Chapter Text
Boyfriend was sort of used to bullying by this point.
Ever since he was young, he had tragically been the victim of bullying by either his peers, or even people that he considered to be his own friends. Luckily, he was never targeted by his family, which isn’t something that Pico could say for himself.
The two of them had connected a little over how people hurt them in the past. Their trauma was actually a surprising source of their bonding, but Boyfriend was aware that Pico could be a vengeful person. What upset Boyfriend, though, was that he was vengeful for everyone but himself.
“Do you really want to do this?” Boyfriend would slip through his bedroom window. It was a Saturday, so it was unlikely that his parents would be too concerned about his absence. Pico and him– mostly Pico– had been plotting something to get back at Glenn and his gang. The two of them had kept the plan relatively secret, but Boyfriend knew to a degree that Gracie and maybe even his sister would want to be a part of it. He was just worried about his sister trying anything since she was a college student.
“Yeah,” Pico started, moving inwards after Boyfriend and landing cleanly on his bedroom floor, “I think we have to.”
“Do we? What if this just agitates them more?” Boyfriend spoke worriedly. Their plan was basically just to beat up the boys sometime after school, mostly just to scare them away so they could stop hurting the two of them. “..I-I mean, what does this accomplish?.. We could just keep our distance..-”
“No!” Pico erupted, speaking with his hands and avoiding eye contact. Boyfriend flinched, feeling that he had upset the other boy, but he knew why. “Th-they hurt you, and they have to fucking.. They can’t just keep getting away with it. ”
Pico sat down by Boyfriend’s bed, running his hands down his face. “..I don’t want to do it either.. You don’t think I’m scared of what they might do?”
Boyfriend grimaced. He wasn’t really sure what Pico’s logic here was, but he didn’t bother questioning it. He really didn’t want to make him more upset than he already was. Boyfriend moved next to Pico, scooching down and resting his head onto his shoulder.
“..Shh, hey..” Pico’s breathing shook noticeably, so Boyfriend would lock his fingers with Pico’s. “Let’s just think about this, dude..”
Pico gave a small nod, turning his head to the side and giving a small squeeze to Boyfriend’s hand.
“..I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.”
Boyfriend turned his head back to Pico, feeling his heart shake. “W–we talked about this..”
“I know, I just.. I-I know I’ve already said that, but.. I need to protect you.” Pico whispered that last part, and Boyfriend could tell he was still shaken up from the previous week.
“Y-you got hurt too, and I could b-barely do anything..” Boyfriend began, placing his hand to the side of Pico’s face, “We’re both strong in our own w-ways.. I can take some hits.”
Pico’s face scrunched up at that. “You shouldn’t have to..”
Boyfriend rubbed his head against his shoulder for some sense of reassurance. “Neither of us should.”
Later on into the day, the two of them would still be in Boyfriend’s room. At this point, the two of them were just wrapped around each other. Pico would just be playing with Boyfriend’s hair, though, all the while, all Boyfriend had on his mind was what they should be doing next.
More importantly– should he message Gracie?
“..Fuck..” Boyfriend muttered, which made Pico stare at him for a moment. Boyfriend knew he hadn’t really been the best friend as of late. He really hadn’t even considered how Gracie may be feeling during all of this.
“You good?” Pico peered, putting a hand to Boyfriend’s cheek.
“Y-yeah, just..” He let out a drawn out sigh, “..I-I should really message Gracie. I know she’s probably super worried, I.. I guess I just assumed she would be fine now that she has Carol.”
Pico would stare for a few more seconds, then let out a sigh, as well.
“I’ve been messaging her here and then to let her know you and I are alright, but.. Yeah, she does really miss you, man.”
Boyfriend’s heart was wrenched. He felt an immediate sense of regret for the past few weeks, considering he had barely seen Gracie, but could he really blame himself? He had been pretty badly injured and intoxicated a while back, but at the same time, he knew Gracie had been blowing up his phone with text messages.
“..I’ll text her now.”
Boyfriend sent a few messages– of course, not before checking all the ones Gracie had sent. They weren’t all too bad, for the most part. Him and Gracie were practically siblings to each other, so he knew he’d be forgiven.
