AN: Sorry that I haven't updated my Thorki fic, I've been busy with sick kittens and school, and I just don't know how to continue it. I don't know what I want to happen in it anymore. So I found this nice little piece of fanart with a prompt below it on tumblr, and I thought, "hey why not, that sounds fun." So here it is.

"Hey Cry, lemme see your homework," Pewdie said, leaning over to his friend's desk.

"No way man, just learn to do it on time," Cry protested, sliding the paper across the desk so it was out of Pewdie's reach.

"Aw, c'mon."

"No way, Pewds. Just ask Marzia like you always do."

Pewdie sighed overdramatically. "She said that I should have done it myself," he complained.

"You should have!" Cry rolled his eyes as his friend pouted. "Fine. But just this one last time, okay?"

Pewdie smiled and started copying Cry's answers onto his paper.

Cry felt someone tap his shoulder gently. He turned around to face Red. He didn't really know her that well, but she was dating one of his closest friends, so they talked on occasion. "What?"

"Marzia's looking at you like she wants to kill you," she said, nodding towards the girl on the other side of Pewdie. "I don't think she wants him copying your work."

"Whatever," he said dismissively. "She knows he's not going to do it himself. Would she rather have him fail all his classes?"

"Like I would know," Red said. The two girls had never really gotten along very well, mostly just because they were totally different. Marzia was popular, bubbly, and cute. Red was a little quieter, the type of girl that was comfortable with a smaller group of friends and read manga and books about witchcraft in class, and was totally insane if you got her talking.

"I'll talk to her later," Cry sighed. More like I'll get bitched at for letting Pewds take the easy way out.

"Maybe. If she doesn't kill you first," Red said ominously.

"Has Russ ever told you that you're creepy as hell?"

She laughed. "I'm teasing you," she said, and went back to her book.

"Jag hatar matte," Pewdie muttered under his breath, still copying down answers as fast as he could write them.

Marzia leaned over and said something to him sternly, and he turned and kissed her on the cheek. For some odd reason, this unsettled Cry slightly, so he turned to face Scott, who was a few seats away, closer to the front of the room with a bunch of pretty girls near him as usual. Cry threw a pen at him to get his attention, but his friend just glared at him and went back to talking to the girl sitting next to him.

"Whatever," Cry muttered, slouching in his seat and adjusting his tie. He hated the school uniforms, but he was used to it by this point.

"Take your seats!" Their usually immaculate math teacher flew into the room, his hair a mess and his glasses falling off of his nose. The knot of his tie was sloppy. Raised eyebrows spread through the class as everyone looked to the person next to them. A few girls tittered over some joke between them. This could be juicy gossip, or it could be nothing, but everyone would know about it by the end of the day, either way. Cry groaned and rested his head on the desk. Sometimes he really hated school.

~o~

"Why did you throw a pen at me in math?" Scott asked at lunch.

"I was trying to get your attention," Cry said with a sigh. "Pewdie was busy copying my answers and Russ's girlfriend was being creepy."

"Was not," Red protested from the across the lunch table.

"I was talking to a lady, man," Scott complained.

"She was not a lady," Russ interjected.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Calm down, Jund," Cry said to Scott. "She wasn't exactly what I would consider a lady, either."

"She was a whore," Red said helpfully.

Marzia looked slightly shocked. The only reason she hung around us was her boyfriend. She was always shocked when she heard us saying things like that, but especially when Red was the one saying it. Cry mentally high-fived Red. He liked Marzia as a person, she was a sweet girl, but the longer she dated Pewdie, the more he found himself irrationally hating her.

"Yeah, kinda," He said, as though "whore" wasn't the exact word he was thinking.

"I'm not talking to you guys anymore," Jund said huffily.

"Stop being dramatic," Pewdie laughed.

