Devil's House

Lunch Dates

A few days later, Mike turned in his composition project and headed over to the cafeteria on campus for lunch. It was a relief to have it completed and off his never-ending to-do list. There was a lot happening at school and at home, and keeping things organized was even more of a challenge than usual. The semester was flying by, and even though Mike was staying on top of his grades, he could feel his focus slipping a bit as other big adult matters started to take hold of his thoughts.

Plans for the new house seemed to be moving forward. Jason had called a home inspector who had come out and written a long report on the state of the L house, and the four of them had gone over each item and ultimately decided the minor repairs were worth it in the end. They were moving forward with purchasing the home together, and Mike was suddenly finding it difficult to concentrate in class. Jason had made a list of everything to be completed in the next thirty days to closing, and everyone had things they needed to do. Packing up and moving again was something Mike didn't particularly want to do in the middle of the semester, but timing wasn't something he could control.

At least I'm not having to make that drive down from Seattle again.

Mike shook off that unpleasant thought as he stepped through the double doors to the cafeteria. There was almost an hour before his next class, and that meant he could sit down and enjoy his food instead of grabbing something and eating it on the way to class. Mike stood in the middle of the bustling common area and looked around, trying to decide what he wanted to eat. The groups of students talking and laughing, the couples walking hand in hand, none of it registered to him as he adjusted the straps of his backpack on his shoulders and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He was invisible to most of the people around him, and that was perfectly fine. He'd gotten enough of campus life the year he and Chester lived there.

Memories of that year - the tiny apartment, the mess with Matt Harris, Ellie, Ryan's disappearance from Chester's life and all the aftermath of his affair with Jason - it all seemed so far away, like it had happened to other people. In reality Mike knew it wasn't so long ago, but he didn't want to think about that. He wanted to focus on where the four of them were now, and think about everything that was coming. A taco salad felt like the perfect thing to eat while he mulled over those thoughts, and with lunch decided, he headed over to join the line at the little taco joint in the cafeteria.

Everyone seems to be okay with living together again. I think Ches and Ryan are really excited about it. I am, too, but I think they are even more. It will be different this time. That's what we all keep saying. That we're all in a better place. Our marriages are secure. It will be different. Supportive.Mike chewed on his bottom lip as he waited for his lunch, and the night he'd been with Jason and Chester had been with Ryan flashed through his mind. Even when we talked about that night, it was all positive. Nobody was feeling hurt or left out.

Mike moved automatically, paying for his taco salad and his disposable cup without thinking about it before heading over to the soda machine and filling his cup with Sprite. There was an empty two person table in the middle of the chaos, and he dropped his backpack in one chair and placed his food on the small rectangle in front of the second chair. It didn't bother him to eat alone, and he dug his phone out of his pocket and laid it on the table next to his tray in case Chester texted him. He knew things were busy at work for his husband, too, and it left little time in the day for conversation.

That's okay, though. Now that my project is finished, I'll have more time at night with him. Even if we'll be packing up and taking care of other business. We'll still have time for each other. Just like when we move in with Jay and Ryan. We'll all be together, but the set up of the house is perfect. Plenty of alone time and space when we want it. It's crazy how it's working out. Our third time under one roof. This time will be so much better than the others. It's completely ours. Nothing to do with Mark at all.