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Cyrus was walking through the mall with TJ when he saw them - the most adorable hoodies he had ever laid his eyes upon. Okay, so maybe they weren't the most adorable, but they were definitely up there if you asked him.
It was a warm Thursday afternoon and they were wandering aimlessly between shops, pointing out things they liked but never actually committing to buying anything. It was somewhat of a tradition for them and Cyrus appreciated every moment he got to spend talking with TJ, but the hoodies had definitely stolen his attention in that moment.
Cyrus couldn't drag his eyes away from the window display as they walked past, the world moving a little slower as he took in every detail he possibly could. He knew he was probably being slightly dramatic, but in that moment he really couldn't care less. They were ridiculously cute, and he didn't think he had ever wanted an article of clothing so much in his life.
TJ, who had a casual arm thrown over Cyrus' shoulders, picked up on his distraction almost immediately. He was always particularly sensitive to changes in Cyrus’ demeanour, no matter how small, and it was a curse as much as it was a blessing.
A knowing smile came to his lips. “Whatcha lookin' at?"
Cyrus was jolted out of his trance.
"Nothing," he responded, maybe a little too quickly because it had TJ raising an amused eyebrow.
He stopped walking then, and Cyrus glanced about nervously at the swarms of people surrounding them as TJ pulled him aside, paying no mind to the annoyed glances they were receiving. He could feel his face heating up slightly at the attention - the mall suddenly felt a whole lot more overwhelming, with all of its bright flashing signs and bustling sounds.
"TJ," he mumbled half-heartedly, fixing him with a glare. There wasn't any heat behind it though, and it had TJ smiling as he nodded his head towards the shop display.
"They're cute," he commented.
Cyrus bit his lip. "I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted, grabbing TJ's hand and tugging him lightly in the opposite direction. "Let’s keep walking."
TJ gently pulled his hand back, folding his arms with an amused smile. "Oh come on, you clearly want one. Let's go inside and I'll get you one."
Cyrus nearly gasped. "I'm not letting you do that!"
"And why not?"
He glanced about the mall again, feeling his face grow even warmer. "Because."
TJ rolled his eyes and placed a light hand on Cyrus' back, steering him through the glass doors of the small clothing store.
"As your friend I'm obligated to buy you cute hoodies,” he declared, smiling even wider when Cyrus rolled his eyes.
"I really don't think that's a thing."
"It is now."
Cyrus stopped arguing after that, partially because the thought of TJ wanting to buy him a hoodie was heart melting and partially because yeah, okay - they were in fact very cute.
TJ dragged him through the first few isles, glancing back occasionally to make sure he hadn't lost the boy somehow. The store's walls were painted a pastel pink, with fairy lights strung along the displays and retro looking chairs sat outside the changing rooms at the back. There were a few other people browsing, and a very bored looking cashier tapping away at his phone. They arrived at the racks behind the window display, TJ shooting him an amused look as he rushed forward.
"They're even cuter up close!" Cyrus gushed, only to clap a hand over his mouth when he caught sight of the smirk on TJ's face.
"I knew it."
"Shut up," he responded playfully.
TJ just smiled and ushered him forward. "Well go on then, try one on."
Cyrus hesitantly reached out to grab a hoodie, taking a few moments to examine it. It was the nicest pastel pink he had ever seen, with adorable little pride flags printed on the front. It was the type of thing he usually only saw online, so the fact that it was being displayed at a storefront amazed him. He supposed TJ was right - really, he was legally obligated to buy anything with a rainbow flag on it.
He carefully took it off its hanger and slipped it over his head, wriggling into it for a few moments.
"Taa-daa!" he announced once he had succeeded, flashing a pair of jazz hands. The sleeves were slightly long on him though, so only the tips of his fingers were visible.
TJ grinned. "Now that's a look. There's no way we're walking out of here without one for you."
Cyrus smiled bashfully at that. "What about you?" he asked quickly, attempting to deflect the focus.
He winced as soon as the words had left his mouth and scolded himself internally for the suggestion.
There was no way TJ would want to wear a pride jumper of all things. Not to mention that it would mean the possibility of them accidentally wearing it at the same time - that would be catastrophic.
