Why the hell had he decided to take this class? It was such bullshit and he actually couldn't believe some of the stuff his professor was saying. She was a tiny but energetic woman, with deep brown eyes and short white hair that betrayed her age. Usually, Gilbert found her to be rather entertaining, but today's lesson was all about what the professor said was called the Bystander Effect and Gil wasn't sure if she was making it up or not.

Being as discreet as possible, he slouched down in his chair a little farther and slipped his phone out of his jacket pocket. He barely ever texted during class, though that was due to the fact that he had very few people to text, not because he cared about paying attention or potentially getting in trouble. The only reason he was bothering to now was because he knew Matt didn't have a class at this time.

Hey, have you ever heard of the Bystander Effect?

Yes, why?

That's what today's lesson is over and I can't believe this is a real thing.

Gilbert, are you in class right now?

The question made him smirk, mostly because Matt had told him more than once that he disapproved of texting during class. He could lie, but there was no way he would get away with it—if he hadn't been in class, he would have been with Matthew. If he wasn't with Matthew, then he was in class or sleeping in his dorm. That was just how it worked. Besides, he didn't want to flat out lie to his friend.

Maybe. How much do you know about this Effect deal?

I wrote a paper about it for my high school psychology class.

So it's actually real? Wow, people are even bigger assholes than I thought.

If you were paying attention to the lecture, you'd know that isn't the case.

I am paying attention! Maybe not assholes, but people are definitely pussies.

So you ARE in class.

Yeah, so?

Gilbert! Don't text me while you're in class! Pay attention or you'll get in trouble!

If it really bothers you, then stop texting back.

He was so focused on his text conversation that he didn't notice how quiet it had gotten in the classroom. The silence seemed to prick at him until he finally looked up to figure out what was going on, only to find that every eye in the room was on him.

Aw, shit.

"I'm sorry if my lecture is boring you, Gilbert," the professor spoke up in that slightly-sarcastic tone she used almost constantly, "but I'm going to have to ask that you not text in my class."

Straightening in his chair, Gilbert stuck his phone back in his pocket then clasped his hands on the surface of his desk. "Sorry, Professor Lawrence."

"You've been texting for a while—I hope it was about something important."

Gilbert let a small smirk creep onto his face. "You could say zhat." This was going to be fun.

The professor smiled, looking like one of those cute little grandmas that bake cookies all day long and knit sweaters for the grandkids, only tougher. "Then why don't you come down here and read your conversation to the class? We're all dying to know what could be more important than the lecture you paid to listen to."

Shrugging, the albino student stood and took his phone out of his pocket, clicking the buttons as if he was opening a message thread. "Sure, zhough I don't zhink it's appropriate for a classroom."

One of the professor's eyebrows disappeared into her white hair. "Why not?"

"Vell, unless you vant to analyze my relationship, zhen I doubt you vant to listen to my conversation vit my boyfriend. He's bored and started sexting me," Gilbert lied, the words rolling off his tongue like so many sugary candies. As if it were the most normal thing in the world to say to his psychology professor, he began making his way towards the front of the room as instructed.

"Sexting?" Professor Lawrence repeated, looking a bit shocked at his casual admittance of it.

"Ja, you know, virtual sex? I don't mind sharing, but he'll get cranky if he finds out I read zhe messages to a whole classroom. He's shy like zhat."

Lawrence sputtered for a moment. "I know what it is."

Acting confused, Gilbert stopped and held his phone out. "Do you vant me to read it or vould you razher I not?"

Professor Lawrence appeared to struggle to come up with an answer before she straightened her shoulders. "Sit down, Gilbert."

Somehow, he managed to keep from smirking as he returned to his desk and slouched down again, his phone open under his desk once more; there was a new message waiting for him.

Just don't blame me if you get caught.

I did get caught, but I talked my way out of it.

What? How?

Professor Lawrence wanted me to read our conversation to the class. Told her you were my boyfriend and we were sexting. She changed her mind and I didn't get in trouble.

GILBERT!

