There was a healthy glow to Dune and Cassie’s cheeks when Will wrangled them out of the bar. It had been going on half one when the security guard met Will’s eyes across the room. Will, certain he was the only sober person left in the entire city, understood what eye contact meant.

“Are you sure?” Veronica pulled at Cassie’s hand. Luckily Will had looped his arm around her shoulders and kept her to his side. It wasn’t that he wanted to end her night early. He didn’t. But Dune didn’t like clubs, Will was on water, and Cassie wasn’t going without one of them. Not when Will didn’t know the places they were heading.

“You three be safe. I hope you can get in somewhere.” Will steered Cassie away.

He glimpsed Dune exchanging contact information with Luke, and some low words that the wind snatched away before they reached Will. Curious, but not wanting to look it, he said goodbye to Tara, and purposefully didn’t look at the pair until they joined them.

“Talk to you soon.” Luke said to Dune before leaving with the girls.

The security guard, at the front door ushering people out, gave Will a quick nod.

“I hope you know where the car is parked.” Cassie said, as she went in front to lead the way.

“It’s only down the road.” Dune said. He miss-stepped, stumbling into Will.

“Ooh, somebodies a light-weight.” Cassie sang.

Dune straightened himself, “I haven’t drunk in ages.”

“It was the shots,” said Will. He walked closer to Dune, keeping an eye. “We’re crossing the road. Cassie, wait for me.”

“I wait for only the green man.” Cassie pressed the traffic button and grinned at Will.

“You wait, I’ll be over there.” Dune crossed the abandoned road.

When Will tried to follow, Cassie grabbed him from behind, and stopped him. “Green man, not red.”

“There’s no cars, and look, poor Dune’s waiting for us.”

Cassie peeked over his shoulder. When Dune raised his hands in a ‘what are you doing?’ gesture, she giggled.

“Look—Green man.” Will took her hand and kept a hold of it.

The parking lot, considerably more dingy-looking at night, was black around the edges.

“Shotgun,” called Cassie, breaking free of Will and once again leading the way to the car. Will reached into his pocket and pressed the button to unlock it.

“My car, my seat.” Dune warned her.

“Huh? Sit wherever you like?” Cassie opened the passenger door, climbed in—Will didn’t think climbing was strictly necessary to get in—but she did.

“Cassie,” Dune warned again.

“I love the passenger seat.” Cassie giggled again, drunk.

Dune opened her door fully, caught her around the waist, and took her out of the car. She squealed. Several drinks in, a few shots, and the fresh air to make it hit him all at once; Dune had no problem lifting Cassie with one arm. Will stopped half-way to the drivers door, in case Dune tripped over his own feet, and sent them tumbling down. Although in their state, Will didn’t think either would mind.

“You can have this seat.” Dune declared. He heaved, and half-set, half-threw Cassie onto the roof of the car.

“Dune!” Will rushed over.

Dune got into the passenger seat and smiled victoriously at Will.

He didn’t know what to say, and all that came out was yet another: “Dune.”

His expression must have been hilarious, because Dune laughed.

“Cassie, are you okay?”

Cassie, apparently, accepted her seat, as she lay out flat on her back, arms and legs splayed out. “I’m good.”

“Roll over to me, I’ll lift you down.”

“I’m good,” Cassie repeated, “I’ll stay here for the drive home.”

“Yeah,” Dune agreed, “She can stay—”

Will shut the passenger door, cutting Dune off. He could still hear him cracking up inside the car.

“He is way too pleased with himself.” Will grumbled, “C’mere. I’m cold.”

“This is fun.”

Cassie, thankfully, came over to him. Will lifted her down easily, and she amniable got into the back seat and stretched out, attempting to splay herself out as she had on the roof but with a quarter of the space for it.

“—new car.”

Will only caught the end of Cassie’s sentence as he got into the driver’s seat.

“What should I get?” Dune wondered, “You like the Fiesta’s, don’t you?”

“The newer models are nice.” Will got the engine running. The BMW ran much smoother than Will’s car. As he slid smoothly between gears, he thought about the upcoming NCT on his car. It wasn’t going to pass, he knew. He only hoped it wouldn’t be too expensive to repair. He wasn’t stuck for money. Sports scholarship and all, but he wasn’t rolling in it.

