Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Coriolanus Snow notices the newest student at the school on the courts immediately but waits until someone else brings him up to find out more. It’s a hot day where they’re just doing boring drills instead of actual games, so it doesn’t take long for the boys to turn to gossip.

"I heard he's a scholarship kid," Hilarius sniffs. Coriolanus keeps his face blank. Scholarship kids are looked down upon more than anything else at their elite tennis boarding school.

And he, unfortunately, happens to be a scholarship kid.

Not that any of his peers knew that; and Coriolanus took great pains to keep it that way.

He steadies himself, bouncing the new tennis ball before he gets into position. Coriolanus' toss is perfect and there's a satisfying thwack! as his racket makes contact, and his friend, Hilarius whistles at it. Coriolanus feigns humbleness.

"He's not a scholarship kid," the dark-skinned kid scoffs to his left. Coriolanus thinks his name is Marcus, but he doesn’t remember for sure; he’s also relatively new to the school. "He's a Plinth, dumbass. He's so rich he could probably buy you."

Coriolanus pauses. A Plinth?

"Alessandra Plinth's son?" Coriolanus asks in a carefully nonchalant tone.

"The very same."

His mother had won thirteen Grand Slams before retiring to start a family with her husband, Strabo Plinth, a wealthy weapons manufacturer. They seemed an unlikely couple but had been married for over 20 years, so Coriolanus supposed it was working out for them.

"His name is Sejanus."

Coriolanus looks up at the new kid hitting with one of their coaches; carefully and discreetly, he watches Sejanus return hit after hit, regardless of the speed or the spin on the ball. With satisfaction, Coriolanus notices his form is nowhere near as clean or proper as the other boys at this school, including his own, but it is powerful and scarily accurate.

The coach praises him and Sejanus just smirks, a very confident and at ease fifteen-year-old who was probably handed a tennis racket immediately after his mother had given birth to him. A tennis racket and a silver spoon in his mouth, Coriolanus can't help but think bitterly.

After an hour, most boys leave to file into the cafeteria. Not Coriolanus though; he can't afford the cafeteria's prices. His scholarship only covers his room and tuition, not his food. At least he doesn't have a roommate, a rare benefit not many get at the school. He notices Sejanus is still there watching him, and he can’t help but show off his excellent form. At some point though, he disappears too, leaving Coriolanus alone on the court where he can eat a cheap protein bar in peace without any unnecessary questions.

*

Coriolanus turns the key in his dorm room, looking forward to a shower and a few hours of free time before dinner, which consists of another protein bar, but immediately freezes in horror.

Someone else's things are in his room: matching luggage in sage green fills the right side of the room, and someone has detached the beds that Coriolanus had pushed together to make into one. Even worse, Coriolanus realizes too late that his worn-out black stuffed dog with one eye is out on full display, and he scrambles to hide it underneath his pillow just as the dorm room door opens again.

"I already saw your stuffed animal, you don't need to hide it," a surprisingly soft voice says. "I won't tell anyone."

Coriolanus flushes bright red and he clears his throat. "I wasn't hiding it. I was just tidying up for you," he lies, without his usual confidence because all of this is unexpected and terrible and he hasn't had time to process any of it. With faux indifference, Coriolanus fluffs his pillow and sets the stuffed dog on top of it. After a quiet but uncomfortable moment, he realizes he should probably address the elephant in the room. "So, I guess we're roommates now."

Sejanus sits on his bed against the opposite wall now, looking out the window with a view of the sprawling lawns. "I guess so."

An awkward silence settles over them.

"You're Coriolanus Snow, right?" Sejanus asks.

Coriolanus' chest puffs up. "You've heard of me?"

"No.” Sejanus gives him a weird look. “Your name is on the dorm door."

"Oh.”

The awkwardness intensifies.

“I’m gay, you know,” Coriolanus suddenly says, realizing it's his last play where he might still get the room to himself. It’s not technically a lie either; he’s bisexual. But he hadn’t told anyone at the school and finds reassurance knowing that he could lie about it if Sejanus decided to spread it around. He was the one who had attended this school since he was twelve, not Sejanus Plinth; he has much more credibility than him, and Coriolanus took solace in that. "I like guys," he clarifies in case that wasn't clear from his initial statement.

“Okay,” Sejanus replies, appearing baffled.

“Does that… bother you?” Coriolanus presses, suddenly desperate to have the room to himself again.

“Nope.” Sejanus shifts backward on the bed, leaning on his elbows as he cocks his head at Coriolanus curiously.

Fuck.

“Oh. Okay then,” Coriolanus says lamely, resigning himself to having a roommate for the foreseeable future, and debating the merits of opening the window and throwing himself out of it.

Sejanus hums and changes the topic, saving Coriolanus from himself. “How long have you been at this school?”

“Three years.”

“Is it any good?”

Immediately Coriolanus is defensive. “It’s one of the top tennis schools in the world.”

Sejanus makes an unimpressed sound. “I’ve been to several ‘top schools.’”

“And none of them were good enough for Alessandra Plinth’s son?” Coriolanus challenges.

Sejanus’ eyes narrow, and for a moment, Coriolanus is worried he went too far. It really wouldn’t benefit him to be making enemies when he should be making connections, as advised by Tigris and Grandma’am. Then, surprised laughter fills the dorm room and Coriolanus relaxes, just a little bit.

“I guess not,” Sejanus admits. He sits up with a half-smile, looking smug. “So, you’ve heard of me?”

“Bits and pieces,” Coriolanus says vaguely, avoiding eye contact. "Mostly about your mom though."

"Makes sense." Sejanus nods a couple of times thoughtfully before he bites his lip, suddenly looking nervous. “Hey, this is probably a bit weird, but I don’t know anyone here besides you – do you want to eat dinner together?”

Coriolanus so badly wants to say yes, his stomach already grumbling at the thought of eating a warm meal. Plus, Sejanus doesn’t seem too bad; he could be so much more entitled like some of the other boys at this school with a lot less of a tennis pedigree. But if he couldn’t afford the lunch in the cafeteria, he definitely couldn’t afford the dinner.

Sejanus watches as the other boy seems to wrestle with himself. “It’s fine if you don’t want to,” he backtracks, a slight blush creeping up. “You probably have your own friends that you sit with already and I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“It’s not that,” Coriolanus says, not sure why he didn’t just go along with the excuse Sejanus had just handed to him on a silver platter, and Sejanus knits his eyebrows together. He scrambles for another acceptable reason. “I, uh, I don’t usually eat a lot.”

There, it wasn’t a lie.

“Would you eat more if you could afford to?” Sejanus asks point-blank, and Coriolanus goes pale, panic gripping him as he struggled to formulate a response.

How? How had this stranger guessed in mere minutes what none of his other classmates had in years?

Sejanus holds his hands up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you out like that, I just noticed you didn’t go to the cafeteria for lunch and only ate a protein bar.”

“Well, whatever you think you know about me is wrong - I just didn’t feel hungry today,” Coriolanus sniffs, still desperately trying to claw back the illusion of casual wealth he had maintained until now.

"Your clothes are too small as well," Sejanus points out.

"I've been too busy studying and haven't had time to buy anything new," Coriolanus lies easily.

“Your shoes are also extremely worn out."

“They’re my lucky pair,” Coriolanus retorts.

“They’re your only pair,” Sejanus counters as he gestures to the few possessions Coriolanus had on his side of the room. Coriolanus crosses his arms, feeling like a cornered animal.

“What do you want from me?” Coriolanus demands, humiliation cresting. "Are you going to tell everyone that I'm here on a scholarship?"

“No, of course not!" Sejanus insists, looking stressed. "Honestly, Coriolanus, all I want from you is your company.” Sejanus appears to deflate, pulling his legs up to his chest and suddenly looking so much younger. “I have a hard time making friends at these schools and I just don’t want to eat alone on the first day for once in my life.”

Coriolanus' defensiveness softens as the confidence Sejanus had projected earlier on the court dissipates and reveals an insecure, lonely fifteen-year-old sitting across from him in the dorm room.

Several seconds pass, and Sejanus sighs, running a hand through his curls. “Forget it, it was a stupid idea-”

“Fine. Let's do dinner - but you're paying," Coriolanus interrupts, and Sejanus lights up.

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

Marcus, Festus, Hilarius, and Coriolanus are taking a break after their doubles match which Coriolanus and Hilarius won, and watching Sejanus take on an older student in singles. Despite their age difference and how little time he’s been there, Sejanus is decimating the upperclassman; it’s almost embarrassing to watch.

"I heard from one of my friends at the Palisades Academy that he's gay," Festus mutters. Coriolanus suddenly tunes back into the conversation that had been going on without him.

"Who?" he asks, feigning indifference while his heart races.

"Plinth."

"Sejanus isn't gay," Coriolanus says without thinking.

"Did he say that?" Hilarius asks with interest.

"Well... no."

"Okay, so he's gay until proven straight," Marcus declares as he opens another Gatorade and chugs it.

"Why does it matter if he's gay?" Coriolanus asks, horrifyingly aware of how defensive his tone came out.

"I guess it doesn't," Festus replies, unconvinced. "I just don't want some dude falling in love with me is all."

Hilarius snorts. "As if he'd be into you."

"Why are you laughing!" Festus scowls and crosses his arms. “I’m a total catch!”

“I thought you just said you didn’t want him to be interested in you because you’re not gay?” Hilarius reminds him, and Festus starts sputtering.

Coriolanus ignores the barrage of mocking comments that follow as he considers this new information.

Is that why Sejanus had been unfazed by his declaration last week? Because he was gay too? But then, why not just admit it when Coriolanus had? His mind bounces between thoughts like the ball on the court, caught in a particularly intense rally between Sejanus and the upperclassman.

"If anything, Sejanus is probably into Coriolanus; I mean, have you seen how he looks at him?" Marcus laughs. “It’s like a lovesick puppy.”

Coriolanus rolls his eyes and takes a sip of water from his thermos. "What are you going on about?"

"You seriously haven't noticed?" Marcus' eyebrows disappear into his curly hair.

"There's nothing to notice," Coriolanus says dismissively.

"Dude. It's so obvious he has a crush on you."

"He probably asked to be roommates with Coriolanus so he could seduce him," Festus sniggers.

"He didn't ask to be with me; I was the only one without a roommate," Coriolanus corrects.

"Whatever you say," Festus says as he raises his eyebrows suggestively, and Coriolanus rolls his eyes just as their coach blows his whistle and yells at them to get back in position.

*

Later at their dorm, Sejanus is perched against the window nook reading, and Coriolanus decides it is the perfect time to see whether or not Sejanus is gay. With an air of indifference, Coriolanus gets up and stands in front of the mirror, angling himself to see Sejanus' face in the reflection. With a lazy movement, he reaches over his back and pulls his shirt up before discarding it on the floor. Sejanus' eyes flick up from his book and back down just as quickly.

Probably just because humans' eyes are drawn to movement, Coriolanus muses.

He starts to do some stretches and notices Sejanus' gaze keeps wandering back, sneaking furtive glances.

Huh.

Coriolanus grabs a tennis ball and starts to work out his shoulder muscles, letting out a slightly exaggerated moan; Sejanus tenses before he forces his eyes down to his book, his cheeks flushed.

Maybe... he is gay.

Coriolanus could have stopped there, but he found himself wanting to know if it was just the fact he was shirtless or if like Marcus had said… Sejanus was into him.

With a nonchalant movement, he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his sweats and slides them down, stepping out of them in a deliberately slow movement as he feigned interest in a bruise on his thigh, leaving him in only his black boxer briefs. Surreptitiously, he looks up in the mirror and sees Sejanus' eyes tracing every inch of his exposed skin, his hands clenching the book as his fingers turn white.

"Hey, Sejanus," Coryo calls out, and Sejanus’ gaze snaps back to his book guiltily.

"Yeah," he responds shortly, not looking at him.

"Can you come here really quick?"

Sejanus' eyes widen, and he stares down at his lap, looking horrified. "Um, I'm kind of in the middle of my book..." he trails off, adjusting so his legs crossed.

"It'll just take a second," Coriolanus assures him, and Sejanus bites his lip before he stands up, still holding the book protectively over the front of his sweatpants.

"What-what do you need?" he stumbles on the words, unable to make eye contact, and it’s actually quite adorable, Coriolanus thinks to himself.

"Can you press your thumb into my shoulder right here?" Coriolanus asks innocently. Sejanus hums and carefully places himself behind Coriolanus in the mirror, thankful his roommate hasn’t turned around to see what he’s trying and failing to hide.

"Like this?" Sejanus asks as he applies pressure, and Coriolanus moves his shoulder around experimentally.

"Can you press harder?"

Sejanus does, causing an involuntary moan from Coriolanus.

"Was that too much?" Sejanus’ voice is unsteady, and Coriolanus shakes his head, trying to regain his composure.

"No, that’s perfect – stay like that while I stretch out."

Sejanus waits patiently as Coriolanus moves his arm around, wincing slightly until he finally lets it fall and sighs happily.

"Thank you, Sejanus."

Sejanus doesn't respond even as he releases the pressure; Coriolanus' eyes flick up to his face in the mirror as Sejanus' hand traces the ridges and dips on his back with a featherlight touch, seemingly mesmerized. Coryo lets his head fall slightly to the left as tentative fingertips travel and rest on his collarbone; Sejanus leans in, his eyes fixed on Coriolanus’ exposed throat as his lips part. His breath fans against Coriolanus’ neck and it makes him shiver as Sejanus’ tongue darts out before he bites his lip.

Sejanus looks ready to devour Coriolanus whole, and for a moment, Coriolanus wants nothing more than to let him.

Then, Coriolanus feels panic seize him, and his entire body tenses as he realizes he doesn't know what he's doing. Not only that but despite all the effort he went through to figure out if Sejanus is gay or not, he's not sure if he's actually into Sejanus. Going farther without figuring that out would have disastrous consequences for their living situation, but he’s also unsure how to communicate that to Sejanus. Immediately recognizing Coriolanus' distress, Sejanus steps backward, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"Sorry," Sejanus swallows hard before forcing out a laugh. "I zoned out."

Neither speaks for a few seconds, though they meet eyes in the mirror, their chests heaving. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sejanus turns away.

"I'm going to hit the showers," he says, his voice returning somewhat to normal. "I'll see you in a bit. Save me a seat at dinner, will you?"

Without another word, Sejanus takes his shower caddy and a fresh towel and disappears into the hallway.

Chapter Text

The next day was the annual beach bonfire with the coed tennis school down the street. Festus had put on too much cologne, and Hilarius and Marcus are roasting him for it as the group walks down to the beach together. The sun starts to set, casting pinks and oranges into the sky, and long shadows stretch from the teenagers playing beach soccer.

Coriolanus searches for Sejanus and feels surprised at seeing him already sitting with a group of people from the other school. So much for not being good at making friends, he thinks crossly.

Despite some awkwardness after what had almost happened yesterday between them, Sejanus had acted normal at dinner and in their dorm afterward, making Coriolanus wonder if he had imagined the whole thing. Sejanus leans in with a smirk and says something to one of the girls, and she laughs and leans against his arm; Coriolanus grits his teeth and tries to ignore the scene in front of him as he strips off his shirt and runs into the ocean with the rest of his friends.

*

A bottle of vodka mysteriously appears, and everyone takes turns passing it around. By this point, the sun has disappeared completely, and the moonlight reflects onto the crashing waves in front of the bonfire. Looking around, Coriolanus realizes that he hasn't seen Sejanus for a while; he’s just about to ask if anyone else has seen him when Sejanus appears.

He flops down next to Coriolanus on his beach towel, sighing happily.

"What's up with you?" Coriolanus asks as he pokes the fire with a piece of driftwood.

"Oh, nothing in particular – just having a great time," Sejanus replies with a dazzling smile. It makes Coriolanus' breath catch, and he coughs to disguise it as he brings his attention back to the bonfire. Despite his proximity to the flames, he can't help his shivering.

Sejanus notices immediately. "You cold?"

Coriolanus gives a noncommittal noise in response, and without another word, Sejanus strips off his sweatshirt and tosses it to him. "Here, take this."

"I don't need your sweatshirt," Coriolanus insists, but Sejanus shakes his head.

"Just wear it for a little bit - when you stop shivering, I'll take it back."

Coriolanus rolls his eyes but pulls the sweatshirt on, secretly grateful for it. Surreptitiously, he inhales the scent of Sejanus' cologne, feeling his skin warm as he realizes what he's doing; desperate to distract his body from remembering the previous day, Coriolanus turns to look at Sejanus whose eyes are closed as he sits back on his hands.

Coriolanus zeroes in on the bruise on the side of Sejanus' throat, and that sharp irritation is back, even more so than when he had first seen him on the beach. He knows for a fucking fact that Sejanus didn't have that mark earlier in the day, and he can't help but fume.

He clears his throat, and Sejanus opens his eyes with an unfocused look.

"I thought you said you had trouble making friends," Coriolanus says pointedly.

Sejanus furrows his brow. "I do.”

"And yet you obviously got friendly enough with someone for them to leave that on your neck."

Sejanus laughs, his face clearing as he realizes what Coriolanus is implying. "I don't have trouble making those kinds of friends," he drawls as he scoops a handful of sand up before letting it fall between his fingers back onto the beach.

"The kind who leave hickeys?" Coriolanus says, unable to let it go.

"The kind who leave hickeys," Sejanus concedes. He looks distant before he turns his attention back to Coriolanus. "For the record, you are the first real friend I've made at one of these schools." Coriolanus softens slightly, and Sejanus adds with a flippant tone, "It probably helps that you don't want to hook up with me."

Coriolanus' face flushes, grateful for the low light; he would never say it out loud, but Coriolanus realizes that may not be true. Coriolanus hums, trying to stop his mind from imagining sucking over the small love bite on Sejanus' neck to make it darker, covering up the previous mark and claiming him, and that only leads to him imagining the sounds Sejanus might make during sex; Coriolanus briefly wonders if the sounds he makes in bed are the same as the grunts he makes on the court. He rubs his face, trying to clear his mind and calm the lower half of his body. Just in time, the vodka bottle makes its way over to them, and he wordlessly hands it to Sejanus. In a fluid movement, Sejanus unscrews the cap and takes a significant swig, not flinching at the burn as he swallows the alcohol. Coriolanus shakes his head, his body shuddering at the memory of the last time he had vodka.

Though Coriolanus can’t help but wonder if he'd like the taste of vodka better if he could taste it on Sejanus' lips.

"You don't want any?" Sejanus asks as he leans forward with the bottle, his arm brushing against Coriolanus'.

"It's not really my thing," Coriolanus replies, and Sejanus shrugs before he takes one more drink and then passes it along to the next person.

Coriolanus flinches when he feels Sejanus’ hand on his back.

“What are you doing?” he asks, trying to sound natural.

“Just tracing the logo on the back of the sweatshirt,” Sejanus says, his words slurring slightly. “It’s from one of my previous schools. We were the dolphins,” he laughs.

“The dolphins, huh?” Coriolanus manages, trying to distract himself from how good Sejanus’ hand feels on his body.

Sejanus hums and his hand moves up slightly, playing gently with Coriolanus’ hair, who swallows a humiliating sound of pleasure.

“Your hair is so soft,” Sejanus notices dreamily, threading it through his fingers.

“Thanks, I use conditioner,” Coriolanus replies unsteadily.

“Hey! We need two more players for soccer!” Marcus yells, and Sejanus lets his hand drop to the towel.

“You down to play?” Sejanus asks him as he gets up, surprisingly coordinated for how drunk he sounds.

“You’re barely standing upright,” Coryo says with an eyebrow raised.

“So, it’ll be an easy win for you,” Sejanus replies as he holds out his hand. Coriolanus shakes his head even as he lets Sejanus pull him up, falling against his body as he slips on the sand. Sejanus catches him, laughing as he helps Coriolanus right himself.

Coriolanus pushes him away with a grin, even though his heart is racing, and they both run to where the group is waiting with the ball in hand.

Sejanus is incredibly bad at soccer, Coriolanus realizes early on, and he doesn’t think it's due to the vodka. Sejanus kicks the ball a few paltry feet, allowing Coriolanus to take it and score a point against his team. Festus complains, and Hilarius does a victory lap before the ball is back in play. After a particularly quick turn, Sejanus trips and falls backward, landing hard on his back. Coriolanus kneels next to him, ignoring his teammate's yelling as the other team takes the ball.

“Are you okay?”

Sejanus blinks before laughing breathlessly. “Shit, I got the wind knocked out of me.”

He looks up at Coriolanus before a wicked smile overtakes him, and he wraps his arms around his waist and yanks him down on the other side of his body.

Coriolanus laughs in surprise as his back hits the sand, though their legs are tangled together, and Coriolanus can feel sand coating his entire body.

“You know, you’re really shit at soccer,” Coriolanus can't help but inform him.

“I have hand-eye coordination, not foot-eye coordination,” Sejanus replies unapologetically, and Coriolanus realizes then that his arms are still around his waist. Before he can think about how that might look, a rogue wave hits them, and Coriolanus yelps in surprise as the cold water covers him.

“Fuck!” Sejanus yells as he lets go of Coriolanus and struggles to get up; between them, they manage to get upright, laughing the entire time as they grasp at each other.

“You guys okay?” Hilarius yells.

“We’re fine,” Coriolanus waves him off. “We’re just going to go back to the dorm and change.”

“The party’s just getting started!” Festus whines. “Just strip and sit next to the fire, you’ll warm up in like, five minutes.”

Coriolanus shakes his head. “It’s cold as fuck, we need to change.” He takes Sejanus' hand who seems even more drunk now than he did before. “We’ll see you guys soon.”

Chapter Text

Coriolanus finally manages to get them into the dorm hallway despite Sejanus stumbling every few steps.

"You definitely drank too much," Coriolanus chides him.

"And you drank too little," he replies seriously, shaking his head, before insisting, "I had to drink for both of us!"

Coriolanus rolls his eyes. "I'm going to go get you some clean clothes. Wait for me in the showers - I don't want sand all over our dorm room."

Sejanus gives him a deeply unserious two-fingered salute. "Yes, sir!"

Coriolanus shakes his head as Sejanus disappears into the shower room, and he opens the door to their dorm. Carefully, he locates sweatpants, T-shirts, and a pair of boxers for each. He also takes a couple of clean towels from Sejanus' side as it's the least he can do to repay Coriolanus for getting them both back safely.

When Coriolanus pushes open the door to the showers, Sejanus is sitting on the bench next to one of the shower stalls, his head leaning back against the wall and his eyes closed.

"You good?" Coriolanus asks, unsure if he should have taken Sejanus to the bathroom first.

Sejanus brings his head up with a lopsided grin. "'M just dizzy. I've been way more drunk than this, so don’t worry, I’ll be fine."

"All right, I'll take your word for it." Coriolanus hangs up their towels and leaves their clothes on the center sinks.

Still sitting, Sejanus peels off his T-shirt, dropping it on the floor before pulling down his bathing suit and leaving him in his boxer briefs.

Coriolanus itches to touch his bare skin but forces himself to turn away instead. "Do you need help getting up?" he asks, looking at the shower stall to distract himself, but deep down hopes Sejanus says yes so he can touch him.

"Probably," Sejanus agrees. Coriolanus slides his arm under Sejanus', wrapping it around his waist and pulling him up. Sejanus' arms are suddenly wrapping around Coriolanus, and Sejanus rests his head against his, breathing deeply. "You smell like firewood," he mumbles.

"Well, we were just next to a bonfire," Coriolanus says, wrestling with the desire to either keep letting Sejanus hold him or try to remove himself from his arms.

Sejanus chooses for him as he lets go before sighing, "Can you help me rinse off the sand?

Coriolanus' face flushes. "Isn't that what the shower is for?"

"Yeah, but I can't reach all the sand on my back," he says, swaying slightly. “Plus, I might fall and hit my head, and then you’ll still have to come into the shower to rescue me.”

"Fine, get in the shower," Coriolanus replies before he can overthink it, and Sejanus opens the door with an exaggerated motion. Coriolanus follows him in, still fully clothed, and Sejanus twists the shower faucet, waiting a few seconds for the water to warm up. He sighs in pleasure as the warm water hits his skin.

"Okay, let's get you clean so I can shower too," Coriolanus says as he reaches for the soap in Sejanus' shower caddy.

"You could shower with me," Sejanus suggests as he watches Coriolanus apply some soap to his hands.

Coriolanus laughs. "You're so drunk, Sejanus.”

“Not that drunk.”

“Come on, you don't actually want to shower together."

"I really don't mind," Sejanus insists. "Plus, we're saving water if we shower together. Think of the drought.”

"I don't think that's true," Coriolanus says, but he strips off the sweatshirt and T-shirt anyway.

For all his horny thoughts, he still feels hesitant to initiate anything, especially because Sejanus called him his first real friend.

And real friends don't want to fuck each other the way Coriolanus finally admits to himself that he wants to fuck Sejanus.

"Turn around," he says as he lathers the soap between his hands, and Sejanus does as he's told. Tentatively, Coriolanus' hands make contact with Sejanus' back, and he can't help but notice the freckles and moles dotting the muscles on the back of his body. Sejanus also lathers some soap and applies it to his chest, humming contentedly as Coriolanus rubs off the sand.

Almost too soon, Coriolanus realizes that Sejanus’ back is entirely sand-free, but can’t help his hands from exploring his skin; he gets a little more aggressive with his touching when he spots the hickey on Sejanus' neck again.

“You’re really thorough,” Sejanus jokes as he looks over his shoulder.

Coriolanus drops his hands immediately, his face burning. “Okay, you're good.”

“Your turn. Don’t forget to take your bathing suit off,” Sejanus says as he turns around, and Coriolanus avoids eye contact as he removes the swim trunks. They’re now both naked aside from their boxer briefs, and Coriolanus is praying to whatever deity exists that he doesn’t get hard now; it would be impossible to hide in his light blue boxer briefs, and he might die from the humiliation.

“Turn around and get under the water,” Sejanus instructs. Coriolanus follows his directions, exhaling sharply as the warm water hits his skin. He hadn’t realized until now how cold his skin was; he was too distracted by touching Sejanus. Now though he shivers as he reaches forward and turns the temperature up, closing his eyes for a moment until he hears Sejanus squirting some soap into his hands. He opens his eyes, trying to act nonchalant as he feels Sejanus’ first touch on his back. Sejanus’ hands move much more confidently over his body, and Coriolanus can’t help arching into his touch. Reluctantly, he also reaches for the soap to apply to his chest, and between them, he’s sand-free within a few minutes.

However, that doesn’t stop Sejanus from leaning his chest against Coriolanus’ back as he sighs, “The soap smells so good on you.”

Coriolanus’ body is overheating as Sejanus’ arms encircle him, and he nuzzles his neck.

“Um, Sejanus…”

Sejanus hums.

“We still need to rinse off under our boxer briefs,” he reminds him a little breathlessly and Sejanus pulls away. “I think we should shower separately for that part."

Sejanus nods several times, looking dazed. “Yeah, yeah, you're right." He steps back. "I’ll go into the shower next to you.” He clears his throat, looking embarrassed. “Um… sorry I’m being so touchy - you can tell me if it’s too much and I’ll back off. It’s just what happens when I drink.”

“It's fine,” Coriolanus says lightly, even though all he wants is to beg Sejanus to touch him more.

Sejanus disappears into the stall next to him, locking the stall door behind him, and Coriolanus closes his eyes as he leans his forehead against the cool tile. He is horrifyingly hard, and he can’t help but palm himself through his boxer briefs. All the touches between them run through his mind, and before Coriolanus knows it, his cock is in his hand and he’s stroking himself, biting his lip to dampen his usual sounds. Deep down, he knows this is bad: he knows this is wrong and that if Sejanus knew Coriolanus was getting off three feet away to thoughts of him, Sejanus would never forgive him. But Coriolanus has been so unbearably horny since the previous evening and has had no time to take care of it. He tries to tell himself that he'll be quick and Sejanus will never have to know as his other hand touches his chest; spurred on by that rationale and the memories of Sejanus’ hands on his skin and vice versa, Coriolanus barely has time to cover his mouth as he comes onto the tile wall, groaning softly as the pleasure and relief overwhelms him.

“Are you okay?” Sejanus’ voice floats over the stall, sounding worried.

Coriolanus immediately lets go of himself, his face burning. “Yeah,” he replies, his voice thick. “I was just stretching out.”

Feeling thoroughly humiliated even though Sejanus does not know what he just did, Coriolanus cups water in his hands as he tries to wash away the evidence of his sins from the shower wall. After a moment, he hears Sejanus’ shower turn off.

“Where are our clothes?” he asks. “Oh, never mind, I found them.”

Coriolanus turns off his shower as well, wrapping himself in the towel, his face still burning as he opens the stall door. His mouth drops open as he realizes that Sejanus is fully naked in the middle of the room, pulling on his boxer briefs, and he looks away immediately, trying to calm down. He grabs his clothes and hurriedly shoves them on, desperate to keep his dick safely confined before it gets any more terrible ideas.

Sejanus finishes dressing before he turns to face Coriolanus, and then his brow furrows in concern. “You’re like, really red. Was the water too hot?”

“Maybe,” Coriolanus says, unable to make eye contact. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, let’s just get this stuff back to the room.”

Sejanus reaches down and scoops up his clothes, wrapping them in the damp towel and Coriolanus copies him. Together, they walk down the hallway, Sejanus bumping into him occasionally and apologizing.

Finally, they reach their dorm door and Coriolanus opens it for Sejanus, who drops the entire pile into his laundry basket and proceeds to sprawl across his bed.

“Come on, get up,” Coriolanus says, tossing his clothes in with Sejanus’; they’ll sort it out later.

“But the bed is so comfortable,” Sejanus insists as he curls up around his pillow and peers up at his roommate.

“Tch,” Coriolanus rolls his eyes as he walks over to Sejanus, determined to get him back up. The last thing he needs is for his friends to give him shit tomorrow for bailing on the bonfire. But before he can even blink, Sejanus has his arms around his waist and pulls him down on the bed. The twin bed is so small they barely fit, and Coriolanus squirms in Sejanus’ arms, but Sejanus is too strong. With a resigned sigh, Coriolanus stops fighting him and goes limp; Sejanus pulls him closer to his chest and presses a kiss to the back of his head.

Coriolanus’ eyes widen but he doesn’t say anything.

"How do you always smell so good?” Sejanus says softly into his neck and Coriolanus feels his body reacting immediately, as if he didn’t just come five minutes earlier.

“Just lucky, I guess,” he replies, his mind being overtaken by lust as he feels Sejanus’ lips ghost his throat.

Fuck it, maybe they should just hook up and get it over with, he thinks. Coriolanus is just about to turn around and propose it to Sejanus when Sejanus’ hold on him slackens, and he hears Sejanus’ soft, even breathing.

Did he seriously just fall asleep?

Chapter Text

What the actual fuck?

Coriolanus is dumbfounded.

Sejanus falls asleep right when Coriolanus has finally made up his mind and is ready to hook up, social consequences be damned? Coriolanus is frozen in bed next to Sejanus, trying to decide what to do when Sejanus’ hand starts to wander.

“Sejanus?” Coriolanus asks, his eyebrows furrowing. “Are you awake?”

Sejanus doesn’t respond even as his hand slips under Coriolanus’ shirt, making him inhale sharply. He turns just enough to see that Sejanus’ eyes are still closed, his breathing even.

He’s not touching him in his sleep…is he?

Coriolanus can’t help the sound that escapes from his lips as Sejanus’ fingers explore his chest and his eyes close. It feels wrong to let an unconscious person feel him up, but it’s not like Coriolanus instigated it. Sejanus is still the one doing everything; if anything, Coriolanus is just a very willing participant in what Sejanus subconsciously seems to want. The logical part of him says he should just wake up Sejanus and stop it here; the other, much hornier part of him thinks about how there’s no potential for awkwardness if Sejanus doesn’t even remember hooking up. And is there any harm as long as Coriolanus just goes along with it, but doesn’t touch Sejanus in any way that would violate his consent?

Coriolanus bites his lip as Sejanus pinches and rolls his nipple in between his index finger and thumb.

Fuck it.

Coriolanus arches his neck as Sejanus’ other hand slides down his abdomen and into his sweatpants. Sejanus is grinding against his ass as he palms his cock through his underwear, and Coriolanus exhales unsteadily. He didn't realize that Sejanus is so well-endowed, and the feeling of his cock against him makes Coriolanus painfully hard; the way Sejanus is touching him only adds to the heat building in his abdomen.

“Coryo,” Sejanus murmurs; Coriolanus freezes.

Is he awake or just sleep-talking?

He has never let anyone else call him by his nickname except family; however, the way Sejanus is saying it is far from familial affection.

“Coryo… oh fuck, you feel amazing...” Sejanus mumbles, and Coriolanus still can’t entirely tell if he’s conscious as he feels lips on his throat. It certainly feels like he's awake as his lips leave a messy trail of kisses. He moans as Sejanus bites his neck before soothing it with his tongue; he wonders if it will leave a mark, but his attention is directed elsewhere as Sejanus sucks hard at the spot where his collarbone meets his throat.

If the first bite didn’t leave a mark, Coriolanus knows for sure the second one did.

Sejanus’ hand slips into his boxer briefs, and Coriolanus’ eyes flutter shut as he strokes him, the grinding getting faster.

“…you look so good in that tennis skirt...just for me..." Sejanus mumbles, and Coriolanus’ eyes open wide and his eyebrows raise as high as they can go; he is learning a lot of new things about his friend in a very short amount of time.

“Tease,” Sejanus says darkly as he picks up the pace of the strokes, and Coriolanus cries out, digging his fingers into the duvet, praying that Sejanus doesn’t wake up until after Coriolanus comes. Sejanus' touches feel so good that Coriolanus might cry if it all stops now, and he isn't above begging if push comes to shove.

With a grunt, Sejanus’ thrusts against him get more erratic, and he moans into his ear, “Coriolanus-”

That takes Coriolanus over the edge, and he groans loudly as he comes all over Sejanus’ hand, unable to keep his eyes open as the waves of pleasure crash over him.

His chest is heaving, his body wonderfully relaxed; but now that his mind is clear, his eyes widen in horror at what he’s just allowed to happen. Carefully, he removes Sejanus’ hands from his body and finds a hand towel to gently wipe off Sejanus’ fingers before tossing it in the laundry bin.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

Coriolanus shakes his head before grimacing as he changes his dirty underwear and uses a baby wipe to clean himself up. He stands up and examines his neck in the mirror; sure enough, there’s a hickey at the bottom of his throat. Thankfully, it will be hidden by the school uniform, but Coriolanus almost wants people to notice it. He forces the thought from his mind as Sejanus adjusts, his bed creaking across from him. It would be just his luck for Sejanus to wake up now, he thinks as he locates another pair of boxer briefs and pulls them on; but thankfully, Sejanus still appears to be sleeping soundly.

After Coriolanus has successfully changed, he stares at the tiny bonfires in the distance through their window. He’s going to get so much shit from his friends tomorrow, but he can’t bring himself to care; exhaustion hits his body as he flicks the lights off before climbing into bed. To his dismay, he accidentally kicks the textbooks he had forgotten about on his bed and they fall onto the floor with several loud thumps.

Sejanus stirs, and Coriolanus freezes, trying to decide between pretending to be asleep or accepting his fate and explaining what happened.

Or there could be a third option.

“Coriolanus?” Sejanus calls out in the dark.

“I’m here,” Coriolanus replies softly, his mind racing.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“You did,” Coriolanus informs him. “You dragged me onto your bed and then promptly passed out.”

"Oh. Sorry." Sejanus pauses, fidgeting with the duvet. “Did I… say anything in my sleep?”

“Like what?” Coriolanus feigns confusion, his heart in his mouth.

“I don’t know… um, maybe someone’s name?” Sejanus asks weakly, shifting as he realizes there's an unpleasant stickiness in his underwear; he realizes he must have come in his sleep, and he flushes a deep red.

“Nope, I didn’t hear you say anyone’s name,” Coriolanus lies easily, and a cruel but funny idea makes its way into his mind; he can’t help himself. “I did hear you moan a lot, like maybe you were in pain or something. I almost woke you up, but then you stopped.”

Sejanus clears his throat several times before he asks in a tight voice, “Moaning?”

“Yeah, did you have a bad dream or something?”

“Uh… I don’t remember,” Sejanus says evasively, and Coriolanus can tell he’s embarrassed even in the dim lighting. He definitely remembered whatever dream was the catalyst for what had happened, Coriolanus decides.

“Huh, weird.”

“Yeah,” Sejanus laughs unsteadily before switching the topic. “Um, thank you for getting me back safely and helping me rinse off. That was really nice of you.”

A smirk makes its way onto Coriolanus’ face as he stretches out on the bed. “What are friends for?”

Chapter Text

“Hi, Tigris,” Coriolanus smiles as he listens to his cousin’s excited voice on the other end of the phone. At that moment, Sejanus enters the dorm room; once he realizes that Coriolanus is on the phone, Sejanus mouths “sorry” as Coriolanus makes eye contact with him. Coriolanus waves him off with a smile, covering the receiver as he tells him, “You can stay.”

Relieved, Sejanus nods as he sits on his bed before pulling out their math textbook and starting on his homework. Coriolanus’ eyes trace the planes of his shoulders and arms as he listens to Tigris tell him about a crazy client at work, but to his relief, he doesn't feel overwhelmed by lust as he had a week ago. Since the night of the bonfire, Coriolanus’ mind has been clear, and he’s been able to be genuinely friendly to Sejanus without any agenda; he just had to get it out of his system, Coriolanus supposes.

“You don’t need to get me anything,” Coriolanus laughs, his eyes flicking away, and Sejanus looks up, interested. “No, there’s nothing I want for my birthday, except maybe some of the cookies you made for Christmas last year,” he insists. There’s a pause. “Yeah, the chocolate chip ones with sea salt on top.” Coriolanus grins. “Thanks, Tigris, you’re the best.” He shifts topics then as he reclines on his bed. “How is Grandma’am?”

Sejanus’ mind is working overtime as he spaces out on the rest of the conversation: Coriolanus’ birthday is coming up.

He probably shouldn’t get him a gift, right? That’s a little weird to do after only a few weeks of knowing him. But maybe Coriolanus expects a gift? That is what friends do, after all. But he doesn’t want to do something that ruins the friendship so early on if Coriolanus wasn't expecting it and doesn't like it.

Sejanus stares blankly at his homework.

Coriolanus just told Tigris he didn’t want anything. But maybe that’s because he doesn’t want to stress her about the money aspect of it. Or perhaps it’s because he genuinely doesn’t want anything? It could be that he’s one of those weird people who just hate their birthdays.

Sejanus bites at a hangnail and overthinks himself into a knot, feeling utterly exhausted by the time Coriolanus says his goodbyes.

He brings his head up. “Was that your cousin?”

“Yeah, her name is Tigris," Coriolanus replies fondly. "She’s three years older than me, but she acts like she's my mom.”

Sejanus hesitates. “Do you get calls from your parents too?”

“They both died in a car accident when I was a kid,” Coriolanus replies, looking away.

“Oh. I’m so sorry,” Sejanus stumbles, regretting his question.

“You didn’t know,” Coriolanus reassures him. “It happened when I was young, so it’s not recent or anything. It's not a big deal.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence.

“So, when is your birthday?” Sejanus finally asks as Coriolanus plugs his phone into the charger beside his bed. “I overheard you talking about it with Tigris.”

“Oh, it’s this Friday,” Coriolanus replies easily, closing his eyes as he lies back in bed; Sejanus bites his lip as he builds the courage for his next question.

“Would it be okay if I got you a birthday present?”

Coriolanus’ eyes blink open, and he looks at his roommate curiously. “Do you feel like you're obligated to? Because you're not.”

“No, no, it’s because I want to,” Sejanus insists. “But only if you’re okay with it - I’m not trying to make it weird,” he adds awkwardly.

“If you really want to, you can get me something,” Coriolanus shrugs, keeping his face neutral despite the warmth in his chest. He doesn’t remember when they last had money to buy birthday gifts in his family, but he would rather die than admit that to the son of millionaires, Sejanus Plinth. “I don’t know what I want, so you can just surprise me.”

“Okay,” Sejanus says, feeling excited at the thought. “I’ll try to get you something you’ll like.”

“Sounds good,” Coriolanus yawns. “I’m going to take a quick nap though if that’s cool with you?”

“Yeah, no worries. I need to take care of some things anyway.” Sejanus gets up, an idea in his mind. “I’ll be back in time to wake you up for dinner.”

Coriolanus hums as Sejanus shuts the door behind him and locks it.

