Safe Space

Soon

It was already 7pm when Nunew called Zee pruk. He wasn't sure as to how he will explain it to the the older one but there really is no other way around it. He has to know.
Zee's face popped up to his laptop screen after a few rings. He looks at zee. He misses him. He misses getting lost in his dark eyes.

"Hello? Nu? Are you okay?" Zee waved at him.

"Hia. Yes yes im okay." Nunew immediately tried to recover after getting caught staring.

"Are you sure you are okay? You look a bit off. Should i get James to check on you?" Zee worriedly asked him

"No need Hia. Im really fine. And im no longer a kid to always check up on" Zee laughed at Nunew as his pout is starting to come out.

"You will always be a baby to me. You know that." Zee said to him in all seriousness
"Anyway, so what's this important thing that we need to discuss? Do you have a girlfriend?" Zee playfully asked him as he saw Nunew sat up straight when he mentioned the important things he brought up this morning.

"No Hia. Its not like that" Nunew shakes his head

"Its a boyfriend then? " Zee prodded

" No Hia. Im not in a relationship" Nunew whined as Zee laughed.

"Look, it doesnt matter who you like. As long as they are good to you and that you are happy with them. Okay? " said Zee as Nunew nodded

"Now, tell me about this important thing"

"Well. Uhmmm. Remember when i told you before that I would like to try and get into Cambridge University in UK? Well, I tried to submit an application since they are accepting early applicants."

"Oookay... and then?" Zee told him to continue.

"They looked at my grades and they are happy with it so they accepted my application" Nunew waited for his Hia's reaction

"Wait seriously?! You got in?! Oh im so proud of you my Nunu! But wait, you dont graduate until after 2 years??" Zee questions him

"Yeah well my school is allowing me to graduate early since im top of the class. If i take extra classes this year and pass all exams, i can graduate next year"

"Oh thats cool! We can graduate the same year! That's a first!" Zee beamed up to him

"Hia, here is the thing. I will graduate in February, you will Graduate in June. After all of your things are sorted out, you come back here in July. In August i have to fly to UK to start preparing for start of school in September. That means i get to see you only for a month then I have to go." Nunew explained to him

"Oh." Zee realized how short their time would be.

"Yes. Oh." Nunew just looked down at his lap.
"Is this the right thing to do Hia?" Zee softened as he looked at the deflated Nunew.

"Nu, is this what you really want to do?" Zee asked him. Nunew nodded with lifting his head to look at zee.

"Nu look at me, come on" Zee tried to coax him. He finally looked at Zee again

"If this is what you want then go for it. Dont think about anything less. We will make it work. Okay?" Zee reassured him.

"But how?" Nunew asks him again.

"Nu, we've been like this for the past 8 years and we are doing fine. We can go through 4 years again. Dont worry."

"Its 6, its 6 years with internship and masters"

"Wow, okay. 6. We'll be fine. We can still call each other and you can always go home during the holidays. Okay? It's going to be okay." He reassures the other one again.

"Hia you are not allowed to get married yet until im finished. Okay? I am still your bestman. Right?" Nunew asked him. Only Nunew gets to ask these kind of silly questions to him. If others attempted, he would have ended the call already.

Zee laughed at him.
"Ofcourse you are. And you will always be my bestman. Im not going to get married anytime soon. Where did you even get that idea?"

"Well i heard Mom and Mama Malee talking. And they said that you should get married soon as they are not getting any younger"

Zee just shook his head.
" they are just joking around Nu. Im just 26. It's way too early. Plus i need to wait for my bestman." He wiggled his thick eyebrows at him.

" Hia, dont do that. They look like live leeches." Nunew laughed at him. Zee laughed too.
"But Hia, to be honest. You havent had any girlfriends at all. You are handsome but your coldness and harshness tend to push people away. Maybe you want to warm up a little." Nunew told him

"Says the person who has a permanent stoic face and has a tongue like a gang leader. You my friend is worse than me. People are scared to talk to you. They are even scared to just look at you. You should tell yourself to warm up." Zee was laughing at him.

"It is not my fault that they are boring idiots Hia."

"Nunew. Language." Warned Zee

"Sorry. Anyway, did you sleep?" Nunew sheepishly changed the subject

"Yeah, thanks to your channel. Are you going to upload more? You are getting more subs and likes now." Zee said to him.

"Hmmm. Maybe if im not busy."

"Can i request a song?" Zee asked him.

"Uhmmm, should i be scared?" Nunew joked with him

"Its easy. I just think it would suit you. Try Easy on Me by Adele." Zee suggested to him

"I'll think about it. Anyway hia i need to go. I have papers to finish and a book to read. I will call tomorrow okay? Bye Hia."

"Bye Nu. Sweet Dreams"

Zee Pruk closed his tablet. He lied back down to his bed. His class is cancelled due to the storm so he is going to be free today. He might go to the gym inside his building later if he gets bored.

His thoughts went straight back to Nunew. It has been 11 years since the incident. Although the two are still cautious around people, they have made significant progress already. Nunew can now go out on his own without having panic attacks. His fear or being touched by other people he dont know was lessened when he took a martial arts class. He enrolled on it to make sure he can defend himself. It also made him control his panic attacks. Yes some people gets hurt by him if they still try to touch him but that is already after he warned them.
As for Zee, he still hates the dark. But atleast he no longer panic. He always have his phone with him. His keys and id badges all have a tiny flash light just in case. He still is very mistrustful. But he now know how to use right words at the right timing. And like Nu, he enrolled in self defence classes too. But his is different as it also includes weapons and ammunitions. This time he told himself, he will be prepared.

Zee then started to think about the past 8 years. Yes he comes back every now and then, but he's gone far too long than he had originally planned. And now he is ready to come home. Home to his mother, aunties and brothers. Home to his Nu.
Soon he thought to himself. He'll be back soon.