Case snickered as Julien scrambled about and got a little flushed over his grand entrance as he settled beside Mads. He did notice how the through had come to stand so parted. Everett and Julien on one side and himself and Mads of the other. The thought had crossed his mind at all.<br/>The mood between them all shifted suddenly as Julien collected himself in an instant and suddenly the reason they'd all come together was to come to light.<br/><br/>Case couldn't help but glance around the group as Jules awkwardly stumbled over his words. He half smirked, though it wasn't through finding something funny but rather because he felt so painfully awkward watching him do it whilst surrounded by his other friends, even if he did look kind of cute doing it.<br/><br/>Then he reached out. It was like time slowed down as things quickly clicked into place in Case's brain. That simple gesture, the little pinch to Eve's shirt sleeve and Case felt the world beginning to crumble around him. The light flush to Jule's cheeks and the way he shyly muttered to Everett to 'help out'. Case didn't need the rest of what was coming, it was already painfully obvious and not for the reasons that could be seen before them, after all, Julien could have had any number of secrets. But Case knew of only one that Everett had and that was because he was the only other person who knew it thanks to a bust lip and no one else to turn to. Everett had turned to Case that fateful night and some things had been spoken about and shared in a very uncommon show of openness between the boys.<br/>Clearly he hadn't been the only one to know.<br/><br/>Case quickly realised he'd been staring at Eve as he spoke about it a little more confidently, spilling the facts. A year. They'd been together, behind everyone's backs for a full fucking<i>year</i>. The shot that had bolted through his chest before at the sight of Jule's drawing was quickly ripped back out and bludgeoned through his lungs, stomach, gut and finally impaled in his brain before it felt like he was slowly bleeding out all over the floor.<br/>It was Mads who spoke first, pushing the whole thing off as flippant. Had he known too?<br/>The blonde cleared his throat and picked up a hand to push his hair back, trying his best to gather himself together. He parted his lips and for the split second before the words came out, he realised it had been a bad idea to open his mouth at all.<br/><br/>"A year?" It started off quite casual. "A. Full. Fucking. Year!?" Then quickly escalated.<br/>"What, could we not be trusted with you<i>big</i>secret?" The sarcasm in his voice was venomous but the look in his eyes as he focused on Everett with an underlying message to that question was ten times worse.<br/>"I mean, I get it, not saying I'm perfect or anything. I've got secrets, I'm sure we all do, right Mads?" Case had derailed and was going out in a blaze of glory. His eyes flickered to his other friend for a moment but he hardly intended on letting Mads actually answer - after all, he would more than likely try to calm the situation. Case was in no place to be calm.<br/>"But getting it on between friends for a year and not letting us all in on the joke, that's pretty low guys, isn't it?" He clenched his jaw for a second, taking in a sharp breath through his nose as one hand raised to pinch at its bridge.<br/><br/>"Sorry. Sorry...." He dropped his harsh tone, his whole body slumping a little, eventually his hand dropping down from his face as those vivid blue eyes raised back to look between the lovers. "Don't get me wrong, I don't give a shit that you're both into each other or that you're both guys...." His words trailed off for a second as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his tight, ripped jeans.<br/>"... you know, I just thought we were friends." A shrug quirked through his shoulders and he dropped his gaze away from them.<br/>He didn't linger or wait for any kind of retort, even if any of them had said anything, he wouldn't have heard it. Instead, he walked out of the room, pushing the door open and letting it ease shut behind him.<br/>Somewhere inside he knew he was being a hypocrite on so many levels but couldn't bring himself to face that. Despite the excruciating pain burrowing in his chest, it felt a lot easier to be angry at them and place all the blame than to look in the mirror at the scars he was hiding from everyone else.