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1.Josie placed the empty milk bottle in the center of the circle, making deadly eye contact with Anne.“Spin,” She spat. Diana threw a cautious glance in Anne’s direction.Anne stared at the bottle. Josie sat back in her spot and shrugged. Anne sighed and hesitantly reached for the bottle, spinning it.The whole group watched in anticipation. Gilbert could see Anne’s nerves slipping through her confidence.The bottle slowly stopped, which took way longer than normal Gilbert thought, on one of Billy’s friends, Arthur.Arthur scoffed and turned his attention anywhere but Anne, “I’m not kissing that ugly orphan.”Half of the group laughed, following Josie and Billy. The other half stayed silent, watching Anne. Waiting for her to do something.Gilbert rolled his eyes as Billy started obnoxiously barking at Anne, trying to get a reaction out of her.Gilbert’s eyes searched the rest of the group. They landed on Cole, who sat at the opposite side of the circle. He was sat next to Josie, obviously against his will.“Aw, when her face turns red, it’s like she’s all red,” Josie commented, giggling afterwards.Gilbert admired Cole’s glare at Josie. He watched as Cole looked around the circle, at Anne. Gilbert wondered what he was thinking.Gilbert also wondered why he’d become so infatuated with Cole over the past few days. He chalked it up to just wanting to be friends with the new boy.Suddenly, Cole was standing in the middle of the circle.“I’ll kiss Anne,” He said, looking around the circle while fidgeting with his hands. Something stung in Gilbert’s stomach.“Oh, how splendid!” Ruby smiled at Anne. Cole continued to look around the circle, his eyes catching on Gilbert’s a moment longer than anyone else’s.Gilbert clenched his jaw and swallowed, trying to understand the feeling that shot through him. Anne stood up and kept eye contact with Cole.Gilbert came to the conclusion that he must’ve just been weirdly jealous. Yeah. Cole gets to kiss Anne. He’s jealous of Cole.Josie put a disgusted look on, “good. Let the freaks kiss.”Gilbert has never wanted to throw an empty milk bottle at anyone’s face more. But at that moment he was more concerned with the expression on Anne’s face.He couldn’t read it. That confused and worried him.“Kiss, freaks. Kiss,” Billy sneered at the two of them. Soon his comment turned into a chant that Josie joined.Gilbert stared at Cole, seeing the concern in his eyes as he looked at Anne.Soon, Jane started to yell at her brother. Diana joining in with her. Half the circle joined in with Josie and Billy and the other half opposed them or stayed silent, staring at the two standing or at each other.Gilbert threw in a few words against Billy, but mainly kept his eyes on Cole, who nervously looked around the circle, facing away from Anne.Anne seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in as she tapped Cole on the shoulder. He turned to face her. Anne immediately dipped him down slightly and kissed his cheek with a smile.The two of them started laughing. Josie rolled her eyes and looked away from the two. Billy groaned because his entertainment was over.The rest of the group started clapping and laughing along with the two. Gilbert laughed along with everyone, continuing to stare up at Anne and Cole.The two sat down after Josie angrily told them to and told everyone else to be quiet. She sighed and looked around the circle, her eyes landing on Gilbert.“Gilbert..” Josie spoke, an edge to her voice, “spin.”After hearing whose turn it was, the last few giggles quieted down. Ruby stared at Gilbert from across the circle with excitement as he reached for the bottle, spinning it.As the bottle slowed, Gilbert’s nerves sped up. Finally, after what felt like hours to nobody except Gilbert, the bottle stopped in between Cole and Ruby. Gilbert looked up from the bottle and looked directly at Cole first, whose eyes darted to the floor.Ruby could barely contain her squeal of excitement as she looked at Gilbert and then towards Diana and Anne. Gilbert then remembered that kissing Cole wasn’t an option.Ruby giggled as she stood up. Gilbert stood up as well, more confused than anything. Someone in the group whistled, but Gilbert wasn’t paying attention enough to notice who.Gilbert leaned down slightly as Ruby placed her hands on Gilbert’s shoulders and went up on her tippy toes to reach his mouth. The two kissed for a bit, Gilbert could’ve gone without a few seconds, but the grip on his shoulders was keeping him in place.