Page 76 of Septembers

He didn’t have time to watch Dae’s dots appear and disappear. Nick was already knocking at the door, and Theo’s hair was refusing to cooperate. Looking effortless took a lot of effort! He heard Jordan open the door and immediately regale him with a story about a new type of cheese she discovered. They’d implemented this strategy many times: distract the date so they were too overwhelmed to realize they were being made to wait. Worked every time.

“Oh, Nick, I didn’t hear you come in.” Theo made his entrance and spun so Nick could fully appreciate his outfit. “I was in the east wing, tending to the drapery.”

Nick gave him an amused chuckle. He did that a lot. Jokes weren’t his forte, but he knew when to laugh at Theo’s, which was arguably more important.

He was Black, tall, and had a smile so warm it could fry an egg. And it was currently aimed at Theo, miraculously.

“Thanks for coming with me tonight. It’s a confidence boost having some arm candy.”

“Being arm candy is my special skill. It’s on my resume and everything.” He gathered his wallet and phone, checking Dae’s message as they left.

Dae

Have fun.

“What are you smiling at?” Nick tried to peek at his phone, but Theo moved it out of the way, which was stupid, so he held it up. Nick stopped on the stairs to read the message. “I don’t get it. Is that an inside joke?”

“No, it just took him so long to write it. Happens all the time; he writes for forever and then the message is like, ‘goodnight’. If I was paid for the time I put into watching Dae’s dots appear and disappear, I could be one of those millionaires getting my yacht attacked by orcas.”

“You watch the dots?” Nick’s eyebrows were up, but he was half-smiling to show he wasn’t jealous. Nick knew Dae was Theo’s best friend and even said he was excited to meet him when he came back.

“Are you saying you don’t watch my dots?” Theo continued down the stairs, giving him a flirty wink over his shoulder.

Nick seemed nervous in the cab, fidgeting with his sleeves and rattling off historical dates. The party was a celebration for him earning a tenured professor job, and all his smartypants colleagues would be there. What he saw in Theo was a mystery, since he often mixed up the World Wars.

They climbed out of the cab in front of a classy bar devoid of the neon signs, loud music, and drunks that adorned the places Theo usually frequented. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he could call it a bar. This was a lounge.

“Hey.” Nick took his hand and pulled him back before they could go inside. “I do watch your dots.” Theo was lost. Nick laughed and shook his head. “Your messages? I watch the dots when you’re typing. It gives me butterflies. Do people still say they get butterflies?”

Shit, he was so cute. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, whatever they call it. I get them every time you type. Or laugh. Or smile at me.” He took a deep breath and held it, then let it out with the words, “I really like you, Theo.”

“I really like you too.”

The wattage of Nick’s smile could’ve blown the lightbulbs around them. Theo’s stomach was wiggling, but it wasn’t butterflies. As Nick kissed his cheek and led him inside, Theo realized something that turned the wiggling into dead weight.

He never watched Nick’s dots.

༻𓆪 𓆩༺

dae?

Dae

Here.

i did something bad

How bad?

kissed someone else

Are you okay?

im trash doesnt matter if im ok

You're not trash.