“Just what we need,” Gage said and took the chips.
Sage showed him the board. The new resistor sat cleanly on the line. The LEDs ticked on in sequence when Sage tapped the key.
“Nice,” Bryce murmured. “Looks stable.”
“For now,” Sage muttered.
They ran the test again, and it held again. The TA signed the sheet and moved on.
“I’m out,” Gage said. “Stop by later if you want to watch Dan submit the cursed playlist to the masses.”
“No thanks,” Sage grunted.
Gage clicked his bag closed and pointed at Bryce. “Good boundary earlier. He stopped.”
“Yeah,” Bryce said, and Gage left.
Sage unplugged the board and coiled the leads. He cleaned his area, wiped the bench, and put the boxes back where they belonged. Bryce watched his hands move in their usual precise, quick, no wasted motion.
“You want to grab groceries?” Bryce asked. “I’ll cook.”
“You’ll cook?”
“I can handle pasta.”
“That is cooking,” Sage said.
They shut down the station and signed out. The hall outside was quieter now and the stairs echoed.
They walked to the small market on Sixth. Bryce grabbed pasta, sauce, and a bag of salad. Sage picked up garlic and a lemon.
Back at the apartment, Bryce put water on to boil and then sliced garlic. Sage set the table and dug out two clean bowls. They ate on the couch with bowls balanced on the coffee table. The sauce was better than Bryce expected.
When they were done, Bryce took the dishes to the sink and washed them while Sage dried. They didn’t talk for a few minutes.
“You okay?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah,” Sage said.
Bryce leaned in and kissed him. Sage moaned softy as he leaned closer, his hands sliding over Bryce’s hips. Bryce nipped at Sage’s lip before sliding his tongue inside to dance with Sage. Sage trembled, whispering Bryce’s name before leaning back.
“I’ve got early lab,” Sage said.
“I’ll set the coffee for the morning,” Bryce said.
They got ready for the night. Teeth, lights, the usual. In Bryce’s room, Sage hesitated at the door. Bryce noticed and asked, “You staying?”
“Yeah,” Sage said.
They undressed down to their underwear and got into bed. Same side as the previous night. Sage curled into Bryce’s side and placed his hand on his chest. Bryce covered it with his own.
“You good?” Sage asked.
“Yeah, I am.” Bryce kissed Sage, then closed his eyes.
Chapter Twelve
By midafternoon, Sage was useless. Every time he stopped moving, the last few nights ran on a loop. Bryce’s hands, Bryce’s mouth, the way his breath caught when they kissed.
