"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, the smallest of smiles on his face.

Hugo hugged the clothes to his chest, the coat hangers digging into his skin. He couldn't spare his hands to talk without dropping everything he was holding. Stefan rushed forward and without a word, pulled the clothes from his hands. "Shopping for some new clothes," Hugo finally answered.

"Well, I think we better get you a basket," Stefan said. "I can carry it for you."

Hugo shook his head. "You don't need to do that," he replied.

Stefan shrugged. "Then how are you meant to talk?" Hugo frowned at the ground and rolled his eyes. Stefan was right, of course. He wouldn't be able to talk much if he had a basket in his hands. He gestured for the other man to lead the way.

One basket later and Stefan and Hugo were waiting in line to pay for his clothes. "You're not getting anything?" Hugo asked.

"Nah, I was just looking around. I didn't find anything I liked though," Stefan answered with a shake of his head. Even with the polite conversation, Hugo was still nervous. It seemed to be a constant theme when he was around Stefan. The other man was attractive, talented, friendly, all the things Hugo wasn't, and it was intimidating.

Stefan could talk to people without issue, while Hugo faltered and struggled with every sentence. It wasn't fair. He wanted to be able to talk to people and make friends without struggling, without the pity people gave him for being mute. He wanted to be like Stefan, but he hadn't realised it before. It seemed that day was the day for many epiphanies.

He thought for a second and in that second, he was called up to pay for his clothes. Maybe the clothes would help him be like Stefan. A little extra confidence and maybe he could talk to people better.

“Did you want to get something to eat? I’m starving,” Stefan suggested.

"Yeah," he signed as he and Stefan walked away. "Lunch sounds nice." Stefan smiled at him and Hugo couldn't help but smile back. He couldn't help it, there was something about him that he couldn't quite explain.

The food court in the shopping centre was always busier than the rest of the building. Hugo usually avoided it like the plague, but when Stefan asked, "Are you okay to get something from here?" he nodded along like a complete idiot.

Stefan offered to pay for his lunch, despite Hugo's arguments, and the pair stood outside the shop to wait. Hugo drummed his fingers against the leg of his pants. His clothes sat in a bag held in Stefan's hand. Someone shoved him as they passed and Hugo grabbed at the first available thing to stop him face-planting on the floor.

Stefan's sleeve twisted in his fingers and his other hand shot out to balance him. "Are you alright?" he asked, and Hugo shook his head. It was getting too much. The school kids would be coming soon, the place would only get busier. "Look, let's get the food and we'll eat outside, okay?"

The minutes passed quickly and before he knew it, they were sitting outside in the cool air, roast chicken rolls lying between them on the table. "Thank you," Hugo signed and took a bite.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked. Hugo nodded by didn't bother signing anything in response. They ate in peace and silence, satisfied with each other’s company. People passed by them, the crowds grew bigger and bigger as time went by. Hugo took no notice, he just ate his roll and focused on what was going on in front of him.

Stefan smiled at him as he ate and Hugo didn't want to think about why. "Thank you for lunch. I can pay you back later," he told him.

Stefan waved him away. "Don't bother, it's fine," he said and then lifted the bag of clothes in his hands. "So, what were you shopping for?"

"I needed some new clothes. These are too baggy now."

"Did you lose weight?"

"No, I just don't like these clothes anymore."

Without asking, Stefan had a look in the bag and hummed. "Yeah, I think these would suit you better," he said. Hugo frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. There was a smile on the other man's face, one he couldn't decipher. He looked away before he could think too much about it and flicked at the rubbish on the table. "Anyway, my car is working again. I could give you a lift home."

Home. It didn't really feel like home sometimes. It hadn't recently anyway, not with the arguments and the silence that followed. Ever since Stefan had mentioned it, he'd contemplated looking into living somewhere on campus. He didn't want to hear his father's constant yelling about how he needed to speak. Anymore and he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Actually, could we stay out a little while longer?" he asked. "I don't feel like going home just yet." He couldn't figure out what it was Stefan wanted, but it didn't matter as long as he didn't have to go home just yet.

"Yeah, of course," Stefan replied as they stood from the table. "Have you been looking into moving onto campus?"

"Yeah, but I can't afford it until I ask my boss for a raise, which I'm scared of doing," he replied. "I'm going to put an application in soon, I just want to be able to secure more money first and have a look at the rooms."

"I forgot how expensive they were, but apartments elsewhere are probably more expensive because of how many bills you have to pay. At least with campus living you pay for everything in one go," Stefan replied with a tired sigh.

Hugo sighed with him. "Being an adult sucks."

