Joshua || MxM || Lgbtq+

Chapter Twenty-Five

                   Egypt settled into his apartment    Mason insisted on paying for and so far his classes were all great. He made a few acquaintances and joined a few groups on campus. His favorite was Big Brothers With Guitars. But basically it was a bunch of them that gave music lessons to younger kids.

Egypt missed Joshua something awful but Joshua wanted him here and that's what he's doing. Going to classes and learning all that he can. Maybe a bit of wishful thinking that Joshua would show up in his leather jacket with his piercings in and a smirk. He'd tell Egypt how he started seeing a therapist and he wanted to try a relationship again.

Egypt knew though that it might never happen. It's all about trying to accept that. Accept that Joshua may be the love of his life but not in his life. It's been four months already.

***

Joshua sat at the bar and waited. Bethany or Mason would be by soon enough. Good Lord, Mason and Bethany just wouldn't leave him alone. Always dragging him behind them like some perpetual third wheel. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. They even took him to some of their dates that ended in Mason kissing Bethany sweetly and Joshua acted like Mason's permanent cock block.

Joshua knew it would only work for a short while. Mason always found him wherever he went. Most times it was at the pub or some hole in the wall bar and before he finished his second beer Mason would walk through the doors. At one point Joshua thought Mason paid some kind of zakat to the bar owners in their area to let him know if Joshua came to their bar.

Mason would appear like some ugly version of a fairy god mother and usher Joshua out before he even got a buzz. Four months gone without Egypt and he was doing fairly well thanks to Mason and Bethany anyway.

"You know you're scaring Mason right?" Joshua turned to the voice and rolled his eyes when he saw Bethany.

Joshua didn't respond. He just continued to nurse his drink. Bethany didn't say anything after that. They listened to the rap blasting in the club and drank their cups.

"How..." Bethany turned to face Joshua when he spoke.

Joshua promised himself that he won't ask but man, he really needed to know.

"How is he?" Bethany smiled wryly and shrugged.

"As good as can be expected." She replied a bit cryptically.

"Beth..." Joshua trailed off. Why would he even ask? He had no right to know anymore.

"He's fine, Joshua. Feeling his way around campus and finding things to do that he likes. He joined a Big Brother group and gives guitar lessons to kids." Bethany said throwing Joshua a life line.

Joshua swallowed hard and nodded in thanks. His eye-sight suspiciously blurry.

"He misses you." Bethany said lowly. Joshua cleared his throat and ordered another drink.

"Getting plastered on the regular won't make you forget him Joshua. It won't make anything easier or better. You'd still be in love with him and he'd still be in love with you." Joshua's chest ached from Bethany's words, his breathing labored.

Joshua had no come back. He just swallowed down the lump in his throat and finished off his drink. He got off his stool and walked out the club with Bethany hot on his heels.

"Really Joshua?" she yelled, her arms opened wide. "This is what you want?" she gestured to his body as he tried to keep his balance.

"He's in college learning and growing. He's trying to do something with his life." Joshua had no doubt who the 'he' Bethany was referring to.