Chapter Text
It had been two weeks since Rosa and Freddy’s conversation. There had been one week left of school and since school was multiple hours a day of being busy studying, it was difficult for Billy and Freddy to see each other. He just spent lunchtimes in the bathrooms, which was pretty much what he was doing before he met Billy, or spent breaks and lunches with either Hannah or Aryan. It was sort of hard to avoid Billy, but he managed. If anything, he was struggling with the idea of being away from Billy during the first week of the holidays. He had asked Rosa to keep Billy booked and busy, either with extracurriculars or days out with everyone else or even with her, and if she couldn’t do that, take Freddy away. Which was easy since Freddy would just go to the library. He used to just study in there quite frequently until the London trip came up, and he had started to do research on the airport they were going to and if it had had any accidents and what the process of flying to a different continent was like. He’d go on Reddit where people talked about flying accidents or incidents they’d have, no matter how severe, and figure out how him, his friends, and Hannah’s family could avoid drama with other people flying or at the airport and injuries and accidents on the plane… or falling off the plane. If you couldn’t tell, he had had an amazing week while to his lonesome. Pretty much the only time he had come home was for curfew, to eat, or to pack. He had messaged the group chat Hannah, Aryan, and Billy were a part of, reminding them consistently to pack everything essential and to bring their boarding passes and passports. Hannah kept joking that she lost them, giving Freddy daily heart attacks but eventually other things made him worry much more. It was the night before and Freddy had made Billy get their suitcases and bags out and open them. He had a list of everything they needed, and he kept checking the necessary items repeatedly. He didn’t want to miss something out, did he? If either him or Billy had forgotten something, everything would go to waste; every moment of planning would have been for nothing. It was 6pm, Freddy constantly checking his phone. He wanted both him and Billy to go to sleep at around 6:30 so they’d have enough sleep for the airport since they were leaving for Hannah’s at 1 in the morning. Billy came into their bedroom, surprisingly tidy. He glanced down at Freddy. He was sat on the floor, his legs crossed, his crutch tossed to the side as per usual—Freddy hated that thing badly—and their suitcases open and on the floor. Billy sighed. “Freddy…”
He ticked a box on the list he had made. “Uh-huh?”
“Don’t you think you should be…” Stopping. Drink some fucking water. Shower. Put some clean clothes on, “getting ready for bed? Long day tomorrow, don’t you think?”
“I have half an hour.”
“Freddy, you’re stretched to the limit.” He sat next to Freddy, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulders. But that’s exactly what Freddy despised. Billy comforted him out of kindness, not love. Billy was straight, the odds were against him. He was going to be alone for the rest of his life. “Maybe—” Freddy blinked back into reality, “—you should relax for a bit.”
“But—”
“But you’ve done everything. Literally, everything.”
Billy could have been right, but he didn’t know that Freddy had to constantly be around the guy he liked and act like his best friend. Billy didn’t know how worried he was about embarrassing himself by asking out a guy who didn’t even like him, or worse; Freddy would losing his best friend forever. Freddy closed his notebook, putting it on his desk with his pen and leaned on it to stand up. He picked up his crutch and decided to give in to Billy. He nodded, the bags under his eyes suddenly becoming so much heavier than before. “Okay… Yeah, let’s go to bed.” Billy smiled softly, turning off the lights. Freddy went over to his bed, sitting on it and starting to change into the shirt he usually wore to bed. Billy took off his shirt since it was summer and he wasn’t insecure like Freddy. Probably because he went to the gym four times a week. Freddy glanced over at Billy. He was a little ashamed of peeking but it’s not like Billy could see him. His back was facing him, and it was dark. Eventually, Billy got into his bed, under the sheets and Freddy laid down, letting his superman sheets swallow him whole. He hated that Billy was laying there, going to sleep, and Freddy couldn’t just go over there and cuddle into him and get kisses until he fell asleep. He hated the idea of Billy being straight, living his life with a girlfriend while Freddy would have to watch by the sidelines. Alone. With a best friend that thinks his smile is real. He stared up at the ceiling, like he did a fortnight ago when talking to Rosa in the living room. He got that sense of nostalgia, remembering a time when he didn’t know how he truly felt about Billy yet. He felt his chest tighten, his throat ache, and his eyes sting with tears. Freddy let them fall. He knew he needed this.
~
“Amor, wake up.” Freddy blinked awake to see Rosa kneeling beside his bed.
“I’m up.” His voice cracked. He sat up, realising the superman sheets were half on the bed and half on the floor. He tugged them back up onto the bed and laid back down. Rosa woke up Billy who sat up, slouching tiredly. Freddy glanced at him through groggy eyes. His hair wasn’t as messy as his, naturally amazing as always. He was still shirtless under the sheets.
“Can’t believe we have to get up and drive, like, three hours at 1 am.” He practically sobbed.
“Why’d you think I asked Rosa to wake us up at 11:30? So we can sleep iiiiiinnnnn.” Freddy smirked, closing his eyes.
