Heels over head.

Casper had a crush. Oh god, he had a crush. He didn't want a crush, but there it was. There it always was, lurking about in the back of his mind.

Sipping gently on his cup of hot chocolate, his worried eyes stared over at the person sat in front of him, both hands clasping about the warm mug as if it were some form of life support. It had only really dawned on him that morning that he had a crush on someone, led on mostly by a sweet little dream he'd had the night before, involving things he didn't feel comfortable speaking aloud about. The more he thought about it, the more undeniable it became. He hadn't had a real crush on someone for ages, and it spurred a dreadful feeling in his chest every single time that he tried to think of ways to possibly get around it. And that was how he ended up at Starbucks.

Casper hadn't been at the school for very long. A mere couple of weeks, really, seeing as he hadn't attended the school until after a week of arriving in France. And in that week, he had found that one of the best places to spend his hours was the small, comfortable coffee shop, especially as he had met someone there that seemed to have a wonderful insight into what people should do with their troubles. And that someone was the person sat in front of him, a questioning expression upon his features.

"So, you have a crush on some dude called Barney?"

"Yeah. I mean, no. Barney's a girl, Luke."

"Ohhh." Luke had been sat with Casper for the past ten minutes or so, still in his work uniform whilst the teen before him wore a pair of jeans and a royal blue t-shirt, his jacket rested over the back of the chair. "So, um.. what's the problem? Has she got a boyfriend or girlfriend or something already?"

Casper had never really thought about whether or not Barney was already seeing someone, and it was obvious as he began to look more contemplatively at his drink. He'd never seen her with anyone else.. but then, he hadn't seen her that much outside of their classes together. Not that he hadn't wanted to.. he just seemed to seize up every single time he attempted to bring up the topic of them maybe hanging out outside of class, or every time that he did see her outside of the classroom. He found it almost impossible to gather up enough courage to speak to her and, for anyone who knew Casper, this was a quite strange thing.

It was possibly one of the reasons why Luke and Casper had become relatively good friends in a short space of time - neither of them usually struggled to say what was on their mind, and they didn't usually mind all too much as to how others perceived them. But, it seemed that Casper just couldn't get this across with his new-found crush.

"I don't think she does. I mean, I hope she doesn't," the teen frowned down at his hot chocolate as he spoke, appearing almost disheartened by the fact there was a possibility of it. "Well, I mean I don't hope she's lonely or anything and I'm sure if she did have a boyfriend then he'd probably be amazing because she seems like the sort of person who makes good decisions. Not saying I'm a bad decision, bu-"

"Cas, you're babbling," Luke smiled, watching his friend from the other side of the table. "I get what you mean. So, what's this girl like, then?"

The younger male sighed as that question was asked, a brief silence filtering between them before he allowed himself to speak.
"She's wonderful." A small side smile spread itself across his lips, blue eyes flicking upwards to finally look back across to the older man in front of him. "She's smart, sweet.. she's really friendly, but not in a pushover kind of way. I could imagine her standing her ground against pretty much anyone." It seemed that the more he talked about her, the more that feeling in his chest seemed to swell. It was crazy. He'd only really realised that he had a crush on her that morning and it was already becoming unbearable, but he knew that there was almost no chance that he'd be able to act on these feelings..

"Why don't you ask her out then?"

"Because I'm a bumbling moron." Cas closed his eyes, head tilting back down at his cup, his fingers going to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Whenever I try to properly talk to her, I end up over thinking everything I say and.. then I start worrying that she thinks I'm an idiot, so I pretty much try to abruptly stop the conversation. Guh, I'm such a retard." He groaned under his breath, eyes remaining firmly shut as his mind simply rolled in the self pity he was creating for himself. Casper wasn't typically the sort of person that sat hand-in-hand with his pessimistic views, but there he was.. and it made him feel even more pathetic. He was glad that he was there with Luke, though, knowing that his friend would sympathize on some level with his troubles..

"Oh, come on, man up, dude." Eyes flicked open. Wait, what? "Casper, you're a nice guy and you're pretty easy on the eyes. The worst that can happen is that she can say no."

