Chapter 25
Smoke & thorns
"It's just three days," Javier said, throwing stuff in his bag for the tattoo convention. "You acting like I'm leaving forever."
"I ain't acting like nothing." But Messiah was watching him pack from Javier's bed, wearing one of his hoodies.
"You sure you don't wanna come?"
"I got practice." Messiah was playing with his phone, trying to seem unbothered. "Plus somebody gotta feed your plants."
"Mhm. That's the only reason you took my extra key?"
"Whatever. You gonna miss your flight."
Javier grabbed his bag but stopped to kiss him first. "I'll call you when I land."
"If you want." Messiah pulled him back for one more kiss though.
At his apartment later, Messiah was trying to focus on homework but kept checking his phone. His cat jumped up next to him like he knew something was off.
"What you looking at?" Messiah asked him. "I'm not worried about him."
But he still had Javier's hoodie on, the sleeves pulled over his hands while he worked. His phone lit up finally:
"Landed. You good?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Miss you already chiquito"
"It's been like 2 hours"
"And?"
Messiah caught himself smiling but switched to FaceTime instead of texting back. Javier answered looking tired from the flight but grinning as soon as he saw him.
"You still got my hoodie on."
"You want it back?"
"Nah keep it. Looks better on you anyway."
They talked while Javier got settled in his hotel, Messiah pretending he wasn't just laying there watching him move around the room.
"You actually gonna sleep tonight?" Javier asked.
"I always sleep."
"Not without me you don't."
"I slept fine before you."
"Sure you did baby." Javier's voice was soft though. "FaceTime me later?"
"Maybe."
But they both knew he would. That night Messiah was in bed with his bonnet on, cat curled up next to him while he talked to Javier until they both fell asleep.
Next morning at practice, Messiah was quieter than usual. His teammate asked if he was good and he just nodded, not trying to admit he ain't sleep right without Javier there.
His phone kept buzzing with texts between classes:
"You eat?"
"Yes"
"You sleep okay?"
"I'm good Javi"
But really he was wearing another one of Javier's hoodies he'd stolen, missing him more than he wanted to admit. Something about not having him close just felt wrong now.
That night they FaceTimed again, Messiah laid in bed while Javier told him about the convention.
"One more day," Javier said, noticing how Messiah kept fighting sleep.
"I know. I'm fine though."
"Sure you are. That's why you got another one of my hoodies on."
"Shut up."
But Messiah held his phone closer, letting Javier's voice wash over him until he finally fell asleep. And if he woke up still holding his phone, screen dark but comforting somehow... well, nobody had to know but him.