That being said, he also knew that forgiveness may take a while.
“Hey.” Pico whispered gently, to which Boyfriend would perk his head up.
“Yeah?” Boyfriend sat his phone to the side, looking into Pico’s eyes and smiling gently.
“..I love you.”
“I know.” Boyfriend said snarkily, to which Pico pushed his head away. “Hey!”
Pico snorted, “Lame..” He’d press a firm kiss to Boyfriend’s lips, only to back away and clear the hair from his head. “I’m proud of you, okay?”
Boyfriend just continued smiling, then giving a nod. “I love you too.”
*
The next day, Boyfriend awoke to a knock on his door, only to look down and see himself being practically entangled with Pico’s limbs. Letting out a small sigh, Boyfriend would try to remove himself from the boy as gently as possible.
“BF?” He heard his sister’s voice, which would make him jump. Pico would visibly stir in his sleep, but he remained unconscious, which made Boyfriend sigh with relief.
“Y-yeah?” Boyfriend called out as quietly as he could while still making sure he was loud enough to be heard.
“Can I come in?” She would ask, to which Boyfriend hesitated.
“..Uh..” He’d give a glance to his sleeping boyfriend, who now had a sleepy smile on his face.
He was definitely awake.
“You..” Boyfriend glared, starting to speak before the door would creak open, “H-hey!”
“Sorry, bro! I just.. I’m really worried-” Miku stopped, staring at the bed and blinking. She’d be wearing a small messy bun– which wasn’t that small considering her hair length– as well as some cute pastel pajama pants and an anime shirt.
Her face scrunched up as she’d cover her eyes, backing away gradually, “OH- Uh-” She’d begin backing away even more, nearly tripping on the doorway and spilling some of the tea she’d been holding and apologizing profusely, “Sorry! I didn’t know Pico was over, I-”
Boyfriend just glared, now hearing quiet laughter coming from behind him. He’d shake his head while rubbing his eyes tiredly. “It’s fine, sis, just come in.”
Miku just stared between her fingers for a few moments, before sighing and coming in. “..Sorry, I’ll, uh, wait for the word to come in next time.” She would place the tea on Boyfriend’s night stand.
“It’s cool.” Boyfriend said blankly, crossing his arms.
“..So, uh..” Miku started, “..How are you feeling?”
“Good.” Boyfriend responded very matter-of-factly, trying to keep a straight face and not concern his sister about his whereabouts and what-not. “How are uh, mom and dad?”
Miku paused after the awkward question had been asked, turning her head to the side and letting out a gentle sigh. “..Mom’s really worried, and dad’s just a bit frustrated at how everything’s going.”
Boyfriend nodded, feeling not too shocked at this being their reaction. He could feel Pico’s arms being wrapped around the back of him, which made him feel a sense of relief and assurance. “Oh.. Okay.”
Miku would look back, now taking the tea and handing it to Boyfriend, humming a little as a sign of acknowledgement.
The whole room was quiet now. Boyfriend’s usually light atmosphere in his bedroom was now a bit more dim and tired, maybe because of how early in the morning it was. Tomorrow, he’d have to face off against school again, which wasn’t his favorite thing to do– mostly because of his bullies.
But now, he had to worry about what Pico might do to them, and how that would affect the people he cared about. The people he loved.
“You better talk to them soon. You know how busy with work they are, but.. You also know that they would take time off of work to take care of you, if they could.” Miku said straightly, now looking directly to Boyfriend.
“I know.” Boyfriend would blow on the tea, then take a small sip.
“How’s Pico feeling?” The question made Boyfriend flinch slightly.
“..Oh, uh..” Boyfriend turned his head to the side slightly, looking down at Pico who was clearly fake-sleeping, “..He’s fine, I think.”
Miku’s gaze would grow suspicious, now leaning her body to the side to get a look at the other boy. “Pico.”
Pico would peek one of his eyes open, then furrowing his brows, “..Was it that obvious?..”
“Mhm.” Both of the siblings would concur, Boyfriend now taking another sip of his tea as Pico would sit up.
“Sup.” Pico would give a small and slightly awkward nod, trying to cover his bare chest as well as he could with a blanket.
