As Mitch left his last class, he had two texts from Scott.
Scottie Bear-
home from work and ur not here :(
i cant figure ur school out wtf where r u
Mitch was quick to text him back with the name of the building he was leaving. He walked out the two doors, still typing.
With his head down, he accidentally bumped into somebody, who was quick to grab his arm to stabilize him.
Just as Mitch looked up to apologize, he was met with wild blonde hair and the blue eyes he fell in love with. Mitch smiled up at him. "Hey, sorry. My bad."
Scott made sure that they were out of the way of other students walking out of their classes, as he took a few steps back and pulled Mitch with him. "You shouldn't walk like that, not looking where you're going."
"I know, I'm sorry." Mitch responded honestly.
Scott gently placed a hand on the side of Mitch's face, gently tracing over Mitch's lips with his thumb. "I think I can forgive you."
Mitch stared up at him, before letting his own hand come up from his side to gently pull Scott's hand away from his face. "Thanks."
Scott realized what was happening, remembering where they were. He took a small step back to give Mitch a grin, so Mitch would know he wasn't offended at all. He reached a hand out. "Can I take your bag for you, babe?"
Mitch wasn't one to deny pampering, so he slid it from his shoulder to pass off. "Thank you... Did you walk here?"
"Yeah. Alex and Avi were like, hardcore making out while Avi was trying to leave for work. So I just dipped out, and figured I'd try to enjoy the outdoors for once."
Mitch giggled, walking beside Scott as they walked toward the edge of campus. "Good for them. They've been having a rough time recently."
"Yeah, I know. Avi keeps asking me for advice." Scott didn't continue, or elaborate at all.
Mitch looked down at his feet. "You don't think... Something bad is gonna happen between them?"
"Considering what I saw before I left? No."
"No, silly... Considering all the other shit that's been going on between them."
"Oh." Scott took a moment to really think about that. "I'm not sure."
Mitch just hummed, not responding to that.
Scott suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket to check, but he quickly put it back into his pocket without typing out a response.
Mitch couldn't help but grin. "Considering how quickly you blushed and then put that away, I'm gonna assume that was Avi."
"The response your describing was actually a result of seeing two different texts, but yes one of them was Avi."
"Let me guess. Texting you about how phenomenal Alex is in bed."
"Bold of you to assume he'd use a word that big. But yes, that's the gist of it."
Mitch giggled, looking up at him. "He's like a little kid sometimes."
"Yeah, well... He doesn't get excited about lots of stuff, so I just let him run with it."
"Wait, you said two texts. Who was the other one from?"
"Kirstie."
"The fuck? Why does everyone text you more than me? I'm so upset."
Scott glanced at him. "Well I'm the big daddy of the family, so."
Mitch huffed at him. "You'd best not be anybody else's daddy but mine." His eyes widened at his own response, remembering how public the sidewalks were near the campus.
Scott grinned widely. "I promise I'm not. Kirstie just gets boy advice from me sometimes. Which I always tell her is silly, because there are better people for her to ask. But whatever."
*
Avi was using his small, work apron to keep Alex pressed against him, the apron around Alex's waist with Avi's hands holding either side.
Alex was allowing it, but suddenly had to turn his head to breathe. "You gotta go?"
"Gonna be late." Avi breathed.
Alex tried to step back. "Oh, right... Sorry."
Avi used his hands on the strings of the apron to pull Alex back into him roughly, staring up at him as they got closer. "Don't be sorry. My choice."
Alex placed both hands on the sides of Avi's face, leaning down to kiss him once more, before leaning away. "Okay, you gotta go."
"Don't want to."
"Avi.. If you don't leave now, I'm not gonna be able to let you go."
Avi grinned up at him. "I would literally love that."
"No, no." Alex stepped back one more time, a little stronger to push back against Avi's hold. "We have a date at six, when you get back."
Avi nodded. "Can't we do both?"
"No, I gotta study while you're gone." Alex reminded himself, trying to convince himself that Avi had to go.
"Damn, I love watching you study."
Alex couldn't help but giggle. "What? Why?"
