Chapter Text
Chapter 3
Sadie spotted him from across the cafeteria. He was sitting alone at one of the corner tables, absentmindedly eating a sandwich while staring at his laptop screen. Devin was probably between classes. Most people would have gone home by now, but he seemed perfectly content camping out in the cafeteria for no apparent reason. The glow from the screen reflected faintly in his glasses as he watched whatever was playing. Sadie grinned. He was hunched over his computer like a medieval monk protecting ancient texts. She grabbed a chair from a nearby table and dropped into the seat across from him.
“How many classes have you got left today?” Sadie asked.
“None. I only have morning classes this semester,” Devin replied, finally pulling his attention away from the screen.
He glanced at her. Then at the empty seat she’d just claimed. Then back at her. With a sigh, he closed his laptop. Apparently he wasn’t escaping this conversation.
“Then why are you still here?” Sadie asked.
Devin shrugged.
“I dunno.”
That answer seemed completely genuine. Sadie stared at him for a second.
“You know, most people go home when they’re done classes.”
“Seems like a lot of effort.”
Sadie laughed. Devin took another bite of his sandwich.
“Follow me.”
The request came so suddenly that Devin nearly choked.
“No.”
It wasn’t even a question. Just a statement.
“Yes!” Sadie replied immediately.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Absolutely.”
Devin narrowed his eyes.
“You’re being suspicious.”
“Good.”
“That doesn’t help your case.”
Sadie stood up and grabbed the handle of his backpack before he could stop her.
“Hey!”
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“I hate when people say that.”
“I know.”
Devin groaned loudly enough to earn a few looks from nearby students. Sadie simply smiled. Somewhere deep in his soul, alarm bells were ringing.
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
They walked into her apartment, the front door slamming shut behind them. Sadie immediately flopped onto the couch. Devin remained standing in the doorway. Rigid. Motionless. Like a soldier whose mind was still trapped on the battlefield. Sadie watched him for a moment.
“What’s the matter?
“Noth’in,” Devin replied quickly.
The answer was suspicious enough that Sadie didn’t even bother arguing. Instead, she wandered into the kitchen and put the kettle on. A few minutes later, Devin had somehow migrated into the bathroom. He was now sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, staring into the middle distance. Sadie found him there. Naturally. She carried two mugs of tea inside and sat on the edge of the bathtub across from him. For a few seconds neither of them spoke. Then Sadie’s eyes widened.
“Oh my God.”
Devin immediately looked concerned.
“What?”
“You’re avoiding Nathan!”
“No!” Devin practically shouted.
His response came way too fast.
“I’m just giving him space.”
Sadie grinned. Devin pointed accusingly at her.
“Don’t.”
“Oh, you’re definitely avoiding him.”
“I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I’m not.”
Sadie took a slow sip of tea. Devin sighed.
“…But you’re sure he’s not home?”
The grin returned instantly.
“He’s probably not even home yet. He usually gets back around dinner.”
“He lives here. He can come in whenever he wants.”
The way Devin said it sounded less like a statement and more like a prayer. Then, as if the universe had personally decided to ruin his life, he turned his head. Nathan stood frozen in the bathroom doorway. The room went silent.
“Why is he in my apartment?” Nathan demanded, pointing at Devin.
“Why does he live here?” Devin shot back.
His question felt significantly less thought out. The front door suddenly flew open somewhere down the hall. A familiar voice echoed through the apartment.
“Why is the door unlocked? We’re gonna get mugged! We’ve talked about this, guys!”
The uneasy feeling in Devin’s chest immediately doubled. Another person entered. The girl from Saturday morning appeared beside Nathan. She took one look inside the bathroom.
“There is no fuckin’ way.”
Her eyes landed on Sadie.
“You got them in the bathroom?”
Sadie shrugged. The newcomer pinched the bridge of her nose. Then Sadie tapped her forehead three times. A very subtle signal. If by subtle you meant incredibly obvious. The other girl immediately understood.
“Oh.”
“No,” Devin said.
“What?” Nathan added.
Neither of them were consulted. The girl shoved Nathan fully into the bathroom. Nathan yelped. Devin nearly dropped his tea. Before either of them could react, Sadie dashed into the hallway. The bathroom door slammed shut. Click. Nathan scrambled to his feet and grabbed the handle. It came off in his hand. The room fell silent. Nathan stared at the handle. The handle stared back.
“…What.”
The door didn’t open. No matter how hard Nathan shook it. Outside the bathroom
Bzzzzzzzz.
A power drill. Both men froze. Then came another sound. Something heavy being dragged across the floor. A loud thump. A second one. Silence. Then giggling. Lots of giggling. Rage immediately filled Devin’s chest. Nathan looked equally horrified. Cool.
“No.”
Another burst of laughter came from outside.
“No no no.”
Nathan slammed his shoulder into the door. The entire frame rattled. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. The girls were definitely laughing harder now.
Nathan slowly turned around. Devin was already looking at him. Neither of them spoke. Both of them knew exactly what had happened. They had been trapped. Nathan slumped down against the opposite wall and looked over at Devin sitting on the counter. He was silently fuming. Arms crossed. Face completely blank. Which somehow made it more obvious.
“I have a sneaking suspicion we might be stuck,” Nathan sighed.
Devin finally looked up at him. Deadpan.
“Ughhhhh.”
A few seconds of silence passed. Then Nathan tilted his head.
“Why do you follow me around if you hate me so much?”
Devin immediately looked offended.
“I don’t hate you.”
A pause.
