A/N: Thank you everyone who answered me in the last chapter! It's very helpful getting feedback so I can see how the writing is coming across, and see is it matching what I'm trying to do. I really appreciate it ! 

Will was mid sit-up when the hall door opened, startling him. Gabriel cast him a smile, but his eyes darted to the TV, the source of the blaring music, and the reason Will didn't hear the front door open. Will muted the tv, greeting Gabriel as Sarah and her mom Missy came in after him. Sarah's eyes lit up and she ran over to him in in the living room. "Can I join?" she was bouncing from foot to foot.

Will smiled. "Sure." He noticed Missy looking him over, and became self-conscious of the sweat he'd worked up. He cast her a casual smile as well. "Hello Missy."

"Will." Missy nodded back.

Gabriel leaned over the back of the couch toward them. "We're going to do some drumsticks with chips. And salad." He added the salad as something separate, and Sarah turned up her nose.

Will nudged her foot with his. "You won't be good at sports if you don't eat your greens." He warned seriously.

Sarah levelled him with an equally serious look. "Do you?"

"I do."

Sarah cast a doubtful look over him. She crossed her arms. "Gabriel never feeds me salad." She declared boldly.

Will saw the look Missy shot Gabriel, and saw Gabriel ignored it, sharing his guilty look with Will instead. "She always suggests better alternatives, like pizza."

"Or chips with drumsticks?" Will asked. He turned his attention back to Sarah, patting the spot on the ground next to him. She quickly sat next to him, matching his position with her legs stretched out in front. "I'm the one feeding him salad. He's a big baby sometimes."

Sarah giggled.

In the kitchen, cupboards were opening, dishes were scraping together. "See Sarah?" Missy called, "Look at all the good food Will has in the house already."

"I see crisps."

"Big baby." Will confirmed.

"Big baby." Sarah echoed.

Will's smile was wide enough to hurt his cheeks. He covered his mouth with his hand; Gabriel walked around the couch toward him. Even when he knelt next to Will on the ground, he feigned innocence. "Are you joining us for the work out?"

Will wasn't expecting the soft kiss against his cheek, or Gabriel's mouth pressed to his ear. "I love you."

He stood then, leaving Will to watch him walk into the kitchen to help Missy with the dinner prep. Sarah finally got his attention by poking his knee. He released a shaky breath, and did a few simple exercises with Sarah. Every time he heard Gabriel's voice, it distracted him.

"Let's go to the park and practice your spikes." Will suggested.

"Yes!" Sarah sprang up. She ran into their bedroom, knowing exactly where the volleyball was kept.

In the kitchen, Gabriel was working on the salad—chopping a cucumber, and the other ingredients were laid out around him. There was a glass bowl to his left with an assortment of fruits sliced and mixed together. Will hummed, pressing to Gabriel's side and resting his hand against his back—Gabriel smiled. "Two kinds of salad? Sarah's not going to know who you are." Will took one of the apple slices, finding the flesh tasted like orange and banana as well. "I'm going to head over to Cassie and Dune's after dinner, I haven't seen Cassie in... I don't know. Two weeks now?"

Gabriel's dimpled smile lost its lustre. Something flashed in his eyes—apprehension?—but it was gone too quick for Will to really understand what he saw. All he knew is that it wasn't a happy emotion. Guilt itched inside of him, recalling Dune's touch earlier in the day. He threw his gaze aside. Rationalising it as him not being the one who'd done it didn't work, because he hadn't said a word about it after.

"Are you going to stay the night?" Gabriel questioned. He was cutting the cucumber again, focusing on the task and not Will's face. It wasn't evident in his voice, but the pleasure had gone from his face.

Will's heart was doing double. He was remembering how his stomach had been filled with butterflies earlier—he'd been nervous, red, and he knew the reason he felt so guilty now was because he'd reacted to Dune's touch, and not in a negative way. Sarah's footsteps came rushing through the apartment. "Got it!" she called.

Will rubbed his cheek, recalling instead how Gabriel's breath had felt against his ear as he'd whispered to him. He let out a loose breath, pressing a kiss of his own to Gabriel's stubbled cheek. "We're going to be having a few drinks so I won't be driving, would you be able to pick me up?"

Will's decision was rewarded with that glow returning to Gabriel's eyes. "No problem."

That look—that pleasure—it eased the sharp feeling inside him. Will put his mouth on Gabriel's, soft and swift so that he didn't weird out Missy, and retreated to Sarah. Outside in the park Will ended up with more than just Sarah, as two more neighbour hood kids came over to join them. They were two girls, eleven or twelve, Will would guess, and their mom was sitting on a park bench, her attention divided between a book and supervision.

