The Right Move

Chapter 2-2

The season was filled with the expected space fights, revelations, and betrayals. It was good.

But Trevor had trouble focusing. As much as he was enjoying the show, he was keenly aware of the body not too far from him. The one he knew he shouldn’t touch, but the one that he wanted to get used to his touch. No one should have to go through life avoiding contact with others. It was just cruel, and Trevor was going to make it easier for Chase.

So between episode two and three, he stretched and “accidentally” bumped against Chase’s shin. Chase jumped a mile, yanked his legs to the side, and Trevor apologized. It took almost a full episode before Chase’s legs settled back to where they’d been—comfortably stretched out in front of him. After episode four, when they took a break to order pizza, he again bumped against Chase’s legs when he went to stand. Maybe it was because Chase could see it coming, or maybe Trevor’s plan was already working, because Chase simply twitched his legs to the side and nothing else.

Well, nothing aside from the tight lips and badly disguised annoyance.

Trevor was willing to bear the brunt of it, though, if it would help Chase. Plus he played it off like being a klutz, which wasn’t too far from the truth.

“What toppings do people want?” Kate asked.

The same old argument broke out about meat versus vegetarian versus some other option, which would end, as it always did, with them getting one mushroom and one pepperoni plus a side of breadsticks. Chase stayed in his chair, watching the debate volley around the room.

Trevor leaned casually against the side of the backrest, careful to get close but not touch. “Having fun?”

Chase’s gaze slid up to him, and Trevor smiled. Chase smiled back with a set of perfectly straight white teeth. “I am. This season is just as good. The filler episode was hilarious!”

“I know, right? I was a little worried when I saw cat-boy Lance, but God, Shiro—”

“I’ll be a paladin,” Chase said in a poor Shiro imitation. They both laughed.

“Yeah, the show’s great. What do you think of my friends?”

Chase shrugged bashfully. “They seem cool. Not a lot of time to talk to them while the show’s on, though.”

“Trust me, it’s for the best.” Trevor let his hand flutter past Chase’s shoulder, as if he’d been about to pat him but had stopped himself at the last second. Chase tensed and didn’t relax until Trevor’s hand was out of his personal space.

“Trevor, Chase, you guys have pizza preference?”

Trevor rolled his eyes, but Chase shook his head. “Everything but ham and pineapple is fine by me.”

“Good taste.” Trevor looked at Kate. “How about we get one pepperoni and one mushroom?”

Which was met with a round of agreement. Did they do this on purpose or did everyone else have selective amnesia when they ordered?

When Trevor looked down again, he found Chase smirking. Catching Trevor’s eye, he asked, “Does this happen often?”

“If by ‘often’ you mean ‘every time,’ then yes.”

Chase chuckled. “It was the same with my old group in high school. We’d order Chinese, everyone would demand to see the menu, then almost everyone would order the same thing they always did. Though I can’t say I wasn’t just as bad.”

“Same,” Trevor admitted. “I always want to try new toppings, but I’m paying for it, so I want it to be good. What if it’s not and I wasted all that money? So I go back to the safe option.”

With a gleam in his eye, Chase asked, “Not willing to take risks?”

Trevor scoffed. “You are?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” The gleam intensified.

“We’re a risk?”

A shrug. “I don’t really know you or your friends, so yeah. We’re in an apartment off campus. Maybe you dragged me here to murder me and hide the body.”

“No way,” Rita interrupted, plopping herself by Chase’s feet. “If that were the case, they wouldn’t have picked you up, because they’d be the last people seen with you and would be prime suspects. They would have invited you earlier and made you come on your own.”

Chase widened his eyes in what looked like mock horror. “Should I be concerned?”

“Rita is studying criminology and forensic psychology—”

“Or I will be after I have my bachelor’s.”

“—so her mind is a little warped.”

She arched a brow at him. “What’s your excuse?”

“I repress all my emotions?” Trevor shrugged, palms up.

“Yeah,” she said skeptically, “let’s go with that.” She turned her attention back to Chase, who was watching with a smirk. “So we’re not going to murder you and hide the body. It’s really just not worth the effort, and if we do, you’ll never pay us back for the pizza.”

“I’m suddenly inspired to never pay you back, then, if it’s going to save my life.”

Her lips twisted and she tapped a finger against them in thought. “Good point. Well, how about we just agree not to murder each other and be done with it?”

The twinkle was back in Chase’s eyes. “Friends don’t murder friends?”

“Exactly.”

Trevor shook his head in amusement. Chase was going to fit right in. And he hadn’t even flinched much when Rita leaned back on her elbows and propped her feet right beside Chase’s leg on the cushion. He still eased to the side a little, but it was barely noticeable.

They started talking majors, and Trevor learned that Chase was studying cartography, which he hadn’t even known was a thing.

“I guess I shouldn’t tell you I can’t place most of the states in the US, except the ones right around us,” Trevor admitted.

“Good thing you can look it up on a map, then.” Chase grinned. “What are you studying?”

Trevor brightened, even if he’d been asked the same questions a thousand times since entering college. “Political science with a focus on historical events and accuracy and applying it to current events.”

“That’s very specific.”

Trevor shrugged. “Well, the degree isn’t, but that’s what the minor is for and likely the years of schooling afterward.”

“And it’s a huge red flag to never talk politics with him,” Jorge chimed in from across the room where he had seemed to be talking with Kate.

A flicker of concern crossed Chase’s face, and he stiffened. Trevor furrowed his brow and said, “I promise I’m not too emphatic. Unless you hit one of my favorite topics.”

Chase smiled weakly, but his hands were white knuckled on the arms of the chair. “As long as you don’t have anything against gay people.”

Trevor glanced from Jorge to Rita to Chase again. “Uh, no. Remember our absent Lia is queer?”

“And me,” Jorge said.

“And me.” Rita grinned.

Kate snorted. “I’m mostly straight.”

“Unless it’s a really butch woman and then you cannot help yourself.” Jorge elbowed her playfully.

Chase visible relaxed. “I forgot you said that about her. And it’s nice to know I’m not alone.” He flashed a smile around the room, practically glowing.

Suddenly, Trevor wanted to tell him that he was queer too. He opened his mouth, about to say as much, when Kate shouted, “f**k!”

All eyes turned to her.

“We never ordered the pizza!”

Everyone groaned and laughed, and the time for sharing was over. Maybe Chase would assume Trevor was queer too, since all his friends were. Or maybe Chase would think Trevor was the straight man in the crowd since he hadn’t said anything. Or maybe Chase would think Trevor wasn’t out or was embarrassed or didn’t trust Chase enough to say anything to him.

Not that it mattered. Having similar romantic interests wouldn’t make them better friends. Wouldn’t make Chase trust him. In fact, it might be better if Chase didn’t know how attractive Trevor found him. (Although anyone with a pulse could see how attractive Chase was, even if they didn’t want to boink him.)

So yes, it was for the best if Chase didn’t know and wouldn’t be uncomfortable with Trevor’s random touches. At least in the beginning. Trevor wasn’t going to hide his sexuality or anything. But for now, he’d stay mum.

But the urge to blurt out the truth lingered with him all evening.