It had been nearly three weeks since Freddie left the hospital and things were definitely different. Sam hadn't hit him once the entire time or made fun of him, but every time they were alone together she would come over and pet his head. It was strange but kind of nice; it was a big improvement anyway. Carly's insistence that he go shopping with her and comment on ever outfit she tried on wasn't. Even worse he'd barely seen Spencer a handful of time in those three weeks. He was beginning to wonder if the older man had begun to feel uncomfortable. The confrontation had been pretty bad but not what he'd expected. Apparently her mildly psychotic love for him was more powerful than her fear of his death. He was shaving with an electric razor with the face plate melted on, but she hadn't freaked over him being gay…well not any more than she'd freaked over him being straight.
In spite of it all Freddie was at his wits end. He had known some things would change when he came out and he'd half prepared himself for Spencer never speaking to him again, but the sculpters absence was beginning to wear on him. Couple with the way Sam and Carly treated him now he wasn't sure what to do. Finally he decided to go upstairs and talk to Griffin. If Sam was wrong and the Tiny Baby collecting teen was straight then he lost nothing, if he was gay though he might actually be able to provide some guidance. Freddie left a note for his mother telling her where he was going and how long he might be, a mandatory addition after the hospital, and climbed into the elevator. He'd convinced Lewbert to give him the address. For some reason every since he'd come back from the hospital Lewbert had acted strange around him, definitely uncomfortable, he'd do whatever Freddie asked just to get away and into his office. It would have been cooler if he hadn't known it was because Spencer had carried him through the lobby and out into the street buck naked.
He found the apartment door and knocked. He was startled with a short middle aged woman with dark hair opened the door. Her face was surprised but soft it was kind of weird to see a mother without the fierce protective look that his had. He stood staring at her for a moment without even realizing it. When he finally managed to shake himself free of his reverie the woman was still standing there with an uneasy smile on her face.
"Um…is Griffin here?" He asked feeling slightly stupid.
"Oh, yeah he just got out of the shower he's in his room." She said stepping back inside the apartment and gesturing for Freddie to come in. She pointed to a door sitting in the corner of the small living room before wondering off toward what he could only assume was the kitchen. He walked over and rapped softly on the door.
"It's open." He pushed open the door to find Griffin sitting on his bed in a pair of pajama bottoms with a towel thrown across his bare shoulders. His dark hair was plastered against his head and random beads of water dotted his smooth, freckled skin. When Freddie walked in closing the door behind him the other boy looked up his face filled with surprise and confusion. "You're Carly's friend, Frankie, right?"
"Freddie."
"Right, Freddie." The other boy said nodding his head before running the towel over it. "What can I do for you?" Freddie started at the sound of Griffin's voice; he'd been watching a particularly lucky drop of water curl around the older boy's nipple before sliding down across his stomach.
"Are you gay?" He asked his eyes snapping up to the dark eyes that were suddenly wide.
"What gave you that idea?" Griffin asked running the towel across his chest.
"You collect Tiny Babies."
"Not anymore, I guess I kind of outgrew them. I collect Pixie Pals now." He said nodding to the shelves over Freddie's shoulder. He turned to find display cases half filled with porcelain figurines of small people with wings cavorting around giant mushrooms and flowers.
"No offense but that's still kind of gay." Freddie said smirking at the older boy.
"Did Carly send you here?" Griffin asked standing and crossing his arms. "Because I don't care that she broke up with me, but this isn't cool."
"No, Sam actually suggested I come." Freddie said shifting nervously. "I just came out and I'm having some issues. I don't really know any other gay people and you were the only person who was remotely close that I could think of, I'm sorry if I've bothered you." He turned to leave and winced as Griffin caught his wrist. He turned back towards the other boy trying to extricate his wrist without letting his shirt sleeve ride up. Unfortunately it did and Griffin stared at the tell tale bandage.
"Man, I'm sorry, why don't you sit down." He said gesturing towards the bed. Freddie pulled his sleeve back down over the bandage and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't like to tell people about me because they never act the same way." Griffin said beginning to pace back and forth in front of the bed. "A few good friends know and they're cool but it was hard telling them." He said turning back to Freddie.
"Telling my friends wasn't the hard part, but you're right they act so differently now. Sam treats me like a Labrador retriever and Carly acts like I'm her personal shopping buddy and Spencer won't come near me."
Carly sat on the couch reading through a magazine. She was getting a little bit bored. She was beginning to wonder why she bothered spending money on the things. She usually never got to read them, Sam or Freddie was always over, and when they weren't Spencer was bouncing around the house or setting things on fire. Normally she wished she just had fifteen minutes to sit down and read an article. Now she was hoping and praying someone would come in so she could stop. She was about to give up and finish the article when Spencer slumped into the room. Her eyebrows rose as she caught site of her brother. She hadn't seen a lot of him lately which was odd enough by itself. He looked tired as he slouched towards the kitchen but his hands caught her eye. They were raw and read like he'd been outside in the snow without any gloves. Spencer sat down on the couch and she reached over and took one of his hands gingerly.
"What's going one Spence?" She asked examining the raw skin.
"I can't stop washing them; every time I close my eyes I see blood all over them. No matter how many times I wash them there's still blood." He said staring down at his chapped hands.
"Spencer we've all told you it wasn't your fault, even Freddie said he didn't do it because of you. In fact you saved his life, you've got to get over this before they fall off." Carly said gently stroking the healthy skin above her brother's hands.
"I know he said he did it because he wanted to be normal, but what if he was just saying that to make me feel better? I can't look at him without seeing him pale and bleeding." Spencer said covering his eyes with his hands.
"Well this isn't helping anything, Spence. You're beating yourself up and you're avoiding Freddie which really isn't good for him right now. What if he thinks you're staying away from him because he makes you uncomfortable?"
