Chapter 8

Messiah was at the campus gym early as usual, trying to clear his head before class. He had his airpods in, going hard on the treadmill, when someone stepped on the machine next to him. He glanced over to see Javier, looking tired but still put together in some gym shorts and a tank.

"Damn you always here this early?" Javier said, starting his own run.

"Yeah," Messiah said, turning back to face forward. "Less people to deal with."

They fell into a rhythm, just the sound of their feet hitting the treadmills and whatever was playing in Messiah's airpods. After a while Javier spoke again.

"You good at running from everything, huh chiquito?"

Messiah almost stumbled at the nickname but caught himself. "The fuck you just call me?"

But Javier just laughed, not even out of breath despite running for twenty minutes straight. "You heard me. You eat yet? Looking skinny."

"Man what's with you today?" Messiah asked, but it ain't come out with his usual coldness.

"Just trying to look out. Plus I'm hungry as hell." Javier was drinking from his water bottle, some drops sliding down his neck. "The cafe by the library only take like 20 minutes."

Messiah knew he should say no. But he was hungry as hell and something about Javier's persistent ass was breaking down his walls bit by bit.

"Whatever. But I got class in an hour."

"That's enough time."

---

Later that day, Javier was at the shop working on a client when his sister called. He put her on speaker while he worked.

"Javi! Can you help me with my Spanish project? It's due tomorrow and-"

"You had two weeks to do this project."

"I knowww but please? I'll clean your apartment next time I'm over."

He laughed, wiping excess ink from his current piece. "Ight come by the shop after school. And tell mama I'm still coming Sunday."

After his client left, he was cleaning his station and thinking about how Messiah ain't immediately shut him down at breakfast. Actually caught him almost smiling a couple times.

His phone buzzed - text from his dad again. He deleted it without reading it.

---

Messiah was at work that evening, stocking shelves and trying not to think about that nickname. Nobody ever really called him nothing but his name before - he ain't let people get close enough for all that. But something about how Javier said it, all casual like it was nothing...

"Nah stop," he muttered to himself, focusing on organizing the cans in front of him.

His phone lit up with a text. He expected it to be Dom but instead:

"You eat dinner yet?"

Messiah stared at the text for a minute. Finally he typed back:

"Working"

"That's not an answer"

"Man whatever"

"I'll take that as a no. I'm bringing you food"

"Don't"

"Too late already omw"

Messiah put his phone away, trying to ignore how his heart was doing weird shit in his chest. He ain't need nobody bringing him food or checking on him.

But thirty minutes later when Javier showed up with containers of his mama's cooking, Messiah found himself accepting it without argument. And if that nickname slipped out again when Javier was leaving, well... he wasn't trying to think about how it made him feel just yet.