TJ just smiled though, taking the boy completely by surprise. "Yeah, actually. That'd be cool."
"Really?" Cyrus asked, not even bothering to hide his shock, “isn’t it a little too...you know..."
"A little too what?"
"Nothing," he assured, trailing off out of embarrassment. "...It's just...what if we accidentally wear it at the same time?"
TJ frowned. "What would be so wrong with that?"
"Nothing! I guess I just thought you wouldn't want that. We might, you know...look kind of lame.”
TJ looked visibly taken aback by that, clearly not expecting the words from him of all people. The momentary hurt that flashed across his face made Cyrus regret speaking at all. He looked like a wounded puppy at that moment, and it was the very last expression he ever wanted to see on TJ's face.
"Is that what you think?" the boy asked, his voice soft.
"Of course not!" Cyrus quickly attempted to back-track, “I'd totally love to be...hoodie buddies? Oh god, that sounds lame-"
"Why don't we be hoodie buddies tomorrow then?"
Cyrus was almost fully certain he felt his heart melt into a puddle right then and there. TJ actually wanted to wear matching pride hoodies?
"Uh - sure! Totally!"
TJ smiled and shifted his gaze back towards the rack, sifting through a few of the sizes. He pulled one out after a few moments, draping it over his arm.
"Okay, take yours off and I'll pay."
"I can pay for mine-"
"No way, Cy. I was the one who suggested coming in here."
Cyrus just folded his arms, a stubborn pout forming on his face. "I was the one staring in the first place," he retorted.
"Yeah - without the intention of buying."
"But..." Cyrus trailed off as he pulled the hoodie over his head, shaking his head slightly.
TJ just rolled his eyes and plucked the hoodie out of his arms. "They're half-price, anyway. I'm buying them."
Cyrus couldn't help but smile fondly, relenting with a small sigh and watching as TJ marched up to the counter, carrying both of their hoodies.
He had officially come to the conclusion that TJ was trying to kill him. Seriously, matching pride jumpers? He could practically feel himself swooning.
After a minute or so, TJ was bounding back towards him, a large paper bag swinging by his side.
"Done! Let's go!"
TJ wrapped his free arm around Cyrus' shoulders as they left the store, and the boy found himself wondering if there would ever be a time when the action didn't make his heart flutter.
"So...are we still doing tomorrow?" TJ asked him, looking hesitant all of a sudden.
"We're still doing tomorrow,” he confirmed, smiling softly and giving the boy a playful nudge.
~
Cyrus was in crisis mode on the walk to school the following day. Funnily enough, the chaotic swirl of storm clouds looming in the sky above him very much reflected how he felt at that moment. He was panicked beyond belief, and it was only worsening by the second.
Cyrus paused in his tracks for a moment, taking deep, purposeful breathes - he could already feel his forehead becoming damp with sweat, and his thinking was becoming more and more irrational.
TJ wouldn't even be wearing his jumper. Words were one thing, but actually wearing a pride jumper to school? That was another thing entirely, and he'd probably realised overnight what a mistake it was.
Before he could get any more stressed out, he lifted the stupid pride hoodie over his head and stuffed it forcefully into the front pocket of his bag.
Along with the hoodie, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He walked through the school gates with a slight spring in his step, knowing there was no chance of humiliation when he inevitably saw TJ without his jumper.
He crossed the basketball court and entered the school building, humming quietly to himself as he approached his locker and began to unlock it.
"Hey - underdog!"
His face paled slightly. He whirled around, fully prepared to apologise for ever suggesting the idea, but the words died on his lips when his eyes landed on the boy.
"...Oh."
TJ was wearing the hoodie. TJ was actually wearing the hoodie.
The boy frowned. "Where's your hoodie?"
Cyrus desperately tried to push away the memory of him asking Jonah a very similar question.
"It's uh...in my bag. I didn't think you would wear yours."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Well, it's middle school...I didn't think you'd want to risk looking like..."
"Looking like what?"
He shifted nervously, a blush beginning to climb from the base of his neck up to his face. "A pair of dorks," he finished flatly.
