Chapter Text
Playing Cupid
/ / /
August
For fuck’s sake, Jason thinks to himself, pulling the hood of his jacket up.
It’s raining.
Again.
Jason knew when he moved out here that Star City got nearly just as much rain as Gotham—but it’s been practically nonstop for ten days now and that seems a little excessive even by Gotham standards.
You sure you can hack it in all that rain Littlewing?
Star did have the benefit of being on the opposite side of the country from his overbearing and insufferable family though and that almost made it worth—
“Fucking hell,” Jason mutters angrily to himself.
Across the street and up the block, Jason spots his roommate and current thorn in his side: Kyle Rayner.
Jason’s not sure what he did to deserve being paired with Rayner for his freshman year at Star City University but he’s definitely sorry for it.
Kyle hasn’t spotted him yet, Thank god, and with a few choice words grumbled, Jason ducts into the first store he can,
Queen’s Books & Coffee
He tells himself that he’s getting out of the rain and not avoiding his prick of a roommate who can’t even keep it in his pants for three days let alone—
“Oof!”
Shit, Jason thinks as he feels two hands grab for his jacket.
Queen’s Books & Coffee is located in Star City’s historic district, on a corner. It has large picture windows, original ornate wood doors, and dark hardwood floors.
Slippery, dark hardwood floors.
Fuck me, Jason thinks, staring down at the man trapped beneath him.
The man lying beneath Jason is gorgeous.
Long red hair and bright blue eyes.
Freckles dotting his skin like constellations.
Lips full and a shade of pink so soft they could be rose—
Jason shakes his head at that. He likes Shakespeare as much as the next lit major but that’s a little much given that he doesn’t even know the guy’s name —
The man below him blinks once,
Twice,
And a slow, lazy smile starts to spread across his face.
Jason feels his ears start to turn red when the man’s tongue darts out, licking his lips.
“Christ Todd. I know books are your thing but I never pegged you for an exhibitionist.”
Jason cringes, doing his best to get up off the man below him without giving Kyle more ammunition by moving too quickly.
“Kinda hot though,” Kyle sighs almost wistfully.
Flipping Kyle off, Jason turns to the man to offer him a hand up, trying desperately to ignore the imagery Kyle’s just forced into his brain.
As if he’d Ever let Kyle near him let alone—
“I’m not normally the hand-holding type but if you buy me a coffee I’ll gladly make an exception for you handsome.”
Jason feels his whole body flush red, pulling his hand out of the man’s and stuffing it into his jacket pocket.
The man and Kyle are laughing now and Jason regrets, not for the first time, coming to Star City at all.
All the space in the world from his family isn’t worth this level of social embarrassment.
“Guess you can get a date after all, Jay. Just gotta jump ‘em first,” Kyle says with a laugh and a smirk that makes Jason want to punch him.
“Oh I don’t mind,” the man says, looking Jason up and down as he says it.
“Not when it’s someone like tall, dark and handsome here.”
The man fucking Winks at him then and Jason wonders if it’s possible to actually die of embarrassment.
Kyle’s phone rings then, Thank fuck, and Jason takes the opportunity to mutter a quick apology before trying to exit the bookstore.
The man’s faster, however, reaching out to grab Jason’s hand, pulling away from the door.
“Café’s this way, Jaybird. Unless you want to go somewhere more private…”
He trails off, smirking as he watches Jason work out what he’s implying.
You don’t even know his name yet and you’re thinking about—
“Coffee sounds great…”
The man smiles like he’s won a prize and Jason hopes he won’t be too disappointed later.
“Roy. Roy Harper.”
/ / /
September
Jason can feel himself being watched.
It’s distracting. Trying to write an essay on the Queer subtext of Jane Austen while his boyfriend sits across from him.
Watching him.
Not your boyfriend.
Jason glances up from his computer, his eyes catching Roy’s bright blue ones.
Again.
Roy doesn’t even try to look away and pretend he wasn’t watching.
Jason can’t imagine he’s all that interesting to watch.
“You’re staring again.”
Roy shrugs, an easy smile on his face.
“You won’t let me turn on the TV. What am I supposed to watch if I can’t tune in to my trashy soap operas?”
Jason laughs quietly, remembering last week when he caught Roy watching some firefighter drama on TV.
He almost feels bad about not letting Roy turn on the TV, but it’s distracting enough being in the same room as him.
“I don’t know, read a book maybe?”
