When Lawson had visited his house on Friday to pick up the tennis racket for Sean, his mother had refused to let him leave until he agreed to come home for brunch on Sunday. Luckily, he didn't have much homework for the weekend, so he was able to manage, but he had to turn down Sean when he offered to take him to breakfast, since Lawson had actually served out the day before, though not on purpose.

Despite that disappointment, Lawson was excited to see his sisters and step-father, all three of whom had been absent when he visited on Friday. He hadn't seen them since they had visited campus within the first week of school, and he missed their enthusiasm and zest for life more than he ever thought possible.

The second he stepped in the door, it was clear to him that the feelings went both ways. Luna saw him first, and called out his name in glee, sliding off of the couch on her stomach before launching herself into his arms. Cyble, who had been sitting on William's lap in the chair, had to wait until her father actually put her down before she rushed him, and by then Lawson had crouched to the ground to be at proper height for the both of them. "Are you coming back?" Cyble asked, brown eyes hopeful and Lawson laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Just for today, button. I've got to go back to campus after brunch".

"No," Was Luna's simple response, which made him smile as he stood, holding Cyble on his hip with one arm, and Luna on his other.

"Hey Will," Lawson greeted, smiling warmly at his step father, who grinned back at him. "How's it going?" Lawson remembered his mother telling him William already as a call back for a second job interview at a company in the area, but he wasn't supposed to know about their financial struggles in the first place, so he didn't bring it up.

"It's all good with us. What about you? How's college? How are your grades?" He asked, all with a laid back smile. Through high school, Lawson hadn't been the perfect student, but he had gotten decent grades, enough to get a small scholarship actually, so his parents tended not to worry about him.

"All good, of course". The girls began to squirm in his arms, bored with not being able to run around for longer than a minute, so Lawson crouched back down to set them both on their feet. Away they went, giggling something about toys in their room, and Lawson smiled after them.

"You know, yout mother told them yesterday that you'd be coming home, and they were so excited," William said and Lawson laughed.

"Yeah, well, I don't really blame them for having that reaction. They do have an attention span of about thirty seconds". He got another chuckle in response. "Hey, where'd mom?"

"Where do you think she is?" William teased. "You're coming home. She said she's going to make the best damn brunch you've ever tasted so you'll decide to stay here forever, but it's your mother's cooking, so I doubt that will happen". At that, Lawson grinned, nodded his head and slipped into the kitchen in search of his mother.

She was in front of the counter, facing away from him so he couldn't see what she was making, but it smelled familiar. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun on the back of her neck, and she was still wearing her pajamas. Lawson went up behind her and tapped on her shoulder. Not even a second later, he was enveloped into a bone crushing hug. It made him laugh, but also made him want to cry with the centemiant. His mother had always hugged him like that; like if she didn't hold on tight enough he would slip away. "God mom. I saw you two days ago".

"I know. It's been far too long," she claimed, but she allowed him to take a step back. "Get in here and make this french toast. You always do it better than me". When she moved away from the stove, Lawson took her place without complaint. Like his mother, Lawson was very very bad at cooking, but when it came to his favorite breakfast foods, he happened to excel. "So, love, how've you been?"

"Since the last time we saw one another?" Lawson asked, and his mover moved to lightly punch his arm.

"Come on, kid. You were in such a rush on friday you barely answered. I want details, you hear. I want to know everything, Lawson. Everything". Lawson shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were very bright, and she was looking at him in that special way he seemed to have reserved. He wanted to tell her about Sean, more than anything, but he knew once he brought him up, she would insist on meeting him, and that could end up being embarrassing.

"Why don't you tell me about how the girls have been?" Lawson countered, and his mother huffed.

"I know for a fact you text William for updates on the girls constantly, so you know how they've been. I want to know about you, Lawson, and now I want to know even more, because there is clearly something- or should I say someone- that you're keeping from me," She deduced, and at the end her voice got very teasing, and a small smile curled onto her face. With a huff, Lawson began to stir the ingredients in the bowl that had been passed onto him, momentarily ignoring the fact that his mother had clearly messed something up with the recipe, because it did not look right. "What's his name, Lawson?"

He shot her a surprised look, since he had never really come out and told his mother that he liked men, but of course she knew. She always did when it came to him.

"He's... you know how when you asked me about math on Friday I told you I had someone helping me?" Lawson questioned, and she nodded eagerly. "His name is Sean".

"Sean," she repeated, testing the name. It must have come out well, because she nodded, satisfied, and then instructed him to continue.

"He's... I don't even know, mom. He's unlike anyone I've ever met before. Like, he gets all my stupid jokes and even laughs at them with me, when I say stupid intense things he doesn't get uncomfortable, and he always seems to understand me and not judge. I don't know. It's crazy, mom. And the craziest thing of all is that he likes me too! And I mean, actually likes me. Everyone can see it," Lawson explained, his hand that was stirring slowing to a stop.

"Why aren't you two together already then?"

"We're," Lawson began, and then he chuckled a little, bit because anything was funny, but because of course his mother would ask the question that had been stuck in his head for days. "I don't know, mom. All I know is that we should be".

