Jude:
Can't pick you up today. Not feeling too great, sorry.

Vinny couldn't help but scrunch his face at the weird text he just received. He's not even the type to really put his emotions onto text messages, meaning he can't quite read texts with the intended tone either, but this one he could clearly see that things weren't okay with his childhood friend.

Vinny:
You okay though?

Jude:
I will be. Good luck with classes :)

The quick (as usual) response calmed him down a little. At least she's okay enough to reply back and wish him goodluck.

"Guess I'm getting an uber."

-

Arriving in class, Vinny took his usual seat, which actually had moved a bit closer towards the front of the class compared to where he sat the first time he came. It was Ked's idea, saying it'll be good if they seat in the front so that it wont be as easy to lose focus. It definitely worked, though there really is no bigger distraction than the blonde boy himself.

Currently, Ked is nowhere to be seen. Vinny had texted him about Jude not being able to pick them up, and he only received a thumbs up emoji as a response. Hopefully this won't be another skipping-class-because-of-a-dog situation.

However when the professor came in the class and started it, the seat on Vinny's right side remains empty. Vinny sighed, hoping the boy is just a little late.

Soon his thoughts were proven correct, about 15 minutes into the lesson the class door opened and came in Ked, though not looking like he was in a rush at all. He casually walked in and took his usual seat.

"Hey." he said.

Vinny greeted him back, then asked, "Why are you late?"

Ked made a thinking face, eyes squinted and mouth agape while tilting his head.

"Honestly? I've been having this weird feeling since yesterday. I don't know how to describe it."

Vinny scoffed, "Is it really that or you just don't wanna go to class?"

"I'm being very serious."

Vinny took that response with a shrug before bringing back his attention to the lesson.

"I wonder if Jude is okay." Ked said, opening his notebook and clicking his pen.

"She told me she's just not feeling great. Probably didn't sleep enough, or something." Vinny suggested after seeing the genuine concern on Ked's face.

"I guess. I still feel something's going on though. It feels weird.. in my stomach."

Vinny laughed at the last part, proceeding to poke Ked's stomach with the back of his pen.

"Ow! I'm literally being serious! Aren't you concerned about your friend? I mean as far as I know she never skipped classes right?"

"Ça suffit, vous deux."

The two boys went quiet immediately after the scold from the professor. They glanced at each other as if to signal that they will continue the conversation later.

Vinny thought about what Ked had said. "Aren't you concerned?", of course he is, what kind of question is that? Though Vinny would be lying if he said that at this moment, he wanted to be concerned.

He has been feeling emotionally distant with his friend. The reason, the very obvious way she isn't showing him any support in figuring himself out. It's not like Jude doesn't have any queer friends, Alex is quite literally the definition of the word and she had no problem being with them. Why is it different with Vinny? Is the thought of her childhood friend turning out to be gay so scary?

Jude is the only person Vinny wanted support from. He doesn't care about what anyone else would think about him being gay. But Jude's support matters to him. He needs it. Knowing her since his very young age, she is one of the very few people he appreciates the most. You would do anything for the person you appreciate, right? In this moment, however, he felt like Jude isn't doing as much as she usually does, and the now subconsciously frowning brunette can't help but feel betrayed.

He hated himself for thinking this way. But Jude's passive support is making it difficult to care for her that much. Besides, he knows Jude is the type to deal with her own stuff herself, it won't do any good anyways if he tried to help. She'll manage, she'll be fine.

-

"What do you think if we talk to Alex?"

"Oh my god, Ked, will you let it go already?"

The two are now on their way to Ked's appartement. After classes ended, they had decided that a movie would help lift up their moods.

Ked had spent the entire day expressing his worries about Jude. Vinny was glad that he cared, however the fact that Ked's attention is placed elsewhere for too long is getting him quite frustrated that he had to stop walking.

"Damn, Vinny. Sorry but I'm just.. are you not worried? Not even a little?" Ked said as he also stopped in his tracks, looking at the brunette.

"Don't question my feelings like that. I am worried, but my day doesn't have to become all about her." Vinny said, his tone clearly expressing his frustrations.

Ked's eyes widened for a moment, but he then quickly understood.

"I did talk a lot about her didn't I?" he rubbed the back of his neck. Despite being worried, he agreed that it's true, it's probably not worth stressing your day over.

"I.. just thought I kind of failed at talking to her last time when you were troubled by her. I thought I'd make up for it this time." Ked added, referencing to that night he planned to talk to Jude over drinks but ended up drinking a little too much, a little too soon.

Vinny sighed, then continued his walk.

"Come on." he gestured Ked to follow. "The rest of the day is about us, alright?"

Vinny then swiftly continued walking to hide his embarrassment. It took Ked a moment to process what he just heard due to the sudden boldness of the brunette, but then he soon smiled as he caught up to him, immediately wrapping his arm around Vinny's shoulder as they continued walking towards their destination.

-

Somehow walking into Ked's apartment never seemed like an easy task for Vinny. Was it the knowledge that it's a space where the two would be alone? Was is the fact that Ked's scent is practically everywhere around the room? Was is the not-so-holy thoughts Vinny had swirling in his mind? Maybe it's all of the above. Vinny's not too sure.