His phone buzzed while the three girls were managing their longest rally yet.

         Unknown: Hello, Mr Simmons. A bag with your contact information attached was handed in to the staff at Terry Cafe on Walkman road. We'll hold it behind the front counter for pick up. If this is not your bag, please contact us and let us know so we can turn it in to the police.

Relief shivered through him. Will quickly replied, letting them know he'd swing by to pick it up later today. Walkman road was close enough to his gym, and he could easily stop by on the way to Dune's house. The text didn't mention if anything was still inside the bag, however. He'd find out soon enough anyway.

Dinner was good, Sarah ate almost as much as Gabriel, leaving Will to stare at her in wonder. He had a healthy portion of everything himself—avoiding only the greasy chips—but enjoying the very greasy drumsticks instead. When Will left them they were all setting up with popcorn and a movie in the living room. Will would probably have enjoyed staying and watching, curled up next to Gabriel.

Gabriel walked him to the bus stop and waited with him. "Sarah adores you."

"She's adorable herself." Will said. Gabriel leaned his shoulder against the shelter of the bus stop. It was twilight, and they were alone. The only sounds were the distant hum of car engines and horns, and Gabriel had this strange look in his eyes. Will asked, "What is it?"

"You're in really good form, is all. It's nice seeing you relaxed."

"Even if it means you get called a big baby?"

Gabriel chuckled, "I can survive it."

Will sobered for a second, considering Gabriel's observation seriously. "College was causing a lot of stress. And I know I've been... irritable." And irrational, and sometimes completely incoherent. And all the while Gabriel had been steady, and thoughtful—not rising to any taunts or jabs Will sent his way, or throwing his own right back. Will wasn't so oblivious he couldn't see how well he was being treated. It was a foreign concept, sure, given the last leg of his childhood, but a welcome one. "Thank you for being patient with me."

"Hey, hey," Gabriel kicked off the wall, hugging him, "it's okay."

Will blinked back the tears burning the backs of his eyes. Ah, come on, not cool, he scolded himself. He hugged Gabriel back as the bus pulled up. "I'll see you later," he said thickly.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Gabriel asked, doubt in his voice.

"I'll be coming back soon." Will reminded him.

Gabriel caught him for a final goodbye kiss, "I love you."

Will's emotions were whirling around inside. While Gabriel's mouth was still against his cheek, Will spoke and whispered—for the first time, in a long time—"I love you too."

Gabriel jolted. He pulled back, his eyes on Will, bursting with emotion—pleasure, relief, happiness, delight—everything, all at once; and a smile grew, wide, until both his cheeks dimpled, and Will couldn't possibly turn away. Guilt harpooned his gut as any ideas he had that maybe Gabriel hadn't noticed were swept away. Gabriel cupped his cheeks, kissing him hard on the mouth. "I love you." He murmured.

Will chuckled, "I love you too."

He did it again. "I love—"

The bus driver beeped. "I'm leaving." He warned.

"Coming." Will called. He pulled from Gabriel's hold trotting on board and swiping his leap card as he passed the driver. His cheeks were on fire, seeing the full bus of an audience he'd just had. He noticed a few of the women hiding grins, and looked out the window to Gabriel. Their eyes met through the glass, and Gabriel mouthed 'I love you'. Will rolled his eyes, but mouthed it back.

*

Will picked up his sports bag with no hassle, and the moment he was back on a bus heading towards Dune's house, he opened it up, sifting through the contents. His runners, shorts, water bottle, deep heat, thermal shirts—all of it was still there. Something rattled in the bottom, and Will dug out the white envelope wrapped in one of his shirts. He shook it, hearing the clinking of metal inside.

The envelope had 'Will' written on it. He opened it up and his missing keys fell into his hand. Will went cold. He looked over the keys, a car key and an apartment key attached to the blue band Cassie had bought him for his birthday. His keys had gone missing well before his sports bag had. What was going on?

Will pulled the folded sheets out of the envelope, hands unsteady as he straightened them. It took a few seconds for him to understand what he was looking at: printed screen shots of text messages. 'Gabriel' was at the top, and the first message was 'happy birthday'. Will went through all of the sheets, feeling sick. These were screen shots from his phone. It wasn't all of their messages, but a selection of sexting dated to the summer, and moments where they brought up their relationship pre-Dublin. Every single sheet was incriminating as fuck.

On the last page, written in black marker, was a short message: Tell Nobody.