the half of it

Chapter twenty-two

"I'm so sorry I should have burped her before gray" alice apologized as owen took Izzy back, grayson laughed and brushed it off.

"it's fine al, really" grayson smiled as Izzy looked at him with a smirk, like she knew what she did.

"you make yourself comfy, I'm going to change" grayson said as alice walked over to the couch, sitting down with Izzy in her lap.

"I'll be right back" owen whispered to alice with a mischievous smirk as he followed grayson into his room.

"hey loser" owen said as he squeezed graysons shoulder from behind, kissing his neck but pulling away and groaning when he remembered the vomit.

"uhh, clingy much" grayson teased as he grabbed a different hoodie from his closet, putting it over the back of his chair as he tried to get his sweater off.

"fuck you" owen laughed and walked over to grayson hesitantly, not sure whether to help.

"you could probably have a shower quick" owen said as grayson nodded, owen could tell he was nervous but he didn't know why.

"Wait - what's wrong?" Owen stopped the chair and stared into graysons eyes, looking at his pale face as his eyes darted quickly.

"Nothing." Grayson answered curtly, his plump lips pursed together.

"Gray, I love you. You can tell me anything" owen insisted, his heart beating quickly to match the pace of graysons.

"I know, I love you too" grayson whispered hoarsely, on the verge of crying.

"then why won't you tell me babe?" Owen sat down on the counter and fiddled with his t-shirt.

"I'm scared" grayson whispered, hoarse and forced like a scratchy record.

"you never have to be scared, I'm always going to be here" owen lifted grayson up and onto his lap, pressed together so closely they could hear each other breathing.

"can you help with my sweater?" Grayson asked and owen nodded, moving slightly and pulling it gently.

"oh, gray" owen took in the scars, all of them faded but still white and popping off the surface slightly.

"I'm sorry" grayson hung his head and couldn't make eye contact, his heart beating in his head.

"don't be sorry, I just wish you loved yourself as much as I love you" owen whispered and wiped away the tears on graysons cheeks, their foreheads pressed together.

—

"gray what did you score on your SAT?" Alice asked as she typed away on her computer.

Owen sat on the end of the coach holding Izzy and laughing while grayson sat beside him and Alice in the middle of the coach.

"1420" grayson answered and owen gasped, dropping his jaw sarcastically as alice elbowed him playfully.

"jesus gray you're handsome and smart" alice laughed and continued to type quickly on her computer.

"I know owens was 1380, what was yours?" Gray pushed himself over to alice to see what she was looking at.

"1250, banged it out two weeks after Izzy" alice smiled, obviously proud of herself as she should be.

"Elmhurst?" Grayson asked as alice put her arm around his shoulder, subtly helping him for which grayson nodded appreciatively.

"67 acceptance rate, what do you want to do?" Alice went onto their website, scrolling through it and looking at the pictures of the campus.

"psychology, maybe" grayson answered and laughed as owen passed him the baby, making sure she was secure.

"Yes! Same here" alice grinned and scribbled something onto a notepad and shut the computer.

"There's a campus thing on the 23rd" alice curled up onto the couch as owen tossed a bag of chips.

"Are you guys free, I can pick you up?" Alice asked as owen flipped through netflix, looking for a show to watch.

"I'll have to check our shared calendar" grayson teased owen, earning a poke in the side from owen and a laugh from Alice.

The front door opened minutes later, aaron and gracie walking through the door and laughing while aaron held shopping bags in his hands.

"Oh my gosh is that a baby!" Gracie squealed as she slipped off her shoes and all but ran towards the baby, smiling from ear to ear as aaron went into the kitchen.

"Can i hold her?" Gracie asked alice and she nodded, taking Izzy from grayson and baby talking.

"What are we watching?" Aaron asked as he sat down in an armchair, watching the baby from afar.

"Bojack Horseman" grayson rolled his eyes, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Again?" Aaron laughed, shaking a slight no at Gracie as she gestured to Izzy.

"I'll have you know alice has never watched it, I can't let that go" grayson laughed, owen hugging him closer.

"Well then that's completely reasonable" aaron watched carefully as Gracie handed Izzy back to alice and walked back over to him.

—

"We.. are gonna go" aaron said as the fifth episode finished, picking Gracie up koala style and laughing as she kissed his neck.

"i can't believe I went from a third wheel to a fifth wheel" Alice joked as she leaned into graysons side.

"Hey, you have Izzy!"