Mind Games (Eddievr x Juicy Fanfic)

Chapter 5: The Other Boys

A/N: So, Mullys birthday is coming up soon, so I wanted to feature all the boys in this chapter. Enjoy :)

Eddie's POV
I keep my eyes on the road as Juicy is in the seat next to me, playing music and typing away on his phone. I couldn't help but notice a few strands of hair fall onto his concentrated face, but I quickly looked away before he could notice. My hands were sweaty as I gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly.

We were heading over to his friend's house to meet up again. While I liked Gaege's friends a lot, I was still very extremely nervous to meet them. The only person I felt comfortable around and be myself was Gaege, but I was willing to keep an open mind about meeting the others. He was always talking about them and seemed to care for them a lot.

"Are you doing alright?" I heard Juicy ask beside me, making me glance at him. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." I answered with a shrug, "Just... A little nervous."

Juicy put a hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry dude. They loved you last time." I rubbed the back of my neck, growing slightly flustered when he said that. "Oh, heh thanks," I chuckled shyly. Juicy continued to smile at me, but he quickly looked away when I locked eye contact for a few moments.

A small frown formed on his face as he continued to stare out the window, and I raised an eyebrow. He looked sad all of a sudden as he watched the trees zoom by. "What's wrong?" I asked him softly, hoping he could answer me. He didn't look directly at me as he muttered, "I'm okay. Just... thinking."

I wanted to ask him again, but I didn't want to pry anymore. I still kept an eye on him, however, wondering what he could be thinking. If I only I could read his mind.

**Time skip :)** (Still Eddie's POV)

"So, here's what I was thinking," Josh said as we all talked and ate our food, "I say we plan something for Mully!" Mully's cheeks grew red as Josh draped his arms around him. "No... You guys don't have to," Mully said shyly, but Juicy shook his head.

"Your birthday is coming up dude!" Juicy smiled, "We want to do something extra special for you." Narrator nodded as he chimes in, "Yeah! We can celebrate together!"

Mully smiled, his eyes shining, "Aw, you guys are the best."

"Any day for you," Josh kissed Mully on the cheek, making me smile at the two of them together. Mully's face burned a slight shade of red, but he pulled Josh into a tight hug as Narrator awed them.

I stayed silent, feeling a little out of place from the whole scene. Although the jokes they made and the way they laughed together made me smile a little. It was unlike anything I had experienced. The only other friend I had was Gabby but... It was complicated with her.

"Hey, Eddie, right?" Mully then asked me, making me turn to him, "You're invited too you know."

I hesitated for a moment, shocked by the fact that Mully had noticed my expression so easily. "Oh, thank you!" I answered, a grin spreading across my face. "I appreciate it. You guys are awesome."

We talked for another hour before we decided to leave. I couldn't stop smiling and couldn't believe how much fun I was having. I hadn't smiled like this in... well, in months maybe. Ever since I moved into the apartments, I had been struggling to pay bills and stay on top of everything. But as I walked back to the truck with Gaege, saying goodbye to my new friends, I finally felt at ease for once.

I suddenly found myself walking alone with Gaege in the parking lot, growing awkwardly silent. The sun had set and I hadn't even realized that it had grown dark. The cool, winter air began to blow, and I saw Juicy shivering as he hugged his arms.

"Here," I took off my sweater, giving it to the younger man beside me, "It'll keep you warm." I wrapped my warm, wooly jaket around his shoulders, seeing a small smile spread on his face.

"What about you?" He asks, staring at me with big eyes, "Aren't you cold?" I shook my head, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "Nah, I'll be okay."

We grew silent again, continuing to walk to the truck. "Hey, thanks for inviting me by the way," I said softly to him, glancing down to see his face, "I had a fun time with you." I quickly added, "And the others of course!"  Juicy chuckled, looking away shyly, "Yeah I had a fun time with you too..."

We stopped, suddenly facing each other. I met his eyes, realizing that there were bits of green that I never noticed before. He smiled at me, his cheeks blooming with a soft, pinkish glow. He was awfully close to me, almost enough to where I could feel the heat radiating off him or to catch the scent of his cologne. Before I could say anything, I then noticed someone behind him, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

In the distance, a man wearing a black coat and cap was peering at us. I didn't know who, and I put a hand on Gaege's back protectively. "Eddie?" Juicy asked me, "What's wrong?" I pulled him closer to me, making sure he didn't turn around. When I looked back up at where the man was standing, he was gone.

"It..." I looked back down at Juicy's face, not wanting to make him worried. "It was nothing," I smiled again, "Let's head back home. It's getting late." Juicy looked at me for a few more seconds before deciding I was okay, hopping into the passengers seat.

I still couldn't get the strange man out of my head, but I knew it was probably best to ignore it.