He made his way in anyways, trying to act as normal as possible as he made his way onto the iconic blue couch. He did have the courage now to lay on it comfortably.

"Orange juice, coke, or water?" Ked offered the contents of his fridge.

"Hmm, Chocolate milk." Vinny said, purposefully mentioning an item Ked didn't mention as a joke.

Turns out the blonde had some, to his own surprise. Despite Vinny admitting it was a joke, he brought it to the table anyways along with two glasses.

"Can't believe we're now drinking chocolate milk when last time it was vodka." Ked said, pouring Vinny a glass.

"Clearly chocolate milk is superior."

"Eh, I could argue with that."

"This one doesn't make you throw up."

"It could if you drink too much. It's the same concept."

Vinny laughed, rolling his eyes as he let Ked win the argument.

Ked joined Vinny and leaned his back comfortably onto the couch. He grabbed the TV remote and reached his hand forward as he pressed a button to turn it on.

"Any movies you wanna watch?"

-

Vinny expected this, but he found himself still feeling uneasy from the fact that he cannot focus on the movie. The atmosphere between him and Ked was charged, it felt like he could feel every micro movement Ked made.

As the film continued to play on the screen, Vinny's gaze would flicker towards Ked from time to time. He noticed him stealing glances in his direction as well, and their eyes would lock for a brief moment before returning to the movie.

Vinny couldn't care less about the characters in the movie right now. All in his mind, the face of the very boy he's currently sitting next to. He wanted something, his own desperation threatened to burst out of his body. He tried to control it, but it seemed like his unsteady breathing only caught Ked's attention even more.

"You okay?" Ked's voice sounded louder over the sounds of the movie.

Vinny could barely meet his eyes as he nodded his head. Ked's eyed had stayed for a while, gazing at the tense and fidgety boy. A huge wave of hesitation then clouded over him, convincing himself to continue watching the movie. Vinny could feel it though, that behind the hesitation, the other boy had wanted the same thing he does.

Feeling a surge of courage, Vinny subtly shifted his hand closer to Ked's. The warmth of their proximity sent shivers down his spine, and he could sense Ked's breath hitch ever so slightly. At this moment, he could sense more anticipation coming from Ked.

A shared smile passed between them without even looking at each other, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken tension that had practically drowned them in the room. Vinny started losing power over his own desires.

His hand subtly found its way closer to Ked's. He hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment, staring at the two hands so close from each other, then startled by Ked's bolder move as he took the initiative to connect their hands together. The connection sent a jolt through both of them, a confirmation of the desires behind their nervous gestures.

It was hard to tell who looked first, but their eyes locked, followed by the distance between their faces closing with each passing second. The room seemed to hold its breath, suspended in the anticipation of what was about to unfold.

Ked suddenly felt it was too much. Hesitation won over him as he stopped leaning in, worried about what he was going to do to the other boy. Ked fears that Vinny is just caught up on the moment, and he doesn't want to do anything that Vinny would regret later on. With much regret, he started to lean away.

Frustration won over Vinny, however, as he watched the blonde retreat. With a furrow of his eyebrows he grabbed the back of Ked's neck, and with an unintentionally rough push, their lips finally met in an electrifying kiss.

Vinny's lips felt exactly like how Ked had imagined. So soft and so eager, yet he never expected the sudden bravery the brunette had, his hand still on the back of Ked's neck to secure it's position.

Ked shifted a little to get a better position, letting go of the kiss for a moment. He was met with the look of pure want from Vinny's face that erased all of the doubts he had before.

Ked took the moment to gaze at Vinny's glazed eyes, before taking no more time at all to reconnect their lips, setting off a subtle sigh of pleasure from them both as they now felt their bodies much closer to each other.

Vinny felt his body being gently pushed until finally his back met the sofa. Ked was on top of him now, their bodies pressed against each other and oh, my, why did Vinny ever questioned his desire for this guy?

Their lips parted again after Ked felt like he was about to fully lose control, panting as he looked down at Vinny, who is panting just as much as the heat in their bodies still remain.

"Holy shit," Vinny whispered out between breaths.

"Holy shit." Ked echoed.

-

Jude's eyes slowly opened after the nap she took on the sofa. They felt heavy and swollen from spending the entire day just crying, which had sent absolute worry to her parents before they had to leave for work.

Her mother got home just in time. Jude's head perked up to glance at the front door being opened, the sight of her mother sending a short moment of ease over her.

The woman, still clad in her work clothes, could only let out a sigh seeing that her daughter hadn't moved from the position she was in when she had left in the morning. She approached her with a smile, then leaned down to place a small kiss on her child's forehead.

Jude smiled faintly at the gesture.

"Soup for dinner?" her mother offered.

Jude could only nod while maintaining her smile. As her mother went upstairs to change, Jude curled herself up again, arms embracing her own torso. She shut her eyes closed, and continued to hope that the pain burning in her chest would go away soon.