“I left early, so figured I’d order.”
“Good.”
“How was Bio?” Sage asked after they’d been eating for a few minutes.
“Fine. Franklin rushed to the end. Harry asked a couple of questions.” Bryce shrugged. “He was okay.”
“And Dan?”
Bryce grunted. “I told him to cut it out.”
“Did he?”
“Yeah.”
Sage nodded. “Good.”
A kid from their dorm walked past and did a double take. He recovered fast and kept moving. Bryce watched him go andwaited for the twist in his stomach, which thankfully, didn’t come.
“You okay?” Sage asked.
“I’m okay,” Bryce said.
“He’s probably heard about the closet.”
Bryce shrugged. “Maybe.”
They finished the soup. Sage pushed the last piece of bread across the napkin, and Bryce took it, broke it in half, giving a piece to Sage.
“Workshop later?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah,” Sage said. “An hour. Then I’m done.”
“I’ve got the gym.”
“Go early,” Sage said. “It’ll be packed by five.”
“True.”
Sage looked at his hands, then at Bryce. “You want to come by the lab after? I’ll show you the board.”
“Yeah.” Bryce smiled. “I like seeing it when it works.”
“It worked this morning,” Sage said. “For once.”
They cleaned up the table and then went outside. Bryce shoved his beanie lower. At the corner, Sage glanced around once and stepped close, giving him a quick kiss.
“See you in a bit,” Sage said as he walked away.
***
The gym was busy but not too full. Bryce ran two miles on the treadmill, did a light circuit, then stretched. Locker room chatter rolled around him without sticking. He showered quickly and walked over to engineering with damp hair under his hat.
Sage met him at the lab door and swiped him in. The room was a wash of benches, parts bins, and that faint electrical smell. Gage looked up from the soldering iron.
“Hey,” Gage said. “Want to see us test the LED chain?”
“Yeah. I brought snacks,” Bryce said, holding up a bag.