“Alright Ruby!” Diana giggled, waving her hand slightly. A few members of the circle laughed.Once Ruby finally let go, Gilbert backed away as quickly as he could and sat down. Ruby’s face was a shade of red that matched her name. She giggled as she sat back down.Gilbert didn’t really look at her that much, not wanting to give her any ideas, although that was out of his control with her.Instead he watched Cole as he fidgeted with a seem in his pants. Gilbert thought to himself about the fact that he had even considered Cole an option when the bottle landed between the two.He was probably just thinking about him after what had happened with Anne and had subconsciously looked at him first. Yeah. Probably.2.Gilbert was helping Mrs. Lynde with the town play on the weekends. While she rehearsed music or blocking with the cast, he helped to make set pieces and figured out how the fly system worked.Sometimes Bash would accompany him, but that day he had too much work on the farm and couldn’t make it.Gilbert was fine with it though. He enjoyed working alone just as much as he enjoyed working with people. When he walked in that day he saw most of the girls already there, sitting on the edge of the stage chatting about something.Gilbert looked around the stage and saw Cole, up on a ladder, painting the proscenium. He stood there admiring him before Mrs. Lynde appeared from backstage and called out, “Gilbert! The fly system needs fixing!”The girls snapped out of their conversation to look at Gilbert. Ruby giggled and Josie rolled her eyes, continuing with whatever she was talking about.Gilbert took his coat off and laid it over a chair before making his way up to the stage.“Looks beautiful Cole,” Gilbert said as he passed by the ladder. Cole turned his attention down and sheepishly smiled, “thanks.”Gilbert wandered backstage, knowing that he’d be spending a few hours trying to fix the fly system that was probably somehow older than the whole town.Minutes later he heard Billy and the other boys walk in, obnoxiously talking about something. Mrs. Lynde yelled at them to be quiet.After a few hours, Gilbert took a break. He peeked his head around the backstage curtain to see what everyone was up to. He noticed that it seemed to be break time for everyone.He saw the girls leaning against the front of the stage, near Cole’s ladder. They were all complimenting the painting. Gilbert smiled at the embarrassed look Cole had on his face, that only Gilbert could see.Mrs. Lynde walked away from her husband and headed for the stage, “come along, ladies, there’s no need to watch paint dry.”Gilbert quickly stepped backstage. He didn’t really want to keep untangling the ropes, so he kind of just stood there and stared at them.Suddenly he saw the girls gasp and turn their heads, then heard Cole yelling, then a loud thud. Gilbert immediately ran out to help, seeing Cole fall from the stage to the floor.“Cole are you alright?” Gilbert asked when he made it to Cole’s side. Everyone had scattered reactions.Gilbert kneeled down next to Cole, who was groaning in pain. “Stay still. Don’t move,” Gilbert advised, holding both of Cole’s wrists still, but making sure to hold the obviously broken one lighter.Cole looked at him for a moment before feeling another shot of pain in his wrist, causing him to wince and close his eyes.Mrs. Lynde came rushing from the stage, “oh goodness me! Is he alright?”“His wrist is definitely broken,” Gilbert informed her. He moved his hand off of Cole, putting it onto the floor to keep himself up. He kept his other hand on Cole’s not injured wrist.“I don’t know what else,” Gilbert said, worried. Maybe a rib? Maybe it’s somehow worse than a break? He doesn’t know how it could’ve happened, Cole looked so delicate on the ladder.“It was an accident!” Billy said, seeming to have no remorse for Cole. Gilbert glared at him in awe.“I swear!” Billy looked at Gilbert.Gilbert kept his hand on Cole’s wrist. The mumbles in the group continued. Gilbert looked down at Billy’s feet and saw a piece of wood lying on the ground. He put the pieces together of how it happened pretty quickly.“Mrs. Lynde, is there any ice in here? Anything cold?” Gilbert turned his attention away from Billy.“Anne, go into the backstage room and get a cloth and wet it, then come back here,” Mrs Lynde pointed to everything she mentioned. Anne nodded and hurriedly went backstage.