of Lionel’s comics, almost not even glancing up at the two entering. She paused, wondering if it was even smart to say anything. Eh, fuck it. Who cared about smart? “You two love birds get your shit together?” she asked. “Who scared Becca away?”

Drew felt his throat dry all the sudden. “A while…” he admitted, not wanting to admit the exact amount of time.

“A while...? Like a week? Two?”

“I don’t get it either,” he chuckled. None of what he felt had made sense to him, he wasn’t sure it ever would either, but he decided very recently that he didn’t care anymore. “That’s okay. You know what? You’re worth the wait.”

“Yeah, of course I know that.” he reassured her, accepting the hug and placing his arms around her.

“Doesn’t it?” Lionel said, beaming from the outcome of this horribly disastrous year. “Either you’re super concussed, or you just love validation, but yes. I haven’t been more sure about anything else in my whole life.”

“Or I just... don’t get it. It might be the concussion, I, uh, think. Or I just don’t get it,” Gabriel admitted, slipping slightly on the ice as they walked. “Fucking shit. Ugh. I... I’m still me. I-I’m still not ready... for all the public stuff.”

“That’s fine…” he said despite the mixed emotions brewing in his chest. He’d held it in for so long, and it wasn’t like he demanded she feel the same, but it was disappointing nonetheless. “You didn’t. I promise.”

“Yeah, I have that effect on people,” Lionel said and quickly wrapped an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders, “Come on, I’ll take you home, babe.” he laughed and helped the other walk forward.

Home. That’s right. He had a home with Lionel now. A place that he didn’t have to worry about what he did or said. “That sounds great,” Gabriel said, leaning almost all of his weight onto the other male. “Are you... are you really sure you want to be with me?”

Well, why wouldn’t he have gone there? It was just the natural progression of things, at least that’s what he thought. “Should I not have?” he chuckled, a bit nervous by her reaction. This wasn’t how girls acted in the movies when you proclaimed your love for them… “Okay, yeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll make us some plates.”