"No, the worst that can happen is she feels sorry for me, so says yes and then gradually starts to hate me. And then some day I find out that she's actually engaged to some big, tough guy that could snap me like a twig. Then I'd end up emotionally crushed and living on the streets because I started drinking at work and got fired for trying to have a brawl with the office shrub an-"

Smack.

"Ow! Why'd you slap me 'round the back of the head?"

"One, because I thought it'd be too mean to slap you 'round the face. And two, because you were babbling again. Seriously, man, just go and ask her out. The more time you spend worrying about it, the more anxiety you're going to build up for yourself. Just get it over with. If she says no, you can start on the road of recovery. If she says yes, then we can talk about how you're a bumbling moron with a wonderful girl on your arm." Luke smiled over at Casper, a reassuring tone to his features. "Come on, you can do it."

The teen nodded his head as he took in the older male's words, processing them gradually in his mind. He was right.. maybe he should just try and do this. Maybe everything would work out. Standing up from his chair, Casper grabbed a hold of his jacket and slipped it over his arms.
"You're right. I'm gonna do this. I'll go and see her right now." With that, and a short nod, he headed out the door of the coffee shop.

"Okay. I guess I'll pay for your hot chocolate, then!" Luke grinned and shook his head, deciding that he should maybe get back to work.

---

It took barely five minutes for him to be standing outside of Barney's dorm, fist held just a few centimetres away from the door in preparation to knock. He stood there, staring. Oh god, was he really about to do this? What if she said no? What if she wasn't there? What if some random, hot French dude answered the door, mumbling something unintelligible about screwing a purple and green dinosaur? Eyes widened and breath hitched in his throat, his arm acting of its own accord as his fist knocked against the wooden door before him. Crap. He'd knocked. Crap crap crap crap.

Mere seconds later, the door swung open, revealing the girl that made his heart thump harder in his chest, almost threatening to break out past his ribs. Over her legs were a pair of dark jeans whilst a simple purple shirt covered her torso. She looked just.. so cute, and her light smile made his mind swim with thoughts.
"Hi, Casper. What's up?"

"Buh.." Oh god, his words were failing him already. He needed to talk properly. He needed to manage those simple few words. "Bu-erm.. um, I.. I was, um.." 

'Oh, spit it out, you idiot.'

"Y-you, maybe.. I.." He breathed out of his nose after his failed words tumbled from his lips, brows coming together before.. he just gave up. Turning on his heel, he began to walk away from her dorm, hands slipping inside his jean pockets, feet ever speeding up the further down the corridor he got. Ignoring any questions that followed him, he simply rushed away, making his way down the main stairs until he was finally out in the fresh air. Sighing, he closed his eyes as his body faced out to the rest of the school grounds, hands going to rest at the back of his neck. He just couldn't do it. He didn't want her to find out he liked her.

He didn't want her to reject him.

I wanna scream I love you from the top of my lungs.

"Eben, stop worrying about it."

"I can't help it. What if they hate the idea? What if your dad starts throwing stuff at us?"

"Can you really see my dad getting off his ass to throw things? It's Mom you should be worrying about."

"That's not funny."

The older male chuckled as he gave a gentle squeeze to his partner's arm whilst they both walked down the drive to his parents' home, hoping to maybe reassure him that what they were about to do was okay.

"Trust me, Ebs. They'll be cool with it." Luke was always the more laid back of the pair and had been since they first started dating. Heck, even before that when the pair had just been living together for the Summer. You could always guarantee that if there was one person in that household worrying over something, it would be Eben. Luke couldn't help but find it endearing, though, seeing just how much his lover worried over something as simple as telling his parents that they were dating.