“It’ll be okay,” Gilbert muttered, trying to think of what to do, “do you think you could sit up against the stage?” Cole looked up at him and nodded.“Okay. Okay. Slowly sit up,” Gilbert instructed, placing his hands wherever was helpful, “Mrs Lynde could you-““Yes. Move please! We’re going to go onstage and get blocking for the opening,” Mrs Lynde directed the group away from the two boys.Cole sat up and made it against the stage. He continued wincing, but it wasn’t as bad as before.“Okay, you definitely broke your wrist. Does it hurt anywhere else?” Gilbert asked, his hand on Cole’s shoulder.“No..” Cole just barely whispered, “maybe my hip, but I-I think that’s just bruised.”“Okay. Okay,” Gilbert said, “just try not to move it.”Cole nodded as he shut his eyes and winced again. Gilbert wondered if there was anything else he could do to help him.Kissing him was the first thing to wander into his mind.Gilbert felt his face heat up and that familiar feeling in his stomach resurface. He turned his head away from Cole and looked up at the bird he had been painting.Anne came running across the stage, “Gilbert! Here!” She tossed it down to him once she reached the edge of the stage.Cole opened his eyes and looked at Gilbert. “Thanks,” Gilbert placed the cloth onto Cole’s wrist. He noticed how Cole kept his eyes focused on Gilbert’s face, he wondered if Cole could possibly be reading his thoughts.“Is that any better?” Gilbert asked, the water wasn’t the coolest, but it had to help.“A little, thanks,” Cole breathed, he looked up at Anne who was sitting on the edge of the stage, “thanks.”Anne started making conversation to take Cole’s mind off of the pain. Gilbert kept his hand on the cloth, even though it wouldn’t have moved if he wasn’t holding it. He was too focused on how close their hands were.3.The show had gone decently well. Despite Gilbert dropping a set piece directly onto Billy’s head. Which could be argued to be a good thing that happened.The kids of the cast planned a small meetup on the stage afterwards. Anne invited Cole as well, defending him against Billy and Josie who complained that he did nothing for the show.The kids mingled on the stage, except Prissy, Jane, and Billy who had all been rushed home by their mother.Anne and Cole sat in the audience, laughing about something. Gilbert was stuck in a conversation onstage between Moody and Charlie. He wasn’t even paying attention.Anne looked at the rest of the kids onstage and whispered something to Cole. After a second Cole nodded and the two of them headed outside.Gilbert’s curiosity got the better of him and he excused himself from the conversation to go follow the two.Once outside he peeked out the door, not seeing either Anne or Cole. He stepped out and heard Anne giggling around the side of the building.Gilbert was nervous for a moment that he’d sneak up on them kissing and holding each other, but the voice in his mind constantly reminded him of how curious he was.He turned the corner of the building and made eye contact with Anne.“Hey Gilbert,” Anne smiled at him, “what’re you doing out here?”Gilbert shrugged, he didn’t know, he was honestly just relieved that they weren’t kissing. He walked closer, standing next to Cole who had turned to look at him.They were standing by the window of the lobby, it wasn’t connected to the main theatre area, so no one inside could see them.“I was bored,” Gilbert admitted, “Moody was talking about curdled cheese or something like that.”The three of them laughed for a moment. Gilbert looked between the two, “why are you guys out here? Alone?” Gilbert smirked to make it seem like he wouldn’t be hurt if the answer was along the lines of ‘to kiss with no one watching!’Cole looked at him confused. Anne’s eyes widened, “ew! Oh gosh! Nothing like that! Me and Cole?!”Cole seemed to get what Gilbert was implying, “oh! Yeah, no. The cold air just helps my wrist feel better, so Anne asked if I wanted to go outside.”“Exactly,” Anne nodded firmly. Gilbert believed it and was extremely relieved.“How is your wrist?” Gilbert asked.Cole shrugged, “it’s okay.”“Cole oh my gosh! I forgot to tell you!” Anne exclaimed, grabbing Cole’s shoulders and shaking him. Causing Cole to loose his footing and fall slightly into Gilbert.