It was hard not to start laughing, especially because he could picture the exact face Matthew would have made upon reading that message. His jaw would drop, his cheeks and ears would turn pink then red, and his eyes would widen. He'd stutter and mumble for a few moments and eventually either force something out or start pouting. Gilbert thought it was cuter when the younger student pouted, but when he'd mentioned that, Matthew had started to make an effort to think of something to say more often. Like that would somehow cause Gilbert to embarrass him less.

Relax, it's not like I told them your name or anything. I was really vague about it.

But I'm not your boyfriend! And we are NOT sexting! You lied to a professor!

But I didn't get in trouble for texting in class, did I.

That's not the point!

Even through text, he could tell how flustered Matthew was about the whole thing. Sometimes, he forgot how deeply shy the Canadian was, and then something like this happened and it was impossible to ignore that, compared to Matthew, Gilbert was a massive pervert. Still, at least he hadn't gone into detail with his lies about sexting. Who knew what Matt would have done if rumors about them dating had started to spread.

Thinking about it, Gil wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cringe, though he quickly dismissed the notion. He hadn't used Matt's name, so rumors weren't going to start. They'd been seen together on campus, sure, but never doing anything cutesy or even remotely close to what couples did. Matthew was just embarrassed.

Relax, Matt. You can yell at me for it later if you want.

Fine.

Such a short message from the blond was unusual. Was Matt genuinely upset? Not just embarrassed?

Worried now that he'd actually made the Canadian mad, Gilbert put his phone away without replying and settled even farther down in his chair. Professor Lawrence was still giving her lecture, but he wasn't listening. He was too busy wondering if Matt was mad at him and what he could do to fix it when he saw the blond after classes. He'd never seen the younger boy mad before. Embarrassed, yes. Shy, all the time. He'd even seen annoyed, scared, sad, happy, the whole emotional spectrum except for anger and its cousins, fury and rage. Before this moment, he hadn't even realized that Matthew could get mad, which was silly.

Of course he got mad. He was human, after all. Everybody got mad sometimes. He'd just never seen Matt do it. But there was a first time for everything, so if he had to deal with angry Matthew, it was probably a good thing it was over something trivial like this. Nevertheless, he wasn't really looking forward to it.

XXX

This was not okay. This was not okay.

Pacing, Matthew moved from one end of his dorm to the other, his gaze lowered in an expression very similar to a frown. How had this happened? Why? Ugh…he didn't even know what to do about it. Should he do anything about it? It was just Gilbert, after all. The albino did and said things in a flirtatious manner all the time. That was just how he was. But he'd never told anyone else that he was in a relationship with Matthew before, and that they were sexting, nonetheless.

Well, that's not exactly what he did.

Gilbert hadn't mentioned him by name, in any case. But they spent so much time together that people would assume they were dating if word of the albino sexting in class got out. As sad as it may have seemed to some, Matthew and Gilbert were just about inseparable. Neither of them minded—they were perfectly content with each other's company—but being around each other so much was bound to start rumors. Matthew wasn't sure if he could handle rumors about himself and his best friend. Even if, secretly, he did still like him.

Unfortunately, that pesky crush he'd discovered had yet to go away. Sure, it hadn't been that long, but he'd been trying to get over it ever since that first warm feeling had alerted him to its existence. He'd tried to find flaws in Gilbert that were big enough to eradicate the feelings, but he simply couldn't find any. Not that he thought Gilbert was perfect, but he didn't mind any of the older boy's flaws enough to convince himself that his friend wasn't worth liking. Not even the fact that Gilbert smoked—a habit which Matthew usually despised—didn't bother him that much. He had asked Gil not to smoke while he was around, and the albino had agreed without argument before admitting that he was trying to quit. So Matt had simply offered his support.

"He's too loud. It would never work out. You're too quiet and shy. He's really experienced and you're not and he'd want to be physical and you'd get all embarrassed and you'd never be able to satisfy him in a physical sense," the blond told himself sternly, still pacing. Even though he was actually talking himself down rather than looking for a fault in Gilbert, it was the only thing he could think of to convince himself to let go of the feelings he was harboring for the albino. Because, in all honesty, he thought Gilbert balanced him out nicely. He was quiet, but when the older boy was around, he managed to speak up a little bit, wasn't so nervous about sharing his ideas. And Gilbert smiled more now than he had when they'd first met, as if being around Matt made him happier.