His mother looked at him for a long time, and he looked back at her, waiting for the advice she would surely give him.

"Well, I think you should talk to him. Like... just straight out tell him that you like him, even if you think he already knows, because assuming something and knowing it for sure are different things, hon," His mother advised, and he chewed his lip as he recalled the conversation in which Sean confirmed his sexuality, and how relieved he had felt actually hearing it.

"Damn. I know you're right," he admitted, bringing his eyes back down the batter he was mixing. He should really ask her what she had put in it. "You know me though. I'm not exactly great at putting myself out there, and when I do I typically get embarrass," Lawson reminded before releasing a groan.

"Well, honey, if he's not worth the potential embarrassment, then I'm guessing it's not worth it," his mother claimed, and Lawson's eyes widened, and then he laughed lightly.

"Damn mom, way to put everything in perspective for me". His mother mumbled something along the lines of that's what I'm here for before moving to the fridge and pulling it open.

"So, he's worth it then?"

"Yeah," Lawson confirmed, voice soft. "He is".

"Good. Then I expect to be meeting him soon," she instructed, and Lawson snorted, knowing it would come down to this. Luckily, she wasn't pushing the matter and trying make him set a date right away. "Damn," she hissed then, and Lawson glanced over his shoulder to find her still looking through the fridge. A second later, she was closing the door and turning to face him. "Lawson, honey, could you do me a favor?"

"Yeah?" Lawson asked, putting the bowl on the counter before turning his body to her. "Need me to go to the store?" This was a common occurrence whenever his mom decided to cook, since she was forgetful and often didn't buy all the needed ingredients for what she was making. "What'd you forget?"

"Eggs," she admitted.

"Eggs," he repeated, and then he glanced over his shoulder at the strange batter. "Ahh. Mom, how exactly were you planning on making French toast without eggs?"

She paused, looking troubled, and then she asked, "there's eggs in French toast?"

***

When he stepped inside the local grocery store, he was greeted by a grinning Greg Pearson. "Hey Lawson. How you doing?"

"Great, you?" He responded, moving into the store towards the refrigerator section before the other boy could answer. They weren't close, really, so he doubted Greg actually wanted to have a real conversation with him. That's why it was a great surprise to him when Glenn's brother began to walk with him.

"I've been alright," Greg replied, and Lawson shot him a look out of the corner of his eye that the other boy caught. "Look, I don't want to bond or anything. I just wanted to ask you something".

"Oh?" Lawson asked, and Greg nodded.

"So, are you and Nathan still good friends?" He asked, and Lawson shrugged, because they were friends, but he wasn't exactly sure if Nathan had good friends outside of Jean. "Do you know where he lives?"

"Nathan?" Lawson questioned, because he was confused as to where this was going.

"Yes, Nathan. Glenn won't tell me and I want to... have a word with him," Greg claimed, though his jaw clenched a little bit. Lawson's eyebrows raised, and his lips parted to respond- with what, he wasn't quite sure- but a steady voice cut into their conversation, causing both of them to spin around.

"I thought I told you to drop it, Greg," Glenn said, his face pulling into a smile once Lawson was facing him. Next to him stood Grace, who was about as happy to see Lawson as Glenn was to see Greg. "How are you doing, Lawson?"

"I'm great," Lawson answered, and Glenn still smiled, but the sight kind of made him sad. After seeing Glenn smile at Nathan, the boy's ordinary smiles weren't much to see. "I'm actually in a bit of a rush though".

"Oh?" Glenn looked slightly disappointed, and shot a glance at Grace out of the corner of his eye. She was watching Lawson with narrowed eyes, and it was making him nervous.

"Yeah. Mom's making bruch and she forgot eggs so..."

"I see," Glenn said, taking a step forward, away from Grace. The girl's angry eyes shifted over to him. "Alright. I'll walk with you. I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something".

Only Grace and Greg had protests to this, and Glenn calmly told them off before grabbing Lawson's arm and pulling him in the direction of the refrigerators. "I'm sorry. They've both been... ultra protective since I told them about Nathan. I don't think they really understand that it was my fault, and that we're going to work it out".

"You're confident about that?" Lawson question, and then he immediately wished he hadn't when Glenn's brown eyes grew incredibly large.

"I am," he assured. "I mean... we're meeting in three weeks and I was planning..." Glenn trailed off, voice suddenly very small. They came to a stop in front of the fridge with the eggs, and Glenn reached out a hand and placed it on Lawson's arm before he could open the door. "Is Nathan... does he not want to-"

"Oh!" Lawson cut in, realizing what Glenn thought he had meant. "No! I mean, yes. I- uh- Glenn, Nathan wants you, and only you, and he's planning on you two being together for the rest of your lives. He misses you, but he's been better since you two talked that night, better knowing that you two are for sure going to see one another again and knowing Nathan he's going to do everything he possibly can to keep you around. That's... that's why he suggested you take a break, you know. He wasn't doing it because he doesn't want to be with you, he was doing it because he does".

