It wasn't that Freddie was happy about seeing his personal life plastered across the Internet as though he was a public figure. He was pissed, but it was also kind of nice to see them saying something actually true for once. Also he was deeply distracted by the way Leo looked in the photo. He'd been buried in his neck, unable to see his face, but now he could see it and it was a thing of beauty. Freddie wanted to make Leo look like that again and again and again.

He pinched the screen to get a closer look, smiling to himself and blushing a little as flashed from the night before appeared in his head.

"Hey!" Nikki said flicking Freddie on the forehead go get his attention.

"What?" Freddie answered rubbing the spot she flicked him.

"Are you getting this?" she asked.

"Yeah," Freddie said still smiling at the picture.

"I don't think he's getting it," Tim said.

"He's definitely not getting it," Nikki said.

"Freddie you just got outed," Tim said deep gaps between each word like he's giving Freddie time to comprehend easy one individually.

Freddie looked away from the picture to give his attention to Tim.

"So?"

"You're okay with that?" Nikki asked.

Freddie shrugged, "No of course not but there's nothing I can do about it now."

"Is this some kind of trauma response?" Tim asked. "Are you numb to feeling?"

"No," Freddie's lip curled in confusion.

"How do you feel?" Nikki asked.

"Hungry?"

Tim groaned and Nikki rolled her eyes.

Despite what they thought, Freddie wasn't totally oblivious. He knew what they were trying to say and he appreciated their concern, but it wasn't any of their business. People had said worse about him before and part of him really liked the idea of everyone know he was with Leo.

"Fine whatever you do you," Tim said.

"I'm gonna report it," Nikki said ignoring Freddie's import.

"Wait," Freddie interrupted pulling out his own phone.

"What?"

"Let me save the picture first."

Tim's head fell down against the table and Freddie held back a laugh.

"You do you just don't read the comments," Nikki said.

That was the worst thing to say, of course, because the moment she said it Freddie couldn't stop himself from scrolling down even though he knew it was a terrible idea. They were for the most part to be expected, some girls talking about how hot they were, some less than subtle homophobia, and then there were the comments Freddie recognized.

Freddie Cook's such a player of course he goes both ways!

Pick me next Freddie!

Hope that guy knows what he's in for. Freddie Cook only knows how to break hearts.

Imagine being such a slut you decided to turn a footballer for fun.

Freddie sighed. It was only a uni page, the chance Leo has seen it was pretty small, but Freddie didn't want him to be caught off guard. Rubbing his face, took a second to save the picture before he stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Gotta make a call," Freddie said.

As soon as he was outside the roar of conversation that filled the canteen, Freddie pressed call on Leo's number. It went straight to message bank. He tried not to worry to much. It was probably fine, he told himself. Leo was fine. The picture was harmless, and everyone would forget about it in a couple of hours when someone fell over on the field or something. Still.

Freddie called Leo again. Straight to voice mail.

Maybe Nikki and Tim's anxiety was rubbing of on him. But Freddie was starting to freak out a little bit. He thought about heading back to the canteen but he knew Nikki and Tim would only make him more panicked.

"Fuck it," he said before he took off running towards Leo's place.