Roy glances around the room as if looking for a book.
“I hate to break it to you Jaybird, but even though you jumped me in a bookstore I’m not much of a reader.”
Jason’s pretty sure all of the books currently in Roy’s apartment belong to him and not the redhead.
“I didn’t jump you—I ran into you.”
Roy gets this wistful look in his eye that makes Jason want to hide under a blanket.
He doesn’t say anything though, and after a long moment, Jason goes back to working on his paper.
It’s not due for another week but he missed Roy and needed an excuse to hang out with him today.
“Any chance I can study at your place? The library kinda… flooded?”
“The library flooded?”
“Yes.”
They went to dinner three days ago and hadn’t made plans to meet up again.
Jason started to worry Roy wasn’t interested in him anymore and coming over to work on a paper seemed like a good way to gauge if Roy was still interested.
Dick thought he was being ridiculous.
You could just ask him on another date you know? Dinner and a movie—classic and if he says No to that you know for sure he’s not interested Littlewing.
Jason may have needed some space from his family, and Dick’s advice was usually… not that great, but having Dick to call and listen to him has been pretty nice the last few weeks.
Not that he’ll ever tell Dick that.
But this is his first almost relationship and Jason’s certainly not going to go to fucking Kyle Rayner for dating advice.
If you need any tips, Jay just let me know. I’m sure I can get you laid if that’s what you’re looking for.
Jason’s been on the fence about dipping into his trust fund to move out of the dorms next year, but he’ll likely to go to jail for murder if he stays.
So in addition to his classes, dealing with his family long distance, and Roy, Jason’s also looking for a place to live so he can finally get away from the most irritating person on the planet.
“You think you're almost done for today, Jaybird?”
Jason glances up to look at the redhead.
Roy looks hopeful that Jason will say Yes.
He wants to say Yes, but he doesn’t want to overstay his welcome either.
Better pace yourself Todd—or that redhead of yours will get really bored real quick.
“I can leave if I’m in the way,” he says instead.
Jason watches Roy’s smile turn into a frown and finally into bemusement before he climbs out of his spot on the couch.
“You’re not in the way, Jaybird.”
Roy’s standing next to him now, and Jason watches Roy push his laptop screen closed with trepidation.
“After nearly four hours though, I’d just like to do a bit more than stare at my boyfriend is all.”
Boyfriend.
“Oh,” he says, drawing a quiet chuckle out of Roy.
Boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend.
He brushes a lock of hair away from Jason’s forehead. Soft and sweet and Jason wonders what makes him the bigger idiot:
Being head over heels in love after three dates?
Or not realizing he gets to call Roy Harper his boyfriend until now?
“I rather like the idea of my boyfriend doing more than just staring at me,” he quips in a moment of bravery.
Roy smiles back and whispers, “Me too,” before kissing him.
/ / /
October
“You really don’t want to give me these recipes, do you, Alfie?”
Jason’s wandering the aisles at the store closest to Roy’s apartment.
His birthday is in two days and Jason wants to cook a nice dinner for him.
“It’s just my birthday, Jaybird–nothing special.”
Jason had merely huffed at that, hovering above Roy from his spot on the bed.
“You’re turning 25, and it’s your first birthday with me as your boyfriend. That’s special.”
Roy had huffed back in mock offense at Jason reminding him of his age.
Jason had just turned 19 when they met, and the six-year age gap had created plenty of jokes and teasing—both ways—between them.
It also made for some rather interesting nights in the bedroom, but Jason shakes his head, trying to clear it of unhelpful memories to focus on what Alfred’s saying.
“It’s not that I don’t want to give you the recipes, my boy,” Alfred says in a serious tone.
Jason used to fear that tone when he first came to the Manor, but that was before he realized what it really was:
Affection.
“It’s just that I only think it’s fair to know a few things about the person–or persons–you wish to make them for.”
Chuckling, Jason stands awkwardly in the produce section, trying to avoid prying ears.
Old habits die hard after living in the same city as Vicki Vale.
“And what, pray tell, would you like to know?”
There’s a pause, and Jason hears the shuffling of papers and the click of a pen.
Notes? Seriously Alfie…
“Name, age, and occupation.”
Jason sighs dramatically. “Roy Harper. He’s turning 25 and Yes, I can do the math.”
He pauses then, hoping Alfred will move on to the next question. He knows that the answer to Occupation will raise some unnecessary red flags for his family.
“Occupation…” Alfred prompts.
