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Since Gus and Matt had started getting along, a lot of things had changed in their lives.
Mainly the whole getting along part. It was new, and… awkward. But any time spent together was worth it, both would agree. They sat on the grass outside Hexside, watching the bustle of the courtyard as students crossed. It was a nice day, especially for the Boiling Isles. No deadly weather or anything. Just a sky of slowly rolling clouds that only slightly looked like skulls. Gus watched them go by.
Well, they weren’t both sitting. Matt laid flat on the grass, hands resting below his head; he was using his textbook as a cushion, and the idea of soggy paper edges made Gus shudder. He tore his eyes away from the clouds and glanced down at his friend. It was nice, seeing how peaceful he looked. Gus wouldn’t admit it, but looking at Matt was nice either way.
“So, have you thought about taking a new track yet?”
Matt glanced up at his question.
“Ever since they let students pick multiple, a lot of kids have been switching or adding.”
“Yeah,” He sighed, deciding to focus on the clouds instead. “I don’t know.”
“You should think about it. Luz says it’s great.”
“Yeah, that’s Luz. Anything that doesn’t kill her is great. I…” his gaze seemed distant. “I’m… nevermind.”
“What? You can tell me whatever you want to,” Gus offered, shifting just a tiny bit closer to Matt. “If you feel like it, I mean.”
Matt sighed and shifted as well, pushing up onto his elbows. “I’m... not sure if I’ll have that option. Taking another track, I mean.”
Gus blinked. “What? Why not? It’s available for all students.”
“I... might not be a student at Hexside much longer.”
“What?”
Matt sat up completely, cringing slightly at the look on Gus’ face. “I... got a re-invitation to Glandus.”
Gus just stared. “What?”
“Yeah. I might be switching schools. Again.”
“Wh… Why?” Gus’s face was twisted in confusion, and just the sight of it made Matt wish he could spell away his memories and tell him to forget whatever he said.
“Well, my academics improved a lot after I transferred to Hexside. I guess they were keeping track of that.” He offered a weak smile. “I guess being less of a jerk gets your grades up.”
Gus stammered. “S-so you’re actually gonna go back?”
“Well- I’m not sure yet. I have to… think about it.”
“Oh.” Gus didn’t know what to say. All that came to mind was to beg Matt to stay. He had a terrible sinking feeling forming in his stomach. It felt even worse than what they served in the Hexside cafeteria on Mondays. “...Okay. Think about it. But…”
Gus paused and took a deep breath. “I... I’d miss you if you left Hexside.”
Matt faltered. “Oh.”
With that he got up, brushing dirt off his uniform. Matt just watched, and Gus supposed he wasn’t coming with him. That was probably for the best. They both needed to do some thinking first.
“So… think about that, I guess.”
Matt didn’t say anything for a long moment. The leaves rustled.
“See you later?” He asked, sounding almost pleading.
“Yeah,” Gus nodded. His stomach still turned. “See you later.”
He walked off.
**********
“Luz? I… need advice.”
Gus had been ushered in as soon as Luz saw he was serious, and Hooty had ushered the other Owl House residents out of the way like it was an emergency so Luz could lead him up to her room (even if Hooty was still a little nosey). Now Gus traced an idle thumb across a copy of an Azura novel, staring off into space. He waited for Luz to reply.
Luz frowned and scribbled something else in her sketchbook. “Tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“You know,” She poked with her pen, “That you like him.”
“I can’t tell him that! Not yet!” Gus crossed his arms. “How’d you know, anyway?”
“Oh come on, it’s obvious.” Luz wiggled her eyebrows. “You talk about him the same way I talked about Amity at first.”
Gus frowned. “What, like how I thought he was a jerk? I don’t even believe that anymore.”
Luz hummed. “Yeah, and I thought Amity was, too. Trust me, I can tell.”
“Still. I… can’t.” Gus sighed and sunk down a little. “I’m not ready.”
Luz dropped her pen to put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “I understand. It took me a long time, too. Just… think about it.”
Gus made a face. “Trust me, I have been.”
Suddenly the door burst open, and Eda appeared, grinning with an apple blood carton in each hand.
“Hey kids! I heard Gus was sulking, so I brought the good stuff,” She announced, wiggling her eyebrows as she said good stuff.
“Eda! He’s not sulking, he’s…” She turned to Gus and arched her eyebrows. “Are you sulking?”
Gus shrugged. “I don’t really know. I could use some apple blood, though.”
He thanked Eda as she passed them around, and returned a half-hearted finger gun as she shot him one from the doorway and disappeared. He sighed and poked his straw through the top of the box.
“Sorry if I’m pressuring you.” Luz smiled apologetically. “Take your time. I’ll be here to help.”
“Thanks, Luz.” Gus looked past her out the round window, watching the sky turn from evening to dusk, yellow to orange. He appreciated her advice; he just didn’t know if he had time.
