Better Sorry Than Safe

Asher's head snapped down to the problem, reading it and gasping at the answer.
"Oh!! You got it right!" He squealed, clapping his hands excitedly.

Aristotle hugged Asher tightly, bouncing around on the bed and giggling like crazy.
"I got it! I got it! Asher I got it!"

"You got it!" Asher beamed at him. He took the other boy's face in his hands and pressed their lips together excitedly.
What was he doing...?

Aristotle didnt move, his body rigid, and his eyes wide yet he had yet to pull back. He wanted this..But he couldnt have it.
He shoved Asher away, pressing back to the wall and wiping his mouth, his eyes wide and upset.

Asher blinked at him before standing and quickly grabbing his things.
"I... Aristotle... I'm sorry... shit I.." He hadn't meant to do that but he'd never thought Aristotle would push him away... so quick...
And he never would've thought it would hurt.
His voice trembled like never before as he hurriedly packed up.
"Bye Ary... Call me if you want anymore help... I'm gonna head home for the night... youre really smart... congratulations." And he was gone. Running from the house as if his life depended on it.

Aristotle was quiet for a long time, his bottom lip trembling.
well he had lost a friend....
He let out a small wail and hid under the covers, knocking over his books, his phone, his play station controller and everything. He couldnt believe this, he hated it....

Asher hid under the blankets in his own house. He wrapped them around himself tightly, covering his whole body like he used to as a child when something scared him...
As he trembled, it hit him.
He loved Aristotle. At least liked him a lot...
He didn't just want to fuck him anymore...

And thats why Aristotle could not trust another person with his heart. He did it once...He got hurt...made fun of and he ended up all alone.
He did not call Asher again. Not for weeks. He stayed in his bed, under the covers hiding and refusing to get another tutors, snapping at anyone who came in the room with his slow voice.

Asher was much the same... only one allowed in his room was KYndal. They stayed under the blankets together.
Kyndal simply held Asher to his tiny chest. He had no clue what had happened. Asher wouldn't say. But he knew his friend was hurt and that was all he needed.

Chord had caught wind of this and immediately was over at Aristotle's home, he brought Joslin and Avery with him, letting them do as they pleased while he stepped into the room, expecting to get something thrown at him like everyone else but he didnt get anything. He stepped into the room, knowing that the trembling lump under the silk black covers was his friend. He sat on the bed, lifting the covers and frowning at his friend.
"Aristotle...."
"H-He kissed me..."
"He?"
"A-Asher....A-And I-I liked it..."
Chord frowned and shook his head. "Aristotle..."
"And n-now I cant b-be friends with him...."
"Why?"
"B-Because H-he will hurt me..."
Chord nodded, crawling under the covers and opening his arms for his friend, who jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Joslin stepped into the room and frowned as he listened. He stepped outside and called Asher.
"Hello?" Asher sniffled.
"Asher damnit!"
"What?"
"I told you not to hurt Aristotle! He's crying cause of you!"
"Jos-"
"No Asher! Come on! He's my boyfriends best friend! I asked you to leave this one guy alone and-"
"Joslin!"
"You couldn't leave him alone for me?! I told you he was slow and sensitive and god damnit Asher!"
"JOSLIN! LISTEN!" Asher cried hard into the phone.
Joslin just noticed he was crying...
"Wh-wha? Why are you crying?"
"I love him..."

Chord glanced up, hearing his lover yelling into the phone. He was so tempted to go see what he was doing, make sure whatever he was doing it wasn't too bad but when he took one look down at Aristotle, seeing the pain in his friends face he let it go and just hugged his friend.
"He just kissed you?"
Aristotle nodded. "Y-Yes..."
"And what did you do?"
"I-I pushed him a-away."
"And then?
"H-He left a-and I--I havent ca-called him since..."
"How come?"
"B-Because I-I like him...W-Well...." he sighed, shaking his head. "I-I think I-I might lo-love him and n-now I cant s-see him!"

Joslin spoke to Asher a minute more before hanging up and peeking in the door.
"Chord? Can I talk to you a sec? You can come right back in.."

Chord nodded, letting Aristotle go and kissing his forehead before stepping out to talk to his lover.
"Yeah baby?"

"Whats he saying?" He asked. "How does he feel about Asher?"
Asher was in LOVE. Anyone who was close toAsher like he was knew that this was big news...

"He is upset. He said he thinks he loves Asher and thats a bad thing because now he cant see him anymore, because he liked the kiss and he loves Asher and if he seems him they might...get closer and Asher will hurt him...." Chord sighed softly.

"Asher loves him too..." Joslin sighed. "He's never loved anyone really. Well not that he's told me about."

"Joslin....can I trust him though? I cannot let him hurt Aristotle. He can't take it...." He shook his head. "Joslin....I dont know about Asher but I know about Aristotle and I cant let him hit it and quit it."

"I can trust him... so you can trust him to. I've never seen him cry over a guy like this... I know the difference between what he sounds like when he's trying to get a guy in bed and when he's telling the truth... I trust him..."

"So what now? Aristotle wont call him, wont talk to him on his own because like you his made a promise to himself."

"Same promise?" He frowned lightly.

"He....He promises to never even...touch another man. Not to want to or anything. He swore off relationships for good baby. He wont even have sex with anyone. He cant take it, you know..." He shrugged, hugging his lover tightly and kissing his nose. "And I dont know if Asher can fix him....I mean...."

"Okay baby... trust me. If anyone understands his mentality its me." He nodded. "You can stay here with him... I'm gonna go to Asher's alright? Call me if you need me." he pecked his cheek and jogged off.

Chord sighed softly, looking back at his friends room and deciding he would go gather some snacks, it would be a long rough night....

On his way to Asher's, he stopped at the store and bought an entire cart full of pints of Rocky Road ice cream. It was heartbreak time.
They'd done it for Kyndal once when he thought some guy wanted a relationship and really only wanted sex. They'd done it for Zac three times. When Quincy hit him. When Quincy left and when Mark raped him. Whoever was hurting sat home and cried. The other three brought as much ice cream as they could carry and spoon fed the crying one until they barfed. It was rather effective.