Away With Him

23 - Just Passion Through

"That's the last one," Max exclaimed lifting the bag from the back seat of my car and shutting the door.

"Let me carry it for you," I said offering out my hand, but Max hesitated. "Oh come on. I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I made my boyfriend carry his own bag."

Max rolled his eyes at me but chuckled and handed me the bag. We had already walked the route from the car to Max's dorm room six times today, hauling in everything he would need for college. The leaves that lined the long path from the parking lot to the red bricked dorm building were just beginning their transition from green to orange. The setting sun in the distance cast a golden haze across the sky.

"This place is probably beautiful in the fall," I reckoned, "And you'll probably get snow in the winter too."

"You don't have to just dream about what it'll look like," Max nodded, "You're allowed to come and visit me, y'know? I want you to."

"Mhmm," I nodded. Max stretched his arm over my shoulder and pulled me in tight beside him as we strolled under the trees.

Around us, other students and their families carried boxes and suitcases excitedly towards the various dorm buildings that surrounded the parking lot.

Max pushed the door to his dorm building open ahead of us with his foot, firmly keeping his arm on my shoulder. I was only wearing a light windbreaker in the icy Indiana air so the warmth from his body was much appreciated. And on top of that I wanted as much physical contact as I could get before the time when I would have to leave him. And that time was quickly encroaching, but I tried not to think about it too much.

It was a good thing that Max's dorm was only on the second floor, otherwise we both would have been wrecked with all the trekking up and down the stairs we were doing. I paused for a moment on the landing of the second floor, peering over the railing to look up as the spiraling stairs continued up and up. Max continued up the steps ahead of me

"Come on," Max insisted, still marching forward, "You can't be that tired. We're nearly finished." I rolled my eyes at him, but he couldn't see with his back turned. Though I did resume the climb right behind him, mostly because I now had a very nice view. "You're going to need your energy for something later, if you know what I mean." Max turned around already winking at me but his expression dropped when he caught me fixated on his backside.

"Oh I know what you mean," I giggled.

"Unbelievable," he sighed, but I'm pretty sure he walked slower just to please me.

Max's dorm room was number 303. The last bag contained the finishing touches for the room, his lamp, a few books, pillows and a framed photo of him and I. It was taken in Max's garden back in France, when we were just friends. I placed it down on the desk at the foot of Max's bed.

"Remember that day?" Max asked from behind me. I didn't know he had even been looking at me.

"Huh? Oh yeah," I glanced back at the photo, "Back when I still thought you were straight."

"And when I thought you were too scared to ask me out," Max giggled.

"Hey!" I grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Max and he feigned injury.

"Well I'm glad you did ask... eventually," Max teased.

"And I'm glad you're not straight."

We had done our best decorating the room and now the barren grey walls felt a little bit more homely. Though only on one half of the room. Max's future roommate had not arrived yet.

"All done," Max gasped pushing the wardrobe door closed and leaning back against it for fear the clothes would spill out of it.

"I told you that you didn't need to bring all of those clothes," I groaned, "In a few months you'll need to swap them out for winter clothes anyway." Max ignored my statement and cautiously trudged away from the wardrobe. Thankfully it remained shut.