Page 27 of Septembers

“What’s wrong?” Dae asked, studying him a little too closely.

“No, nothing.” His voice was way too high and squeaky. “No, I just…” He forced out a dumb laugh. “I’m just a little stung you never told me you’re bi. I had to find out from Torrid Love Affair, which, well, I guess now he’s your Torrid Love Aff⁠—”

“No, he’s not. And what are you talking about?” Dae shook his head like nothing in the world made sense. “I told you and the guys first year.”

“Nuh uh!” Perhaps not a very dignified response, but there was no way Theo knew Dae was bi. That definitely would’ve hindered his (super successful) attempts to squash his crush.

“Theo.” Dae’s sigh was a bullet, short and pointed. “It was the Halloween party. You were trying to find me a hook-up for the night and asked what my type was?”

A hazy, alcohol-soaked memory surfaced: Dae dressed as Toad, his vest open, revealing his bare chest beneath, Jason and Caleb as Mario and Luigi, leaning into the huddle, everyone straining to hear Dae’s answer over the music and laughter, Dae saying something and Jason and Caleb nodding, eyes shooting to Theo, who had been too distracted by Dae’s exposed skin to focus on anything else, but couldn’t admit that, so he’d just nodded.

Shit.

“Wait.” Dae seemed to be having some kind of revelation. “Did you think I was straight this whole time?”

“I mean…yeah?” His cheeks were burning. His ears, too. Hell, his whole damn body was on fire.

“Theo!” Dae’s laughter was too joyous for the situation. “Are you messing with me? You really didn’t know?” Why did he seem so happy? “But you kept telling me to ask out my language lab partner.”

“Right, Toni. A girl.”

“Tony. A guy.”

“That is a unisex name, Dae!” How had he gone a whole year without realizing? Had he really been that determined to mark Dae impossibly off limits that he’d ignored every clue that he was queer?

“I—” Dae squashed his lips together in an attempt to wrangle his smile. He was having entirely too much fun with this. “I can’t believe you’ve…”

He trailed off, shaking his head with a soft smile.

“We’re getting off track.” Theo needed to contain this situation. Yes, Dae was bi, great, good for him and congratulations to the entire human population, but that didn’t change Theo’s mission. Dae deserved to be with someone amazing, and Theo was going to make that happen. “Kabir.”

Dae’s smile dropped. “What about him?”

“Did you like kissing him?”

Another Theo-sigh floated out of Dae as his amusement dissipated and he shrunk into himself. “I’m begging you.”

“Talking about social situations and getting input about it helps to alleviate social anxiety.” He’d read some books about it over the summer. “It normalizes…something, I don’t remember. Just tell me. Please?”

“Uuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhh.” Dae melted into the chair, leaning his head back. The muscles in his neck strained and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

Theo closed his eyes, willing away the image of him on the edge of the bathtub, looking up as his mouth⁠—

“Are you going to see him again?”

A quick shake of his head.

Shameful relief. “Because you don’t like him or because you’re shy?”

“Both.” He picked at his sandwich, ripping off a piece of the bread and placing it in his mouth slowly, like he wasn’t sure he actually wanted it. “We have that group thing today.”

Theo had forgotten about the group thing. “Why didn’t you like him?”

“Too forward. We’re meeting Jacinda and her roommates at seven. Do you still think we should go?”

“Yes. Did he make you uncomfortable?” His blood was running hot at the thought of Dae being forced into something.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”