xo // grethan

/1/

Twins were supposed to be close.

Grayson couldn't help the way his breath stuttered when he looked at Ethan. You could maybe argue he was just being narcissistic, thinking his identical twin brother was beautiful, but everything was so different between them, including their faces, that he really couldn't see them as the same. 

Everything about Ethan made him lose his breath, really; it punched him right in the gut and left him in a dizzying, stupid daze. Even the little things, like the way his eyes would scrunch up so much when he laughed, or the way he wheezed like an idiot, or the way his voice sounded when he first woke up. 

Maybe, he told himself. Maybe this was just a deep, familial love, the kind only twins could achieve. But, he knew it wasn't that. His love for Ethan was... different. It was the kind of love that made you forget exactly how it feels to be alone, the kind of love that seeped into your bones and connected your hearts through invisible strings. The kind of love that was in love.

Grayson ran through these thoughts week after week, constantly searching for answers to his dumb feelings. 

And, of course, it was Ethan's laugh that pulled him from his thoughts.

"We made him do the whole interview in it and- fuck, man, the teachers didn't even notice!" wheezed Ethan, grinning at his own story. It was one of those old tales you would tell over and over. Grayson smiled slightly at the memory; Ethan had made him do an entire interview for school in the Burger King foot lettuce voice, and the teachers didn't react whatsoever, just acting like it was normal. They'd laughed over it for hours.

"I feel like you've told this story five times this month," Xitlali huffed, taking a bite from her apple. Grayson chuckled.

"He never shuts up about his stories, huh?" he mumbled, half wistfully. Truth be told, he enjoyed when Ethan harked back old tales from their past, grinning and laughing like an idiot even though they weren't even that funny. Xitlali nodded, scoffing slightly at Ethan's dejected face.

"What?" Ethan grumbled. "This is the first time I've told it.. this year, at least."

The three of them had been friends since sixth grade, and Xitlali had been hearing the story multiple times every year since it happened in seventh grade. For reference, it was their sophomore year now. 

Grayson had always been closer to Xitlali. She smiled knowingly at him from across the table as he watched Ethan with what could only be described as dreamy heart eyes. He had told her of his aberrant crush in freshman year, when he'd showed up at her door with a breakdown. She had always welcomed him with open arms, and that time had been no different. Her mother loved him too, instantly inducting him into their family and giving him extra conchas after he discovered his love for them. 

He felt a kick to his knee from beneath the table, instantly glaring at her, silently telling her to keep her big mouth shut. A smirk graced her face. "So, guys, homecoming is coming up. This Friday, to be exact."

Great, here we go again.

"You gonna go?" asked Ethan, mouth full of the terrible school tamales. How he actually consumed those things was beyond Grayson.

"Yeah, guess so," she smiled. "But if I'm going, both of you are coming with me, whether you like it or not."

Just when Grayson thought the conversation would begin to come to a close, the devil herself had to add more. "And I'm touching you up," she pointed at him with her fork to emphasize her point, "and you'll look damn good, because I'm awesome."

Groaning, Grayson put his head in his hands. "I hate you."

"Aw, come on Gray," Ethan punched his shoulder lightly. "We'll have fun. We always do together."

We always do together.

It was true, what he had said; somehow, the two of them always managed to have fun with each other, because that's just how it was. They knew just how to make each other laugh and smile and make fools of themselves. It was one of the best aspects of their dynamic, at least to Grayson. He loved the way they just worked together.

The bell rang, signalling it was time for sixth period. Grayson and Ethan had this period together. It was English, so it was an easy class. He didn't feel like doing much work at the moment. His mind was overflowing with stupid thoughts of Ethan, he couldn't focus even if he tried. 

"I can't believe she's forcing us to homecoming," Ethan chuckled, plopping down in his seat. Grayson sat next to him, resting his head on his arms. "I mean, I don't even know what to wear yet."

"It's homecoming. You don't need to have a wardrobe breakdown."

"Me? Having a wardrobe breakdown? If anything, you're the one who has wardrobe breakdowns, always so indecisive," Ethan laughed. It was true. Grayson was way more worried about fashion than Ethan was, and sometimes spent half an hour deciding what to wear. Who could blame the man for wanting to look good? "But that's besides the point. I gotta look hot, man."

You always look hot, thought Grayson, biting his tongue to prevent the sentence from escaping. "You'll look fine, idiot. Who we should be worrying about is me. Xitlali is about to kill me - I swear her bathroom and closet feel like torture chambers at this point."

Snorting, Ethan rolled his eyes. "You could wear a fucking rag and make it look good, plus you have someone wanting to help you get ready, so don't even begin to complain, asshole."

Stupid Ethan and his stupid comments. Grayson's heart lurched at Ethan's rag comment. Did he really think that, or was he just playing the supportive brother role? He hated this stupid crush. Why did everything have to be so damn confusing?

The rest of his day was spent pondering about Ethan and homecoming and everything in between. 

What mess had Xitlali gotten him into this time?

/////

so basically i havent written in like 5894540 years... even my other fic was written ages ago - anyways im a slow writer and stuff buuuut i hope u guys can enjoy this nonetheless, its kinda gonna be Shit tho cos man i dont have a plan for plot or anything i just started writing gfjfdjks