*

An hour and a half later, Sejanus returns to the dorm room with a black shopping bag, feeling pleased with himself. When he opens the door, he’s surprised that Coriolanus is still sound asleep; Sejanus carefully hides the bag underneath his bed, deciding he’ll wrap it when he’s alone.

Coriolanus shifts in his sleep and mumbles something, and Sejanus smiles; he didn’t realize Coriolanus talked in his sleep. He gets closer, ready to wake his roommate, but stops immediately when he hears Coriolanus say his name.

“Coriolanus?” Sejanus asks, tilting his head. “Are you awake?”

“Sejanus... oh, Sejanus-” Coriolanus sighs, and Sejanus' breath catches in his throat. That was decidedly not a platonic tone, he realizes, and his face heats up as he considers the implications of it.

Does that mean Coriolanus feels the same way?

Sejanus wrestles with the desire to let Coriolanus sleep and instead wait to see what else he says, but he can’t bring himself to do that. It’s a huge invasion of privacy, and it could be that Coriolanus is dreaming about something completely unrelated that didn’t involve Sejanus at all; he’d had a roommate in the past who laughed in his sleep even when he was having nightmares.

With great inner strength, Sejanus decides as he reaches over and gently shakes Coriolanus, calling his name. Coriolanus wakes with a start, breathing heavily and looking disoriented.

“Oh. Hi." He swallows hard as his vision clears and finds himself face-to-face with Sejanus, his mouth painfully dry.

“It’s time for dinner,” Sejanus says with a small smile, feeling a little bad that he had to wake him up.

“Right,” Coriolanus says but makes no move to stand up, still looking a bit out of it.

“Are you feeling okay?” Sejanus asks.

“Yeah. Fine,” Coriolanus replies, not looking him in the eye. “Just need a second.”

“Want me to wait for you?” Sejanus offers, but Coriolanus is already shaking his head vehemently.

“No, it’s fine; can you just get us a table?”

“Sure,” Sejanus agrees. He hesitates for a moment before asking, “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

“Never been better,” Coriolanus insists. “Just need a minute to wake up.”

“All right,” Sejanus concedes. “I’ll see you down there.”

Coriolanus gives him a tight smile and waits until Sejanus has closed the door behind him before lifting his covers to stare at his lap.

Traitor, Coriolanus thinks, though he’s not sure if he’s talking to his mind or his dick.

Well, it wasn’t like this problem would go away on its own, he thinks, resigned, as he reaches into his waistband, determined to make this quick.

*

Sejanus gets halfway to the cafeteria before realizing that he’s left his wallet on his dresser; with a long-suffering sigh, he turns and walks back to their dorm room.

He’s not ready for what he sees as he opens the door.

Coriolanus is lying in bed and touching himself.

Holy shit.

Sejanus freezes as his mind races with his options: he can sneak back out and wait until Coriolanus finishes and then grab his wallet without him ever knowing he was there, but there’s still a chance that Coriolanus hears the door close, and Sejanus embarrasses him anyway. He tries to tell himself that doing nothing is the best option for both of them and pushes down the honest thought that he just wants to watch because his very hot friend-turned-crush is jacking off in front of him.

Coriolanus moans and Sejanus knows then that what he’s doing is wrong, but fuck, he can't help himself: Coriolanus getting off is truly the hottest thing Sejanus has ever seen.

Before he knows it, Coriolanus is coming onto his stomach with a sound Sejanus just wants to listen to on repeat for the rest of his life; as he reaches for a tissue, Sejanus slips out, not completely closing the door. He counts to twenty, trying unsuccessfully to reroute the blood in his dick to the rest of his body and to give Coriolanus a chance to clean up before he jiggles the door knob several times and then enters the dorm room.

Coriolanus is flushed but fully clothed. “Hey,” he greets him.

“I forgot my wallet,” Sejanus says too fast, having expected Coriolanus to ask him why he’s back and feeling thoroughly embarrassed when he realizes that’s not what his roommate said. His face is burning as he picks up his wallet and tries and fails to not imagine Coriolanus naked. Grateful for the restrictive fabric of his jeans, Sejanus clears his throat and gestures to the hallway. “Ready?”

“Let’s go,” Coriolanus says with a smile that makes longing sweep over Sejanus as he brushes past him.

Sejanus is fucked.

Chapter Text

“Plinth, Snow: you’ll be playing doubles today against Heavensbee and Creed,” Coach Tom informs them, looking at his clipboard.

Coriolanus raises his eyebrows at Sejanus who grins back; Coach Tom dismisses them with a wave of his hand, and they walk to the court together.

“Ready to hand Festus’ ass to him on a silver platter?” Sejanus asks and Coriolanus smirks.

“It’s not hard to beat him. We should be more worried about Hilarius.”

They do the coin toss: Hilarius wins it and chooses to serve first. “Love-all,” he calls out as he tosses the ball in the air.

Thwack!

And the game begins.

*

“40-15” Coriolanus calls out before hitting a perfect serve. Festus returns it, but when Coriolanus hits it back with more spin than he’s expecting, he just barely gets it back over the net; Sejanus volleys it effortlessly into the half-court.

“Fuck!” Festus yells as Hilarius shouts curses at him.

Before Coriolanus knows what’s happening, Sejanus hooks his arms under Coriolanus’ legs and runs around the court with him in a victory lap. Coriolanus can’t help but laugh breathlessly, holding on for dear life as Sejanus increases his speed.

Damn, he’s strong.

It’s not until Coach Tom yells at them to stop messing around that Sejanus slows and gently sets Coriolanus on his feet.

Coach Tom meanders over to them. “You’re playing the tournament tomorrow as doubles partners,” he says, making a note on his clipboard. “Well done, boys.”

*

Sejanus wakes up an hour before his alarm was supposed to go off, too excited to sleep; impatiently, he waits until Coriolanus’ alarm goes off. Once Sejanus sees him rubbing his eyes, he sits up in bed.

“Happy 16th birthday!” Sejanus exclaims before immediately flushing at how overly enthusiastic he sounded.

Coriolanus smiles self-consciously. “Thanks.”

Sejanus wants to play it cool but realizes quickly he is incapable of doing so. “Do you want to open your gift now or after the match?”

Coriolanus yawns as he stretches. “I can open it now.”

Before Coriolanus has finished answering, Sejanus is already placing the gift in his lap.

“Did you wrap this yourself?” Coriolanus asks in a neutral tone as Sejanus sits back on his bed eagerly.

Sejanus cleared his throat, embarrassed that he hadn’t just gotten it wrapped professionally. He’d considered it but worried it would be trying too hard. Now Sejanus regrets that decision as he admits, “I did.”

“Thank you, you didn’t have to do that. You could have left it in whatever it came in,” Coriolanus says, that warmth in his chest returning rapidly.

“Unwrapping a gift is half the fun,” Sejanus replies, relieved he had made the correct choice.

Coriolanus slowly and carefully unwraps the gift, peeling back the tape instead of ripping through the paper; once he reaches the box, Coriolanus lifts the top off, exposing tissue paper. Curious, he digs through it before he stops, speechless.

Inside is a pair of tennis shoes, the same brand as the ones he has now, but new.

“Do you like it?” Sejanus asks, fidgeting with a worried expression at the uncharacteristic silence of his roommate. “If you don’t, I can get you something else, or I can get you a different brand of tennis shoes, it’s completely up to you…” he trails off.

Coriolanus struggles to find the words. “I love it,” he says, his voice cracking. He coughs to clear his throat, trying to blink back the sudden wave of emotion. “This is really nice of you, Sejanus.”

Sejanus feels like he needs to lie down after the anxiety that has been rising evaporates. “I’m glad,” he says, fighting his urge to stand up and hug Coriolanus.

“How much were they?” Coriolanus asks, suddenly hyperaware that he had gotten his current pair secondhand and had no idea how much they retail for when new.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sejanus shrugs him off. “If it makes you feel better, they were on sale.”

It's a lie, but Coriolanus doesn't need to know that, Sejanus rationalizes.

Coriolanus pulls them out of the box and slips them on, retying the laces with a delighted expression. “Holy shit, they feel amazing.”

“I’m glad,” Sejanus says as he holds his pillow to his chest.

“I think they’ll be my new lucky pair,” Coriolanus jokes, a little self-consciously.

Sejanus laughs, and after a moment, Coriolanus joins in; then Sejanus’ eyes flick to his. “Happy birthday, Coriolanus,” he says sincerely.

"Thanks," Coriolanus replies, feeling suddenly very warm. "Let's get ready for the tournament - I want another trophy to add to my collection."

*

The tournament ends on a high note with Coriolanus and Sejanus undefeated in their doubles matches. The coaches take pictures of them holding their respective trophies, and Marcus yells, “Fire and Ice, baby!”

And so, their nickname was born.

*

Just so you know, there's a dorm party in Festus and Marcus’ room in an hour,” Hilarius informs them as Sejanus and Coriolanus are waiting for showers to open up. “He’s sneaking in some girls from the coed school,” he adds wickedly. “And he’s got beer too - I think his older brother bought it for him. You guys down?”

Sejanus looks at Coriolanus who shrugs. “Sounds fun.”

"We'll be there," Sejanus confirms as the stall to a shower opens, and he gestures for Coriolanus to take it.

*

Sejanus realizes he has one missed call as he emerges from the shower.

Alessandra Plinth (Mom).

No voicemail, of course; Sejanus rolls his eyes. Why can’t she either leave a message or text him? It puts him on edge, even though he has no reason to be. Reluctantly, Sejanus calls out to Coriolanus that he’s going to take a call in their dorm room, and Coriolanus gives a sound of acknowledgment.

Sejanus redials the number, waiting patiently as he towels off his hair until his mom answers.

“Sejanus, hi, honey!”

“Hi, Mom,” he says. “Sorry I missed your call - I was in the shower.”

“Don’t worry about it, love. How are things?”

“They’re good,” Sejanus replies, surprised that he means the words this time.

“I’m so glad to hear it,” she says happily, before her tone changes. “Now, I did have something I wanted to ask you about; I noticed that you spent $400 on your credit card yesterday. Can I know why?”

Sejanus flushes. “It was a gift.”

“A gift?” Alessandra sounds perplexed. “For whom?”

“A friend, Mom,” Sejanus says, wishing he had just withdrawn the amount in cash from his debit account and thus would have avoided this conversation entirely.

“A friend!” she exclaims, joy clear in her voice. “You made a friend already?”

Sejanus groans, his ears burning. “Mom, I’m not six years old, it's not a big deal.”

“I’m just happy for you, sweetheart,” she reassures him. “I know your experiences at the other schools weren’t great, so I’m just excited for you.”

“Thank you,” he forces out, wanting to die of embarrassment.

“Back to my original question though, you spent $400 on a friend you’ve only known for about three weeks?” Her tone shifts. “Are you sure that they’re not just taking advantage of you? Remember that one boy at the Palisades Academy-”

“Oh my god, Mom, it’s not like that!” Sejanus swears even as he cringes at the memory. “He’s a good friend and roommate, okay?” Sejanus sighs. “I like him a lot and just wanted to do something nice for his birthday. Plus, I already budgeted for it and transferred money to pay off the card; I won't call you asking for more money."

Aless digests this before she asks meaningfully, “Are you sure you don’t like him as more than a friend?”

“Mom!” Sejanus exhales, mortified as he lies in bed. “Please, I am begging you to stop-”

“I’m just saying, spending $400 on a single gift would make more sense if you had a crush on him-”

Thoroughly exasperated, Sejanus cries out, “Fine! Yes, Mom, I have a crush on him!” He rubs his face, the urge to throw himself out of the window just to get out of this conversation increasing tenfold. “Are you happy now?"

Now his mother is annoyed. “There’s no need to take that tone with me, Sejanus.”

Sejanus forces himself to take a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He chooses his next words carefully. “I would just really appreciate if we could stop talking about it, please.”

“Apology accepted," she says, pacified. "I just have one final question and then I promise I’ll leave it alone.”

Sejanus shifts impatiently. “Fine.”

“What’s his name?”

“Coriolanus,” he replies begrudgingly.

“Oh, what a lovely name! I’m sure he’s very handsome,” she appeases him.

“He is,” Sejanus admits, flushing as his mind filled with images of his roommate.

“Okay, subject now dropped,” she promises. “I love you, honey, thanks for calling back. Talk to you soon.”

“Love you too, Mom," Sejanus replies. "Say hi to Dad for me.”

“Will do.”

Just as he’s finished saying goodbye, Coriolanus appears, his wet hair dripping onto his white shirt; Sejanus digs his fingernails into his palm, trying to think of anything else except what he looks like without it.

It does not work.

“Hey,” Coriolanus greets him.

“Hey.”

“Are you ready to make a new friend tonight?” Coriolanus asks with a smirk, and Sejanus flushes deeply. His hickey had just faded a day or two ago, and he had gotten shit for it the whole week.

“I don’t know if I’m in the mood to,” he confesses, and Coriolanus cocks his head, furrowing his eyebrows as he sprays some cologne before walking through it.

Coriolanus bites his lip, worried he has gone too far. "You know I'm just teasing, right?" He hesitates. "It's not like I'm saying you...can't."

“Yeah, yeah, I know, don't worry. I'm just not really in the mood to hook up with a stranger tonight,” he laughs awkwardly.

“So, what, you want to hook up with someone you already know?” Coriolanus raises his eyebrow.

“Who knows?” Sejanus stretches, trying to play it off even while trying to ignore the chorus of Yes, oh my god, I want to hook up with you! replaying on a loop in his mind. “Enough about me, are you ready to go and get drunk on your birthday?”

Coriolanus adjusts his hair in the mirror before he gestures to Sejanus with a lazy smile. “Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

“Okay everyone playing Spin the Bottle, get in the circle!” Festus announces, and around ten people, including Sejanus and Coriolanus, take a seat; unfortunately, they get split up, so Sejanus sits directly across from his roommate. Hilarius hadn’t lied; Festus did manage to sneak in about five girls from the coed school, which feels like a lot given how cramped the dorm is. Everyone turns to look at Festus, who appears to enjoy the attention.

“The rules are as follows: you must kiss the person the bottle lands on for at least ten seconds; if a dude gets a dude, they spin again until they get a girl; and last but not least, if you refuse to kiss the person it lands on, you instead have to choose between Truth or Dare.”

“That’s a lot of rules,” Marcus observes before he takes another swig of his beer.

“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Festus says airily before holding out the empty vodka bottle. “Sejanus, as the new kid, you spin first,” Festus tells him, and Sejanus shrugs as he takes the bottle.

It spins and spins and spins until it slows, pointing at Coriolanus.

“Spin again, Sejanus!”

Is it Coriolanus’ imagination, or does Sejanus look disappointed?

Coriolanus reasons that it must just be the alcohol making his vision fuzzy.

Sejanus spins the bottle again, and this time, it lands on a pretty girl with curly hair who smiles at him.

“He gets to kiss Lucy Gray?” Festus exclaims, making everyone look at him. He clears his throat, sulking, “Okay, whatever, get to it.” Lucy Gray and Sejanus meet in the middle of the circle. “Of fucking course, the Plinth gets the prize,” Coriolanus hears him mutter.

Sejanus winks at her before he initiates a mock formal handshake, which Lucy Gray takes with a pleasant laugh, and in a quick surprising motion, turns her hand over before pressing his lips to it like a gentleman, making her giggle. Coriolanus shakes his head, chuckling; he had to admit that Sejanus was very charming when he wanted to be. It explained how he could make those kinds of friends so quickly.

“Go on! Kiss her!” Marcus yells, his words slurring slightly.

Sejanus tucks her hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek gently, his eyes flicking from her eyes to her lips and back up again, leaning in and waiting for her eyes to close before he kisses her. The other people in the circle start chanting, “10…9…8-“

Coriolanus feels his blood run cold as he watches Sejanus’ tongue slip into Lucy Gray’s mouth, and she sighs as he pulls her closer. Several wolf-whistles ring out in the small room; they ignore everyone around them as their kissing intensifies. Coriolanus doesn’t realize he’s crushed the can of beer he was holding until a small amount of liquid runs down his hand, making him grimace in disgust. At least it was mostly empty, he thinks, as he tosses it a few feet behind him, perplexed.

What the fuck was that about?

“-3…2…1!” Everyone in the room cheers wildly as Sejanus pulls away first and Lucy Gray, eyes still closed, falls forward, causing her friends to snicker.

“Is he really that good at kissing?” one of them asks, seemingly in earnest as Lucy Gray returns to her spot next to her.

“You’ll just have to hope your spin lands on him so you can find out for yourself,” Lucy Gray replies as she tosses her hair over her shoulder.

Sejanus grins smugly as some of their classmates grumble beside them, clearly jealous.

How petty, Coriolanus thinks, though he can’t help but feel irritated himself.

The game continues, and Coriolanus ends up kissing a girl named Clemensia, which is fine – she had a friend slip him her number a few minutes later, which he took with a grin and made a show of putting it in his pocket, though he had no intention of calling her.

Sejanus lands on Lucy Gray for a third time.

It’s just as bad as the first two times; however, this time Sejanus pulls her into his lap, earning a round of applause from the boys and shrieks from the girls.

Coriolanus feels nauseated; he must have had too much to drink.

That had to be it, he thinks as he grits his teeth.

After three spins, two of which landed on Coriolanus and one on Festus, Sejanus gives up. “Fuck it, I choose Truth.”

Festus immediately seizes the opportunity. “Sejanus, have you ever hooked up with a guy before?”

The entire group goes silent, but Sejanus doesn’t hesitate. "Yep," he says before taking another drink from his beer can. “And I would do it again.”

Sejanus meets Coriolanus’ eyes briefly before forcing his gaze away, and he feels his face warm. There's several oohs and wide eyes from the other guests as they digest this information.

"Oh shit, I was right!" Festus crows, and Hilarius rolls his eyes as he pulls a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and hands it over. Sejanus scoffs in disbelief but doesn't deign to mention it, rolling his eyes at the exchange. "Would you hook up with any of the guys in this room?” Festus pesters.

"Festus, you only get one question," Hilarius points out, and Sejanus just smirks, leaning back on his hands as he places his can beside him.

“This is getting boring,” Felix complains. “Let’s just switch to Truth or Dare for everyone.”

Festus seems miffed that everyone agrees. “Fine. We’ll play Truth or Dare.”

“Coriolanus! Truth or Dare,” Marcus asks.

“Dare,” he decides.

“Kiss Sejanus,” Marcus says slyly.

"Hey, that's not fair," Hilarius interjects. “Festus said guys couldn’t kiss guys during Spin the Bottle.”

“This is Truth or Dare though,” Festus points out, seemingly also curious to see what would happen. “It's a totally different game.”

“Are you sure you’re not gay?” Hilarius asks pointedly, and everyone laughs at Festus’ expense as he tries and fails to defend himself. “Coriolanus, you don’t have to do this...” Hilarius continues, returning to the matter at hand.

"It's fine," Coriolanus hears himself saying. "I'll kiss Sejanus."

Several cheers go up as he moves across the circle; Sejanus meets him halfway and asks quietly, "Are you sure?"

Coriolanus doesn't answer, he just softly presses his lips against Sejanus' before moving back just as quickly.

"Oh, come on, that's not a real kiss," Marcus complains, and a few other people jeer too. "It lasted for less than a second and there wasn't even any tongue!"

Everyone starts egging them on, and Coriolanus' face flushes. "Fine!"

This time, he presses his lips against Sejanus firmly, vaguely aware of how public this is but a little too drunk to care; his lips part instinctively when they feel Sejanus’ tongue and this gives greater access for Sejanus to taste him.

Oh. Oh.

Sejanus' left hand is in his hair, and his right hand is wrapping around his waist and pulling him in closer as his tongue explores Coriolanus' willing mouth.  Coriolanus doesn’t know how he’s gone so long without kissing Sejanus now that he is; his lips are soft but demanding, his pace feverish and all-consuming, and Coriolanus can't imagine anything better than letting Sejanus go further.

His body aches to be devoured by Sejanus Plinth as his skin burns everywhere Sejanus touches.

Coriolanus doesn't know how long they've been kissing for, there wasn't a countdown like in Spin the Bottle; but when Sejanus bites at his bottom lip, he moans into his mouth, and the sound breaks the spell he was under. With a gasp, Coriolanus pulls away, his face burning, and their breathing heavy as everyone stares at them. A few people's mouths are open, and a couple of the girls whisper to each other. Then Festus whistles obnoxiously, making everyone laugh, then he overhears Lucy Gray whisper breathlessly, "That was fucking hot."

“So… you guys are just roommates... right?” Marcus asks, sounding uncertain.

Immediately consumed by humiliation, Coriolanus scrambles backward into his spot, mumbling a reply that yes, of course, they were just roommates, and this was just for the game. Sejanus' eyes are dark as they watch him retreat, his face flushed and his hair mused; Coriolanus didn’t realize he had been pulling on it so hard.

"So is Sejanus a good kisser?" Festus asks, his eyes glittering.

"Yes," Coriolanus replies honestly, and everyone laughs; Coriolanus is grateful when the attention shifts to the next person, nonchalantly bringing his legs up to his chest to hide how hard he is, and accepting another beer offered by Marcus.

The rest of the evening is spent getting increasingly drunk and feeling Sejanus' gaze on him as Lucy Gray watches them from her place in the circle, positioned halfway between them.

Chapter Text

“I’m going to take Coriolanus back to the dorm,” Sejanus announces, taking in the way Coriolanus could barely keep his eyes open. Almost no one notices as Sejanus carefully wraps his arm around his roommate and hoists him up. They walk back to the dorm room – or rather, Coriolanus is stumbling, but Sejanus keeps them both upright, and Sejanus sits Coriolanus on his bed.

“Thanks, Sejanus,” Coriolanus slurs as he flops backward onto his duvet.

Sejanus shrugs. “It’s just what roommates do.”

“Roommates don’t kiss each other,” Coriolanus points out, his eyes closing. “That’s not what friends do either.”

“True,” Sejanus acknowledges as he sits on his bed across from Coriolanus, his heart racing at the thought of where this conversation might go.

“So… do you want to hook up? As one last birthday present to me?” Coriolanus says with a crooked smirk, trying to stretch out alluringly, and Sejanus pauses.

"If you want to tomorrow when you’re sober, we can," Sejanus finally replies, his pulse racing as hope fills him.

"What if I don't remember any of this in the morning?" Coryo cocks his head, and Sejanus’ chest constricts painfully at the thought.

“Are you really that drunk?” Sejanus can’t help but ask, suddenly afraid that only he will remember what happened between them at Festus’ dorm party tomorrow.

“I dunno. I feel a lot more drunk than I can remember being,” Coriolanus admits.

"Then it's all the more reason for us not to tonight," Sejanus replies, trying to keep his tone neutral even though it's far from how he's feeling about everything. He decides now is as good of a time as any to ask a question that’s been on his mind since Truth or Dare.

"Coriolanus, you're not...out yet, are you?" Sejanus asks slowly.

Coriolanus doesn’t say anything for a bit, and Sejanus worries that he’s already asleep.

Then, very quietly, Coriolanus asks, "Will you be mad if I say no?”

Sejanus shakes his head with a small, understanding smile. "Not at all."

"I'm not," Coriolanus concedes, sounding worried. "Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't," Sejanus promises.

Coriolanus smiles at him, relieved before he changes the topic. “You know, there's no one else I'd want to be roommates with; you're a really great friend, Sejanus. I think you're my best friend," he remarks thoughtfully, his words slurring.

Sejanus forces a smile on his face, utterly heartbroken, fighting an intense urge to cry but not wanting to do it in front of Coriolanus. “Get some sleep." He brings the trash can to Coriolanus’ side and places a plastic bag inside, gently removing Coriolanus' shoes and putting them beside his bed. “This is here if you need it, and your water bottle is next to you. I’ll come check on you in a bit.”

“Thanks, Sejanus,” Coriolanus says as he burrows into his duvet, not bothering to change out of his clothes.

Sejanus closes the dorm door and immediately starts when he comes face-to-face with a lost-looking Lucy Gray; once he recognizes her, he relaxes somewhat.

“Hey, Lucy Gray – need help finding your way out of here?”

“Yes, please,” she says gratefully.

Despite the agonizing pain in his chest, he offers her arm to her, and she laughs as she loops hers around his. They walk in companionable silence until Sejanus finally opens the door to the exit, and crickets greet them on the lawn, the ocean a black mass in the distance.

“Hey, do you want to go for a walk on the beach?” Lucy Gray suddenly asks, and Sejanus doesn’t know how to say No, I want to find a dark, quiet corner to be sad and pathetic by myself, so he agrees.

The uneven terrain makes it hard to walk arm-in-arm, so they walk together side-by-side, listening to the rush of the waves. The moonlight reflects on the water as it crashes on the shore before being pulled back by the tide.

"You like him, don't you?" Lucy Gray breaks the silence. “Your roommate.”

Sejanus stops, his face burning as embarrassment overwhelms him; the urge to deny everything rises and then falls just as fast. He sighs dejectedly, "Is it that obvious?"

"Not necessarily obvious – it’s just how you kissed him tonight. I hope someone kisses me like that someday,” Lucy Gray adds wistfully.

Sejanus rubs his face and laughs morosely. "I'm so into him it's unbearable, Lucy Gray."

"Why don't you just tell him then?"

Sejanus sighs. "I know you haven't known me for very long, but I haven't had that many friends since I started attending these tennis academies. Coriolanus is the first, and I don’t want to lose the only friend I’ve ever made who doesn't just want to take advantage of me because of my family or my wealth by making everything weird because of my insufferable feelings.” Sejanus exhales as he sits on the sand, and Lucy Gray joins him.

“Judging from how he kissed you, I don’t think it’s one-sided,” Lucy Gray says pointedly, resting her head on her knees as she looks at Sejanus.

“There’s a difference between sexual desire and feelings,” Sejanus says, rubbing his arms miserably. “And, unfortunately, I have both for him.”

“That doesn’t sound like such a bad thing. I mean, isn't that what everyone wants?”

“It’s a bad thing when I’m sure he doesn’t feel the same way,” Sejanus despairs, falling back on the sand with a soft thump. He stares at the full moon, letting himself wallow in his misery for a bit as his mind repeats the words Coriolanus said earlier.

A good friend...his best friend...

A real best friend wouldn't feel the way Sejanus does, and he wishes the ocean would swallow him whole and take him somewhere far away from here.

“Sejanus, how do you know that for sure?” Lucy Gray persists. “Have you actually tried talking to him about it?”

“Lucy Gray, if it were that easy, I would have by now,” Sejanus mutters defensively.

They’re both quiet for a moment.

“I understand that you don’t want it to be awkward with your living situation, but…” Lucy Gray trails off.

“But what?”

“Honestly, I expected you guys to hook up tonight." She pauses. "But then you came out of your dorm room looking like you were about to cry,” Lucy Gray says softly, and Sejanus feels a fresh wave of humiliation and unaddressed hurt and disappointment sear through his body. To his horror, Sejanus feels a few tears slip down his cheeks and onto the sand below him; he tries to keep his breathing even, so Lucy Gray doesn’t notice. “So I’m just saying that keeping it platonic is obviously not making you feel any better.”

Some time passes.

“Maybe you can invite him on a not-date,” Lucy Gray suggests.

“A not-date?” he echoes.

“Yeah, it’s like a date, but without the official title,” Lucy Gray explains. “It’s ambiguous enough that if you realize he doesn’t like you, it’s not like you ever asked him out; but if you realize he does like you, it can be your first date.”

Sejanus is not convinced. “That sounds unnecessarily complicated.”

“It’s really not, I’m just not explaining it well.” Lucy Gray gathers her hair into a bun and fastens it with a scrunchie. “Just invite him to do an activity with just the two of you, or maybe as a group, but with some opportunity to hang out alone eventually, and go from there. You might be pleasantly surprised.” Lucy Gray takes his hand in hers. “I’m rooting for you guys,” she insists with a genuine smile, and Sejanus can’t help but smile back, clearing his throat.

“Thanks, Lucy Gray. I’ll think about it.” Sejanus gets to his feet, brushing the sand off his back before he offers her a hand up. "Ready to go?"

"Let's do it," Lucy Gray agrees.

They walk up the slope towards the street and disappear into the evening marine fog.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus wakes up groaning the next morning, feeling like absolute shit.

Sejanus looks up from his desk. “How are you feeling?”

“I want to die,” Coriolanus says, his voice hoarse from dehydration as his head spins.

“Well, we can’t have that, but I can order something to be delivered. How do breakfast burritos sound?”

Coriolanus promptly leans over and grabs the trash can just in time.

“So that’s a no to burritos,” Sejanus surmises as Coriolanus suffers for all the alcohol he had consumed the night prior.

*

It takes about an hour, an entire bottle of water, and two Advil before Coriolanus can even sit upright; Sejanus offers him his pair of sunglasses, and Coriolanus takes them gratefully, unable to believe how bright and loud everything is even with the lights off and the blinds shut.

“I’m going to deal with this,” Sejanus says, already tying shut the plastic bag in the trash can and replacing it with another one just in case. “Let me know if anything sounds good in terms of food.”

Coriolanus hums as he closes his eyes and curls back into a dejected ball in his bed.

Sejanus is just closing the trash chute door when Marcus spots him; he waves, and Sejanus gives him a nod.

“So, did you and Coriolanus hook up last night or what?” he asks slyly.

“No,” Sejanus feigns shock at the question, grateful he’s not lying. “It’s not like that, Marcus. We were just drunk and got caught up in the game.”

Marcus is unconvinced. “Really.”

“Really,” Sejanus emphasizes, determined to keep Coriolanus’ secret.

They stare at each other until finally, Marcus looks away first. “Okay, whatever.” Marcus’ eyes flick up to his. “What about Lucy Gray? Someone said they saw you guys leaving the dorms together.”

Sejanus shrugs, willing to let this rumor replace any about him and Coriolanus.

“Oh, shit, you guys totally hooked up, huh?” Marcus exclaims.

“I don’t kiss and tell, Marcus,” Sejanus replies to Marcus’ dismay before moving past him. “I’ll see you later, I gotta get back.”

Safely back in the dorm room, Sejanus leans against the door before he asks, “Are you awake still?”

Coriolanus mumbles something in response.

“What did you say?”

“I said I’m awake, but I wish I wasn’t.”

“Sounds like a pretty awful hangover,” Sejanus observes.

“I’ve never been hungover before,” Coriolanus confesses, sounding embarrassed.

“Never?” Sejanus is astounded.

“Never,” Coriolanus confirms. “I know I’m a lightweight, so I usually don’t drink a lot.”

“Why did you drink so much last night then?”

Coriolanus shrugs. “It felt good until this morning.”

Sejanus laughs. “Fair enough.” He picks up his phone. “How about McDonald’s?”

“Get whatever you want - I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything ever again,” Coriolanus sighs before burying his face in his pillow, ignoring how the sunglasses press into his cheeks.

Sejanus picks up the phone and scrolls to the delivery food app, humming.

*

Contrary to Coriolanus’ original prediction, he eats a cheeseburger and a few fries and keeps it all down. He’s looking less pale and has drunk two more water bottles, though he’s still wearing the sunglasses indoors.

“How are we feeling now?”

“A lot better,” Coriolanus admits. “Thank you for taking care of me. I feel like an idiot."

Sejanus waves him off as he takes a sip of his soda. “It’s just what friends do; it’s not a big deal.”

Coriolanus smiles, then is suddenly hit with a blurry memory, and his brow furrows. “Um…Sejanus?” he asks hesitantly.

“What’s up?”

“Did we…” Coriolanus trails off, noticing that Sejanus’ body stiffened like he knew what Coriolanus was about to ask; he chickens out, worrying that it must have been something Sejanus regrets based on his body language. “Never mind. Forget it.”

Sejanus’ eyes stare down at the drink in his hand before he looks up with a tight smile. “Okay.”

*

Coriolanus naps throughout the day, but every time he wakes up, he sees Sejanus smiling at something on his phone.

By the third time he wakes up to notice, Coriolanus can’t help himself. “Who are you texting?”

“Lucy Gray,” Sejanus says absentmindedly, and Coriolanus’ jaw goes taut.

Lucy Gray.

Memories of Sejanus kissing her come back to him, blurry but sure.

“Are you dating her now?” Coriolanus tries to sound unbothered, but his tone is somewhat accusatory.

Sejanus looks up with a perplexed expression. “What?”

“It’s fine if you are - I just want to know,” Coriolanus backpedals. “You know…as a friend.”

“Um, well…” Sejanus places his phone down and rubs his neck, looking awkward. “I’ve never dated anyone before,” he says.

Coriolanus can’t help the shocked expression on his face. “You’ve never dated anyone?”

“I mean, I’ve taken people on dates,” Sejanus explains. “But…I’ve never had a relationship with any of them.”

“So, Lucy Gray is your first.”

“When did I ever say Lucy Gray and I are dating?” Sejanus asks incredulously.

“You didn’t deny it,” Coriolanus mutters, feeling heat creep up his collar.

“Would you be jealous if we were?” Sejanus challenges, not knowing where this sudden directness was coming from.

 “I just want to know,” Coriolanus replies crossly, ignoring his question.

Sejanus stares at him with an indiscernible expression, and Coriolanus regrets bringing up the topic. Finally, Sejanus relents, sighing, “We are not dating, no.”

Coriolanus lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Oh? Why not?”

“She’s just not my type,” he replies evasively.

“What is your type?” Coriolanus persists.

“Why do you want to know?” Sejanus counters.

Coriolanus clears his throat. “That’s just a thing that friends know about each other; you know, each other’s types.”

Sejanus laughs and shakes his head, then changes the topic without warning. “Hey, so, um, I wanted to know if you wanted to come to my birthday dinner on Friday.”

“It’s your birthday on Friday?” Coriolanus is momentarily distracted by the subject shift.

“Yeah,” Sejanus says sheepishly. “My parents want to take me to Nobu, and I asked if I could bring a friend and they said yes.”

Holy shit. They’re going to Nobu?

Sometimes Coriolanus forgot how fucking wealthy everyone else was at this school.

“That sounds great,” Coriolanus says, a bit dazed. “What do you want for your birthday?”

“Don’t worry about getting me anything,” Sejanus insists. “Honestly, having someone to bring to my birthday dinner makes me happier than any gift could.”

Coriolanus is uncomfortable by the thought of Sejanus getting him a gift and him not returning the favor; privately, he plans to think of something he can get Sejanus, but he’s already so low on energy that he decides not to continue the argument.  He hums noncommittally and lies back down, yawning as his head starts to pulse again.

“I’m going to go back to sleep,” Coriolanus says, and Sejanus gives an affirmative sound. Within a few minutes, Coriolanus is asleep, and Sejanus is excitedly texting Lucy Gray about the new development and she responds with a string of emojis and keyboard smashes, making him laugh.

Chapter Text

On the day of Sejanus’ birthday, his parents pulled him out to take his driving exam at the DMV; as expected, he passed easily. He received the driver’s license paperwork, signing his name on it as the worker explained that he’ll get his ID in a few weeks. Afterward, once he’s returned to the school with his parents, they hug him and tell him how excited they are to celebrate his birthday before they drive away, telling him to talk to the receptionist at the front office to get his birthday gift. He already knows what it is; after all, it’s been promised to him since he was thirteen, but Sejanus is still thrilled by the sight of the car parked in front of the school and the key with a bow waiting for him on the office desk.

“Mr. Plinth,” the office receptionist greets him. “Your parents have already provided the registration for the vehicle and filled out the majority of the paperwork, including proof of insurance, but you will need to sign some waivers and acknowledge that as a minor, you are not allowed to take it off campus after the dorm curfew.”

Sejanus barely listens as he signs each paper, but he nods seriously as he hands it all back to him. The receptionist looks everything over before handing him his keys. “You may park it in the garage now in space 144. The coaches are expecting you at practice immediately after so please do it quickly.”

Sejanus is already opening the office door and taking the stairs two at a time, and the receptionist sighs, shaking his head as he returns to his computer.

*

Coriolanus checks his phone during a break from their drills and sees a text from Tigris, and he grins, relieved.

Perfect timing.

After practice, he takes a longer shower than usual and takes care to do the most thorough shave he can; Coriolanus doesn’t want to make a bad first impression during his first time meeting the Plinth family. He applies his small bottle of aftershave and what's left of his cologne and then pulls on his sweatpants and T-shirt for the trek back to the dorm.

There’s a package addressed to him from Tigris Snow outside their door and he starts to rip it open as he forces the door open with his hip.

Inside is a button-down white shirt with tesserae buttons, and Coriolanus holds it up, admiring it, noticing a pair of black dress pants and a pair of brown Chelsea boots with some minor scuffing and a matching belt. Tigris had decided to alter one of his father’s dress shirts for her cousin once he had told her about going to Nobu for Sejanus’ birthday (“Celebrities go there, Coriolanus. Celebrities. You cannot just wear a plain white T-shirt with jeans, I won’t allow it”). He had been worried that the clothes wouldn’t come in time, but they had, and he eagerly yanks off his T-shirt before pulling it over his shoulders.

The dorm door opens just as Coriolanus finishes dressing, and he straightens up before turning to look at Sejanus with a tentative smile as he gestures to his outfit. “What do you think? Do I look good enough for dinner at Nobu?”

Sejanus is wordlessly staring for so long that Coriolanus wonders if he’s having a stroke; when Coriolanus clears his throat and touches his hair self-consciously, Sejanus clears his throat, his face flushing.

“You look gorgeous,” he says seriously, and Coriolanus feels his face warm.

“Isn’t gorgeous supposed to be reserved for girls?” Coriolanus questions, trying to push back the not-so-friendly feelings that are coming up.

“Gorgeous is gender-neutral, actually,” Sejanus retorts. “You asked what I thought, and I stand by it.” Sejanus walks over and adjusts his collar, and Coriolanus can smell his expensive cologne on his wrists; it’s very distracting. “There, now you look perfect.”

“I try,” Coriolanus replies airily, and Sejanus laughs before he pulls off his T-shirt and throws it on his bed before he digs through his closet. Subconsciously, Coriolanus licks his lips as he watches his friend search through his options before deciding on a soft off-white shirt with burgundy stripes on the collar and placard and a matching pair of burgundy pants. The pants and shirt are so tight that it’s borderline indecent, but Coriolanus realizes he doesn’t mind. Carelessly, Sejanus runs his hands through his hair a few times and then reaches for his keys on his desk, and Coriolanus forces his gaze away so as not to get caught ogling.

“Ready to go?” Sejanus grins at him as he opens the dorm door for him.

“Are we taking an Uber or…?” Coriolanus asks as they walk together, waving at some classmates who greet them as they disappear into the elevator, looking ready to go somewhere as well. It feels nice to finally have plans on a Friday night like everyone else seems to, Coriolanus admits to himself.

“I’m driving us,” Sejanus explains as they take the stairs to the garage level.

Coriolanus is dumbfounded when Sejanus stops in front of an expensive-looking Porshe. “You already have a car?”

“I’ve had a car,” Sejanus corrects. “I got my learner’s permit right at 15, and my parents wanted me to drive as soon as possible so I could visit them more often.”

Coriolanus shakes his head in disbelief as Sejanus unlocks the car for them both. Sejanus waits until Coriolanus is safely buckled in, and then he reverses out of the parking spot effortlessly, placing his right hand behind Coriolanus’ headrest as he looks back; Coriolanus misses it when Sejanus removes it and rests it on the center console.

“Are you ready?” Sejanus asks with a wicked smile as they exit the school grounds.

“Ready for what?”

“For the top to come off.”

“The top to come off of what?” Coriolanus replies blankly.

“The top of the car,” Sejanus laughs as he presses a button, and the entire roof of the car collapses in on itself, exposing them to the sunlight, and he rolls down the windows as well. Sejanus puts his sunglasses on and offers Coriolanus an extra pair he keeps in the glove compartment.

Coriolanus recognizes the brand – the pair he’s wearing likely costs more than his monthly groceries.

Then, they’re zooming down the Pacific Coast Highway, Sejanus’ left hand on the steering wheel and his right tapping to the beat of the music on the center console. The light dances off the waves as the wind whips through their hair, Sejanus’ stereo is blasting some sort of pop remix, and he’s mouthing the lyrics as he turns onto a canyon drive.

“Aren’t we supposed to go towards the PCH, not away from it?” Coriolanus yells over the music pounding in his chest.

“I wanted to take you on a quick detour,” Sejanus calls back with a grin.

The car climbs up the paved canyon roads, and Coriolanus can’t help but stare in awe as they increase in elevation, the hills green from recent rains, as they traverse the bends and turns.

Sejanus looks like the most relaxed Coriolanus has ever seen him, and he turns the music even louder as the song changes, making Coriolanus laugh as he starts to yell-sing the lyrics to what the car’s display informs him is Sugar by Maroon 5.