"You're one to talk," Russ said, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatever," the other boy replied, unruffled. "Seriously though, Jund, she was a total-"

"Cry?" A shy, female voice asked. Cry turned to face the small group of girls behind him. They all appeared to be freshmen, all three of them. This wasn't uncommon- he was one of the two most popular guys at school. And he was an upperclassman, which always impressed the younger kids.

"This conversation totally isn't over," Scott said, glaring at Pewdie.

"Leave Pewds alone, man. He's right," Cry said, rolling his eyes.

"If your fan-club wasn't here right now, I'd probably strangle you."

Cry laughed, but the look on Pewdie's face made him a little uncomfortable. Not because of anything his friend was doing, but rather because of the way it made him feel. "Hi," he said to the girls with a smile. "What's up?"

One of the girls looked like she was going to faint. The one who had actually spoken to him looked surprised. The third girl was just staring at him with wide eyes.

"Um, I…" The first girl, the only one who had spoken, looked at the other two. They both nodded profusely. "Y-your hair looks nice," she said. The other girls both giggled.

"You have nice hair, too," the wide-eyed girl said to Pewdie.

"Thank you," the two boys said at almost the same time.

The girls all ran away giggling and chattering about hair.

"What the hell…? Don't any normal people ever talk to you?" Scott asked.

"Obviously not," Cry said, gesturing at the people at their table.

"Hey!"

~o~

"Hey! Cry! You need a ride?"

Cry looked up at Pewdie and shut his locker. "Hm? No, I'll be fine."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna walk home today." Cry watched as Marzia pressed a kiss to Pewdie's cheek.

"Alright. See ya."

"Yeah." Cry slung his backpack over his shoulder and waved a little as he walked away.''

"Bye, Cry!" Marzia called, waving furiously from her place on Pewdie's arm.

"Yeah," Cry repeated, looking down at his feet as he walked.

Normally, he would at least acknowledge everyone who greeted him as he walked through the halls, but today he kept his head down and kept walking. There was too much on his mind.

"Cry!"

He groaned and looked back to see a familiar girl running to catch up with him. "Oh. Red. Hi," he said as she slowed her pace to walk next to him.

"Is something wrong…?" She asked gently.

"I… No, I'm fine."

"Are you walking home?"

He nodded and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Autumn is so nice," she said, looking around with curious eyes. Eventually her gaze settled on him. He shifted his backpack uncomfortably. "So why don't you like Marzia?"

"I-I don't dislike her," he said awkwardly.

"Oh?" She didn't push him to say more, just walked in silence, looking around at trees and squirrels, which made him feel strangely comfortable.

"I just don't… I don't like her dating Pewds," he sighed, cringing a little as he said it.

"Why not?" Red asked, looking at him with genuine interest. Not the fake, 'tell me your secrets so I can tell everyone else' thing that he hated so much.

"I don't really- I mean, I don't understand- He's my friend. But sometimes, the way he looks at me, I just…" Cry sighed, exasperated with himself. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You should try. It'll make you feel better," she said, smiling.

"He… I know that I like girls, always have and always will, but Pewdie is… I don't know, it's different with him. He's just… I've never even looked at a guy- other than him, I mean- and felt anything like this, not once. And it started with just… Normal things, just caring about him a lot, and then I started feeling bitter towards Marzia, and then I started to notice how his whole face lights up when he smiles, and… Jesus Christ, I sound like a girl," he groaned.

"So you have feelings for your best friend, who happens to be a guy and in a relationship," she stated matter-of-factly. "Do you think he feels the same way?"

"Sometimes. I mean, I don't know. The looks he gives me sometimes, I'll think that he's thinking the same things as me, or that he caught on, but I don't know. Why am I even telling you this?"

"I don't know. You don't need to, if you don't want to."

He looked down at the sidewalk again. "I do want to. I'm just really, really confused right now. And, I guess, a little scared. I'm sorry."

She smiled. "Tell him."

"What?!" She really was crazy, wasn't she? "No way. No way, never."

"Whatever. Life sucks when you have regrets, though," she said quietly. "This is my street."