"Can't talk about it, or I won't leave." Avi responded easily, truly believing he wouldn't have enough self control to force himself to walk away.
Alex crossed his arms over his chest, to keep himself from reaching out. "Okay... Maybe you should go. I don't want you to get in trouble."
"I won't." Avi grinned. "I'll just blame Scott."
*
Alex was hunched over a book, sitting at the dining room table with his notes and other paperwork taking up most of the table.
Scott held the front door open for Mitch, and glanced at him. "Hey, Xander."
Alex looked up, and stretched out his back. "Oh, hey." He suddenly cringed a little. "Hey, sorry about earlier, Scott... I was in a weird mood."
Scott just smirked, and closed the door behind Mitch. "No need to apologize. I would've stuck around longer, but Mitch would've called me creepy."
Mitch glanced at him. "For watching our two best friends make out? Yes that definitely makes you creepy."
Scott just smirked, stepping closer to look down at the table. "Woah, look at all this smart people stuff."
Alex glanced down at it too. "Yeah, I'm a mess. But I can get it out of your way if--?"
"No, it's all good." Scott assured him, carrying Mitch's backpack down the hall to set it down in their room.
Mitch stayed with Alex, and picked up one of the pages to read it. "Test in neuro coming up?"
Alex just sighed. "Always, it seems."
"Well that's what you get for studying brains, dude. They're complicated."
Alex just grinned, and reached out to snatch the paper from Mitch. "Is this the one about the amygdala?" He shook his head when he saw it. "Nope."
Mitch leaned across the table to see if he could find it. "You need a better system than scattering all your work across the table."
"I know." Alex suddenly frowned. "I'm having a hard time, stop making me feel bad."
Scott walked out of the back bedroom, to sit at the table with the rest of them.
Mitch glanced at him. "Scottie, look for a paper that says amygdala."
"That says what?"
"Look for Amy." Mitch tried.
Alex pulled a paper out from underneath another paper, and he smiled. "Nevermind, I found her."
Scott was now just picking up notes to glance at, before setting them down and picking up more things. "What the Hell is all this?"
"Brains." Mitch tried. "He went from being great in chemistry in high school, to brains."
Scott suddenly looked to Alex. "This is maybe a weird question, but I just realized that I have no idea what you're studying in college. Are you a major in... Brains?"
Alex couldn't help but grin. "Yeah basically. I'm a double major actually, in neuroscience and biochemistry."
Scott just blinked at him. "That sounds so hard... What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Alex only giggled. "Yeah well, I chose to suffer."
"No, literally, what the fuck? How can you be so hot, so talented and so fucking smart? That's so unfair."
Mitch was the one to grin at that. "I've been asking that for so long. Welcome to my nightmare."
Scott held a hand up. "No, you shut the fuck up. You're major is what? Like, chemistry and engineering? Meanwhile, you're fucking gorgeous. And you have such a strong sense of morals." He paused. "I mean what the fuck?"
Mitch spoke softly. "Technically it's called chemical engineering, baby... But what's your point?"
Scott pouted, and looked down at all the paperwork on the table in front of him, that he couldn't understand. "I am feeling very dumb, sitting at this table right now."
Alex's eyes were wide, like he was watching a shipwreck and had no idea what to do to stop it.
Mitch took a seat beside Scott, to place a hand on Scott's knee. "Sweetheart... Everyone has their own strengths."
He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Avi, where he'd referred to himself and Scott as 'two normal dudes in way too far over our heads.'
Scott glanced at him. "I mean, I guess. But I don't really have any... I felt like I had more when we were in high school, but now I'm not feeling the same way."
"Honey, your life is far from over. You have so much time to become everything you want and more. You don't have to be a double major to be smart, babe. And you don't have to be college educated to succeed."
Scott placed a hand on top of Mitch's. "No, I... I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to take that leap. You two are just... So amazing, it's intimidating sometimes."
Mitch glanced at Alex briefly, but quickly locked eyes with Scott again. "I mean... We're just two big nerds. And one of those nerds knows how to play soccer."
**