Gustholomule 🌈🌈

Chapter 8

Matt's POV

Me and Gus left the gym together and decided to roam the halls. I was too far exhausted to worry about the future and Gus wanted to accompany me so I'd feel less lonely. We walked around the entire school grounds, our hands held together, secured, unless we noticed another student walking around, we'd let go and link back up when they had passed us.

"This is nice," Gus declared, still holding my hand, our fingers woven together like an intricately sewn cloth. I smiled. I never used to smile, not like this. Was this what genuine joy felt like? If it was, gosh, it was dreamy. We continued down a long, secluded hallway that the other Hexside students haven't absolutely trashed yet. It was quiet, the air was still and I felt Gus squeeze my hand subconsciously. I watched his face, the way his cheeks creased when he smiled, how his eyes lit up when he was excited, the tinge of red on his ears as we talked. I looked away, I felt guilty. Gus didn't feel like this about me, right? He's just really affectionate, he always has been. I shouldn't be holding his hands and trying to kiss him, I'm abusing the friendship we have for my own fantasies. I remembered what Luz told me. I examined his face again and sighed.

"Gus, I need to tell you something." I began, letting go of his hand and he looked at me, tilting his head. I was about to start talking again but a student I hadn't realised was around ran between us and we got spooked. I shook my head, "Nevermind, I can tell you later." Gus smiled at me.

"You can tell me somewhere more peaceful if you'd like," he suggested, staring down the long corridor. "Do you know any spots outside where those weird spy things won't see us?" Gus asked, taking my hand and I immediately felt soothed. "I doubt anyone will be outside and you've seen lots of great spots on your adventures, I'm sure." he added on.

I thought for a moment and shook out a semi-safe place we could go from the void that was my mind, "The sports field where you guys were playing Flyer Derby?" I offered and his eyes widened.

"Oh yeah! We could sit under the bleachers out there! Even if those spies did find us we're both powerful witches," he laughed, half joking. My cheeks flushed a pale pink and I nodded excitedly. He led me down the hall and into a discreet exit, one where those stupid puppet spies wouldn't be able to spot us easily, and very carefully we climbed onto the soft grass, our hands still miraculously connected. Gus weaved through various vegetations and we soon came to the familiar blank field, two goal posts set up either end, though they haven't been occupied for some months. We silently slipped underneath the bleachers and gentle rays of sunlight casted through the gaps, one hitting Gus' face perfectly and I found myself flustered, Titan he was pretty. 

"This is a nice spot," I commented, carefully sitting on the ground.

"It is!!" Gus agreed and he looked around, grinning stupidly. For a short while we just sat with our hands together, enjoying each others company and suddenly Gus must have remembered what we came here for. "So," he said, "you need to tell me something?" and I felt my face go warm.

"Uhm," I coughed into my shoulder, half actually clearing my throat, half so Gus wouldn't see the absolute embarrassment I could feel trying to reveal itself across my cheeks. "Uh, yeah I suppose I said that, heh," I laughed nervously and the end, rubbing the back of my neck out of habit.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Gus said assuring me, gently caressing my hands with his. 

"No!" I accidentally shouted and I lowered my volume, "No, no, I need to tell you this, it-," I paused, hesitating, "it's important." Gus watched my face intently, wondering what on The Boiling Isles was so important we had to sit outside under some old bleachers for, or at least, that's what I guessed he was thinking. I released my hands from his and began to rub them together anxiously, also fiddling with the frayed edge of my bandana. 

"I've not been completely honest with you since you got back," I breathed out at last, feeling as though my heart was about to launch out of my throat. Gus continued to stare, his eyes growing wider and he hung to each of my words. "These past few months I've been feeling.. weird. Without you I've felt so alone and when I look at those pictures we have together I feel like there's fairies invading my insides and-" I babbled on, my entire train of thought spilling out, unable to shut up.  "Augustus, I think," I stopped myself, staring into his eyes and wondered if anything would be the same between us after I finished my sentence, "I think I'm in love with you." I finally confessed, my heartbeat had increased a ridiculous amount. He stared back at me, his ears twitching and a red flush decorating his face ear to ear. He grabbed my shoulders softly and glanced toward my lips.

"Matt I-" he started, obviously shocked, "Can I kiss you?" he asked finally and I realised I rested my own hands on his waist. I was surprised myself now. I glanced at his lips.

"Yes." I whispered quietly and in that moment I felt a sense of deja vu as he lifted his hands up to my cheeks and we pulled each other in. Our noses touched but we didn't pull away this time and our lips pressed together, kissing. I was kissing Augustus Porter. When we did pull away, though I wanted it to last forever, we were gazing into each others eyes, our hands still where we had placed them. Gus' face burned a glowing apple-blood colour and he laughed nervously, pulling me into a warm, tight hug.

"I just kissed you!" he proclaimed, a shy edge to his tone.

"I just kissed you!" I repeated back and my face also shared the same shade of red as his. I grabbed his hands and our fingers locked together again. 

"I'm in love with you, too," he confessed and I gave him a dumb smile. He held each other for a minute. I felt so incredibly happy, I couldn't believe I just shared a kiss with the boy that's been on my mind for literal months.