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Envy pulls Scott into her dorm forcefully, knocking him on the doorframe on his way in and slamming the door behind him. This is honestly the most interaction they’ve had with each other in the past 30 minutes so Scott assumes that’s a positive and ignores the stinging pain in his arm.
“Are you into Wallace?” She asks him, glaring a hole into his soul. Not positive then.
He puts his hands up defensively. “What? No!” She gives him a look that says she’s not convinced and he continues, “Why would you even- I’m not gay.” His head tilts to the side in confusion.
“ He’s gay,” she says as though it proves anything. “You’re always out with him, you’re always talking to him. When we’re at parties he’s always there and you two laugh and giggle, and today you were-” she cuts herself off with a frustrated huff. Her shoulders tense up as she points an accusatory finger at Scott’s chest. “Do you like him more than me!?” she shrieks.
Whatever Scott says next has the potential to make or break their relationship, though Scott doesn’t know why. It’s incredibly important he answers this question in the best way possible. Which is of course why he impulsively says, “He’s my best friend.”
Envy’s shoulders drop at the same speed her stomach does. She steps back and the devastation on her face would be enough to make anyone feel guilty, let alone Scott. “I- Envy wait no-” He chases after her as she plummets into her mattress. “I don’t know why I said that! Envy, please!” he grabs her wrist and she snaps it away, piercing her eyes into him again.
“I should be your best friend,” she says, and it comes out more whiny than Scott imagines she probably wanted it to. In general, she’s coming off more whiny than usual.
His hand still hangs in the air awkwardly. He doesn’t really know what he should be doing. “But you’re my girlfriend?”
“Well, I should be your best friend too,” she mutters bitterly, avoiding his gaze and crossing her arms.
“I don’t understand,” he says, and she grimaces more. He is not winning at responses today. “I can have a best friend and a girlfriend. Why do you have to be both?”
“Because.” Her lips purse as she fights back tears. “You should like me better than him.”
“I do like you! I like you so much!” Shutting her eyes tightly, Envy claws against her arms and releases an exasperated shrill. Scott picks this as the best opportunity he’ll get to sit beside her, his hands tentatively holding his thighs in order to take as little space as possible. She calms down slowly, letting her shoulders droop as her breathing stabilizes.
Scott wants to think of some way to get her to understand that he’s really into her . Something that makes her stop accusing him of wanting to kiss his cool, best friend Wallace. I mean sure they are touchy, but guys can be touchy with other guys! They’re friends. And, like, he thinks Wallace is hot, but everyone thinks Wallace is hot. Trust him, he’s asked. And there was that time, before he knew Envy, when they broke into an indoor pool together, and Scott was transfixed by how the water droplets reflected the moonlight off his skin, and Wallace’s hand was placed onto Scott’s thigh by the steps, teasing him about being a wuss – Scott was refusing to go in because it was cold – and Wallace tugged him into the water and they giggled and splashed and Scott wrapped his arms around Wallace for support and they were so incredibly close and-
“Wanna make out?” He asks abruptly. To Envy, obviously. Because he wouldn’t wanna make out with Wallace. That’s what he’s trying to prove right now.
All the effort she had spent trying to cool off was immediately wasted. “Are you serious!?” She whips her head to look at him and he shrinks in fear. “Get out,” she demands coldly, glaring at Scott again. Scott looks back with owlish eyes, startled and confused.
“What? Really?” He stands up immediately but lingers still.
“Get out,” she repeats, louder this time.
He scurries for the door hastily, almost tripping on his feet. Once he’s outside the door he stills. He quietly knocks on it, fidgeting with his hands impatiently. “What?” She answers. Her voice is muffled but still audibly annoyed.
Scott hesitates. “...can I borrow you’re phone?”
Opening the door, she eyes him critically. “Why?”
“I need to text Wallace to ask if I can stay at his dorm.” He scratches his head with a weary smile.
“...Are you fucking kidding me?” If she was angry before, she was downright venomous now.
“W-Well, I need a place to stay-”
“Can’t you just go home?” She interjects.
“Yeah but, Wallace’s dorm is closer and it’s cold outside-”
“You’re going to sleep with Wallace!?” she yells. Scott feels like he can almost hear all of her neighbors listening in.