Sejanus slows the car down, about two miles into the drive, and turns them around using a lookout point. Now, they’re zooming back down, and Coriolanus’ mouth falls open. The Pacific Ocean is glittering in the distance as Sejanus navigates the sharp turns, and Coriolanus lets his hand rest on the side of the car, marveling at the sensation of the wind against his fingers. Here, up in the mountains of Malibu Canyon, Coriolanus is not the scholarship kid worried about budgeting enough for ramen noodles and protein bars for the month; for once, he’s just another teenager enjoying the view and taste of salt in the air. Coriolanus doesn’t remember another time in his life when he felt as free as he does now.

All too soon, they enter Malibu the city, and join the traffic on the PCH; as they idle, Sejanus turns the music down just a tad and looks at him. “Are you having fun?”

“I am,” Coriolanus says breathlessly. “This is fucking awesome.”

Sejanus smiles shyly, his earlier bravado dimming down a bit. “Driving the canyon is my favorite thing to do.”

“Didn’t you just pass your driver’s exam today?” Coriolanus laughs.

“Well, I had to practice somewhere, didn’t I?” Sejanus replies unfazed as the light changes and the traffic starts to move.

“And where else to practice than one of the most gorgeous roads in California?” Coriolanus teases.

“Exactly,” Sejanus grins.

A new song starts to play; it’s a remix of one that Coriolanus thankfully knows, and he leans over to turn the volume up, mouthing the words to it.

“You like Lana Del Rey?” Sejanus looks surprised as the instrumental break in the music plays.

“Tigris adores her,” Coriolanus says offhandedly as if he doesn’t also like her. “She always plays her songs when sewing, so I’ve just learned them all by proxy.”

Sejanus smiles at him as Coriolanus starts to sing along, and Sejanus joins in as they traverse the Pacific Coast Highway toward Nobu. The sun is beginning to set alongside them, and Coriolanus watches surfers catching waves as they pass, wishing the drive would never end.

Chapter Text

All too soon, they pull up to Nobu, and two valet workers come over to open their doors for them before Sejanus hands them the keys.

Now that they’re here, Coriolanus feels horribly out of place: just among the cars he can see as they walk the short distance to the front of the restaurant, there’s a Bentley, two Bugattis, and a Rolls-Royce, and those are just the cars waiting to be parked by valet in the lot. It hits him that he’s going to meet Sejanus’ extremely wealthy parents, and Coriolanus is suddenly all too aware of the scuffs on his shoes and the way the shirt is a little too big on him even with Sejanus insisting buying him lunch and dinner every day at school since they'd met.

“Um, Sejanus…” Coriolanus trails off, standing a little off to the side of the doors of the restaurant, suddenly worried that in addition to his clothes not being nice enough, his hair is too messy from the car ride. Sejanus looks at him with a questioning look. “Do I…do I look okay?” he asks self-consciously, trying to smooth his curls and adjusting his shirt collar.

Sejanus realizes what Coriolanus is asking for. “You look perfect,” Sejanus says firmly. “And my parents are going to love you.”

Coriolanus nods with a small smile, letting the reassurance fill in the insecurity that had started to prickle at his skin, though he still felt worried. “Thanks.”

Sejanus smiles at him before he pushes open the doors, and they enter a packed front of the house; to Coriolanus’ surprise, he notices several people are wearing T-shirts and jeans, though he’s certain that they're still wearing designer clothes. He’ll have to tell Tigris, she’ll be so horrified; the thought makes him smile, melting away some of the anxiety. Sejanus makes his way to the front of the restaurant and informs the maître de that the reservation is under Plinth; without another word, the hostess leads them through the restaurant. Sejanus quickly takes Coriolanus’ hand and tells himself that it’s because he doesn’t want him to get lost - but Sejanus knows he’s lying to himself; he's thrilled when Coriolanus doesn't comment on it.

The hostess opens the glass doors to a balcony where Coriolanus can hear and feel the waves of the Pacific Ocean surge underneath. Sejanus smiles and waves to a couple sitting a few feet away at a table with a sunk-in fireplace. The hostess tactfully disappears, but before they can get to the table, a young girl with dark curls appears, looking ready to tackle them as she squeals, “Sejanus!”

“Rory!” Sejanus greets her enthusiastically, dropping Coriolanus’ hand to pick her up and spin her around, making her giggle. He places her down gently before asking, “Is that a new dress?”

“Yeah, Mom took me shopping today. Do you like it?” she asks, twirling.

“I do, I like the sparkles.” Sejanus realizes that he hasn’t introduced either of them to each other, so he clears his throat and gestures to Coriolanus.

“Coriolanus, this is my sister, Aurora,” Sejanus says. “Aurora, this is Coriolanus. He goes to the same school as me.”

His sister stretches her hand out, and Coriolanus takes it with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Aurora.”

“You can call me Rory,” she says as she tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Everyone does.”

“Then it’s nice to meet you, Rory,” Coriolanus amends seriously.

“You’re very pretty,” Rory observes after he releases her hand, and Coriolanus’ eyes crinkle at the compliment; she turns her attention to Sejanus. “Don’t you think he’s pretty?”

Sejanus laughs, his eyes flicking to his friend before back at his sister. “He is very pretty.”

Coriolanus’ face flushes, and he’s thankful for the dimming light.

"So, is he your boyfriend?" Rory asks excitedly.

Sejanus' eyes go wide as he clears his throat. "No, we’re just friends,” he says, and now it’s his turn for his face to flush.

"But I saw you holding hands," Rory counters.

"I, uh, didn't want him to get lost in the restaurant," Sejanus says lamely.

"Okay..." she replies, unconvinced. "But if you think he's pretty, why don't you want to be boyfriends?" Aurora asks, confused.

Sejanus takes her hand and starts dragging her away as he says, "Okay that's enough questions for now, Rory; let's go say hi to Mom and Dad.”

"Mom's excited to meet Coriolanus,” Rory says conversationally as they walk together to the table where Sejanus’ parents have been watching the entire exchange with interest. “She told Dad that this morning."

Coriolanus couldn't help but smile, relieved to hear that.

“Sejanus!” His mom pulls him into a big hug and kisses his cheek.

“Hi, Mom,” he grins at her as they part, and she directs her attention to Coriolanus.

“Is this the Coriolanus I’ve heard so much about?” she twinkles at him, and Coriolanus can’t help but respond in kind to her infectious energy. “It’s so nice to meet you finally! I’m Sejanus’ Mom, Aless.” He holds his hand out, but Aless ignores it as she wraps him in her arms just as she had with Sejanus. “I’m a hugger, love.”

Coriolanus laughs as he tentatively raises his arms to hug her back. He’s aware of Sejanus greeting his father a few feet away, and when Aless pulls away, still looking at him with a pleased expression, he turns to offer his hand to him.

“Mr. Plinth,” he greets him politely, and Sejanus’ father looks Coriolanus up and down as he takes his hand in a firm handshake.

“Coriolanus, I take it?” Mr. Plinth says as their hands separate. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Coriolanus replies charmingly, though he does hope that.

Mr. Plinth's lips curve upwards as he replies, “Indeed.”

It’s disconcerting how different Sejanus’ parents are, Coriolanus thinks as Aless exclaims for them to sit at the table. Coriolanus is relieved that Sejanus motions for him to sit between his mother and him, feeling comforted by Aless’ aura.

They open their menus and Coriolanus freezes.

Holy shit.

$24 for a single sushi roll?

Is there fucking gold in it?

Oh. There is.

Coriolanus swallows hard, trying to hide how ill at ease he is; Sejanus notices and murmurs so only Coriolanus can hear, “We usually get the Omakaze, so just focus on what you want to drink.”

The Omakaze. Okay. Whatever that is.

Coriolanus’ eyes find it and his knuckles turn white as his grip tightens on the back covering of the menu.

$250 per person?

Just then, the waiter arrives, greeting each member of the Plinth family by name, as if they come here all the time, which to be fair, they probably do. Aless proudly introduces Coriolanus as Sejanus’ friend, and the waiter nods at him as if committing this information to memory. He asks if he can get them anything to drink: Aless orders a glass of sparkling wine that costs $48; Sejanus’ father a Mars Tsunuki that appears to cost $95 for one ounce according to the menu; Sejanus a Lychee Passion, a non-alcoholic beverage that costs $14; Rory a Yuzu Kimino Soda which costs $10; and Coriolanus panics and orders a Coke, feeling embarrassed even though he has no reason to be. It’s not like the waiter responds any differently or mocks him for it; still, he can’t help the uncomfortable feeling that he doesn't belong there.

“What looks good to you, Coriolanus?” Aless asks as she places her menu down.

“I don’t really know,” he laughs sheepishly, trying to focus on the sounds of the waves crashing a few feet away to calm him down. “I’ve never had Japanese food or sushi before, so I don’t know what a lot of these things are.”

“Never?” Aless exclaims. “Well, now we have to do a tasting to see what you like!”

Coriolanus feels like a deer caught in headlights, and Sejanus’ father studies him, waiting for his reply.

“That’s really not necessary,” Coriolanus emphasizes. “I can just get a couple of the…” he looks down to find the cheapest sushi on the menu, which to his horror, is still eight dollars per piece. “The albacore.”

Something seems to shift in Mr. Plinth’s expression, though Coriolanus doesn’t know if it's a good thing or not.

Aless waves him off. “The albacore is fine, but honey, you’ve got to try the King Crab.”

Coriolanus sees the price of it and feels faint. “Mrs. Plinth, it’s okay, I don’t eat much anyway-”

“Sweetheart, I told you to call me Aless,” she says firmly. “And I insist.”

Coriolanus smiles weakly. “Thank you… Aless.”

She beams at him and turns her attention to the waiter who has returned and is placing their drinks in front of them. Aless orders a flurry of dishes, and Sejanus notices how stressed Coriolanus looks; he places his hand on his friend’s thigh, out of view of his parents.

“Coriolanus, it’s fine,” he murmurs. “If my parents couldn’t afford it, we wouldn’t eat here.”

Coriolanus nods stiffly; and despite Sejanus’ reassurance, Coriolanus is on the edge of a panic attack but is redirected just in time by Sejanus' mother.

“So, Coriolanus, how long have you attended the Malibu Academy?”

He takes a calming breath and puts a smile on his face. “Since I was twelve, so four years.”

“Do you usually play singles or doubles?”

“I prefer doubles; I like having a teammate on the court with me,” Coriolanus replies, relaxing now that the conversation is about a topic that he’s confident in.

“Coriolanus and I played doubles together and won the Division 1 tournament last week,” Sejanus adds.

“You didn’t tell us that!” Aless says, thrilled.

With an indiscernible expression, Mr. Plinth interjects, “I’m surprised you played doubles, Sejanus. You don’t usually enjoy it.”

Is it Coriolanus’ imagination, or is Sejanus blushing?

“Well, Coriolanus is just a really good doubles partner,” he says, ignoring the knowing expression on his mother’s face as she exchanges a look with her husband. “It's grown on me.”

Just then the waiter returns with several dishes and extra plates, and Aless excitedly places different pieces of sushi, steak, and crab onto Coriolanus’ plate as everything is passed around to the rest of the table.

Cautiously, Coriolanus brings a piece of the Wagyu steak to his mouth, and - oh my god.

He closes his eyes, savoring the taste, in amazement that food can taste this good; when Coriolanus opens his eyes again, his face warms as he realizes every member of the Plinth family is staring at him expectantly.

“It’s incredible,” Coriolanus admits, and Aless exclaims in delight.

“Have some more love, and don’t forget about the crab-”

By the end of dinner, Coriolanus is much more relaxed, though he’s trying to stop himself from calculating the cost of everything as the Plinth family orders even more food. It’s a pleasant conversation that shifts between what’s going on at the tennis academy (not much), how private coaching lessons are going for Aless (great), what extracurriculars Rory is doing (ballet and Taekwondo), and how the munitions market is doing (well, apparently).

The waiter finally returns, asking if they’d like to order dessert, but Aless declines and the waiter hands Mr. Plinth the check; he doesn’t even look at it before giving the waiter a black card embossed with American Express. Coriolanus thanks him profusely for the dinner but Mr. Plinth waves him off with a small smile as he finishes off his drink.

“Coriolanus, I hope you’ll join us back at the house for Sejanus’ birthday cake,” Aless says entreatingly as her husband signs the check.

Coriolanus hesitates. “I wouldn’t want to impose…”

“You could never impose.” Aless, her husband, and Rory stand up together, and Sejanus' father helps Rory put her coat on. “We’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” Coriolanus agrees, and Sejanus grins as he stands up and offers a hand to him.

“See you soon," Sejanus says before his parents and sister disappear back into the restaurant.

Chapter Text

"You're the first person I've brought back to the house," Sejanus admits as he drives them up a long hill.

"Oh?" Coriolanus replies, surprised.

"Yeah," Sejanus laughs sheepishly. "I mean, I don't think that you're only hanging out with me for my money, so that’s the main reason.”

"I could be playing the long game; you never know," Coriolanus replies deadpan, and Sejanus laughs as they reach imposing gates. Sejanus reaches into the center console and clicks the opener, and Coriolanus can’t help but stare as they pull up to the house.

“This is your house?”

Sejanus grins and turns off the ignition. “It is, and I can’t wait to show you around.”

“Hey Sejanus…” Coriolanus’ voice trails off, and Sejanus pauses. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. That was probably the most delicious dinner I’ve ever had, and I really enjoyed meeting your family.”

“Oh,” Sejanus replies, pleased. “Well, I should thank you because you were great company." Sejanus hesitates, looking nervous. He swallows hard before looking at his friend. "I really enjoy spending time with you, Coriolanus...I'd like to spend more time with you outside school, actually.”

"With your family?" Coriolanus says, his heart racing.

Sejanus laughs and shakes his head. "No, um, one-on-one. Like going to more restaurants or maybe even Disneyland, if you're into that..."

What Sejanus isn't saying but is alluding to is obvious to Coriolanus but he worries what that would mean for them at the academy: would Sejanus be okay with them not being together publicly? Or would that mean Coriolanus had to come out?

His heart is beating so fast in his chest that he's certain Sejanus can hear it, but despite his reservations and rising fears, Coriolanus hears himself saying honestly, "I'd like that."

There’s tension in the air as they look at each other in the dim light, and Coriolanus is overwhelmed by the sudden and all-consuming desire to kiss him. Sejanus' eyes flick down to Coriolanus' lips and then back up; before he can think it through, Coriolanus’ lips part as he starts to lean in and-

Someone knocks on the window of the Porshe, startling them apart. "Sejanus! Are you guys in there?"

Coriolanus realizes then that the windows must be tinted and Sejanus leans back and stares in disbelief at the roof before he opens the door, sighing, "Yes, Rory, we're in here."

"Mom wants to talk to you about the car before cake and I want to show Coriolanus my room."

"All right," Sejanus says reluctantly, a stream of curses running through his mind as he gets out of the car, followed by his friend.

Coriolanus can't even take in the grandeur of the house all at once: giant panes of glass between teak wood panels stretch towards the night sky; bespoke lighting illuminates the foliage on the property; and a second-floor balcony complete with a dining table and chairs seem to stretch around the entire house. Coriolanus turns to look over his shoulder and realizes the house is overlooking the ocean; he cannot begin to imagine how much it's worth.

Once they enter the house threshold and remove their shoes, Rory takes Coriolanus’ hand in hers before she eagerly takes him up a pretty staircase that curves upwards to the left of the foyer.

Sejanus continues and enters the kitchen where both of his parents are sitting, and they look up expectantly when they hear his footsteps.

"So," Aless says meaningfully.

"So," Sejanus replies suspiciously, sensing that the conversation is not about the car.

"I think Coriolanus is just wonderful," Aless gushes, disarming Sejanus, whose body relaxes as he places his car keys on the counter and joins them at the dining table.

"I understand why you like him," his father adds, and Sejanus' eyes widen in horror.

"You told him?" he exclaims, feeling utterly betrayed.

“Told me what?” Strabo tilts his head, and Sejanus flushes, realizing he had assumed incorrectly.

“Nothing,” Sejanus mutters before he clears his throat. “I’m glad you like him. He liked all of you as well.”

“I’d love to meet his parents,” Aless says enthusiastically, and Sejanus grimaces.

“Um, unfortunately, Coriolanus’ parents are…dead.”

Aless’ face falls. “Oh.”

“Yeah, they died in a car accident when he was younger,” Sejanus explains awkwardly.

“Well, who does he live with in the summer then?”

“His grandmother and cousin.”

“Then I can’t wait to meet them,” Aless recovers with a smile, still looking sad. She blinks a few times before seemingly remembering something. “Now, Sejanus, your father and I have been talking, and we decided as your parents that we needed to give you something in addition to the car for your sixteenth birthday.” She slides a nondescript box over to her son, who takes it with an expression of confusion.

As Sejanus lifts the top, his mother says delicately, “It’s just something for our peace of mind-”

"Mom!" Sejanus hisses as he immediately shuts the box, mortified beyond words. "You bought me condoms?"

"Of course," Aless replies, unperturbed. "And there's different sizes in there, just in case-"

"Oh my god - please, I'm begging you, as your one and only son: stop talking," he pleads, looking at his father for help.

Strabo does not help as he joins in firmly, “Sejanus, you’re sixteen years old now; we just want to know that you’re being safe.”

Sejanus groans in anguish, desperately wanting this conversation to end. He grits his teeth and forces out, “If I promise to use condoms when I become sexually active, will you promise to never speak of this again?”

“We promise,” Aless says, holding her right hand up as if in court, and Strabo nods.

“Okay, so we have an agreement,” Sejanus replies tightly, taking the box and grabbing his keys from the counter.

“Where are you going?”

“To hide this in the back of the car so I don’t have to explain to my friend that my parents bought me condoms for my sixteenth birthday,” Sejanus huffs, making his father laugh.

"I'm going to get your cake ready," Aless says, dropping the subject to Sejanus' immense relief. "You should go get Rory and Coriolanus on your way back so we can sing to you."

*

"-and that's the second guest room, and over here is my room," Rory says as she guides him into a pretty pastel purple room. "Do you like it?"

"It's very nice," Coriolanus admires, and he's not lying.

"Do you want to see Sejanus' room?" she asks, and Coriolanus can't help the curiosity that's suddenly gnawing at him.

"Sure."

"Okay, follow me."

Coriolanus does and they only go a few feet before Rory opens another door. "Here it is."

Coriolanus is in awe. Just like Rory's room, there's an ocean view out of the bay window, though it's just a black mass in the distance at this time of night, and the room itself is huge.

"My brother likes you, you know," Rory says nonchalantly as she sits on her brother’s bed, swinging her legs. Coriolanus' eyes widen as he looks down at her in surprise. "I overheard Mom telling Dad today before dinner."

"Oh," Coriolanus says, his heart racing. He'd figured that out by their earlier conversation in the car, but it was strange hearing it confirmed by Sejanus' younger sister.

"Do you like him?" Rory asks, cocking her head.

"Of course I like him," Coriolanus says evasively. "He's my friend."

"But do you like-like him?" Rory emphasizes.

"I..." Coriolanus falters.

"I won't tell," Rory promises as she holds out her pinky finger. It's so cute Coriolanus can't help but hook his pinky around hers, and she shakes on it.

"I do like-like him," Coriolanus confesses before walking over to the bay window to hide how red his face is.

Rory gasps in delight, clasping her hands together. "You can be boyfriends then!"

"Yeah, maybe..." Coriolanus trails off.

"What do you mean, maybe?" Rory's reflection in the window shows her standing with her hands on her hips, looking perplexed, and Coriolanus bites back a laugh.

"I don't know, we haven't talked about it," he says, embarrassed and unwilling to explain the complexities of this situation to a nine-year-old.

"Well, you should," she replies stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Coriolanus? Rory?" Sejanus' voice calls out in the hallway, saving Coriolanus from his tenacious younger sister. "Where are you?"

"In here!" Rory yells.

Sejanus pokes his head into his bedroom. "The cake is ready," he informs them, and Rory squeals before she disappears down the hallway.

Sejanus rubs his neck. “I hope Rory didn’t talk your ear off.”

Coriolanus smiles. “Not at all. She was a great tour guide.”

“I’m glad,” Sejanus replies. “Are you ready for cake?”

“I’m always ready for cake,” Coriolanus replies seriously, Rory’s words repeating in his mind as Sejanus gestures for Coriolanus to go first before closing the bedroom door behind them.

Chapter Text

“This is not a cake,” Coriolanus says, crossing his arms as he stares at the giant cookie decorated with frosting, which he realizes is from Ralph's, according to the label on the plastic cover sitting a few feet away on the counter. He had half-expected a professional three-tier cake but is relieved that the Plinths, despite their expensive tastes at dinner, aren't above buying food from a regular grocery store.

“It’s a cookie cake,” Sejanus retorts. “Cake is in the name, and therefore it counts.”

Coriolanus shakes his head. “This is false advertising.” He looks at Sejanus. “Why don’t you have a normal cake?”

“Sejanus doesn’t like cake,” Rory explains as Aless lights the candles.

“You don’t like cake?” Coriolanus asks in disbelief, and Sejanus shakes his head, flushing. “Not even cupcakes?”

Sejanus makes a face. “They just don’t taste good to me.”

Coriolanus is about to respond with more incredulity and additional questions but is interrupted by Sejanus’ mother.

“Okay, boys, that’s enough,” Aless says in mock reprimand. “It’s time to sing - Rory, can you count us in?”

She does, and everyone joins except for Sejanus to sing the lyrics horribly out of tune; after the final strangled note, he leans over the counter and blows out his candles, and everyone claps. Aless cuts the giant cookie into slices, and Strabo helps her plate them and pass them around.

Coriolanus must admit the cookie cake isn’t bad, but it still shouldn’t be allowed to be called cake.

“You boys should be heading back soon,” Strabo says, looking at his watch. “The school informed us when we dropped the car off today that they close the gates at midnight for security reasons, so if you want to make it back in time, you should leave soon."

"You are welcome to sleep over, of course," Aless says, but Sejanus just grimaces, making his mom laugh. "Never mind, then."

“What time is it?” Sejanus asks.

Strabo looks at his watch. “11:30.”

“Okay, I’m just going to use the bathroom, and then we’ll head out.” Sejanus stands up and disappears into a door next to one that leads to what Coriolanus assumes is the backyard.

“Coriolanus, I’m so glad you could join us tonight,” Aless says kindly, and Coriolanus smiles at her.

“Thank you both so much for having me, I had a great time,” he replies, looking between them. "Sejanus is lucky to have such a wonderful family."

Aless sparkles at him, and Strabo's lips turn upward at the compliment.

Then, Rory yawns and rubs her eyes, and Aless comments that it’s time for bed. Before he can react, Rory's small arms are around Coriolanus' waist, and after a moment of surprise, he gently hugs her back. Aless beams at them both, and once Rory releases him, Aless pulls him in for a hug; Strabo stands and offers Coriolanus a handshake, and Coriolanus thanks him again for dinner.

Sejanus appears just in time for everyone to say goodbye, and then his family disappears upstairs.

“Ready?” Coriolanus asks.

“Yeah,” Sejanus says before he stops, placing his keys and phone back on the kitchen counter. “Wait, shit, hang on - I wanted to grab something from my closet, I’ll be right back.”

Coriolanus hums as Sejanus climbs the staircase, and then Sejanus’ phone vibrates on the marble countertop.

Who is texting him so late?

Curiosity overtakes him, and he looks over at the notification.

Lucy Gray.

He fights the feelings of discontent to see what she wants.

Sooooo have you kissed the sexually repressed blond yet???

Coriolanus stares stupidly at the text.

Is she referring to him?

Footsteps clamber down the staircase, and Coriolanus guiltily turns the phone over and places it a fair distance from him. Sejanus emerges with a smile, holding a burgundy pair of sweatpants, and Coriolanus smiles back, though he can't help but repeat the text in his mind. Sejanus reaches for his phone and turns it over to check; his eyes widen before he shoves it into his pocket, and Coriolanus seizes the opportunity.

“Who texted you?” Coriolanus asks, feigning ignorance as they slip their shoes on, and Sejanus opens the door for them.

“Oh, um, Lucy Gray,” Sejanus replies, looking away from Coriolanus as they walk to the car.

“Oh? What did she say?”

“Just wished me a happy birthday,” Sejanus lies, unlocking the car door and throwing his sweatpants in the backseat before leaning in to turn the ignition on. Coriolanus lays his hand on his arm, stopping Sejanus from entering the car, though the car door remains open; music faintly plays as they stand facing one another.

My neck, the feeling of your soft lips…

“I must have read it wrong then because I thought she asked if you had kissed the sexually repressed blond,” Coriolanus says deadpan, and Sejanus freezes, eyes wide, looking caught out.

“I…” Sejanus trails off, unable to defend himself after getting caught in his lie; Coriolanus can’t help but torture him a little longer as punishment.

All we do is think about the feelings that we hide…

“What did you tell Lucy Gray?”

All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign…

Sejanus swallows hard, and even in the dim lighting, Coriolanus can tell he’s flushed; Sejanus opens and closes his mouth, unsure of how much to say, worried that Coriolanus is genuinely upset and that he’s fucked everything up. Coriolanus moves closer, his body brushing against Sejanus, who licks his lips before biting his bottom lip, trying to control his urges; Coriolanus' eyes flick down as he notices and he briefly wonders what it would feel like if Sejanus bit his lip instead.

Emboldened by Sejanus’ reaction, Coriolanus leans in, and Sejanus’ lips instinctively part; he looks mesmerized as Coriolanus traces his bottom lip with his thumb.

Coriolanus lets his hand drop before asking carelessly, “Come on, Sejanus: don’t you want to kiss the sexually repressed blond?”

And California never felt like home to me

Until I had you on the open road…

Sejanus can't take it anymore.

And then Sejanus’ lips are against his before Coriolanus could think, forcing a sigh and creating an opportunity for Sejanus’ tongue to slip in. Coriolanus moans as his hands clutch at Sejanus' arms, and Sejanus yanks Coriolanus’ left leg up and wraps it around his hip as he pushes him up against the car, his breath coming hard and fast as his body aches - no, burns for this.

Coriolanus’ head is spinning; he’s never been kissed like this before, his breath is coming out in gasps, and Sejanus’ warm, strong body against his makes him overheat despite the cold ocean air.

Fueled purely by primal urges, Coriolanus feverishly forces Sejanus’ shirt up from where it was tucked in, and he shudders at the feeling of the muscle underneath, his desire overtaking any rational thoughts as he explores Sejanus' body. Sejanus’ other hand is in his hair, tugging on it slightly, forcing a sound Coriolanus didn’t even know he could make from his throat. Sejanus exhales sharply as he pulls Coriolanus’ hair again, this time a little harder, tilting his head up, and without Sejanus’ lips silencing him, the sound he makes is embarrassingly loud; Sejanus’ frantic kissing of his neck as his other hand pulls his thigh even more tightly was almost too much to bear, and Coriolanus arches up against him, needing to be closer, wishing the clothes weren't so in the way, and-

Someone clears their throat.

Chapter Text

With a horrified gasp, Sejanus pulls away, still holding Coriolanus’ thigh, his shirt rucked up and looking like a deer in headlights as Strabo Plinth stares at them with raised eyebrows. Stiffly, Sejanus places Coriolanus’ leg down on the ground, and Coriolanus looks anywhere but at Sejanus’ father.

None of them speak for a solid minute.

“Your mother wanted me to give you the leftovers of the cake,” Strabo says finally, and Sejanus notices the cookie cake with the plastic covering in his hands.

“Thank you,” Sejanus says, his voice coming out stilted.

Strabo looks at them for a few more seconds, and Sejanus wants nothing more than to get in the car and drive himself off the cliff. If his mother hadn’t told his father about his crush on Coriolanus before, Strabo certainly knew how Sejanus felt about his friend now.

“Well, drive safe. I imagine that we’ll be seeing more of you, Coriolanus.”

Coriolanus manages to make eye contact for about three painful seconds, and he gives an embarrassed smile but is unable to formulate any kind of verbal reply. Sejanus senses his need to escape and clicks the car fob, unlocking all the doors even as he closes his.

“Have a good evening, sir,” Coriolanus finally forces out before he gets into the car, staring at the ocean as he silently screams.

Before Sejanus can do the same, Strabo puts his hand on his son’s shoulder.

His father lowers his voice. “You have the condoms, right?”

“Oh my god, Dad,” Sejanus exhales in horror, hunching his shoulders to defend himself against the emotional trauma of this conversation.

“Do you?”

“Yes, I have them,” Sejanus hisses, unable to process how humiliated he was feeling. “Can we please go now?”

Strabo gave his son a half-smile. “Be safe and text us at some point that you got back to the academy safely.”

Sejanus nods rigidly before he gets into the driver’s seat, shutting the car door behind him. Wordlessly, he places the cookie cake in the backseat, and they sit there awkwardly as Strabo walks back up the grand driveway. Once the front door shuts, Sejanus looks over at Coriolanus, whose face is flushed and whose hair is mused; within seconds, they’re right back at each other, struggling to get close enough with the center console in the way, laughing between moans.

“Okay, okay, we should probably get back to the Academy before they lock us out,” Coriolanus says breathlessly as Sejanus’ hand makes its way into his lap.

Sejanus pulls away, a dazed look on his face as he processes what Coriolanus just said.

“Uh, yeah. You’re right. Um, okay.” Sejanus blinks several times before taking a deep breath to refocus himself. “Is your seatbelt on?”

Coriolanus clicks it into place. “Done.”

“Let’s go,” Sejanus says, his right hand resting on Coriolanus’ left thigh instead of on the center console like earlier in the day. Coriolanus bites his lip, trying to keep himself from spreading his legs more so Sejanus’ touch is closer to where he needs it.

It’s just a ten-minute drive, he tries to remind himself. I’ve survived this long without touching or kissing him, I can do this.

It takes exactly two minutes before he realizes he can’t.

Sejanus’ hand keeps inching further up his thigh, teasing him as his fingers spread. They reach a red light, and Coriolanus can’t contain himself, he’s unbuckling his belt, and his lips are against Sejanus’ before he can say anything. 

Sejanus moans into his mouth as he eagerly reciprocates, his right hand lifting up to tangle in Coriolanus' soft curls; Sejanus seems just as desperate for this as he is.

Several cars honk as the light turns green and Sejanus pulls away, groaning in frustration. “Fuck me.”

“I’m trying.”

Sejanus laughs as he accelerates, and Coriolanus is thrown back into his seat by the force of it. “We have exactly eight minutes until the garage gates close; otherwise, we'll end up sleeping in this car because I refuse to drive home and face my father again after that for at least another week.”

“Fine,” Coriolanus sighs impatiently, putting his seatbelt back on before folding his arms. “Drive faster then.”

Sejanus grins as he presses his foot harder on the gas pedal and the car lurches forward, changing lanes with ease as they make their way back up the Pacific Coast Highway.

*

They make it back at exactly 11:59 p.m., and Sejanus barely has time to put the car in park and unbuckle himself before Coriolanus climbs into his lap, ignoring how the seat buckle digs into his knee. Sejanus makes a surprised noise before his hand scrambles to the side of the seat; Coriolanus flinches back as the seat reclines, but Sejanus’ right hand is behind his neck and is already pulling him back down.

“Oh my god, Coriolanus,” Sejanus groans in between kisses as Coriolanus grinds against him, his hands hungrily yanking up Coriolanus’ shirt.

“Just call me Coryo, you sound so fucking formal right now for no reason,” Coriolanus huffs as Sejanus’ hands explore his bare skin underneath, and he dips down, pressing a trail of kisses down Sejanus’ throat.

Sejanus’ nails dig into his back as he moans into his ear, “Coryo…”

It's a sound that Coriolanus won’t ever get tired of hearing, and he can’t help the possessiveness that rises in him as he sucks a mark into Sejanus’ throat.

Mine, he thinks viciously as Sejanus moans again.

“Sejanus, mark me,” Coriolanus demands breathlessly, pulling away just enough to look at Sejanus as he unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt, pulling it down his shoulder to expose his neck, and Sejanus’ eyes light up before he seems to hesitate. Coriolanus eyebrows knit together. “What’s wrong? Do you not want to?”

“Oh, I want to,” Sejanus admits, fighting not to lay claim to the exposed, pale throat he can't tear his gaze away from.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Coryo, you’re not…” Sejanus trails off, and despite the rest of what Sejanus is saying, Coriolanus revels in hearing his nickname from his gorgeous lips. “I don’t want to unintentionally out you.”

“Oh.” They stare at each other, chests still heaving, and then Coriolanus says, “What if you marked me somewhere only you and I could see?”

Sejanus’ eyes darken, and Coriolanus smirks.

“Sit up,” Sejanus says, and Coriolanus does; he lets out a harsh breath as Sejanus makes quick work of his belt, button, and zipper, and he finishes unbuttoning his shirt. Then Sejanus yanks his boxer briefs down just enough to expose his pelvis and hip bones, and Coriolanus exhales, bracing his hands on the headrest as Sejanus shifts down just enough to press his lips against his exposed skin, his hands gripping Coriolanus' hips in place.

He starts with agonizing, slow kisses, teasing him, causing him to writhe and whimper, and then Coriolanus cries out when Sejanus’ teeth sink into the sensitive skin. Sejanus stares up at him before he sucks hard, and Coriolanus’ breath comes out unsteady, his eyes closing; once he sees the first mark left behind, Sejanus gets to work marking him more - he just can’t help himself. One on his left hipbone, one on his right, and a few right on his pelvis; Sejanus quickly loses count.

Coriolanus gasps, and Sejanus freezes as they're suddenly plunged into darkness.

“Oh. The garage lights went out,” Sejanus surmises. “They must be on a timer.”

They laugh breathlessly, and Coriolanus realizes his neck and lower back are aching. “We should probably get back to the dorm room.”

Sejanus reluctantly releases his hold on Coriolanus and reaches up to tap the light on the roof, momentarily blinding both. He watches as Coriolanus buttons and zips up his pants before buckling his belt, covering up the marks Sejanus had left.

“Ready?” Coriolanus asks as he gingerly extricates himself from Sejanus’ lap and reaches for the door.

“Almost.”

Coriolanus turns with an expression of confusion, and then Sejanus kisses him again.

Different from their frantic ones earlier, Coriolanus can’t help but melt into the kiss as Sejanus gently cups his face.

When Sejanus pulls away, Coriolanus blinks, trying to regain composure, and Sejanus smiles at him. “Now I’m ready.”

Chapter Text

Coriolanus and Sejanus barely make it into the elevator before Sejanus looks up and asks conversationally, "Are there any cameras in here?"

The corner of Coriolanus' mouth lifts. "None."

And then they kiss again: Coriolanus pressed up against the metal wall of the elevator, the coolness of it seeping through the thin shirt, making him shiver. The angle is far from comfortable, however, he can't bring himself to care; he's waited too long for this, and he ignores the discomfort as Sejanus' hands roam over his body.

The elevator dings, and they break apart, out of breath before the doors open to their floor, where a camera points directly at them.

As casually as they can, Coriolanus and Sejanus meander down the hall, their hands brushing every so often until Sejanus unlocks the dorm door and opens it for him.

Coriolanus gives Sejanus about three seconds to turn the lock before he traps him against the door, not bothering to flick on the light. Sejanus's sound of surprise is muffled by Coriolanus' mouth. 

In the dorm room, everything feels amplified, more real.

This is really happening.

Their hands are frantically pulling at each other, unable to convey exactly how much they've longed for this; Coriolanus breaks away just long enough to take Sejanus by the hand before sliding into his waistband with a simple, quiet, and desperate, "Please."

Oh my god.

Sejanus' brain malfunctions as he realizes what Coriolanus is asking for; within seconds, Sejanus has unbuckled his belt and unzipped Coriolanus' pants, imagining the hickeys that now marked him as his, even though he can't see them in the dim lighting. Coriolanus' moan makes Sejanus' mind go blank, and he's guided by pure instinct and desire as he palms him through his boxer briefs. Coriolanus rests his head on Sejanus' collarbone, letting out harsh exhales as Sejanus teases the head of his cock with his thumb. 

Sejanus' lips part, and his eyes close as he imagines what Coriolanus would look and sound like if he used his mouth on him too.

"Can I go down on you?" Sejanus asks in a low, intent voice, already imagining it with extreme eagerness, and Coriolanus looks up, eyes wide in the dark.

Coriolanus stumbles through a series of disjointed words, sounding panicked, conflicted, and turned on all at once. 

"I - uh, I'm not - you don't have to - I mean -”

Sensing that he's not comfortable with it, Sejanus interrupts him gently. "Coryo, we can take it slower," he reassures him even as his body contracts with lust and screams at him in dismay.

Coriolanus relaxes, the panic leaving his face and replaced with a shy smile that makes Sejanus forget how to breathe. "Yeah, I think that just this is fine for now."

“Is it just fine?” Sejanus teases him.

Coriolanus laughs as he confesses, “It's more than just fine, your hand feels amazing.” He can't look up at Sejanus, his face burning.

"That's what I was hoping for." A slow smirk makes its way across Sejanus' face as he finally pulls Coriolanus' cock out, making his breath catch in his throat; Coriolanus’ eyes flutter closed when there's finally skin against skin. Coriolanus doesn't know if anything has ever felt better in his life than how Sejanus touched him right then. 

Sejanus just about falls to his knees when he hears Coriolanus moan his name in between the messy, frenzied kisses he's pressing to Sejanus’ throat. Sejanus shudders as Coriolanus' hands hesitantly move down and remove the barriers to where Sejanus is confined; without further thought, Sejanus is yanking his own shirt off and tossing it in the vague direction of his bed before pulling at Coriolanus'.

"Take this off," he says, his voice rough.

"Why don't you just yank mine off too?" Coriolanus asks a bit unsteadily as his hands find the muscle on his friend’s exposed chest.

"Oh, I want to, but I'm worried I might rip it in half, and then I’d feel awful because your cousin spent a lot of time making it."

"What if I had torn yours?" Coriolanus can't help but ask.

"Then I'd have just bought a new shirt; I could not give less of a fuck as long as it meant there were fewer clothes between us," Sejanus informs him, and Coriolanus laughs before it turns into a surprised groan as Sejanus holds them both in his much larger hand.

Coriolanus pants feverishly, his hands fumbling to unbutton the shirt and shrugging it off in a rush before intertwining his arms around Sejanus' neck as Sejanus increases the pace. Instinctively, Coriolanus' fingernails dig into Sejanus' back, causing him to hiss as pain and pleasure mix. Coriolanus immediately moves back, apologizing profusely, but Sejanus wraps his other arm around his waist and pulls him closer before he breathes, "No, don't apologize - I liked it."

Coriolanus' body burns as the words sink in, and he cautiously explores Sejanus' back before letting his fingernails drag down; Sejanus makes a noise that throws Coriolanus over the edge with no warning.

He's coming hard with a broken whine, the same sound Sejanus had been privy to days beforehand, but it's even louder this time; Sejanus follows soon after, thoroughly overwhelmed by how hot Coriolanus is, how lucky he is to see him like this, how he just wants to make him feel this good every day until he dies.

A minute passes while they catch their breath, and then Coriolanus finds himself leaning to kiss Sejanus softly, making his stomach flip.

“Happy birthday,” he says, and Sejanus grins.

“Were you my birthday present?” he asks, half-seriously.

Coriolanus vehemently shakes his head as they awkwardly reach for tissues to clean up with. “No, I have a real present for you, I just forgot to bring it to Nobu.” Coriolanus adjusts himself before he kneels, pulling something out from under his bed; it looks like a USPS box, and Coriolanus seems to hesitate before he gets up and says, “Close your eyes.”

Sejanus takes a seat on his bed and then does as he's told; he feels something soft and light in his hands, and then hears Coriolanus’ uncharacteristically nervous voice as he says, “I didn't get a chance to wrap your gift, but I hope you like it. I had the idea but Tigris made it.”

“Can I open my eyes now?” Sejanus asks, fighting the intense urge to peek at what he's holding.

“Yes, you can open your eyes now,” Coriolanus replies as he turns on the bedside lamp next to him, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

Sejanus opens his eyes to find a pair of socks in his hands with something embroidered in red along the top.

“Fire,” Sejanus reads aloud, looking a little confused.

“Um, it's because of what Marcus said,” Coriolanus rushes to explain, feeling embarrassed by the gift now that Sejanus is holding them. “Tigris made me a pair that have Ice on them.”

Superfluously, he pulls out his pair from the box, showing Ice embroidered in blue thread. Sejanus doesn't say anything for too long, and it is impossible to tell what he is thinking with his face in the shadows, too far from the lamp, so Coriolanus says, “It's okay if you don't like them; it was kind of a dumb idea, we can just throw them away-”

“Coryo, I love them,” Sejanus says, his voice tight. “I'm just trying not to cry because this is one of the best gifts I've ever received.”