“Sorry,” Cole mumbled. Gilbert held his shoulder with one hand, the other landed near his hip.Gilbert was about to respond before the three heard a thump on the window they were standing in front of.They all looked and saw Josie and Billy.. kissing. Slowly, the three ducked below the window and sat down. Gilbert was still holding onto Cole. All of them seemed more concerned about staying silent and still.Gilbert looked slightly down towards Cole, whose face was illuminated by the light from the window. He admired his features and all the moles that were scattered across his face. Anne looked away from the window for a moment and looked at the other two, she gave Cole a look.If his wrist wasn’t broken he’d shove her playfully. Instead he rolled his eyes and made no effort to get out of Gilbert’s delicate touch.Billy and Josie continued to stay kissing against the window for minutes. The three slowly devolved from their frozen state and they shifted into silently laughing about what was happening.After a while, Billy and Josie left. Gilbert stared down at Cole for the last time. Memorizing where his nose curved, where his lips were the pinkest, where the moles near his jawline were, where his eyes shifted from green to blue. Just in case…In case of what?Gilbert awkwardly cleared his throat as he stood up and helped Cole up. Anne had started talking about what she had to tell Cole. Gilbert just glanced at Cole’s lips, then to the snow on the ground. Confused for the 2000th time that week.4.Bash had spent the whole day making banana muffins. His reasoning was that he had met the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.Gilbert didn’t mind, it was a little odd seeing his friend walking on air around their kitchen, but he accepted this joyful mood with pleasure.Once Bash had finished his muffin making, Gilbert decided he wanted to visit Anne to talk about something. It was late in the day, but not before sunset so he assumed she’d be in her newly appointed haven in the woods.Gilbert took a few muffins with him to give to Anne and probably Diana. After a walk in the woods he made it to the small wooden shack that was Anne’s new hang out spot.He ducked under the small curtain that acted as the door. Anne wasn’t there, instead he was greeted by Cole, who was sitting and staring at his sketch book, pencil in his hand. It had been a few weeks since he broke his wrist, so it was almost back to normal.“Oh hey,” Gilbert said. Cole whipped his head up, alluding to the fact that he did not hear Gilbert walking up to the shack.“Hi,” Cole smiled.“Was Anne here? I had something to ask her,” Gilbert stepped completely inside, ducking so he didn’t hit the ceiling.“You just missed her, she had to go home for dinner,” Cole looked back down at his sketchbook.“Oh,” Gilbert looked around.Cole started to draw something, but sighed and erased it after a few moments.“Do you like banana muffins?” Gilbert asked, holding up the cloth that the muffins were wrapped in.Cole looked up at him, “yeah.. do you wanna sit down?” Cole gestured to the stump next to him.Gilbert gladly took the seat, facing Cole directly, and unwrapped a muffin, handing it to him. Cole smiled and took it.“So you’re not coming back to school?” Gilbert asked, pulling out a muffin for himself.Cole shook his head, “no.”Gilbert nodded. He watched as Cole took a bite out of the muffin and stared down at the paper in frustration.Cole started drawing again, but muttered something and scribbled over what he was sketching.“What’s wrong?” Gilbert asked, taking bite of his muffin.“It’s my wrist,” Cole rubbed it, “drawing doesn’t feel the same, so I can’t draw anymore.”“Well that’s probably not true,” Gilbert tried to lighted him up, but Cole continued to stare angrily at the paper.“Maybe you just need a muse,” Gilbert smiled.“What?” Cole looked at him, the anger in his face turned to confusion.“Something to draw. Try and draw me,” Gilbert shrugged, taking another bite of the muffin.“Okay..” Cole smiled slightly, “if it’s bad you can’t get angry.”“Why would I?” Gilbert chuckled.