The night before had not exactly been an easy one, and so it was understandable just why Eben was nervous to speak to the Yates'. After all, having your parents meet the person you're currently in a relationship with is nerve-wracking as it is, let alone coming out of the closet at the same time.. and revealing that the man you love is, in fact, the son of your father's best friend. It had been a difficult evening and Luke could entirely understand, but he knew that there was no reason for Ebs to get upset by the prospect of having to also tell Yates and Frankie. But no matter how many reassurances he threw his way, the younger male maintained that worried look behind his pale blue eyes, the uncertainty just so thickly flowing out of him.

As the pair approached the front door, voices could be heard within, voices that were highly familiar to the twenty-six year old. He couldn't help but grin as he briefly listened in, halting his fist near the wooden rectangle before him, not yet knocking.

"Frankie?! Can I have a cake?!" It was obvious that they were in separate rooms as they shouted to each other, voices quite easily heard from just behind the thin door.

"Lucas, do I have to tell you again?! Dinner is going to be ready soon, and we'll be eating as soon as Luke and Eben get here! So, no, you cannot have cake!"

There was a brief pause, before a quieter response came, "Even a small bit?"

Chuckling, Luke finally rapped his hand against the plain door before him, muffling over the most likely response of 'No!' from his mother. Green eyes glanced to the side of him where Eben stood quite nervously, eyebrows together as his features just beamed that uncertain mood at anyone who looked at the poor lad.

"Hey," the older male said softly, gently nudging his elbow against the other's side. "Come on, smile. They'll think someone's died if you walk in with that look." Forcing a smile just in time, the door swung open to reveal a man in his mid-forties, wearing a very old Metallica t-shirt, some baggy jeans, and a thin, navy dressing gown over the top. This was, what Luke was very proud to call, his father.

"Heeeey!" exclaimed an obviously pleased Yates as his eyes fell upon his son and the son of his best friend. "You're finally here. I was getting fucking hungry, and Frankie wouldn't let me touch the food until you both arrived." Grinning, Yates moved to one side, hand ushering the pair into the house, muttering a general 'come on, get in' as he did so.

It had been a while since Luke had set foot in this house, almost a year it seemed. It was crazy to think that it was only last year that he'd officially moved out to go and live in France with his sister and the vast majority of the Smith siblings. It hadn't been too difficult a decision to make, surprisingly, and he most certainly didn't regret having done it. He was pretty certain his parents appreciated having the house to themselves again, too, rather than worrying about the children running amok about the place. Now, Frankie only had to worry about Yates running amok instead. Luke had to admit, though.. it was nice to be home. There was that familiar feel to the place, the walls that he had grown up within, the familiar smells of his mother cooking him dinner.. his senses were so overwhelmed that he almost forgot just why they were there, at least until his gaze fell back to Eben, seeing the young man stand quite awkwardly in the centre of the room after trailing in from outside of the door frame. The softest of reassuring smiles was sent his way, something that was missed by Yates as he led them from the hallway and into the living room.

"So, is that wanker Louis still trying to get into Felicity's pants? No offence to your brother, Eben, but he's a twat," the elder of the three males said, heading over to one of the walls which had what appeared to be a walking stick leant up against it.

"I think he's already been in her pants for a while now, Dad."

"Hmph, bastard." The response was quick after what seemed a short time to deliberate just what to call the youngest of the Smith clan, Yates' hand reaching to grab a hold of the stick before him.

"Dad.. why do you have a walking stick? You were walking just fine a few minutes ago.."

"Your mom won't let me get a motorised scooter when I'm older because she thinks I'll run people over with it.." There came the sound of a soft chuckle from the end of the room where Eben was stood, as if it were obvious that the young male would have had the exact same reaction were he to have had to make the same decision. Yates chose to continue with his little explanation, despite the fact he could see the grin extending on his son's lips. "So I'm trying to show her I can be responsible with old people equipment like this walking stick."

"So far, he's hit the mail man, three kids that came 'round to ask for their bouncy ball back, and a cat that managed to sneak in whilst I was at work." It was at that moment that Francesca walked in, a tea towel in hand so she could dry the water off from her fingers, a welcoming grin on her lips. "Hey, baby boy." Luke's grin grew to match his mother's as he briskly walked towards her, arms wrapping snugly around her in a loving embrace, squeezing her gently before parting away from her.