"I know. I've thought of that, and it's not true I don't think of him any different, Carls. But I feel like shit, he could have died."
"Well you know what you have to do."
"Talk to Freddie." Spencer said sighing and leaning back on the couch.
"Yeah, but first we need to take you to the doctor and get you something for those hands." She said grabbing her brother by the wrist.
"But I don't want to go to the doctor!" Spence wailed as she drug him towards the door, he was actually starting to sound like himself.
"Well that really sucks man. I know Spencer never like me but I don't know why he'd freeze you out." Griffin said glancing over at the younger boy. The last time he'd seen Freddie he'd still been fighting his ever-growing attraction to guys. Now that he could look at the boy without struggling he had to admit he was pretty cute.
"I told him I was in love with him." Freddie said laughing bitterly
"Oh…wow, still it's not cool for him to start ducking you. I mean you guys were friends, right? He should be able to accept you no matter what." Griffin said reaching over to rub Freddie's back.
"He said I was like his little brother." Freddie said smiling though his eyes were welling up. To his surprise Griffin wrapped his arms around him and he found himself pressed against the older teen's lightly muscled chest. When Griffin let him go he couldn't help but blush which made the older boy laugh.
"Well listen, should leave and let you finish dressing."Freddie said standing from the bed. Griffin stood and followed him to the bedroom door. He stopped and jotted his number down on a scrap of paper.
"Hey, call me some time, if you need to talk or want to grab a bite to eat." He said handing to slip of paper to Freddie.
"Thanks, I'll do that." He said smiling up at the other boy before walking across the living room and out of the apartment. Freddie stood in the hall staring down at the piece of paper, he just got a boys phone number. Not just any boy, but Carly's hot ex boyfriend's number. He wasn't sure what to do next. He did feel a lot better and he couldn't wait to call Griffin even though he was going to wait as long as possible to keep from looking needy. None of it fixed his Spencer problem though. He knew he was better off forgetting the goofy artist and moving on with his life, but he didn't want to lose Spence as a friend either. Finally he decided to go try and talk the man, maybe if he could show him that he wasn't obsessing over him things would get better. He rode the elevator down to their floor and tap on their door. No one answered so he tried to knob which turned easily. He was really going to have to set up security camera's for the Shay's so they didn't get robbed blind. He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch to wait.
"The doctor said if you keep putting on the salve and only wash your hands when you need to you should be fine." Carly said as they walked towards their front door.
"I know, I'll do my best." Spencer said looking town at the large tube of skin cream. Carly opend the door and jumped as she noticed her friend sitting on the couch.
"Hey Freddie." She said staring at the boy.
"Hey." He said his eyes going straight to Spencer as he walked through the door. The sculpter stopped dead and stared at Freddie. "Do you mind if I talk to Spencer alone?" He asked his eyes flicking back to Carly.
"Sure I think that's a good idea. I'll be in the studio." She said trotting towards the stairs. Spencer walked over and dropped down onto the couch. After Carly had disappeared up the stairs Freddie took and deep breath and turned to his friend.
"I'm sorry if what I told you freaked you out. I wanted you to know that I'm not still obsessed with you. I've even got a date, or at least I will when I call him later." Freddie said showing Spencer the piece of paper with Griffin's number on it.
"Freddie, I haven't been avoiding you because I was freaked out because you like me. I can't look at you sometimes." Spencer said shaking his head. Freddie froze, going dead stiff fighting the tears welling in his eyes.
"Every time I look at you I see you lieing in my lap bleeding to death. Every time I close my eyes I see your blood on my hands." Spencer said looking up at the teenager.
"I don't hate you, you don't make me uncomfortable, I'm just having issues because we almost lost you because of me." HE said reaching over and stroking the younger boy's cheek with his hand.
"I told you, Spence, it wasn't your fault. You weren't even the tip of the iceburg. I was just messed up and freaked out by my life." Freddie said grabbing Spencer's hand and stroking the glistening red skin.
"I know, I guess I figure I should have noticed something was wrong."
"My mom didn't even notice anything was wrong, Spencer. You can't blame yourself. The only person who could have done something was me, and I was too afraid to talk to anyone. I don't want things to change between us, Spence, can you promise me that?"
"Yeah, Freddo, things aren't going to change between us." Spencer said grinning.
"Thanks, Spence." Freddie said darting in to kiss Spencer on the cheek before dashing up the stairs.
"That was different." Spencer said staring up the stairs after the teenager.
"Hey, how did things go?" Carly asked as Freddie came through the studio door.
"I think things are going to be okay." He said smiling as he flopped down into one of the beanbag chairs.
"Good, dealing with crazy people has been wearing me out." Carly said snuggling back down into her own chair.
"You deal with Sam all the time."
"I know. But she's maniacal crazy not angsty self mutilation crazy." Carly said rolling her eyes.
"I have some more good news." Freddie said smiling widely.
"What?"
"I got a guy's number."
"Really, who's?" She asked leaning forward in excitement.
"Griffin." He said smiling even more brightly.
"Oh." She said quietly.
"You don't mind do you?" He asked.
"Of course not, I dumped him, and apparently he's not into girls anyway." She said shrugging her shoulders. "You think you can deal with the Tiny Babies?"
"He collects Pixie Pals now, they're still really gay, but at least they're not stuffed animals." He said smirking.
"You want to go shopping?" Carly asked finally.
"Alright, but for every girly clothing store I go to you have to go to tech store with me." He said standing up.
"Deal, as long as I get to help you pick out and outfit to wear when you go out with Griffin." Carly said standing
"That works, you want to call Sam?" Carly stopped and stared at him.
"Sure if you want to, but we'll have to stop at every food stand in the mall." She said shrugging.
"I can live with that." He said smiling as he walked out of the studio.