Coriolanus feels dizzy from how quickly the tension melts from his body. “Now I know you're messing with me.”

Sejanus shakes his head. “I'm not, Coryo. I really love them, and I need to send Tigris a thank you card first thing tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?” Coriolanus says in disbelief, though he secretly hopes Sejanus is being as genuine as he seems to be. “I mean, they're just socks.”

“They're not just socks” is all Sejanus would say before he stands and crosses the room in a few strides. He kisses Coriolanus slowly, almost chastely, and Coriolanus responds immediately; maybe now is a good time for round two, he muses.

Until a cold bucket of reality falls on him when Sejanus pulls away and asks, "Coryo, am I your first?"

Chapter Text

Coriolanus stares at Sejanus with a disconcerted expression. "My first what?"

"Um, you know…” Sejanus struggles not to use the word boyfriend. “…male…partner,” he finishes lamely.

Coriolanus cocks his head at Sejanus who doesn't even really know why he asked, it just popped into his mind, and he had said it without thinking. Why was he like this, and why couldn't he have just enjoyed the moment after they'd finally gotten to hook up and Sejanus had received his birthday gift?

Then Coriolanus laughs unexpectedly. "Why, do I kiss like it?"

"No, no! I just, wondered, you know, since you're not out yet..."

Surprisingly, Coriolanus doesn't get flustered or defensive; instead, he goes quiet and distant. “You're not my first male partner," Coriolanus says before adding wryly, "You don't have to look so surprised."

Sejanus flushes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's fine," Coriolanus says as he waves him off.

Sejanus doesn't know what to say in response, though now he's feeling an ugly jealousy creeping up. It's irrational because Sejanus has also fooled around with another guy before Coriolanus, but he can't help it, he wants to be all of Coriolanus' firsts; in that moment, he resolves to be all of Coriolanus' bests.

“Did you go all the way?” Sejanus asks, and Coriolanus shakes his head; Sejanus feels a glow at the thought of being that first for Coriolanus if he wants to.

Then Coriolanus turns the tables on Sejanus. “Have you?” Sejanus shakes his head as he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, and Coriolanus raises his eyebrows. “Really? Huh.”

Sejanus makes a face. “What does that mean?”

Coriolanus holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Nothing, I’m just surprised.” Coriolanus grins at him slyly. “You seem to enjoy making those kinds of friends, so I just assumed.”

“That’s…fair, actually,” Sejanus admits, his face warming. “I've been told I give off manwhore vibes.”

Coriolanus laughs. “Maybe a little bit. But your experience benefits me, doesn't it? At least it seemed to when you were touching me earlier.”

“I like to think so,” Sejanus says, and Coriolanus smiles at him. A few seconds pass, and then Sejanus asks the question nagging at him.

"Was it someone from the Academy?"

"Yeah, but he transferred to another school at the end of last year," Coriolanus replies, standing up to remove his pants easily, leaving him in his black boxer briefs. Sejanus feels heat rapidly returning to his body as he drinks him in, despite just getting off a few minutes earlier.

"Oh," Sejanus says, trying to refocus back on the conversation, the topic of which bothers him like a mosquito buzzing in his ear just before it bites him. "So, were you guys like, dating secretly?"

Coriolanus' eyes shift downward as he reaches for his duvet, covering up his body to Sejanus' disappointment.

"Um, I don't know if that was the right label..." Even in the low light, Sejanus notices a flash of hurt on Coriolanus' face before his roommate adds bitterly, "He didn't think so, anyway."

"Did you consider him your boyfriend?"

Coriolanus sighs as he pulls his knees up to his chest, nodding in a thoroughly humiliated way, his shoulders hunched defensively against the memories. “I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have; it wasn’t like he ever said anything to make me think he was.”

“He just hooked up with you, then? Just...hit it and quit it?”

“Yeah."

“He didn’t even try to date you?”

Coriolanus shakes his head, feeling an unpleasant sloshing of shame in his stomach.

"So, he was a dick that didn't deserve you," Sejanus surmises, and it's so unexpected that Coriolanus laughs despite himself.

Coriolanus nods, still smiling slightly as he agrees, "He was a dick who didn't deserve me."

"Do you miss him?" Sejanus truly does not know why he's doing this to himself; he doesn't want to know if Coriolanus misses some guy who wouldn't even consider him a boyfriend in secret.

Coriolanus furrows his brow, and Sejanus feels sick, until Coriolanus says, "I don't miss him."

Sejanus visibly relaxes. "Oh. Good."

This time Coriolanus' laugh is louder, stronger. "Good?"

Sejanus scrambles. "Well, not like good, but - I mean, I guess it's good, because as you said, he was a dick, right, but-"

"Sejanus, I'm messing with you; I knew what you meant."

He relaxes, his heart still threatening to beat out of his chest. "What was he like?"

Coriolanus takes a second to think about it. "He was charming...until he wasn't." He gives Sejanus a rueful smile.  "But I'm sure you don't want to hear about this."

"I asked, didn't I?"

"I guess so."

"You don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable." Sejanus backpedals. "I only asked because I wasn't sure if the hesitation earlier was due to lack of experience or something else."

Coriolanus nodded slowly. "I get that. And yeah, it was something else." He ran his hand through his hair before exhaling, "Um...Andy always took things too fast. He claimed it was because he couldn't control himself when it came to how much he wanted me," Coriolanus says as he reaches out to touch his stuffed dog beside the pillow as the old hurt stings him with a vengeance. "But I think it was just because he didn't want to get caught hooking up with me, so he rushed things every time to lower the chances of it happening."

Sejanus digests this. "His name was Andy?"

"Androcles," Coriolanus supplies, chuckling at the disturbed expression on Sejanus' face. "I know, it's a fucking awful name; that's why he went by Andy."

"I feel like some parents want their kids to get bullied."

"I agree." Coriolanus yawns, sounding tired. "So yeah, it just sorta got under my skin after so many months, and it's still in the back of my head a lot, so that's why I panicked when you asked earlier if you could go down on me. It felt...too fast."

"That makes sense," Sejanus replies, fidgeting before he rushes to explain, "I honestly just wanted to make you feel as good as I could, so that's why I asked to go down on you. But I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

Coriolanus gives him a half-smile. "You didn't do anything wrong, Andy was the one who fucked me up and made me turn down a perfectly good blowjob from my hot boyfr-" Coriolanus cut himself off before clearing his throat and finishing awkwardly, "roommate."

Sejanus' heart flips at what Coriolanus almost said.

"Coriolanus, I want to be your boyfriend, if you want that too," Sejanus says in a rush.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus' eyes widen, and Sejanus immediately panics.

"I don't mean to pressure you or anything,' Sejanus backtracks hastily. "I just really like you." Coriolanus doesn't say anything, and Sejanus rushes to say, "If you want, we can just drop it. We don't have to be boyfriends-"

"Would I have to come out?" Coriolanus interjects, sounding conflicted. "For us to be boyfriends?"

Sejanus vehemently shakes his head. "No, I’d never make you do that.”

Sejanus is on the edge of his bed as he watches Coryo chew his lip.

"Are you really okay with that?" Coriolanus finally asks.

"Coryo, I don't care that you're not out yet," Sejanus insists. "Seriously."

"But what about dates?" Coriolanus continues, "I can't..." Coriolanus sits up, his knees to his chest before forcing out, "I can't take you on any."

"But I can take you on dates," Sejanus counters.

Coriolanus doesn't look reassured by this fact as he frowns.

"Does it bother you that much that I can pay for dates and you can't?" Sejanus asks curiously.

"Obviously," Coriolanus mumbles defensively.

"Well, for the record, a date doesn't have to cost money."

Coriolanus looks at him with his eyebrows furrowed.

"We do live across the street from the beach," Sejanus points out. "A walk on the beach, burning driftwood in one of the bonfire pits, and staring at the stars costs us nothing but time."

"That's not a date though," Coriolanus retorts.

"Says who? Who decides what is and what isn't a date?" Sejanus challenges and Coriolanus opens his mouth to argue before he closes it again, realizing he doesn't have an answer.

"I don't know," he replies reluctantly. "I just feel like you deserve better than a walk on the beach."

"Coriolanus, you saw how excited I was over a pair of socks," Sejanus reminds him earnestly. "I promise that I don't care where we go or what we do as long as…” his face turns bright red as he finishes, “I get to be with you."

Coriolanus flushes, unable to help the smile tugging at his lips. "...okay," he concedes.

Sejanus gets up from his bed and strides across the space between them before kneeling dramatically in front of his roommate. Taking Coryo’s hand, Sejanus asks with mock formality, "Coriolanus Snow, will you be secret boyfriends with me?"

Coriolanus can't help but laugh at how ridiculous this is as Sejanus waits for his answer. Sejanus raises his eyebrows expectantly, and Coriolanus rolls his eyes, though he's secretly pleased with the gesture.

"Yes, I'll be your secret boyfriend," Coriolanus teases.

Without any warning, Sejanus stands and holds his face before kissing him feverishly. "Coriolanus Snow is my boyfriend," Sejanus pulls away just enough to say it in the space between them, sounding like he can’t fully believe it.

"Secret boyfriend," Coriolanus shrugs as if it's not a big deal, though his heart is racing, and he can’t stop smiling.

"Secret boyfriend makes it hotter," Sejanus claims as he climbs on top of Coriolanus, trapping him underneath his body. Coriolanus takes full advantage of their positions to explore more of Sejanus' body as their kisses get steadily more enthusiastic.

It takes about twenty seconds to realize the bed is too small to do anything else; Sejanus pulls away laughing, "I'm going to fall off this bed and get a concussion."

"Okay, so what should we do?" Coriolanus asks, dazed.

Wordlessly, Sejanus extricates himself and pulls his bed away from the wall before pushing it together with Coriolanus'.

"That's better," Sejanus nods before he climbs back into their makeshift queen bed, and Coriolanus eagerly welcomes him back.

"What do you want?" Sejanus asks breathlessly.

"Pull my hair. Please," Coriolanus replies, and his eyes close as Sejanus acquiesces.

"Harder?" Sejanus asks, relishing the softness of his curls in his hand, and Coryo nods before resuming their kiss.

The way Coriolanus moans into his mouth as Sejanus' grip tightens makes Sejanus kiss him deeper as desire overwhelms any other thought. Then Coriolanus' legs wrap around his hips, and Sejanus whimpers, hyper-aware of how little fabric separates them as Coriolanus grinds against him.

And what is he supposed to do? Not lose his mind?

Impossible.

Coriolanus' nails dig into his back, and Sejanus can’t help the sound of pleasure; he acts without thinking it through as he breaks away and bites Coryo's neck, his hips bucking against Coriolanus'. The resulting whine makes Sejanus' basest instincts take over as he presses Coriolanus down against the bed, rutting against him, still in his dress pants as they kiss, lick, and bite at each other’s lips. Everything is happening in a blur of pleasure and desperation as they cling to each other, struggling to get close enough as their bodies move together.

"Are you sure you've never had sex?" Coriolanus pants, and Sejanus nods his head, releasing his hold on Coryo's hair to brace himself on his elbows.

"Why?" Sejanus asks, not really caring for the answer, just asking out of politeness as he continues to thrust against him, licking a stripe up Coryo’s arched neck, unable to control the urge to devour him and only spurred on by the sounds that result.

Coriolanus sounds unfocused as he replies, "Just how you move your hips. It's how I imagine being fucked would feel like."

Several images flash through Sejanus’ mind at the words.

"Fuck," Sejanus gasps, biting his lip and slowing the tempo, resting his face in the crook of his neck, his breathing coming out heavy. "You can't say stuff like that, Coryo."

"But what if I want to?" Coriolanus tries to ask coyly, but it just comes out unsteadily. "I like imagining how you would fuck me."

"Coryo," Sejanus groans, stopping his movements completely. "I'm going to come if you keep talking like that."

Coriolanus' eyes light up. "Can you come like this?" He grinds against Sejanus' lap and a choked-off sound is his reward.

"I think so," Sejanus pants, lifting his head. "Do you want me to?" Sejanus asks, his chest heaving, and Coryo's gaze darkens.

"Yes," Coryo says, licking his lips at the thought, feeling drunk on the power Sejanus is giving him. "I want you to come like this just from grinding against me."

"What about you?" Sejanus manages, his hips moving subconsciously as his body demands release. "How do you want me to touch you?",

"I was thinking maybe you'd like to go down on me after," Coryo says casually, and the breath is immediately knocked out of him as Sejanus yanks his thigh up and resumes grinding against him with new fervor.

"Oh fuck, Coryo, you're so fucking hot," Sejanus can't help but praise, and he tugs again on Coryo's hair, forcing his head back, exposing that perfect, marked throat. "I can't wait to go down on you, it's so - oh, fuck-!" Sejanus suddenly groans as his hips move faster, more erratically as he finishes in his dress pants, biting down on Coryo’s shoulder as Coriolanus’ nails dig into his back.

Not giving himself a break, Sejanus immediately pulls down Coriolanus' underwear, marveling at the sensation of his cock in his hand. He strokes it as he licks a stripe from the balls up to the sensitive tip and Coriolanus cries out as he spreads his legs. Now that he's come, Sejanus can focus on drawing things out for Coryo, who seems less and less coherent as Sejanus mercilessly teases him.

"Sejanus, please," Coryo finally begs, embarrassed by his desperation.

And then Sejanus has his cock down his throat, his moans vibrating around it and making Coryo clutch at the duvet as he tries and fails to slow his orgasm down. He can't help it, Sejanus is too good at this, the grinding had been incredibly hot earlier, and Coriolanus can think of nothing else but how badly he needs to come.

"Oh, fuck - oh Sejanus, fuck!" Coryo wails as Sejanus' eyes flutter closed as he repeatedly swallows around his cock, bordering on overstimulation as the pleasure sweeps through his body. Completely spent, Coriolanus' chest is heaving as Sejanus pulls off of him, looking satisfied with himself.

"How was it?" Sejanus asks cheekily and Coriolanus laughs in a winded sort of way.

"So good," he says as his eyes flutter closed, though a grin spreads across his face. "You're so fucking good at that."

"Practice makes perfect," Sejanus replies before he kisses Coryo again. As he pulls away, Sejanus spots something and freezes. "Oh, shit," he says, sounding distressed. "I'm so sorry, Coryo."

His boyfriend’s eyes open with a dazed expression. "Sorry for what?"

"I left a hickey," Sejanus grimaces.

"Where?"

Sejanus touches the location on his neck with his index finger. "Here."

But Coriolanus just smirks, stretching out lazily, unbothered. "Whatever."

Sejanus continues to stress himself out. "But, Coryo, what if-"

"I'll just lie about who gave it to me, and no one will know,” Coriolanus replies with a flippant smile. "But I'll know who left it and that's what matters."

Sejanus still feels guilty, and he starts to apologize again but Coriolanus shakes his head.

"I wanted you to mark me earlier, remember? It's fine, Sejanus," he emphasizes.

"I can get you some ice," Sejanus offers. "Keep it from getting darker-"

"Don’t need it," Coriolanus waves him off. "I like being claimed by my secret boyfriend."

Mollified by Coryo’s use of the word boyfriend, Sejanus relents as he stands up to change and clean himself up and Coriolanus summons the strength to pull his boxer briefs back up. He's just about to drift off when he feels arms around him, pulling him against Sejanus' chest.

"Is this okay?" Sejanus asks softly.

"You just had my dick in your mouth and you're asking if it's okay to cuddle me?" Coriolanus asks in disbelief.

Sejanus flushes, grateful Coryo is facing the opposite way and can't see him. "Well, I don't know. I don't know what it's like to date someone."

"Me neither," Coriolanus agrees quietly. "So, um, yeah...this is okay."

Sejanus hums happily as he nuzzles Coryo's neck, making his entire face burn.

"Goodnight, secret boyfriend," Sejanus says.

"Goodnight, secret boyfriend," Coriolanus laughs before they drift off to sleep together.

Chapter Text

A loud, abrupt knocking wakes them up, startling them apart as Sejanus groans in protest. Memories of the previous evening disjointedly flash through Coryo’s brain as they hear Hilarius’ voice through the door and Sejanus covers his head with his pillow.

“Rise and shine, assholes!” he calls.

Coryo’s eyes zero in on their conjoined beds and, with barely controlled panic, he shakes Sejanus. “Sejanus, wake up!” he hisses. “You have to move your bed!”

Sejanus blinks blearily at him before he looked at their beds; then understanding dawns on him, and he scrambles to his feet before dragging his bed across the carpet while Coryo pulled a pair of sweatpants on.

“Coriolanus, I know you’re in there!” Hilarius yells. “Open up!”

After a quick check to make sure their beds were on opposite ends of the room, Coriolanus takes a deep breath before he yanks the door open, glaring at his friend as he demands exasperatedly, “What?”

“Good morning,” Hilarius says cheerily as if he didn’t just wake them up in the rudest way possible. “Hey, Sejanus.”

Sejanus nods at him from where he’s sprawled on his bed, his hands behind his head and his heart racing as he tries to act nonchalant.

“What do you want, Hilarius?” Coryo sighs, folding his arms.

“Wow, okay, what a rude way to greet one of your best friends.”

“You literally woke us up by yelling at us and calling us assholes,” Coriolanus reminds him.

“Tomato, tomato,” Hilarius dismisses before he grins at them. “Do you guys wanna come to Santa Monica with us today, or will you be too busy studying like usual?”

“Who’s all going?” Coryo asks as he leans against the door frame, surreptitiously adjusting his sweats, which he realizes are sliding down his hips, putting the hickeys Sejanus left behind at risk of being discovered.

“Festus, Marcus, Felix, and me so far. Some of the girls from Festus’ dorm party are having a beach day and invited him, and he’s too chicken to go alone.”

Coriolanus looks back at Sejanus. “What do you think?”

“I’m down if you’re down,” Sejanus replies easily.

“We’ll go,” Coryo confirms. “What time are you leaving?”

Hilarius looks at his watch. “In like, fifteen minutes?”

“We haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Coryo says in disbelief.

“Well, it’s 10:30 a.m. - it's not my fault you guys slept in.” Hilarius finally notices the bruise on Coriolanus’ throat and whistles. “Damn, who gave you the hickey?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Coriolanus says. “I won’t see her again anyway so it’s not worth mentioning.”

“That bad, huh?” Hilarius cackles. “Maybe you’ll get lucky with one of the other girls today to make up for it.”

Coriolanus rolls his eyes, wanting to move on. “We’ll eat and then meet you guys over there. Where will you be?”

“Probably on the pier. Just text me when you get there, and I’ll let you know.”

“All right, see you soon.”

Hilarius salutes and swaggers down the hallway as Coryo shuts the door behind himself.

“Okay, that was way too close,” Coriolanus exhales, his heart rate finally slowing as he looks at his boyfriend.

“Agreed,” Sejanus replies, his eyes sparkling. “But I’m excited to go to Santa Monica Pier with you.”

“I’ve never gone before,” Coryo admits as he sits on his bed, which suddenly seems so far from Sejanus’.

“Then I’m thrilled to be your tour guide,” Sejanus declares, standing up as he stretches out, and Coryo can’t help but admire his body.

“It’s a pier - there’s not much to tour,” Coriolanus retorts.

“You say that now, but you’ve never been there, so how would you know?” Sejanus says as he closes the distance between them, kissing him slowly like he’d imagined doing since they woke up.

Coriolanus contemplates bailing on his friends entirely as he pulls Sejanus down on top of him. His breath catches as he feels Sejanus’ hardness against him, and he can’t help but slip his hand into Sejanus’ waistband, causing Sejanus to inhale unsteadily.

A loud knocking breaks them apart for the second time, and Coriolanus curses furiously. Sejanus returns to his bed but pulls the duvet over him this time as Coryo opens the door, glowering.

“Do you guys have sunscreen?” Hilarius questions, and Coriolanus wants to strangle him. “All of us are out.”

Coryo stalks across their dorm room and throws the bottle at Hilarius with a bit more force than is strictly necessary, and Hilarius scrambles to catch it before dropping it on the floor.

“Sorry,” Coriolanus says, not sounding sorry at all.

Hilarius doesn't seem to notice his hostility. “Thanks! See you guys soon.”

Sejanus stands to join him at the door as Coriolanus closes it. “We should probably just wait until tonight to do anything, so we aren’t interrupted.”

“I guess so,” Coriolanus agrees reluctantly, walking over to his closet.

“I promise I’ll make it worth the wait,” Sejanus says with a smirk.

“I know you will,” Coryo concedes as he searches for a clean T-shirt and a pair of jeans. “I’m just impatient.”

“I am too,” Sejanus says, and his sudden closeness as he traces Coriolanus’ neck with his lips raises goosebumps on Coryo’s skin. “But I’d like to take my boyfriend on a date first.”

*

Seagulls screech overhead as Sejanus pays the attendant before pulling into the giant parking lot adjacent to the beach.

“Should I text Hilarius that we’re here?” Coriolanus asks.

“You could,” Sejanus says unwillingly. “Or…we could pretend that we didn’t have service and just have some time to ourselves before we hang out as a group,” Sejanus suggests slyly. “If that’s okay with you.”

“It’s more than okay with me,” Coryo replies as Sejanus puts up the sun visor, waiting until it’s blocking them entirely from onlookers to surprise his boyfriend with a lingering kiss.

Sejanus sighs as he tangles his fingers in his hair, his tongue slipping in; with superhuman strength, he pulls away first.

“If I keep kissing you, I’m going to exit this car with the most embarrassing hard-on,” he informs him.

Coriolanus laughs, though the same is true for him. “Fair.”

Sejanus kisses Coryo’s cheek, making his face rapidly color, and then he opens the car door, letting the warm sunshine in. Coriolanus emerges from the passenger side, breathing in the humid ocean air. People play volleyball in the sand while kids run shrieking into the waves, and Coryo’s mouth drops as he turns to take in the pier.

He didn’t realize there was a fucking rollercoaster on it.

Without thinking, Coriolanus is already walking towards the pier, and Sejanus calls out to him. “Did you put sunscreen on?”

“Ah – no,” he confesses, eyes still trying to take everything in as he hears the screams of people on the various rides scattered at the edge of the pier.

“Put some on - you’ll thank me later.”

Reluctantly, Coriolanus does as his boyfriend says, trying to get it over with quickly as he applies some to his arms, neck, and face.

“Here, take this hat and your sunglasses.”

Coriolanus must admit it’s much more comfortable once he puts on both. “Okay, can we go?” he asks, shifting from one foot to another.

Sejanus leans over to rub in the sunscreen where Coriolanus hadn’t managed to on his face. “Now we can go,” he confirms.

As they walk, Coriolanus reaches for his hand before stopping himself, opting to put his hands in his pockets; Sejanus notices but doesn’t say anything, a smile stretching across his face.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Sejanus asks as they join the throngs of people already on the pier.

“I have no idea,” Coriolanus replies, distracted. “I didn’t realize it was this huge.”

“How about we go on some rides?” Sejanus suggests. He's enjoying how the number of people on the pier makes it okay for his hand to brush against Coriolanus’ without it looking intentional.

“Are they free?” Coriolanus asks.

“No, but I can buy us wristbands so we can go on them as many times as we want,” he says with a wicked grin as he spots the ticket booth.

Coryo catches sight of the prices and almost passes out. “$50 for a wristband?” he asks faintly.

“It’s worth it,” Sejanus assures him. “Otherwise, each ride is like, $12 or $15 each.”

“Okay,” Coriolanus replies hesitantly.

Sejanus pays with a credit card and then helps fasten one around his boyfriend’s wrist who then helps him fasten his.

“Thank you,” Coryo says, feeling guilty that their first date is already so expensive, and they haven’t even done anything yet.

“You’re welcome,” Sejanus says, his face and voice betraying his excitement. “Do you want to start with the rollercoaster and then work our way down or start with the smaller rides and then work our way up?”

“You’re the tour guide, you decide,” Coryo replies.

“Rollercoaster first,” Sejanus declares. “It’s my favorite, and then you have to try a fried Oreo.”

“A fried Oreo?” Coriolanus repeats, looking disturbed. “What is it with you and cookie desserts?”

“They’re the best, I don’t know what to tell you,” Sejanus replies good-naturedly. “Trust me on this one though; it sounds disgustingly American, and it is, but it’s absolutely delicious.”

Coriolanus is unconvinced. “Okay."

Sejanus laughs. “Don’t worry, if you don’t like it, I’ll finish it. But let’s start with the rollercoaster.” Sejanus takes Coriolanus’ hand to lead him through the crowds, bursting with energy and enthusiasm as they get in line for the rollercoaster that rumbles above them while the waves crash beneath them.

Chapter Text

After the rollercoaster, they get a fried Oreo, which Coriolanus is shocked to find is not as atrocious as he’d originally feared. Still, it’s not really Coriolanus’ thing, so to make up for it, they get ice cream, which Coriolanus insists on paying for. It makes him feel a little better to have contributed to the cost of the date.

They walk together with their ice cream cones when Sejanus suggests the Ferris wheel for their next ride. The line moves quickly, and before long, they’re let onto their cabin, and then lifted a few feet while the last group of people get on. Coriolanus can’t help but watch the way Sejanus licks at his chocolate chip ice cream, his mind drifting back to the previous evening, and Sejanus catches him staring as he finishes the cone.

“What’s up?”

"The ice cream melted on you."

"It did?" Sejanus asks, squinting at his shirt. "Where?"

Coriolanus takes his hand. "Right here." The wind ruffles through the hair as the Ferris wheel carries them up before their cabin suddenly stops at the top. With no warning, Coriolanus sucks on Sejanus' index finger briefly, all the while maintaining eye contact. Sejanus' lips part and the shock and desire are written so clearly across his face that it only encourages Coriolanus to take it further.

With an obscene pop, Coriolanus pulls off Sejanus' finger before smirking at him, and a low noise escapes Sejanus as he bites his lip.

"What's wrong?" Coriolanus asks innocently as he places Sejanus' hand on his thigh, stretching his legs out.

"It is so hard to control myself right now," Sejanus exhales as his grip on his boyfriend's thigh tightens. Coryo knows this is risky, but he can't help it; his boyfriend is stupidly hot, and there's adrenaline pumping in his veins, clouding his mind.

"Oh? Is something tempting you?" he asks, leaning in and Sejanus can't take his eyes off Coriolanus' lips. Coryo watches as Sejanus swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, and then his lips press against Sejanus' neck.

"Coryo!" Sejanus hisses, incredibly conflicted. "Someone could see-!"

"We're at the top of the Ferris wheel," Coriolanus says, not thinking straight at all as he sinks his teeth into Sejanus' throat, whose tortured moan only urges him on. "No one can see it's us."

The cabin swings beneath them, causing a drop in Sejanus' stomach that's quickly forgotten as his secret boyfriend kisses him feverishly, and he can't help but kiss him back, giving in completely.

*

The waves are crashing, seagulls are calling, and Hilarius is bored out of his mind.

Everyone else except for Marcus and him is in the water, so they’re the defacto guards of everyone’s stuff. Marcus is sunbathing, his arm thrown across his face while he listens to music playing softly from his phone. Hilarius checks his phone hopefully, but there are no new messages; with a sigh, he places it back in his pocket.

Where are they?

If they bailed, there would be hell to pay.

Some movement on the Ferris wheel catches his eye, and he watches as the top cabin swings wildly.

A couple making out, he realizes, lying back on his towel.

Lucky bastards.

*

"Mnphm, Coryo-" Sejanus gasps as Coriolanus' hand strokes him through the denim fabric, and his body responds embarrassingly quickly.

"I just can’t stop kissing you," Coriolanus breathes against his lips. “I think I’ll die if I do.”

"Coryo, please," Sejanus protests weakly, though his hands betray him as they clutch at Coriolanus' body, bringing him closer; just in time, the Ferris wheel jerks them apart as it starts to descend.

Sejanus is flushed, his chest moving fast as he removes his hands from his boyfriend and folds them under his arms so they can’t reach and bring him closer.

Coriolanus looks smug, and Sejanus rubs his face in despair. “Are you trying to get us caught?”

“Oh, come on, don’t even try to tell me you didn’t enjoy it,” Coryo replies, unrepentant.

“I never said that,” Sejanus mumbles. Coriolanus’ smile gets bigger. “But anyone could have seen us,” he adds seriously.

“It’ll be fine,” Coriolanus insists, and Sejanus raises his eyebrows. “What are the chances of someone we know seeing that?”

Sejanus shakes his head, giving up. “Whatever you say.”

*

Idly, Hilarius watches as the Ferris wheel jolts them apart, laughing to himself. He wonders if the girl is hot and waits for a glimpse of them as their cabin reaches the bottom, both disappearing from view for a few seconds before they descend the ramp.

Hilarius sits up.

No fucking way.

*

“Hey, do you wanna play some of the games?” Sejanus asks as he spots one with a ring toss after they've disembarked.

“I’m never any good at them,” Coryo admits. “But you can try to win me something,” he adds cheekily.

“Challenge accepted.” Sejanus adjusts his cap. “Which stuffed animal do you want?”

He peruses the options for a moment. “Surprise me,” Coriolanus replies.

“Be careful what you wish for,” Sejanus warns him. “What if I get you one of those demented-looking elephants?”

Coriolanus follows his line of sight and chokes on his laughter. “Oh my god.”

“Oh, now I have to win one for you,” Sejanus decides.

“They're absolutely horrific,” Coriolanus manages, shaking his head. “I changed my mind, get me a baby Charizard.”

“It’s too late, you messed up, and you’re going to be a father to a cursed elephant,” Sejanus informs him before walking over to the attendant and pulling out his wallet.

With a smile, Coriolanus watches as Sejanus tries for the second time to win the ring toss before he hears someone call his name. He turns to see Hilarius with a weird expression on his face.

“Hey,” Coriolanus greets him.

“Hey,” Hilarius replies, looking at him like a stranger.

“What’s up with you?” Coriolanus asks.

“How long have you guys been here for?” Hilarius replies.

Coriolanus realizes he must be upset with them for not texting when they had arrived. “Not for too long, we literally just parked and then realized we didn’t have any service,” he lies.

Hilarius doesn’t say anything for a while, and Coriolanus redirects his attention to Sejanus who waves at them before he tries for a fourth time to win.

"Coriolanus, did you guys hook up yesterday?" Hilarius asks seriously. "You and Sejanus?"

"What are you talking about?" Coriolanus deflects, stiffening.

Hilarius starts ticking off a list on his fingers. "You both have hickeys today; you didn't yesterday. And you went to Nobu together last night."

"We went to Nobu with his family for his birthday, Hilarius," Coriolanus corrects quickly, his heart racing.

"And yet, you didn't have hickeys until this morning-"

"Hilarius, we definitely had the hickeys yesterday," Coriolanus insists, regretting their past decisions immensely. "We met up with some girls on Thursday after school.”

Hilarius' eyes narrow. "Which girls?"

"Lucy Gray and her friend."

"Which friend?"

Coriolanus remembers her name just in time. "Clemensia."

Hilarius stares at him skeptically. “Clemensia is here with her boyfriend today.”

Shit. Shit.

“They must have just gotten together then,” Coriolanus brushes him off.

Hilarius grabs him by the arm and forces him to look at him. “Coriolanus, I saw you guys on the Ferris wheel.”

Chapter Text

Coriolanus pales, and Hilarius notices the panic in his eyes.

He tries to backtrack, "Look, Coriolanus, I'm just-"

Loud clanging interrupts them as the attendant rings the prize bell, and Hilarius looks over to see Sejanus pointing at a baby Charizard. When he looks back, Coriolanus is gone, and Sejanus is bounding over with his prize, a grin on his face that rapidly fades once he realizes Coryo is nowhere to be found.

"Where's Coriolanus?" he asks, confused.

"I don't know," Hilarius replies helplessly, looking around to see where his friend might have gone. "He just disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Sejanus starts to push through the crowd, looking worried, and Hilarius follows close behind. "Why would he leave without saying anything?"

Hilarius replies stiffly, "I think he's upset."

"Why would he be upset?" Sejanus gives Hilarius a distrustful look. "What happened when you were talking?"

"...I saw you guys on the Ferris Wheel.” Sejanus' eyes widen as he inhales sharply, and Hilarius rushes through, “And I told him that."

"You outed him?" Sejanus can't help his accusatory tone as he increases his speed, jostling people as his heart races and his eyes track through the crowd.

"You guys outed yourselves!" Hilarius exclaims defensively.

Several emotions hit Sejanus all at once, and none are particularly pleasant: guilt, regret, embarrassment, fear, worry, and fury combine into an awful storm that makes it hard to think straight. He grabs Hilarius’ arm roughly and forces him to make eye contact, fighting the intense urge to punch him because he knows deep down it won't help - but god, he knows it would feel good in the moment.

"Why did you confront him like that?" Sejanus demands instead.

"I'm his best friend – he should have told me about it from the start!" Hilarius retorts, twisting his arm out of Sejanus’ grip with a thunderous expression.

"You aren't entitled to the details of who Coriolanus is dating unless he chooses to share it with you!" Sejanus hisses.

"Oh.” Hilarius’ expression is shocked as he continues, “So, you're dating - it's not just a hookup.”

Fuck me, Sejanus thinks as he exhales in frustration, both at himself and mostly Hilarius. "Can you please focus? Coryo has no car, very little money, and I know his phone is on like, 12%.” Sejanus clutches the baby Charizard to his chest like an emotional support animal, his head whipping back and forth as he searches the crowd for his boyfriend. "Where is he?"

They don't talk for a few minutes as they search the pier, the sounds of the rides now grating on Sejanus' frayed nerves. Every time he sees a flash of blondness, his hopes are raised only to be dashed immediately once he realizes it’s not Coriolanus. He decides then that everyone else who looks so happy on the pier while this crisis is happening deserves to be punched in the face, just as Hilarius does.

"Shit, I didn't mean to scare him off," Hilarius exhales finally, running his hand through his hair as they scan the line for the rollercoaster.

"What did you think was going to happen?" Sejanus replies incredulously. "Coriolanus barely talks about anything personal, and then you went and interrogated him about something he wasn't ready to tell you - of course he ran off!” Sejanus shakes his head. “I mean, fuck, Hilarius, I’ve only known him for a few weeks, but even I could have seen that coming!"

"I'm sorry, okay!” Hilarius shouts, and a few people turn to look at them. Hilarius lowers his tone, though it still comes out louder than he intends. “I didn't realize it was such a big deal - I mean, you guys were fucking making out on the Ferris wheel for anyone to see! How was I supposed to know it was this big secret?"

Sejanus doesn’t reply, irritated by the logic in Hilarius’ explanation.

"What if we can't find him?" Sejanus asks as their search begins to feel fruitless, his anxiety rising. "Do we call the police and file a missing person’s report?"

Hilarius raises his hands, palms out, as if Sejanus is a spooked horse he's trying to calm. "Woah, Sejanus, relax. This is just what Coriolanus does when he's upset; he disappears for a bit, and then he's fine."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better, thank you," Sejanus replies sarcastically. “Nothing to worry about, just ignore everything, and he’ll be fine; you really are Coriolanus' best friend.”

"Okay, you're being a bitch right now," Hilarius yanks him back by his arm, forcing him to stop. "Look, Sejanus, I fucked up, I'm sorry, and I'm just as worried as you are, so stop acting like this is what I wanted to happen!"

The unexpected apology takes the wind out of Sejanus’ sails, his body slumping. He rubs his face, defeated. "We just wanted to go on a date," he says dolefully.

"In a very public place where you knew your friends would be?" Hilarius asks in disbelief. "The very people you were hiding this from? That was your idea of a good place for a secret date?"

"Fuck off, Hilarius,” Sejanus growls as they head back towards the main street, away from the pier, their temporary truce ruined as they begrudgingly searched together.

*

Coriolanus doesn’t know where he is going but knows that at the very least he needs to get away.

Away, away, away.

His heart beat to the rhythm of the words he chanted in his mind. As long as he keeps moving, he doesn't have to think, he doesn't have to talk, and he doesn't have to deal with this. If Coriolanus kept moving, he'll feel better, and everything would be fine; if only he could just go faster.

Faster, faster, faster.

His footfalls matched the tempo of his new recitation and Coriolanus dimly realizes he is running, though he didn’t know to where. It is easy to ignore all the puzzled looks of people around him as he runs as fast as he can – they all blur together at this pace. He reaches the end of the pier and turns, taking the stairs two at a time, ignoring the unpleasant crunch of sand as it gets in his tennis shoes and socks.

He stops momentarily, but that is more than enough time for the humiliation, horror, and anxiety to swoop in and he exhales unsteadily, his vision blurring. He should never have taken a break, this was a mistake – he forces himself onward, towards the large blue waves crashing on the shore as some clouds blocked the sun’s light, casting a temporary gloom onto the otherwise idyllic scene.

Never swim alone in the ocean, a memory from their swimming coach at the academy warns him. That’s how drownings happen.

It almost was enough to make him turn around.

Almost.

But Coriolanus needs to escape, he can’t deal with this, and he rationalizes that the cold water would clear his mind, or at least numb him to the panic rapidly overwhelming him. His breath came fast as he decided; within seconds, his shirt was off along with his jeans, and his shoes, sunglasses, and hat were left behind in a pile. Coriolanus runs towards the water, cold waves crashing above him in a frigid welcome as he dives underneath.

Chapter Text

As Coriolanus swims, ducks under waves, and goes farther from the shore, his breathing returns to something near normal. The cold water soothes him, just like he expected, and he pushes himself to swim beyond the breaking waves, enjoying the sensation of the open ocean. Maybe if he stays out here long enough, Hilarius will forget about the Ferris Wheel entirely, and they can all pretend like it never happened.

He immediately realizes what a stupid plan that is, but his mind still races with the implications of Hilarius catching them. Would he tell everyone at the Academy? What would that mean for him? Would the principal call his Grandma'am? That couldn't happen. He'd done so well hiding it all these years. He dove under the water again, frustrated beyond belief.

Sejanus had even tried to warn him.

But no, Coriolanus had ignored him completely - and gotten himself into this mess, all by himself.

Coriolanus resigns himself to the fact that he should probably head back. It's not that he's tired, but he's starting to feel pleasantly warm on his shoulders and back, even though the rest of his body is cold from the water, which he knows usually means he's getting sunburned.

He’ll just have to deal with it, but first, he’ll dry off and find his clothes. Then he’ll call Sejanus and figure out a plan.

Coriolanus realizes something is wrong when he tries to paddle back to shore.

What the fuck?

He swims faster towards the shallow end of the beach, but the current is too strong, and he feels himself getting pulled back every time. How is the beach farther from him than before? How is that possible?

It dawns on him with a vague sense of horror.

Shit.

He's caught in a rip tide.

Coriolanus' heart races, and he's trying not to panic. But he can't help but think about how he might drown, and then no one will find him or know what happened.

All because he overreacted to Hilarius finding out about him being gay.

He's so fucking stupid.

Was someone knowing that he was gay worse than being dead? Especially if it was someone he trusted, like Hilarius?

But it wasn't his fault he'd overreacted; he had never expected Hilarius to confront him like that, and it was terrifying-

Okay, focus.

What did Coach tell them about rip tides?

Coriolanus switches to treading water instead of active swimming as he tries to recall what he said.

Don't swim against it.

Obviously; he's already tried that, and it didn't work.

He shoves down the panic, focusing on taking deep breaths until a memory hits him.

Swim parallel to the shore.

Right.

Okay.

Coriolanus forces himself to ignore everything around him like during a tournament.

He can do this. He has to do this. He's not going to die out here. He's only sixteen. Tigris would be devastated. He can’t do that to her.

After what feels like an eternity, Coriolanus changes direction and starts to swim harder, his muscles burning. Finally, Coriolanus gasps as he feels the shore beneath his feet, and he falls to his knees, his heart beating so fast he can't hear Sejanus or Hilarius yelling his name. He gulps in the air, a high-pitched ringing in his ears as someone wraps him in a hug.

"Coryo!" Sejanus is holding him so tightly that it's making it harder to breathe in the air he so desperately needs. "Are you okay?”

Hilarius asks, "What happened?"

"Rip tide," Coriolanus coughs as Sejanus tangles his hand in his wet hair, pulling him closer protectively, and Coryo can feel how hard his heart is beating. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Coach literally told us every time we had swim practice not to swim alone because of rip tides," Hilarius scolds him, but there's relief on his face as the tension in his shoulders dissipates.

"Hey!" a voice calls out.