With a smile, Glenn nodded his head. "I know. I see that now. It's just... it's hard being away from him. Even when I was distant he was constantly reaching out to me, and I know I was being a total asshole, but I was still reading what he sent, and it always made me feel better to know that he was still there... It's selfish, I know, and while it's hard being apart, I know he's still there, and I know he's just trying to do what's best for both of us, and it's been helping me a lot with everything".

"Good". Lawson grinned, and Glenn's hand fell from his arm, allowing him to open the cooler. He picked a carton of eggs, made sure none of them were cracked, and then let the door fall shut. "What I meant before was if you were confident you two would be able to be together in a month. If that would be enough time, but it sounds like it's already been enough time".

"It feels like it has, but I don't mind waiting," Glenn claimed, lips tugging up into a small. "I miss him like hell, but absence makes the heart grow fonder". The phrase made Lawson laugh, because it was so Glenn to look at it like that. He had always been a glass half full kind of person. "Oddly enough, Nathan isn't the only thing I wanted to talk to you about".

"Oh?" Lawson wondered, tucking the eggs under his arm as he started towards the register. Immediately, Glenn followed.

"Yeah. I wasn't even going to bring up Nathan, actually. Right about now, Greg keeps talking about killing him, and Grace wants to punch him in the balls, so they'd both be pretty upset with me talking about him and wanting to know how he is," Glenn admitted, but he was smiling as he said it.  "No, I wasn't going to talk to you about Nathan. I was actually going to thank you for that night, as well as apologize for my behavior".

At first, Lawson didn't know what Glenn was talking about, but the second he caught on he felt incredibly stupid. It was hard to believe that this Glenn in front of him, the one with the sparklingly eyes and sweet smile was the same Glenn he had seen the week before, stumbling and drunk, but it was, and he shouldn't have let himself forget that. "Oh, Glenn, I don't-"

"No," Glenn cut in, and they slowed to a stop in the cereal aisle. "You don't have to be nice to me, Lawson. You don't have to say-"

"Glenn, shut up," Lawson instructed, and the other boy's eyes widened. "What? You told me I didn't have to be nice to you. Glenn, you are one of my friends, and you needed help, so I helped. That's just what friends do for one another. If it was me at that bar, I know you'd come and get me too. Simple as that".

Glenn dropped his eyes to his shoes. "You shouldn't have had to see me like that. No one should have. I shouldn't have..."

"That's probably true," Lawson agreed. "But I'm glad it happened, and you should be too. Because you made that stupid decision, you and Nathan actually talked about what was going on with the two of you, which is something you had put off long enough. I think you both needed that".

"We did," Glenn agreed softly, and then he raised his head to smile at Lawson. "You know, Nathan really didn't like you for a long time, and to think that he refers to you as one of his best friends really makes me happy, because I know you can take care of him when I'm not there... I know you have taken care of him. Thank you".

Lawson grinned and lightly hit Glenn's arm. Grace was at the end of the aisle, calling for her best friend, so Lawson began to back away from him as he said, "That, Glenn Pearson, I will accept thanks for, because that boy is a pain in the ass". When he turned, he didn't look back, but he could hear Glenn's laugh.

***

As he was stopped at a red light on his way home, his phone began to ring from where he had left it in the cup holder. The screen displayed Nathan's name, which was a funny coincidence because the thoughts that were cut off from the call revolved around calling his friend to talk about Glenn. He answered. "Hey man, I was just thinking about calling you," Lawson admitted, but a second later the voice that answered wasn't Nathan's.

"Ahh, Lawson," Sean said, immediately recognizable by his smooth voice and the way he held the a in his name longer than most. "I'm supposed to put you on speaker phone. One second". There were a few beeps, and then Sean said, "alright".

"What the fuck?" Lawson asked, jumping when the car behind him honked. He raised his head to see the light was green. "Shit".

"Vulgar," Nathan commented in a low voice before instructing. "Come over, Lawson".

"What are you doing?"

"The only thing two men who like the same sex, but not each other do when they're together," Nathan answered, and Lawson scoffed because that was vague.

"I don't know what that means, Nathan".

"Video Games," Sean answered, and Lawson rolled his eyes.

"I'm not exactly fond of video games," Lawson pointed out, and he heard both voices huff on the other end of the phone.

"Come over and we can give you something better to do," Nathan offered and Lawson scoffed.

"You're either going to make a really inappropriate joke, or you're going to make one about me doing your dishes or some shit, and I will appreciate neither," Lawson warned, and Nathan laughed.

"Does this mean you're not coming?" Sean questioned, sounding disappointed. "You know, I only came here because Nathan told me he'd be able to convince you to come, and I wanted to see you".

There was no way in hell that Lawson wasn't going to show up, Nathan must have know that the second Lawson heard that the two of them were together, but Sean's confession was just icing on the cake. "I'm coming," Lawson assured. "After brunch".

"Right," Sean said softly. "After brunch".

It was quiet for a minute, and then Nathan said, "you two are gross," fondly.