Bonus Chapter- 1 Year Later

The poor, sad soul. I shook my head as I watched him stuff his thirteenth pair of jeans into the suitcase.

"Who even needs thirteen pairs of jeans?"

"I thought you came over to help me pack." Riley said, glaring at me with his bunny rabbit eyes. I curled my feet underneath me on the couch and sighed.

"I did, but just watching you is sucking all the excitement out of me." I yawned and stretched, then pulled a cushion into my lap.

"I wanna go but I don't wanna go. You know what I mean?"

"You're going to university to do all the random stuff you've always wanted to do." I responded. "You're supposed to be happy and excited and jumping up and down like you did the day we found out you got in."

"I know, but I don't want to leave Nate." Riley sighed for about the one hundredth time that night and I rolled my eyes.

"Nate will be just fine. He's got me and Johnny and Eddie and all the other guys to keep his company." I said, and when he only frowned at me, I grinned. "Oh, so you don't want him to be fine without you. Is that it? You want him to be miserable while you're gone?"

He blushed his usual Riley blush, then covered his eyes with his hand.

"Is that a bad thing?"

I shrugged. "If I was leaving for any length of time, I'd want Johnny to miss me to the point of insanity. So I guess its normal."

"You know how Nate is. He won't admit that he's going to miss me, but he says he doesn't want me to live on campus. He wants me to rent an apartment close by. That counts as something, right?"

"But it's a requirement for first years to live on campus. You don't have a choice."

"Well maybe they'll make an exception."

I laughed. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Go to the Dean and say, I'm sorry sir but my boyfriend's a very jealous man who thinks I'm going to get swept off my feet by wayward college boys, so I can't live on campus. Can you please make an exception?"

"Hmm..." Riley bit his lip and turned his eyes to the ceiling like he was actually considering it. I reached out a foot and smacked him with it on the side of his head. He laughed. "I'm kidding. I know it won't work."

"Nate needs to relax. The whole world knows that you'd never even look at another guy. He's got no reason to be jealous."

"But it's the same with you and John gets jealous all the time." Riley said, and I grinned and swayed; his words instantly putting me in a happy mood.

"That's because Johnny's emotionally unstable. He can't control his overwhelming feelings for me." I giggled. "I forgive him."

"But sometimes I think maybe it's not just that he's jealous. Sometimes I think he just doesn't trust me. I think that a lot actually." He sighed.

"You know, your mood swings could be a sign of an underlying mental condition." I told him seriously, and when he rolled his eyes I swung out a leg to kick him again, but this time he dodged.

"Anyway." I went back to the topic at hand. "Even if you could live off campus for the first year, I would still tell you to forget about it. College is all about fun, new experiences, and living on campus isn't something you want to miss out on. Nate just has to accept that."

"I guess."

I ignored his pouting and continued; "Plus, if you don't live on campus I'll miss out on all the fun too."

"Are you really going to visit me every week like you promised?"

"Would I lie?" I asked him seriously, and when he shook his head, I continued. "I'm gonna visit during the week since I know Nate will want to come on the weekends."

He made a face. "He hasn't even said that he'll be visiting."

"Yeah well, luckily for you, I've got all the juicy details. He told Johnny that he's not going to work the weekends anymore because he wants to drive up to visit you when you start living on campus." I assured him. "Maybe that's another reason he wants you to live off campus; that way he'll have somewhere to stay when he comes to visit you for his weekly dose of vitamin D." I wiggled my brows and he blushed. Even after all this time the little teddy bear was still so innocent. I sighed.

"I wish you were coming too. Can't you just enroll and do a couple of courses? It's not like you're doing anything anyway."

"I can't. I've gotta take care of Johnny. Plus, now's your chance to get rid off all that shyness and meet new people." I told him, then pointed a finger at him so he was forced to look at me. "Just don't forget that you'll never find another Kyle, so don't even think about trying to replace me."

He waved me off and I leaned over to pick up the small bag I'd brought with me. After peaking inside for a second, I threw it at him, and he plucked it from the air before it could hit the floor.