"Oh, uh, bye," he said, waving awkwardly as she walked away.

Tell him.

~o~

It wasn't until exactly 9 days later that Cry had the courage to say anything to his friend. He counted.

Do you think he feels the same way? It was now or never. He was sitting on a couch in Pewdie's basement, waiting for the other boy to return with sodas.

"Cry, what did you want?" Pewdie called from the top of the stairs.

"Doesn't matter."

"Um, is Pepsi alright? That's pretty much all I've got."

"That's fine."

Tell him.

"Dammit, Red," Cry muttered under his breath.

"What?" Pewdie asked, setting the sodas down on the end table.

"Uh, nothing." He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. "Listen, I have to talk to you about something. It's kind of-"

"Oh no," he groaned. "Red was right."

"Wha- Red?"

"She said you were gonna lecture me about homework, because you were pretty pissed, and-"

"No it's actually totally-"

"That's not it?"

"No, it's- Dammit, Felix, shut up and listen to me for one fucking second," Cry snapped, using his friend's real name. "No, I-I'm sorry, but I'm already stressed about this, what I want to say, and I just need you to just stop for a moment."

Pewdie looked confused. "Okay…"

"I, um… Oh god." Tell him. "I kind of- I like you, okay? But I'm not gay or anything. God, you're the only guy that I've even sort of felt like this towards and I just don't know what to do and Red told me to tell you and-"

"Cry, stop."

"No, I told you to-"

"Stop. I understand. You don't need to say more," he said, smiling in the way that made Cry feel like one of the overexcited schoolgirls that followed him and Pewdie around every day.

"But I want to, I just want to- You know what? Fuck it. Fuck everything." Life sucks when you have regrets… Cry leaned towards his friend and kissed the boy clumsily before he could react.

The kiss was sloppy and rushed, but it still made Cry's heart soar in a way that no guy would ever admit to anyone.

Pewdie was the one who eventually broke the kiss, and Cry was still leaning forward, searching for the warmth of his best friend's lips.

"Hmm." Pewdie brushed his hair away from his face with his fingers, then reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind Cry's ear. "I am still dating Marzia, you know."

"I know, but I'm not sure that you do," Cry said softly.

"Well, 'fuck everything'," Pewdie laughed. He wrapped his arms around Cry gently, and kissed him again.

Cry pulled away from him for a moment. "Not this time. Maybe later," he whispered before pressing himself against Pewdie again.

~o~

"Did you tell him finally?"

"I did more than tell him," Cry said to Red. He had been walking with her every day for the past week.

"Really?" She said, eyebrows raised. She rarely asked real questions or pushed for more information, mostly just responded to him.

"Well, I… I kissed him. A few times."

"Huh. He's still dating Marzia."

"Yeah, I know. And it's not like I made him forget, either. I reminded him and he kissed me again," Cry said, slightly embarrassed.

"Of course he did," she sighed. "Just be careful. Remember how she'll feel about this, and don't get yourself hurt either. You're his friend, you know how he is."

"It's-"

She rolled her eyes. "If you say any variation of 'it'll be different with me', I will throw you in the street next time a truck comes past. I don't care if you're a guy, or his friend, or whatever. He's can be a jerk when it comes to relationships, and you know it."

"It's not a relationship."

"Tell me that again when you lose you virginity to him."

"Hey, who said-"

"Everyone knows that. Sorry," she said unapologetically. "But that's beside the point. We both know that you're going to sleep with him. Don't let him hurt you, alright?"

"That is such a girl thing to be worrying about."

She raised her eyebrows and glared at him.

"Fine. Whatever."

They walked in silence for a little while, not looking at each other or saying a word.

"My street," she said when they got there, as she always did.

"Red?"

She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Thanks."

She smiled and watched him for a moment, then turned and left.

"Remember to thank Russ for having her hang out with us all the time," Cry muttered to himself.