“..Sup.” Miku spoke, before crossing her arms, “I guess now’s as good of a time as any..”
The two boys glanced up at her, staring for a few moments in anticipation.
“Where have you been?”
Boyfriend gulped, and he could feel Pico gradually move back behind him. “..Oh, uh.. Heh, funny story, actually–”
“I’m serious, Boyfriend. You realize how worried I’ve been? I haven’t seen you for days!” Miku stood, now advancing towards Boyfriend with a serious glare.
Boyfriend would back away slightly, feeling Pico’s hand grab his arm gently, which calmed him. “I-I’m sorry! I just.. It’s really complicated, okay?”
“Who keeps hurting you? I can’t keep standing by while my little brother is tortured like this! You shouldn’t have to deal with all of this bullshit– Y-you’re in highschool!”
Boyfriend would avoid her gaze, feeling some tears welling up in his eyes.
“..W-well!?” Miku erupted, a shake now being in her voice as well. All the while, Pico’s grasp on Boyfriend’s arm would remain, but he seemed to be averting his gaze as well. “I-I need to know what’s going on!”
“It’s Glenn, okay?! I thought you already fucking knew this!” Boyfriend exploded, now standing up as well and letting Pico’s grasp go. “I-I know I’ve been really secretive lately, b-but..”
Miku’s gaze grew from concerned to furious in a split second after the name was mentioned. “Glenn?”
Boyfriend nodded, to which Pico would let out an audible ‘shit.'
“That’s it.” Miku said, now beginning to pace around the room, “That little bitch is going to get torn the hell up..”
Boyfriend cringed slightly, now turning to Pico, who would give a glance to Boyfriend’s phone that was now very clearly buzzing.
“Shit-” Boyfriend muttered, to which Miku would stop cursing under her breath and look at him.
“Who is that?”
“I-it's just Gracie.” Miku would seem satisfied with that response, now taking a seat next to the two on the bed.
Boyfriend hesitated for a few moments, then answered the call, “Grace?”
“BOYFRIEND!” The yell was heard through the phone, causing both Pico and Miku to flinch, “Where the hell have you been? Oh my god, it’s been so long since I-I’ve heard your voice, I.. I’ve been so fucking worried, man.” Her voice sounded frantic, and Boyfriend was immediately hit with the guilt of his silence over the past week.
“I-I know! I’m sorry, I just–”
“You’ve been absent from school, going god knows where.. I just.. Why ?” Gracie’s voice shook at the end, which caused Boyfriend to frown.
“We’ve just been recovering.” Pico suddenly spoke, moving closer as to make sure his voice was heard through the phone, “I promise you that he’s fine, we’re at his house right now–”
“Pico?! Are you okay man?” Gracie asked, and now it sounded as if she was moving while talking. Shit, that meant she was probably on her way over now.
Miku remained quiet for a few moments, staring at the phone and catching eyes with Boyfriend every now and then. “..Is she coming over?” Miku asked, to which Boyfriend shrugged his shoulders.
“Yeah, yeah, Grace, w-we’re fine.. I, uh.. I think you should come over so we can talk in person.”
“Already on it– I’ll be there soon, promise.” Gracie suddenly hung up the phone, and the room went dead silent.
“..You’re really lucky we love you so much, bro..” Miku said lightheartedly, to which Boyfriend shoved her in the side. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I love you, Mimi.” Boyfriend said, giving her a small hug from the side. Miku would smile gently, reciprocating the embrace, “I love you too, dude.. Try to stay out of trouble more, yeah?”
Boyfriend gave a small nod, then noticed Pico looking at the both of them. He’d cough into his fist, then turn his head.
“C’mere!” Boyfriend grabbed Pico’s arm, now tying him into the embrace, as well. Pico would yelp, then snort, “..J-jesus, dude..”
“Aww, you’re practically a part of the family now, Pico..” Miku teased, which would cause Pico to go flushed in the face.
“Ok, that’s enough-” Boyfriend let go of his sister, then gave Pico a small peck on the cheek. Miku broke out into a fit of laughter, wiping at her eye as she spoke. “You two are adorable .”