"No, no. That's not it. It's just because he thinks you're cute and young and innocent. That's all. Besides, you're his friend so he should be happy when he's around you. But just friends. Remember what he said about the difference between being cute and being sexy. You're not sexy, Matthew Williams, and it's no secret. He's never going to want to date you so just get over it already."

Crap, now he was just hurting his own feelings, and that would never work because then he'd seek comfort and reassurance from Gilbert. And, of course, the older student would give him both without even trying, which would only make Matt like him even more. It was a vicious cycle and Matthew couldn't help but worry that he was going to be stuck in it for a very, very long time.

"This is definitely not good."

"What's not good, bro?"

Startled, Matthew spun around to see Alfred coming into their room, his bag slung lazily over one shoulder. The American had developed an odd knack for showing up just when Matt was really working himself up over something ever since the hair-ruffling catastrophe with Gilbert.

"Uh, nothing, Alfred. How was class?" Matthew asked, hoping to distract his half-brother before he had to divulge what he was so worried about.

"Boring, as usual." Dropping his bag by his desk, Alfred all but jumped onto his bed and stretched out on his back, muscles clearly visible under his tanned skin. Matt only wished he could have muscles like those. "You know you're a really terrible liar, right?"

Crap. "What do you mean?"

Alfred gave him a look that had Matthew blushing and fiddling with the hem of his hoody. "You don't really think you can fool me, do you? Come on, Mattie. Tell Big Brother Alfred what's bothering you. Do I have to beat up some bully for messing with you?"

Big Brother Alfred? Where on earth had that come from? "No, it's…it's not that, Alfred."

"Then what is it?"

Matthew didn't respond, and blue eyes narrowed as Alfred examined the Canadian sitting on the other side of the room. "Is this about Gilbert? Did he try to sleep with you or something?"

"What? No!" Matthew's heart took off like a horse out of the gate. "W-why would ask that?"

Alfred shrugged. "Francis and Antonio have a lot of stories about that guy and I'm not sure if I trust him or not. Has he tried anything with you? I know you said he doesn't like you like that and that you don't like him like that, but that doesn't mean he won't try to sleep with you."

"No…no, Alfred. Gilbert and I are friends. He hasn't tried to sleep with me or anything like that. Besides, even if he asked, I'd say no." Matthew shook his head as he spoke, not wanting to believe that Gilbert would do that. But the older boy was a flirt, and he certainly wasn't ashamed of the fact that he'd had casual sex more than once, so it could be possible…still, Matt didn't care. He shouldn't care. Gilbert's sexual activities were none of his business.

Nodding, the older blond settled back on his bed again. "Good. I don't want some playboy messing with my little brother. So, if that's not what's so terrible, then what were you muttering about when I got here?"

"R-really, it's nothing—"

"God, you're a really sucky liar, Matt."

"It's not a big deal…"

"Still lying."

Exasperated, Matthew dropped into his desk chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, then. It's about Gilbert."

A grin spread over Alfred's face and he turned onto his side to look at his half-brother, his cheek propped in his hand to hold his head up. "Knew it. What happened?"

"Nothing…happened, exactly," the Canadian hedged, unsure how much he was willing to share with his newly friendly half-brother.

"So then what's the problem?"

Matthew fidgeted. He shifted in his chair. He fiddled with a loose string on the sleeve of his hoody then retrieved a pair of scissors from his desk and cut it off before it could catch on something and pull out the stitching. He carefully straightened out the items on his desk. And Alfred watched him all the while, showing the greatest display of patience Matthew had ever seen the American conjure up.

"Dude, quit stalling."

Well, maybe he wasn't as patient as he was acting.

"I…I…" Biting his lip, Matthew tried to decide if this was a good idea or not. Telling his brother that he had a crush on his best friend? When said brother was already worried about Matt getting mixed up with the wrong guy, who happened to be his best friend? It all seemed like a dangerous conversation to have, but he knew how stubborn Alfred was and doubted he'd manage to leave the dorm until the bespectacled college student got the truth out of him.

