by Julia Burger
The evening started to stretch and Theodore soon found himself curled on the yellow couch with Holden beside him and Isiah on the floor, engrossed in complaining about his work while Tate cluttered around in the kitchen, muttering curses under his breath as he took care of the dishes, according to Isiah he was rather annoying that day, with bubbles floating through the apartment. Theodore liked having Holden beside him, Holden always radiated heat and Theodore craved it like he was a freezing man, even though he didn’t known he was before Holden presented him with his warmth. Theodore found out Isiah worked as a nurse in the small town hospital and that it often happens he gets bitten or hit by elderly patients. Most of the time he talked into his glass filled with cheap red wine out of a tetra pack, and Theodore’s hair stood just at the sight of it. After more complaining and cursing Tate came over too, flopping onto the floor with his head in Isiah’s lap who only combed through Tate’s hair without even looking at him. like it was a routine, and something in Theodore turned upside down. When Tate took the wine glass from Isiah to put it onto the small stone table with a clink only to entwine his fingers with Isiah’s Theodore felt hot, and his fingers tightened around the cup of tea Holden had made for himself and Theodore. When he spotted the necklaces with a ring around their necks his throat constricted. Holden looked at him weird and Theodore stared into his tea.
During a very dramatic tell from Tate, who was sprawled flat on his back, gesturing wildly in the air, a story about how he almost dropped cake batter that day, the door swung open and Theodore spilled tea onto the couch. A man with gray hair stood in the doorway. He never noticed before, but apparently he was an easily startled person, so used to the polite and polished way of living where every sentence started with a “pardon me” and every action was announced by a “may I”, spoken softly, while now he couldn’t expect anything, not even a knock and it was frightening but also thrilling.
“Kody! Come on, drink some disgusting wine with us! Nastrovje!” Tate raised his third glass of wine from behind the table even though it had been taken from him by Isiah minutes ago. Theodore didn’t know how he got it back again and Isiah didn’t seem to know either and just took it from him again with a sigh.
“I would love to get drunk with you on cheap wine, but I have to go home. Dean is coming back tomorrow. Just wanted to let you know!” Kody leaned in the doorway and was practically brimming with happiness. All the others just smiled softly at him and the mood turned somber while Theodore just stared at his spilled tea.
Kody went home and Isiah told Theodore that Dean was Kody’s boyfriend who was in the army.
“Does no one here like women?” He didn’t mean to say it and stared at the glass door to the balcony and saw a fat moth hanging there, desperately flapping its wings to get in, to get to the light. Theodore hated moths.
“You have a problem with that?” Isiah looked at him through matted bangs that did nothing to save Theodore from the intensity in his eyes. He felt Holden burn a hole into his temple with his stare.
“I don’t.” He bit the words out through clenched teeth after looking away from the moth.
© Julia Burger 2023-08-28