"What's this?" he questioned as he opened it, then he frowned and looked at me all irritated-like when he pulled out the large box. "Why are you giving me condoms?"

"For when Nate visits obviously. What else? It's my 'congrats on getting into college gift'. I didn't have time to wrap it, but it's the thought that counts right?"

"You can have them. What do you think Nate's gonna say when he sees me packing a lifetime supply of condoms to take with me to my dorm?"

"I would take them off your hands but John's an extra large so they won't fit him." I said with a satisfied grin. "Besides, Nate will thank you for thinking ahead."

"I know Nate a whole lot better than you do, and I can promise you he won't. Especially since we don't use condom anymore." he said, then chucked the box at me. I dodged and it went sailing past my head to land somewhere behind the couch.

"You don't?" I asked, frowning as I thought about this interesting new development. "Wow you guys are progressing faster than I thought."

He shrugged. "We've been together for over a year you know."

"So have we, and we're still buying condoms. Who decided? You or Nate?" I asked, then shook my head. "Why am I even asking, of course it was Nate."

"It was mutual, and anyway, I don't wanna talk about this anymore. Nate likes his privacy."

Johnny hadn't brought it up even once, but then I'd never even thought to bring it up either; condoms had just always been a given. I watched Riley for a while as he continued stuffing his suitcase. Johnny and I had been exclusive from the start too. I wondered if he'd ever considered going sans condoms.

I bit my lip, lost in thought for so long that I missed it when Nate finally entered the room after being holed up in his study for more than half the day. I'd also missed more than half of what Riley was saying.

"...but I don't think I'll need them. What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"About how much clothes I should bring."

I shrugged. "The dorm room's pretty small and you'll be sharing with at least one other person so I'm thinking less is more."

A small box of Band-Aids landed on a pile of Riley's clothes, and I glanced up just in time to see Nate surveying the mess we'd made of his living room.

Riley frowned. "What if my roommate turns out to be homophobic or what if we don't get along?"

"Then you can request a room change" I said, then smiled. "Or you can just call your big bad boyfriend to come beat him up for you." I glanced at Nate who was watching Riley with furrowed brows and an unreadable expression.

That same look on Johnny's face usually meant concern, but with Nate, it was hard to tell. The guy was so complicated that it made my head hurt.

"I hope everything goes smoothly. I want a good roommate, good professors, a good dorm room, a good experience and I want to meet good people." He continued.

"Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world." Nate put in his two cents, then disappeared as quickly as he'd come. A moment later I heard him rattling around in the kitchen, and on the floor in front of me Riley groaned.

I whistled low. "Is it just me, or is he pricklier than usual?"

Riley shrugged. "He's working on a tough case."

"Johnny's working the same case and his grouch level is the same as it always is." I said.

Riley shrugged again, and this time I let it go. I glanced toward the kitchen entrance then slowly let my eyes travel around the room to the one million and one pictures of them that Riley had put up around the place; on pretty much every available space in the room. It always weirded me out to have their eyes following me everywhere whenever I visited.

The rooms in Nate's place held over a year 's worth of their precious memories together. Riley, being Riley, just hadn't realized that Nate's grumpiness had nothing to do with his case and everything to do with the fact that his precious Riley was moving four hours hours away.

It would be the first time they'd be apart for longer than a few days since they'd met in prison. If I were in Nate's shoes and Johnny was running off to college (as unlikely as that was), I would probably have some of the same fears Nate was no doubt having.

I would worry about how he'd manage so far away without me. I'd worry about all the new people he would meet and whether his new experiences would change him. I would worry about all the thirsty boys chasing after what was mine.

Just the thought pissed me off, and I had to shake my head to clear it. Now Riley was removing the jeans he'd previously stuffed into the suitcase. I didn't think Riley would change much though. He'd probably gain some confidence and come out of his shell a little. He'd also learn to be more independent, but there was no way the Nate-obsessed Bunny was going to accept any of the losers who would no doubt chase after him.

