I Wonder

Risible

Syn had started talking to Nuer more and more toward the end of the semester.

Nuer was keeping a list in his head of what was going on in Syn's world based off what little hints Syn was giving him.

It would just be a passing comment in the middle of a bigger conversation.

"Kuea and Ton are really busy lately. I wish that I could talk to them more than I talk to my father's lawyer."

"Kuea's fiancé is acting more and more like my mother when he meets us."

There wasn't a whole lot that Syn was open to actually talking about what was happening, but every so often, Nuer noticed that Syn would be absent for a few days.

Meetings with his parents' lawyers, for sure.

He would always come back the next day and just one look at Nuer would be enough for him to understand.

After those days, Syn would wait for Nuer in the lobby without really telling him. He would study until he saw Nuer come down the stairs from the fourth floor where his last class of the day was (Syn would never admit that he went peering in through the windows of doors to find which one he was in).

He would then gather up his belongings wordlessly, stand up, and join Nuer walking out the door.

They would make their way down the street to Syn's favorite restaurant, sit at the same table every time, and Syn would order for both of them.

For the whole time that they were together, Nuer would talk enough for both of them, just to get Syn's mind off of whatever had happened.

It always worked.

Every so often, Nuer's jokes and quips would be enough to garner a bigger smile than usual from Syn, maybe even a quiet chuckle that he would try to hide with a small cough.

Today was no different, except for what happened after they finished eating.

Nuer had been ranting for the past twenty minutes about his professor that had marked him down ten points for not formatting his report exactly the perfect way.

"Anyway, I should probably go back and re-read some of his notes and see if it's anything other than his petty formatting," Nuer huffed as they stood up, "I'll take you home."

They started toward the parking lot Nuer always left his car in when Syn slithered his hand around Nuer's bicep as they walked. He held onto him gently, his eyes fluttering closed every few minutes. Nuer smiled broadly, looking at Syn for a few seconds before looking around them.

He reached his opposite hand over and held Syn's lightly.

They said nothing when they reached the car, Nuer opening the passenger door and holding it open as Syn slipped inside.

Nuer sat in the front seat and turned over the engine when Syn's hand rested on Nuer's wrist.

Nuer glanced over and found Syn's eyes glued forward.

"Phi..."

Nuer's heart melted.

"If you want, you can study at my dorm tonight. It's kind of late."

Syn's voice was barely a whisper.

Nuer had been going home after dropping Syn off at his dorm late at night for almost two months. It was the first time that he had ever been invited to stay.

As much as he wanted to let his mind immediately wander to Syn's soft skin that seemed like it was given to him by a deity, he was prepared for as little as Syn wanted.