Page 49 of Septembers

Dae’s drunk. I think he should go home.

You still around? Can you take him?

Theo texted him to meet outside and a few minutes later, Jason came out, his arm secure around Dae, whose head bobbed with every step. “He’s been hitting the shots pretty hard.”

“I got him.” Theo put Dae’s arm around his shoulders and held him around his middle.

Jason patted Theo’s back, the rhythm and warmth of it like a lullaby for his nerves. “You good?”

“Me? Yeah, of course. I’m always good.”

For a moment, he seemed borderline worried, but then he clapped, rubbing his hands together. “I’d go with you, but…”

“The bartender.”

He smiled and winked. “The bartender.”

“Go get ’em, champ.”

“Sing me a ditty.” Dae‘s head fell onto Theo’s shoulder.

Jason let out a spurt of laughter, then backed away. “Good luck.”

“Alright, let’s get you home.”

Jason went back inside, and Theo called a cab. The driver gave Dae a dubious look as they climbed in but then merged into traffic. This was likely nothing compared to what he’d seen.

Dae pressed into Theo’s side, his head on his shoulder, his arm around his middle. “Delight my senses, Theodore.”

“Using my full name.” Theo ignored the warmth spreading through his chest at the sound of it. “You must be feeling dramatic.”

“If you won’t talk, then sing, my angel of music.”

Theo stroked his hair, hoping he wouldn’t puke until after they’d made it home. “What do you mean if I won’t talk? You can’t get me to shut up.”

There was a long silence as the city blurred by, then a sudden, indignant huff. “He laid hands on you, Theo. I wanted to sock him in the mug.”

“Whoa there, slugger.” Theo’s fingers travelled to the back of his neck, giving him a gentle massage that made him hum. Was he talking about the guy in the booth? Had he been watching?

Dae grunted and pushed away, flopping onto the seat, his head resting against the leather. “I’m so sick of waiting.”

“For what?”

“You.” The word was thrown like a grenade, and all three of them—even the driver—braced for impact, sucking in a scared breath, the silence reverberating.

It seemed Theo was the only one equipped to disrupt it, though his voice came out shaky, the thudding of his heart echoing through his body. “Waiting for me to do what, Dae?”

“Come back to me.” He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head between them. His damp hair gently swung in front of his forehead as the car swayed them back and forth. After a few deep breaths, he fell sideways and rested his head on Theo’s lap. “You don’t trust me anymore. I wrecked it.”

There was no one outside of Theo’s immediate family he trusted more than Dae. He was the best thing in his life. He didn’t know how to say that, though, so what came out was: “Fuck, Dae.”

Dae snorted in his lap. “You shouldn’t swear. It’s unbecoming of a gentleman.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You asked to see me. You were in my room. You were on my bed.” Theo glanced at the driver, but his attention was firmly on the road. “I let you see me, and now, we’re not even. Why won’t you let me take care of you? That’s all I want.”

“I—I don’t…” It didn’t matter what he said. Even if he could find the words, Dae wouldn’t remember any of this anyway. So instead of talking, Theo just rubbed his back, encouraging him to take deep breaths.