Silent Worlds || BOYxBOY ✔️

Ten

Monday morning arrived with a grey sky and a persistent drizzle that seemed to seep deep into Thomas's bones. He reluctantly dragged himself out of his warm bed, feeling groggy and unrested. The weight of the weekend's events hung over him like a storm cloud. He moved through his morning routine on autopilot, barely noticing the cold shower or the bitter taste of his coffee. His thoughts were elsewhere, caught between the unsettling delivery on his doorstep and the decision to distance himself from Nathan.

By the time Thomas arrived on campus, the rain had picked up slightly, misting his vision and dampening his hair. He pushed his way through the throngs of students, all of them huddled under umbrellas or rushing to escape the weather. He didn't have an umbrella himself, but he barely noticed the cold droplets trickling down the back of his neck.

His first lecture of the day was a blur. He sat at the back of the lecture hall, staring blankly at the professor's slides as they flickered on the screen. The words washed over him, indistinct and meaningless. He scribbled a few notes out of habit, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Thoughts of Nathan kept intruding, unbidden and unwelcome. The guilt of ignoring his text lingered, mingling with the fear that he had done the right thing by keeping his distance.

When the lecture ended, Thomas barely registered it. He gathered his things and shuffled to his next class, the world around him muted and distant. The same thing happened in his second lecture, and then the third. His concentration was shattered, his focus splintered by the relentless undercurrent of anxiety that he couldn't seem to shake. His mind kept circling back to the weekend, and to the box of chocolates that had magically appeared on his doorstep. The more he tried to push those thoughts away, the stronger they became, gnawing at the edges of his sanity.

Rachel and Thomas had tried to file a police report the previous evening, but unfortunately being gifted chocolates wasn't cause for concern and they dismissed them both pretty quickly, despite Rachel interjecting rudely. Thomas knew nothing could be done. Nobody could do anything... because nothing had actually happened. It was all in his head.

By the time lunch rolled around, Thomas couldn't take it anymore. The thought of sitting in another lecture, of pretending to pay attention when all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and shut out the world, was completely unbearable. He decided to skip his next class and wander around campus instead, hoping that the cool air and the rhythmic patter of rain might clear his head.

He pulled his hood up as he stepped outside, the drizzle now a steady, soaking rain. The campus was quieter than usual, most students having sought refuge indoors. Thomas walked aimlessly, the sound of his footsteps on the wet pavement grounding him just enough to keep his thoughts from spiraling completely out of control.

As he rounded a corner, his eyes landed on the campus café. It was a place he knew he should have avoided, knowing that Nathan worked there. But today, despite himself, he found his gaze lingering on the glass doors, watching the people inside with a sort of detached curiosity. The warm glow of the lights contrasted sharply with the grey outside, and for a moment, Thomas considered going in, if only to escape the rain.

Before he could make a decision, the door swung open, and Nathan stepped out. He wasn't in his work uniform; instead, he wore a dark hoodie and jeans, his hair slightly tousled as if he had just run a hand through it. Despite the rain, his beautiful olive skin shone with warmth.

In one hand, Nathan held a to-go cup, steam rising faintly from the lid. Walking beside him was another boy, someone Thomas didn't recognise. The two of them were smiling at each other widely, completely at ease in each other's company and the sight of them together sent a jolt through Thomas, and for a moment, he froze.