InsaneJournal

Who: Fred and George Weasley
What: Brotherly talk, post this journal thread
When: Saturday, Feb. 28
Where: Flat above WWW
Warnings: Tame, but George does not understand bisexuality. WHICH IS AN ISSUE SINCE HE SEEMS TO HAVE COME DOWN WITH A TERMINAL CASE OF IT.


George snapped his journal shut and, as if it were going to bite him, tossed it to the other end of the room. He didn’t do secrets, especially not from Fred, but then again he hadn’t entirely been admitting this one to himself even. He wasn’t really sure what to expect--if he’d said it in conversation, things would be easier, but the journals weren’t supposed to be serious. They were for mucking around, and for making fun of Percy. He braced himself, though he really wasn’t sure against what. It wasn’t like he expected Fred to be upset about it.

---

Fred was REELING. What, what was this? George, all this time, had kept that from him? How had he not SEEN it? KNOWN IT? Was he the worst brother ever? Here George was, with this secret about possibly not being straight and Fred had no idea. He felt awful, a bit shaky, but mostly just worried. He worried that George was upset by this, or that it was hurting him keeping it a secret, or Merlin forbid that he thought Fred wouldn’t be accepting. He could feel his heart racing as he jumped out of his bed and left his room immediately, walking the few paces to George’s room. He knocked, but he didn’t really wait to be let in.

He just opened the door, and sat down on George’s bed. “Okay. Let’s talk. This is a thing, and I’m not going to just let it go without talking about it. So, tell me.”

---

George ran a hand through his hair. “Seriously, it’s not a thing. It’s...I’m...mostly over it. There’s no reason to talk about it, other than...I mean, now you know, right? It’s not a big deal, I just didn’t want to make Lee uncomfortable, so I didn’t see any reason to bring it up. Okay?” And that was probably all that needed to be said, he thought, except of course-- “It’s not--I like girls. I mean, I liked Angelina for a long time in school. I’m not gay, if that’s the talk we’re having.”

---

He wasn’t gay, but he liked Lee. He fancied LEE. LEE of all people. Well no, not of all people. If Fred swung that way at all, Lee would be his top choice too. But here George was, trying to be dismissive about it like it wasn’t something that warranted talking about. “But you didn’t tell me, George. Me. I’m your twin, and I had no idea that you were having feelings like this.” And how isolating that would be. Look how long it had taken their uncle to come out? Except, George said he wasn’t gay. He liked Angelina. Oh. OH. They were dating each OTHER. Fred’s heart broke a little. “So - is Lee the only boy you ever fancied? Or do you fancy boys and girls? I mean - I just. I want to understand, George.”

---

Something about the conversation was so--absurd, so surreal, that George started laughing. He knew it wasn’t really the time, but since when had they ever laughed at appropriate times? It wasn’t even funny, not really, but Fred was reacting the way George wanted to. At last he managed to take a breath. “I didn’t not tell you. I just didn’t really...know?” That sounded stupid, he knew it did. “I mean...I kinda knew, I just wasn’t thinking about it. It didn’t seem like there was anything to tell.”

He put his face in his hands, still half-laughing. “I don’t--it’s probably just Lee. I mean, I’ve always liked girls. I don’t think there’s much to understand.”

---

George was laughing. Most people might find this rude or annoying during a serious conversation, but Fred didn’t. It was just kind of how they did things. Fred and George were rarely very serious people. Still, he patiently waited for George to stop laughing and answer the question. The probably was not lost on him. Fred was incredibly observant - you sort of had to be to be a master mischief maker, didn’t you?

“Probably?” He pressed, brow raised slightly. “I just - it must be kind of shite you know, to feel things and not understand them and have no one to talk about them with and I love you George, no matter who or what you like sometimes or not at all or whatever.”

---

That, at least, he knew. He couldn’t quite articulate why the whole thing had him in knots, but he’d never doubted that Fred--and the rest of their family, for that matter--was behind him 100%.