“Unemployed,” Jason says, biting his lip at Alfred’s silence.
“I see,” comes his terse reply.
“Alfie… it’s not like that. Roy doesn’t need money and he doesn’t know about mine. He just—he just likes me for me,” he finishes quietly.
Both Alfred and Bruce were rather protective of all of them when it came to Suitors, not wanting Jason or his brothers to be taken advantage of.
Jason can hear the pen scratching against the paper. Alfred must be alone in the kitchen, it’s the only time he puts the phone on speaker.
“And does Mr. Harper have any ambitions?”
A woman who seems to be in a hurry nearly runs over Jason’s foot in her haste to get to the organic mangos.
It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to explain Roy without making Alfred worry for no reason.
But Alfred’s always known when he was lying. Has since that night Bruce brought him home.
“Roy wants to join a tech company. He’s smart–Ph.D. in Engineering smart–but he never went to college. I don’t understand even a fraction of what he says sometimes. But he’s not actively looking for a job right now. He–”
This is the part Alfred isn’t going to like.
That no one in his family is going to like.
“He’s eleven months sober, Alfie.”
There’s a long moment of silence and then:
“I imagine he must be working quite hard to maintain his sobriety. I can understand why he’s taking his time in finding a job since his financial situation seems to allow for that.”
His mother overdosed, Alfred. He’s been living on his own for nearly a year. I couldn’t just leave him—
Jason shakes his head, brushing the memory away.
“He wants to start after New Years. A fresh start and all that.”
Alfred makes a noncommittal noise but doesn’t say anything otherwise.
Jason wonders how long Alfred will keep this information to himself. Dick has been bugging him for these sorts of details and so has Bruce, in his own way.
Dick tells me you’re being more social these days…
“Perhaps if you and Mister Harper feel so inclined he could come with you when you visit us next.”
Christmas? At the Manor?
“Staying with you lot for two weeks might scare him away,” Jason laughs.
There’s a pause and then:
“Yes, that does sound rather dreadful now that I think about it.”
Jason laughs, and they chat a bit more before Alfred finally agrees to email him the recipes.
Lasagna and tiramisu for dessert.
They say goodbye when Alfred has a coughing fit. He’s getting over a cold he says and Jason apologizes that it’s Dick and Bruce who have to make him tea.
Alfred is rarely sick but when he is they all nearly poison him with dreadful tea.
“Feel better Alfie, I’ll call again soon.”
“Not too soon, Master Jason. You have your own life to live. Don’t spend too much time thinking of an old man.”
/ / /
November
You’re a fucking idiot, Jason thinks to himself, standing outside in the pouring rain.
Just fucking knock already.
The door opens before he can, a confused Roy Harper standing in front of him.
“—the hell. Jaybird, it’s pouring rain! Get inside you idiot!”
So affectionate.
Roy grabs Jason by his red hoodie pulling him through the threshold, then pulls Jason’s bag inside before closing the door behind them.
Jason stands just inside the door, dripping water everywhere.
“I need a towel.”
Roy laughs nodding his head. “Yes, thank you captain obvious.”
Jason flips him off while Roy goes down the hall to grab a towel out of the bathroom.
It’s the day before Thanksgiving and Jason’s flight to Gotham was canceled due to weather.
And he’s locked out of the dorms because he didn’t tell the school that he’d be there over the short Thanksgiving break so his keycard doesn’t work.
He could text Rayner and ask to be let in, but he’d rather sleep outside than ask him for a favor.
A towel hits Jason in the face and he hears Roy laugh as he says, Oops.
Huffing, Jason throws the towel back.
“I should probably take all these wet clothes off if I want that to be any help.”
Roy grins, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.
“By all means. I’m not gonna stop you, Jaybird.”
Jason feels himself blush and tells himself he’s just cold. Some of his clothes in his bag should still be dry and—
“Why don’t we take this to the shower?” Roy says.
“You can get out of those wet clothes and let the water warm you up.”
The slow, easy way Roy says it sends a shiver up his spine. Makes his toes curl.
Makes his whole body feel hot.
“Figured you’d want to do that yourself,” Jason smirks, sneaking a look at Roy.
He seems to like that idea.
Stepping away from the wall, Roy moves Jason’s hands away, finishing unzipping his hoodie for him.
“Why don’t you get started, and I’ll meet you there? I have some chili cooking in the kitchen—I’ll get that squared away and join you.”