There was a surprisingly bright smile on TJ's lips now. "I'm pretty sure we're already dorks without the hoodies. And, for the record, we're definitely the cutest pair of dorks I know."
A slow smile spread across Cyrus' face as he reached down to pull the hoodie out of his bag and slip it over his head. He spent a few moments wriggling into it, then he launched himself at TJ and hugged him as tightly as he could.
"You're the best," he mumbled.
TJ staggered back slightly, but he quickly steadied himself with a fond smile and wrapped his arms around Cyrus.
"I think you're the best actually," TJ corrected, his words slightly muffled. by Cyrus’ hair.
The other boy was beaming as he pulled away. "Not true at all...but thanks."
TJ opened his mouth to say something then, but someone beat him to it.
"Hey guys - nice hoodies!"
Cyrus immediately separated himself from TJ at the sound of Jonah's voice, his expression nervous.
"Thanks...they're not too dorky for you, are they?"
He honestly didn't know where the remark had come from, but he regretted it almost instantly. His tone sounded bitter even to him, and it clearly seemed to shock Jonah if his wide eyes were anything to go by.
TJ looked between the two boys in confusion, before realisation swept over his face. He turned to Jonah, his gaze accusatory. "Did you say something to him?"
Cyrus bit his lip and rested a placating hand on TJ's shoulder.
"It's fine TJ," he mumbled. "It was a while ago and I'm over it now, I don't even know why I-"
"No. I shouldn't have said it."
They both turned their gaze towards Jonah, so stunned that the words to respond had escaped them both.
"I know it was a while ago, but I clearly hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to make you feel self-conscious, but...that's what I did. I'm sorry."
Cyrus paused for a few moments, still processing, then he stepped forward with a smile and pulled the boy into a hug.
"It's okay," he assured.
Jonah hesitantly returned the smile as they pulled away. "So...wanna hang later?"
"Yeah! That'd be great. Meet at The Spoon tonight?"
"Sure thing. I'll see you later, Cy."
Cyrus watched him walk away for a moment before turning to TJ, practically giddy with excitement. "He apologised for something! Wait until Andi hears about this."
TJ tried to match his enthusiasm, but he fell short drastically.
"That's great!" he responded, but everything about the words seemed half-hearted.
Cyrus frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No," he said quickly. "Lets just go. You have English first, right?"
"Yeah...but are you sure you're okay?"
TJ's gaze flickered down to the ground for a brief moment, and he gave the boy a jerky nod.
Cyrus raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Okay," he agreed, turning to walk away. "Let's go then.”
He began to leave then, but TJ reached out and gently grabbed his hand. Cyrus barely managed to conceal a smile at the action - walking away tended to do the trick.
TJ lowered his gaze to the floor, his cheeks a light shade of red and his hands fiddling nervously with the hem of his hoodie. He glanced wearily around at the nearby students.
"Do you still like him?" he asked, the words so quiet that Cyrus had to lean in slightly to catch them.
It took him a few moments to register who TJ was referring to, but when he did his mouth fell open in shock.
TJ almost seemed...no. There was no way.
"No," he responded quickly, shocked that anyone could still think he liked Jonah. "I haven't for a while."
"Oh."
Cyrus' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "...How did you find out about that?"
"I didn't really find out per se, I just kind of..."
"Figured?" Cyrus finished, a smile on his lips.
"Yeah," he breathed. "Sorry."
"Don't be," Cyrus assured, stepping forward and placing a careful hand on his arm.
He hesitated for a moment before adding "is there anything you wanted to tell me?"
TJ vehemently shook his head, a light blush staining his cheeks again. "Nope! I was just...wondering."
It didn't take long for Cyrus to forget about TJ's odd behaviour as they headed to class, laughing and playfully bumping into one another as usual. If TJ's glances just happened to linger longer than they normally did, Cyrus didn't mention it.
~
“Okay guys, we get it, you’re wearing matching hoodies and it’s cute, now can you please stop taking photos of yourselves?”
Cyrus gave Buffy an accusatory look at that. “What do you mean? We’ve only been doing this for...” he trailed off as he glanced down at his watch, his eyes widening, “20 minutes! TJ - how have we been doing this for 20 minutes?”