Stefan laughed, a cheery noise Hugo wished he could hear more often. "That's why I didn't end up getting a place off-campus until my third year and I was able to afford it," he said and Hugo stopped in his tracks.

"Wait, third year? I thought you were only in your first year," he signed in confusion.

Stefan shook his head. "Nope, I'm still a third-year student. I took a gap year after high school though. Renee is in her first year, obviously." He laughed. "I don't look like I'm older than you, huh?"

"You're not older than me," Hugo replied. "We're the same age."

"What? But you're only in your first year."

"I started university really late," Hugo said with a shrug. "I turned twenty-three earlier in the year."

Stefan looked confused, blinking wildly at him. "You look so much younger," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "My life is a lie."

Hugo let out a soft huff of laughter. "I have a babyface."

"You do, holy crap. You look the same age as Renee, and she's almost twenty."

"How do you become friends with someone three years younger than you in primary school?" Hugo asked with a frown and furrowed eyebrows.

Stefan looked lost in thought. "I actually have no idea. She was the one who tried to talk to me, I just went along with it," he finally replied. Hugo smiled at him, his gaze slowly flicking down to the floor. He'd never told either of them his age, not for any particular reason, he just forgot about it. He didn't expect it to be such a source of confusion. Then again, he hadn't known Stefan was in his third year either.

He needed to open up more. If he was going to have friends and keep them, he needed to tell them things. He doubted Renee even knew how old he was, but them knowing his age would only raise more questions and eventually, he would have to explain why he didn't go to school, why he was mute, what had happened to him. He wasn't ready to answer those yet.

Stefan pulled him to a stop with a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. There was so much worry in his eyes. Hugo wanted to get rid of it. "You look really out of it."

He nodded. "Just thinking," he replied.

"Overthinking?"

Hugo caught his eye with a sad smile. "What else would I be doing?" It was a bad habit, but he couldn't help it, it was just something he did. It would be nice if he would stop, but he didn't know how.

Stefan trailed his hand down his arm. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, his fingers warm against his skin. Hugo pulled away before the blush on his cheeks became too obvious.

"Nothing," he signed with a shake of his head. "It's not important." He didn't want to explain himself. He'd never told anyone aside from his therapists, but he knew how people would react. He didn't want Stefan and Renee to be friends with him because they pitied him.

"You know you can talk to me if you need to?" Stefan said, clenching his hand into a fist and bringing it back down to his side.

"I know, but I'm alright. I promise," Hugo replied. He didn't know what Stefan's touches meant, what his words meant. It had been so long since he had friends, and everyone was different. It seemed like that was just how he talked to people. Renee was the same, she liked to insult people and liked to hug. Hugo wasn't used to the touching, but it wasn't too bad.

The pair drifted between the shops, looking in the windows but never going any further than that. "As long as you know," Stefan whispered to him, barely audible over the school crowd that was pushing through the centre. "If you ever need to talk, and I mean at any time, I don't care how late or early it is, just give me a ring."

No one had ever said something like that to him. He saw it all the time on television and in books but never had those words been spoken to him. He didn't know what to say to them and with hesitant hands, finally signed back a 'thank you'.

He hadn't even thought that he and Stefan would be friends after their initial meeting, but the man was a lot nicer than he let on. Somehow, in some strange way, they'd become friends. He didn't understand why he'd been so nervous back in the clothing store, it turned out to be completely fine.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stefan reach for him again but pull away at the last minute. "We're friends, Hugo, this is what friends do for each other. When you're down, we're here. Renee too, I'm sure of that. She wouldn't have picked you up from your house if she didn't care," he explained.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Hugo asked.

"It was a little obvious, especially when I used to think the same things," Stefan replied. Hugo stared at him as they walked, but didn't question his words. He wasn't going to go into detail about his issues, so it was hypocritical for him to ask Stefan to do the same. But at least he knew that Stefan understood to some degree.

He took a deep breath. "Thank you," he signed, slowly and carefully. "If I ever need to talk, I'll let you know. I don't think I have your phone number though."

"Oh, yeah, of course!" the other man said and grabbed his phone from his pocket.

"Just don't do what Renee does and call me," he signed when they were done.

Stefan barked out a cheerful laugh. "She didn't?" He laughed again when Hugo nodded. "Why am I not surprised?"

"She was sick. Don't judge her."

"Oh, I'm judging her!"

Hugo huffed out a laugh, barely audible over Stefan's loud laugh. He'd thought that Renee had sounded happy when she laughed, but Stefan's held more cheer in it than Hugo could ever hope to feel. He still felt nervous around him and more than a little intimidated, but it would get better.