*
Eventually, the three of them moved to the living room, seemingly to wait for Gracie to arrive. Pico felt his nerves grow on end. He didn’t really know how this plan was going to work. He felt an intense rage inside of him to beat these guys up, but Boyfriend was still unsure of the plan, which made him reconsider it.
Maybe they should just continue avoiding them?
That would probably just land them in more trouble, though.. Glenn doesn’t seem like the type of guy to just up and stop harassing people. Violence usually isn’t the solution, but when it came to guys like Glenn, there was probably an exception to that phrase.
After a bit of silence, a knock was heard on the door. Boyfriend lifted his head from Pico’s lap, practically running to the door. Miku would sit beside Pico, giving him a small smile every now and then. He knew the girl didn’t trust him fully, but he also knew she was appreciative that he had been taking care of her brother.
*
The door opened, and Gracie practically tackled Boyfriend to the ground with a hug. Boyfriend was taken aback, but he knew this would happen deep down. He’d embrace her back, feeling a sense of love overwhelm him. He had missed Gracie so much, he didn’t even realize it.
“..God.. A-are you okay? How are you feeling?” Gracie asked, cupping Boyfriend’s face in her hands like a worried mother.
“I’m okay– H-hey, stop that.” Gracie was fidgeting with practically every part of his face to make sure nothing was up. While Boyfriend appreciated the concern, it was definitely annoying.. He deserved it, though.
“I’m so fucking glad you’re okay, man.. I’ve been worried sick! Why didn’t you call me?” Gracie prodded on, to which Boyfriend would cringe lightly from the constant interviewing.
“I’m sorry, i-it’s been a really long week.. I’m okay, though! I’ve just been resting..”
Gracie glared at him, “Oh..” She’d stare at the ground, now crossing her arms, “D-did you not want to see me or something? I-I mean, I get it, but–”
“No, of course not!” Boyfriend blew up, now looking up at Gracie fully, “I-I thought about you a lot, Grace, I know how worried you were, I was just scared..”
“Scared of what?”
“..I don’t know, really.” Boyfriend admitted, now feeling the warmth of Pico’s hand in his. He’d look over his shoulder at him, smiling softly.
“Hey, Grace– OUGH-” Pico started, then exclaiming as he was bombarded by the same tough embrace of Gracie.
“Gracie!” Boyfriend yelled, feeling worried that she had hurt the other boy.
Gracie squeezed Pico for a moment, to which the other boy would grunt, “..I missed you too.” He said, and by now, Gracie would start to sniffle.
“..You’re both okay.. God..” Gracie backed up now, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. Boyfriend would hold her arm, looking up at her and smiling reassuringly, “S-sorry, I just.. I was so fucking worried, as you know..” She’d laugh a little bit at the end, some of the tears finally coming out.
Boyfriend felt his eyes well up again, and after a few moments of staring at the two of them, some tears would gradually fall out, as well.
Miku would walk up behind the three of them, holding her hands on her hips. “Sorry to interrupt the emotional reunion of you three–”
“MIMI!” Gracie screeched, running up to the girl and toppling her over with a hug that was almost identical to that of a football player. Miku let out a loud grunt, Pico and Boyfriend just staring at the two on the ground. They’d glance at one another, Boyfriend then snorting a bit, to which Pico would smirk slightly.
*
“God damn, Grace– Have you been working out lately, or something?”
“I- Well, actually yes!” Gracie responded, then standing up and helping Miku up. She felt a sense of regret at knocking the other girl over, but she knew she would forgive her. “I haven’t seen you for like, a decade!”
“Pfft, feels like it..” Miku would ruffle Gracie’s hair, then wipe at a tear on her cheek, “It’s cool, Gigi.. I missed you too.” The two girls would laugh for a few moments, Boyfriend and Pico then walking over to either of them.
After some laughter, Pico would begin to rub at his arm a bit and look out the window. Gracie blinked at him, speaking in a curious tone. “Uhh, Pico? Are you good?”
Pico jumped lightly, then looked over at her. “..Oh, um.. Yeah, I just..”
Gracie noticed Boyfriend taking Pico’s hand as he spoke, which caused her to raise a brow. “Is there something I should know about?” Gracie questioned, Miku now looking at the both of them with suspicion as well.