At Cassie’s student house, he made sure he was inside the front door, and waited until the lock clicked before going back.

Dune had his head tilted back, eyes closed, when Will got into the car. He closed the door softly, and was glad that the engine purred rather than roared. Will knew the address of Dune’s house, but he’d never seen it before. He pulled into a private driveway and examined the place. Two stories high, black slates, sheer white walls, blooming wildflowers on all the window sills—it was nice.

“Dune,” Will woke him gently, “Is this your place?”

Dune peered out. “Yeah.” He yawned, “Sorry, didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“No problem, it’s late.”

“Do you have an early start?” Dune questioned.

Will had planned to go for a run before class. He walked with Dune to the front door. “Early-ish. My normal time.”

Inside the front door, Dune looked back at him with a confused air. “You coming?” He adjusted his grip on the door. “It’s too late for the buses to be running. I’ll drop you back for the car first thing in the morning, promise.”

Will, happy not to be wondering through Dublin city at night, stepped inside. “Thanks.”

Dune wavered going up the stairs, and Will kept close behind him. “Have your house-mates moved in yet?” Over the railing, he observed a large, open living room and a modern kitchen.

“Someone was meant to be coming today.”

Dune’s room was smaller than his one at home. It was full of beiges and creams. White furniture mixed with black. The only colour came from Dune’s bedsheets—a sky blue, that Will recognised as having come from home. Dune shrugged off his shirt, and Will crossed the room to close the curtains.

“Tonight was fun.” Dune said.

“It was.” Will glanced around. There was no couch, like Dune’s room at home. No extra bed.

“Oh, right.” Dune blinked at him. “You need to borrow clothes, uh, that drawer there.” He gestured toward the dresser closest to Will. Everything was folded neatly. He sifted through, finding something to wear. A sleep-over, Will said to himself. That’s all.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it?” Dune said. He was under the covers, eyes shut.

“What’s perfect.”

“Today. This.” Dune smiled. “College, meeting up for lunch, going out, and then end of the night—touching base. Me, you, Cassie.”

Will couldn’t help but smile too. He got the light and wondered over in the dark. “Tonight was fun.” He agreed. “And college was good. I’m glad I’ve got you and Cassie. I’d be intimidated doing it alone.”

Dune, in the dark, rolled toward him. His hand, casually, found its way onto Will’s abdomen, where it rested. It was black anyway, but Will still closed his eyes. Once, during the summer, Will had gone trunks only into the blow-up pool behind Dune’s house, and Dune, red-faced, had excused himself immediately. On the taxi ride home from Dune’s birthday night out, Dune had rested his head on Will’s shoulder, pressing a drunk kiss to his neck just as they reached the house. Both times, Dune had been very drunk. Will never brought it up. Months and months ago, when Will fell apart, and all but threw himself at Dune, Dune held back. Dune restrained himself when it really mattered.

So Will didn’t think about the times when Dune didn’t hold back. He let it go.

Dune shuffled closer, his breath hot on Will’s neck.

Will’s eyelids snapped open. A sudden feeling rushed through him: he’s going to try something. “Dune.” Will said, his voice as gentle a warning as he could manage.

“I know.”

Will stared into the dark. “You and Luke were getting along well tonight. Exchanged numbers and all.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need me to leave?”

Dune took the time to take in a few deep breaths before answering. “No. I’m just a drunk. And tired. I like having you here.”

Guilt burrowed at Will’s heart. The steady and sensible Dune gave Will everything he wanted without question. And Will couldn’t give Dune what he wanted back. He strained his mind, trying to figure out what he could do to make this better. To make it easier for Dune.

*

Will, on the Friday, finally got to see Gabriel again. The meeting spot was a cafe halfway between Gabriel’s work and Will’s apartment. He got there first. And with a black coffee to sip, took out some work. Exercise Science had started with a broad overview of what they’d be studying, and the homework was to familiarise themselves with keywords they’d be dealing with:

Adaption—‘long-term change in the body due to exercise training.’

