Chapter 10: Worry
He waited patiently outside his house, tapping his foot on the cold concrete. He had waited for him at his own house, but due to the excessive amount of time his friend was taking to get there, he went to fetch him at his house instead. He had knocked softly, hoping to not wake the adult that lived with Gamzee. The last thing he wanted was for that scary man to greet him again. He looked up as the door creaked open, watching as Gamzee stepped outside hurriedly.
-I´m so sorry bro, I couldn´t wake up. - He apologized, wishing he had a watch to check what time it was.
-It´s fine… I guess. – He shrugged, knowing they still had a couple of minutes to get to school on time. The long weekend had ended already, and it was time to get back to school, something Gamzee wasn´t very excited of. He still had to confront the teacher and his friend Karkat. Tavros helped him with his backpack, swinging it over his own free shoulder. –Let´s go. – Gamzee blushed embarrassed at Tavros´ action, hesitating for a second before beginning to walk.
-… I can carry it myself, Tav. – He said quietly, chuckling.
-You look very tired. – He explained, refusing to let his friend carry his own backpack. Gamzee frowned, regretting not being able to fall asleep that night. He knew he had dark circles around his eyes and that he looked paler than usual, but he hadn´t meant to worry his friend.
They sat together at school, arriving just in time for the class to start. Tavros tried to explain to him what the previous class had been about, making a mental note to fill in Gamzee´s lack of schooling until he caught up. Gamzee didn´t get much of what Tavros was talking about, feeling how his headache wasn´t helping much. He had to leave for a while to the director´s office, having to explain his lack of assistance to class. He didn´t have a good enough excuse for it, and the tall man told him they were going to have to call his parents. He took the chance to say that his mother had died, earning him an understanding look from part of the director, who decided to call in the boy´s father later that week, giving him a dissimulated look at his pitiful exhausted face. He let him get back to his classroom, where Tavros had been waiting anxiously, hoping his friend wasn´t in much trouble, and hoping he got back soon so that Karkat would stop showering him in questions and insults. The brown-haired boy had tried to approach Karkat in a friendly manner, knowing the kid was Gamzee´s friend as well, but the shorter kid had other plans in mind: He wanted to know what was wrong with his friend, and he was sure that Tavros knew the answer. But the other tried to explain to him that he didn´t know what he was talking about exactly. Even though the memory of Gamzee´s bruised body did shoot through his mind, as if trying to tell him something.
-Is he… moody? - He asked Karkat after a while of ignoring the other´s harsh chatter, receiving a death glare that showed indignation at the realization that he wasn´t paying attention to him.
-What the fuck do you mean?-
-Uh… you know… does he, maybe get into fights… often?- He asked thoughtfully, not really remembering any time his friend had acted violently in his presence, or had even gotten mad. Karkat seemed to think it through for a second.
-How the hell am I supposed to know? Lazy ass never comes to school. - He barked, trying to keep it quiet in the presence of the teacher. Tavros nodded. –Not that I know of. He never did at least. Not since I´ve met him.- He responded much more seriously, thinking there was a reason for Tavros´ question. -why?- Tavros shook his head, shrugging.
-I was just… wondering. – Karkat didn´t seem to believe him, but he didn´t have a chance to respond as he saw Gamzee enter the classroom and get closer to them, to then take a seat next to Tavros. They both dropped the subject.
Gamzee decided to have dinner at Tavros´ house instead of going to his own house that evening. Tavros´ father was already cooking in the kitchen when he heard both boys entering the house, and went straight to the door to greet them.
-Hey, how was school? – He asked politely, ruffling both kid´s hair with each hand.
-It was fine. – Tavros replied, inviting Gamzee to go sit down at the small kitchen table to watch his dad cook as he went back to the meal he was cooking. –We have a lot of, uh, tests coming up, though… - He said with a stressed look on his face. Rufioh laughed noisily, picking up the tomatoes he had been meaning to peel from the sink.
-You better get your asses studying, then. – He mocked, knowing that was the last thing that boys their age wanted to do after school. Tavros grunted, sitting down next to Gamzee at the small table, putting his elbows on the surface and holding his face with his hands.
-It´s fine dad, it´s just Science. – He said confident, smiling. His father snorted.
-How about you, Gamz? – The boy looked in his direction, not knowing if he should be honest.
-Uh… -
-I´m gonna help him after dinner. – Tavros assured, receiving Gamzee´s grateful smile in reward.
