One Shots 3.0 [boyxboy]

Double Trouble

I knew he noticed though. I could see that he was hurt, but that just kind of made me madder. Why was he so hurt when he wasn't even bothered to make any effort with me?

The following Monday, their first day back at class, I sat at the coffee table over my sketchpad while Mason sat across from me with one of his textbooks, ignoring Danny as he got ready to go to his early morning lecture. I'd been switched to the later shift at work for the first week back, which meant my mornings were free to work on my school and art assignments.

'Okay,' he said distractedly, as he double checked that he had all the books he needed. 'Still on for lunch later?' he asked Mason, who nodded. 'Alright. See you tonight, Dylan,' he added, as he started to move from the door of his room towards the door of the apartment.

'Stop calling me that,' I snapped, looking up from my work.

He hesitated, surprised and, if I'm not mistaken, a little scared. 'What?'

'Stop calling me Dylan. You only ever call me that when I'm in trouble, it's making me anxious.'

I could see Mason sliding further down in his armchair, pouring his full attention into his book so he wouldn't have to listen to this.

'Okay,' Danny said. 'Sorry.' And then he was gone.

I tsked in annoyance, leaning back over my sketchpad, but in too much of a foul mood to really do anything.

'Okay,' Mason announced after a second, putting his book down. 'What's going on here? I told you to only do this if it was long-term, and it's only been a week.'

'Not me,' I muttered. 'Him.

Mason looked perplexed. 'What's Danny done?'

'Nothing,' I muttered. 'That's the point.'

There was a beat of silence and when I chanced a glance up, I could see understanding dawning on Mason's face. 'Ah,' he said. 'I see. Okay. I mean, that's just something you're going to have to put up with for a while.'

I made a face at him. I really didn't want to be talking about this shit with my brother, but I didn't have anybody else and I wanted to know what was going on. 'What's that supposed to mean?' I snapped.

Mason laughed. 'Come on, dude,' he said, and when I shot him another look, making it clear I didn't know what he was talking about, he exclaimed, 'He's so intimidated by you! You're going to have to throw him a bone. Talk to him about it. You know. Be a boyfriend.'

I was about to spit out some scathing response or other but I bit it back, thinking about what he'd said for a minute. Maybe he was right. Maybe when the guy you're, you know, with, or whatever, starts acting weird, you're supposed to talk to him about it instead of taking the nuclear option and assuming the worst.

'Where are you going?' he asked a half hour later when I put my things away and started shrugging on my jacket.

'To be a boyfriend,' I muttered, slamming the door on his self-congratulatory laugh and making my way across town towards the campus. I set myself up leaning against the wall across from Danny's morning lecture, stuffing my hands in my pockets and glaring at the ground until I heard the door opening and looked up to see his class spilling out through it. He appeared after a couple of moments, chatting with some of his classmates, but stopped, his mouth dropping into a little "o' of surprise when he saw me.

'Hey, Trouble,' he said haltingly. 'What are you doing here?'

'Thought I'd walk you home from class,' I said, sounding a lot more confident than I felt.