Hilarius looks up and realizes the group of people yelling and running toward them is their group of mutual friends. If Coriolanus had reacted that way to one person knowing the truth, Hilarius can’t imagine how he would react to being outed in a group setting. "Sejanus," Hilarius hisses, smacking him on the shoulder. "Sejanus, let go of him!"

Unfortunately, Sejanus isn't listening and the way he's holding Coriolanus is far from platonically. Quickly, Hilarius tries to shield them from view by standing with his back to the group but realizes it's pointless as they all gather around them.

"Woah, what happened?" Festus exclaims as everyone arrives and jostles for a view of Coriolanus. Too late, Sejanus realizes what Hilarius had been trying to tell them, gently trying to release him; and Coriolanus quickly disengages from his arms once everything comes to focus, horribly aware that he's in just his boxer briefs.

"Damn, Sejanus, were you cuddling him or something?" Festus calls them out, and both Coriolanus and Sejanus flush. Just then, Coriolanus notices Lucy Gray arriving. "It looked like you guys were a couple for a second there," Festus continues, crowing. "Kinda gay, guys."

Coriolanus freezes up, unable to come up with a response, and Sejanus meets Lucy Gray's eyes, silently communicating what he couldn't say aloud as his eyes flick between Coriolanus and her.

Without another word, Lucy Gray kneels into the sand and kisses Sejanus, causing a rowdy chorus of hoots and hollering. Coriolanus feels a burst of white-hot fury in his chest as he watches her slip her tongue into his mouth right above him.  Sejanus blinks several times, but before he can process what just happened, Lucy Gray pulls away, wrapping a possessive arm around his neck and leaning her weight against him. "They couldn't be a couple, Festus - because we're a couple," she says confidently as she intertwines their hands together.

Chapter Text

The rest of the group’s conversation passed in a blur after that for Coriolanus, who took a towel offered to him at the beginning and somehow ended up in Sejanus' car by the end of it. Coriolanus' belongings were tossed carelessly in the back; he hadn’t wanted to put on his clothes after the sand had gotten all over him. So, Coriolanus sits wrapped in the towel, which was now uncomfortably damp, barefoot in the front seat.

Lucy Gray waves goodbye to them, but Marcus yells out, "What, no kiss for your boyfriend?"

Suddenly, the whole group is jeering and yelling at Lucy Gray and Sejanus.

And so, they kiss. Again.

And Coriolanus is fuming.

They start their drive back to the academy in silence, the traffic forcing them to drive barely faster than the pedestrians walking alongside them on the shopping streets.

"How are you feeling?" Sejanus ventures after a few awkward minutes.

"Fine," Coriolanus replies curtly, staring out the window with his arms crossed.

The tension only thickens.

"Coryo, you know Lucy Gray only kissed me so you wouldn't be outed," Sejanus says awkwardly.

Coriolanus hums, shifting so his body faces the window.

"It didn't mean anything," Sejanus tries again. "I don't like her like that at all."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Coryo exhales, seething still despite the logic of Sejanus' words.

Sejanus gives up on talking, deciding Coriolanus will when he is ready; and in the meantime, he'd just have to suffer through it. A new pop song plays quietly in the background as the shopping avenue turns into the Pacific Coast Highway.

This was not how he'd expected their first date to go, Sejanus thinks to himself despondently. They didn’t even get to have lunch together, just a fried Oreo and some ice cream. Sejanus realizes they haven’t eaten a proper meal today since they skipped breakfast to get to Santa Monica sooner.

"I'm craving In-N-Out," Sejanus says suddenly as he remembers the location of one near Marina Del Rey. "Do you want something?"

Coriolanus suddenly realizes he's famished and supposes that panicked running followed by almost drowning would do that to a person. "Sure," Coriolanus replies carelessly.

Sejanus signals and does a U-turn before they head back to Santa Monica and towards Marina Del Rey. Several songs play as they drive, and Coriolanus feels his initial coldness towards his boyfriend begin to thaw as the sunlight across his lap warms his body and he has time to process.

Once they make it to the In-N-Out, Sejanus pulls into the drive-thru line as he says, "I figured we'd just eat in the car… unless you want to go inside?"

Coriolanus shakes his head, dreading being in a public area again after his day so far. "Eating in the car is fine."

Sejanus orders a double-double animal style with regular fries and Coriolanus orders a cheeseburger with animal fries and a vanilla shake.

“Your wallet is in the back so I’m paying for both of us,” Sejanus informs him, and Coriolanus sighs.

“Thank you,” he says reluctantly.

As they wait in the long line, Coriolanus finally decides he’s ready to talk.

“I understand why Lucy Gray kissed you,” Coriolanus grits out, fighting the rage that threatens to rise again. “I just want to kill her for doing it.”

That forces a shocked laugh from Sejanus as he looks over at Coryo, who displays zero remorse.

“I get that,” Sejanus replies seriously. “I had no idea she would, just so you know; I hoped she’d do something to distract everyone, but I’d had no idea she was going to kiss me.”

Coriolanus nods, still irritated as memories of Lucy Gray’s hands and lips on his boyfriend cycled through his mind. “Well, it was definitely distracting.”

“I’m sorry about it though.”

“Thank you.”

“She was just trying to help us.”

“I know,” Coriolanus says unwillingly. “I understand that. It doesn’t change that I want to fight her for kissing my boyfriend right above me after I almost drowned.”

Sejanus laughs and rests his hand on Coryo’s bare thigh, and they sit in a more comfortable silence.

“Why did you run from Hilarius without saying anything to me?” Sejanus asks, his left hand fiddling with the steering wheel. The hurt in his voice is evident, and Coriolanus feels an uncomfortable sensation of guilt.

“I panicked,” Coriolanus admits, rubbing his face. “I'm still freaking out, actually; what if he tells everyone else?”

Sejanus shakes his head. "Hilarius told me he wouldn't, but wanted to talk to you later. I think he was just upset that you hadn't told him."

"Great," Coriolanus huffs. "Can't wait to deal with that."

Sejanus chuckles, tapping the steering wheel a few times as Coriolanus closes his eyes, preemptively stressed.

“Coryo, I was really worried,” Sejanus says softly, inching forward in the queue. He clears his throat, taking on a lighter tone as he continues, “I thought I’d have to file a missing persons report with the police.”

Coriolanus opens his eyes; he can tell Sejanus is trying to laugh it off, but he’s holding the steering wheel a bit too tightly.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” Coriolanus sighs. “I just…had to get away.”

“So, I’m dating a flight risk?” Sejanus tries to tease, but he’s still a bit raw and so is his boyfriend.

Coriolanus exhales self-consciously. “I guess you are.”

Sejanus hands his credit card to the cashier at the first window; after he takes the receipt for their meal, he fits it back into his wallet before tossing it into the center console.

He takes a deep breath. “Can you just promise me that next time, you’ll tell me where you’re going? If you can, I mean,” Sejanus adds hastily. “I realize that this was more of a fight-or-flight situation.”

Coriolanus chews on his lip, anxiety gnawing at him. “Would you try to follow me?”

Sejanus pauses to think about it. “Not if you didn’t want me to.”

Coriolanus seems satisfied with that answer. “Okay,” he agrees. “Next time, I’ll at least text you where I am so you don’t worry.”

Sejanus nods, relieved. “Can we have a deal though, that if you’re gone longer than an hour, I can come find you?”

Coriolanus shifts uncomfortably. “Do we really need that?”

“I do,” Sejanus confesses. “Otherwise, I’ll drive myself insane.”

Subconsciously, Coriolanus bounces his leg for a few moments before begrudgingly agreeing, “Fine.”

“Thank you,” Sejanus says, the relief clear in his voice as he tentatively reaches over to kiss Coriolanus on the cheek.

Coriolanus flushes at the unexpected affection, but he’s saved from having to deal with it by them pulling up to the window for their food.

*

After eating, they’re in a much better mood. Sejanus throws away the trash before returning to the car, where Coriolanus surprises him with a kiss. Sejanus can taste the vanilla shake on Coryo’s tongue as he raises his hand to cup his face, sighing happily at what seems to be a kiss of truce and forgiveness.

After a moment, Coriolanus pulls back, resting his forehead against his boyfriend's, with a wicked grin.

“You know, if we head back to the Academy right now, no one will be there to bother us…” Coriolanus trails off suggestively.

Sejanus smirks at him, kissing him once more, tangling his hair between his fingers before releasing his out-of-breath boyfriend.

“Let’s go then.”

Chapter Text

After they park in the garage, Coriolanus reaches into the back to collect his T-shirt and jeans, resigning himself to the unpleasant sensation of wearing clothes when he’s covered in sand before he notices an off-white box at the bottom of the backseat.

“What’s in there?” he asks, cocking his head, before shimmying into the jeans.

“In what?”

“The box on the floor.”

Sejanus flushes red immediately. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing.”

“Then let me look inside,” Coriolanus counters, climbing farther back, laughing as Sejanus wraps his arms around his waist, trying to prevent him from grabbing the box.

“Coryo, it’s just a box,” Sejanus insists, even as his grip tightens. It’s not enough though; with one intense twist, Coriolanus successfully snatches the box and pulls off the top, eagerly looking inside.

Coriolanus stops. “Are these…?”

Sejanus groans, releasing his boyfriend to cover his face. “Yes.”

Coriolanus is uncharacteristically at a loss for words. They both sit in embarrassed silence.

Finally, Coriolanus clears his throat. “Did you, um, buy these? For…us?”

“No!” Sejanus swears, looking up at him in utter panic.

“…then where did they come from?”

Sejanus wants to die.

“My parents bought them for me,” Sejanus forces out, shrinking down into the driver’s seat. “On…my birthday. I forgot to bring them in last night to hide in my closet.”

Coriolanus looks at Sejanus and then back at the box; without any warning, he bursts out in laughter - genuine, loud laughter. Sejanus watches him in shock before Coriolanus accidentally snorts, and then Sejanus loses it completely.

They’re laughing so hard they can barely breathe; Sejanus has tears in his eyes as Coriolanus snorts again. Their ribs ache, but every time either of them looks at each other or the condoms in the box, they collapse back into laughter.

Finally, the laughter dies down, and Coriolanus shakes his head, imagining if Tigris had done something similar to him. “That’s the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh my god, I know!” Sejanus exclaims, rubbing his face as he recalls the horrifying conversation with his parents last night. “They were telling me they just want me to be safe – both of them were saying this by the way, I was completely outnumbered – and I had to promise to use them when I started having sex so they would shut up about it.”

“Happy birthday, Sejanus: here are the keys to a new Porshe and a box of condoms,” Coriolanus jokes.

“Yeah, that’s literally what happened!”

Coriolanus shakes his head, looking at the assortment of brightly colored aluminum squares. “Why are there different sizes though?”

Sejanus turns even more red, if that’s possible. “I – I think they didn’t want to assume if I would be using them or…my partner would be.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Um…do you have a preference?”

Sejanus rubs the back of his neck. “Well, we don’t have to rush anything, Coryo.”

“I’m not saying we do,” Coriolanus replies. “I’m just asking whether you want to be on top or bottom?”

Sejanus takes a second to respond. “If it’s with you, I don’t…I don’t have a preference. Whatever you want is what I’m into.”

“Whatever I want?” Coriolanus teases. “What if I want to tie you up or something?”

“Coryo, I’d let you fuck me with your racket,” Sejanus replies flippantly, making Coriolanus’ face heat up. “You could do whatever you wanted to me.”

“Be serious,” Coriolanus says, rolling his eyes, though the way Sejanus hands over complete control to him even in this hypothetical scenario turns him on like nothing else.

“Look, Coryo, I’d be into either.” Sejanus runs his hand through his hair. “Honestly,” he continues, swallowing hard, “I’d like it if we could…do both.”

“Do both?” Coriolanus echoes.

“Like, switch,” Sejanus exhales, risking a look at his boyfriend. “But if you’re not into it, like I said, I’d do either.”

But Coriolanus is smirking. “So sometimes I would be on top and sometimes you would be on top?”

“Yeah.”

Coriolanus pauses for a moment before he nods thoughtfully. “I’d be into that.”

Sejanus feels all the blood in his body rush downward as he imagines various scenarios of having sex with Coriolanus, all in a variety of positions.

And then he’s reaching across the center console to kiss Coriolanus, who replaces the top of the box and traces Sejanus’ bottom lip with his tongue. Sejanus’ breath catches as he lets Coriolanus take the lead, sighing as his lip gets caught between his boyfriend’s teeth.

“You’re so good at kissing,” Sejanus sighs as Coriolanus’ lips move to his throat. He feels his smile against his skin.

“Wait until you see what else my mouth can do,” he replies carelessly.

“Are you…” Sejanus can barely breathe because of the desire consuming his body. “Are you saying-”

“Yes, I’m talking about going down on you,” Coriolanus says. “We just need to get out of the car-”

Sejanus is already unlocking the car doors before Coriolanus finishes his sentence.

Just like the night before, once they’re in the elevator, all bets are off. Sejanus is grabbing Coriolanus by the waist with one arm while he holds the box in the other, and Coriolanus is pulling him closer with his shirt.

The elevator pings earlier than expected, and they shove apart, breathing heavily.

Coach Tom joins them.

“Hi, boys,” he greets them, and they awkwardly reply, scooting farther apart. He takes in their disheveled appearances and heaving chests. “Were you two wrestling in here or something? You know you shouldn’t be roughhousing like that,” he chastises them. “Someone could get hurt and then you wouldn't be able to compete for months.”

“Sorry, Coach,” Coriolanus replies, grateful for the explanation.

“It won’t happen again," Sejanus agrees.

Coach nods, satisfied with their apparent albeit completely fabricated remorse.

The elevator pings again and Coach waves at both before disappearing down the hallway.

“That was extremely close,” Sejanus exhales.

“No more fooling around in the elevator,” Coriolanus vows, though his body aches so badly to be touched and kissed at this exact moment that he wonders if it’s possible to die from sexual frustration.

Luckily, their dorm is on the next floor, though just before they reach their door, Coriolanus says, “I’m going to take a shower first.”

The pained desperation on Sejanus’ face almost makes Coriolanus laugh out loud, though Sejanus tries to feign indifference as he says, “Sure. That’s fine.”

“You can watch, if you want.”

“I’ll want to do more than just watch though,” Sejanus confesses.

The side of Coriolanus’ mouth lifts. “You’re allowed to.”

Then, he turns the key in the door and locates a towel and his shower caddy. Once he’s back in the hallway, Coriolanus looks over his shoulder and asks, “Are you coming?”

He sets off without waiting for Sejanus, who wordlessly follows him like a sailor helplessly caught in a siren’s song.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus turns the shower handle, and Sejanus watches, leaning against the wall as Coriolanus reaches for the edge of his T-shirt and pulls it over his head before unzipping his jeans. Coriolanus places his clothes in a pile on the bench outside, and Sejanus does the same.

"You're a little sunburned," Sejanus notices as his boyfriend enters one of the shower stalls.

"Oh?" Coriolanus attempts to inspect himself. "Where?"

Sejanus follows him into the shower, tracing the red skin on his chest and shoulders. "Here...and here."

"Guess I’ll have to apply some aloe vera later,” Coryo shrugged, turning to face the now-warm water; Sejanus didn’t remove his hands from his body, his hands exploring the lean muscle and freckles that dotted his back. After a few seconds, Coriolanus smirks at him over his shoulder. "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm just helping clean off the sand," Sejanus deadpans, his head dipping toward Coryo's throat, who arches his neck. "Just like that night..."

Coriolanus' eyes close as Sejanus trails his lips down the exposed skin, and he can't help but laugh at the memory. "That night, I..." He immediately stops himself, clearing his throat.

Sejanus pauses, lifting his head. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Coriolanus replies, staring at the tiles on the wall and realizing that this was the stall where he was that night. "I didn't – nothing-" he cuts himself off, blushing furiously.

"What didn't you do?" Sejanus asks, interested. Coriolanus shakes his head, his lips flat, refusing to admit to what he had done that night five feet away from his now boyfriend.

"Oh, you can't just go silent on me, Mr. Snow," Sejanus drawls, closing the shower stall door behind them. "Now I have to know what you didn't do..."

Coriolanus' breath hitches as Sejanus' teeth nip at his throat while his hands settle on Coryo's hips, pulling him closer, his back against Sejanus’ chest.

"What happened that night?" Sejanus murmured into his neck, making Coryo shiver.

"I - uh, I..." Coriolanus stumbles as Sejanus' fingers slide into the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"Tell me," Sejanus coaxes, his hands thoroughly distracting Coryo.

"I jacked off to thoughts of you," Coriolanus confesses in a rush. "In this shower…while you were in the other one."

Sejanus stops, and Coriolanus is only a few seconds away from freaking out entirely when the grip on his hips tightens, and Sejanus exhales against his collarbone, "That's so fucking hot."

Coriolanus blinks as Sejanus suddenly spins him around, and before he can say a word, Sejanus’ hands are cupping his face. Then Sejanus kisses him deeply, pressing him against the wall of the shower while the water drenches them both.

"That night you asked me to help you stretch out," Sejanus breathed in between kissing him, "I did the same thing." Coriolanus feels all the blood in his body rush down as he imagines it, and Sejanus' hand slips down to palm him through the now wet boxer briefs. "I literally couldn't get you out of my head after that."

"Really?" Coriolanus asks unsteadily and Sejanus hums.

"That night when I was moaning in my sleep..." Sejanus trails off, suddenly embarrassed.

"You had a sex dream about me?" Coriolanus surmises.

Sejanus laughs in a humiliated way. "Um, yeah."

"Oh, don't worry, I figured that out pretty quickly," Coriolanus replies airily as he lets Sejanus pry the boxers down, moaning as Sejanus’ hand finally gives him some relief.

Sejanus tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you trapped me in the bed with you before you passed out," Coryo reminds him, his breath getting heavier as Sejanus starts to stroke him, and his hands start to wander Sejanus’ body. "Which was insane because I was so ready to just hook up with you, like, I was so horny - but then you fell asleep."

"I still can't believe I did that," Sejanus laughs in between kissing his neck. “Could have been kissing you like this weeks ago…”

"Oh, but you don’t understand,” Coriolanus interjects.

“What don’t I understand?”

 “You acted it out," Coriolanus informs him, leaning back against the wall as Sejanus' other hand found its way into his hair. “The dream.”

Sejanus pauses again, perplexed. “How do you mean?”

“You got me off in your sleep,” Coriolanus says, closing his eyes as the pleasure starts to build.

Sejanus processes this as he tightens his grip on Coryo’s hair, making him keen.

“So, I got to touch you weeks ago…and I wasn’t even awake to remember it?” Sejanus sounds so indignant it makes Coriolanus laugh despite everything.

 “Yeah," Coriolanus replies with a grin. "And you also said some…interesting things.”

Sejanus narrows his eyes. “Like what?”

“Oh, just something about how good I looked in a tennis skirt, just for you,” Coriolanus replied flippantly.

Sejanus froze, eyes wide. He opens and closes his mouth, mortified beyond words.

“What’s the matter?” Coryo teases. “Do you not think I’d look good in a tennis skirt?”

“I never said that,” Sejanus coughs as he looks away. His face is bright red, and Coriolanus knows it's not from the steam surrounding them.

“I think I’d look good in one too,” Coryo says softly, and Sejanus’ eyes flick up to his in surprise with an expression of want so intense it’s intoxicating.

“You drive me insane,” Sejanus groans, kissing him with feverish intent as Coriolanus’ nails dig into his lower back, and he pulls Coryo’s hair back, eliciting a perfect moan into Sejanus’ mouth that he needs to hear every day until he dies. “You’d look so good in a red one…” he sighs in an almost tortured way. “I’d cut the shorts out so you could keep it on, and my head could just slip underneath whenever you wanted me to go down on you.”

It's all too much: between Sejanus’ consistent stroking, his hair held so tightly, and then with Sejanus confessing his fantasy to him, Coriolanus comes onto Sejanus’ stomach with the most perfect whine. Sejanus praises him through it, his breathing coming out harshly as Coriolanus instinctively scratches lines down his boyfriend’s back.

Coriolanus pants, a dazed and satisfied smile on his face as Sejanus releases his grip on his hair and instead strokes his cheek.

The door to the bathroom opens, and a voice calls out, “Hello?”

Chapter Text

Coriolanus swallows a sound of surprise when Sejanus lifts him by his thighs and presses him up against the shower wall so only Sejanus’ legs are visible under the stall.

“Hey,” Sejanus calls out, and Coriolanus wraps his arms around his neck, stifling the urge to start laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

“Is that you, Sejanus?”

“It’s me,” Sejanus confirms, relaxing now that he knew who it was. “What do you need, Felix?”

“I’m looking for Coriolanus,” Felix replies. “I need help with our math homework. I tried knocking on the dorm door, but no one answered.”

“Huh, that’s weird,” Sejanus deadpans while Coriolanus silently shakes from laughter in his arms. “I could have sworn that’s where he was.”

“Fuck,” Felix sighs. “All right, well, if you see him, can you tell him to text me?”

“Sure, no problem.” Sejanus’ arms are starting to ache and he shifts uncomfortably.

“Thanks.” Felix pauses, before laughing awkwardly. “This is probably none of my business, but were you jacking off earlier? I heard moaning before I came in.”

He can’t help it: Coriolanus snorts and immediately claps a hand over his mouth, looking at Sejanus in horror. Sejanus gives him a look as he adjusts his hold on his legs.

“Yo, is there someone else in there with you?” Festus crows incredulously. “Did you sneak a girl into the showers? Damn, Plinth.”

Sejanus hums noncommittally.

“Who is it?” Felix asks slyly. “Come on, I won’t tell.”

“Festus, we’d appreciate some privacy, thanks,” Sejanus says, his voice sounding strained as his arms start to burn, and Coriolanus tightens his grip around his neck.

“And yet, you chose to hook up with her in the public showers instead of your dorm room,” Felix replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Felix…” Sejanus huffs, his voice irritated. “We’re in the middle of something.”

“Fine, whatever, have fun,” Felix replies, and Coriolanus could imagine the eye roll. “Hi to whoever is in there with Sejanus.”

Coriolanus replies with a high-pitched hum, and Sejanus stares at him in disbelief, but Felix just laughs. “Okay, I’m leaving,” he declares. “Bye, Sejanus. Bye, mystery girl.”

“Bye, Felix,” Sejanus grits out.

Once the door swings closed, Sejanus barely manages to set Coriolanus down without dropping him completely, wincing at the sting of his muscles.

“Oh my god.” Coriolanus can’t help but let out the laughter that he’d mostly stifled up until now. “We’re such idiots. That would be the second time today someone caught us if Felix had bothered to look under the stall.”

“We need a hotel room,” Sejanus huffs, irritated.

“Probably,” Coriolanus agrees. “But it is hot to know that you could pick me up and fuck me against a wall.”

The pain of his sore muscles suddenly didn’t seem as agonizing as Sejanus imagined it, reflexively licking his lips at the thought of thrusting into his boyfriend: Coriolanus' legs wrapped around his waist, and his hands scratching at Sejanus' back.

Coriolanus’ voice cut through the haze of the fantasy. “But it is getting cold in here...and if you remember, I did mention I’d like to go down on you.”

A slow smile spreads across Sejanus’ face. “As if I could forget.”

Within seconds, they’re out of the shower; and looking at each other and then back at the bench.

“…I only brought the one towel,” Coriolanus realizes.

“Well.” Sejanus scratches the back of his neck, a little too horny to problem-solve. “Fuck.”

Coriolanus notices. “You should take it and bring me back a change of clothes. If Felix catches me in the towel, he’ll definitely guess that it was us hooking up, and I might throw myself out the window if yet another person guesses I’m gay today.”

Sejanus nods, determined to fulfill his mission. “I’ll be right back.”

Coriolanus disappears into the stall, and Sejanus checks the hallway to make sure it’s clear before walking as quickly as possible to their dorm room. In a rush, he grabs whatever he can find, a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, along with a fresh towel, and then walks back to the showers.

Coriolanus takes the towel, stripping his boxer briefs off before wrapping it around his hips, and Sejanus mourns the loss of seeing his boyfriend’s body.

“Did you forget underwear on purpose?” Coriolanus questions with a raised eyebrow as he takes the sweatpants and sweatshirt, which Sejanus realizes are actually his; the sweatshirt is so big on Coriolanus that his collarbone is visible and Sejanus has to stop himself from yanking the collar down farther so he can mark him.

“What – no – I just – I completely forgot,” Sejanus stumbles, turning red. “I can go back to get you a pair-”

Coriolanus shrugs him off. “It’s fine. It’s just a short walk back to the dorm room.”

And it’s an even shorter time before Sejanus’ towel slips off his hips and onto the dorm floor, and Coriolanus is on his knees.

“You’re so hot,” Sejanus sighs in disbelief as Coriolanus licks up the shaft, maintaining eye contact the entire time.

“I know,” Coriolanus replies, lazily stroking Sejanus; he moans in response, reduced to a panting mess before Coriolanus even fully takes him in his mouth.

Sejanus clutches at the wall for support as Coriolanus starts to tease his slit.

“You know, I can think of a better place for your hands,” Coriolanus pulls away to say, a challenge in his voice.

Sejanus stares at him blankly, and Coriolanus rolls his eyes before reaching up to take Sejanus’ right hand and rest it in his hair. “Pull, Sejanus.”

It doesn’t take more instructing than that for Sejanus to acquiesce, his grip unyielding, and Coriolanus’ eyes close as the sudden pain sends shivers of pleasure down his spine. “That’s perfect,” Coriolanus exhales before he suddenly takes Sejanus' cock as deeply as he can manage in one fell swoop.

Sejanus makes a noise he didn’t know he could make as his cock hits the back of his boyfriend’s throat, and it only spurs Coriolanus on. When Sejanus is getting close, Coriolanus releases him before licking his lips. “You can come in my mouth.”

Sejanus' lips part and he nods dumbly as Coriolanus resumes his pace, and instinctively, Sejanus' grip on his blond curls tightens as he feels the pleasure overwhelm him. The moan Coriolanus lets out around his cock bordered on overstimulation, but Sejanus fucking loves it.

Sejanus falls back against the wall, breathing hard as he watched his boyfriend swallow, looking smug.

“You are…really good at that,” Sejanus closed his eyes, a little lightheaded.

“Thanks, I’ve had some practice,” Coriolanus replies irreverently.

Sejanus suddenly feels utterly exhausted. “Do you want to take a nap together?” he asks.

Coriolanus’ face flushes. “Um…yeah, sure.”

Sejanus helps him up, and they both awkwardly find boxers, but Sejanus is thrilled that Coriolanus stays in his hoodie. Sejanus pushes their beds back together and climbs in, expecting to be the big spoon, but Coriolanus doesn’t turn over. Sejanus cocks his head at his boyfriend, whose face turns even more red, if that’s physically possible, and finally, Coriolanus clears his throat. “…I want to be the big spoon.”

Sejanus can’t stop the smile on his face as he turns over and feels Coriolanus settle against his back, one of his arms hesitantly resting on Sejanus’ stomach.

It only takes a few minutes for them to fall asleep together in the late afternoon light.

Chapter Text

It’s dark outside when Coriolanus wakes up, his stomach protesting loudly for food, though Sejanus still sleeps peacefully beside him.

He wrestles with the desire to let him sleep, but then Sejanus shifts, his eyes blinking open before a slow smile spreads across his face.

“Hi,” he whispers.

“Hi,” Coryo whispers back, his face warm as Sejanus stares at him with a reverential expression.

Sejanus scoots closer until their lips touch, his hand cupping the side of Coriolanus’ throat.

Yet, too soon, Sejanus pulls away. “You hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“What time is it?”

Coriolanus reaches for his phone, yawning. “It’s a little after eight.”

“Are you saying we slept for two and a half hours?”

Coriolanus laughs. “I guess so.”

“Let’s get down to the dining hall before they close,” Sejanus says suddenly, rolling away from his boyfriend. “We need to eat.”

“I’m not going to argue with you.”

Sejanus pauses as he reaches for a shirt. “Hey, before we go, you should take off my sweatshirt.”

Coriolanus looks down, thoroughly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to steal it, sorry-”

“Don’t apologize, I like that you wore it,” Sejanus interrupts. “Honestly, I’d love to see you wear it every day; I just think someone might notice…”

The relief was clear on Coriolanus’ face. “Oh. Right.”

He strips off the sweatshirt before reaching for a T-shirt of his own and finding his grey sweatpants. Sejanus watches this with interest, admiring his boyfriend’s body and how the muscles flex and contract as he moves.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” Sejanus confirms, grabbing his wallet and dorm keys.

*

They were just finishing up dinner when a shadow fell across their table.

“Hey,” Hilarius says seriously.

“Hey,” Coriolanus replies, his mouth suddenly dry.

“Can we go for a walk?” Hilarius asks. “Just the two of us,” he clarifies.

Sejanus gives Coryo an encouraging smile.

“Sure,” Coriolanus sighs, reluctantly standing up. “Lead the way.”

They walk in silence for a few minutes towards the bluff the school lies on.

“So…you’re gay,” Hilarius says.

Coriolanus wants to die as he mumbles, “Um, yeah…”

“And you’re…dating Sejanus?”

Coriolanus nods, shifting uncomfortably.

Hilarius kicks a rock, and they watch it skitter off the cliff as they get closer to the edge. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Coriolanus crosses his arms protectively over his chest. “You know how Festus and the other guys are. I didn’t…I didn’t want anyone to know,” he sighs.

“I wouldn’t have told anyone.”

Coriolanus hums, unconvinced.

“I’m serious,” Hilarius insists. “I would never out you.”

They continue to walk silently, taking the staircase down to the beach, the crashing of the waves getting louder.

“Coriolanus, you’re my best friend at this school…” Hilarius trails off. “I thought I was yours too.”

“You were." Coriolanus tries to shove down the guilt gnawing at his chest. "You are,” he amends.

“Shouldn’t a best friend know that you’re into guys?” Hilarius points out.

“I’m into guys and girls,” Coriolanus clarifies. “I’m bi.”

“Oh.” Hilarius digests this information. “That’s good to know.”

They reach the sand, the light of the moon reflecting onto the waves. The beach is empty, and the few stars they can see twinkle dimly, washed out by the artificial city lights below.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Coriolanus says in a rush. “I haven’t..." He tries again, clearing his throat, "I haven’t told anyone that I’m…gay.”

“You haven’t even told your boyfriend?”

“Ha ha,” Coriolanus rolls his eyes. “I’m serious. No one else knows.” He hunches his shoulders against the wind and the agony of this honesty.

“Not even Tigris?” Hilarius challenges.

Coriolanus shakes his head, guilt settling heavily in his stomach. “No. Not even Tigris.”

“Huh. I thought you told Tigris everything.”

“Well, obviously not.” He pauses. "She may have already guessed but... she's never called me out on it, and I never came out or anything officially."

They reach the shoreline, and Hilarius plops down on the sand. “So…is Sejanus, like, your first?”

Coriolanus doesn’t reply, pretending he’s so focused on sitting down that he doesn’t hear the question.

“Coriolanus?” Hilarius prods. “Is Sejanus your first?”

Against every instinct he has, Coriolanus forces himself to speak. “No.”

“Who was it then?” Hilarius tilts his head, curious, and Coriolanus fights the urge to get up and run as Hilarius follows up with, “Was it someone from the Academy?”

Coriolanus coughs awkwardly, his body overheating despite the chill of the ocean air; instead of running, Coriolanus hunches over, digging his nails into his palm. “Um…do you remember Androcles?”

Hilarius stares at him. “No fucking way.”

Coriolanus gives him a tight smile before turning his attention back to the black waves crashing against the shore.

“I thought it was weird how often you guys studied together by yourselves…” Hilarius muses. “It makes sense knowing that you guys were dating.”

“We weren’t dating,” Coriolanus says sharply, and Hilarius flinches at the tone. Coriolanus takes a breath to steady himself, pulling his knees to his chest so he can rest his head on them. “We were…I honestly don’t fucking know what we were. He didn't want to be caught hooking up with me, so…I don't know what that made us."

They sit together, not speaking until Hilarius suddenly says, “I always thought Andy was an asshole.”

Coriolanus can’t help the shocked laughter that makes its way out of his chest. “Congratulations on being right, I guess?”

“I feel so vindicated,” Hilarius declares, shaking his head. “And I’m glad he transferred - he was always trying to cheat off me on exams.”

“I forgot about that, but yeah, that was so shitty.” Coriolanus laughs. “Sorry to everyone at his new school, wherever that is.”

“Coriolanus, you know he transferred to the Palisades, right?” Hilarius asks slowly. “The same school Sejanus transferred from?”

Realization settles in his bones as he remembers the tournament schedule posted in the dining hall. “Wait…are you saying-”

“It’s the school we’re playing against this Wednesday.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Coriolanus mutters, rubbing his face as his voice bordered on hysteria. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I wish I was,” Hilarius winced.

“Fuck me,” Coriolanus exhales, anxiety coiling inside of his stomach at the thought of seeing Andy again, bouncing his leg, struggling to stay composed.

"Was he that bad?"

"Yes," Coriolanus replies shortly.

“Oh.” Hilarius scratches the back of his neck. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry, Coriolanus..."

“Not your fault," Coriolanus brushes him off. "It's fine."

The waves are a soothing background for Coriolanus’ distressed and bruised psyche.

“Hey, um, thanks for talking to me about this,” Hilarius says. “I just felt weird that I had to find out instead of you just telling me. But I understand why you didn’t, if you hadn’t told anyone else…”

Coriolanus hums.

Hilarius chuckles awkwardly. “But you aren’t, like, hiding anything else major from me, right…?”

Oh, nothing really - just that I’m broke as hell and can’t even afford to eat in the dining hall without Sejanus.

The muscles in Coriolanus’ jaw move, but he’s thankful that Hilarius doesn’t notice in the dark. “No. That’s it.”

Hilarius relaxes. “Okay, good.” He stretches. “Do you wanna go back? It’s cold as shit.”

Coriolanus laughs. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Hilarius helps him up and they walk up the small sandy hill towards the well-lit campus of the Academy, a dazzling jewel on an otherwise dark bluff.

Chapter Text

The days leading up to the tournament pass by at an agonizingly slow rate. As a result, Coriolanus tries to distract himself with sex, which Sejanus is only too happy to assist him with, despite not knowing the reason behind his boyfriend’s recent insatiability.

It culminates in the evening before the match when Coriolanus and Sejanus have already fooled around three times that day. Breathless and overheated, Coriolanus climbs on top of Sejanus and intently kisses his collarbone, hands trailing down his chest and tracing the line of hair that disappears into the boxer briefs Sejanus had just pulled back on.

“Coryo,” Sejanus laughs. “We’ve gotten off three times today.”

“You’re just so hot,” Coriolanus replies, his voice unsteady, unsure if his heart is racing from desire or anxiety.

Probably both.

Sejanus stops him. “Coryo, is everything…okay?”

Coriolanus flushes, his hand pausing. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know…it just feels like you’ve been distracted lately, ever since you spoke to Hilarius." Sejanus scratches his head. "Or, I guess, it seems like you're trying to distract yourself from something.”

Unused to being so horribly and accurately perceived, Coriolanus is shocked into silence.

“Coryo, are you okay?” Sejanus asks, his thumb tracing his boyfriend’s jawline, which he notices is extremely taut.

“Fine,” Coriolanus manages.

Sejanus tilts his head. “What happened with Hilarius?”

“Nothing.”

Skeptical, Sejanus stares at him, and Coriolanus looks away.

“Nothing happened with Hilarius.” Coriolanus clears his throat. “He just…”

“He just what?”

“We’re playing the Palisades Academy tomorrow,” Coriolanus says abruptly.

“Oh?” Sejanus furrows his brow. “Is that…a problem?”

Coriolanus sits back on the bed, suddenly hyperaware of how little clothes he has on. He reaches for a sweatshirt at the edge of their conjoined beds, relieved when he realizes it’s one of Sejanus’ that he can disappear into. “It’s not…a problem.”

Sejanus looks at him curiously.

“Um…” Coriolanus feels the words in his throat, choking him, but he forces them out anyway. “Andy is going to be there. That's where he transferred.”

“Oh.” It takes Sejanus a few seconds to process this information. While he does, Coriolanus tucks his knees underneath the sweatshirt, grateful that it can cover him so completely when he feels so horribly exposed.

“Yeah.”

“Do you…” Sejanus trails off. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I would rather repeatedly slam my head into the wall, thanks,” Coriolanus exhales.

Sejanus gives him a ghost of a smile. “Got it.” Sejanus sits up, rubbing the back of his neck. “So…is sex, like, a coping mechanism for you?”

"Why are you saying it like it's such a bad thing?" Coriolanus bristles. “Do you not want to have sex with me?”

“That is absolutely not what I was saying-”

“Because if it’s such a bad thing, Sejanus, we don’t have to,” Coriolanus snipes, withdrawing physically and emotionally from his boyfriend. He crosses his arms defensively. "I'm sorry that it's such a burden to have sex with me."

Sejanus reaches for him as Coriolanus moves away. “Coryo, c’mon-”

“No, it’s fine, I understand – I’ll keep my hands to myself from now on,” Coriolanus says, shoving himself off the bed.

“Coriolanus, please,” Sejanus implores, catching him by the hand. “I’m just worried about you.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Sejanus,” Coriolanus says with a humorless smile, shaking off Sejanus’ grip. "I can take care of myself just fine." He stands up, reaching for his sweatpants and yanking them on before saying curtly, “I’m going for a run.”

Sejanus sits up; his face creased with worry. “Where will you be?”

Coriolanus shrugs, ignoring him as he searches for his keys.

Frustrated, Sejanus stands up. “Coryo, we had a deal-”

Without warning, Coryo explodes, “I’m just going for a run – fuck, Sejanus, it’s not that serious!”

Sejanus flinches, a series of emotions playing out clearly on his face, and it almost makes Coriolanus feel bad enough to apologize.

Almost.

His breathing ragged, Coriolanus shoves his feet into his tennis shoes, takes his keys and phone, and then tries to slam the door behind him – it’s undermined by the door closer, which forces him to use all his strength just for it to slowly close with a quiet click.

Coriolanus pulls the hoodie over his head and takes off briskly, deciding to take the stairs so he doesn't have to wait for the elevator. At the bottom floor, he pushes open the door to the courtyard, the metal bar clanking uncomfortably loudly as a chorus of crickets greets him.

Coriolanus stops.

Exhales.

Takes his phone out and shares his location with Sejanus.

Then takes off at a run.

*

Sejanus doesn't know what just happened.

He sits back, shell-shocked.

His phone pings.

He can breathe again.

Thank you <3, Sejanus types.

He looks between their beds. Should he separate them?

The thought makes his heart hurt.

After far too long, Sejanus decides to separate them by a few feet, giving Coriolanus some space but also not too far that he might feel rejected.

Sejanus flops backward, opening Netflix and deciding to binge-watch something to keep himself occupied.

One hour, and then Sejanus will go looking for him.

Sejanus sighs as he hits play on his phone.

*

Forced to stop purely because of the burn in his legs and the lack of oxygen in his lungs, Coriolanus leans over, bracing his hands on his thighs as he tries to take deep breaths. Coriolanus spots an empty bench and forces himself over to it, collapsing onto it before leaning forward and resting his head in his hands. The combination of sweat on his skin and the cool ocean breeze makes him shiver, and he closes his eyes.

Why was he like this?

Coach Tom would be furious at him for exhausting himself the night before a tournament: he would be so sore tomorrow, and his little tantrum likely would result in his first loss of the season. Regret, paranoia, shame, guilt, and fear swirl in his stomach, nausea rising that he forces down through pure force of will. Taking deep breaths, he brings his head up before reluctantly checking the time.

Midnight.

If he stayed out any longer, Sejanus would come looking for him, and it wasn't fair of him to drag his boyfriend out at this time of night. With a sigh, he drags himself to his feet and trudges back to the dormitory, horrified as he realizes too late just how far he’d run, and groaning at how long it would take to get back.

Andy was right: he was too sensitive.

And dramatic.

And difficult.

An albatross, Andy had called him once.

Just a joke, he'd claimed, brushing off Coriolanus' hurt feelings.

Coriolanus is only dimly aware of the moisture on his face when the wind whips his hood off; he lifts his hand to brush the tears away, thoroughly hating himself.

Great. Now he was crying.

With tremendous effort, Coriolanus blinks until the urge to cry harder abates, though the memories he'd carefully suppressed up until now cycle through his mind as he forces his feet onward. Somehow, he makes it back, takes the elevator up, and braces himself to face his boyfriend; with trembling hands, he turns the key in the lock and enters the dorm.

Only to find Sejanus fast asleep, an episode of New Girl playing faintly from his phone. It looks like he fell asleep holding it – likely waiting for Coriolanus, but succumbing to exhaustion from all the sex Coriolanus had demanded of him throughout the day.

