"-so there may or may not be a video of me going around where I'm moaning in the back of a car, but the thing is- I don't know if I care? I mean...How would anyone know it was me, right? Like- I don't even think I sound the way I usually do when I'm
In The Moment
."
So far, Barnaby had spent the morning rambling to Jensen about the night before. He'd woken up smiling, thinking,
That actually happened
. He had no shame. He bragged about laser tag, how he made it through. Sure, he didn't see half of what was going on, but he considered Not Crying a big win! He painted Gil a hero; not only did he kick total zombie butt, he was a genuine Good Guy. He reached out to Barnaby for more than sex, he was sweet, funny, and
holy crap
did he know how to put him on Cloud Nine.
Jensen scrolled through his phone, and for a while, the only indication he gave that he at least heard Barnaby was the occasional
"Mhmm"
. That was normal. But being caught having sex in the back of a car was not typical Barnaby Hirsch behavior, so the blond banked on
some
other reaction. Something he could see as proof to himself that maybe he was getting braver. Changing.
Finally, Jensen put his phone down, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Boredly, he said, "You're gonna be seeing him more?"
"Yeah?"
The blankets shifted as Jensen stiffly dragged himself out of bed. A moment too late, Barnaby realized his roommate was naked. He looked away, only to spare a glance when he prayed his mind had played a trick on him. But there it was. His heart sank.
Jensen had marks all across his neck and chest. And not just purple spots like Gil had left on Barnaby.
Ugly things
. Long, red lines and disturbing impressions on either side of his throat. He limped his way to a pile of clothes. "You're not thinking that someone's gonna notice? On the chance it gets out, and you're the one riding his dick all of a sudden?"
Barnaby scrunched up his nose and pulled his knees closer to his chest. He hadn't thought that. Because- Because what
were
the chances? Jensen had said it himself: Gil got around. By the time anyone noticed Barnaby's presence - which his presence was pretty much an attention repellent in itself - one could figure it was
anyone's
on the hypothetical recording
.
He shrugged and answered simply, "
No
."
Jensen scoffed and finished dressing but stayed hunched against a wall. He looked like he was fighting not to crumble to a pile onto the floor.
"Jensen, are you okay-?"
"
Fucking great,
" he spat, cracking a bitter smirk. He sucked in his breath, hobbling back to bed to lie on his stomach.
Barnaby's brows furrowed, and a frown tugged at his lips. "Maybe you should go to the nurse-"
"I'm
fine
,
Barnaby
." Jensen went right back to his phone, tapping aggressively. "Just
enjoying the afterglow
."
Though it wasn't hard to guess, that confirmed Barnaby's horror. He hopped off his bed and scurried to Jensen's side, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder despite his better judgement. "Who was it? W-We can report them-"
"Alright, chill the fuck out," Jensen grumbled, immediately brushing the hand away. "It wasn't anything I didn't ask for, justβ" He sank further into the bed, further away from Barnaby. "Not what I expected. Don't know what the big deal's supposed to be."
Barnaby stood awkwardly. The best thing he could do, he thought, was keep his mouth shut. Probably there wasn't a big deal. At least, the biggest change Barnaby got out of being with Gil was gaining a friend, and if that was something Jensen missed out on, he would gladly be twice the friend moving forward. He didn't intend to back away.
Except there wasn't anything friendly about the way Jensen's gaze flickered back and forth between Barnaby and his phone, each glance more annoyed than the last. It wasn't long before he snapped, "Do you
mind?"
Only at that point did Barnaby feel obligated to retreat a step, not letting himself be hurt. Jensen was the one hurting. "Sorry," he said softly, "You know I worry."
"Yeah, well-
don't
," Jensen muttered, "It's over. It's done with. I'm fine. Go see your new boyfriend or something."
Barnaby bristled, quickly correcting him, "He's not my boyfriend."
"
Right
," said Jensen, "Yeah, come to think of it, you're more like- his prostitute."
It knocked Barnaby's breath right out of him, punched him into laughing. "Okay, that's...I'm allowed to sleep with someone, Jensen. If I were-
that
, you would be too."
"
No,
actually." There was an audible
thump
as the boy slammed his phone back into his mattress. He whirled around to face Barnaby, glaring him down. "Because
I
didn't get any money out of it. Can you say the same?"
The blond shrunk in front of him, not fully understanding what he was hearing. "But that's-" he fumbled, "That's not fair. If I waited, it'd be the oppositeβ"
"You really think I'd ask for your money?" Jensen's face was utterly devoid of amusement or sarcasm. The bags under his eyes seemed so dark up close. "You actually believed I thought you had
anything
to give me?"
A lump was forming in Barnaby's throat, preventing him from speaking.