"I like him!" he burst out, though it wasn't as dramatic as it should have been because Matthew yelling equaled the volume of someone else just talking.

"Gilbert?" Alfred asked, as if he wasn't entirely sure who or what Matt was talking about.

Lowering his eyes to look at his sock-covered feet, the younger blond nodded and wished he was small enough to hide his entire body within the comfort of his hoody. "Yeah."

"You have a crush on Gilbert? I thought you said you didn't like him like that."

He bit his lip in a slightly guilty manner. "I didn't, when you asked the first time."

"Oh." Sitting up, Alfred crossed his legs underneath himself and looked at his half-brother thoughtfully. "And you're not happy about it. Does he know?"

Matthew shook his head; just the thought of telling Gilbert how he felt was terrifying. Even if he never got over the albino, he knew he'd never be able to tell him about the crush. Talking about his feelings wasn't something Matt had ever been good at, even with his mother. It was just easier to keep things to himself.

"What're you gonna do about it?" Alfred asked after several moments of silence had gone by.

"I don't know. Nothing. What can I do? He doesn't like me back and I'll only be in this country until I graduate so a long-term relationship wouldn't work out, anyway." Getting up, Matthew climbed up into his loft and shoved his face into his pillow, sighing heavily. "Please don't tell anyone, Alfred."

"My lips are sealed, dude." To make his point, Alfred moved his hand over his mouth in a zipping motion, pretended to lock it and then threw the imaginary key out the window. "Sorry I can't be much help. If you were gonna tell him, I'd actually be able to give you some advice or something, but you obviously don't wanna do that."

"Not really."

"Yeah. Would you, if he did like you back?"

Matthew propped himself up on his elbows and peered down at where Alfred was still sitting cross-legged on his own bed. "Tell him? Probably not…I'd be too nervous. Besides, Gilbert's a big enough flirt that he wouldn't hesitate to make the first move if he liked me."

The older boy smirked a little. "I'd have thought he already did that, when he backed you up against your ladder a couple weeks ago."

It had only been a week and a half since that incident, but naturally, the memory was still fresh in Matthew's mind. He was still embarrassed by the fact that Alfred had been awake and secretly watched the entire thing. "That's different. He was just messing around. He already told me he doesn't think I'm sexy."

"Dude, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to date you, it just means he isn't interested in you for just your body," Alfred explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world, and Matthew suddenly felt like a naïve child to not have realized that himself. "Which is good, cause if he likes you, then it's because of your personality or whatever."

"Oh…well, still. He also said that he wouldn't mess up our friendship with relationships or sex or anything like that."

As if he hadn't a care in the world, Alfred stretched out on his bed again. "That still doesn't mean he doesn't like you, bro."

Matt didn't know what to say to that, so he settled for nuzzling into his pillow—after taking his glasses off, of course—as his thoughts whirled around in turmoil. Could Gilbert actually like him back? No, no, he didn't. Even though what Alfred said made sense. No! Thinking like that would only make it harder to get over his feelings for the albino and that was the opposite of what Matthew wanted. Gilbert definitely wasn't interested in him for a relationship beyond being friends. Definitely not.

Even if he does like me…that still doesn't make it okay for him to lie to a professor and say I'm his boyfriend. And to say we were sexting! I've never done anything like that in my life! I know he only said it to get out of trouble, but that was a little much. I might actually have to be mad at him later. Just a little.

He wasn't actually mad. Just embarrassed, because he knew Gilbert was the kind of guy who would actually sext in class and the fact that Matt was the one who'd been texting him at the time made him feel like he was somehow partially responsible for the lie. So he'd give the older boy a lecture about texting in class and lying because that was the only way to cover up that he was embarrassed about it, and if he had to act a little angry, well, then he would. Besides, acting a little angry was a lot different from actually getting mad. Matthew didn't like to get mad and he certainly didn't want Gilbert to see him if he was ever genuinely angry at the albino. That would ruin their friendship for sure. No, it was better to lecture him a little, even though he knew the older boy wouldn't take him seriously, and then try to forget the whole thing had even happened. Things would go back to normal and that would be the end of it. He hoped it would be, at least.