Page 91 of Septembers

“What’s next?” Dae asked, putting it in the cart. “Buzz Lightyear bedsheets? Glow in the dark stars for the ceiling?”

“Make fun all you want; I know you love this lamp.” It was silver and it changed intensity when touched. Theo decided to name him Albert. “I’m hungry.”

He sighed his Theo-sigh. “I told yo⁠—”

“And lucky for us both, we are in the vicinity of…”

“Don’t say it.”

“Ikea meatballs!”

Dae had no choice. Theo was in control of the cart, and there was absolutely no way to stop him from pushing it to the cafeteria, which was the perfect blend of fast food ambiance and greasy spoon diner. They got their treat, then sat sandwiched between a table of elderly men playing checkers and a group of teens loudly making fun of each other.

Dae stared at the glorious, saucy, savoury meatballs as if they’d said something untoward about his mother. “I need to make sure you know this isn’t real food.”

“If it makes you feel better, then sure. I know.” Theo put one in his mouth and groaned, then stabbed another with a toothpick and held it up. “Just one, Dae.”

He reluctantly leaned forwards and bit it off the toothpick, getting sauce on his lip that he licked away.

Theo shifted in his seat and kept his eyes down, thinking intently about puppies and old people.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Nothing. Why?”

“You look like you’re trying to make the table move with telekinesis.”

“Because that’s what I’m doing.”

Dae poked at another meatball. “Weirdo.”

Things were spiralling out of control. Yes, Dae was attractive. That was a fact. But he’d always been attractive, even in first-year with his dumb floppy bowl cut, and Theo had always managed to lock it down. They’d lived together for three years, for shit’s sake. And sure, he’d wandered into Theo’s private fantasies a few times, but Theo had always been able to get it out of his system and move the fuck on.

Maybe living together for three years was the key. Like exposure therapy. That had to be it. His body had forgotten that Dae was strictly off limits.

All he had to do was remind it. “Why didn’t you tell me about Beautiful Joon?”

Dae seemed surprised for a second, then shrugged. “Because it wasn’t that serious.”

Theo didn’t know why it was so important to him, but he couldn’t seem to move on with his life until they talked about it. “I told you every sordid detail about my dates. I told you about potential dates that didn’t even happen.”

“Yeah.” Dae ran his hand through his hair. “You did.”

“You used to tell me things.” Yikes. He hadn’t meant for that to come out so whiney.

Dae released an exasperated huff-laugh. “It just wasn’t worth mentioning!” When Theo didn’t laugh with him, he sat back in his chair, quiet, studying him as Theo studied the meatballs, which were starting to congeal. “So you want me to tell you about who I date?”

Theo nodded. He needed Dae to tell him about his love life, so he could get a fucking grip.

“Okay.” His head bobbed slowly in a nod, and they sat in a weird, itchy silence as one of the old guys beside them won the game and whooped, the other grumbling.

“Dae…” His heart stuttered and he had to pause to take a deep breath. “I need this to be forever.”

Dae didn’t move. At least, not the parts of him Theo could see: his torso, his waist, one elbow resting on the table.

Then his chest rose with a breath. “Us?”

Theo nodded again.