Gaining Ground

“I can't believe Dylan!” Alex complained, shutting their door with more force than he would have normally. Set raised an eyebrow, faint amusement just about detectable.

“What did he do?”

“He said – he thought – um...” Alex hesitated. It had been utterly ridiculous and blatantly untrue when Dylan had poked fun about it, but saying it directly to Set's face suddenly made it harder to vehemently deny.

“He thinks we're...um, together,” he eventually settled for.

“We are, aren't we? We're together most of the time.” Oh, no, did Set really not...? Surely anyone would have caught on to what Alex meant without him actually having to say it. Then again, Set wasn't exactly 'anyone'.

“Well...” Alex cast around for examples. “You know how Dylan and Alice are?”

There was a long pause. He had the distinct impression that Set was very seriously considering his answer.

“Giggly?”

...Or maybe he'd just given up.

“No, I mean that they're dating. Going out.” Set's blank expression said more than words could. Alex resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall, reminding himself that it really wasn't his friend's fault.

“In love,” he said finally, quietly. Set tensed up, almost imperceptibly, but Alex knew the signs.

“Love,” Set repeated, staring at something only he could see. His hands tightened into fists, gripping the bedsheets. Alex swallowed past the lump in his throat and came to sit beside his friend, placing his hand over Set's trembling one.

“It's okay, Set, Dylan was just being stupid.” He gave a fake, nervous laugh, suddenly acutely aware of their proximity, and wished he'd never brought it up in the first place. “He just thinks we...”

The words died in his throat when Set turned to look at him, the piercing blue gaze cutting straight into his soul.

“Are we not?”

“Set...” Alex whispered, mouth dry. He had no idea what to say to that. Set turned away, looking back into his own inner world. A few seconds stretched out into an agonising eternity before he spoke.

“They said I didn't have the capacity...that even if I did, no-one could ever return it...I didn't understand what they meant, but I knew they were taunting me. They said over and over what I was. That I should just be grateful they were giving me food and shelter because no-one could possibly -”

“Set, stop.” Alex's hand squeezed Set's, a familiar, comforting gesture, and it was returned powerfully, desperately, but not enough to hurt.

“That doesn't matter any more, they were wrong, they...”

Set just looked at him, lost and broken, and it made him want to cry.

“Oh, Set,” Alex said, and pulled him into a hug. Set was momentarily startled, but Alex was secretly delighted when he didn't try to pull away but instead relaxed after a few seconds, even tentatively returning the gesture.

Never before in his whole life had anything seemed so right.

“We'll figure it out,” he whispered, resting his forehead on Set's shoulder, and Alex knew he was smiling.