A Very Gay Reboot

Yuri waited awkwardly in front of the coffee shop, unsure of whether or not to go in. On one hand, he wanted to meet the person who had slipped him the note; on the other hand, his money had been stolen earlier that day, and loitering in a coffee shop seemed rude.

He pulled his oversized sweater tighter around his torso, bracing himself against the chilly breeze.

Blair had picked a seat in a relatively quiet spot. He was sure Yuri would recognize him right away. After all, Blair had stolen his money just earlier that day. He sipped on a frappuccino, patiently waiting. He hadn't seen Yuri yet. Maybe he wouldn't even come. He hoped he came, though. He really did.

Growing tired of waiting, he decided to enter the coffee shop--if they weren't there, he'd just leave.

He froze when he saw Blair Liu--fuck. He didn't ave any money, which means he'd probably get beaten this time. He stared at the door, considering making a run for it.

"Yuri!" Blair said, and he hoped his tone sounded friendly enough. "I'm glad you showed up." He stood up, holding his girly drink before he awkwardly tried to set it back on the table. He wasn't sure if he should sit or stand so he awkwardly stood and waited.

He approached, feeling he had no other option.

"...What do you want?" he mumbled hoarsely, trying to keep his body language still and non-confrontational.

"I...thought...I wrote the note," he blurted. "I thought you had realized that, I mean..."

He cleared his throat and sat down, trying to hide his coffee.

"...Oh?" he said, completely thrown off. He stared at the ground, unsure of whether he should be embarrassed or not.

"You know I don't have any money, right? This isn't some kind of prank?"

"No! I mean, I have...I brought..." Blair dug a twenty out of his pocket. "Money for you...with some extra, 'cause...yeah."

He shifted awkwardly in his seat.

Yuri sat down across from him, staring at the money suspiciously.

"You know I'm a B student, right? If you want someone to write your papers, try one of the other dudes you shove into lockers--they'll do a better job."

"I don't need anyone to write my papers, I can write them myself," Blair replied, grinning with pride. "But...I just...wanted to do something to make things right because...I feel...bad..."

He cleared his throat. This was way more awkward than he'd thought it would be.

He frowned at the money, scrunching up his nose.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.

"...guilty," Blair admitted, unable to look up at Yuri.

"...Huh," he said, meeting his eyes. His shoulders relaxed; Blair seemed more nervous than he was.

"Well, thanks, I guess. Is that all?"

"No, actually, I..." Blair adjusted in his seat. "I was hoping we could...hang out...or something. But only in private 'cause...of...you know."

"Because your dickhead brother will beat us both up?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you have plenty of friends anyway? What makes you think I want to hang out with you?" He lowered his eyes as he spoke. He did want to hang out with Blair; it had been years since he had really hung out with anyone.

"...pretty much," Blair admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. His hair was short, but he wanted to grow it out again. He wondered how long he could get away with before Kyle said something. "I have...friends but they aren't really friends. They're not smart or fun or...anything." He sighed.

"...if you say no, I won't force the issue."

He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"...I'm not smart or funny, but we can hang out, sure. Just please stop beating me up, okay? The bruises are hard to explain."

Blair smiled suddenly. He nodded.

"Okay, okay, I'll try!" he promised. "It's...well...I'll try to avoid you as much as possible in school, all right?"

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, shrugging. "See you when I see you, I guess?"

Blair smiled somewhat pained.

"...sure."