Billy smirked. “Nice.” He stood up, his tight boxers being the main reason for Freddy’s closed eyes. They had a tradition of sleeping in together. And by ‘together’, quite literally together. Billy dragged himself over to Freddy’s bed, lifting the sheets up. Freddy was about to have a fit since he was cold until he realised what Billy was doing. The taller boy laid on top of Freddy’s exhausted body, groaning as he let the sheets fall over him. He felt Billy’s body lay gently on top of his, Billy’s warmth making him blush. It happened every time they cuddled together in bed, which was thankfully not every night. Billy wrapped his tanned, muscular arms around Freddy’s pale, slim back, pressing his face against his neck. Freddy closed his eyes again, smiling subconsciously at the feeling of Billy being close to him. It almost felt like Billy and him were a couple.
“We only have half an hour until we really need to get up.”
Billy pressed his face against Freddy’s neck. “That’s plenty of time to wake up.”
Rosa came in, putting in her earrings hurriedly. “Get up, you two! We’re gonna be late.”
“No, we won’t.” Freddy said through Billy’s perfect, brunette locks. “I said we needed to get up for 12 instead of 1 because you always wake up late or take forever to get ready.”
Billy laughed. “You really did think of everything.”
Rosa cursed in Spanish and walked away but was secretly thankful of her foster son’s preparedness. He really did think of absolutely everything. Freddy ran his slim hands through Billy’s hair who sighed against his skin at the feeling. He secretly tilted his head a little down and smelled his hair. He smelled like a thunderstorm would when walking outside late at night, probably because he was Captain Everypower, and had his own natural scent that everyone had. They stayed exactly like that for the remaining thirty minutes of spare time they had until Freddy checked his phone, the wallpaper him and Freddy watching a movie. He smiled at the memory before actually looking at the digital time. 12am now. They had an hour to get ready.
“Come on, it’s time to get up.”
Billy groaned. “Drag me.”
“Me? I’m the retarded one, Drag *me*.”
Billy smirked, sitting up finally. Freddy climbed out of bed, from under Billy’s body and his superman sheets, and grabbed his crutch from the floor. He slipped his hand through the support and gripped the handle, leaning on it as he started to get dressed. Soon enough, they were both ready with their suitcases and bags and went out to the family van. Rosa got into the driver’s seat and started the engine; the old machinery rumbling was like a sleep spell over Billy. It soothed him and he slumped against the seat, his head falling onto Freddy’s shoulder. Freddy sighed as he felt weight fall onto his shoulder, looking to the side to see Billy’s eyes closed. Freddy watched him inhale and exhale heavily, clearly hating the idea of being awake at such a disturbing time. Freddy laid his head on top of Freddy’s, wishing that Billy was straight.
“You still have a chance, you know.” Freddy glanced at the driver’s seat, Rosa looking through the rearview mirror to see her foster son. “He could still be…” Rosa did the gay thing with her hand, making Freddy giggle. Maybe Freddy did have a chance, but he bet it was small. Billy didn’t seem like the kind of guy to like guys.
~
Rosa arrived at Hannah’s house, their minivan in front of Rosa’s. Freddy looked around sleepily, Billy sitting up. “Are we here?” Billy asked.
“Si, amor—”
Hannah opened the passenger door, her blonde curls waving as she glared at the boys in the back. “You’re late!”
“Late night traffic.” Freddy countered.
“Ay, ‘late night traffic’.” She closed the door again, opening the side one to help them with their suitcases. She dragged Freddy’s for him, Billy following her closely since she was tugging his sleeve and rushing them in Spanish.
“Hijo,” Rosa said softly, still sitting in the driver’s seat, “Come in here for a minute.” Freddy put down his rucksack and climbed into the passenger’s seat, closing the door behind him as he dragged his crutch.
“What?”
Rosa gave him a knowing look. “You know what.” He knew, he just didn’t want to talk about it. “You keep thinking that Billy does not like you, but you don’t have any proof that he doesn’t. I see it every time you look at him.”
“Well, it’s not like I have proof to prove he likes me.” Freddy said insecurely.
“Because you haven’t properly looked for it. Ask him a few subtle questions, get Hannah or Aryan to do it for you so Billy doesn’t get suspicious.” Rosa advised.
“But what if they get the wrong signal, or I get the wrong signal and I ask him out and turns out he’s just straight.”
Rosa unlocked her seatbelt, leaning over to Freddy. “Mijo. Don’t get caught up in it. You will make yourself crazy, to the point where London won’t be a fun trip with your friends, it will just be miserable and depressing and you won’t have any fun at all.”
Hannah opened the passenger door again. “Freddy, we have to go. Come on!”
Rosa hugged her foster son; the boy she had been taking care of since he was ten years old. “Don’t let your head get to you, amor. If you don’t do anything and just watch, you’ll be watching your life go by without you.” Freddy teared up, just like earlier than night when he was crying in bed about Billy, but he wiped them away this time. Rosa kissed his cheek. “Take your meds everyday and don’t walk when you know you can’t.”
