For the wait
by M. F. Luder
I.
For the wait
05. outsides
As the class dismisses, Seth places everything he has on top of his desk (two books, his notebook and an array of things he'd rather not wonder how they got there, including papers from campus gatherings and reunions) and into his backpack. He checks his watch, a little after twelve already, and hurries up. Ryan should be out of Hydraulics by now.
Walking out of the classroom, Seth takes his cell phone out of his pocket and hits speed dials one. The phone rings twice before going to the mailbox. Seth frowns. Okay, that was such an obvious hanging up that Seth knows when he's not welcome.
He checks his watch again, walking down the hallway. He pauses by publications to see if there's something up that might catch his interest. Nothing. He knows he's missing something, something he should remember, when he realizes that the professor of Currents in Contemporary Literature said he'd leave a couple of chapters for them to read for their next class, which turns out to be tomorrow.
He's on his way to the Xerox office, where the teachers leave every single piece of info for the students to pick up, when his cell phone beeps. Ryan, of course, letting him know the reason why he hung up on Seth minutes ago.
Sorry. Class running late. Too boring. I'm tired. And hungry. And I miss you. Love you.
Seth smiles to himself, goofy and silly, but hell, a message from his boyfriend that has both miss you and love you in its contents will do that to a guy.
It's okay, he tells himself. It's barely twelve thirty and his next class isn't until four, though Ryan's is at two. Hydrology, if Seth's not mistaken. Thursdays are always about the water, at least this semester.
It takes Seth a good twenty minutes to get to the front of the place and get the papers he needs for tomorrow. By the time he walks out of the office, feeling sweat on his brow, his cell still hasn't rung and Seth's starting to worry about Ryan and their standing lunch date. He tries calling Ryan once again, but gets sent to the mailbox on the third ring. He sighs. Either the class is still running or Ryan has forgotten about his long time partner. Seth's pretty sure it's the first one.
Then again, this isn't the first time it has happened. Majoring in English is one thing, sure, and Seth has tons of stuff to either read or write on a daily basis, and he copes with it. But Civil Engineering is another world entirely. Hell, it's another universe. There are too many things to get done. Group papers and investigations, studying for tests and labs. Writing preliminary reports on such labs, as well as the post lab report. Visits to construction sites and finding the permits for them, which, actually, has never been difficult for Ryan or his group to get. That's what one gets when your mother, or your step-mother or whatever owns one of the biggest companies in the state. If Seth was paranoid, or jealous, well, then they'd have spent half their relationship fighting over late nights at a friend's house or whole days barely talking on the phone.
Seth walks down the hallway and toward the front door of the building when his cell phone rings. He smiles, recognizing the tune.
"Well, hello gorgeous."
There's laughter on the other end of the phone line, making Seth grin from ear to ear. He's certain Ryan's blushing, and his stammering words only make Seth's grin widen. "Seth..." A pause, trying to get his bearings together, no wonder. "Seth."
"Dude, back to one word salutations." He chuckles, turning around the corner. "Isn't that nice of you."
A low chuckle on the other end. Good. At least Ryan's not worried or nearing a nervous breakdown. There's still time for that, of course. Midterms aren't for another two weeks. "Sorry about that."
"About what? Forgetting you have a boyfriend waiting for you? Dude. Don't worry. I'll return the favor later this week when I have my deadline for British Romantic Literature." Seth gags. "Really. The British can't do romance."
"Still. Sorry. We're setting up the meeting for the hydraulics paper."
Seth frowns. "I thought you covered that already?"
"Yeah, well, the teacher sent an email earlier today. I didn't check mine, so I had no idea. Tatiana saw it before coming to class. She says the teacher asked not only about the construction procedure of the pillars, but also the setting and manufacturer. So--"
"It's more work than you anticipated." That much Seth can understand from the turn in the conversation. The rest? Well, that was CE lingo and Seth has given up trying to get that, at least deeper than the sheer surface, years ago.
"Yeah." Seth hears Ryan sighing on the other end. "I know it's late--"
Seth checks his watch. And yes, it's rather late for the usual time they have lunch together. It's past one.
"--why don't you go ahead and have lunch without me? I'll meet you as soon as I'm done with this."
Seth shakes his head. "Babe. Ryan. Really. I haven't had lunch alone in the last five years, dude. I'm not starting now." He can imagine Ryan smiling on the other end, and the smile is even audible in the soft sigh that leaves Ryan's lips. "It's been... ages. Plain and simple. I don't think I can even manage to order alone."
Ryan chuckles. "You sure?"
"Of course. I'm not the one with two o'clock class, you know? That's all you."
"Okay. It shouldn't take longer than ten minutes."
And Seth, knowing Ryan and his group and all the stuff they always end up setting up for their papers, can translate that to half an hour. "As long as you're willing to be a little late to your class, sure."
"See you in the cafeteria, then?"
Seth nods. "Sure. Love you."
"Love you too."
Seth closes the phone and makes his way, slowly, to the cafeteria. No rush. He'll probably have to wait for Ryan, nothing new in that either. He has learned not to mind Ryan's schedule, or the lateness for their dates. It's not his fault. Ryan has never been one to be late, but trying to agree on when and where to meet for a paper with four other people, who don't necessarily take the same subjects, isn't exactly easy.
He reaches the cafeteria and finds an empty table, taking a seat and placing his backpack on the other one. He pulls out one of the books he has to finish for Irish Literature, poems of Yeats. He finds a comfortable position with his right ankle on top of his left knee and starts reading. He has the five pm class and the teacher might ask something about the writing and Seth really, really doesn't want to look lost.
Be passionate, not bountiful
As common beauties may
Seth falls in love with the man's poetry all over again, reading line after line, and remembering Ryan with ever other prose.
I loved long and long,
And grew to be out of fashion
Like an old song.
All through the years of our youth
He's brought out of his reverie by lips where his neck meets his shoulder, a small smile against his skin, and Seth can't help but close his eyes and let out a soft sigh of content.
"I love you," is whispered against his flesh and Seth turns around to look at blue eyes that captivated him years ago, so long that it feels like a lifetime and more.
Seth smiles, letting Ryan kiss him lovingly and tenderly, responding when they part with, "I love you too."
Ryan's arms are around him, around his shoulder, and the book is closed without Seth thinking to do so. They look at each other and Seth can feel his chest tighten, in the remembrance of deep love. It has been years since they started doing this, meeting for lunch, no matter their busy schedules. Seth can push everything and anything, and Ryan might arrive late from time to time, but they are here, and that's what Seth loves the most.
"Did you wait long?"
Seth smiles, shaking his head slightly. He hadn't even noticed time has gone by. "Not too long." He doesn't think forever would be too long.
Ryan kisses him once again before taking the seat where Seth's bookbag lies. Ryan places it on the edge of the table, leaning forward, elbows up. He's grinning from ear to ear, obviously satisfied with the progress made for his paper. Seth's hand, on top of the hardcover book touches the edge, material soft under his fingertips. He listens, enthralled, if not by the subject, but by the voice and intonation. His other hand moves to the table and Ryan takes it in his, caressing the skin between his thumb and his index finger, lovingly, like Ryan does in bed, before they fall asleep.
Ryan keeps talking, about subjects and papers and having promised Tatiana that they'll study together for hydraulics. Seth half listens, and it's not the words that matter, but looking at Ryan and letting him know that he loves him.
I love you, Seth's eyes whisper and the corner of Ryan's lips curl upwards in a small smile. Ryan hears it and the rest, the lunch that has not yet been bought, the class that Ryan will be late in arriving to and the book Seth might not finish reading, is nothing compared with this, this moment, for them.