[Cater feels his hands start to sweat as he waits for any kind of reaction to what he knows is a completely out-of-character statement. Vocally out-of-character, at least. He sees the way Trey looks at him sometimes, with eyes that silently tell him what you're saying isn't true, is it? when he laughs over something that he says isn't a big deal when it really is a big deal. When someone or something upsets him, but he pretends it's all cool. Always happy, never serious.

All the times he and Trey have been level with each other, it's never been about himself. The second he was the center of attention, Cater went back to that place where nobody could get too close or know too much. But now, inexplicably, he shares.]

I was riding pretty high on being kissed, for one thing.

[His voice evens out.]

But more than that, he asked me not to make him the only person I let in. I thought running away would be a bad way to start. It would've made things a lot harder for me, and it's already pretty hard as it is.

[Cater takes a breath, then, hands clenching and unclenching before he shoves them under the counter and against his legs.]

My mask is off, now.