$7.49

93

Three days.

"Live with us."
"I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"You're going to college, right?"
"I... I don't think my parents will pay for my education."
"Just use one of my scholarships."
"I don't think that's how it works, dingus."
"I know, I know. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Ethan took Travis's hand.

"Can I tell you something?"
"What? You applied somewhere?"
"...and got accepted. My tuition hasn't been payed yet."
"You could just use student loans or something."
"Do you realize how much money that would cost? Hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt."

Travis pushed up his glasses with his free hand and huffed.

"Where are you going?"
"Southern California. They have a cool cinematic arts program I like."
"Oh."
"What? It isn't that far from us. Maybe an eight hour drive at the most."
"You know how I'm kind of a genius?"
"Obviously."
"I could call NASA. They offered me a job last year."
"You're kidding."
"Well, for when I was eighteen. I could take it up early if I wanted to, they said."
"You would go work at fucking NASA? To pay off my student loans? You won't. I won't let you."

Travis smiled fondly at Ethan.

"I'll do what I love for the one I love."
"You can't. You'd have to live in Florida."
"I know a guy who lives down there. My moms says that I could go live with them if I needed to."
"You need to think on this more. Think of the life you'd leave behind here. Think of your moms, for Christ's-"
"Why look at the life behind me when the life I have is right in front of me?"

Ethan wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"God, when did you get so poetic?"
"I'm not poetic. I just care about you."
"Think over taking the job again. If it's something you truly know you want, then we can talk to your moms about it."
"But it's what I-"
"Just let the idea resonate for a little bit. We can think about this again another time."
"I'll give you two days of non-stop pestering, then."

Ethan hugged Travis and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I love you."

•••

The book is almost over and I'm sAD

also, congrazi to my amazing friend katasstrophe for getting 1K followers!!
*twitches at 946
(kidding. I'm overly blessed to have nine hundred forty-odd members of the armory. [sidenote for old timers: yes I'm keeping that])

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