"Hey, Mom," his voice was soft as he let her go, gaze flicking back around to Eben after realising that the male was still stood there silently, the only sound escaping him being the gentle sound of his shoes shuffling nervously against the carpet. It seemed that he had caught Frankie's attention, too, as her eyes went to the twenty year old, smile still warm.

"Hi, Eben, you okay?" she asked gently, picking up on that almost nervous vibe from him, though simply assuming that it may have been because it had been a while since they'd last seen him. It wasn't very often that they got to see much of the younger generation now that they were all living in France, and it had been quite difficult to begin with, especially with both of their children being so far away. But now, it wasn't as bad, and they had grown to treasure the moments that they did share with each other.

"Oh, um, yeah," was Eben's quite quick response, a weak smile forming upon his lips, one that wasn't all to convincing to at least two of the other people in the room (obviously, Yates being the one excluded, seeing as his mind was otherwise distracted with whatever was on the television screen).

"He's just a bit off from the car ride over here, Mom. He's still not used to how quickly I drive," Luke chimed in, attempting to take the spotlight away from the nervous Ebs.

"Ohh. Don't worry, Eben. His mom taught him well," she grinned, reflecting upon the fact that she was the one to teach Luke how to drive. It had been decided that Yates wasn't to, seeing as he wasn't exactly the best driver out there.. well, he was okay, as long as quick reactions weren't needed all too often in his journey. Eben nodded his head lightly, his smile briefly extending to try and show that he was in some way reassured of Luke's driving, even though his qualms weren't at all related to the older male's skills on the road.

"Right, anyway, food is out in the kitchen. Come on, before it gets cold."

---

It didn't take too long for the four to get settled at the table and start eating the meal that had been prepared for them. Luke had missed his mom's cooking, and he had to admit that he was quite glad that it had been her making the effort instead of his father (he could still remember that year when his mother was away, and the food memories weren't particularly pleasant). Though trying his hardest, Eben was struggling with his meal as the subject that they were sure to bring up soon was just whirling around in his mind. He truly loved Luke, and knew that the feeling was reciprocal, but the poor lad still struggled to admit to others just to what degree that love went to.

Being in denial for so long about his sexuality, whilst also having the pressure of his father's opinions of him, didn't help matters at all. He was pretty certain that Frankie and Yates didn't have any idea about Luke's and his own Summer fling back in France, and he knew that his parents had not yet spoken to the pair about it. After all, the Yates' were a quite forward family, and he knew that it would have been mentioned by now were they aware. Oh, he was so nervous about what they would say.. what they would think of it. He didn't even know how on earth they were going to bring the topic up, or how they were going to break the news to them..

"Oh, by the way, me and Eben are dating each other now."

Cough. Splutter.

Eben turned his wide-eyed gaze over to Luke after recovering somewhat from nearly choking on the mouthful of food he'd just eaten, shocked at how suddenly the male had spoken out about it. He hadn't broken them in gently, nor given them any preparation for the news. He'd just.. outright said it. Why on earth..?

"Yes!" Eyes turned to look at the end of the table where Yates was sat, his arms raised slightly, knife and fork still in hand. "One of Jason's kids is gay with my son!"

"Oh, Lucas.." Frankie frowned at her husband, rolling her eyes at the apparent pride that Yates was now beaming with.

"What? It means J owes me ten dollars.. be happy, I'm bringing more money in." Shaking her head, Frankie gradually stood up from her chair, placing down her knife and fork before quickly shuffling over to stand between where Luke and Eben sat.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you two." She smiled as she leant down to press a small kiss to both of their cheeks, taking little notice of the shocked expression upon Eben's features. "You know I still expect grandkids somehow, though, right?"

"That's still a little way down the road, Mom."

"Okay, okay," she responded with a grin, wrapping one arm around each of their shoulders, drawing them in for a hug.

"You know how we should celebrate?"

"Lucas, if you say by having cake, you'll be wearing one as a hat."

".. but I want cake."