On the bus ride home they opened all the windows to let air in, making the bus externally loud, but also ten degrees cooler than it was outside.
Since Nathan still wanted to talk to Glenn without the harsh winds interrupting him, he took the spot alongside the other boy once more.
"I still can't believe that you hit that kid," Nathan said to begin their conversation and Glenn, who had been looking at him curiously up until that point rolled his eyes and looked away.
"I feel awful".
"You shouldn't feel bad. You hit a junior with a tennis ball, so what?" Nathan asked, eyeing his doubles partner and smirking at the sight of his pink cheeks. "It's not your fault".
"If it's not mine then whose?" Was Glenn's response and Nate frowned.
"Why does it need to be anyone's". Glenn sighed. "Come on, Pearson. It was funny. Don't beat yourself up over it".
Glenn looked ahead then, his brown eyes moving over their team on the bus. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about- assuming this is just more than our typical bonding time," Glenn asked and Nathan turned his face away quickly.
"I need to have a reason for sitting by you?" Nate asked and Glenn let out a huff of air that sounded similar to a laugh.
"Nathan, we've been on the same team since we were sophomores. I know that you usually sleep on the way home from away matches," Glenn deduced and Nathan just shrugged.
"Not tired," he lied, but when he looked at Glenn he didn't look convinced. "Okay, Yeah. Maybe there's something I want to talk to you about too".
Glenn closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the seat. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Nate stayed quiet, since he was. "You can't get your hopes up again, Nathan. We almost made it last year too and then we didn't, and it crushed you".
"You're right," Nathan agreed softly. "But it's hard not to think about it, you know? Because we're good Glenn. We're so good".
"We were good last year too". Nathan sighed, turning away from Glenn. "Look, I'm not saying that we can't do it-"
"I know," Nate interrupted. "I get it. You don't want me to be disappointed if it doesn't work out".
Glenn was quiet for a minute. "We can practice more, if you want. I know that school starts a week from Monday, but we could take advantage of that week-"
"Will you stay at practice late with me once school starts?" Nathan interrupted. "Not all days, just some days". He turned his head to look at Glenn once more and the other boy did the same, holding his gaze for a little before nodding.
"Yeah. I think that's a good idea". Nathan continued to look at him, unable to miss the exhaustion on Glenn's face.
It occurred to him then that while he decided he didn't want to take his nap, Glenn had not made that decision and was most likely only awake because Nathan was sitting beside him talking. "Are you tired?"
Glenn's eyes closed. "Is it that obvious".
"You can sleep, you know. You don't have to listen to me talk about state".
"I like listening to you talk," Glenn said softly, closing his eyes and tilting his head back against the seat, his body relaxing into it. "You speak with purpose". Nathan's eyebrows raised. "And sometimes you say the dumbest shit". Nathan laughed, relaxing back against the seat as Glenn had and looked forward.
He was happy they were becoming close, because Glenn was even better than Nathan had thought he was. He was funny and kind and could always make Nathan laugh. Nate felt stupid for ever pushing Glenn away before. "Hey Glenn?" Nate whispered, and there was a deep sigh in response. "Glenn?" Nathan tensed as a weight fell onto his shoulder, and then immediately relaxed to not disturb Glenn as the boy breathed against his neck.
It was easy, dropping his head down on top of Glenn's and drifting off to sleep, and Nathan couldn't help but smile.
***
"Dad," Nathan groaned loudly, stabbing at his food and trying to ignore both of his parents eyes on him.
"What?" Carmen asked and Nathan glared at him.
"You know what".
They maintained eye contact for a long time, neither of them blinking until Osmond reached over and grabbed Carmen's hand off the table.
"I'm just saying-" Carmen began and Nathan watched as Osmond gently tugged on Carmen's hand.
"Babe-" Osmond began and Carmen just shook his head.
"I know but-"
"Dad," Nathan cut in. "I don't want to talk about this".
"I'm not telling you to marry him, I'm telling you to take him out on a date-" Carmen continued, despite the many warnings and Nathan rolled his eyes.
