Note: Quin was 17 and Nine 15 when they started dating. They did wait until Nine was 18 before intercourse.

I'm wondering who's laying next to you in your dreams

I'm scared it isn't me, but maybe

Do you miss me like I miss you?

When he touches me it ain't you

Any kind of poison to forget that you're a stranger now

-Poison by YAS

Quin

I cannot make it. 

"How cruel of you to sit here with me while telling your precious boyfriend that you cannot go see him." 

Quin set his phone aside, staring the man across from him down. The man smirked, pushing back his dyed blue shoulder-length hair behind his ear. His brown eyes brightened when he saw Quin looking more annoyed. 

"Theo, don't start. I already know what you're thinking." 

"And what am I thinking? That I am more important than your boyfriend? Well, it is true anyway. You made plans to see me, no matter what, but never for him. It shows that he is still nothing but a rebound." Theo laughed, turning the straw in his drink. 

Quin snorted, resting his head on his hand, looking Theo up and down. "If he were a rebound, I wouldn't have wasted seven years with him." 

"Be honest; you only wasted them because I moved abroad during our high school years. I broke up with you, and it only took a week for you to hop to someone younger than you. Robbing the cradle must have been easy, huh?" 

"What cradle? We are only two years apart. And stop trying to sell fake stories." 

"If they are fake, why are you here and not with him." 

Quin clicked his tongue, "Theo!" 

Leaning closer, Theo smiled, showing off his perfectly white teeth, "You are doing nothing to prove me wrong." Theo pulled up his hand, counting on his fingers, "One, you always tell me happy birthday and send me gifts. Two, when I visit back here, you always make plans to see me. Three, you message me more than my mother, and she always wants to talk. 

"Four, who is the person always there for me, no questions asked? You are. And five, here you are with me instead of your boyfriend. That almost smells like a cheater." 

Quin glared, baring his teeth, "Don't call me a cheater, Theo. We have known each other since we were young; what is wrong with helping a childhood friend?" 

"Friend?" Theo sat back, laughing. "I will believe that when you can look me in the eyes and say you don't still love me." 

Quickly looking into Theo's eyes, Quin opened his mouth, trying to get the words 'I don't love you' out, but he couldn't. He grabbed his drink, taking a sip as he looked out the window. "I am still with Nine, and as long as we stay together, there will be nothing between us." 

"Don't say ‘nothing’ when there is already something between us. I know you won't physically cross the line, but you already blurred the emotional line long ago, Quin. Accept it." 

Instead of answering, Quin set his drink down with a bang, standing up, "Come on, I want to quickly get your things moved into your new house so I can go home." 

Theo shrugged before standing up, "Whatever." 

Nine 

Nine entered the professor's office with Vee. He looked around, making his way toward the couch in the office. Vee closed the door behind them as Nine sat on the couch, setting his bag on the table in front of him. 

"Let's get started." 

"Wow, already rushing me once we get inside. Let's relax first." Vee answered, grabbing two bottled drinks before joining Nine on the couch. He sat close, barely leaving spacing between them. 

When Nine felt Vee's leg touching his leg, he inched back, trying to separate them. "You said you won't do anything, so let's quickly get to work." 

"I won't." Vee handed one of the drinks to Nine, waiting for him to grab it with a raised eyebrow. 

Nine looked from the bottle to Vee's face a few times before grabbing the drink and setting it down, "Thank you." 

"So, Nine, tell me about yourself." Vee started, slowly slipping closer to Nine. 

"Vee!" Nine argued. 

"What? Is it wrong for me to try to get to learn about my student?" 

"Didn't you want me to help you make a plan for my class?" 

"I do, but tell me, am I wrong for wanting to get to know you too?" 

Nine opened and closed his mouth, looking like a gaping fish, trying to think of a response. Vee is not wrong, but he feels like Vee is trying to trick him into something. After spending another second thinking of how to respond, Nine opened his mouth, stopping when his phone began ringing. 

He pulled out his phone, seeing that Quin was calling him. Before he could quickly hit the talk button, a hand grabbed his wrist. He glanced up, seeing Vee staring back at him. 

"Are you going to let a call interrupt us again?" 

Nine pulled back his hand, "Yes, especially if my boyfriend is calling." Nine answered the call, not waiting for Vee's reaction to his words. 

"Hey, Quin." Nine brightly smiled. 

"Nine, don't stay up too late. I will return home later than I originally planned." Quin responded without a hi back. 

Nine's face fell, feeling dejected, "Oh. Are you working late again?" 

"Quin, get off the phone and help me carry this dresser up the stairs." A voice yelled from the background of Quin's phone. 

Standing up straighter, Nine frowned, "Who is that?" 

Quin clicked his tongue, "Nothing, I have to go." Then, he hung up the phone.

Nine listened to the ending beep line with dread in his heart. Who was that? That did not sound like work. Is he with someone else? Many thoughts ran through Nine's head as he tightly gripped his phone, his knuckles turning white. 

Vee grabbed his hand, holding the phone, and pulled it down, causing Nine to return to reality. 

"So, a boyfriend?" 

Nine peered a Vee, not saying anything. 

Quin 

After hanging up his phone, Quin threw it on the couch, angrily marching over to Theo. He grabbed Theo's shirt, almost ripping the buttons off as he pulled the man closer, slightly lifting him. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you! Do you want Nine to get the wrong idea?" Quin yelled. 

"Oh, the wrong idea? All I said was to help me; it is his problem if he gets the wrong idea. Or did you tell him you were working? My bad, you should have let me into the plan of lying to your boyfriend every time you are with me." Theo fussed back. 

Quin harshly breathed, pushing Theo back as he threw off his grip. A button from Theo's shirt flew off, hitting the ground. "Stop fucking with me, Theo! I can see that all those years of being away had not fixed your childish behavior." 

"I am childish? Then what the fuck are you doing, Quin? Tell me, when you are with him, are you thinking of him or me?" 

"We are over. We have been over since the moment you walked out, Theo." 

Theo laughed, grabbing his stomach while leaning over as his laughter turned into coughs. "Over? We have not been over since the moment we met. If we are, walk out right now and go home." 

Quin stared at Theo, his anger almost boiling over. He tightly clenched his fist, sinking his nails into the skin. 

He could leave and prove Theo wrong, but deep down, when has Theo ever been wrong? However, Quin was not cheating; he had not done anything with Theo since he got together with Nine. 

So, what is wrong with staying and running to Theo each time? 

I have not done anything wrong.

"Fuck you." Quin spat out, but he did not move to leave. 

Theo chuckled, a smirk filling his face, "I am always right. He will never be me." 

I don't need him to be. Quin thought.