Ollie made us chili all the time—it’s the only thing he can make, to be honest.
Jason nods, kissing Roy briefly before taking the towel and making his way toward the bathroom.
He drops his hoodie a few feet from Roy, turning and smiling at Roy’s bemused look.
“So you can find the way.”
He leaves Roy with a wink and continues down the hall while Roy disappears into the kitchen.
It’s slow going, he drops the towel since it’s getting in the way.
Roy has more on the cupboard.
Jason’s only gotten his socks and sweater off when there’s a knock at the door.
He freezes, and then ducks around the corner. The floor squeaks though and he freezes again, not wanting to draw attention to his half-naked, wet self.
The knock comes again, and Jason hears Roy approach the door.
Hears his long sigh before opening the door.
“Hi, Dinah.”
Dinah’s great. She’s in a band and way, way out of Ollie’s league.
“Hi, Roy.”
They lapse into silence, and Jason hears Dinah sigh when Roy doesn’t invite her in.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see if you’d thought any more about Thanksgiving?”
She sounds hopeful, and Jason almost wonders if Roy has reconsidered and that he’s intruding.
“Is Ollie inviting me? Or are you Dinah?”
“Everyone wants you there Roy. You know how Oliver is… he knows he was wrong he just can’t admit it yet and—”
“I was 16. He caught me shooting up and he kicked me out. And if it weren’t for you and a lot of hard work on my part I’d be—”
Roy cuts himself off and Jason feels his hand ball up into a fist.
“I know, honey. I know.”
There’s a long pause again before Roy sighs.
“I’m not saying I won’t ever come back, Dinah. I just—I need him to meet me halfway. And until he does I’m not going to go somewhere I’m not welcome. Truly, welcome.”
“I understand sweetie. I just don’t want you to be alone is all.”
“Although,” she continues. “It looks like you might not be.”
Jason wonders if her shit-eating grin looks anything like Roy’s.
“No,” Roy laughs. “I’m not alone.”
“From that smile, I’d say you’re serious about this one.”
Serious?
Roy lets out a nervous laugh. “I am—I just don’t know if he’s serious about me. At least—”
There’s a long pause.
Long enough Jason’s sure Roy won’t say what he was going to and he’ll never know—
“I think he is. But we haven’t been going out long and maybe I’m getting ahead of myself—”
Roy’s rambling now, going on about how he wants things to work out and worries that he’s moving too fast and might scare him away and—
“Roy, Honey,” Dinah breaks in.
“We can talk about all that later but right now, I just need to know two things, okay?”
Jason can picture Roy taking a deep breath, and nodding.
“Is he good for you?”
For not To
Most people want their children to be in relationships with people who are good To them.
But it means something to Roy’s family—to Roy even—if he’s good For Roy.
“Yes,” Roy says, without missing a beat.
“Are you happy?”
Roy doesn’t hesitate, his answer ringing in Jason’s ears.
“Yes,” Roy says, without a trace of doubt.
“Good. I hope I—I hope all of us get to meet him one day.”
“I hope so too, Dinah.”
Jason doesn’t hear the rest, his feet moving quickly and thankfully quietly to get inside the bathroom, his hands fumbling with the rest of his clothes.
He shouldn’t have listened to all that.
Should have given Roy his privacy but
“Are you happy?”
“Yes.”
He’s standing in the shower now, shivering while the water heats up.
“Getting the water warmed up, Babe?” Roy laughs.
Like he hasn’t just said he’s serious about Jason.
That Jason makes him happy.
Is good for him.
Jason remembers that day in September, realizing he loved Roy Harper after only three dates and thinking to himself
You’re moving too fast
Remembers looking at apartments and thinking none of them were as good as Roy’s because they didn’t come with Roy.
You’re moving too fast
He can hear Roy taking off his clothes. Knows the redhead is taking his time. Wanting Jason to grow impatient and pull him into the shower.
The water’s hot now, and Jason sticks his head outside the curtain, smiling at his boyfriend.
“Stop wasting time and get in here.”
You’re not moving too fast, he thinks to himself.
You’re moving too slow.
Stop wasting time.
/ / /
December
Jason stands at the stove, making eggs and bacon and French Toast.
It’s way too much food for the two of them but Jason’s trying to delay the inevitable.
What do you think about me moving in?
Jason’s pretty sure he knows what Roy will say.
I was just about to ask the same thing.