The only thing Nate really had to worry about (in my humble opinion) was him making the mistake of choosing the wrong friends. The dude was not good when it came to trusting the right people. But then, that's where I came in. I'd be there as often as I could to make sure he was traveling on the right path.

Johnny thought I was being overprotective and nosy, but I knew best. As usual.

"Did you get everything on your list?"

He nodded. "Everything except bed sheets, but I'm going to get those tomorrow morning." He said. "Oh and Simon's gonna help me pick out a good laptop tomorrow too."

"Bad idea."

He glanced up with a frown. "Why?"

"Because he's going to pick out the most complicated, high-tech, most expensive laptop he can get his hands on. He's a nerd, he won't be able to help it."

Riley grinned. "That's why I asked Eddie to come along too. That way he can reign him in when he gets too crazy."

"Oooh... Simon and Eddie in a room together? Count me in. I'm in the mood for some secondhand sexual tension. It's like reading a romance novel; except the characters are ten times hotter, and I can take pictures."

"I feel like they would be together if they really liked each other." He said and I reached over to pat his head.

"My sweet naïve little Riley...life's not always that simple. They've got to sort through their issues first."

Riley rolled his eyes. "You make it seem like you have inside knowledge."

"I've got common sense and good intuition. That's all I need."

"Yeah whatever. Come help me pack this one." He said pointing to a small hand luggage in the corner.

"What are you putting in it? More clothes? You're packing like you're going to another planet for a few hundred years."

"Better to have more than less." He said with confidence. "Just pack all my skin stuff in that one."

I discarded the cushion and went to sit beside him on the floor where he had about a million different skin care products that I'd never even heard of.

"When you and Nate get married and you buy a house together, make sure you get your own bathroom so you can have space for all these products. It's not fair that Nate should lose all his counter space just because you're a hoarder."

"Nate's just fine." He said. I began stuffing his products in one by one, reading the labels as I went even though most of them were in some weird, indecipherable language.

"Is this the honey and lime body scrub that you made?" I asked when I came upon a clear unlabeled jar. He nodded, and I opened it and took a long whiff. It smelled like candy and fresh fruits mixed into one cute package. "Can I use it as a face mask too?" I asked. He nodded and I dipped my fingers in and proceeded to coat my face with it.

"Are you sure you don't want to open a beauty store instead? You're always making these cool things. I'd invest." I told him seriously, but he shook his head.

"I do it for fun. If I start doing it to make money, it won't be fun anymore."

"I guess." When my face was fully coated in the stuff, I opened a packet of his wet wipes to clean my fingers, screwed the jar shut and deposited it into his suitcase with the rest of his skincare army.

"What time are you going to get the laptop tomorrow?"

"Around ten. He's picking me up. Where are you staying tonight? Your place or John's? If you're gonna be at John's then Simon can swing by and get you since it's on the way."

When the last bottle was packed, I pulled the zipper closed and stretch. "Johnny's I think, but I'll let you know what I'm doing later tonight."

As he continued his packing, we fell into a comfortable silence.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, and I realized for the first time that I'd been staring. I sighed.

"I can't believe you're leaving me. Who am I gonna annoy now? Who am I going to gossip with and visit at all hours of the day? You and Johnny are the only people who put up with me, and now you're abandoning me here with all the boring people."

He laughed. "Then enroll in a couple of courses and just come with me."

"You don't believe me when I say Johnny needs me, but it's true."

"What does he need you for?" He was looking at me with furrowed brows.

"I'm his only source of entertainment." I began and he snorted. "I'm the person who relieves all his stress and fills his quiet days with good conversation. I'm the one who drags him to the grocery store every weekend so he doesn't starve in that house of his. I'm the one who cuddles with him in the middle of the night when he reaches for me after a bad dream. Most importantly, I'm the one he loves." I finished.

"What do you think he'd say if you told him you were leaving for college too?"

