What a crazy week it had been, but at least Elias was finally walking home with his clean shirt bagged in hand. Truth be told, he didn’t really expect Mia to actually call him back, much less in only a matter of days. He thought she would have forgotten, or not bother at all to call him. But she had even washed his shirt.

Actually, he was rather glad with how things had turned out. He had to admit that back when he had offered his shirt to a stranger he had regretted it the tiniest bit. It was one of his favorite casual shirts, and while he wasn't short of them, a favorite is a favorite. Getting it back was for sure a great way to end a tough, working week.

Already with his eyes on his home, he noticed a familiar car parked right in front of his garage, which hadn’t been there before. Without being surprised, he simply entered his yard and swung his front door open, where he heard the clattering of pots and spoons.

“I’m home!” He called out in a dramatic way, like people in romantic comedies do.

More clattering was heard and then footsteps hurried to meet him at the door. He was taking off his shoes and replacing them with slippers before turning to see a pretty girl launching herself at him. With a sigh, Elias received the hug.

“Welcome home honey! Where were you?” Said a girl with a very high, cute voice, her golden locks were tied back, but her bangs framed those shining green eyes. Her dress was simple, but the apron she wore was so frilly it made her look like an antique doll. The pretty ones, not the scary ones.

She looked up at him with a wide playful smile, leaning in for his lips. Her approach in turn was received with his hands to her cheeks. Elias then pinched, and with much protest, the girl pushed him back and proceeded to hold her throbbing face gently.

“I went to pick up my shirt.” He lifted the paper bag in his hand.

“You did what?!” The girl, shorter than Mia, jumped and held on to his arm, nearly pulling him down. “You just went by herself!? Why if she had been a creep!? A psycho!? A murderer? A psycho murderer!?”

“Jamie chill!” Elias laughed. “We met in the park, you know, where there are a lot of people right now?”

“The park?” Jamie let go of his arm and stepped back, thinking. “I guess that’s not so bad…”

“I promise that if she had called me somewhere else, I would have brought you along.” Elias reassured her as he walked to the living room, dropping on the couch where he stretched.

“You better have. You know there are some nasty creeps out there.” She shuddered at the thought.

“Like a certain someone who didn’t even call and came into my house when I wasn’t here?” He laughed again.

“Don’t give me that, sweetie. What’s the point of having my own keys if I can’t use them?” Jamie returned to the kitchen. “I thought you had gone to the neighborhood’s store since your car was here.” She sighed. “Never would have thought you’d gone to meet some girl.”

“Jealous?”

“As if.” Jamie threw a cube of sliced potato at the boy who sat at the couch. “Go take a bath before dinner. I already filled the tub.”

“Alright then, thanks.” Elias pushed himself up from where he had just sat, taking the paper bag he had left to the side. “New apron? Looks nice.” He complimented the chef.

“Like it? I bought it thinking of you.” She blew a kiss in his direction, but he only laughed.

Jamie had suggested a bath, and that actually sounded really nice even though he had only been considering a shower. With much effort, Elias climbed the stairs to his room in order to get a change of clothes. Thankfully, it was much easier to go down and lock himself in the japanese styled bathroom his mother had builded in the house. Many had deemed her crazy, but he very much appreciated Susan Rodriguez’s eccentricities at times.

After a warm, maybe a too long bath, Elias joined Jamie at the table, where a meat stew with veggies, rice and mashed potatoes as sides were waiting for him. This really was a great way to not just end the week, but to start the weekend. But there was something bothering him.

He looked up at Jamie, someone else who was an expert at hiding behind a beautiful smile. Just seeing that smile made him feel like everything was right in the world, but he knew that at least in Jamie’s world, something wasn’t right. Elias wanted to ask, but Jamie was the kind to speak their mind when they were ready, so he would wait for his friend to be ready.