“I don’t know.. just.. don’t move,” Cole shifted in his seat to face Gilbert, their knees just barely touching.The two sat in silence. Gilbert watched the concentration on Cole’s face. He noticed his brows furrow when he couldn’t get a feature just right, his tongue stick out slightly when he was sketching the details, his hand move up to brush the hair out of his face. Gilbert could sit and notice things about Cole all day.Soon, the sun started to set and the fire in the middle highlighted Cole’s features even more.Gilbert wanted nothing more than to move forward and touch their knees together. To move Cole’s hair out of his face for him and trace his fingers across his jaw. To hold him close and kiss him when he got frustrated at himself.What.Gilbert had been thinking those thoughts many times recently. It felt normal, to think those things. He knew it wasn’t. He knew it was against… something. He couldn’t think of how it could be against anything at the moment. He couldn’t imagine it being against anything. It seemed so natural. To sit and admire Cole’s features.It came to him just as easy as breathing. He imagined this must be how Ruby feels when she stares at Gilbert from across the classroom. He takes that thought back immediately.This is so much more intimate than that. Gilbert knows he shouldn’t, but he can’t help himself from thinking about how beautiful Cole looks. How could anyone be against this? How could anyone be against love?Love.Love’s a word akin to hate. It’s such a small word. Yet it holds as much power as God.“Done,” Cole sighed, “it’s not good, but..”“Let me see,” Gilbert answered.Cole glanced up at him, he seemed more than just nervous to show Gilbert the drawing. He seemed scared. Gilbert kept his focus strong, trying to silently convince Cole to turn the sketchbook around.Finally, Cole sighed again and handed the sketchbook over. He immediately stared at the fire while Gilbert looked at the drawing.Gilbert’s silent. Staring at the paper. The paper that had been brought alive by Cole’s art. He noticed things about himself that he’s never seen before. There’s a small mole on his cheek. His eyes hold a tenderness that almost make Gilbert cry.“It’s beautiful,” Gilbert breathed. He’s never seen Cole’s art more than just a quick glance to his doodles in school.Cole looked up from the fire. His face told Gilbert that he didn’t believe him at all.“Cole,” Gilbert said lightly, “it’s beautiful.”The two stared at each other for a moment and, for the second time that night, Gilbert wanted to pull the other boy close and kiss him senseless.“Thank you,” Cole smiled, it seemed almost sad.“Of course,” Gilbert handed the sketchbook back.Their hands brushed as the sketchbook was passed between them. Gilbert lingered for a second.“I should..” Gilbert started, “I should go..”“Yeah..” Cole muttered, “me too.”The two stood up and walked out of the shelter together. Gilbert didn’t want whatever feeling he was feeling in that moment to end, so he turned to Cole and asked, “which way do you go?”Cole pointed down the path that was the complete opposite direction of Gilbert’s house, “there.”Gilbert paused for a moment, “me too. Let’s walk together.” Gilbert smiled. Cole smiled as well and nodded. And the two walked home together.5.Gilbert was relieved to see Anne at the fair. He hated having to walk around with Winnie and her family all day. Although he did love the girl dearly, that love would never be enough to lead him into a marriage.He had come to that realization a week or so ago. He was talking to Anne about something. She mentioned Diana and then got very nervous and jittery.Gilbert asked what was wrong and Anne revealed that Diana had kissed her the day before and ran away immediately after. Gilbert was surprised, but the first thought that entered his mind was Cole. Nothing specific about him. Just Cole.Anne had freaked out when she revealed her feelings for Diana to Gilbert. He assured her that her secret was safe with him. She then went on to rant about Diana for the next 20 minutes. Gilbert could only think about Cole.Then, a day or two after that, Winnie had implied about getting engaged, so Gilbert did just that. Trying to just ignore his feelings for Cole, which didn’t work at all, but he could pretend it did.He had talked about it to Anne a few days after that. They had been walking home together because Diana was sick that day. Anne proposed an idea to cheer him up. Anne would marry Cole and Gilbert could marry Diana, then they’d all just have to live near each other and they’d get to hang out all the time.Gilbert had honestly thought about that idea for a while, but was reminded that there was no way he could break up with Winnie. Anne said that he could always pretend to be hopelessly in love with her and wouldn’t be able to live in the marriage with Winnie happily.Gilbert had jokingly entertained the idea, but recently he had been seriously thinking about it.Now he was standing in the barn turned dance hall at the fair, watching