"I'm not taking Glenn out on a date, dad. He's my doubles partner," Nathan reminded. "We're just friends".
"Nathan-"
"No," Nate interrupted, his voice firm. "I said I don't want to talk about this. We just started to get to know one another". Nathan paused, thinking of the comfort of Glenn's warm body pressing against his side on the bus earlier and how easily he could ruin that confort by trying to make it romantic. Trying to make it romantic, because there was no way it would work. There was no chance that Glenn would ever look at him that way. "Besides, he's way out of my league. Like, way out. I mean, Glenn's perfect. Honestly. He's sweet and he's funny and caring and he's gorgeous".
"Right," Osmond cut in then, joining the conversation and Nate turned his head to look at him. "Because you're not cute or funny or sweet".
"You need to stop calling me cute. I'm not eight anymore," Nate shot back and Osmond just rolled his eyebrows. "And don't compare me to Glenn. You'll only be disappointed".
Carmen's mouth opened but it wasn't his voice to fill the dining room. "Honey, let it be. He'll understand soon enough".
Carmen groaned. "But what if it's not soon enough".
"What if I don't understand what?" Nate interrupted, frowning. He went over the last minute of conversation and was still lost. "Understand that I'm just as good as Glenn? Because I'm not-"
"You're right," Osmond cut in, his expression blank. "You're not as good as Glenn. Glenn is smart, and you're an idiot".
"What?" Nathan asked, his eyes wide and Osmond shook his head, looking down and pushing his plate away before standing and leaving the dining room. "What's his problem?"
Carmen looked at him silently Nathan. "We just want what's best for you".
"Then why won't you just tell me what you're talking about," Nate demander, and with one last headshake Carmen stood and followed his husband out of the room. "What?"
Before Nathan could follow after them and harass of an answer his cell phone buzzed against his thigh through the pocket of his sweatpants, momentarily startling him.
It was Jean.
"Hey. Do you think I'm an idiot?" Nathan asked immediately and his friend was silent for a moment before responding shortly.
"Yes".
"Not like in general. I mean with Glenn".
"Yes".
"How?" Nathan demanded and Jean made a frustrated noise.
"You still haven't sex with him, right?" Jean asked and Nate rolled his eyes. He was more than positive that his parents weren't upset with him for not sleeping with Glenn.
"I'm not talking about that".
"Then I don't know man. I really haven't been paying attention to you two lately since I only ever see you together during tennis and I would much rather be giving my full attention to the god that is our coach". Nathan was quiet. "He's all I think about, Nathan".
"Damn," Nathan said, picking up his fork and stabbing at his salad some more before shooting a longing glance across the table to his father's discarded plate of spaghetti. "You got it really bad, man".
"Nah," Jean dismisses. "I'm just horny. That's where you come in".
"Wait," Nate paused. "Did you just make a joke?"
"Wha- no. Jesus, Daily. We use condoms".
"Still," Nathan said, stabbing a piece of lettuce and then dropping his fork when he decided he didn't want it.
"Do you want to fuck or not?" Jean sounded irritated now. "I have all this pent up frustration right now".
"I'm sorry. I have work tonight".
Jean was silent for a minute. "Maybe I'll call Nico".
"What?" Nathan demanded. "When did that even become an option".
"He offered," Jean said, his voice strained.
"When?"
"Recently". A pause. "Are you jealous?" Another pause, and then they both laughed.
"Shut up. He actually came onto you though? Are you sure?" Nate asked and Jean made a noise of affirmative.
"Why are you so surprised? He's been hitting on me for like a year now". Nathan recalled Nico's eyes raking over Glenn as they stood in the field behind the tennis courts earlier that week.
"Would it bother you if he had feelings for someone else?" Nathan questioned and Jean snorted.
"Of course not. I couldn't care less, as long as I can get off," Jean claimed and Nathan's eyes rolled. "Maybe I can do the fucking for once. You know, since you're such a god damned pussy-"
"Are you really that desperate? Nico? Really Jean?" Nathan paused to think. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get out of the house?"