Relieved, yet also somehow not, Coriolanus quietly strips to his boxer briefs, setting an early alarm to shower before the tournament; he lies in bed a few feet away from his boyfriend, somehow feeling so much more alone than when Coriolanus had had the dorm room to himself.

There is a part that urges him to wake up Sejanus - or at least crawl over into his bed just to be close to him.

But Coriolanus decides to torture himself for his earlier outburst, staring forlornly at the ceiling until Sejanus' phone dies and plunges them into silence. Hours pass this way, and despondently, he watches as the first pinks and purples of dawn rise in the window.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus gets up before his alarm goes off, suddenly terrified at the thought of having to talk to Sejanus about everything that happened the previous evening. As quietly as possible, he takes his shower caddy, a fresh towel, and his competition uniform to the showers.

To Coriolanus’ extreme misfortune, the showers are not empty; and Festus greets him as he enters.

“Yo, Coriolanus!” he says in a voice much too loud, and the words echo off the tile.

Inwardly wincing, Coriolanus gives him a stiff nod, determined to get in the shower with as little social interaction as possible.

“You look like shit,” Festus observes. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Coriolanus exhales. “I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep well.”

“You’ll probably still win a trophy,” Festus says, his jealousy thinly veiled beneath the compliment.

Coriolanus hums, pointedly getting into an empty shower and yanking the shower curtain closed.

Festus wanders out and Coriolanus is left in blissful silence.

Which rapidly becomes a melancholy and miserable silence.

Still, he tries to take his time, wanting to go straight from the shower to the court to avoid his boyfriend.

He’ll deal with it later. He just can’t deal with it right now.

Sighing, Coriolanus turns off the shower faucet and reluctantly dries himself off, yawning as he faces his reflection in the mirror.

Festus was right: he really does look awful.

Averting his gaze, he dresses quickly, combing through his hair with his fingers, hoping for the best but knowing it probably didn’t help much.

This wasn’t how he expected to look like seeing Andy again; but this is what he deserves, Coriolanus supposes.

*

“Heavensbee, Snow: you’re playing doubles today,” Coach Tom rattles off, looking at his clipboard.

“Why not Sejanus and Coriolanus?” Hilarius questions, likely thinking Coriolanus would want to play with his secret boyfriend.

How thoughtful of Hilarius.

And how horribly ironic for Coryo.

“Plinth is playing singles today – I need you two on doubles.”

Hilarius opens his mouth again, presumably to protest and Coriolanus grabs him by the arm.

“Hilarius, it’s fine. Let’s just get warmed up,” Coriolanus insists, dragging him away.

His friend eyes him warily as they reach for a few tennis balls to drop into their shorts. “Coryo, did you sleep at all last night?”

“Not even a little bit,” Coriolanus laughs tiredly, bouncing a ball against the court line, surprisingly accurate for how exhausted he is.

“Coryo, just tell Coach you don’t feel well; let him bench you and –”

“No.” Coriolanus stiffens. “Hilarius, I’m a little tired. I can still play just fine.”

Hilarius huffs, but Coriolanus can't tell him the truth: that if he doesn’t play in every tournament, he loses his scholarship.

“All right, boys, it’s time for the coin flip!” Coach Tom barks, and dutifully, the boys shake hands with their competitors before Coach flips the coin. Hilarius calls heads as the quarter rotates through the air.

“Heads,” Coach Tom confirms.

Hilarius and Coriolanus decide with a quick look: like usual, they’ll choose to serve first.

Coriolanus takes his spot at the baseline before inhaling deeply to center himself. Blocking everything else out, he tosses the ball and the game begins.

*

They win the first match, and Coriolanus can’t help but look for Sejanus during their water breaks - he jolts as he realizes who Sejanus’ opponent is.

Androcles returns a serve, but only barely. Sejanus hits it again just out of Andy's range, and the point is his.

The exchange fills Coriolanus with a petty satisfaction.

They change sides after Sejanus hits an ace serve, winning the round.

Sejanus notices Coriolanus watching and tentatively waves. Blushing furiously, Coriolanus waves back, his wave more timid and awkward, wishing he could telepathically convey all the horrible emotions in his chest, most importantly, how sorry he was; and Sejanus’ face relaxes. Some of the tension in Coriolanus’ body dissipates as relief covers him like a soft blanket; he’d half-expected Sejanus to ignore him all day – but, no, that was what Andy would have done.

And Sejanus isn’t Androcles.

Emboldened, Coriolanus gives him a tentative smile; even from across the court, he can see Sejanus beaming at him.

Androcles notices and turns to see who his opponent is looking at; he makes direct eye contact with Coriolanus, his eyebrows raised. Instinctively, Coriolanus looks away, hating himself for the display of weakness, but physically unable to force himself to look at him.

The whistle goes again, and Coriolanus finishes his water bottle before joining Hilarius on the court.

*

They end up losing the first set, and Coach switches out Coriolanus with Marcus for the next set. Hilarius pats him on the back even as Coriolanus rests his head in his hands, the exhaustion making his head feel like it was being repeatedly hit with a hammer.

"Just relax," Hilarius tells him. "It's your first time being benched - it's not a big deal."

And Coriolanus wants nothing more than to laugh or cry.

Hilarius is called away, leaving Coriolanus to watch despondently from the benches.

"So, I guess you just fuck every guy who looks at you twice, huh."

Coriolanus tenses, his skin crawling. "Androcles,” he says in an even tone, even as the frantic pace of his heart makes him wonder if he's going to be sick.

"Coriolanus," Andy replies in a faux-serious tone. “Long time, no see.”

“Wish it could have been longer,” Coriolanus mutters.

“What was that?” Andy leans over, invading his personal space.

“Nothing, Andy,” Coriolanus sighs.

Andy crosses his arms, leaning his racket against his thigh. “So, you guys fucking or what?”

"What are you talking about?" Coriolanus hisses, trying to brush him off as he walks away to grab another water bottle from the ice chest.

"I'm talking about this," Andy says as he cuts Coriolanus off and pulls down the collar of his uniform, exposing a trail of hickeys decorating his collarbone. “I'm assuming the golden retriever I just played against in singles gave you those.”

"That's none of your business," Coriolanus snaps, roughly shaking off his grip, but Andy only seems goaded by his reaction.

"Oh, so was it not good then?"

"It was. And it is," Coriolanus can't help saying, though he knows it's just egging Andy on.

Androcles keeps up with Coriolanus who is trying to move as fast as possible without openly running away from him. "So, what, you like him?”

Coriolanus stares at the concrete, still unable to make eye contact. "Why do you even care, Andy?"

"I'm just looking out for my ex,” Andy drawls, hooking his arm around Coriolanus' neck. The cologne he's wearing mixes unpleasantly with his sweat, and Coriolanus wonders what he ever saw in him all those months ago.

"You have to be dating to be considered exes," Coriolanus says, shaking his grip off before twisting the cap of the water roughly and yanking off the connecting closure in the process. "Something you very clearly told me we were not."

"Oh, come on, Coriolanus, you're not still upset about all that?" Andy mocks him.

Coriolanus pushes past him, resisting the urge to punch him as his heart races from anxiety, chugging the water in one fell swoop.

He spots Sejanus just as he tosses the ball for another serve, and it connects with a satisfying thwack! that can be heard from across the four courts separating them.

"I give it a week," Andy says into his ear, and Coriolanus shoves him off. "Three at most.” Andy adjusts his uniform. “He'll definitely end things when he realizes he’s fucking a scholarship kid.”

Coriolanus freezes. “What…” His mouth is too dry despite the water he just drank. “What are you talking about?”

“Did you think I didn’t guess?” Andy leans against the short fence of the court. “Nice shoes, by the way - did your little boyfriend buy them for you?” Andy scorns. “He must have, because they’re like, $400, and last I remember, you couldn’t even afford to eat in the dining hall.”

Coriolanus' mind is reeling: his breath coming out unsteadily, his head on the verge of bursting, and his skin so overheated he thinks he might have a fever. He doesn’t respond, thankful when Andy gets called over by his coach, leaving him alone to be suffocated by his anxiety.

“Snow!”

Coriolanus flinches, looking up to see Coach Tom looking at him exasperatedly. “Get back on the court – I’m having you and Hilarius play the final doubles team. Let’s go!”

Hilarius has never seen Coriolanus so ill-looking in the last four years of friendship.

“Coryo-“ he tries but Coriolanus shakes his head at him.

“Don’t even think about asking me if I’m okay right now,” Coriolanus says tightly.

“…okay, but-”

“Let’s just…let’s just get it over with.” Coriolanus rubs his face before taking his position at the net.

The game passes in a blur, and Coriolanus makes careless mistake after careless mistake; Coach Tom repeatedly yells at him to focus, but this, oddly enough, does not help.

Coriolanus sees the opponent at the baseline hit the ball right at him, and he shoots forward to volley it back.

He realizes too late that he overextended his leg, and a horrible pain shoots through his calf; he cries out, dimly aware that his left ankle is twisted at an unnatural angle as it gives out completely underneath him, forcing his body to collide with the hard surface of the tennis court.

Chapter Text

There are several gasps before someone starts yelling for Coach Tom.

It’s Hilarius, Coriolanus realizes, as he becomes aware of the stinging in his knee. Grimacing, he sits up, gingerly pulling his leg to his chest. Almost immediately, nausea rises as he takes in the rapidly reddening abrasion and he forces himself to look away, taking shaky breaths.

Coriolanus looks up and sees Sejanus running over before he's stopped by the assistant coach, Manny. They're arguing it looks like, with Sejanus trying to move around Manny, but before Coriolanus can see what happens next, two people lift him from the court.

"Coriolanus," Coach says, holding onto his left arm while Hilarius holds him by his right. "Can you stand?"

Coriolanus warily puts weight on his ankle before crying out in pain, and both Hilarius and Coach Tom hold him more tightly.

"Okay, we gotta get you checked out," Coach Tom decides before barking, "Manny! We need a wheelchair!"

Coriolanus wants to disappear under the attention of everyone at the tournament as the wheelchair is delivered to him, and he reluctantly sits in it, his face burning.

Sejanus appears with Coach Manny yelling after him and says breathlessly, "I'll come find you as soon as I can, Coryo - I promise."

"Plinth, unless you want a suspension, get back on the court and finish your set!" Coach Tom yells at him, and Sejanus sighs.

"Yes, Coach," he replies, walking back, taking his time. "Sorry, Coach."

Coriolanus has to bite the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from laughing at how thoroughly unapologetic Sejanus sounds.

That slight reprieve is gone as Coriolanus gets wheeled away, and he can already see how swollen his ankle is from his peripheral vision. He digs his nails into his palm, trying to keep himself grounded, and not overthink how fucked up his ankle looks.

"Coriolanus, we're taking you to a hospital for X-rays," Coach informs him as they pass the student health center.

Coriolanus panics. "Can't we just have the doctor at school examine me?"

"We can't risk it - if they misdiagnose you, it'll mean more time on the bench," Coach explains, wheeling him into the parking lot where Hilarius helps lift him into the backseat of the school van.

Mistaking his anxiety as fear of the procedure, Hilarius leans over and says, "Coriolanus, it's not going to hurt. They just take a picture of your ankle."

"I know what an x-ray is," Coriolanus exhales, trying hard not to snap at his closest friend.

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"Nothing," Coriolanus mutters. "It's fine."

Coriolanus swallows the bitter foreboding as Coach drives them out of the gate.

*

"We're going to have to contact your guardian to let them know that you're in the hospital," the receptionist informs him. "Please write down the contact information for them here."

With shaky hands, Coriolanus takes the pen offered by Hilarius and starts to write Cassia before crossing it out and starting over with Tigris Snow.

"My grandmother will have a heart attack if she receives the phone call," Coriolanus says to Hilarius, who gives him a weird look.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."

Coriolanus hands back the paperwork to the receptionist and asks Hilarius if he can borrow his phone.

Tigris, it's Coryo. Don't panic but I'm at the hospital. Small injury during tournament. Not a big deal. But the hospital will call you. I promise I'll call when I get back to the Academy.

He hands the phone back to Hilarius. "Thanks."

"Coriolanus Snow?" a nurse calls, and Coach helps wheel him into the examination room.

The nurse asks a few questions, typing in Coriolanus' answers before he leaves to get the doctor.

They wait together in a tense silence, and then the doctor knocks on the door.

"Hi, Coriolanus?"

"That's me," Coriolanus replies politely.

"I'm Dr. Garcia." She washes her hands at the sink, putting gloves on before settling on a stool with wheels. "So, what brings you in today?" she asks.

"I twisted my ankle during a tennis tournament today," Coriolanus says, still unable to look at his injury and keeping his eyes on the doctor.

"Well, let's do an exam, and then we'll see whether you need to get X-rays." She gestures for him to recline. Coriolanus does, his heart racing as she pauses, noticing the swelling, gentle fingers exploring the injury.

"Let me know if it hurts," she says before pressing down with her thumb. "Any pain here?"

Relieved, Coriolanus shakes his head.

"Here?"

Again, he shakes his head.

Maybe it's not as bad as Coach made it seem.

"Good." She adjusts her grip. "How about here?"

Coriolanus hisses in agony, instinctively yanking his ankle away.

"Sorry," she says kindly, removing her gloves and tossing them in the trash can. "Coriolanus, I think we should take an X-ray and see if there might be a fracture." She looks to Coach Tom. "Take him down to the radiology department and then come back, and we’ll go over the results then."

Coriolanus nods mutely, barely able to breathe as Coach and Hilarius help him back into the wheelchair.

What the fuck was he supposed to do when the bill came?

*

Sejanus pulls into the hospital parking lot, immediately going to the valet and handing his keys off. He barely remembers to take the ticket, and then he's off towards the entrance; impatiently, he waits for the elevator on the first floor, checking his phone obsessively for texts or calls from his boyfriend, his tennis uniform clinging to his skin, still sweaty from the tournament because he hadn't bothered to change.

"Hi, I'm here to visit Coriolanus Snow," he says politely to the receptionist at the Urgent Care department.

She nods, tapping on her keyboard, before narrowing her eyes.

"He just got checked out," she informs him before her brow furrows. "We're actually just trying to figure out what insurance he has so we know where to send the bill – do you happen to know?”

"Oh, his insurance only covers him in Northern California,” Sejanus lies, leaning against the counter.

“Ah. That makes sense.” She makes a note of that. “So, should I just send the bill to the tennis academy for him to deal with later?"

"How much is it?” Sejanus quickly interjects. “Out of pocket, I mean.”

She squints at her screen. "Um...it’s $270."

"Can you just put it on this?" Sejanus opens his wallet and selects a card at random, which the receptionist takes and slides through the card reader before handing it back. He signs the receipt, takes a copy of it with him, and makes his way back to the parking lot, giving up on walking and instead going at a jog.

*

With great trepidation, Coriolanus dials Tigris' number alone in the dorm.

She picks up on the second ring.

"Coryo, what happened?" she exclaims. "Why were you at the hospital?"

"I..." Coriolanus forces down the tears at how awful the last twelve hours have been, clearing his throat before continuing. "I twisted my ankle during the tournament today."

He eyes the brace wrapped around his ankle, the crutches beside his bed, and his foot elevated on his pillow while he lies flat on his back.

"Is it broken?" Tigris asks, and Coriolanus can imagine her clutching the phone, chewing on her lip the way she does when she’s stressed.

"No, it's just sprained," Coriolanus replies. "I have to rest it for a few weeks, and then I should be fine."

Coriolanus doesn't mention that the doctor had strongly recommended physical therapy for a full recovery; he knows they can't afford it, and it's not worth stressing Tigris about.

“Oh, okay,” Tigris replies, relieved. “Will it affect your scholarship?”

I have no idea, he thinks to himself despairingly.

“It shouldn’t,” Coriolanus says confidently, and he hears Tigris exhale.

“That’s good news,” Tigris laughs. “I was really worried.” She pauses before asking nervously, “Did they take an X-ray?”

“No,” he lies to her. “They were able to diagnose it without taking any.”

She takes a breath, bracing herself. “What was…the hospital bill?”

“The school said they would cover it,” he replies, his gut twisting unpleasantly. “As part of the scholarship.”

“Oh, that’s such amazing news,” Tigris gushes. “I have no idea how we would pay for it otherwise.” She sounds tired. Too tired for a nineteen-year-old. “Hey, Coryo, I’m about to clock in for my shift, but I love you so much, and thank you for calling me.”

“I love you too,” Coriolanus replies, a dull ache in his chest at the thought of being alone for the first time since the diagnosis, but knowing Tigris needed to go. “Have a good day at work.”

“Thanks,” she trills. “Feel better!”

The line disconnects, and Coriolanus is left holding his phone, the anxiety he’d managed to shove down starting to seep into every bone in his body.

Don’t cry. You don’t need to cry. Crying is not going to help - you're just being dramatic, Coriolanus berates himself, dropping his phone next to him before throwing his arm over his eyes, willing the tears back.

The dorm door unlocks, and before Coriolanus can react, Sejanus bursts into the room; he stops, taking in the scene in front of him.

“Oh, Coryo,” he says, in a tone so surprisingly gentle and worried, especially considering how Coriolanus had left him the previous night and abandoned him this morning; it's too kind, too concerned for what Coriolanus was expecting.

And Coriolanus immediately bursts into tears.

Chapter Text

"Coryo, what's wrong?" Sejanus asks in alarm, crossing over to his boyfriend.

"Nothing," Coriolanus insists desperately, tears streaming down his face, his voice thick. "I'm fine."

"But, Coryo, you're crying-"

"I'm not crying!" Coriolanus sobs, his voice breaking as he grounds the palms of his hands into his eyes, his body shuddering.

"...oh,” Sejanus says, baffled as Coriolanus' crying continues, harder than before. “Okay.”

Awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to another, Sejanus decides to push their beds back together so he can lie next to him; he climbs into his bed, facing his clearly distressed boyfriend, unsure what to do next.

Coriolanus takes a shaky breath, his tears still happening but seeming slower; he tries to turn his body, accidentally placing pressure on his ankle, and whimpers in pain. Giving up, Coriolanus turns his face away from Sejanus and crosses his arms protectively over his chest. Tentatively, Sejanus reaches out and rests his hand on Coriolanus' left, relieved that Coryo doesn't recoil from the physical contact.

"How is your ankle?" Sejanus asks gently.

Coriolanus eyes his elevated foot, feeling sick to his stomach before forcing his gaze back to the wall. "The doctor said it's just sprained."

"That's good news, isn't it?" Sejanus prods.

Coriolanus shakes his head, sniffling pathetically.

"Coryo, what’s wrong-”

"I'm just so stupid!" Coriolanus bursts out, his tone so vehement that it makes Sejanus flinch.

"You're not stupid-" Sejanus tries to reassure him.

"I am!” Coriolanus interrupts, his voice unsteady but loud as he turns to stare up at the ceiling before berating himself, "This would never have happened if I wasn't so dramatic and sensitive and caused a fight with you last night and stayed awake until the tournament - I wouldn't have been so tired that I injured myself and we wouldn't have a hospital bill that we can't afford, and I wouldn't be benched for the next three weeks and in danger of losing my scholarship to this school, and, and-" Coriolanus chokes on his last words, his breathing rapidly intensifying as shame, self-loathing, and stress engulfed him like a tidal wave.

Sejanus notices Coriolanus' nails digging into his arms, leaving red lines behind as he tries to curl into himself but is prevented by the awkward angle of his elevated ankle. Coriolanus’ breathing turns into hyperventilation, tears trailing down his face as he gasps for breath; unable to think of anything else, Sejanus sits up and presses his lips against his boyfriend’s, mentally preparing for Coryo’s worst reaction.

Coriolanus freezes, eyes wide, tears still dropping onto the bed sheets as Sejanus cautiously cups his cheek.

After a moment, Sejanus pulls away, leaning their foreheads together. "Coryo, how could you have known any of this would happen?” He strokes his cheek with his thumb. “It’s not your fault.”

“But it is,” Coriolanus says tearfully, confused about how Sejanus didn't understand this. “I’m the one who snapped at you; I’m the one who ran away; I’m the one who didn’t sleep enough and got hurt on the court.” He closes his eyes, before bitterly adding, “And I’m the one who can't pay the hospital bill." Coriolanus tries to laugh it off before sighing despondently, his tears slowing. "I don't even know how much the bill was and I don't know what's going to happen once they realize I can't pay it."

"Coryo, I paid for it," Sejanus says softly. "It's taken care of."

"…what?" To Sejanus' surprise, Coriolanus' tears start up again, his body shuddering as he croaks miserably, "I wish you hadn't."

"You wish I hadn't?" Sejanus pulls away to look at him, dumbfounded. "I thought..." Sejanus trails off, the hurt clear in his eyes and the tightness of his voice. "Okay, whatever - I’m sorry I paid for your hospital bill." He turns away but Coriolanus catches his arm.

"Wait, I don't -" Coriolanus stops, exhaling sharply before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. Thank you...for paying for it." Coriolanus sighs, insecure and thoroughly hating himself at that moment.

“You’re welcome,” Sejanus replies, his words stilted and a bit wounded.

They sit in a horrible silence, Sejanus still facing away from him as fear pools in Coriolanus' stomach, heavy and dark.

"I understand if you want to break up with me; I don’t blame you, Sejanus." Coriolanus swallows back the urge to spiral again, closing his eyes. "It’s fine,” he says, but his voice breaks on the last word.

Sejanus whips his head back to look at his boyfriend, silently crying again, and he tries to figure out what the fuck is going on.

“Coriolanus, look at me,” Sejanus demands, and reluctantly, Coryo does, his heart racing in his chest, prepared for Sejanus to come to his senses, break up with him, and request a new roommate.

He’s not prepared for how Sejanus looks at him: an expression full of worry, compassion, and affection. It makes his chest hurt, and his throat burns as his eyes well up again.

“Coryo, we had one fight, and it wasn’t even really a fight if you think about it," Sejanus whispers fiercely, in contrast to how tenderly he was holding Coriolanus' face. "You weren’t mad at me, you were mad at Andy, and I’m sure it was warranted. He seems like an asshole.”

Despite himself, Coriolanus laughs thickly. “He is.”

“I didn’t realize I was playing against him until after our match, but even before, I knew he sucked.”

“Did you win?” Coriolanus asks.

“Of course, I won,” Sejanus replies, uncharacteristically cocky. “I’m Alessandra Plinth’s son.”

Coriolanus laughs again, enamored by the confidence of his boyfriend, the petty satisfaction allowing his body to relax for the first time in twelve hours. “Of course, I shouldn’t have even asked.”

Sejanus pauses before saying seriously, "Coryo, I don't want anyone else; I just want to be with you."

"But why?" Coriolanus says, his voice is small, barely above a whisper. 

"I don't know," Sejanus replies, just as quietly. "I just like you. A lot. And it's going to take more than one disagreement to change that."

Coriolanus' eyes flick around, his face flushing as he sniffs, "It'd just be so much easier for you to like someone else."

"I don't know about that," Sejanus says, resting his chin on Coriolanus' shoulder.

"But I know, Sejanus," Coriolanus says with a defeated finality.

"Well, I've never liked things that were too easy," Sejanus replies stubbornly. "So stop trying to get me to break up with you."

A beat passes while Sejanus runs a hand through Coryo's hair, and he closes his eyes, trying to accept the reassurance and physical affection.

“Coryo, what did you mean when you said you might lose your scholarship?” Sejanus questions.

Coriolanus’ body tenses as fear covers him like a cold ocean wave, and his eyes open, unable to focus on one thing for more than a few seconds. “My scholarship stipulates that I play in every tournament, no exceptions, or I'll lose it.”

“It does?” Sejanus replies, his eyebrows furrowing. “I’ve never heard of a scholarship like that for high school. College, yeah – but high school, no.”

“It’s a requirement - that’s what my Grandma’am told me when I got accepted into the Academy.” Coriolanus shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

Sejanus hums. “Well, the next tournament isn’t for another month because of Fall Break, so you should be recovered by then, right?”

Coriolanus sighs. “I hope so.”

“Didn’t the doctor give you an estimate of the recovery time?”

“She did.” Coriolanus rubs his face. “But she also said I need physical therapy to recover fully, and I know for a fact that we can’t afford it.” He gives Sejanus a look. “And I do not want you to pay for that too - don’t even think about it.”

Sejanus closes his mouth, frustrated as he lies back on his pillow.

They lie together for a few minutes, Coriolanus dissociating while Sejanus thinks.

“It’s just normal physical therapy?” Sejanus asks. “Like to strengthen the muscles? There’s no ligament tear, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

Sejanus sits up. “I sprained my ankle a few years ago. That’s why I wear a brace whenever I play now.” He gestures to his ankle, which Coriolanus realizes now has a black brace over the white sock. “I should probably take it off, actually - I’m not supposed to wear it when I’m not playing, but I just completely forgot about it after the last match,” he adds thoughtfully before reaching over to yank it off, tossing it to his side of the dorm room.

“So, you’re saying I just need a brace?” Coriolanus asks hopefully. “And then I’ll be fine to play?”

“Oh, no, you definitely need physical therapy,” Sejanus informs him, and Coriolanus deflates. “But the good news is I still remember the exercises I had to do. So, I can teach them to you, no copays required.”

Coriolanus blinks, hope flickering in his chest. “Really?”

“Really,” Sejanus confirms. “Obviously, we’ll have to wait until it heals more, but once it does, I’ll be your physical therapist.” He smirks at him, disarming Coriolanus. "Dr. Plinth, at your service."

“Seems unprofessional to be dating my physical therapist,” Coriolanus teases, somewhat coming back to himself.

“I never said I was professional,” Sejanus deadpans. “In fact, I can guarantee I’ll be fantasizing about my patient every session.”

Coriolanus shakes his head but can’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as the relief covers him. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet - physical therapy sucks."

Coriolanus bites back another laugh. "Noted." He shifts, forcing himself to make eye contact as he fidgets with his hands. "Um, thank you for being so nice to me, Sejanus."

Sejanus raises his eyebrows. "Coryo, I think the point of dating someone is that we're supposed to be nice to each other."

"Yeah..." Coriolanus trails off, embarrassed that Sejanus had to remind him of that. "I guess you're right."

“Can we…cuddle?” Sejanus asks awkwardly. “I can go on your bed so you don’t have to move.”

“Um, sure,” Coriolanus replies, just as awkwardly.

With extreme carefulness, Sejanus climbs over Coriolanus, and Coriolanus gingerly shifts to his side, his face flushing as his boyfriend's arm wraps around his waist. As Coryo settles against Sejanus’ chest, his head throbs, and he yawns, his eyes closing as exhaustion overwhelms him.

“Comfortable?” Sejanus asks softly.

Coriolanus can only nod, already drifting off.

Sejanus waits until Coriolanus’ breath is even for several minutes, watching as the shadows get longer in the bedroom before he whispers, “I love you.”

Freezing in horror when Coryo shifts underneath his arm, Sejanus relaxes once it seems that Coriolanus is still asleep. There's an embarrassment that fills him retroactively at saying it out loud, but Sejanus pushes it aside as he buries his face in his boyfriend's neck, warmth in his chest as he closes his eyes, content.

Coriolanus stares at the wall across from them, his heart racing as Sejanus' words repeat in his mind.

Chapter Text

A pop song plays over the store speakers when Sejanus' phone vibrates in his pocket, and he absentmindedly pulls it out before looking at the caller ID.

Alessandra Plinth (Mom).

"Hi, Mom," Sejanus greets her, bending over to compare the two products on the shelf.

"Sejanus, honey," Aless sounds frazzled. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine," Sejanus replies, confused, straightening up.

"Then why is there a $270 charge from UCLA Medical Center on your credit card?”

Oh, right. The hospital bill.

"Oh, that," Sejanus says, laughing awkwardly.

“‘Oh, that?’ Sejanus, did something happen? Are you sick? Did you get injured? The hospital should have called me immediately if you were checked in; you’re only sixteen-"

"Mom, I wasn't the one in the hospital,” Sejanus interjects. “Coryo was.”

"Oh!" Aless' tone switches from borderline hysteria to concern. “Is he okay?”

"Yeah, he just sprained his ankle during the tournament earlier."

"Oh, poor love,” Aless clucks her tongue. “How is he doing?”

“He’s asleep, I’m out getting him a few things right now,” Sejanus explains. Thinking quickly, he adds, “And he said he'll pay me back for the hospital bill - he just didn't have his wallet during the tournament-”

"Oh, tell him not to worry about it!" Aless emphasizes, and Sejanus’ shoulders relax. "I'm just glad that he's okay and you're okay.”

"Thanks for checking," Sejanus replies.

Aless hums. "I love you, sweetheart. Give Coriolanus a hug from me.”

"I love you too, Mom. Will do."

The line disconnects, and Sejanus shifts the basket in his hand as he continues down the pharmacy aisle.

*

By the time Coriolanus wakes up, Sejanus is gone, and the room is completely dark aside from the campus lights shining in through the window.

Instantly panicking, Coriolanus sits up, swinging his legs over the bed and attempting to stand before he hisses at the sharp pain that shoots up his calf; it forces him back down onto the bed, his left foot hanging uselessly just above the floor.

Coriolanus rubs his face, wondering if he hallucinated the entire conversation earlier when the dorm door unlocks; Sejanus quietly enters, holding a pharmacy store bag and a takeout bag.

His eyes meet Coriolanus', and he jumps in surprise before breaking out in a smile. "Oh, good, you're awake."

Coriolanus tries to slow his heart rate as Sejanus turns the light on, momentarily blinding him. "Where did you go?" Coriolanus manages to keep his tone light, not accusatory.

"I got some instant ice packs and pain meds from a pharmacy and takeout from a Chinese food restaurant nearby - I remembered you liked orange chicken, so I got that and lo mein for dinner."

Speechless, Coriolanus watches Sejanus smack one of the ice packs against his desk before grabbing a towel to wrap it in and handing it to his boyfriend. The cold is instantly soothing as he places it against his ankle, numbing the pain from Coriolanus attempting to stand on it earlier. Lastly, Sejanus hands him a bottle of ibuprofen and a water bottle, and Coriolanus takes two of the pills, grateful his boyfriend had thought of it.

“Thank you,” Coriolanus says, overwhelmed as he brings his feet back onto the bed.

“You’re welcome,” Sejanus beams. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Coryo replies, leaning back on his hands. “Useless,” he adds dryly.

Sejanus rolls his eyes. “You’re far from useless.”

Coriolanus hums, willing to let it go for now. “Can you hand me my crutches?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be right back,” Coriolanus tells him, shifting the crutches underneath his arms. “I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

“Do you want me to carry you?” Sejanus asks so earnestly that Coriolanus can’t help but laugh.

“No, I have to get used to it sooner than later, but thanks anyway,” Coryo replies wryly.

“I’ll get dinner ready then,” Sejanus replies, already splitting the food between the containers and setting up the plastic cutlery.

Once Coriolanus has returned, he sees that Sejanus has brought his desk chair over to Coriolanus’ desk, clearly abstaining from digging in until his boyfriend returns.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Coriolanus says, flushing as he settles down at his desk chair, leaning the crutches against the wall.

“But I wanted to.”

Coriolanus stares at him with an indiscernible expression before he suddenly says, “Sejanus, come here.”

Sejanus does so; Coriolanus spreads his own legs, and Sejanus tentatively raises his arms, expecting a hug.

His sweatpants are yanked down, and Coriolanus is reaching inside his boxer briefs before Sejanus can even register what's happening.

"Coryo," Sejanus gasps. "What - what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Sejanus flushes, speechless, swallowing hard as Coriolanus pulls his underwear down, stroking slowly but intently.

"Coryo, your ankle-"

"Is fine," Coriolanus interjects, his blue eyes flicking up to Sejanus'. "You already took care of that." He leans forward to suck a hickey on his hip bone, and Sejanus bits his lip as desire sweeps through his body. "Now, let me take care of you."

Before Sejanus can reply, Coriolanus is licking a languid line up his cock, and Sejanus whimpers.

Sejanus' hands hang uselessly at his side, curling into fists, but Coriolanus pulls off just long enough to say evenly, "You know what to do with your hands."

Cautiously, Sejanus threads his hands through his boyfriend's curls, and Coriolanus hums affirmatively around his cock, making Sejanus’ breath hitch as he watches him bob his head up and down.

“You’re so pretty,” Sejanus blurts out, his face red as he realizes what he just said when Coriolanus pauses and pulls off.

Coriolanus looks up at him, and Sejanus freezes, his fingers still tangled in the blond curls as he holds his breath.

“Say it again.”

Sejanus’ lips part as he blinks at him. “That you’re so pretty?”

Coriolanus nods, his face flushing as he takes his boyfriend’s cock in his mouth again, reveling in the surprised sound of pleasure.

“You’re so pretty, Coryo,” Sejanus sighs happily, his grip tightening on Coriolanus’ hair. “You're gorgeous.”

The sensations on his scalp and the praise do something to Coriolanus, and he redoubles his efforts, earning the hottest moan he’s heard yet from his boyfriend. Within seconds, Sejanus’ breath comes out in heavy pants, his eyes closing as his head tilts to the right.

“Oh, fuck, Coryo!”

Sejanus comes with a quiet whine as Coriolanus works him through it.

Satisfied that he’s shown his gratitude sufficiently to his boyfriend, Coriolanus sits back, wipes his mouth, and smirks at his out-of-breath boyfriend.

Sejanus laughs. “You’re insane. And very hot."

“You like it,” Coriolanus replies, unperturbed, picking up his fork and starting to eat.

“I do,” Sejanus replies softly, affectionately.

After adjusting himself, Sejanus sits next to Coriolanus, his face still pink, planning on jumping his boyfriend after dinner.

“Um, so,” Sejanus starts, and Coriolanus’ eyes look in his direction. “My parents won’t be home during Fall Break because they’re going to Hawaii for one of Rory’s taekwondo tournaments.” Coriolanus raises his eyebrows as he chews, and Sejanus continues, “I wanted to know if you wanted to stay with me in the house that week. Alone. Together,” he stumbles.

Coriolanus wipes his mouth with one of the napkins. “Are you asking me to sleep over?”

“Um, yeah,” Sejanus says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Only if you want to, I mean. You don’t have to, obviously - I just thought, that we could, you know-”

“Have uninterrupted sex?” Coriolanus supplies, and Sejanus chokes on his orange chicken.

“No-no!” he insists.

“So, you don’t want to have uninterrupted sex?” Coriolanus presses, and Sejanus wants to die in between coughs.

“That’s not what – I mean, I want to – but, I meant-”

“Sejanus, I’m messing with you,” Coriolanus chuckles. “I know what you mean.”

Barely recovering from the emotional damage, Sejanus ventures, “So…what do you think?”

“What do I think about staying in a multimillion-dollar mansion with my hot boyfriend alone with no adult supervision?” Coriolanus pretends to think about it. “I think I can do that.”

Sejanus’ lips are against his before he can think; and when Sejanus pulls away, they’re both breathless.

“Can’t wait.”

Chapter Text

“The phone numbers for the resort and Marti down the street are on the fridge,” Aless reminds him as Strabo loads the bags into their car. “Make sure to lock the front door before you go to bed, and water the plants every other day-”

“Mom, I know,” Sejanus says. “This isn’t my first time staying home alone.”

“But it’s your first time staying home alone for longer than a couple of days,” she replies.

“Okay, sure, but I don’t think the routine changes much whether it’s a couple of days or a week.”

“But this is your first time having your boyfriend stay over, and it’s easy to forget the routine.” Aless lowers her voice, “Do you have the con-”

“Yes,” Sejanus interrupts exasperatedly, his face burning. “For the last time: I have them.” He rubs his face. “Please stop bringing it up.”

Aless trills a laugh and leans in to hug her son, kissing him on the forehead. “Have fun. Remember: no parties.”

“I don’t have enough friends to have a party, Mom,” Sejanus replies without skipping a beat.

Before Aless can respond, Strabo appears at the front door.

“Are we ready?” Strabo asks, and Rory can be seen practicing her moves behind him on the driveway, an interesting mix of a Hawaiian-pattern skort dress and proper Taekwondo form.

“Ready,” Aless confirms.

The whole family exchanges hugs and Sejanus watches the car disappear down the driveway.

A sense of freedom encompasses him as he wanders the empty house, and there’s a thrill in his stomach at the thought. He grabs his keys and heads out to pick Coriolanus up from the Academy.

*

“Where are we going?” Coriolanus yells over the wind whipping through their hair as they drive in the opposite direction away from the Plinth house.

“We need to pick up some groceries,” Sejanus replies, turning into a parking lot and bringing the hood of the car back up. “We’re fending for ourselves, remember? No dining hall at our house.”

“Oh, right.”

A blast of cold air conditioning greets them as they enter the Ralphs, and Sejanus grabs a basket as Coriolanus follows behind him. It had been about two weeks, and he no longer needed crutches, and Sejanus had started teaching him the physical therapy moves; though, they rarely got beyond the first couple before it escalated into something far more sexual.

“I was thinking we’d just get what we needed for tonight and tomorrow, and then we can play it by ear after.”

Coriolanus nodded. “Do you know how to cook?”

“Um, not really,” Sejanus admitted. “I thought we’d get, like, pre-made things.”

Coriolanus laughed. “I don’t know why, but I was expecting that you knew how to cook.”

“I mean, I can make scrambled eggs and things like that,” Sejanus says defensively.

“Ah yes, the rare delicacy known as scrambled eggs,” Coriolanus deadpans.

“Well, can you cook?” Sejanus challenges.

“I can, actually,” Coriolanus replies smugly.

Sejanus’ eyes light up. “Really?”

“Just a few recipes that my cousin taught me growing up because she works a lot, so I had to make dinner for me and my grandmother during the summers,” Coriolanus backtracks. “It’s basic meals, nothing fancy.”

“Like what?”

Coriolanus thinks. “Bolognese, a vegan stir-fry, and Korean ground beef and broccoli.”

Sejanus shifts the basket to his other hand, a hopeful expression on his face. “Do you think you could make one of those for us tonight?”

Coriolanus laughs. “He only likes me for my cooking,” he says dramatically to no one, looking down at the empty aisle as if speaking to an audience.

“There’s a lot to like about you,” Sejanus counters. “The cooking is just a bonus.”

Coriolanus’ face flushes at the compliment, and he hastily redirects the conversation. “I can make the Bolognese tonight. It doesn’t take long.”

Sejanus grins, thrilled as he straightens up. “What do we need?”

*

They enter the house, arms laden with groceries, which Sejanus expertly unpacks. Coriolanus explores the kitchen cutlery, locating a cutting board and a chef’s knife before he washes the vegetables in the sink.

Sejanus watches avidly as Coriolanus peels the onion before he ventures, “We have a blender, by the way; would that help?”

Coriolanus pauses. “Yeah, actually, that would help a lot.”

He cuts the onion into fourths, a stalk of celery in half, and throws some baby carrots into the blender Sejanus brings over, and Coriolanus marvels at how quickly the ingredients become pureed.

“That’s insanely efficient,” he says in awe.

“How long does it take otherwise?”

“Like, fifteen minutes of slicing.” Coriolanus cuts the tomatoes into smaller pieces before placing them in a bowl. “We’ll be able to eat in less than twenty minutes now.”

Sejanus watches avidly as his boyfriend naturally moves around the kitchen, turning the oven on first before browning the ground beef and roasting the garlic. He adds the store-bought pasta sauce, and the delicious scent of onions and garlic fills the kitchen as Coriolanus combines the puree and tomato chunks in the pan.

Once the oven heats to 425 degrees, he places some garlic bread on the foil and opens the oven, gingerly laying it across the grate.

Almost exactly twenty minutes after Coriolanus had started prepping, everything was ready. They sit at the bar after dishing up, and Sejanus eagerly shoves an entire spoonful of food into his mouth before moaning happily.

“Oh my god, this is so good,” he says around a mouthful of food.

“It’s not hard to make,” Coriolanus replies, brushing off the compliment.

“Don’t do that,” Sejanus frowns at him. “You’re a good cook, Coryo; I don’t care how easy the recipe is.”

Coriolanus blushes before reluctantly saying, “Thank you.”

They eat in companionable silence, and once they’re finished, Sejanus gets up to do the dishes.

Would this be their life if they stayed together?

The thought makes his heart race, and his body burns from embarrassment, even though it’s not like he said anything out loud.

Still.

What if?

Sejanus starts the dishwasher and turns to face his boyfriend. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Exhaustion hits Coriolanus like a train, unexpectedly and with force, and he yawns. “Sure.”

