More than just cookies

"So, did you, find out about that guy?" Leo's question wasn't exactly what Henry thought would be on Leo's mind.

"What?" Henry winced as he was tying a holiday apron on. They were going to do this cookie making or else. There was a list and he was going to have to make gifts this year for Christmas. Yes, he'd gotten back on at the library, but he needed to save his money.

"You know, you ..were worried. You said..you thought you, knew that guy, that was at the play...with Dean." Leo shrugged as if it wasn't that big of a deal, yet he wasn't exactly talking about the other thing, either.

Henry guessed it was mute. Their little excursion. Maybe it was his fault. He hadn't meant for it to turn into something..physical, but it had, and it was good. In fact, great. But he didn't want to move their relationship any further ahead.

He nursed his bottom lip.

"Well? Did she know him?" Leo was serious as if there was some big mystery. As if Henry might be the one with the past with guy instead of Vada.

Now Henry's eyes were like saucers as he looked at Leo, wondering what he was thinking.

"God..you..you think I was with that guy?" Henry winced hard, but he hadn't meant to put Leo on the spot. Yet, he did feel as if he were putting Leo on the spot.

"No." Leo dumped flour in a bowl, dust appeared and he coughed, leaving a little white patch on his chin.

Henry went to check the oven, to see if it was on.

"I don't know him..OK." Henry was a little gruff. "But, I guess..I guess Vada has a past ..with this..this Gage."

He'd gotten that much out of her. Oddly, he felt as if he was under the gun with Leo as much as he possibly made Vada feel she were in the same predicument.

"Look, I dunno why..why my nerves ..get to me, sometimes. I-I was just nervous for Vada. OK. It was dumb. Really, dumb." Henry closed his eyes. "And..and what we did was probably..." There was a certain emotion he wished he could figure out. "Are you mad at me?"

"No." Leo cracked a smile in all his seriousness. "I just want to be there for you, OK?"

Henry bit a smile. He definitely knew Leo was there for him. He just didn't know if he could be there for Vada, in any of this that she was going through, with seeing Gage again.

"Lets get started on these cookies." He reached for the vanilla. Thankfully, there was a lot of it for monster cookies and sugar cookies too.