Affective Domain—‘area concerned with objectives on interest, attitudes, values, and the development of appreciations.’ Will hoped this one was explained in simpler English in class.

ATEP. Biomechanics. Blood Doping. Bomb Caloimeter. Burnout.

“Co-worker caught me on the way out, sorry I’m late.” Gabriel greeted. Will looked up and received a peck against his lips. “How did your first week go?” He sat opposite Will, dark eyes scanning the papers laid out in front of him.

“Good.”

Will took him in: shirt and tie, jacket, combed hair—dressed for class. Except for the beard, it was the exact same as Gabriel had looked teaching Will math last year. And sheets on the table, Gabriel looking over them—would people think they were a student and teacher right now?

“What can I get for you?” The waitress that had given Will his coffee appeared. She looked between them, a little smile curling her lips.

“Americano.” Gabriel asked, “You decide what you want to eat?”

“I was going to have the salmon salad.”

“Two of those, please.” Gabriel said.

Gabriel watched her leave and shot a smile toward Will. “Bet she’s going to tell everyone they’ve got a gay couple in the place.”

“How would she know?”

Gabriel propped his elbow on the table, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “I did kiss you when I came in. Or didn’t you notice?”

Will, feeling silly, let out a small chuckle. Obviously, if they kissed, nobody would think they were student and teacher. Relieved, suddenly, that someone outside of them recognised them as a couple, Will gathered his courage. “I can’t figure out how to tell Cassie.”

Gabriel, looking thoughtful, turned a few of Will’s worksheets over to face himself. “You could tell her we… met in Dublin. Reconnected.”

“She knows I had a crush on you in school.”

“That’s fine.” Gabriel shrugged, “She doesn’t know that I had a crush on you.”

Will covered a smile. He’d been thinking and musing how to do it. And half-a-second of thought was all Gabriel needed to solve the problem.

“I’m guessing Dune already knows about us?”

Will put effort into pretending Dune was okay with it, like he told Will he was when sober. He actually believed that Dune didn’t mind too, right until Monday night. Now, Will wasn’t sure. He pretended otherwise. “He does. Leah doesn’t.”

Gabriel waited until his Americano had been put down and the waitress had retreated back to the counter before continuing. “I’m not sure about that one.” He swirled milk and sugar into his coffee. “Has she said anything?”

“Haven’t talked to her much.” Will’s relationship with Leah had been strained since mom left. And it hadn’t eased up at all. Aside from matters with money, his dad was the only person who actually felt like family to Will right now. “Texted her a few times over the summer. She visited once. Her and mom are renting a place in the city, and I can’t visit her with mom there so…”

Gabriel lay his hand over Will’s.

Will just kind of shrugged as he trailed off. There wasn’t much to say about it. “I’m glad dad came around, at least.”

“I’ll have to give him my thanks.”

Will could only imagine the awkward silence that him and Gabriel meeting would bring. He chuckled. “Go for it.”

“I miss the days of learning keywords.” Gabriel picked up one of the sheets. “Shall I quiz you?”

“I haven’t learnt them yet.”

“But you’re in the sports world. You’d have heard a lot of the lingo already. What‘s ‘Hemiparisis’?”

Will sat back and stared.

“’Kilocalorie?’”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, and a teasing smile. “No?”

“You don’t know them either.” Will rolled his eyes. “Come on then, tell me what ‘Bomb Caliometer’ is?”

“It’s… a… high-energy calorie supplement?” Gabriel guessed.

“How did you know?”

“Seriously?” Gabriel grinned.

Will took his sheet with a little smile. “No. Not seriously.”

The salads arrived, and Will cleared away his worksheets. Will ate everything on his plate, a little proud of himself as he set down his cutlery. It had been a big portion.

“I was thinking we could make lasagna on Sunday.” Gabriel said.

“’We’?”

“Yes, the both of us. You can pull your weight too. Why is that funny?”

“It’s just very…” Will searched for the word. “Domestic.”

Just the idea of it, him and Gabriel, cooking dinner in his kitchen together, eating it, washing the dishes; it warmed him.

“Can I spent the night?”

Gabriel smiled. “Of course.”