“Or we could always go to bed,” Sejanus interjects, noticing how tired his boyfriend looked. “We have a whole week here, and we had a full day of school earlier.”

“Yeah, bed sounds good,” Coriolanus says sheepishly.

“Let’s go then,” Sejanus says, hopping off the barstool. “I’ll bring your suitcase up.”

They get ready together in Sejanus’ ensuite bathroom, Coriolanus barely awake as they finish brushing their teeth. Coriolanus climbs into Sejanus’ queen bed, relishing the softness of the sheets and duvet, and how the mattress is the perfect mix of soft and firm.

“I can’t wait to have sex on this bed tomorrow,” Coriolanus mumbles into his pillow.

Sejanus laughs, settling in beside him. “Me neither.” Tentatively, Sejanus kisses his boyfriend on the forehead and both flush at the simple intimacy. “Goodnight, Coryo.”

“Goodnight, Sejanus,” he replies, his eyes already closed as Sejanus turns the light off.

*

Disjointed sounds assault Coriolanus as lights flash; arguing, followed by a horrified shriek and a yell, the impact of metal against metal, and then glass shattering. Confused and his forehead throbbing, Coriolanus raises his hand to his head, and when he pulls it away, there’s blood on his fingertips.

Coriolanus wakes with a start, disoriented, eyes wide as he tries to figure out where he is.

Oh, right.

Sejanus’ room.

In the Plinth house.

Despite the knowledge that he knows where he is and that he’s safe, his heart thuds so hard in his chest he’s certain Sejanus could hear; Coriolanus covers his mouth to silence his panicked breathing, not wanting to wake his boyfriend who appears to be sleeping peacefully beside him.

He tries to slow his breathing, determined to go back to sleep – but the memories of the dream haunt him behind closed eyelids, and with an inward groan, Coriolanus sits up.

Fuck.

Coriolanus watches Sejanus breathe for a few seconds before deciding to go downstairs for a snack to distract himself, carefully extricating himself and wincing when the door squeaks.

Creeping down the staircase makes him feel like an intruder in the Plinth household, and he blinks several times as he turns on the smallest light in the kitchen. He reminds himself that Sejanus had said Coriolanus could have whatever he wanted from the pantry when he pauses at the handle.

He forces himself to pull out the Lucky Charms cereal they bought that day, still feeling guilty about opening it. Sejanus had insisted on buying it when he found out Coriolanus had never had it before. Coriolanus decides now would be a good time to try it out, and he locates a bowl, milk, and a spoon before settling at the bar, his ankles wrapping around the metal legs.

"Coryo?" a sleepy voice whispers, and Coriolanus flinches in surprise.

"Hi," Coryo replies, his voice horribly loud in the quiet house as Sejanus appears around the corner.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Coriolanus gives him a tight smile. "Just had a bad dream and didn't want to wake you."

"I'm a light sleeper," Sejanus yawns. "Might as well wake me up next time since I'll wake up anyway when I realize you're not next to me."

Coryo hums noncommittally, knowing he still wouldn’t if given the choice but unwilling to argue.

"What was the nightmare about?" Sejanus asks, sitting next to him at the bar and popping a piece of cereal into his mouth.

"Nothing that intense," Coriolanus lies, his eyes focusing on the marble design of the countertop. "It's just a reoccurring nightmare I have whenever I stay somewhere new."

“What happens in it?” Sejanus asks curiously.

“Why does it matter?” Coriolanus replies defensively, swirling the spoon in the cereal and watching the pieces move. “It’s just a dream.”

"Even if it's just a dream, it can help to tell someone about it,” Sejanus says carefully, sensing that this is a sensitive topic for his boyfriend. “But I’m not going to force you, obviously.”

Coryo stares blankly at his bowl for so long that Sejanus wonders if he'll refuse to tell him; then, Coriolanus exhales, resigned as he rubs his eyes.

"It's not a big deal," he says slowly, emphasizing each word when he looks up at Sejanus. "So, don't, like, freak out when I tell you, okay?"

Sejanus hums, reaching for another handful of cereal.

Coriolanus braces himself. "You know how my parents died in a car accident?"

Sejanus nods, softening.

"Um..." Coryo trails off, swallowing hard before continuing, "I was in the car with them. During the accident." Coriolanus looks away, his shoulders hunched protectively. "So, that's what the nightmare was about."

It's exceptionally hard to get the words out of Sejanus' throat; they feel like peanut butter stuck on the roof of his mouth, but Sejanus eventually manages, "How old were you?"

Coriolanus doesn't respond for the longest time.

"I was five," he admits reluctantly.

Chapter Text

“Five?” Sejanus exclaims, horrified.

"You said you wouldn't freak out," Coriolanus accuses, his mouth flattening into a thin line, his cheeks flushing angrily.

"I'm not freaking out," Sejanus insists, though internally he is absolutely freaking out. "I'm just, you know…processing."

Coriolanus sighs, irritated, crossing his arms over his chest as he scowls at the countertop. "This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

"Coryo, I'm just sad you had to go through that," Sejanus explains.

"You shouldn't be, it happened over a decade ago," Coriolanus replies, hunching into himself defensively. "I was only five, I barely remember it.”

“Still, I’m sorry-”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Coriolanus exhales, shoving himself away from the counter after he sees his boyfriend’s expression. Anguished and humiliated, he hisses, “I don’t need your pity, Sejanus.” To his horror, Coriolanus’ voice wavers as he lashes out, “I’ve gotten enough pity to last me a lifetime, so stop looking at me like that!”

Sejanus’ voice rises an octave as he replies, distraught, "Coryo, I just wish you hadn’t had to experience it - that’s literally all I’m trying to say!”

They exist in tense silence, chests heaving, and Coriolanus wants nothing more than to run far, far away from this entire conversation but forces himself to remain in the kitchen - if for no other reason than he doesn’t really have anywhere else to go.

Coriolanus stopped telling people about his parents for this exact reason. There was no benefit to anyone knowing; it just labeled him as the poor orphan who watched both of his parents die so young, whom all the other adults whispered about in sad, quiet voices when he passed by. There had been immense relief in being accepted into the Malibu Academy and moving to a new school where no one knew what had happened. Coriolanus desperately wanted to keep it that way as this entire conversation reminds him of how awful it was for him when people knew the truth.

“I’m sorry for freaking out,” Sejanus says finally, running a hand through his hair like he didn’t know what to do next. To be fair, neither did Coriolanus. “I didn’t mean to.”

Coriolanus hums warily, clearly still on edge as he leans against the wall opposite his boyfriend, arms crossed protectively over his chest.

“Can you come back to the table?” Sejanus entreats, his expression hopeful. “I just have a few questions, and then-”

“You get one, Sejanus,” Coriolanus interrupts before he forces his rigid body back to his seat at the table, his skin uncomfortable and prickling. “So, choose carefully.”

Sejanus takes his time thinking it through, and Coriolanus uses the time to try the Lucky Charms, which are now a bit mushy from how long the cereal has been swimming in the milk; they probably would taste better if he’d eaten them sooner, he muses.

"Is that why you have a scar on your temple?" Sejanus finally asks, leaning forward to brush back the curls that hid it, though he hastily withdraws his hand when Coriolanus flinches and drops the spoon with a loud clank against the ceramic bowl.

Coriolanus fights the intense urge to cover the scar with his hair again, his face warm as he replies stiffly, "Um, yeah."

"Sorry for touching it without warning," Sejanus apologizes softly. “I just wondered about it.”

"It's fine," Coriolanus replies, forcing himself to take a deep breath as he pushes the bowl of cereal away from himself. "I just didn't realize you'd noticed it." He shifts awkwardly, focusing his eyes on the giant refrigerator in front of them. "No one else ever has.”

"Well, I like looking at you," Sejanus replies in a gentle teasing tone. "I think you're really pretty."

Despite everything, Coriolanus allows himself the barest hint of a smile, his shoulders slowly easing down at the compliment.

“We don’t have to talk about the accident tonight, but I want you to know that if you ever want to, we can,” Sejanus says earnestly. “I’m a pretty good listener.”

“Thanks,” Coryo replies, sounding more like himself and less on edge. “That’s nice of you.”

He didn’t mention that the chances of him willingly talking about it again were close to zero; that didn’t seem important. It was certainly not worth the argument it would likely inspire if he were honest about it.

“Do you want to try to go back to sleep?” Sejanus asks, cautiously resting one of his hands on his boyfriend’s thigh, relieved that Coriolanus didn’t try to remove it.

Coryo shook his head. “I won’t be able to. Not tonight.” He clears his throat, feigning indifference. “But tomorrow I’ll be fine,” he says, even though he has no idea if that will be the case.

“Wanna go outside for a walk then?” Sejanus hopped off the barstool, offering a gallant hand to his boyfriend, who took it, fighting a bigger smile at the gesture. “You haven’t seen the backyard yet.”

“Sure,” Coriolanus replies, allowing himself to be led toward the large French doors that faced north.

Once they get outside, Coriolanus stops to take everything in. An infinity pool, lit with underwater color-changing LEDs faces the west with an unobstructed view of the ocean - though at this time of night, it’s just a black mass in the distance. Beside the pool is a cabana with a lounge set, facing an outdoor grill and bar area. There are hedges to the south and north, providing additional privacy from the neighbors, though those are also lit with bespoke lighting to match the front yard.

“Wow,” Coriolanus exhales in wonder. “This is…amazing.”

“It’s pretty nice,” Sejanus acknowledges, somewhat smugly. “The pool is also heated.”

He kneels down to touch the water, and Coriolanus does the same.

“It feels incredible,” Coriolanus says in wonder, shaking his head at the absurdity of warming an outdoor pool for swimming in November.

Only in LA.

“Want to go for a swim?” Sejanus suggests.

“I mean, sure, I just need to get my bathing suit…” Coriolanus trails off as Sejanus strips off his shirt. “What are you doing?”

“Who needs a swimsuit when it’s a private pool?” Sejanus smirks at him. “I thought it might be fun to go skinny-dipping.”

Coriolanus’ eyes widen as he watches his boyfriend completely strip before diving in headfirst, emerging seconds later.

“Aren’t you coming?” Sejanus asks, treading water with a grin, water droplets falling from his hair and onto his cheeks.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Coriolanus tugs his shirt off, followed by his boxer briefs. With a smaller splash than from Sejanus’ dive, he bursts through the water, a stupid smile on his face as Sejanus swims close to him, his eyes searching his face for a negative reaction before kissing him.

“This is insane,” Coriolanus can’t help but laugh, wrapping his arms around Sejanus’ neck before looking out at the horizon, the LED lights casting long, distorted shadows underwater.

“We should have some people over,” Coriolanus says suddenly. “This is such a cool view.”

“Oh?” Sejanus is too distracted kissing Coriolanus’ neck.

“Yeah, I think we should invite Hilarius and Lucy Gray over tomorrow,” Coriolanus replies, his breath catching as Sejanus sucks a hickey on his throat much higher than normal, very aware it will be visible regardless of what he wears.

Though it’s not like anyone else will see it since they won’t be at the Academy again until next Sunday, he reasons, feeling a thrum of guilty pleasure as he lets himself mark Sejanus in kind, relishing in the soft, surprised sound the act earns from his boyfriend.

“Sure,” Sejanus says before capturing Coriolanus’ lips with his own, clearly more focused on this than anything else. "Sounds good."

Laughter bubbles up from Coriolanus’ chest as Sejanus’ hands wander lower, gripping his thighs; instinctively, Coriolanus wraps them around his hips, enjoying the sensation of weightlessness. The skin-to-skin contact of their bodies only increases their desire for one another, Coriolanus cupping Sejanus’ face as he took the lead and Sejanus’ hands tentatively resting on his lower back.

“You can grab my ass, Sejanus,” Coriolanus breaks away just enough to inform him.

When Sejanus immediately does, the resulting respective sharp inhale and quiet moan only urge them both on, hands pulling, tugging, and exploring each other’s bodies.

Sejanus lets out a harsh breath when Coriolanus grinds against him, and Coriolanus takes full advantage of it to bite his bottom lip; a gratified moan in his mouth is his reward.

He needs to hear more, Coriolanus decides, slipping his hand lower.

“Ever had sex in a pool?” Coriolanus smirks against his lips.

“No,” Sejanus replies honestly.

“I’m shocked.”

“Don’t worry, I plan on remedying that tonight,” he deadpans, one of his hands coming up to cup Coriolanus’ throat as the other brings his body flush against Sejanus'. "If you want that too..."

"Oh, I want it," Coriolanus all but interrupts, dragging his nails down his boyfriend's back, and Sejanus' eyes darken before their lips meet again, in a perfect, messy, feverish kiss.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus blinks awake, the sunlight streaming in from the French doors momentarily blinding him. Slowly, he sits up from the couch, yawning as the sounds from the kitchen float over to him: the oven exhaust on, paired with humming and a gentle scrape of a pan against a grate.

The Plinth house.

He sees Sejanus's sweatshirt discarded on the loveseat nearby and pulls it over his head. Breathing in the scent of his cologne, he reluctantly forces himself up off the couch, abandoning the softness of the warm blanket behind him.

Coriolanus pads into the kitchen, pausing once he enters, taking some time before Sejanus realizes he's there to watch his boyfriend from afar.

With warm satisfaction, Coriolanus notes the hickeys that dot his throat and collarbone, disappearing into the black shirt. Coriolanus knows several more lie underneath, and he bites his lip as memories from last night drift through his mind.

Sejanus' lips against his throat, his jaw, and his collarbone, his hands doing the most amazing things to Coriolanus' body, all underneath the water of the pool; the taste of the chlorine on Sejanus' lips was something Coriolanus didn't expect to enjoy so much, but he couldn’t get enough of it. The warm breath against his throat as Sejanus repeated, "Coryo - oh, Coryo" in a series of sighs as Coriolanus touched him, only stopping when Coriolanus brought their lips back together-

"See something you like?" Sejanus asks with a smile, and Coriolanus jumps guiltily, his face flushing after getting caught staring.

"Maybe," Coriolanus replies, taking a seat at the counter. "What's for breakfast?"

"Well, it's 1:30 p.m., so it's more like lunch," Sejanus corrects him. "But it's my specialty: scrambled eggs, toaster waffles, and strawberries."

"That actually sounds delicious," Coriolanus replies, lighting up, and Sejanus laughs.

"It'll be ready in like two minutes."

Coriolanus rests his chin on his hand and looks at the kitchen in the afternoon light. A few photos are attached to the front of the refrigerator with magnets from various cities and countries, and Coriolanus gets up to investigate.

"Oh my god." Coriolanus stops at one of these pictures, taking it off the fridge to inspect it more closely. "Is this you?"

Sejanus turns, confused before he realizes where Coriolanus is looking, and then he's hastily tripping over his feet in an effort to take the picture out of his boyfriend's hands.

But Coriolanus is faster than him and triumphantly emerges on the other side of the kitchen. "Too slow."

Sejanus huffs, before realizing the stove is still on and runs back to turn the gas off, just barely managing to salvage the eggs.

"I'll only feed you if you surrender the picture," Sejanus threatens, carefully plating the eggs in equal portions onto two turquoise plates before adding a few waffles and topping them with the strawberries.

"Fine," Coriolanus gives in with a dramatic sigh, handing the photo over to Sejanus who takes it and places it on the opposite counter facedown. "Thank you for breakfast. Or lunch. Whatever you want to call it."

"You're welcome," Sejanus replies.

"So, you wear glasses?" Coriolanus prods, taking a bite of the surprisingly good scrambled eggs.

"I used to," Sejanus grimaces self-consciously. "I wear contacts now."

"Isn't it easier to wear glasses?"

Sejanus hums. "I just prefer contacts.”

"And you had braces," Coriolanus continues, a teasing smile on his lips. "Bright orange and blue braces."

"Please stop," Sejanus groans, placing his fork down and covering his face. "I know I looked awful then.”

"You didn’t look awful." Coriolanus furrows his brow. "I think you looked cute."

Sejanus snorts derisively. "I was not cute.”

"I mean, you were, what, 13?” Coriolanus chews thoughtfully. “Sejanus, everyone hates how they looked at that age…"

Sejanus doesn't reply, focusing instead on the food on his plate; sensing this is a sensitive topic, Coriolanus changes the subject.

"So, you've lived in this house your whole life?" Coriolanus asks.

"Oh, uh, no," Sejanus says, surprised. "We just moved in last year."

Coriolanus’ brow furrows. "So, where did you live before?"

"Where didn't we live?" Sejanus laughs humorlessly, unexpected bitterness coating his words.

Coriolanus tilts his head.

"We moved around a lot because of my Mom," Sejanus explains. "Honestly, I kind of grew up in hotels."

Coriolanus stares at him. "Didn't your mom quit tennis before she had you though?"

"Well, yeah…” Sejanus trails off. “But then she became a tennis coach and had to follow her prodigies around when they competed." Sejanus clears his throat awkwardly. "I had tutors growing up - but I didn't attend a real school until I was thirteen.”

"Oh. Shit."

"Yeah."

"That sounds...really lonely."

“It was.” Sejanus gives him a tight smile. “And then I was the weird, homeschooled kid who didn’t know how to make friends. It didn't help that the majority of my classmates had known each other since kindergarten.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Didn’t have a good time my first year in school, to say the least.”

Coriolanus processes this while Sejanus gets up for more waffles.

"So, what made your parents finally decide to stay in one place? Did they also get tired of living in hotels?"

“No.” Sejanus hesitates. “They enjoy traveling.”

“Huh. So, what made them change their minds?”

"It was because of me," Sejanus says shortly, the muscles in his jaw working.

“Because of the cute kid in this picture?” Coriolanus leans over, trying to steal it back, when Sejanus moves quickly to yank it out of his grip.

“Yeah.”

“How did you convince them?” Coriolanus smiles at him. “I mean, your mom was a high-demand, internationally acclaimed coach, I can’t imagine it was easy-”

"Coryo-"

"I'm just amazed that you were able to get them to settle down-"

"Coriolanus, can you just drop it please?" Sejanus snaps, shoving the picture in his pocket and lightly crumpling it in the process. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh," Coriolanus replies quickly, flushing. "Yeah. Sorry."

They exist in an uncomfortable silence, and Coriolanus silently berates himself, his appetite gone as Sejanus finishes his food.

Sejanus looks up, noticing that his boyfriend stopped eating. “Coryo?”

“Hm?”

“Are you done?”

“Yeah, I’m full,” Coriolanus lies with a weak smile. “It was delicious though.”

There’s a pang of guilt in Sejanus’ chest as he notices how pale and subdued his boyfriend is.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you," Sejanus swallows. "That wasn't okay.”

Coriolanus’ eyes meet his before flicking away, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s fine.”

"It's not." Sejanus takes a deep breath, steeling himself. “Um, okay, so, the thing is…” he trails off, humiliation searing into his skin. “I had, like, a mental breakdown, kind of? When I was like, twelve.”

“A mental breakdown?” Coriolanus echoes.

“Yeah,” Sejanus winces. “It wasn’t great. My parents completely freaked out. I was…” he fidgets uncomfortably. “I saw a therapist, and she realized a lot of it was brought on by the stress of traveling and not having any stability in my life.” He exhales. “My parents bought a house in the Hollywood Hills soon after and then enrolled me at my first real school.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Sejanus stands up, taking his plate to the sink, desperate to get away from the conversation. “So, that’s basically it. I mean, there's more but..."

"You don't have to tell me," Coriolanus reassures him. "Trust me, I get it."

"Thanks," Sejanus replies, residual embarrassment dripping onto his skin like a heavy rain.

“Do you want me to change the topic?”

“I am begging you to.”

Coriolanus laughs. “So, should we invite Hilarius over today? And Lucy Gray?”

“I’m surprised you want to invite Lucy Gray. Last time you saw her, I remember you said you wanted to kill her.”

“I’m over it. Mostly,” Coriolanus says, picking up a strawberry and taking a bite. “Plus, I know Hilarius likes her.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Did he tell you that?”

“Trust me, I know.” Coriolanus finishes his food. “And if I know Lucy Gray will be busy with Hilarius, I won’t have to worry about her tongue being down your throat.”

Sejanus laughs, the earlier tension gone. “Fair enough. I’ll text her if you text Hilarius.”

“Consider it done.”

Chapter Text

Once Coriolanus cleans up the kitchen, Sejanus calls his mom to update her on how things are going and see how the family is doing, while Coriolanus goes upstairs to take a shower.

When he emerges, Sejanus is waiting for him outside the door. "I'll just go rinse off real quick, and then I'll be back."

Coriolanus nods, switching places with him. He digs through his small suitcase to locate some fresh clothes before hanging the towel to dry on the wooden desk chair. Afterward, he sits on Sejanus' bed awkwardly before deciding it wasn't a crime to just look around the bedroom, as long as he didn't open anything. He stops in front of a jewelry holder just as the bathroom door lock clicks, and Sejanus emerges, towel around his waist as he pads over to a dresser.

"Are these earrings?" Coriolanus asks, looking at his boyfriend. His eyes follow every movement after Sejanus removes the towel.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Sejanus replies awkwardly. "I have a piercing."

Coriolanus blinks, his interest piqued. "Where?"

"My right ear." Now fully dressed, Sejanus stands behind him. "I thought it would make me look cool despite the braces and glasses." He winces, "Then I found out it was the 'gay ear', which, while accurate for part of my sexuality, did not help me socially."

"Why didn't you let it close up?"

"I still liked how it looked." Sejanus shrugs. "Privately, I mean."

"Can you put an earring on? I want to see it."

"Sure," Sejanus gestures to the earring stand. "Pick one for me."

Coriolanus spends an inordinately long time staring at the options before deciding on a small gold hoop. "This one."

"Hoops are such a bitch to put on - but for you, I'll do it." Sejanus reaches for the small earring. "But that means I'm keeping it on for the rest of the week, just so you know." Sejanus wrestles with it momentarily, looking in the mirror to guide his movements before lowering his hands. "What do you think?"

Coriolanus' mouth has never felt drier in his life as he takes in the glint of the gold around Sejanus' earlobe.

"I want to lick it," Coryo says without thinking.

Sejanus laughs, baffled. "You want to lick it?"

"It's hot," Coryo says unapologetically, though his face is bright red. "It looks really good on you. I think you should wear it more often."

"Really?" Sejanus replies, pleased.

Coriolanus nods. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure."

With a featherlight touch, Coriolanus reaches out, outlining it with his thumb, and Sejanus' eyes close.

Emboldened by Sejanus' reaction to the gentle contact, he leans in, his tongue just barely tracing the metal that loops around his boyfriend's ear.

An exquisite, tortured sound from Sejanus only spurs Coriolanus on, and he walks Sejanus backward toward the bed, Sejanus' eyes opening in surprise just before the back of his knees hit the frame. Wasting no time, Coriolanus climbs on top of his boyfriend and leans down, pressing kiss after kiss into his throat while Sejanus hums in a contented way.

With no warning, Coriolanus moves up quickly and swirls his tongue around Sejanus' earlobe before gently catching it between his teeth.

"Oh fuck," Sejanus pants, his hands digging into Coriolanus' sides.

"Are your ears really that sensitive?" Coriolanus asks, pulling away briefly, intrigued.

"Um, I guess so," Sejanus says breathlessly, the hard line in his jeans pressing into Coriolanus' inner thigh. "It feels...really good when you do that with your tongue."

Not needing any more encouragement, Coriolanus leaned down again, this time to the left side of Sejanus, sucking yet another mark on his throat to claim him before trapping the unpierced earlobe between his teeth. This time, he's a bit rougher with the bite because he's not worried about pulling out an earring by mistake, and Sejanus fucking whines.

"Oh, god, Coryo," he exhales shakily, his hands pushing Coriolanus' hips against his own. "How does that feel so good?"

"Because I'm just that good," Coriolanus says softly into his ear, and Sejanus shivers.

"You are."

There's a thrill of pleasure at Sejanus becoming so pliant so easily under his touch, with barely anything having happened yet. Coriolanus is struck by an idea as he kisses Sejanus, who eagerly reciprocates the affection, one hand leaving Coriolanus' hips to grip his hair instead.

After a moment, Coryo pulls away slightly, enjoying the tension in his hair while he whispers, "Tell me what you want, Sejanus."

"Anything you're willing to give me," Sejanus sighs, the warm breath tickling Coriolanus' collarbone.

Coriolanus chuckles, "Well, I'd give you everything, so you're going to have to be a bit more specific to get what you want."

"Are you..." Sejanus stops. "Do you mean...?"

Coriolanus traces Sejanus' nose with his own. "I do. Not today, but maybe sometime this week. If you want to," he adds.

"Are you joking," Sejanus deadpans. "Are you really asking if I want to have penetrative sex with you? As if that's even a question."

Coriolanus laughs, kissing him again fervently until Sejanus pulls away, looking thoughtful.

"We need to start prepping then," Sejanus says, sitting up and letting go of Coriolanus' hair. "We can't just, like, go for it." Sejanus runs his hands down Coriolanus' body, resting his hands on his ass. "Would you want to be receiving or giving?"

"I don't know-"

"Well, do you have any experience with fingering yourself?"

Coriolanus flushes a deep red. "Um, no," he stammers. "I don't. Do you?"

"Yeah," Sejanus replies as if it's the most normal thing to say.

"Oh," Coriolanus says awkwardly.

"I think it'd make more sense if I bottom the first time then," Sejanus says, leaning his forehead against his boyfriend's and sneaking his hands under his shirt. "But you should probably learn how to prep me first because otherwise, it will not go well."

"Teach me?" Coriolanus asks, tracing his lips with his fingertips.

"Right now?" Sejanus replies.

Coriolanus nods, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Sejanus swallows, nodding dumbly. "Okay. Yeah. Um. We need..." he trails off as Coriolanus licks the hoop adorning his ear.

"Lube?" Coriolanus supplies, smiling against the skin of his throat.

"Yes, that," Sejanus laughs breathlessly. "And to make sure your nails are trimmed."

Coriolanus leans back, holding up his hands, and Sejanus catches both to inspect.

"You need to trim them even more than this, just to be safe."

Coriolanus examines his nails. "So, basically, I shouldn't see any white?"

"Yeah, I mean, that's a good rule of thumb." Sejanus mourns the loss of Coriolanus' body heat as his boyfriend clambers off the bed. "And file them too. I usually run each nail over my tongue, and if I can feel the nail, it's too long."

Coriolanus hums affirmatively, waltzing back into the bathroom before locating a pair of clippers and a nail file. Sejanus joins him, unable to keep his hands to himself at the thought of what's going to happen next.

"You're making this very difficult," Coriolanus chides him as Sejanus' hands wander, though his words lack any sort of bite as he says them with a smile. "I should just clip them all, right? No reason to have them all be different lengths."

"Yeah, that would look pretty weird," Sejanus laughs.

After a few moments, Coriolanus holds his hands out for inspection.

"Better," Sejanus agrees. "But there's still one more test."

Coriolanus gives him a look of confusion, and Sejanus smirks before bringing his boyfriend's fingers to his lips. Sejanus opens his mouth, running the fingertips one at a time across his tongue, while Coriolanus watches with a stunned expression. After he thoroughly checks them, Sejanus shifts to sucking on Coriolanus' fingers, enjoying the way his mouth drops open.

Eventually, Sejanus pulls off, satisfied with the look of desperation on Coriolanus' face. "Much better." Sejanus tangles their hands together. "Let's go back to bed."

Chapter Text

"Whenever you're ready, I am too," Sejanus says against Coriolanus' lips after about fifteen minutes of just kissing go by.

"Can I watch you first?" Coriolanus asks nervously. "I've never... I mean obviously, that's what I said earlier, but...I just want to make sure I do it right."

Sejanus flushes. "Oh...um, yeah. Sure." He sits up on his elbows, leaning against the pillows and shyly spreading his legs as he applies lube to his fingers. Coriolanus' eyes follow the movement of Sejanus' hand, slipping lower until Sejanus prodded at his entrance.

"I usually just start with one finger," Sejanus says self-consciously. "Then once I relax more, I add another." Coriolanus nods, looking at him like a math problem he needs to solve, seemingly ready to get a notepad and pencil to take notes.

Sejanus clears his throat. "Um, can you, like, touch me too? I feel like a science experiment you're observing," Sejanus laughs awkwardly.

"Oh," Coriolanus blinks several times, face blushing furiously. "Yeah, of course. Where?"

"Anywhere," Sejanus answers honestly and Coriolanus smirks, lying beside his boyfriend.

"Here?" Coriolanus asks carelessly, tracing his jaw with his fingertips. His lips follow, and Sejanus sighs into the affection. "Or maybe..." Coriolanus' hand drifts lower, earning a sharp inhale from his boyfriend, "here?"

"There," Sejanus agrees, breathing unevenly as Coriolanus strokes him. There's a sudden sharp noise of need from Sejanus, and Coriolanus notices there are now two fingers inside of him, not thrusting, but still moving in a specific way.

"How do I get that sound from you again?" Coriolanus whispers into his ear and Sejanus' eyes close.

"Want me to show you?" Sejanus asks, his eyes fluttering open.

"Please."

Dazed, Sejanus removes his fingers before taking one of Coriolanus' in his hand, dribbling some lube on his fingers.

It's slippery, Coriolanus notices dimly, just before his brain goes completely blank as his index finger enters his boyfriend.

"Okay," Sejanus exhales. "Now you just need to crook your finger..." Sejanus trails off, unsure of how to explain it as he removes his own finger. "Just explore a little bit, and I'll let you know when it feels good."

Cautiously, Coriolanus does, his body overheating from how incredibly hot this is. As he goes deeper, Coriolanus crooks his finger, but it doesn't elicit the same sound that he heard earlier. Determined, he adjusts the angle several times before being rewarded by Sejanus arching, his desperate cry filling the room.

Satisfied, Coriolanus tries different speeds, getting used to the wrist movement necessary to make Sejanus' head fall back as he clutches at the bedsheets. "Can I add another finger?" Sejanus nods helplessly, harshly exhaling against Coriolanus' cheek.

Coriolanus wonders if it really feels this good for Sejanus, but decides there would be no reason for his boyfriend to fake it. He'd almost be jealous of the pleasure Sejanus is experiencing if he wasn't the source of it.

Inspired, Coriolanus gives no warning to Sejanus before he leans forward and his mouth is around his cock, having to pause the thrusting momentarily before readjusting his hand, and Sejanus moans in an obscene way. When Coriolanus re-enters and strokes that perfect spot inside that he found earlier, Sejanus all but screams his name, causing Coriolanus to moan around his cock; and that's all it takes for Sejanus to come undone, a high-pitched sound of pleasure as Coriolanus works him through it. As he swallows, Coriolanus ruts against the bed until he comes as well, pulling off Sejanus and resting his head against his hip as his release overwhelms him.

Speechless, overly warm, and slightly dizzy, Sejanus can't help the lazy grin that stretches across his face.

"How was it?" Coriolanus asks, not having the strength to lift his head even as he removes his fingers.

"Amazing," Sejanus pants, a succinct answer that fills Coriolanus’ chest with pride.

"Which part in particular?" Coriolanus can't help but question, wanting more praise.

"Um, your fingers, and...and your mouth, and just...you." Sejanus gestures vaguely with one hand as his eyes close, his chest rising and falling like he'd run a race.

They exist in a pleasant quiet haze together, just breathing the same air as the sunlight dims, throwing shadows across the room.

Coriolanus looks up at his boyfriend, curiosity needing to be satisfied. "This is random, but when did you start fingering yourself?"

"Thirteen," Sejanus responds without opening his eyes. "I heard about it at school – because, of course, I did; I was pretty sheltered up until then." He stretched. "And I googled it, found out you needed lube if you were a guy, so I ordered some off the internet with one of the shared family credit cards." Sejanus laughs to himself, shaking his head. "I didn't realize my parents could see the website on their credit card bill. I wanted to die when my parents came in the next night with books and diagrams and gave me 'the talk.'" Sejanus opens his eyes, groaning as he remembers the horror of that night. "My parents made sure I wasn't sexually active yet, which was one of the most embarrassing conversations of my life. All while emphasizing how ‘normal’ my urges were, and how I wasn’t in trouble, they just wanted to make sure I knew what sex was and to wait until I was older to start having it.”

"I think my grandmother would die on the spot if she had to give me 'the talk,'" Coriolanus muses. "Tigris briefly attempted when I was eleven but then gave up when I started asking questions about how boys had sex. I don't think she knew herself. Thankfully, our school has a somewhat decent sex education class, even if it's not particularly detailed for queer sex. At least it was mentioned."

"That's fair," Sejanus replies. "I don't know if my middle school mentioned it at all."

With a groan, Coriolanus sits up, lightheaded. "I need to take another shower," he says, shifting in the sticky discomfort of his underwear.

"Want to shower together?" Sejanus suggests, his energy returning as he sits up too.

"Sure," Coriolanus replies, yawning. "Then I want a nap."

"A nap sounds amazing," Sejanus agrees, standing up before offering a hand to his boyfriend.

"Also..." Coriolanus trails off, suddenly embarrassed as he takes it.

"Also?" Sejanus echoes curiously.

"Can you..." Coriolanus cannot stand how humiliated he feels, so he forces out the next words in a rush, "Can you do that for me next time?"

"Finger you?" Sejanus clarifies, his excitement clear in his voice despite how desperately he wants to play it cool.

"Yeah," Coriolanus says, stumbling through his words. "I want to know what it feels like. If it feels as good as it seems. Not today," he adds, nervousness swallowing him whole. "But maybe...tomorrow?"

"I'm happy to whenever you want me to," Sejanus reassures him as they enter the bathroom, leaning over to turn the shower on. "Whether it's tomorrow, another day, or months from now. We don't have to rush anything, Coryo."

Relieved, Coriolanus nods, stripping off his underwear. "Okay. Thanks."

Sejanus leads Coriolanus into the warmth of the shower, wrapping his arms around him; Coriolanus expects a steamy kiss, but Sejanus simply pulls him in for a hug, resting his head against his boyfriend's as he hums contentedly. Somehow it feels more intimate than anything they'd done up until that point, and Coriolanus can't help but remember those three words he'd overheard Sejanus whisper to him in the dark all those weeks ago.

His heart races in his chest until Sejanus releases him and reaches past him for the body wash.

"How does pizza sound for dinner tonight?" Sejanus proposes, and Coriolanus' heart rate begins to return to normal.

"Sounds good to me," Coriolanus replies, grateful for the distraction. "They aren't coming over until 6, right?"

"Yep. So, I'll set an alarm for 5 p.m." Sejanus surprises Coriolanus with a kiss on his forehead. "Unless you want to sleep longer."

"Five sounds fine," Coriolanus says before adding hesitantly, "I might have a snack before if that's okay."

"That's more than okay - we bought plenty of snacks for this reason," Sejanus reminds him. "Which snack do you want? I'll go downstairs and grab it for you."

"You don't have to do that-"

"Too late, I'm already getting out of the shower," Sejanus informs him as he deftly sneaks around his boyfriend, wrapping a towel around himself with a cheeky smile. "Might as well tell me before I bring up half the pantry."

Horribly enamored by his boyfriend, Coriolanus can't help the blush on his face, though if Sejanus had asked, he would have blamed it on the shower temperature. "Can you get me some Ritz crackers?"

Sejanus nods seriously, his mission clear. "I'll be right back."

Chapter Text

The infinity pool glistens in the moonlight, the dark horizon of the ocean visible below it, and Coriolanus sips his hard lemonade from the glass bottle. Sejanus assured him his parents wouldn't notice if they drank some, and Coriolanus had to admit it tasted significantly better than vodka or any other cheap beer Festus had managed to get from his older brother.

Hilarius is already at the edge of the pool and dives in, emerging with a grin. Sejanus filters out the back door with more drinks in one hand and a bag of chips in another, with Lucy Gray following behind with a few snacks of her own and chatting animatedly.

"Oooh, maraschino cherries," Coriolanus notices, taking one from the bowl as Lucy Gray sets it down. It's almost too sweet as he bites into it, the liquid sugar oozing over his tongue all at once, likely staining it red. He can't help but reach for another, relishing in the luxury of having snacks to feast on whenever he wants, and not worrying about the nutritional value or price.

"Did you know I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue?" Sejanus asks off-handedly.

"Prove it," Lucy Gray says, stripping her coverup dress off. Coriolanus is pleased to see how Hilarius' eyes trace her body from the pool, his pale face remarkably flushed considering the comfortable temperature outside.

Sejanus selects a cherry with a longer stem, biting off the fruit, if it can even be called that. Coriolanus feels desire tighten like a vice around his stomach as Sejanus’ tongue darts out to lick at the liquid sugar that dripped down the side of his mouth, memories from early that day flashing through his mind. After a moment, Sejanus opens his mouth again, the stem disappearing inside while Sejanus' jaw moves.

"I'm out of practice," Sejanus says after a few seconds. "Give me a little more time."

Hilarius appears, dripping from the pool as he reaches for a hard lemonade. "What are we watching right now?"

"Sejanus said he can tie a cherry stem with his tongue," Lucy Gray informs him, and Coriolanus feels vindicated as her eyes also seem to be taking in Hilarius' body.

"Anyone can do that," Hilarius says dismissively, reaching for a cherry himself. "Watch me."

Before they can, Sejanus triumphantly pulls a cherry stem from his mouth, a perfect knot in the middle.

Coriolanus and Lucy Gray clap for him, and Hilarius rolls his eyes. "I'm sure I can do it faster."

"Go on then," Sejanus challenges.

They all watch in anticipation as Hilarius pops the stem in his mouth.

Sooner than Sejanus had, Hilarius opened his mouth to reveal the cherry stem neatly tied on his tongue. Lucy Gray stares at it noticeably longer than anyone else before forcing her eyes away.

"I concede," Sejanus says, laughing as he raises his hands in defeat. "Damn, I thought I was good at that."

"You just need to practice more," Hilarius says, feigning humbleness as he places his creation on the bar top. “Thanks for having us over, by the way.”

“It was Coriolanus’ idea.”

“But it’s your house,” Coriolanus replies.

“True,” Sejanus acknowledges. “I’m glad you both could make it, I haven't had anyone else over before." Before anyone can respond, Sejanus' phone vibrates on the counter, and he checks it. “Great, the pizza will be here soon.” He finishes his drink, looking towards the cabana before asking suddenly, "Hey, do you guys want to watch a movie?"

"I thought we were going swimming," Lucy Gray reminds him.

"Oh, we have a projector screen out here so we can swim and watch,” Sejanus explains, reaching for a remote before aiming it at the cabana where a screen silently unfolds.

“What the fuck,” Hilarius says in disbelief, and Coriolanus is inclined to agree.

“I’ll go get the projector,” Sejanus says before stepping inside again.

That leaves the three of them outside alone.

“So, how is it going with the two of you?” Lucy Gray sparkles at him. “The secret boyfriends of Malibu Academy.”

“It’s been…pretty great,” Coriolanus admits shyly, and Lucy Gray squeals and claps.

“You know, Sejanus was so down bad for you,” she informs him over the top of her glass bottle, and Coriolanus laughs. “It was almost embarrassing to watch.”

“Honestly, I think I was the same for him,” Coriolanus confesses. “He is…” he trails off, struggling to convey his exact feelings before finishing lamely, “a really good person.”

“I thought you were going to say, ‘good in bed,’” Lucy Gray says primly, and Hilarius chokes on his sip of alcohol. “You okay there?” she asks, smirking at him as he coughs, and Coriolanus smacks him on the back to assist.

“Fine,” Hilarius manages, waving Coriolanus off. “Just didn’t expect that.”

“I mean, I figured from the game, he was bound to know a thing or two,” Lucy Gray continues, and Coriolanus laughs though his face is as bright red as Hilarius’.

“Sejanus knows more than a thing or two,” Coriolanus says, subconsciously biting his lip as he looks away and Lucy Gray cackles.

“What do I know more than a thing or two about?” Sejanus inquires, precariously balancing a projector on top of the pizzas. Everyone moves forward to help though no one answers his question as they place the pizzas on the bar. Hilarius goes to help set up the projector with Sejanus as Lucy Gray and Coriolanus get the plates and napkins from inside the house.

“Hey, Coriolanus,” Lucy Gray begins, handing him a stack of paper plates. “I wanted to apologize to you earlier about kissing Sejanus that day on the beach.”

“I understand why you did it,” Coriolanus replies politely as Lucy Gray digs in the fridge and emerges triumphantly with some grapes. “I would have been outed if you didn't kiss him.”

“Yeah, but it was still your boyfriend,” Lucy Gray continues, grimacing. “I don’t know if I’d have been as calm as you were if the positions were reversed.”

“Oh, I was absolutely not calm,” Coriolanus informs her. “I was so furious I told Sejanus I wanted to kill you that he was driving us home.”