The boy just shrugged, clearly amused by the fact. “Snapchat filters are fun.”
“They are fun,” Cyrus agreed, pocketing his phone. “But we should probably start interacting with our friends.”
Andi laughed. “Oh, by all means - keep going! We’d love to hear more about how TJ looks ‘absolutely adorable’ with the dog filter, and how he should ‘definitely wear more lipstick if this filter is anything to go by’ and-“
“Okay, okay, I hear you,” Cyrus grumbled, a blush warming his face as he glanced over at TJ. “It’s all true though, just so you know.”
“I’ll look into the lipstick then,” the boy said with a laugh.
“Don’t,” Buffy advised him. “I’m pretty sure Cyrus would die on the spot.”
“Pfft wow okay, TJ is cute but he isn’t that cute,” Cyrus said.
TJ raised a hand to his chest, feigning offence. “What did you just say about me?”
“That you aren’t that cute,” the boy responded smugly.
TJ gasped. “Whatever happened to ‘wow TJ, you look so cute with that panda filter!’ and ‘oh my gosh TJ, this blue filter really brings out your eyes-‘“
“Okay, you definitely added that ‘really’ in there,” Cyrus teased.
“That doesn’t change the rest of the sentence!”
Cyrus and TJ rapidly fell into their own world as usual, all playful remarks, lingering looks and whispered jokes. Both Andi and Buffy found the duo nauseatingly sweet (and frustratingly oblivious) at times, but seeing Cyrus happy made almost anything worth it.
The bell rang not long after that, sounded sharply within the corridors and bringing with it murmured complaints about subjects.
TJ let out a heavy sigh. “I have maths next,” he despaired. “Then I have that basketball game so I won’t even be able to talk to you.”
Cyrus felt his heart flutter at those words.
“Wellll, if you get through both of those things then I’ll buy you a milkshake tomorrow.”
“...Does the milkshake come with a hug?”
“Duh.”
TJ smiled fondly. “How could I possibly say not to that, then?”
“I have no idea,” Cyrus said honestly, returning the smile as he gently tugged the boy to the side of the corridor.
Students were rushing past them now, and TJ watched in confusion as Cyrus produced a pen from his pocket and lifted the boy’s arm. It took him a minute or so, the drawing was slightly wobbly, but TJ’s smile still had the same level of adoration as it normally did whenever Cyrus drew on his arm.
“There - now you have a small milkshake on your arm that you can look at to get through maths.”
“What would I do without you?” TJ asked, only half-seriously.
“Well - you’d definitely be deprived of my questionable drawing abilities.”
“Your wonderful drawing abilities, you mean,” TJ corrected as they began walking again, their hands brushing slightly.
“...Sure,” Cyrus smiled. “We’ll stick with that.”
~
"Hey - Goodman!"
Cyrus looked over at the basketball player in confusion, before giving him a hesitant wave.
He was stood in the hall waiting for TJ to finish up in the change rooms, and he really didn't expect any of the other players to acknowledge him. Sure - he attended their games and he'd had the occasional small talk with some of them, but that was the extent of his relationship with the team. The dreary morning had given way to a rainy afternoon by now, and having a conversation with anyone but TJ after an exhausting week was admittedly the last thing on his mind.
The boy approached him, and Cyrus gave him a polite smile. He spent a few desperate moments trying to recall his name, but he came up blank.
"Nice hoodie," he commented. "TJ's wearing the same one, right?"
"Uh - thanks! And yeah...he is," Cyrus responded, wincing slightly and bracing himself for whatever comment was coming next.
"That's cute."
"...I guess, yeah."
"You do know why though, right?"
Cyrus gave him a blank look. "Why what?"
"I mean - you know why he's so down to wear the same hoodie as you, right?"
Cyrus felt his stomach turn uncomfortably at the words, not liking the implications he was already picking up in the slightest.
"Yeah - because we're friends."
The boy laughed. "Oh man, that's funny."
"...What's funny about it?"
The basketball player just chuckled and placed a hand on Cyrus' shoulder, shaking his head.
"Bro. It's because he likes you."
Cyrus' heart skipped a beat. He had expected something along those lines, but hearing the words aloud?