“I- I’m not sleeping with him! Well, I’m sleeping with him but not sleeping sleeping with him! Just sleeping!” He defends uselessly.
“Go home Scott,” She says finally, slamming her door on his face.
He walks to Wallace's door, hoping it’s not too late when he knocks. Behind the door he can hear fumbling and ruffling of fabrics. Not a good sign. “Hey Scott,” Wallace greets, looking more wrecked than usual. “What’s up, buddy?”
“Envy’s mad at me,” Scott answers with a sigh and Wallace quirks an eyebrow. “Can I stay over tonight?” He puts on his biggest puppy dog eyes.
“Uh,” he glances back inside his dorm, and Scott hears an unidentified voice whisper something incoherent to him. “Sure, guy. Just, give me a second.” When Wallace closes the door, Scott leans his ear against it curiously.
“You have to go,” Wallace whispers.
“What, why?” Scott doesn’t recognize the voice, and he’s not sure if that makes him feel better or worse. He doesn’t know why that makes him feel anything at all.
“Because.” Wallace doesn’t seem to provide him with more answers, or if he did Scott didn’t hear it. There’s some more shuffling and he hears steps coming toward the door. He almost backs off until he hears, “No, not out the front door dude!”
“How am I supposed to-”
“Jump out the window.” He says with no hesitation.
“What?”
“Jump. Out. The. Window.”
“What the fuck? No! Are you crazy?” The mysterious man whisper-yells protests that seem to go upon deaf ears because, after more sounds of shimmying, Scott hears a loud plop.
Wallace opens the door with a smile. “Sorry about that, guy. I was tidying up the place. Please come inside.” It’s taking everything in Scott’s power not to laugh right now.
“No problem,” he says casually. He glances over at the sheets and sighs in relief to see they’re clean and not wrinkled. They must not have gotten to that part yet. He plops himself onto Wallace’s bed, already yawning.
Wallace sits down beside him. “So what happened with Envy? Did you two break up?”
“No.” He reconsiders. “I mean I hope not? She’s uh, mad that we’re friends I think?” his voice pitches up in confusion. “Like she said you shouldn’t be my best friend and, like, doesn’t like how much we hang out I guess.”
Wallace grimaces. and rests his head against the wall. Scott is acutely aware of how close Wallace’s hand is to his thigh. “She’s a controlling bitch, Scott. You should break up with her.”
He purses his lips and sighs. “I don’t want to. I really like her Wallace. I… I think I’m in love with her? Is that weird to say?” He looks at Wallace for answers but doesn’t like the look he’s greeted back with.
He looks hurt. It’s hard to tell because he’s never seen this on Wallace before, but his face looks wrong. He doesn’t like it when Wallace is unhappy.
“I don’t know, guy. It’s kinda weird I guess. Because she’s always rude to you.” He sighs. “I mean, why does she care if we’re friends? She hates your attention but hates it when she doesn’t have your attention. She’s just the worst.”
Scott hums in acknowledgment. Not in agreement, he doesn’t think Envy’s the worst, he just really doesn’t understand her, but he doesn’t know what to say. They sit there in comfortable silence and Scott watches Wallace when he yawns. His black strands of hair fall into his eyes and Scott really wants to sit up and push them away.
“Do you wanna lay down?” He asks as he shuffles closer to the wall. Wallace nods, tenderly planting his head next to Scotts. Scott turns to face him. “I’m really glad we’re friends,” he says, and a euphoric feeling bubbles in his stomach when Wallace smiles at that.
“Me too, guy.”
“Because I like you. A lot.”
Wallace's smile widens fondly. “I like you too.
He chases that look. “A lot a lot.”
Wallace chuckles and Scott chuckles back just because it’s fun to see Wallace chuckle. “Okay,” he responds, grinning still.
Scott yawns, feeling the lull of sleep creeping comfortably up to him. “Night Wallace,” he says. Without a care left in the world, he Wraps his arms around the other, his face nested right underneath Wallace's chin.
“Night Scott. Sweet dreams,” Wallace hums back, carting his hand through Scott's hair. He wishes he could do this every night. Maybe they should get an apartment together. He had plans to get an apartment with Envy… maybe he can share an apartment with both of them somehow? Probably not, but he’d be okay if he just got to lie down next to Wallace every night.