all the kids and adults dancing together. He enjoyed seeing Anne laughing with Diana as she danced with some random boy that Gilbert had never seen before.Gilbert wondered if Anne had told Diana the marriage idea. Hopefully not, he concluded.Winnie had gone to dance. Gilbert searched the crowd. He knew who he was searching for, but pretended to just be looking around out of boredom.Soon his eyes landed on who he was looking for.Cole was standing on the side, seeming to be in an awkward conversation between Moody and Ruby. Cole looked around and locked eyes with Gilbert.Gilbert gestured outside with his head, Cole nodded and the two silently headed outside.Once the two made it outside, Gilbert smiled at Cole, who seemed overly relieved to be out of his previous conversation.“It’s so stuffy in there,” Cole mumbled.“I don’t think the conversation Moody and Ruby were having helped,” Gilbert chuckled, finding a wall to lean against. Cole laughed and shook his head as he leaned next to Gilbert.The two stood there in relative silence, the music from the band inside seeping through the cracks of the wall they were leaning against.Gilbert looked at Cole who was looking toward the ground where his foot was moving a rock back and forth.Gilbert admired the way the moon reflected in Cole’s eyes. Well, he always admired Cole’s eyes, but they looked even more beautiful now.His gaze moved from Cole’s eyes to Cole’s lips. Any words for any conversation he was going to start left his brain. He could only think about Cole and his stupidly beautiful face.Cole looked away from the ground and looked at Gilbert, whose eyes moved back to Cole’s eyes.“What?” Cole asked, seeming to shrink a little under Gilbert’s gaze. Gilbert wanted nothing more than to move in closer. To tell Cole that he was staring at him because he was beautiful not because he was a freak. To kiss him and let nobody else have him.For a moment, Cole glanced down at Gilbert’s lips. And that moment was the first time Gilbert realized the possibility of Cole feeling the same way.“I..” Gilbert started before being cut off by Anne whipping herself around the corner and almost yelling.“There you guys are!” Anne walked over to them, “Cole I wanna dance with you. And Gilbert, Winnie’s looking for you.” Anne looked between the two. If she could see in the dark she’d see how red both of their faces were.“Come on!” Anne grabbed both of their wrists and dragged them back inside.1.Gilbert told Winnie that he was terribly in love with someone else a few days ago.If she had asked who, he would’ve said Anne. Luckily she didn’t.He didn’t know where to go from there.Normally, if he wanted to court a girl, he’d admit his feelings and take her on dates and secretly kiss her on their walks home.But he wasn’t courting a girl. He was pining over Cole.Gilbert sat at his kitchen table, thinking. It was close to midnight, but he just couldn’t ignore the impeding thoughts, asking what he was going to do about Cole.Suddenly he heard a knock on the door. It was quiet. He was unsure if he had actually heard anything or if the lack of sleep was getting to him.Either way, he stood up from the table and made his way to the door. He opened it and was surprised to find Cole standing on the other side.“Cole?” Gilbert asked.“I’m sorry,” Cole’s face was red from the cold, he didn’t have a coat on and was shivering.Gilbert grabbed his shoulder and pulled him inside. He shut the door, “what’s going on?”“I’m sorry,” Cole repeated.Gilbert grabbed his coat from the wall and handed it to Cole, who took it, and eagerly put it on. Gilbert looked at him, waiting for a response.“I’m sorry,” Cold said, “I ran away. A few days ago. I’ve been in the club house, but it was just too cold tonight.”Gilbert stared in disbelief.“Your house was the first place I thought to go to.”Gilbert couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Cole, who was still shivering.“Jesus Christ Cole,” Gilbert mumbled into his neck.“Sorry,” Cole whispered, gripping onto the back of Gilbert’s shirt.“Stop apologizing,” Gilbert laughed, “it’s okay.”Cole smiled. Gilbert wondered if this was a sign. He had been thinking about Cole in the middle of the night and then he just so happens to show up at his doorstep.“Do you want food? Or tea? Or something?” Gilbert pulled away from the hug, but kept his hands on Cole’s arm’s.“No, thank you. I’m just cold and tired,” Cole shrugged, staring down at his shoes.