"Oh, fuck you".
"Where are your parents?" Nate asked, ignoring the comment.
"Not beating my ass so I don't give a fuck. I haven't done anything wrong so I don't need to leave. I just really want to have sex," Jean claimed, and then he took a deep breath. "Why do you assume that they're worse that they actually are all the time? It's not that bad?"
"Your parents hit you, Jean".
"My father," Jean corrected. "My mother doesn't do anything to me".
"You're right," Nathan kept his voice even. "She doesn't do anything".
"Why'd you have to bring that up man," Jean groaned. "She's scared of him. It's not her fault".
"Well it's not not her fault either though". Nathan was often frustrated with Jean's mother, and often frustrated with Jean for forgiving her all the time.
"You know what," Jean began, his voice tired, "I don't even want to have sex with you anyway. If I wanted to sleep with someone with a tiny dick is at least go to someone who knew how to use it".
Nathan snorted, not at all offended by the joke since it clearly wasn't true. "But you didn't. You came to me". Jean grumbled something incoherent. "You still turned on?"
"Less so, but yeah," the other boy offered and Nathan sighed loudly into the line before looking down at his food for a moment. He wasn't going to eat it, and playing with it seemed a lot less fun than the alternative.
"What me to talk you off?" Nate offered, already knowing the answer the second the question left his lips.
He left his food out on the table and retreated to his bedroom.
***
At work, Nathan thought about Lars David's back to school party. It had slipped his mind for some reason, and Jean hand thankfully reminded him in time for him to take off work next Thursday.
Lars David was only good at one thing, and that one thing was throwing parties. No. Not plural. Party. Every year, at the end of August, nearly the entire school gathered at Lars David's small house and made decisions that they would regret for the rest of their lives. The party was nothing but drinking, dancing, and sex, and it fueled the schools gossip for months.
Nate never missed it. It was by far the most exciting party of the year, and it was his last one. There was no way he wouldn't be there.
"Excuse me sir, could you stop daydreaming and pay attention to me?"
Nathan's eyes widened and he looked up from his position of leaning across the front counter, his mouth open to apologize before he realized who it was. "Of fuck you Pearson".
Glenn's eyebrows raised and he smiled. "You were thinking awfully hard".
"I was bored. We haven't have a customer come inside for the last forty minutes," Nate claimed, giving his doubles partner a once over. He looked good in jeans, Nate thought, but then remembered that Glenn looked good in everything. "What's up Pearson?"
"I was told I could get French fries for free if I came here and entertained a very bored employee," Glenn said and Nathan smiled.
"How'd you know I would be working?"
"Becca mentioned something to me a while ago about you working saturday nights," Glenn admitted, his left hand going to his back pocket and withdrawing his worn black leather wallet. "I believe I was given a coupon". Glenn pulled out said coupon and slid it across the counter to Nathan, who picked it up, looked at it, and then threw it in the garbage. "What-"
"Go sit down Glenn. I'll bring your fries out in a minute," Nathan assured, grinning at the other boy who looked at him with raised eyebrows for a second longer before sighing and turning away to go chose a seat in the restaurant.
Nathan went in the back, told his manager he was going to take his break, and retrieved an excessively full basket of fries.
He joined Glenn at one of the tables in the back. "You're just not going back to work?"
"If you want to eat alone-" Nathan began, already preparing to stand and Glenn made an amused noise.
"I dont, I was just preparing to".
"Nah," Nathan relaxed back in his seat. "I'll keep you company. It's better than taking my break by myself later".
Glenn hummed and reaches over to take a french fry. "I haven't had these fries in months".
"Because you were avoiding me?" Nathan asked and Glenn narrowed his eyes.
"Because you were avoiding me and it made things awkward," he corrected and Nathan sighed.
"Sorry about that. I'll reply you in a great friendship, my lovely company, and lots of french fries," Nate offered in response and Glenn paused, as if thinking about this seriously, and then nodded.
"I'll accept". Nathan smiled, and then had a great idea.