“Well-” Pico started, fumbling with Boyfriend’s hand nervously, “Yeah, actually. I think we need to teach those kids a lesson.”
There was a pause.
Then, Gracie pounded a fist into her hand. “I’m in.” She’d give quite the wicked smile, feeling the sense of protectiveness that she had always had over her friends.
“..I can’t really do anything, but.. I’ll be back here when you guys are done, alright?” Miku spoke quietly, then taking a step back and crossing her arms. Everyone would nod, except Boyfriend.
“You guys know this is illegal, right?” He blurted out, then stopped for a few seconds. Everyone in the group looked at him, Pico then frowning. “I-I know they hurt us–”
“They hurt you. ” Pico interrupted, which Boyfriend nodded at.
“..Th-they hurt me – especially Glenn, but.. I don’t want that to land us in any legal trouble, alright?”
Pico nodded, “I’ll keep it pretty well hidden. If he wants to speak out about any of this, he’ll have to deal with some legal shit, too, considering that he fucking drugged you and–”
Boyfriend rubbed his thumb into Pico’s palm, which made him soothe a bit, taking a deep breath. “..What I’m saying is.. If I show them that I’m stronger, they’ll leave you the hell alone.”
Boyfriend let out a shaky sigh. “..Okay.”
Miku would stare at the three of them for a few moments. “..Y’know, this actually wasn’t too uncommon when I was in highschool– Beating up your classmates, I mean.. It’s a shitty truth, but like.. I don’t think the consequences would be too bad.” Miku would move towards Boyfriend, holding his cheek softly, “Besides, no one fucks with my lil’ bro.”
Gracie would join in as well, moving to Boyfriend and rubbing his head playfully, “We’ll teach them a lesson, alright? I’ll help.”
Boyfriend nodded his head, “..Okay, just.. Please try not to get hurt, alright?”
All of them nodded at that. “So it’s settled. I’ll get Glenn to meet up with me, and Grace?” Pico started, Gracie then looking at him and humming, “..I want you to stay away from the fight, but if shit gets bad, o-or if he has some of his friends come in somehow , then you can help, alright?” Gracie nodded, “Right.”
The plan was already in motion, and Pico could practically feel vengeance on the way.
*
Two days had gone by, and Pico would stand in the alleyway. He had been able to get into contact with Glenn outside of school, and they planned to meet for some sort of fucked up show down to see who was stronger. Pico rubbed his palms together, breathing into them for some source of heat.
That day was extremely cold, the weather had turned quickly to snow over the course of just a week and Pico despised the cold. He was glad he was practically living with Boyfriend, at that point, considering the fact that his dad didn’t pay for heating.
Pico knew how Boyfriend– and in turn, Miku– felt about this whole thing. He honestly didn’t care at that moment, though. His anger for what Glenn had done to his boyfriend far overtook his common sense. Deep down, he would have probably wished Boyfriend would talk him out of it, but he knew that would probably never work.
Besides, Pico was used to having street fights like this. He felt his heart beat faster as he saw the shadowy figure of who he assumed to be Glenn approaching him from the other side of the street.
It was getting darker now, and Pico hadn’t brought any weapons. He knew it was just going to be their fists involved, and he knew that Gracie was just a few steps away and hiding in the cold. He hoped Glenn didn’t notice her, and he also hoped deep down that he didn’t bring any back up.
“Pico!” Glenn called out, now crossing the street and entering the alleyway. He was wearing a wifebeater and some sweatpants, showing too much skin for comfort considering the weather. Pico covered himself with a t-shirt and jeans, though, to be fair.
“How are you doing, man? Did you set this shit up for your boyfriend or something? I know I’ve been kinda hard on him, man, but this really shows how much of a damn coward he is.”
“Shut the fuck up, man.” Pico started, clenching his fists and feeling an anger rising up inside of him.
“Oh, come on, Pico! You and I aren’t too different, you know? I know you have some anger issues.. I can definitely relate to that.” Glenn would gradually grow closer as he spoke, speaking almost like a villain in a cartoon would, which Pico would usually laugh at– but right now, all that was on his mind was beating the hell out of this dude.