For the last two weeks, he’s been staying with Roy. Star City University has a long winter break—six weeks in total and he’s splitting the time between here and Gotham.
Two weeks in Star with Roy.
Two weeks in Gotham with his family.
And, ideally, two weeks with Roy again before moving out of the dorms (and away from Rayner) and moving in with Roy.
Jason’s been delaying asking Roy about moving in together for the last two weeks. If Roy does say no, at least this way Jason got two weeks of bliss before ruining it all.
A pair of hands grab his hips, pulling Jason flat against a chest that’s shaking with laughter.
“That’s way too much food, Jaybird.”
Roy’s breath is hot against his neck and Jason feels himself shiver.
“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “Just used to cooking for ten basically.”
Roy laughs again, nuzzling Jason’s ear.
Jason wonders if they’ll even eat dinner.
“You guys have breakfast for dinner often?”
Shit.
Jason tries to think of a lie, but it’s also now or never thinks to himself.
“On special occasions. Like when Tim was officially adopted or when Dick and Wally finally got their shit together.”
Another laugh and then
“And what’s the occasion this time, Jaybird?”
Jason stirs the eggs and flips a piece of French toast over.
“I’ve liked being here those last two weeks and—” swallows down his nerves and tries to keep his voice steady.
“And you’ve seemed to like having me here.”
“Yes,” Roy cuts in. “It’s nice having you here Jason,” he says softly.
Jason feels himself flush. Roy hardly ever uses his real name and when he does—
“Well, what if—what if when I get back from Gotham I stay here again?”
Roy’s arms are tight around his waist now, holding him close.
“For the rest of your break?”
Roy sounds hopeful and hesitant and Jason doesn’t know what to think of that so he presses on, hoping Roy won’t be disappointed.
“For…ever?”
Jason feels Roy tense against him.
Feels his arms loosen from around him and step away.
Shit
Roy’s out of the kitchen before Jason can say anything.
He’s back before Jason can really think anything either, holding something in his hand and holding it out to Jason.
Jason’s never seen Roy smile so bright.
“My keys?” He says with trepidation.
Roy nods. “Yup.”
He hands the keys to Jason then, and that’s when he notices a key that’s never been there before.
Oh
“I know we said no gifts this year, but I figured—”
Roy laughs nervously, and Jason wonders why he’d be nervous at all.
Jason doubts he could ever—would ever—say No to Roy Harper.
“—I figured if you said No I could just—”
He doesn’t care what Roy would have done or said if he’d said No. cause all that matters is that he’s saying Yes.
“Yes.”
Roy stops, a smile slowly forming on his face.
“Yes?”
Jason nods, smiling and pulling him into a kiss.
“Yes,” he whispers a moment later when both their heads are spinning.
Jason can’t remember the last time he was this happy.
It’s then they smell the smoke, and the smoke detector goes off.
The eggs are toast and so is that one slice of French Toast but they get the windows open and the alarm shut off, laughing the whole time.
“I feel like burning the place down after asking you to move in kinda defeats the purpose.”
Jason nods, setting the pan of charred eggs in the sink.
“Oh, you’re stuck with me now, Harper. Not much is going to get you out of this now—especially some little fire,” he says with a grin.
He can’t imagine anything that could happen that would make him now.
Roy laughs, nodding his head.
“Good. Cause I definitely want you to stay more than just a few weeks.”
/ / /
January
“Almost ready to go, Littlewing?”
Jason nods sharply, taking one last look around the dorm room.
Rayner is nowhere to be found thank god, and it’s made the last couple of hours almost bearable.
Almost.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
He sounds sullen and depressed and he ignores the concerned look Dick’s giving him.
The drive to the airport is silent, Dick quickly giving up on conversation.
They go to one of the smaller airports just outside the city, taking Bruce’s private jet back to Gotham.
Jason normally hates using them but he’s not sure he could take a six-hour flight with other people around.
He and Dick help the flight crew load his few bags into the plane and less than an hour later they’re taking off.
“You could have stayed, Littlewing.”
No, I couldn’t have.
Winter break, which has been going so well, had ended with Jason doing “something drastic” as Alfred had put it.
“You must promise me you won’t do anything drastic, my boy.”
Drastic would have not been going back to Star at all.
“I have lung cancer.”
It wasn’t drastic to call his boyfriend and tell him everything that happened in the first three days of his being in Gotham.
Tim dropping out.
Dick and Wally breaking up.