"I know he likes me," he replied quickly. "I like him too."
"I don't think you're getting it. TJ like likes you. As in - he wants to date you."
Cyrus just took a deep breath. This guy was obviously just messing around with his captain, he rationalised to himself.
"I really don't think so," he said with an uncomfortable laugh.
The boy scoffed. "Come on, man. Why else would he wanna wear matching jumpers? Only couples do that."
"Because we're friends. Just friends! That's it."
At that moment, he heard the hurried sounds of footsteps against the hard wood floor behind him, and his heart sank. He whirled around, only catching a glimpse of TJ as he pushed his way past the double doors and rushed down the corridor.
He didn't bother calling out for him - if TJ was upset, he definitely wouldn't listen. All he could do for a moment was stand there, his mind reeling with about a billion different thoughts.
He turned to the basketball player with a sarcastic smile. "Nice chat," he remarked, before running out after the boy to call his friends.
~
[6:36 pm]
Cyrus: TJ. Can we please talk?
Cyrus: It's been a few hours now and I'm worried.
[6:58 pm]
Cyrus: Please say something.
[7:08 pm]
Cyrus: Do I have to kick down your door? Because I will. Maybe.
Cyrus: At least send a fullstop or something to let me know you're safe?
[7:16 pm]
Cyrus: Are you mad? Did I do something?
Cyrus: Can we please talk about this?
[7:36 pm]
Cyrus: Okay. Nice talk.
"It's no use," he sighed, throwing himself onto the couch with a defeated sigh. "He hates me now."
Buffy collapsed down next to him, a sympathetic smile on her face. "He could never hate you, Cyrus. He's just being annoying right now."
Andi gently leant over to rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping a supportive arm around her friend. "He'll call soon, don't worry."
Cyrus bit his lip and looked down at Jonah, who was sat on the floor in front of them.
"I'm sorry I was too busy worrying for us to hang out. Could we try again over the weekend?"
The boy just smiled. "Of course we can! Don't worry about it, Cy."
"Thanks," he breathed out, sinking further down on the couch. It was still raining, and he found a strange sense of comfort in the fact that the weather seemed to be reflecting his mood. The grey sky outside was giving his living room a washed out appearance, and Buffy seemed to realise this because she got up suddenly and closed all the curtains, flicking on the warm lamps around the room one by one.
"I have all the episodes of Queer Eye downloaded on my laptop," she told Cyrus as she moved around the room. "How about we watch some?"
She smiled knowingly when he immediately perked up, straightening in his seat with an excited grin.
"Yeah! Let's do that."
"Great! I'll go get my-"
The words died on Buffy's lips when the sound of sharp knocking filled the living room.
Cyrus turned to Andi, who gave him an excited nod, then to Jonah, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up, then to Buffy, who shook her hood in amusement and gave him a playful smack on the arm as she passed the couch.
"Go! And stall for a bit - we have to escape through the backdoor."
Cyrus nodded frantically and rushed through the living room, straightening his hair and his clothes as he went. He reached the front door and practically flung it open, realising too late that he probably looked slightly desperate.
"I'm so sorry if I did anything or if what that guy said upset you, I promise I don't believe him-“
TJ just surged forward and hugged the boy, who happily wrapped his arms around the athlete's neck and buried his face in the fabric of his hoodie. It was damp from the rain, but Cyrus couldn't care less in that moment.
"You have nothing to apologise for. I was the one being stupid."
"You're not stupid," came the muffled reply.
TJ smiled fondly, before stepping back with a small sigh. "I really am sorry if I made you worry."
"It's fine-"
"It's not though," he interrupted, shifting his gaze towards the ground. He hesitated for a moment, clearing thinking over something in his head.
"I was just scared," he added, his voice much softer now.
Cyrus felt his heart break at that. He barely resisted the urge to move forward and try to comfort the boy somehow.
"Scared of what?" he asked instead.
TJ returned his gaze to Cyrus. For a moment or two it looked as though he was searching for something - trying to psych himself up somehow.
"Scared that you might hate me," he explained after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. Cyrus recognised the action - TJ would usually did this to prevent himself from nervously fiddling with his clothes.