~o~

"Are you coming over tonight?" Pewdie asked, leaning against the locker next to Cry's. He was watching Cry, who was putting his books back in his locker, and trying not to reach out and touch him.

"Do you want me to?"

"Sure. I'll give you a ride."

"Do we have to go back to your place?" Cry asked, trying to look calm.

Pewdie shrugged. "My mom is going out with some friends after work and my dad doesn't get home until 6, so it's up to you."

It was Cry turn to shrug. "I don't care."

"Let's go." Cry saw his friend's hand start reach out then fall back to his side. It was getting harder and harder for them to curb their enthusiasm or even just stay away from each other as days passed and they spent more time together. Cry was sure he'd get a stern talking-to if he walked with Red today, because she had definitely noticed.

As soon as they were in the car, Pewdie took Cry's hand and kissed the back of it gently, earning a smile from his friend.

"You are so weird," Cry said with a smirk.

"Hey, you're the one who started all this."

"Hey, you're extremely over-dramatic."

"Whatever, man."

Pewdie's house was empty, as he said it would be, which made Cry both nervous and excited at the same time.

"C'mon," Pewdie said, taking Cry's hand and pulling him towards the bedroom.

"Are you always this… Eager?" Cry asked. "No wonder all the ladies love you," he said sarcastically.

"No, I'm only like this with you," the other said, as though it was obvious, and Cry was just being an idiot.

"Oh."

"C'mon," Pewdie repeated, tugging on Cry's arm.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Cry said, laughing.

Pewdie led him through the hall to his bedroom, where he sprawled out on his bed and spread one arm out invitingly. When the other boy didn't move, he started to look a little concerned. "What's wrong? Am I doing something wrong, or…?"

"No, no, it's not you, it's just…" Cry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I… I-I'm scared," he said, looking down at his feet.

"Hey, it's fine. I'm nervous, too." He laughed when Cry raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What, you don't believe me? I'm fucking terrified," Pewdie said with a smile.

"Liar," Cry said, finally moving towards the bed and laying down next to his friend.

"I wouldn't lie to you," Pewdie replied, his voice serious but his smile still intact.

I love you. "Well, I trust you."

Pewdie took Cry in his arms and kissed him gently. "Good."

~o~

Cry was still in Pewdie's bed an hour later, but now he was looking up at the ceiling and trying to find the right words to say, as he had been for who knows how long.

When he finally turned to look at him, the other boy was completely relaxed, laying on his side, facing Cry, with his eyes closed and a slight smile on his lips. Cry would've thought he was asleep if he hadn't opened his eyes a moment later and smiled widely at him.

"Hey."

"Hi." Cry wished he had something else to say, but he couldn't think of anything.

"Um, are you alright? Did I… Hurt you? Or anything?" Pewdie asked, more uncomfortable now than he had been before.

"No, of course not," Cry said absently, trying to think of something else to talk about, something that didn't involve thinking about how he just slept with his best friend.

"You should get dressed."

"Yeah. I-I mean, yeah, yeah I will," Cry stammered, sitting up and leaning over the edge of the bed to try and find his clothes. He tripped over the legs of his jeans as he pulled them on and got tangled in his t-shirt, but he managed to get himself clothed with minimal embarrassment. It wasn't until then that he realised that Pewdie had been watching him the whole time. He tried to glare at his friend.

"No, see, you can't do the whole 'I'm angry and I hate your guts' thing. You're too nice," Pewdie said, slipping out of bed to get dressed himself.

"Fuck you," Cry said, not quite serious and not at all angry.

Pewdie just shrugged. "Maybe," he said without looking up.

Cry's eyes went wide for a second. "Dammit. I really brought that one on myself, didn't I?"

"Yeah, kinda," he replied, turning his attention to making his bed.

"Do you want me to go get something to eat, like McDonalds or something?" Cry asked, feeling awkward just standing there.

"Nah. I'll drive you home, though. Your mom is probably waiting for you."

"I'd like to walk home, if that's alright."