"Oh! A great perk of you being friends with me is that you get to go to all the best parties," Nathan claimed, grinning at Glenn encouragingly as the boy made an uneasy face.
"I'm not really a party person".
"Come on. Have you been invited to Lars's party yet? Come to Lars's party with me. You'll have a good time, I promise". Nathan didn't know why he wanted Glenn to go so badly, but he did. He wanted to see the boy in a new setting, to see how Glenn was when drunk and relaxed.
"You think that I'm not cool enough to invited to Lars David's party?" Glenn asked, still slowly making his way through the french fries, choosing the softer ones to eat first.
"I didn't say that," Nathan immediately defended. "You're changing the subject".
"I don't think I am. The subject was the party-"
"The subject was specifically you attending the party," Nathan corrected and Glenn dropped his eyes. "Come on, Pearson. It'll be fun, I promise. You can even bring your friends".
"They're cool enough go have been invited too".
"I didn't say they weren't".
Glenn sighed loudly, his eyes flicking back up again. "It's on Thursday, right?" Nathan nodded. "We have a match on Thursday". This made Nathan laugh.
"It's a high school party Glenn, not a third grader's birthday. It's at night". Glenn frowned. "Look at it this way: we can win our match, and then we can go to the party and celebrate".
"Why do you want me to go so bad?" Glenn asked quietly, his eyes once again on his fries as he continued to eat them.
"Because we're friends and I want to spend more time with you," Nathan admitted honestly and Glenn paused in his action of eating for a second before sighing and raising his head. As he leaned back in the booth, he pushed the basket of fries towards Nathan.
"Help me eat these?"
"What?"
"Eat some French fries, Nathan," Glenn demanded, watching him with careful eyes. "Do you not like them?"
Nathan swallowed as he stared down at the basket, his eyes wide. "No, I like them".
"Are you not hungry?"
Nate shrugged. "I could eat". He was ridiculously hungry after only picking at his salad for dinner.
"Then eat".
"It's not that simple, Glenn". Nathan eyed him, wondering if he wanted to tell him the truth. It wasn't a difficult decision to make when Glenn looked so sincere. "I used to be... overweight for some time before I came to Springfield. It's just really easy for my to gain weight and I love food. People weren't exactly nice to me because of it so I work really hard now to... look like I do". As Nathan explained, his eyes dropped in embarrassment.
"Nathan?" Glenn asked, his voice unsure. Nate lifted his head. "Why do you care so much?" Nathan shrugged. "Why do you want people who only like you for how you look to be your friends?"
"Well I don't, but it's not just for them. I eat like this because I like how I look when I do. It makes me happy," Nathan explained and Glenn nodded in understanding.
"Does food make you happy".
"I fucking love food".
"Then why don't you find a medium?" Glenn asked and Nathan's eyebrows raised. "Why don't you allow yourself one unhealthy thing a day?"
"I don't think so".
"A week?" Nate shook his head. "What do you eat all the time anyway?"
"Fruits. Vegetables. Salad. Meat for protein".
"French fries are potatoes," Glenn pointed out and Nathan smiled.
"You really want me to eat one, don't you".
"Only if you want to, Yeah," Glenn said, his eyes studying Nathan's face carefully. "Do you want to?"
"Yes," Nathan admitted honestly. "I haven't had one in months".
"Then eat one".
Nathan held Glenn's eyes for a minute longer before sighing and dropping them down to the basket. With a hesitant hand, he reached out and took one fry. "I'm nervous".
"Need someone to feed you?" Glenn jokingly teased and Nathan raised his eyebrows playfully.
"Is that an offer?"
"Just eat the fry, Nathan".
Nate did, and then he groaned loudly as he chewed. "Awe, fuck, it's even better than I remember". Glenn looked pleased and Nathan reached out to take another fry. "Hey, does this mean that you'll come to the party with me on Thursday?"
Glenn sighed. "You really want me to go?" Nate nodded. "Then fine, I guess".
"You'll go?" Nathan asked, grinning at his friend who seemed a lot less enthused by this.
"Yes. I'll go".