“I do find you mildly annoying, but that’s a separate problem.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
“Wow. Glad we cleared that up.”
Devin ignored him. The room went quiet again. Nathan stared at the door.
“Hmmm.”
He knocked lightly.
“Can we come out now?”
“No!” Sydney yelled from the other side.
A pause.
“More talking is needed!”
Nathan frowned.
“That’s concerning.”
He looked back over at Devin. He really did not need this today. With a sigh, he pulled off his still very wet socks. The fabric was cold and uncomfortable, and he twisted them out over the bathtub, watching water drip down. Devin watched him.
“You’re just accepting this?”
“No.”
Nathan squeezed more water out.
“I’m choosing not to think about it.”
Fair enough. Another silence. Then Nathan looked up.
“Why do you come to my work so much?”
Devin froze. Like he hadn’t expected the question.
“To see you, I guess.”
He shrugged slightly.
“I’m not gonna lie.”
Nathan stared.
“Gay.”
The word came out instantly. Devin panicked.
“No, no. I can’t be gay, man.”
His voice got quieter.
“My parents would freak.”
The joking tone disappeared.
“I can’t be gay.”
The second sentence came out softer than the first. Devin pulled his knees up against his chest, looking away.
“It’s not even like that,” he continued.
A pause.
“But somehow it also is.”
Nathan didn’t respond right away. Because now he was actually looking at him. Not just the annoying blond guy who kept appearing at his workplace. Devin looked nervous. The way his eyes kept moving around the room. The way his fingers picked at his sleeve. The way he seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than Nathan. Nathan had gotten himself into deep shit.
“Fine.”
Devin looked up.
“Fine what?”
Nathan sighed.
“At least we’re on the same page.”
Devin blinked.
“I guess so.”
Another sigh. Nathan leaned his head back against the wall.
“Fine. I’ll give it a shot.”
Devin stared.
“A shot?”
“Yeah.”
Nathan shrugged.
“Let’s hang out. And if you still feel the same, we’ll figure it out later.”
For once, Devin didn’t have a joke ready.
“Okay.”
The sound of the door unlocking made both of them jump. Sydney appeared, casually reattaching the doorknob as the door swung open. The two boys stared.
“What about the power tools?” Nathan asked.
Sadie looked completely unbothered.
“We were just fucking with you.”
She smiled.
“We just had an exterior lock.”
Devin groaned. Of course. Of course that was the answer. Nathan looked at him. Devin looked back. Neither of them said anything. Somehow, being trapped in a bathroom for what felt like only twenty minutes was the least weird part of their day.
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
Devin decided to walk home. According to his phone, it was only twenty-five minutes away, which was the perfect amount of time to clear his head. The night swirled around in his mind. He thought about Nathan. He thought about his parents. He thought about everything he had said and everything he was too afraid to say. The sky was grey and dark, blocking out most of the sunset. Strands of sunlight still peaked through the clouds, fighting against the storm that was slowly rolling in. Thin drops of rain began to fall, brushing against his face. He continued walking. The city’s neon lights illuminated his face as the rain washed over him. The rain grew heavier, but his apartment was only the next block away. By the time he unlocked his door, his shirt was soaked through. Katie wasn’t home. Probably clubbing. Or something. Devin sighed as he went to dry off. He pulled off his shirt and paused for a moment in front of the mirror. He looked tired. His eyes dropped to himself, lingering on his reflection for a second too long before he quickly pulled on a clean shirt. He didn’t want to think about it. He dragged himself to the couch and collapsed onto it. Immediately, he felt crumbs underneath him. Of course. He brushed them away, trying to get comfortable. BANG. BANG. BANG. Before he could even turn on the TV, someone was at the door. Devin groaned and rolled off the couch. His bare feet hit the cold floor, and he immediately regretted getting up. The exhausting walk across the apartment suddenly felt like too much effort. He unlocked the door and opened it. A familiar face stared back.
“I lied.”
Nathan stood in front of him, completely soaked through. The downpour outside explained why. Devin stared at him, shocked.
“I got your address from Sadie, and ran here.”
“Okay?” Devin exhaled.
“In the bathroom,” Nathan said, clarifying. “I lied.”
Devin tilted his head.
“About what?”
Nathan looked away.
“I shouldn’t have implied I didn’t like you.”
His voice lowered.
“I panicked. I didn’t expect it, and I didn’t know how to react.”
Nathan sighed, trying to hide the cracks in his voice.
“I just… didn’t know what I was supposed to do.”
Devin stared at him. Then, without saying anything, he stepped away from the door. Nathan froze. For a second, he thought Devin was leaving. The door stayed open. But Devin disappeared around the corner. Nathan stood there, confused. Why did he leave? A moment later, Devin came back holding a towel. He gently wrapped it around Nathan’s shoulders. Nathan understood the gesture. It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t an explanation. It was Devin telling him he was still there. Nathan leaned into the warmth, looking up into Devin’s face. His hand reached around the nape of Devin’s neck, fingers brushing against the ridges of bone there. Devin leaned into the x touch. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Devin looked into Nathan’s dark hazel eyes, memorizing the expression on his face. Slowly, he leaned closer. Until they were barely inches apart. He could feel the others' warm breath. Nathan hesitated. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing against Devin’s. Devin froze for only a second before leaning into it, returning the feeling he had been trying to ignore. Devin cupped the side of Nathan’s face, looking at him like he was trying to memorize every detail. Then devin leaned in again, this time he was more demanding, the pressed their lips toghter in a rhythmic dance.
It’s safe to say Nathan stayed the night