“You can stay in my room,” Gilbert said, “come on.”Gilbert led Cole to his room. He wondered what Bash would say if he saw this random kid following Gilbert around their house. He made it to his room and turned the lamp on.“Where will you sleep?” Cole asked.“Don’t worry about me,” Gilbert sat on the bed. Cole sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a moment.“You’ve been in the clubhouse for days?” Gilbert asked.Cole hesitantly nodded, “I have nowhere else to go.”“Well you have here now,” Gilbert stated. He glanced toward Cole. Gilbert so badly wanted to grab Cole’s hand that was lying on his leg.Gilbert stared at Cole, starting to loose hope in himself. He didn’t know how much longer he would be able to look at Cole without acting on his impulses.Yet he didn’t want to look away.If he could just reach out and hold Cole’s face. If he could just hold Cole’s hand. If he could just kiss Cole and steal his coldness, so he wouldn’t suffer anymore.God, he couldn’t hold himself back anymore.“Cole I-““Gilbert I-“The two stared at each other. Maybe they’d been thinking the same thing, to speak at the same time.Gilbert slowly raised his hand to the side of Cole’s face, holding him as delicately as one would hold a snowflake. Cole was a snowflake. He was so beautiful and unique. There wasn’t anyone else in the world like him.Gilbert was so lucky to find him.Cole shrunk under Gilbert’s gaze like he had so many weeks ago, but now Gilbert could show him why he was looking at him.Gilbert leaned in and closed the space between them. Cole seemed hesitant at first, scared that it might not be real. Gilbert moved his other hand to the back of Cole’s neck to pull him closer.Every emotion that Gilbert had ever felt when looking at Cole had all halted into one. Love. It was so simple. He finally kissed the boy he loved. His heart fluttered in his chest. He was surprised it hadn’t flown away yet.Gilbert held Cole so delicately. Cole imagined it was how people held their favorite flowers. He started to tear up and Gilbert backed away thinking he did something wrong.“What’s wrong?” Gilbert spoke softly, wiping a tear off of Cole’s cheek.“Nothing,” Cole replied, looking at Gilbert like he was some Saint.Gilbert just stared back, confused. Cole smiled and grabbed the front of Gilbert’s sweater to pull him in for another kiss. Gilbert was pleasantly surprised. The two smiled into their kiss.Once they pulled away, both of their faces were flushed. They laughed, still holding onto the other.“Are you still going to sleep somewhere else?” Cole asked. Boldest Gilbert had seen him since he stood up against Mr Phillips months ago.Gilbert faltered for a moment before shaking his head, “not anymore.” He placed a short kiss on Cole’s mouth, causing him to laugh.Cole looked at Gilbert with something that Gilbert couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t sadness, but it wasn’t really happy either.“What do we do now?” He asked.The question caught Gilbert off guard. He stared at Cole. He hadn’t really planned that far ahead. Hell, he hadn’t planned to kiss Cole that night either, but it happened.“I don’t know,” Gilbert replied. Cole nodded.“All I do know is that it’s late and you said you were tired,” Gilbert said, tracing his fingers up and down Cole’s arm, “and that we have a perfectly good bed right here. And that.. we’ll be okay. If not forever, at least for tonight.”Cole smiled, “okay.”Once the two were changed, Gilbert offering some of his sweaters for Cole so he wasn’t cold, they got under the covers together and laid in bed looking into each other’s eyes.Eventually Cole had ended up lying on Gilbert’s chest, playing with a strand of his sweater before fading to sleep.Gilbert looked contently at the ceiling, lightly running his hands through Cole’s hair as his quiet snores filled the room.Gilbert didn’t know what was in store for them. He knew they wouldn’t be able to show their attraction in public. He knew the only time they could say “I love you” would be in the safety of their own homes. He knew there would be very little people who accepted them.But he also knew that, for that night, the boy he loved was asleep in his arms. He had kissed him 3 times in the last hour. His love was asleep and Gilbert couldn’t be happier.Slowly, Gilbert felt asleep as well. His heart full of love and his eyes opened to a whole new world and a whole new life he had ahead of him.And for that night, at least, they were okay.