"Hmm..." I thought about it seriously. "I don't know. I think maybe he wouldn't take me seriously, or maybe he'd be upset. Do you think I should test it out tonight and see how he reacts?"

"If he's gonna be upset then why bother?"

"It's not healthy to be in a good mood all the time anyway. Sometimes you gotta change it up a little. Plus, now I'm kind of curious about what he'd say if I was leaving."

Riley shrugged. "It's your funeral."

"The makeup sex is always worth it." l grinned. "How long am I supposed to keep this face mask on anyway?"

"How am I supposed to know that? Just take it off whenever."

"You're a terrible businessman. It's your creation." I grumbled.

"That's because I'm not a business man." He said distractedly, then proceeded to ignore me in favor of packing up his belongings.

I watched him for a few minutes longer, feeling genuinely devastated that he was leaving in a mere three days. After that, life would be a little less interesting. I really needed to make more friends like Riley who weren't particularly boring or average.

"Can't you just do online courses?" I asked and he frowned as he looked at me.

"You're the one who just told me I need to enjoy the full college experience."

"I'm entitled to at least one selfish moment per hour. Just bear with me." I said with a sigh, then stood and left him to his business.

I followed my nose which led me to the kitchen where Nate stood making dinner. He glanced up once when he heard me coming, but as usual, proceeded to ignore me, even as I sat at the counter directly in front of him.

I opened my mouth to start a conversation, but he beat me to it.

"Go home." He said, and I blinked up at him in annoyance.

"I can't."

"Why not?" he asked with that typical 'I want to crush Kyle' glare that was custom-made for me.

"Because Riley says you're making spaghetti for dinner."

"And?"

I gave him my best trademark pout. "I want some."

"No."

I sighed. "Are you seriously still mad at me because of that gay bar incident? I told you it wasn't my fault. How could I have known that the guys would flock him; he's just too cute and sexy for his own good; you can't blame me for that."

"You're a bad influence." Was all he said.

"That was weeks ago. I promise never to take him anywhere near thirsty gay guys again." I said, but the evil look in his eyes only intensified. I dropped my chin onto my folded arms and decided to keep my mouth shut.

I watched him work in silence for a good ten minutes before I spoke again.

"Sooo." I began, sitting up. He glanced up at me for about a millisecond before he turned back to his task...without so much as a word. "I heard you guys haven't found a secretary yet."

This time his look lasted a little bit longer than the first, but he still didn't comment, so I decided to stop beating around the bush. It wasn't any fun when the other person didn't play along.

"I want you guys to hire me as your secretary."

This time a wide smile erupted on Nate's face and I felt a sudden flash of hope, until the smile turned into a chuckle and he turned back to his pot with a shake of his head.

"Come on Nate. Why can't you just give me a chance?"

"I'm sure John already gave you an answer on that. Why do you think it will make a difference if you ask me?"

"Because you're business partners and you're supposed to discuss it together and then come to an agreement. Johnny decided all on his own. How's that fair?"

"Even if we'd discussed it, the answer would still be the same; no."

"Why?" I folded my arms before me, feeling all kinds of frustrated and maybe a little bit pissed because I knew that neither of them was taking my request seriously."

"Since when are you interested in working?"

I glared at him and he watched me with his usual emotionless expression and those scary-as-fuck green eyes that Riley was obsessed with.

"What's so wrong with me wanting to work? Is that a crime?"

"You're too impulsive Kyle. If we give you a job today, you'll quit tomorrow. We're looking for someone reliable who'll get the job done the way we need them to."

"I'm not impulsive anymore. I've changed." I tried to reason with the emotionless monster before me.

"You quit your volunteer work at your father's firm after being there for three days."

"That was last week. People can change in the space of a few minutes." I argued.

We stared each other down for exactly two minutes before finally he had to turn back to his pot so he could drain the water from the spaghetti.

"Why do you want to work as our secretary?"

"So I can be near Johnny." I said. I'd heard that when it came to an interview, honesty was always the best policy. "You know that I'm one hundred percent committed to him, so since he's my motivation, I'll work my ass off."