-Good. – He said a bit distracted. Gamzee stood up from the tall chair, excusing himself to go to the restroom quietly. Tavros watched him leave, sighing tiredly. He felt worried about Gamzee. His chat with Karkat had helped him realize he had been ignoring the fact that something was wrong with Gamzee. He remembered much too well the red scabbed wound that was on Gamzee´s chest a couple of days ago. His stomach churned at the memory, and he frowned deeply. Something hurt inside of him when he thought of Gamzee in pain. He wanted to be the one hurting instead of him. He had begun to think that someone had done that to him if he didn´t do it himself, and the mere thought of that scared him. He wanted Gamzee to tell him what was wrong, he wanted him to explain why he was always so tired, why he had seen bruises on his body, why he had a distant, empty face at times as if he wasn´t there. He felt angry when he remembered Gamzee didn´t want to tell him. He sighed again, this time feeling confusion taking over his thoughts. Why did he worry so much about him? He didn´t think it should bother him like that so often, and with such intensity. He usually found himself thinking about the black haired boy, and if he wasn't thinking of him it was because he was in his company already. He couldn´t think of anything else. Not even when he had been away from him for so long had he forgotten the sweet boy. Even though he had to confess to himself that he had been thinking of him even more now, after the other had taken his first kiss. He touched his lips thoughtfully, blushing, shaking his head. It wasn´t right. He knew it wasn´t right somewhere in his head, and he was just pushing that thought away each time it came to his mind. –You okay, little man? - He jumped when he heard his father so close to him, and thought he probably had been talking to him while he zoned off.
-Uh, yeah. – He said quickly, feeling how his cheeks had gotten even redder. He hoped his father wouldn´t notice.
-What were you thinking about? – He asked with a playful smile, pointing at the boy´s red face. He had caught him.
-N-Nothing. – He said nervously, wanting to hit himself for not being able to sound normal.
-You can tell me. – He said amused, putting his hands on the table to make it clear that he wasn´t going to move unless the boy confessed what he had in his mind. Tavros thought over what he had just said. He was his father, and he knew the man loved him to death. He couldn´t ask for a better father. But he had never talked about that kind of stuff with him, because both of them had been delaying "the talk" as much as possible, Tavros because he had already had it at school and wanted to avoid having it with his father, and Rufioh because it was an uncomfortable topic to touch.
-Dad, I… - He begun, wanting to at least ask him something.
-Yeah? –
-… Uh… How do you know… when you like someone? – He said quietly, looking down to the table. He regretted having made the question immediately, now fearing that Gamzee would come back too soon. Rufioh chuckled softly, remembering his first love when he was 11 and he lived in that dangerous neighborhood no one with class dared to place a foot on.
-Hmm… - He put his hands on his hips, looking directly at his embarrassed son who wouldn´t look at him back. –You in love with some chick, little tiger? - He asked loudly and cheery, but his son maintained his silence. –I guess you just know. - He continued, much more silently, placing his hands on the counter. –You get these crazy butterflies, and can´t stop thinking about her. - The boy looked up, blushing. –Just can´t stop thinking of how fucking perfect she just is. Maybe even get a little stupid when you´re around her. - His son was able to tell he was remembering someone special, by the way his nostalgic smile seemed to get even bigger. He suddenly turned his attention to his son once again. –You gonna tell me who she is? - Tavros´ eyes got wide, his whole face seeming to burn red.
-No one. - He muttered, standing up. –Thanks. - He started walking away quickly, not feeling excited of telling his dad who he had in mind.
-You little liar!- He laughed loudly, watching as Gamzee came inside the kitchen. He saw his son tell him that they should get upstairs. –Hey Gamzee, you know who he´s talking about? – He asked amused, noticing he had no idea what he was saying.
-What? – He asked with a confused smile, feeling Tavros pushing him softly to leave the kitchen.
-Dad! –
-The girl he has a crush on? Come on, he must tell you everything! – He continued, remembering that he was supposed to be cooking.
-Dad, stop it! – He practically shrieked, making Gamzee move at last, dragging him upstairs while his father laughed again, not giving Gamzee a chance to respond. He took their backpacks with him, deciding to focus on the test that he was planning on helping Gamzee get at least a B on. He threw them on the floor, getting out a couple of notebooks and pens.
-Alright… - He went straight to the desk in his room, taking a seat on one of the two chairs his father had put up there.
-You got a crush on someone? – He asked quietly, sitting down beside him. Tavros had feared he would ask that. He cleared his throat, checking his notebooks.
-No… - He lied. Placing a notebook in front of Gamzee to explain something to him related to the test. Gamzee gave him a look of "are you serious?" before shifting his attention to the paper, frowning a little bit. He didn´t feel too well.
