Teach Me Something New (Boyxboy)

Chapter Two

It would be one thing if Nathan actually lived on campus, but he had gotten an apartment five minutes away, distancing himself from the college life, and potential acquaintances. "I think I'm just gonna go over to his place".

Reese looked saddened by this information, but Lawson knew it was just for show. "You're leaving already?"

"I have no motivation to stay," was Lawson's response as he struggled to rise from the stupid green bean bag chair. Once, he asked Kye why they had them, and all he had gotten from the other boy was a grumbled response in which only a few words could be made out: Reese, Happy, and Ugly. "Enjoy arguing".

When he left their dorm room, he paused, hand still on the knob as he considered what exactly he would do with Nathan that afternoon. While lazing in the other boys apartment for the rest of the day sounded perfect for the mood he was in, he knew it wasn't good for Nathan to continue to mope around. Besides, there was something Lawson should be doing anyways with his afternoon off.

***

When Lawson buzzed up to Nathan's apartment, the boy had grumbled something in response to his voice, and then the door was unlocking with a loud click, and Lawson entered. To get to Nathan's third floor apartment, he took the stairs instead of the elevator, figuring if he was going to go exercise in the first place, he might as well use it as a warmup. 

The door to Nathan's apartment was unlocked, meaning Nate didn't need to get up off the couch to answer, so that was where he was when Lawson walked in. All the lights were off, and Lawson flicked them on upon entering the room, resulting in a loud groan from Nathan, who rolled over so his face was pressed in the cushions of his couch. "Fuck you".

"You're being pathetic," Lawson accused, crossing the room and pushing open the curtains on one of the two living room windows so he could open it and let in fresh air. He went to the second window and did the same.

"I don't know what else to do, Lawson". Lawson went to stand at the end of the couch, leaning over Nathan's face. He was on his side, curled into himself with his cellphone clenched tightly in his right hand, the screen unlocked. For some- all those Nate had hurt in the past- it might have been satisfying to see the boy like this, broken, but to Lawson, it just made him worry. This version of Nathan was nothing like the boys typical joking self, and he desperately he knew what to say or do to make the other boy fall back into that attitude.

Hopefully, he said, "how about you get your ass up and come play tennis with me," a phrase that would have once made Nathan light up- even after he had decided to quit in college, Nathan loved to play- but now he was just silent. His blue eyes were open, staring blankly ahead at nothing, and Lawson chewed his lip. "Nathan?"

Finally, a reaction. Nate turned his head enough so one blue eye peered up at Lawson.

"Tennis?" He inquired, voice small like a child's. Lawson nodded, a tight smile pulling at his lips, and Nathan rolled onto his back, staring up at him. "Why tennis?"

"Because I want to practice for the season in spring, and your sad ass needs to get out of the house," Lawson pointed out, turning his face to stare at the coffee table, which was covered with an absurd amount of take out containers and candy wrappers- both of which were strange when it came to Nathan, who typically avoided foods that didn't come from a garden until someone forced it upon him for his own good. "You should probably exercise as well". Nate's eyes closed for a second, and then he was pushing himself up with a empathised huff. At least he was still dramatic.

"Fine. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed". Slowly, as if his muscles ached from being there so long, Nate got up off his couch, and wandered out of the living room. Lawson watched him go with raised eyebrows. Honestly, he hadn't really been expecting Nathan to agree, or at least he thought he'd put up a little more of a fight, but he wasn't really upset with how easy it had been to convince Nathan to leave. To Lawson, it was proof that his friend wasn't as helpless as those messages had made him seem.