He nodded but suddenly he didn’t want to leave, he wanted to stay in the van and hug Rosa. The woman who had fixed his crutch when the Breyers broke it, the woman who had held him when his leg had swollen up so bad when he was younger. Freddy got out of the van, leaning on his crutch and picking up the rucksack he had dropped on the pavement from before. Hannah closed the passenger door, following Freddy. “What was that?”
He wiped a remaining tear as they made their way to Lydia and Berto’s minivan. “Nothing. Come on.”
Lydia spotted Freddy and smiled brightly, despite it being 1 in the morning. “Hola, Freddy.”
“H-Hola, Lydia.” She kissed his cheek, and he climbed into the minivan. “How’re we all gonna fit in here?”
Aryan climbed into the driver’s seat, looking back at Billy and Freddy. “We’re not. Us four are gonna be in Lydia and Berto’s minivan, and Hannah’s family are going in my car. It’s their size and plus we need the storage for the suitcases and bags and stuff.” Hannah opened the trunk door, shoving suitcases into the back, almost emphasising Aryan’s point. They stuttered. “Hannah, do you n-need help?”
She struggled, pushing Freddy’s suitcase in. “I got it.” Hannah got it all in eventually, smiling at her triumph. She closed the trunk, walking around it to get into the passenger’s side. Hannah sighed, smiling as she put on her seatbelt. “London, here we come.”
Aryan smirked, starting the engine. “More like John F. Kennedy International.”
~
They had a three-hour drive until the airport since there was a lot of late-night traffic and Philadelphia isn’t exactly small. Freddy was journalling in his seat behind Hannah’s, constantly checking Google Maps on his phone to make sure they were on the direct route to the airport. Hannah was listening to Cuban music on the radio on a low volume and Aryan was focused on driving while Billy was just on his phone, scrolling. Billy groaned. “I can’t believe we have to drive all the way to New York at 1am.”
Freddy stared at the maps on his screen. “It’s not that bad. Also, I thought you were a morning person. You go to the gym at like 6am sometimes.”
Billy shrugged, looking up from his phone. “I don’t wake up at 1 in the morning to go to the gym though. Plus, we’re gonna be flying for like eight hours too.”
Aryan participated in the conversation too, their hands still on the wheel. “And all that time in the airport.” Hannah groaned tiredly, which everyone seemed to be doing this morning. Aryan took her hand. “We don’t have that long a drive until the airport, Hannah.”
“It’s, like, a three-hour drive!” She exclaimed.
Billy glanced over at Freddy who was still journalling and glancing at Google Maps on his phone. “Aryan’s got their phone set up, you don’t need to check every two seconds.”
“But what if their phone runs out?” Fredy murmured anxiously.
Aryan’s brows furrowed. “It can’t, it’s on charge.”
“You’ve been worrying about the trip since Hannah asked us.” He ruffled Freddy’s jet-black curls, Freddy shoving his hand away. “Just keep journalling, distract your mind. We’re going to London.”
“I liked you better when you were tired.” Freddy grumbled as Billy took his phone away from him, tucking it into his pocket. “What’re we doing in London anyway?”
Hannah spoke up from the passenger seat. “We’re gonna go on the London eye, see Big Ben, my parents have some other landmarks planned too. Like Buckingham Palace.”
Aryan smiled. “That’ll be fun. Can’t we go to Making of Harry Potter World too?”
Freddy shook his head. “I don’t really wanna go to that.”
Billy scoffed. “I’m surprised you’re not begging to go there.”
“A couple months ago, J.K Rowling donated 75 grand to the British government to change the legal definition of a woman to a biological woman. Plus, she said all the money she makes is going into anti-trans organisations across Britain. I hate that bitch.”
Hannah snorted. “I had no idea she was such a bitch.”
Aryan sighed. “I read about that. I saw her on Twitter the other day, she reposted a video about this woman saying trans women ‘dress up’ as women because it makes them horny. I can’t believe there are people who think that.”
Billy’s smile fell. “Wait, people actually think like that?”
“Yes!” All three of them said before Aryan continued. “When I say I’m non-binary, some people think I’m some guy that gets hard off that stuff.”
Freddy laughed. “Anyways, I don’t really wanna go to Harry Potter World if it’s funding her.”
“I’d rather go to Regent’s Park anyways.” Hannah shrugged.
Freddy than smiled, looking out the window. “I do wanna go to the Natural History Museum though.”
“I’m not going to a museum when I’m in London, fuck that.” Hannah went back on her phone, looking on her list of things to do when in London that she had made when she was thirteen. She really had always wanted to go. Freddy gasped.
“You don’t wanna go to the Natural History Museum? It’s got fully developed skeletons—”
Hannah shook her head. “It’s my trip, I’ll drop you off here if you keep asking me.”
“Because you’re the one driving?” Aryan smirked, Hannah slapping their shoulder and laughing, telling them off in Spanish.
Billy wrapped an arm around Freddy’s shoulders, jokingly putting him in a headlock. “I’ll take you to that museum then, nerd.”