Cyrus frowned. "Why would I hate you? I could never hate you."
“You might after I tell you this," TJ said with a slight laugh.
"Try me," he responded, his voice sounding a lot more confident than he felt.
TJ took a small step forward, and Cyrus could say for certain that he had never felt his heart race quite so fast. The rain was still pouring down behind TJ, splashing loudly against his driveway, but somehow he wasn't focused on that. Not when TJ was right there, his breathes slightly ragged and his gaze hesitant as it met Cyrus’.
"Adam wasn't wrong," he breathed out. "I like you."
"...You do?"
"Yeah. Like - a lot," he said, visibly drawing back as though expecting some kind of outburst.
Cyrus was beaming at him now. He stepped forward slightly to close some of the distance between them. "Do you wanna know a secret?"
A hesitant smile began to tug at TJ's lips. "What is it?" he asked, visible hope on his face now.
"I like you a lot too."
He let out a sigh of relief and moved forward to engulf the boy in another hug. Cyrus wrapped his arms around TJ's neck for balance and stood up on his tippy-toes, placing a quick kiss on the athlete's cheek.
TJ's face visibly reddened at that, looking both giddy and amazed in the most adorable way possible. Cyrus felt warm wrapped up like this, despite the icy breeze that had accompanied the afternoon rain.
He caught sight of the smudged milkshake drawing on TJ’s arm as they pulled away, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He took both of TJ’s hands. “So...I was thinking,”
“About what?” the boy asked, glancing briefly down at their hands as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
“I still owe you that milkshake, and the carnival is still in town tomorrow, so how about a milkshake-carnival date? We could get some take-out from the spoon in the morning and head to the carnival from there.”
TJ’s smile widened. “It’s a date.”
They remained like that for a few moments, completely caught up in one another, until a muffled yelp from Cyrus’ house alerted them to fact that they weren’t alone.
"You guys are complete liars!" Cyrus called over his shoulder.
TJ watched in bewilderment as Buffy, Andi and Jonah all emerged from around the corner, looking guiltily at the duo.
Jonah pointed an accusatory finger at the other two. "It was entirely their idea!"
"Hey - it was raining!" Andi defended.
Buffy threw them both an amused glance and rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to see if I needed to beat TJ up for hurting your feelings. Turns out I don't, because - as everyone has known for about 10 years now - you both like each other!"
Cyrus couldn't help but smile again at those words, while TJ just folded his arms and raised a challenging eyebrow.
"You think you could beat me in a fight, Driscoll?"
"Yeah, I do actually. Wanna go right now?"
"Sure. What kind of fight are we talking here?"
"Absolutely not," Cyrus interrupted, always the voice of reason. "We are not going to fight when my parents could come home at any second. In fact - we're not going to fight at all!"
TJ immediately nodded. "Yeah. What Cyrus said."
Buffy gave him an exasperated look, but she nodded along anyway. "Fine."
"Good! Now - who wants to watch Queer Eye?"
Everyone but TJ groaned.
"Cyrus, we've seen both seasons about a billion times," Buffy complained. "And you're not upset anymore, so don't you dare use that as an excuse."
"So? It never gets old!"
"It's very re-watchable," TJ agreed.
Cyrus beamed at him, turning to Buffy again with a smug smile. "See?"
"Yeah," she scoffed. "Because he's not biased at all."
He pointedly ignored the comment and took TJ's hand, pulling him inside and closing the front door behind him. He tugged him towards the living room after that, and the trio looked after them in mild disbelief.
"I'm pretty sure he's the biggest suck up ever," Buffy remarked.
Andi nodded in agreement. "Is this what we're going to have to live with?"
Jonah watched Cyrus and TJ for a moment, thinking back to how defensive TJ had been earlier that day at the notion of anyone hurting Cyrus' feelings. He couldn't help but smile.
"Eh, let 'em live. They clearly like each other a lot - it's cute if you ask me."
He walked into the living room after Cyrus and TJ, leaving Andi and Buffy to exchange a small smile.
"I guess he's right," Andi relented. "They are pretty cute."
Buffy nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders as they made their way to the living room.
"As long as Cyrus is happy, then I'm happy."