You hesitated by the door to Huxley’s apartment, fist hovering over it in an apprehensive display. He’d called you over an hour earlier, but that was for a movie marathon - or a night of playing various Nintendo games with shitty pizza from that place down the road: and you weren’t sure you were in the right headspace for that. Still, you hadn’t wanted to let him down, since Damien was out of town for the weekend and you were sure he’d be missing his boyfriend. Plus, you figured you could use the company. But standing here now, everything seemed to loom over you - the thoughts that had been plaguing you for days now, the anxiety that started to sink in at the thought of having to play the dutiful friend, all smiles and laughter, when you couldn’t even stomach the thought of sleep. With a deep inhale, you knocked before you convince yourself to turn around and drive back home, holding your fist to your chest as though the gesture had burned you. When the door finally swung open, Huxley’s smile was enough to melt the apprehension from your tense limbs.

“Hey, dude, come on in! So glad you could make it!”

He stepped back to usher you into the apartment, and you slid past him with a weak smile of your own. You could almost feel his eyes boring into the back of you as he closed the door, tilting his head at you with furrowed brows. Without missing a beat, he spread his arms wide; an invitation.

“Hug?”