Gary's eyes soften, the steely blue looking at Petey like a puppy begging for attention. The wiry-built, scarred teenager, so much bigger than little Pete, seems under his control somehow. Although he'd never be this way if they weren't alone. Or even, if Petey was conscious.

But the little sixteen-year old is asleep, all traces of worry and hurt swept from his face. All that remains is the blank, exhausted expression of a dreamless, even childlike sleep. He's curled up defensively on the filthy common room couch. For some reason, the other boys decided to let him slumber.

Gary knows Petey is perfect. So small, so fragile, so innocent... So special.

Gary sometimes wishes he was special. Wishes he isn't a creep. Wishes he isn't what he is. He wants to give Petey everything he wants. Everything that makes him happy...

He runs his hands over Petey's cheek, his neck, his buzz-cut hair. He knows that Petey would feel uncomfortable about this, but... It's what Jimmy would do, isn't it?

"Petey..." Gary chuckles to himself. "I wish... I could do this when... You're awake."

Petey's eyes flutter, and Gary leaps away as if stung. What if Petey found him like this? Jesus. He'd lose everything. Power. Control. Face.

Fuck.

He's got to stop doing this, he knows. One day he'll get caught. One day he'd be found out. He doesn't belong here. He belongs in his room, jerking off or hatching evil plans or something.

He almost walks away.

But Petey isn't awake. He's just turned over in his sleep. Now, his thin arm trails on the ground and his face is shmooshed against the pillow.

Gary smiles.

He hears the door scrape the walnut floor of the hallway; Jimmy, perhaps.

"Hey, Gary, what you up to, you sociopath?"

Yeah, Jimmy. God. Gary would always feel a certain soft spot for Jimmy Hopkins, sure, but... He got on his nerves. That open, unscarred face and honest disposition... Sometimes, Gary thought that Jimmy was better for Petey that he was.

But he couldn't think like that, not now. Not when... Not when he was so close to breaking through the walls of his own mind, so close to tearing down the padded barriers and finally accepting who he was.

Petey was the only one who would completely accept Gary for whatever he was. That much he knew. And so, Petey was the only one Gary would talk to, openly and without constraint.

"Nothing much, nothing much... I hear Pinky Gauthier's got a thing for you."

Maybe throwing Jimmy off the scent would stop him figuring Gary out.

But as soon as Gary saw his nonchalant face, he knew Jimmy was here for a reason. Oh, shit. Jimmy always got that look when... When...

"Look, Gary, can I talk to you?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Alone?"

Jimmy's disdainful expression looked strange as he raised his chin to indicate he thought Petey was listening. Gary knew he wasn't.

And he had a really bad feeling about this.

Gary got up from where he was still kneeling at Petey's side and followed Jimmy out of the dorm.