“Plus, Benji probably appreciates that you’re doing this. Real fucking show of character.. You know, you three are probably the only queers in our school, but I’d honestly prefer none-” Pico threw a punch to Glenn’s face, who would dodge it.
Glenn let out a loud roar of laughter, launching himself at Pico wildly and knocking him down. Pico’s head hit the concrete but was slightly cushioned from the snowfall, now feeling a punch to his face. While Glenn mumbled some derogatory slurs underneath his breath, Pico would try to keep his mind focused.
While Glenn was going in for another punch, Pico grabbed at his arms and threw him off with a grunt. Glenn was actually a lot heavier and stronger than Pico initially anticipated, and if it wasn’t for the adrenaline that was rushing to his veins in that moment, he would probably be shitting his pants.
For a minute, Pico sensed that Gracie was nearby– he didn’t really know how, but he knew that she was probably getting closer as the fight continued on. Glenn blocked his face as Pico decked himself on top of him, practically blocking every single hit Pico could throw.
Pico enraged, wailing his entire body weight on top of Glenn and kneeing him in the stomach. Glenn momentarily moved his arms in attempts to get back on top after letting out a painful grunt, but Pico had already begun swinging at his jaw, now hearing a crack.
Pico knew deep down this was his only chance at vengeance, and that very fact kept him swinging at Glenn.
“FUCK YOU–” Pico practically roared at him, feeling himself being thrown off by Glenn. He rested his hands in the snow, still being down for a few moments as the both of them took a breather. Then, without warning, Glenn would throw himself on top of Pico.
The two of them held onto each other’s shoulders for a few moments, digging into each other’s skin, until a clanging noise was heard behind Glenn.
Pico noticed that a gun had fallen out of his pocket.
A gun.
No fucking way.
“..What the FUCK–” Pico yelled with a sense of fear now, realizing that Glenn had actually brought a weapon which was against their agreement for the fight.
Glenn didn’t even flinch at the noise, instead going to grab for it. Before Pico could stop him, Glenn would raise the gun and press it against Pico’s forehead. Pico felt his breathing shake, his whole body stopping for a few moments and shaking intensely.
“I was fuckin’ serious when I-I said I didn’t want any fucking queers in the school anymore.” Glenn stated, pressing the gun even harder. Pico’s arms were now raised, and he would back up a bit. The gun wasn’t cocked, but he still felt like his life was on the line.
“L-listen, man–” Pico started.
“No.. How’s this sound? I put a fucking bullet into your brain, and you just stop fucking existing?” Glenn said, now having a twisted grin on his face. Pico’s heart was practically in his stomach as he began to kneel down, trying to plead for his life here.
God, how could he be so stupid ?
Of course Glenn would pull some shit like this, if not bringing his friends for back up he’d bring a glock to a fight. All Pico could do is hold still and listen to Glenn's monologue about how much he hated him, but if he was being honest, it was stalling for his death, so he wasn’t going to complain.
“I’m so fucking ready for you to just–”
CLANG
Glenn dropped the gun, then falling down and to the side of Pico. Pico would jump entirely backwards, almost believing the noise was him being shot and he was in some sort of afterlife, now.
Then, he saw Gracie standing above him with a metal bat and tears.
*
Boyfriend gave Pico the cup of hot coco softly, then sitting down next to him on the couch. The blanket covering Pico gave him enough warmth to not kill over, and for whatever reason, he could still feel the pressure of that gun against his head.
He swigged around the marshmallows in his drink, looking up at Boyfriend with a small frown on his face.
Gracie wasn’t doing too well.
They had gotten Carol to come over to hang out and to comfort Gracie since she was freaking out so bad over the event.
Miku sat on the ground next to the couch, flipping through the channels. “It’s really coming down out there, huh?” Boyfriend said quietly, rubbing his hand on Pico’s leg.
“..Yeah.” Pico said in a whisper.
Miku let the channel play on some bake off show, looking back at the two of them and grimacing. “..I shouldn’t have let you guys go.”
Pico looked at her sadly, “Mi–”
“It’s my fault you almost got killed, Pico. I don’t know why I encouraged that shit..” Miku rubbed her head, “..What am I gonna tell mom and dad?..”
