the edge of reasoning

 "Why didn't you tell me?" Steve asked who was trying to help Alfie settle into his room at Poppy's.

"What was I supposed to tell you?" Finally, they managed the blackout curtains on the rod and hung them evenly. Steve suggested they get them. There was a lot light that came in from the street at night.

"You know, moving in." Steve still pestered him that he was doing everything by chance these days.

Alfie let out a small sigh. "Can't you just worry about yourself for a change?" Alfie winced, but Steve winced back twice as hard.

"No, I'm sorry, somebody has to look out for you," Steve told him.

"Oh, I don't think I'm that bad off," Alfie's smile was open. "You're so funny, when..when I know you don't mean too." That's when Alfie asked Steve if he'd talked to his parents about moving in with Simon.

"I can't," Steve looked a bit sad as if he was in a certain prison he could not escape. "I don't..I can't  hurt them, all right."

"So you say, but can you go on living this way?" Alfie crossed his arms. He'd known from the get-go that Steve liked guys. Not that he'd ever brought it up, but it was a hidden truth in Steve's nature. "Maybe, maybe they even know."

Steve went to put up Alfie's Star War posters. He was silent as if there was nothing to talk about. 

They tidied up the room and Steve plugged in the starry night light which shown the stars on the ceiling when the lights were out.

"They wouldn't like it. They would disown me," Steve finally told Alfie. 

"Yeah, but you've got Simon, you know," Alfie shrugged as if that had to be hope.

"I dunno. If he really got to know me, he'd know," Steve hugged himself harder.

"Know what? You're a hard worker. You..you could still be the science teacher you always wanted to be," Alfie reminded him.

Steve shook his head, no. 

Alfie knew now, Steve didn't believe in himself.