Saving Me [MxM]

Chapter 06 (Part One)

It was already lonely without Nathan there, and Varian sighed, sitting on his bed and flopping back, glaring up at the stars and galaxies on his ceiling.

"Why does college have to start so early?" he mused out loud.

He could sit back and pretend that Nathan was only gone for a couple days, but he knew that wasn't so. Movement at his open door frame caught his attention and he glanced over to see Venerra clinging to it, holding Belle in the crook of her arm and gazing at him in question. Her expression was clear. She wanted to come in.

"Come on." he said, scooting over on the bed to make room for her. Venerra smiled and came over, setting Belle onto the bed before climbing on herself, snuggling into him and laying her head on his chest.

Varian lifted a hand and ran his fingers through her auburn curls, gently untangling them as he went.

"Varian?" Venerra asked.

"Hm?"

She tilted her head back to look up at him. "How long is Nathan going to be gone?"

Varian bit the inside of his cheek, taking a moment to collect a good answer before speaking. "For a bit. He's got college now."

Venerra's eyes shifted in the green direction and she frowned. "Will he come visit?"

"Yes." Varian laughed quietly, scooting Belle out of the way from her position curled on his blanket before grabbing it and pulling it over both of them.

Belle stood up with her tail lifted high in the air before stalking over and leaping over him to curl up into Venerra.

Cats were strange, Varian decided. But he liked having Belle around.

"What's college?" Venerra finally asked, snuggling into his chest some more.

He never had explained what college was to her before, had he? That had to be remedied. "It's school, for grown ups." Varian explained, removing his hand from Venerra's hair and rubbing her back absently. "Nathan wants to be a doctor, and that means he has to go to school."

"Are you going to go to college Varian?"

Varian swallowed, sighing yet again. "No, Venerra. College isn't for me. And I need my diploma first."

She pulled away from him, startling Belle who flicked her tail in irritation before leaping off the bed and stalking out of his room and around the corner. Varian ignored Belle, she thought she was so much better than she actually was. Typical cat.

Sitting up, Venerra looked down at him. "Did it run away?"

He laughed, reaching up and pulling her back down to him, holding her securely. "You could say that. I'll find it eventually though, don't worry."

Roommate contracts, Nathan decided, were annoying as hell. And he'd have to find a job close to campus that paid better than Millie did. Otherwise he'd go through a ton of gas going between college and Mandan, at the rate he was planning to visit. 

Nathan had been going over the contract at his desk while Thomas was on his side of the room, fixing or moving various things. Their room had two beds and desks, a closet, and a bathroom. Basic stuff. 

A cleaning schedule. There was a cleaning schedule on the contract. Why? Couldn't they just clean their own sides whenever they felt the need to? And there was a 'rent per person' area, but financial aid would cover that. At the bottom was a note saying that 'the undersigned do hereby execute and agree to this roommate contract'. As well as when the contract was in effect.

Nathan sighed quietly, bringing up a hand to chew on his nails-- something that he surprisingly hadn't done in a while. He sat there silently, thinking about the contract, and was so wrapped up in himself that he didn't even notice Thomas walk over and look at the contract over his shoulder.