**********
Gus sat twiddling his thumbs while Matt sat cross-legged at the foot of his bed, examining the room around him. They seemed to do a lot of sitting together. Gus worried if he would think his room was cluttered or weird, considering all the jumbled artifacts scattered around the room, but he quickly remembered Matt was also part of the human appreciation society. That leavened his anxiety a bit. He was still nervous, of course; he had plans. Plans that may or may not get abandoned depending if he could bring himself to do it.
No. He couldn’t. He didn't have time for that. Gus sucked in a breath. He had invited Matt over for a reason. It was now or never.
He cleared his throat. “So, uh, Matt, I needed to tell you something-“
“Woah, you have human chess?”
Gus looked up and saw Matt wondrously examining his human chess set. “Uh- yyyyeeeah! I do! I can show you how it works, if you want.”
As he walked over and unpacked the set for a fascinated Matt, he let out a heavy sigh internally. At least this would buy him some time. Some much needed time.
**********
There was one problem; Gus was great at explaining human artifacts (even if Luz assured him he was wrong most of the time), but he was never the best at time management. He remembered that as soon as the clock struck and Matt spoke up.
“Oh, it’s getting pretty late.” He watched Matt glance up at the clock. “I should probably head home.”
Gus stared at the clock like it had committed a personal betrayal. He seemed frozen in place even as Matt gathered his things. The terrible feeling in his stomach was back, and he would do anything to make it go away. He jumped up. Matt faltered, hand on the doorknob.
“Uh…” Was all Gus could think to say. Matt watched him expectantly, and he couldn’t get over the lump in his throat. Just the eye contact made his stomach flutter.
“...Have a nice night.”
Matt blinked. “Oh. I will, thanks.”
Gus stared blankly at the doorway once Matt was gone. He kind of felt like punching himself, but he knew he didn’t have the energy or motivation for that. All he really felt like doing was sleeping. Or crying. Maybe both. He would just have to find out.
**********
Gus trudged through the streets of Bonesborough. People that recognized him’s eyes lingered as he walked past, noticing the somehow determined sulk with which he moved. He was not in a great mood, that was true. And he had that same sinking feeling that it might get worse when he got to Glandus.
He had been to the school a couple times for grudgby games, and it was always a strangely intimidating building. It was so different from Hexside. Gus frowned, wondering about what it would be like to attend. He shuddered when he thought about it a bit too long. All he had to do was find Matt and he might never have to see the gloomy school ever again. Willow might still drag him to grudgy matches, though…
Gus snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up and almost ran into someone. He began to apologize as he stepped back and looked up, but everything froze when he realized it was Matt. Holding a Glandus uniform. His heart sank.
“Matt!” Gus exclaimed as soon as he saw it thrown over his arm.
Matt startled at Gus’ approach. “Gus? What’s wrong?”
“This!” He gestured to the bundle in Matt’s arms. “I- I just-” He sighed and took a deeper breath. “Okay, I know we used to not agree on things, but we’re friends now, and I- I just wanted to say I’d really miss you if you went back to Glandus. Things just wouldn’t be the same. And I know I might be too late, but still, I’m… basically asking you to really reconsider transferring back.”
Gus finally exhaled after his jumble of a sentence. Matt stared in silence for a painfully long moment. Then he slowly opened his mouth to respond. “I’m… not going back to Glandus.”
Gus blinked. “You’re not?”
“I just met the counselor and told her I’m definitely staying at Hexside. She gave me this just to keep it,” He said, holding up the uniform. “In case I ever want to go back. But I don’t think I ever will, to be honest. Mostly because of you.”
Gus blushed. “Me?”
Matt smiled awkwardly. “Like you said, I’ve… learned a lot since meeting you. Mainly how to be nice for once. And also… felt a lot of things I haven't felt before.”
Gus’s mouth fell open. Was he saying what he thought he was saying?
“I…” He hardly knew what to say, but his mouth somehow did it for him. “I think… I’ve felt the same things.”
Matt fell silent. Gus fell silent. He was too busy wondering if Matt could see the blush that had spread across his cheeks to notice that Matt was suddenly a much rosier shade himself.
“Well that’s… good to know.”
Gus laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. We should… talk about that sometime.”
“Later?”
“Definitely later.”
Another awkward moment of silence. Matt stared down at the uniform in his hand instead of at Gus, but he was still smiling
“See you at Hexside?”
Gus couldn’t help smiling back when he said that. “Yeah. See you at Hexside.”
He knew it was time to turn away and head back home, but something stopped him. An idea sparked, and he stepped closer again. Barely even thinking, he leaned in and kissed Matt on the cheek gently. When he stepped back and realized what he just did, his eyes were just as wide as Matt’s.
They stared at each other.
“Uhhh yeah haha okay gotta go bye!”
Gus waved goodbye quickly, then turned and scrambled away. He couldn’t believe he had actually just done that. It seemed like Matt hadn’t minded it, though. He would just have to wait and see. In the meanwhile, he would be thinking about it the whole time.