Alfred—
But when he called Roy to tell him everything and to ask for help in making a decision —
Stay in Star with you?
Or go back to Gotham and my falling apart family?
He’d barely said two words when he heard a sound on the other end of a line.
“Gah!”
Jason knew what a baby sounded like and he’d barely started to ask his own questions when Roy told him what had happened since he left Star.
“Jade, my ex? She showed up two days ago with a baby.”
“Her name’s Lian.”
“I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.”
And, worst of all:
“I don’t think you should move in.”
“I love you but—”
“I don’t-I don’t think I can have a relationship right now, Jason.”
Those words had made Jason’s decision rather easy.
Because he understood why Roy didn’t want him to move in.
Didn’t want a relationship right now.
But it hurt.
Even with all the understanding in the world it still hurt.
It hurt so fucking much and staying in Star, running into Roy randomly, would have just made things worse.
He wasn’t being dramatic—no matter what his family said.
Jason was being practical.
And protecting himself.
He pulls the keys out of his pocket, rubbing the newest one.
Roy hadn’t asked for it back and Jason had been too much of a coward to give it back.
“You’re sure he didn’t want to try the long—”
“No Dick,” he snaps. “He doesn’t. He wants to focus on his kid alright? Ro—”
Jason bites his tongue, focusing on the copper he can taste and not the emotions he feels.
“He wants to be a dad right now, okay? And I’m not going to be an asshole and get in the way of that.”
Dick looks like he might say something more, so Jason grabs his headphones out of his bag and puts them on.
He scrolls through his music before stopping on a playlist.
Jaybird
Roy had wanted to expand his musical tastes beyond Pop Punk and made this one for him.
It’s all classic rock and bands he’s never heard of before.
He hits Play.
* * *
April
Roy stands at the door, hesitating.
It’s been three and a half months since he last talked to Jason.
Nearly four since he saw him in person.
Jason had taken the news about Lian well, all things considered.
He hadn’t fought Roy when they “broke up”. He’d been understanding and kind and Roy had definitely needed the space but now—
The door opens suddenly, Jason’s roommate looking blurry-eyed and hungover as hell.
“‘Sup,” he says like he’s never seen Roy before.
“Hey. Is Jason here?”
The guy—Kyle—blinks a few times, trying to clear his head no doubt.
“No,” he finally says.
Fuck
“Well,” Roy says after a minute, “do you know where I can find him?”
Kyle shakes his head. “Back east somewhere I think?”
What?
Kyle must see his confusion—even in his inebriated state—and answers Roy’s next question.
“He dropped out. Something about his boyfriend breaking up with him and a bunch of family drama.”
Shit
Kyle yawns then, stretching his arms over his head.
“I didn’t get all the details.”
Roy stares at him.
Numb.
“Kyle?”
A voice calls out from behind the door. It sounds tired and sleepy and almost familiar but Roy doesn’t pay it any attention.
To focused on the memory of his last phone call with Jason.
“I’m sorry to dump all this on you, but—”
Can only think bout Jason trying to talk to him. Trying to tell him what had been happening with his family.
But then Lian had woken up and suddenly that’s all they talked about.
“It’s okay Roy, I understand.”
“Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”
Kyle’s looking back into his room now and then turns to Roy and grins.
“Did you want to come in? Connor and I wouldn’t mind if you joined us.”
Gross, Roy thinks, an image of his brother flashing across his mind with a shudder.
Sleeping with anyone who has the same name of any of his siblings is weird.
Roy swallows the knot in his throat and shakes his head.
“Not really my thing.”
Kyle shrugs and smiles.
“Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.”
Not in this lifetime.
Roy turns and walks away then, listening as Kyle goes back inside and shuts the door.
No wonder Jason hated being Kyle’s roommate—and why he never let Roy pick him up at the dorm.
Sighing, Roy exits the building, pulling the hood jacket up.
It’s raining.
Again.
The walk isn’t fast but it gives Roy time to think.
He wasn’t ready for a relationship all those months ago.
And he probably still isn’t now.
But he wants to try.
“I love you too, Roy.”
Wants to give the whole single dad dating a younger guy thing a try.
Roy slides his phone out of his pocket, thinking Fuck it, as he scrolls to Jason’s contact and hits call.
His heart skips a beat when it picks up on the first ring.
And then it shatters.
We’re sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed.
The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
If you think you’ve reached this message in error please try again.
And Roy does.
Over and over.
We’re sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed.
The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
/ / /