Once dinner was done, Elias sent Jamie to the bath. He insisted on cleaning the kitchen, it was his house after all. Jamie was an excellent cook, but not very organized… Gosh the kitchen was a mess…

Even with the mess, he still managed to finish before Jamie was out of the bath. Something must have happened after all. 

Elias thought of knocking at the door, but he knew better than to rush his friend, and so, he went to his room.

Some time later, when Elias was sitting in bed, well into his reading when he heard his door open. There, a pretty boy with his friend’s beautiful green eyes stood. His hair was short and groomed back, away from his forehead, a light brown replacing the golden from earlier. Elias watched over him, taking in his trembling figure, his fumbling hands and his hesitant voice. With a tender smile, Elias pulled the blanket off himself and allowed his legs to hang at the edge of the bed, opening his arms for his friend. 

The boy gasped and tears welled up in his eyes, his chest heaving with sobs that he couldn’t control. Wiping his falling tears with the oversized sleeves of the pajamas he had borrowed, the boy walked up to Elias and hugged his waist as he fell to his knees, clinging desperately to the young man and burying his face on his friend’s stomach. His wails were high pitched, anyone would confuse him for a girl crying. He failed to utter any coherent words whenever he tried, so Elias hushed him gently and soothed his tired heart. Softly, he patted that light brown head, reassuring Jamie that it was alright, to let it all out.

Elias allowed him to cry until his tears had dried up. This wasn’t the first time Jamie had come to him like this, pouring his heart out, but it was always painful to see his best friend in such a state.

When Jamie settled down, Elias had already pulled him up to bed with him. Now, both under the covers, Elias was still shushing him as if he was a baby, tapping his hand gently on his arm. Jamie had found it strange the first few times, but now he looked for this comfort whenever he had no place to go to. He understood why people would misunderstand their relationship, but neither of them cared.

“She broke up with me…” Jamie finally managed to say.

“I’m sorry buddy…” Elias sighed. “You were only together for a month… Did she give you a reason?” His question seemed to startle Jamie. Of course he would ask…

“Y-Yeah.” Jamie hiccuped. “You know, I’ve been dumped because I’m not what people consider manly, because I’m too girly, and even because I’m short.” He prepared himself to answer. “But this is the first time…” He paused, trying to swallow the knot in his throat. “This is the first time… That someone breaks up with me because I didn’t want to sleep with them…” He cried.

Elias promptly pulled Jamie into a hug, fear growing in his being, and an uncontrollable rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

“Did- Did she do anything to you?” Elias asked through gritted teeth. Jamie shook his head.

“I pushed her back.” Jamie cried. “I pushed her back and ran away.”

Elias held his friend who cried desperately once more. This girl looked like such a nice person… He had trusted her… He thought this time it would be different…

“I’m sorry, Jamie.” Elias said softly to his weeping friend. “I’m so sorry…”

Both boys were still for a while after that, still allowing for Jamie’s sobs to subside.

It wasn’t until the next morning that the smaller boy smiled past his tears. Still in bed, he turned to his friend and said.

“Do you know what she yelled when I was running away?” Jamie gave Elias time to ponder on it. “She screamed. ‘I never want to see your face again!’”

“Pff.” Elias scoffed. “You should be the one saying that.” They both laughed, barely, but they laughed.

“Maybe I just trust people too easily…” Jamie suggested.

“I’d say that’s a double edged sword for sure.” Elias smiled at his friend. “But it’s not a bad thing. We’re best friends because of that, right?” Jamie’s eyes opened wide, tears threatening to fall once more, but he sniffed and pushed them back with a smile.

“Right!” He answered brightly. “Only you could be best friends with this gross crossdresser.”

“Pff, did she call you that too?”

“That was one of the tamest things she said.”

“Give me her address, I’ll make sure she never speaks again.” But Jamie laughed.

“Shut up Elly!” He pushed a pillow against Elias’ face. “... Thanks, for always putting up with me.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

That early morning, they heard the singing of birds together after a tear-filled night.