Boyfriend would move to her, taking her hand and giving a small reassuring smile, “It’s okay, Mimi. We don’t have to say anything.”
Pico could tell Boyfriend wasn’t doing well, either.
When Gracie told him about the gun, he almost threw up. Right now, he looked like he was doing fine, but deep down, Pico knew that was just because he didn’t want to upset him.
Pico knew he shouldn’t have gone, but really, that was in the past now. He needed to worry about his friends, now.
Gracie walked out of the bathroom, looking paler than usual and naturally shaken up. The three of them stared at her as she came out, then saw Carol come out behind her, holding onto the side of her and rubbing her back.
“..Hey, y’all.” Carol said quietly, walking over to the chair next to the couch and letting Gracie have a seat. She was rubbing her arms soothingly and shaking slightly, and Pico felt the guilt overwhelm him.
He didn’t say anything yet, though.
Boyfriend walked over to Gracie, now. The two of them spoke quietly, and every now and then, they’d glance over at Pico worriedly.
Pico didn’t really realize that until later, though.
Right now, all he was thinking about was if Glenn had died or not, if Gracie had killed him. He didn’t really feel any remorse if she did, but he knew she would be terrified.
Miku went to the kitchen, grabbing two more hot chocolates and handing them to Gracie and Carol. Boyfriend would sit next to Pico again, trying to get him to look at him and failing.
The silence in the room was deafening, but it also felt so loud.
*
Boyfriend felt sorrow in his heart. He blamed himself entirely for what had gone down, and he couldn’t help but feel sick when he realized that Pico could have died, all because Boyfriend let him go.
Everything hurt right now, but he was keeping it together because his loved ones were safe and near. He knew his parents would be home soon, so they all had to bring it together fast. Boyfriend tried his hardest to comfort his friends, as he knew deep down that everyone was just scared.
“..It’s not anyone’s fault.” Gracie spoke suddenly, interrupting that silence that was only being filled by the slight background noise of the TV. “..I-I don’t want anyone to be blaming themselves.” Gracie stared at Boyfriend especially when she said that.
“You can’t blame yourself either, Grace.” Boyfriend said, now rubbing his thumb into Pico’s palm. Pico looked content, sipping on his drink and looking at the others every now and then.
Miku and Carol noticeably kept looking at one another, and despite not knowing each other well, they seemed to have a silent bond of care for the other three. It was quiet again, but gradually, the show that was playing was able to choke some laughter out of everyone. Everyone except Boyfriend, who seemed to be spacing out in some sort of attempt at comfort.
Then, he felt Pico’s head on his shoulder.
“It’s okay, softie.”
Boyfriend looked at him for a few moments, sighing gently at the new name. “..I don’t want to lose you.”
Their voices weren’t exactly heard over everyone else talking about the show, and Pico seemed to be the only one who noticed how upset Boyfriend was at that moment. That was mostly due to the fact that he wasn’t showing it physically, but Pico could always tell more than anyone when Boyfriend’s energy was off.
He felt a short sense of relief, looking into Pico’s eyes and sharing a soft reminiscence of when they first met each other. They were definitely awkward back then– sure, but it was nostalgic nonetheless.
Pico laid a soft kiss to Boyfriend’s lips, holding a hand to his face and smiling softly as if to reassure him that he wasn’t going anywhere. Boyfriend snorted a little bit, holding onto Pico’s arm and sighing softly.
“Alright, enough with the lovefest over there..” Carol blurted out, to which Gracie snorted.
“Oh, leave them alone..” Miku said, who had begun to look at the two of them behind her every now and then with a dorky smile on her face. “You two are so cute..”
“Sh-shut up, guys!” Boyfriend yelled, which made everyone begin to laugh even harder. Pico especially, who would start to snort between laughs. Suddenly, Boyfriend felt calmed by this, and would actually begin to laugh as well.
That silence eventually turned to comfort as Boyfriend’s parents returned home. Despite them not knowing what went down, it was unlikely that Glenn was going to do anything after what happened. And if he did, Boyfriend knew he’d be ready to help Pico against him.
The snowfall outside gradually amped up after a while, and everyone was practically bundled up with each other while watching the TV.
They were home.