“Probably, yeah,” he said again. “I mean, it would be fine if I were gay, I’m just...I’m pretty sure I would know. It’s not...a crisis or anything, Fred. I can ask Ada out if you’re really that worried about me, it’s not like it would be a hardship.” He paused, then added, “But thanks.”

---

“It’s not a crisis. Gay, straight, both, whatever. It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want you to think you’re alone in figuring it out. And if another guy comes along, then that’s fantastic. You don’t have to ask anyone out that you don’t want to.” He added. He sort of didn’t want him to ask out Ada to begin with, but even less if it was just to make Fred happy. “You can always tell me these things. Okay?”

---

“Both?” George raised an eyebrow pointedly. “Appreciate the pep talk, but I’m not sure you’d be so helpful in figuring things out, at that rate.” He grinned at his twin and elbowed him in the ribs. “Seriously though, I know. I wasn’t not telling you on purpose. Now, for the love of Merlin, you have to swear to me you won’t tell Lee.”

---

George did not seem to think Fred was helpful because he suggested both. “Yeah, both. Why not both? If you can fancy more than one girl at a time, why can’t you fancy more than one gender?” Fred wasn’t sure what the problem was there. He just never thought of anything as being off limits. This was just another thing that was a thing, wasn’t it? He smiled when George elbowed him, though, and nodded seriously. “I will not tell Lee, I swear it.”

---

“What--that doesn’t--Fred. Entirely aside from fancying multiple girls at a time--which is a good way to get into trouble, by the way--you’ve got to decide sometime, don’t you? Like I said, I’m mostly over the Lee thing, presumably at some point in the near future I’ll meet a girl I actually do fancy, and there we are.” George made a vague ta-da motion.

“Just...imagine if Katie wasn’t interested in you, or wasn’t into guys, or whatever. You’d get over it, right? And you wouldn’t necessarily be interested in someone else right away, but eventually...you would. So that’s where I am, all right? I’m still mostly straight or whatever, I’m just in that downtime. Which I would have just told you except we apparently had to have this conversation first.”

---

“I know it’s a good way to get in trouble.” He did. OH did he. But this wasn’t about him and his issues with liking Ada while going out with Katie, whom he also liked very much. This was about George and his might-like-boys-and-girls thing. “Why not both? Why do you have to choose?” Fred asked, not letting it go. He had a bit of a habit of latching on to something and not letting it go. It was a bit obsessive, really, but Fred didn’t care.

“Since when have we ever had to choose just one thing? I don’t see why it matters if you like Lee one day and Angelina the next. Not that you like either, really, I’m just using them as an example.” He was pretty sure George did, but that was irrelevant. “You can do and be and snog whoever you like whenever you like provided it’s not hurting anyone.” He shrugged, totally unconvinced by the idea of liking both actually mattered.

---

George was unimpressed by his “creative” examples, but it wasn’t really the major issue here. “I’m not snogging anyone at the moment.” And he was also trying very hard not to think about snogging Lee one day and Angelina the next--or on the same day, or--nope, he was definitely not thinking about that at all ever. “And when I am, it’s bound to be an incredibly fine bird, so all this business about choosing is not really an issue. Okay?”

---

“If you say so, George.” He almost didn’t want to let it go - but he could tell George wasn’t exactly pleased with him and he might be pushing a bit too hard. Fred didn’t want that, he wanted George to be able to figure it out on his own without him pushing. If he pushed, George might just shut the idea down entirely and Fred didn’t want that. At least he… planted the seed of thought, or whatever? “I’m sure she’ll be a mighty fine bird.” He patted his brother’s shoulder and gave him another smile, trying not to sigh heavily because he just wanted George to be happy and having a shit crush on Lee who would never like him back and being confused did not exactly lead to happy.

“Alright, any other secrets to know or can we start planning the birthday planning party?”

---

George smirked a little. “Well, there is one…” He waited a beat, for effect. “I don’t have a favourite ice cream flavour. I like cherry cordial and rocky road.”