Boy Trouble GT

Chapter 42

[M A S O N ]

The day's classes ended earlier than usual, and the afternoon sun painted the campus walkways in long, subdued shadows by the time Mason stepped outside. He took in a slow breath, relishing the slight breeze against his skin. There was no official plan to meet Kye yet, but a gentle tug of instinct led him across the commons toward their dorm. Something told him that, if Kye wasn't in class, he'd be at the dorm—maybe nodding off over a textbook, or hunched in some comically misfitting chair. Mason smiled at the thought.

A handful of people recognized him from the track team, offering waves or quick greetings. Mason responded absently, his mind half on the conversation he'd had with Kye that morning. Kye had been so groggy, so out of it, yet trying so hard to seem put-together. The memory warmed him in a way he couldn't quite explain.

He reached the dorm and navigated the wide corridor meant for giant steps, though he only needed a fraction of the space. Pushing open the door to their shared unit, he found it almost silent inside. The overhead lights were off, letting in the dim, golden remnants of daylight through the windows.

In the common area, he spotted a pair of large feet extending beyond the arm of the couch. Moving closer, he saw Kye sprawled along the cushions, one arm thrown over his eyes. A thick textbook as if having tried to study, lay open on his chest, partially sliding off. His hood was up, but wisps of bleached hair stuck out in all directions, as though he'd conked out mid-sentence.

Mason let a soft laugh escape as he eased himself onto the coffee table—an item sized for Kye, meaning Mason had more than enough room to sit. "Another productive afternoon, huh?" he called softly.

Kye stirred, blinking away sleep. He lifted his arm, revealing bleary eyes peering at Mason. "...I was studying," he mumbled, voice thick with the haze of a nap. His free hand moved to steady the textbook before it hit the floor, pretending to never have been asleep at all. As if he'd been reading the entire time and wasn't caught napping.

Mason just nodded, a gentle, teasing smile curving his lips. "Sure," he said, cocking his head. "How'd that go?"

For a moment, Kye looked like he might protest—insist he'd been wide awake—but he just rubbed his eyes, sighing. "I... guess I dozed off." He shifted his legs, nearly knocking into the table, and Mason had to lean back to avoid a stray sneaker.

"You guess, huh." Mason slid off the table, stepping closer. The size difference hit him again—he barely reached Kye's knee when they both stood, but horizontal like this, Kye seemed even larger. Gently, Kye pushed the bulky textbook aside. "Come on, how about we do something else before you try to read again?"

Kye exhaled, a blush creeping into his cheeks. "I—maybe in a minute." He let his legs stretch out along the cushions, and Mason hopped lightly up, perching near Kye's waist,

They stayed like that for a spell, the hush of the afternoon surrounding them. Kye fought off the last dregs of sleep, and Mason watched him with an odd mix of amusement and admiration. Even in the dorm's quiet, a sense of accomplishment pulsed beneath it all—Kye had gone to class, made it through another day. Small victories, Mason thought to himself. And for now, that felt like enough.

/

Late-afternoon sun cast a warm, orange glow over the mostly empty track. Mason hopped lightly from foot to foot, doing a few arm swings to loosen up. At the far end of the field sat Kye, hunched over his phone like he was desperately trying to ignore the world. Mason couldn't help but smile at the sight—Kye looked so out of place, slouched on a single low bench meant for humans, his too-long legs stretching across the ground. The oversized hoodie didn't help; the hood was pulled low, giving him an almost comical giant-homeless-man vibe.