"Honestly?" Lucy Gray’s incredulous laughter fills the kitchen as they walk towards the back door. “Completely understandable."

Coriolanus shrugged. "So, it's not a big deal, Lucy Gray."

"Still, I'm sorry, Coriolanus."

“Apology accepted,” Coriolanus says, and he’s surprised to realize he means it. “Just don’t ever kiss him again, and we’ll be fine.”

Lucy Gray crosses her fingers. “Hopefully, there won’t be a reason for me to. As long as you both keep your hands to each other in public,” she teases.

“Fair,” Coriolanus grins as they enter the backyard.

“Okay, so the movie that’s already in here is Finding Nemo,” Sejanus squints. “Is everyone okay with that?”

“I think that’s the perfect movie to watch in the pool,” Lucy Gray replies, bringing her plate to the edge of the pool where the steps are.

“All right, we’re watching Finding Nemo,” Sejanus decrees.

They eat their food in pleasant silence as the movie begins, Coriolanus noticing as Hilarius and Lucy Gray take turns quoting it at each other. He exchanges a look with his boyfriend, who grins at him before kissing him chastely.

“Hey!” Hilarius interjects. “This is a children’s movie - no PDA allowed.”

“It was one kiss,” Coriolanus complains.

“No kissing,” Hilarius deadpans.

“Sorry, Hilarius, but it sounds like you’re just jealous,” Coriolanus taunts.

Hilarius considers him for a moment. “I am. Sejanus is an attractive man, I can’t lie.”

Lucy Gray laughs uproariously at that, and Hilarius seems pleased by her reaction.

Even still, after Coriolanus finishes his pizza, he sits a little farther away from his boyfriend; at least, until Sejanus’ hand finds his thigh under the water, making his breath catch during probably the least sexy part of the movie where Nemo is taken by the scuba diver.

It's practically impossible to focus on the film as Sejanus effortlessly pulls him onto his lap, still letting Coriolanus face the movie as his lips ghost his throat and Coriolanus arches against him.

“Hey!” Lucy Gray chastises them. “What’s going on over there?”

“Nothing,” Sejanus replies innocently as his hand does decidedly not innocent things to Coriolanus’ body beneath the water.

With a sigh, Coriolanus turns his body to face Sejanus’, wrapping his legs around his waist like last night, and kisses him.

“Hey, hey!” Hilarius exclaims, and Coriolanus and Sejanus feel splashes of water at them.

They pull away laughing, arms still intertwined around each other. “Stop it!” Coriolanus protests.

“Stop trying to hook up in the pool!” Lucy Gray retorts.

“Never,” Sejanus replies firmly, bringing Coriolanus’ mouth against his to the joint groans of Lucy Gray and Hilarius.

“Whores!” Lucy Gray calls out, swimming to the opposite end of the pool.

“You guys could also be making out right now,” Coriolanus yells back, and Sejanus’ eyes widen at his boyfriend’s audacity. “Nothing is stopping you!”

Hilarius and Lucy Gray stop, looking at each other and away just as quickly, and Sejanus snorts before catching Coriolanus’ lips with his own again. The movie plays for a few seconds, only punctuated by the sound of the water slapping the sides of the pool as the boyfriends in the corner make zero effort to be discreet with their amorous activity.

Hilarius clears his throat before turning to Lucy Gray, emboldened by the darkness and alcohol in his veins. “I mean, I’m not opposed to the idea.”

A slow smile stretches across Lucy Gray’s face as she paddles over to him. “If you can’t beat ‘em, why not join ‘em?”

Hilarius tucks a stray curl behind her ear, his pulse roaring in his ears as he leans in and Lucy Gray does too, their eyes closing just as their lips meet, and-oh.

After a few minutes of only hearing movie dialogue in the background, Coriolanus notices the lack of commentary from the opposite side of the pool and looks over to see Lucy Gray and Hilarius locked in a kiss so intense that he wonders if they can breathe. Lucy Gray’s arms are wrapped around Hilarius’ shoulders and ostensibly her legs around his hips, while Hilarius’ hands are on her back, holding her against his body as his fingertips slip underneath the strings of her bikini.

“Whores!” Coriolanus catcalls, but they don’t even deign to stop to respond. “What did I say?” he says smugly to his boyfriend.

“I’ll never doubt your matchmaking skills again,” Sejanus solemnly vows, and Coriolanus grins at him, resuming their kiss with new fervor as the movie continues on.

Chapter Text

The next day, both couples are at the beach, enjoying the sunshine and waves crashing in the distance as they lounge on the sand.

“Can you take a picture of us?” Coriolanus asks, handing the phone to Lucy Gray.

“Why didn’t you give the camera to me?” Hilarius complains. “I’m your best friend!”

“Because you’re terrible at taking pictures,” Coriolanus retorts. “Trust me, if I want a blurry picture of me at an unflattering angle, you’ll be the first I ask.”

Hilarius mutters something under his breath while Sejanus laughs, adjusting so he’s sitting upright.

“Okay, get closer,” Lucy Gray says before pausing, her brow furrowed. “Wait, is this just supposed to be a friend or boyfriend picture? Because that will dictate the poses.”

Coriolanus hesitates, and Sejanus opens his mouth to reply.

“Can we do a couple of both?” Coriolanus interjects, surprising his boyfriend while Lucy Gray nods, playing with the camera modes.

“Are you sure?” Sejanus asks quietly, searching his face. “We don’t have to have any pictures together until you’re out.”

“I want pictures with my boyfriend,” Coriolanus says stubbornly before adding with a shrug of his shoulders, “I’ll just put them in a Locked Folder. No one else will ever see them.”

Sejanus tries and fails to hide his excitement as he pulls Coriolanus in for an eager kiss, and Lucy Gray calls out in a teasing tone, “Smile!”

They can hear the photo app clicking as Lucy Gray walks around them, getting different angles.

After a moment, Lucy Gray clears her throat pointedly. “I think we got enough of the making-out pictures.”

Laughing, Coriolanus reluctantly pulls away, face flushing as he smiles shyly for the camera, his arms still around Sejanus’ neck. His eyes close as Sejanus presses his lips to his cheek, and his lips stretch into a wide smile.

“Okay, that was adorable,” Lucy Gray decrees. “However, I think we need some friend pictures.” She raises an eyebrow as they try to shift apart, but their arms are still very much intertwined around each other. “You guys still look way too gay.”

Sejanus bursts into laughter. “Please direct us then because that’s not something we can change without help from some heterosexuals.”

With some maneuvering from both Hilarius and Lucy Gray, the final pose is Sejanus and Coriolanus standing next to each other, arms loosely around each other as they smile.

“Cute, very platonic,” Lucy Gray says approvingly, snapping a few more pictures before handing it over to an eager Coriolanus.

“How about you?” Coriolanus asks. “Do you guys want pictures?”

Hilarius looks like a deer in headlights and Lucy Gray blushes furiously.

“Or how about we just take some pictures as a group?” Coriolanus redirects, handing the phone to Sejanus who is the tallest of them, and Hilarius and Lucy Gray relax.

It takes a few seconds, but soon enough, they get arranged so everyone and the shoreline are visible in the picture.

“Smile!” Sejanus says before pressing the center button.

*

The week passes in a blur of double dates with Lucy Gray and Hilarius, lounging on the couch together, swimming in the pool, and having breathless sex.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Coriolanus whispers one night in the dark, the bedroom illuminated only by the gentle moonlight.

“Me too,” Sejanus says softly.

Coriolanus turns to face him, and soon their gentle kisses turn into something more fervent, more desperate as their legs tangle together.

*

The week comes to a bittersweet end, and Coriolanus and Lucy Gray are reclined on a pair of giant unicorn inflatables in the pool while Sejanus and Hilarius play darts in the game room.

“This has been so amazing,” Lucy Gray says wistfully, her fingers trailing in the water, her eyes closed underneath her sunglasses.

“I know,” Coriolanus sighs. “I don’t want it to end.”

Hilarius appears, triumphant with Sejanus rolling his eyes. “I am the victor!”

Lucy Gray and Coriolanus dutifully clap in an unenthusiastic way while Hilarius bows as if it’s a standing ovation.

Hilarius’ phone beeps as he takes a seat on a lounge chair, and he squints in the sun as he reads the notification. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Coriolanus asks though he’s not very invested in the answer as his foot pushes off from the edge where he had floated.

“Festus is having a party,” Hilarius responds, scratching the back of his head. “His parents are gone until tomorrow.”

“He’s having a house party?”

“Apparently. He said it’s open to everyone, we just need to let him know who is coming.” Hilarius looks up. “Are we interested? He’s asking for a headcount for food.”

A shadow falls across Coriolanus’ face, and he squints at his boyfriend before saying in a faux-annoyed tone, “You’re blocking my sun.”

“I’m protecting you from a sunburn,” Sejanus teases. “You should probably reapply sunscreen and go in the shade for a bit.”

“But it’s so nice in the pool,” Coriolanus replies, letting his head loll against the rainbow tail of the unicorn.

“You’ll thank me later,” Sejanus assures him, already guiding the unicorn floatie to the shallow end.

“Guys, what do we think?” Hilarius repeats himself. “Are we going tonight or not?”

“I don’t care either way,” Lucy Gray replies, before extricating herself from her unicorn and diving under.

“Sejanus? Coriolanus?” Hilarius looks at them hopefully.

“Do you want to go?” Coriolanus laughs.

“I think it would be fun,” Hilarius shrugs nonchalantly.

“Where is it?” Sejanus asks, wrapping a towel around Coriolanus and bringing him in for a hug. Coriolanus rests his head against his chest, humming happily.

“The address says 1871 Malibu Way.”

“Oh, that’s walking distance from here,” Sejanus says thoughtfully. “We wouldn’t have to get an Uber or worry about parking.”

“So…” Hilarius trails off. “Are we in?”

Sejanus looks at Coriolanus. “What do we think?”

“Sounds fun,” Coriolanus replies. “Just remember, you’re dating Lucy Gray.” He raises his eyebrows at Hilarius. “So, you can’t kiss my boyfriend’s girlfriend at the party.”

“Oh,” Hilarius’ face fell before he hastily recovered. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

Lucy Gray emerges from the pool steps, wringing out her hair. “I think it’ll be a harder thing for you boys to keep your hands off each other,” she teases. “I mean, look at you.”

“We’ll be fine,” Coriolanus dismisses, stepping away to illustrate how fine he was with not touching his boyfriend though his stomach dropped at the thought. “It’ll be good practice for us going back to school.”

“Okay then,” Sejanus nods. “What time does the party start?”

“7 p.m.”

“We have a few hours then,” Sejanus muses. “Want to go to In-N-Out for a super late lunch?”

“That sounds amazing,” Lucy Gray says, already pulling her cover-up on. “Let’s go, boys; I'm starving."

Chapter Text

Music pounds through Coriolanus' chest as they walk beside the cars lining the boulevard of the street.

"Hilarius!" one of their classmates yells, and with a grin, he jogs over to greet them, leaving Lucy Gray, Coriolanus, and Sejanus to walk up the driveway together.

Politely, Sejanus knocks at the door, and Lucy Gray laughs. "It's a house party - I'd be shocked if the front door wasn't already open," she says as she reaches for the handle.

The door swings open easily, and the lyrics of "Trap Queen" blast out to greet them as they enter the house.

"Holy shit," Coriolanus breathes, staring in overt awe.

The house is enormous, several multicolored lights dousing the walls as they rotate, briefly blinding the three of them. A few couples dot the darker corners of the room, and several people grind together near the large speakers set up in the spacious living room to the right. A rambunctious cheer rises from the kitchen straight ahead, where a table was set up for beer pong and a crowd had gathered.

"Lucy Gray!"

"Clemensia!" Lucy Gray squeals, letting herself be pulled away into the other girl's arms. "You remember Coriolanus and Sejanus?"

Clemensia looks at them both, her gaze lingering on Coriolanus and her face flushing. "I remember," she smiles at Coriolanus, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Fighting the instinct to grip Sejanus' hand, Coriolanus stuffs them nonchalantly into his front pockets instead. "Nice to see you again," he replies charmingly.

"It's very nice to see you too," Clemensia says significantly.

Sejanus clears his throat. "So, what do you say to a game of beer pong? Girls versus boys?"

"You're on," Lucy Gray says, wrapping an arm around Sejanus and squeezing briefly.

Coriolanus had forgotten how fucking jealous and possessive he is as a person until he sees Lucy Gray with his boyfriend; he takes a deep breath, reminding himself she was doing this for them, and then he grins.

"Let's do it."

They watch the remainder of the current teams battle it out, and Coriolanus can't help but join in with the infectious cheers at the end.

"All right, we're taking the table for the next round," Sejanus informs everyone, and people make a path for them. Coriolanus feels Sejanus' hand brush against his lower back, and he immediately takes a shot offered to him to dull the intense want that chaste touch inspired.

He may have underestimated his own self-control after having unrestricted access and privacy with his secret boyfriend for the past week.

The game passes in a blur as Coriolanus takes two additional shots in quick succession. Sejanus had to reach out to catch him as he stumbled back after his toss that missed so badly that the ball bounced off the chandelier above them.

With one smooth toss, Lucy Gray sinks the ball into their final cup, and the crowd goes wild.

"Sorry, boys, you just can't hang with the girls," Lucy Gray taunts.

"You're not wrong," Sejanus agrees, keeping a firm hand on Coriolanus, who leans against him, giggling and flushed. "Enjoy your victory while I go help sober up Coriolanus."

Lucy Gray and Clemensia are immediately challenged to another game against the previous winners, and they barely acknowledge Sejanus' "Have fun!"

Sejanus catches Coriolanus' wandering hands with a quick look around the room before ducking into an empty bathroom and locking the door behind them.

Coriolanus pounces on Sejanus, pushing him against the door as he kisses his boyfriend with reckless abandon, and Sejanus' eyes widen.

"Coryo, we're at a party-"

"But I'm horny," Coriolanus pouts.

"And very drunk," Sejanus counters.

"Not that drunk," Coriolanus insists, dragging his hands down Sejanus' chest. "What's so bad about wanting to fuck your boyfriend?"

"Nothing," Sejanus admits, running a hand through his boyfriend's blond hair with an indulgent expression before pulling him into a hug. "But I'm just trying my best not to out you, Coryo."

"I know," Coryo mumbles into his shirt, sounding only a tiny bit annoyed when he adds, "You're a really good secret boyfriend."

Sejanus flushes with pleasure at the words before giving in to the next kiss Coriolanus bestows upon him.

"Can you touch me, please?" Coryo entreats in a breathy, desperate tone. "I just - we haven't had sex today, and you looked so hot when we were playing beer pong..."

For a moment, Sejanus doesn't say anything, and Coriolanus sways unsteadily, biting his lip as he looks up at Sejanus.

“Drink water first,” Sejanus decides, gesturing to the sink.

Rolling his eyes, Coriolanus turns the faucet on, bending over to gulp several mouthfuls before straightening up.

“Okay, please touch me now,” Coryo insists, grabbing one of Sejanus’s hands and resting it on his belt buckle.

“Happy to,” Sejanus murmurs, making quick work of his jeans, letting the belt flop open before he grasps Coriolanus’ cock, who moans in relief, his eyes closing as he rests his cheek against Sejanus’ chest.

Coriolanus intertwines his arms around Sejanus’ neck, biting the sensitive skin there as Sejanus strokes him leisurely just the way he likes.

“The hickeys were just starting to fade,” Sejanus chides him, laughing as Coriolanus stubbornly sucks a new one into his throat. It took only a few more strokes before Coriolanus’ breathing got heavy, and Sejanus dropped to his knees before taking him in his mouth.

Coriolanus covers his mouth with his hand as the pleasure overwhelmed him, his eyes fluttering closed as he whines and Sejanus conscientiously ensures he swallows everything.

“Your turn,” Coryo pants as Sejanus got to his feet, wiping his mouth.

“No, I’m fine for now,” Sejanus replies, gently removing his boyfriend’s hands from the top of his jeans and smiling at his frustrated expression. “I don’t want to risk anyone noticing how long we’ve been gone.”

“Fine,” Coriolanus sighs dramatically, “don’t let me get you off.”

“Trust me, I will want that later when we’re alone, and you’ve sobered up a bit,” Sejanus promises him just as someone knocked on the door, startling both.

“Just a minute,” Sejanus calls before leaning in to press his lips against Coryo’s, who made a happy sound, trying to chase him after Sejanus pulls away. “Okay, now I need you to try to behave yourself, Mr. Snow - we’re in public.”

“I’ll try my best,” Coriolanus said blithely, and Sejanus bit back a laugh. It wasn’t like his boyfriend to be so drunkenly carefree, but it was endearing – probably because it so rarely happened.

Sejanus opened the door for Coriolanus, who smiled brightly at him before he saw the person waiting in the hallway, and the happy expression instantly died.

“Coryo?” Sejanus asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

“Andy,” Coriolanus said tightly. “Hi.”

Chapter Text

Andy opens his mouth with a contemptuous expression, but before he can say anything, Coriolanus sidesteps him and takes off down the stairs like a bat out of hell, leaving Sejanus and Andy alone, staring after him.

"Classy of you guys to fuck in the bathroom," Andy says derisively.

"Sounds like you're jealous, Andy," Sejanus shot back, wanting to follow Coriolanus but unable to let Andy have the last word. "Sorry that Coriolanus doesn't want you anymore."

"He wasn't that good of a fuck anyway," Andy dismisses, and Sejanus' shoulders go taut.

"Why are you such a dick?" Sejanus demands. "You're the one who ended things with him in the first place."

Andy crosses his arms, shrugging. "Just because I don't want to be with him doesn't mean I want to see him with someone else."

Sejanus realizes then that Andy is a sociopath.

Wordlessly, Sejanus shakes his head. "Wow. Okay." He rubs his face, "Just - fuck off, Andy, and leave Coriolanus out of whatever the fuck it is that you're going through right now."

"Afraid he'll leave me for you?" Andy smirks.

"Not even a little bit," Sejanus replies, laughing incredulously. "Have the night you deserve, Andy."

Ignoring the stunned look on his face, Sejanus pushes past him and takes the stairs two at a time, determined to find his boyfriend.

He finds Coriolanus in the kitchen, downing a beer as people chant "Chug, chug, chug!"

Coriolanus finishes the beer, coughing slightly as cheers go up around him, barely catching himself on the kitchen counter.

"Hey," Sejanus says, placing what he hopes is a platonic hand on his shoulder, "maybe we should go for a walk."

"I'm fine," Coriolanus lies, shrugging him off as he places the empty beer on the counter next to the growing collection. "I just need another drink."

"You've already had four," Sejanus frowns.

"So?" Coriolanus scoffs. "What the fuck does it matter to you?"

"Are we really doing this right now?" Sejanus asks, lowering his voice. "After the week we had together?”

"I'm not...trying to." Coriolanus' gaze drops to the floor, his lips tight. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"Can we at least go to the beach?" Sejanus prods. "We don't have to talk, but it's hot as hell in here, and I need a break."

For a moment, Sejanus worries that Coriolanus won't agree and will go back to binge drinking, but then Coriolanus gives a curt nod, and Sejanus inwardly exhales in relief.

"Let's go," Sejanus leads him out of the kitchen to the backyard, ignoring the game of spin the bottle going on and the other people smoking weed, strewn around on the outdoor furniture.

*

Andy surveys the room, bored and irritated.

Sejanus really thought he was special, did he?

Well, he wasn’t.

He takes another swig from the expensive vodka bottle, ignoring the cup offered to him.

Coriolanus didn't deserve to be happy. Andy preferred seeing him sad, insecure, and pathetic, like a kicked puppy. Seeing him emerge from the bathroom with that well-fucked, blissful expression was unbearable.

Not to mention his little boyfriend's comment about having the night he deserved, whatever the fuck that meant.

"Yo, is this someone's phone?" Someone calls out from the beer pong table, holding up a red phone with a case from his previous tennis academy.

Andy narrows his eyes; he recognized that phone case.

"Yeah, that's mine," Andy says with a smile. "Thanks so much."

The drunk guy hands it over, and Andy taps in what he remembers to be Coriolanus' previous phone code.

It unlocks, and Andy grins.

Oh, he certainly would have the night he deserved - and so would Coriolanus.

*

Neither of them say anything as they walk down the long wooden staircase to the sand. Sejanus had insisted on going ahead of Coriolanus, not entirely trusting his coordination after the number of drinks his boyfriend had had. Still, they manage to reach the beach without any incident.

Coriolanus removes his shoes and socks, more by instinct than anything else, letting his feet sink into the sand as he stuffs the socks into the tennis shoes and held them with one hand; Sejanus follows suit, and they walk side-by-side for a few minutes. Despite the beach being completely empty, Sejanus doesn't take Coriolanus' hand, waiting for him to initiate physical contact.

"I hate him," Coriolanus says suddenly, shoulders hunched against the wind ruffling through his hair.

"I hate him too," Sejanus agrees.

Coriolanus kicks at the sand, but because of the direction of the wind, it just flies back and pelts his jeans. "He makes me...hate myself."

Sejanus furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

Coriolanus shakes his head. "I don't know. He just does." Coriolanus suddenly plops down into the sand, pulling his knees in as he looks away from Sejanus.

They sit together for a few moments.

"Am I a bad kisser?" Coriolanus blurts out.

"Are you a bad kisser?" Sejanus exclaims, sitting down beside him.

"You didn't say no," Coriolanus agonizes, curling into himself.

"You're not a bad kisser," Sejanus says hastily. "Is that what Andy told you?"

"Yes," Coriolanus whispers before resting his chin on his knees.

"You are a good kisser," Sejanus reassures him again, and Coriolanus sighs. "I have kissed - well, probably too many people," he laughs self-consciously, "but kissing you has been the best experience out of all of them."

"Thanks," Coriolanus says softly, hand trailing in the sand. "I know it's stupid, but I just - I didn't know for sure," Coriolanus admits. "He's just said a lot of stupid shit like that to me, and I can't forget any of it, even though I'm trying to. And now whenever I see Andy, I want to throw up. Or run away, which I guess I did," Coriolanus laughs bitterly.

"Probably a good thing, honestly," Sejanus replies. "He just said more stupid shit after you left."

"Like what?"

"It's not worth repeating."

Coriolanus brings his head up, wiping his eyes as he stares out at the dark mass of water as it crashes onto the shore. "I wish I didn't hate myself so much," he says in a detached way. "I wish I'd never been with Andy. And I know - I know people say things happen for a reason, or whatever. But I don't care. I want to stop hating myself. And I'm worried he's going to tell everyone I'm poor." The words start coming out in a rush, slurring a bit, "I don't know if anyone would believe him at first, but I think people would piece it together eventually. And I'm fucking terrified he's going to out me too, somehow."

"If he outed you, he'd out himself," Sejanus reminds him.

"I know, I know..." Coriolanus trails off, running a hand through his hair. "I just have a bad feeling."

"Andy does seem mentally unstable," Sejanus points out, and Coriolanus barks out a laugh.

"I only wish I’d known how much before I started hooking up with him."

“Yeah, but you didn’t know.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Coriolanus replies despondently.

Sejanus tentatively places his hand on top of his boyfriend’s, relieved when he doesn’t flinch away from the touch.

“I’m sorry I'm like this,” Coriolanus says softly. “I know I’m a lot.”

“If you were any less, I wouldn’t like you half as much.”

Coriolanus huffs a laugh through his nose. “Well, I’m sorry and you’re welcome, then?” Before Sejanus can reply, Coriolanus straightens up, a panicked look on his face. "Shit, I forgot to text Tigris back. She'll be worried." He pats his pockets, then freezes.

"What's wrong?'

"I can't find my phone," Coriolanus looks like he's about to be sick.

"Did you have it in the bathroom?" Sejanus prompts, getting to his feet and helping Coriolanus up.

"I don't - I don't remember," Coriolanus replies, frazzled. "I know I brought it, but I - I can't remember where I left it."

"We'll find it," Sejanus promises him, scrolling to Coriolanus' contact and pressing Call.

It rings once and then goes to voicemail. Sejanus knits his eyebrows together.

"Let's go back up to the house and look," Sejanus suggests, and Coriolanus nods, walking as fast as his drunk self can over the sand.

*

Andy scrolls through the texts but realizes Coriolanus and Sejanus had kept their texts carefully platonic. He's just about to drop the phone back on the counter and give up when he sees the photos app. He taps on it and scrolls through.

Boring, boring, boring.

Andy scoffs.

Trust Coriolanus not to have a single nude of his secret boyfriend saved, or even one of himself; then again, he'd always been too insecure about his body when Andy had been hooking up with him, which had been a complete turn-off to Andy. It wouldn't be surprising that he'd still have the same hang-ups even with his new little boyfriend.

He swipes back, annoyed at how fruitless this has been, then pauses as a new thought strikes him.

Andy goes back in and locates the Hidden folder photos.

It asks for a password, and Andy stares at the screen for a moment before typing in 123456.

Incorrect.

He tries the lock screen code again.

Incorrect.

In a last-ditch effort, realizing the code could also include letters, Andy tries tigris.

As the folder opens, Andy's eyes widen at the sheer number of photographs of Sejanus and Coriolanus kissing within it.

Without taking a second to think anything through, Andy selects several at random before hitting Share and then the Airdrop icon. He hesitates for only a second before Sejanus' contact pops up, and the jealous rage rises in him again.

Hitting Ignore, Andy selects every closeby device with Airdrop enabled, and he watches as everyone else's phones begin to light up.

Chapter Text

When his phone buzzes, Hilarius is laughing at a joke Lucy Gray had told him; never did he expect to see the pictures of Sejanus and Coriolanus they’d taken earlier in the week on his screen.

“Hilarius?” Lucy Gray bumps him. “You okay there?”

Wordlessly, he shows her the phone, and she stares at it, her face falling. The conversations around them have become hushed, and Hilarius can feel people’s eyes on them, likely waiting for Hilarius, Coriolanus’ best friend, to react in some way.

Well, he won’t give them a reaction; at least, not that much. There’s too much shock for him to maintain a completely blank expression, but he’ll be damned if he looks disgusted in any way.

“Shit,” Lucy Gray breathes, head whipping up as people begin whispering, eyes on both of them.

Right. Sejanus is supposed to be Lucy Gray’s boyfriend.

“Shit,” Hilarius agrees faintly.

“Wait, who sent them?” Lucy Gray grabs the phone out of Hilarius’ hand before narrowing her eyes. “The notification says it’s from Coriolanus’ iPhone.”

“There’s no fucking way he’d Airdrop those pictures.” Hilarius scowls and raises his head, scanning the crowd. “He put them in a Hidden folder, for fuck’s sake.”

“Someone has his phone,” Lucy Gray decides superfluously, craning her neck for suspects. “Who the fuck would do that to him?”

“I can think of someone,” Hilarius replies as he finds Androcles in the crowd, hastily shoving something behind an expensive-looking bread box.

Before Hilarius can confront him, the crowd goes silent, and Hilarius turns to see Coriolanus and Sejanus enter the kitchen from the backyard. A few people whisper behind their hands, but Coriolanus doesn’t seem to realize; he seems preoccupied with searching for something, but Sejanus notices the weird energy immediately.

“What’s…happening?” Sejanus questions, looking around at everyone, none of whom respond, as Coriolanus goes over to the beer pong table, apologizing as he threads his way past people.

Eyes darting between them, Hilarius clears his throat. “Um, Sejanus, can you come over here real quick?”

Sejanus narrows his eyes suspiciously but comes over, nonetheless. “What’s up?”

Hilarius sighs, bracing himself as he hands the phone over to Sejanus, who takes it with a confused expression.

Sejanus freezes.

“What the fuck?” Sejanus exhales softly.

Coriolanus rejoins them, looking stressed. “I still can’t find it, I don’t know where it could be – what are you looking at?”

“Coryo…” Sejanus begins, seemingly trying to buy time, but Coriolanus yanks the phone out of his hand.

Coriolanus doesn’t reply for about thirty seconds. “Does…was this sent to everyone?” he whispers, shoulders hunched.

Hilarius nods, reaching out for his friend, who flinches away. “Coryo, I’m so sorry-”

Before Hilarius can say another word, Coriolanus shoves his phone back at him, backing away, chest heaving as he turns and runs for the front door.

“Coryo!” Sejanus exclaims, making a move to follow him, but Hilarius’ hand catches his arm with a firm hold. He fights the grip, furious as he demands, “Let me go-”

“Sejanus, I think I know who did it,” Hilarius informs him, and Sejanus stops; Hilarius’ eyes flick over, and Sejanus follows his line of vision.

Sejanus strides across the kitchen, blocking the exit Andy appears to have been creeping towards; the crowd turns to watch.

“Is Coriolanus having the night he deserves?” Andy asks innocently, presumably assuming Sejanus wouldn't do anything to him in front of so many people.

Sejanus says nothing, but there's the dull sound of an impact just before Andy falls back against the counter with a cry, blood running down his nose, and a chorus of gasps fills the room.

*

Coriolanus is dizzy, he’s too dizzy – the world is spinning too fast, but he can’t stay still, he has to keep running.

He doesn’t know where he’s going, he just knows he can’t stop, he can’t let himself think or, or –

Wheezing, Coriolanus stumbles over an uneven part of the sidewalk, barely catching himself on a nearby tree.

Oh, god.

Everything is coming up, his eyes blurring, and his heart is about to beat out of his chest as saliva gathers in his throat-

He mentally apologizes to the tree as he throws up behind it, his body convulsing as he alternates between sobs and getting sick.

*

Instead of intervening, several people began recording, flashes lighting up the room and illustrating the horrible red color of the blood on Andy’s face.

“Where is it?” Sejanus demands, grabbing him by the front of the shirt.

“Where is what?” Andy replies indignantly, yanking himself out of his grip. With a haughty expression, he takes a towel offered to him and holds it to his face with a grimace.

“Where is his fucking phone?” Sejanus shouts, and Andy shrinks back. “Where is Coriolanus’ phone, you fucking thief!”

“I didn’t steal anything,” Andy snipes.

“It’s behind the bread box,” Hilarius calls out helpfully, and a few people turn to him, the flash on each phone momentarily blinding him and leaving black spots in his vision before they turn away to catch the new developments.

Sejanus shoves the bread box aside, and Andy takes another step back as Sejanus locates the phone with a murderous expression.

“So…” Festus’ voice is unsure. “Is Coriolanus…gay?”

Sejanus stops. “You can ask Andy.”

“Oh,” Festus reasons, “because he leaked the pictures-”

“Because he was fucking him before I was,” Sejanus interrupts, pocketing the phone, and everyone turns to stare at Andy whose eyes widen.

“He’s lying,” Andy says, but his voice shakes under the attention and so many phones recording him. “He – Festus – he’s lying!”

But Festus just stares at him, dumbfounded. “Is that…is that why you guys spent so much time together last year?”

“I’m not gay,” Andy insists, eyes wild like a cornered animal, but no one replies, though some people begin murmuring. “And Coriolanus is poor! He – he’s a scholarship kid!”

“Okay, now you’re just making shit up,” Festus scoffs, folding his arms across his shoes. “Have you seen his new tennis shoes? That’s not something a scholarship kid could afford.”

“Yeah, it sounds like he’s just been obsessed with Coriolanus ever since Coriolanus broke up with him,” Hilarius calls out with an earnest expression. Andy glares at him, but Hilarius continues as if he's genuinely concerned, "You know he has a boyfriend, right, Andy?"

A few people snicker at the dig.

“Fuck all of you,” Andy hisses before forcing his way through the crowd. “I’m leaving - this party’s shit, anyway.”

Everyone watches him go, and several of the phones that had been recording lower as their owners turn them off, sensing no further drama worthy of being Live on Instagram.

“Here’s the deal.” Sejanus pulls out his phone with a grim expression, opening up his Venmo app to show the crowd. “I will give $300 right now to every person here if you all agree to delete the photos and prove it to me.”

“$400,” one kid replies defiantly.

“$350 and that’s only if everyone here agrees; if one person doesn’t, no one gets anything,” Sejanus says darkly.

The crowd mumbles among itself.

“You’re all doing it for free,” Festus declares, surprising everyone. “Or I will have you permanently blacklisted from every fucking club in California.” Gasps ring out, but Festus glowers at them. “You know who my father is.”

“You wouldn’t,” a girl exclaims, a hand flying up to her perfectly curled blonde hair in distress as her other friend grabs and steadies her.

Festus’ nostrils flare, and he crosses his arms. “Fucking try me, Elizabeth.”

*

There’s finally nothing left in Coriolanus’ stomach, though there’s plenty of tears choking him. He uses the tree to straighten up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he struggles to get enough air in his lungs.

What was he going to do?

A porch light flicks on, and Coriolanus staggers back, embarrassed and terrified at being caught like this; he missteps off the sidewalk, unable to regain his balance even as his arms go out to steady himself. He lands painfully in the middle of the street just as an oncoming car honks frantically, LED headlights approaching so quickly that all Coriolanus can do is close his eyes and brace for impact as the car hurtles toward him.

Chapter Text

Coriolanus groans, his vision blurred as he attempts to piece together where he is and what's going on.

"Coriolanus?" a kind, but worried voice asks.

There's a bright light blinding him even through closed eyelids. It reminds him of an old memory, of bright lights and screams and pain, and before he can stop himself, he questions in a detached way, "Am I dead?"

There's a burst of relieved laughter, and then the same voice replies, "No, sweetheart. You're very much alive, thank god."

"What...happened?" Coriolanus manages just as the bright lights switch off, leaving them illuminated by streetlights only.

"We almost hit you with our car!" a new, younger voice pipes up with enthusiasm.

"Car...?" Coriolanus trails off, his head pounding as he realizes he's on hard, cold asphalt. “So, you didn’t...hit me?”

“Nope!” she chirps back.

"Then why..." Coriolanus tries to piece everything together. "What...what happened?"

"You were in the middle of the street, sweetheart," the older voice says. "We managed to brake just in time, but right when I got out of the car, you fainted. I think you hit your head," she added with a gentle hand to his cheek.

Coriolanus can't think; he can barely understand the words being spoken to him. The unceasing thud of pain behind his eyes is overwhelming, so he just hums weakly in response.

"What were you doing out here, honey?"

A memory flashes across his mind of the crowd of people urging him to drink. The beer pong. Something else he’s supposed to be upset about but can’t quite remember; it made him run away, but he doesn’t know what it was.

"Party..." he mumbles, grimacing as he finally focuses his gaze on who he recognizes as Sejanus' mother and his younger sister. "I was at a party and..." Panic seizes him, his eyes tearing up as he remembers seeing the photo of him and Sejanus on Hilarius' phone. He tries to sit up, needing to escape, but Coriolanus' head spins and he's forced back down, breathing hard as nausea pushes against him. There's something sticky running down his neck, and he reaches up, feeling an unpleasant liquid warmth. Coriolanus brings his hand up to inspect it and regrets the move immediately as he sees dark blood coating his hand.

Coriolanus is convinced that if he had anything more in his stomach, he would have thrown it all up at that moment; he gags and shuts his eyes, breathing shallowly as his hemophobia takes over.

"Oh, sweetheart, your head is bleeding," Mrs. Plinth gasps, taking his hand to examine, seemingly unbothered by the blood now transferring onto her dress as she does so. "We need to take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine," Coriolanus forces out, though he is decidedly anything but fine; all he can think is how they can't afford it, and that's what repeats in his mind as he tries and fails to think of a way out of this situation.

"Rory, can you please call 911, just like we practiced? I don't want to get blood on the phone - thank you, love."

"No!" Coriolanus begs, eyes flying open as desperation pushes him to the point of breathlessness. "Please, I - I don't need an ambulance."

"We'd rather be safe than sorry,” Mrs. Plinth says firmly before gesturing to her daughter. “Yes, go ahead and grab my phone from my purse, Rory-"

"Mrs. Plinth, I'm okay, please-" Coriolanus says in anguish.

"Darling, I don't want to take any risks," Aless gives his hand a comforting squeeze, just as Rory starts to say her name to the 911 operator.

"We don't have insurance," Coriolanus bursts out, unable to stop himself from clawing at his boyfriend's mother to get her attention. "We can't – we, we don't - just, please, Mrs. Plinth," he cries, tears running down his face as he hyperventilates, "please don't call an ambulance.” His voice breaks in utter shame and humiliation as he whispers pathetically, “We - we can't pay for it."

"Oh, my love." Mrs. Plinth brushes his hair out of his eyes with a gentleness that only makes Coriolanus sob harder, entirely against his will. "Sweetheart, we'll cover it, don't worry about that; we only care about you being okay."

Coriolanus can't speak, the tears making his throat too thick to do so, especially in the face of Mrs. Plinth’s affection and concern. Finally, he closes his eyes, too tired and in too much physical agony to protest further as he waits for the ambulance to arrive, just as Mrs. Plinth asks Rory to call Sejanus.

*

The phone in Sejanus' pocket starts to vibrate, and Hilarius reassures him that they'll finish the phone checks on his behalf.

Sejanus pulls out the phone, staring at the contact picture that smiles back at him.

Tigris Snow.

On the last ring, extremely apprehensive, Sejanus picks up. "Hi, Tigris," he says with a confidence he does not feel.

She pauses, confusion coloring her tone. "...Sejanus?"

"Yeah, sorry, it's just me,” he laughs awkwardly.

"Where-” she stops, huffing. “Where's Coryo?"

Sejanus sighs, biting his lip. "Um…I don't know."

Tigris' voice turns stressed and accusatory in an instant. "What do you mean 'you don't know?'"

"I mean -" Sejanus’ phone rings, and he hits Ignore on instinct. "Um, sorry. Uh, I - he ran off and I don’t know where."

"Ran off-!"

Sejanus' phone rings again, and this time he looks at the caller ID; with a rushed apology to Tigris, who is still yelling at him through his boyfriend’s phone, Sejanus hits Answer on his own.

"Sweetheart, honey," his mother's frazzled voice greets him. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at a party," Sejanus replies, perplexed by the weird energy from his usually cheerful and unflappable parent. He feels immediate guilt that he hadn't told her ahead of time. "It's just a couple blocks away from home; I'm sorry, I didn't think to tell you-"

"Oh, I'm not upset about that, sweetheart," she responds, unfazed. "But I do need you to meet me at the hospital - we're headed to UCLA right now - well, as soon as the ambulance arrives."

“Hi, Sejanus!” Rory sings, and there’s a thud before Rory says, “That’s going to leave a mark.”

"What happened?" Sejanus' shoulders go taut. "Is Rory okay?"

"Rory is fine, she just dropped my phone," Aless assures him. "But what's the name of Coriolanus' sister again?"

"Cousin," Sejanus corrects automatically, "and it's Tigris.” He narrows his eyes, instantly suspicious. “But why do you need to know that?"

"We need to get in touch with her right away, dear; Coriolanus has a head injury and he's bleeding, so we need to get him checked out-"

"He's what?" Sejanus can't breathe; his world is collapsing on him as the words sink in.

"Sejanus, do not ignore me! Where is my cousin, and why do you have his phone?" Tigris shouts through the other phone, loud enough to be heard despite how far away Sejanus is holding the phone from himself. "I am ten seconds away from calling the police and reporting him missing with you as the main suspect!" she threatens hotly.

"I'll be right there," Sejanus promises his mother faintly. “And I'll - I’ll get in touch with Tigris.”

"I love you, honey," Aless says, and Sejanus repeats it back before the line goes dead.

Hands shaking, Sejanus lifts the other phone to his ear. "Okay, so, um, good news: I found him.” He takes a breath before wincing, “Bad news: he's in the hospital."

Sejanus flinches, holding the phone away from him as Tigris starts to yell through the phone at him.

Bracing himself, Sejanus brings the phone up to his ear and says all in one word, "SendmeyouraddressandIwillsendanUbertocomegetyouI'msorryokaybye."

Sejanus hangs up, shaking his head at an inquisitive look from Hilarius, and forces his way through the crowd and out the front door as he pulls up the Uber app, anxiety coiling around his throat as he orders an Uber from Festus' place to UCLA, and another from the address Tigris just sent him. He stares at his phone, biting his thumbnail, just as an ambulance wails past him.

Chapter Text

Tigris is going to kill Sejanus and whoever else was responsible for putting her cousin in the hospital.

She fumes, alternating between fury and fear as she sits in the Uber Lux Sejanus had sent for her.

At least the car ride is comfortable.

She gnaws at a hangnail as she stares out the window, trying to fend off the exhaustion from her workday and the tiredness from the spike in adrenaline upon hearing that Coryo was hurt.

Tigris decides she’ll just rest her eyes, she doubts she can fall asleep but-

Tigris jolts awake when the Uber driver announces, "Ma'am, we've arrived at UCLA Medical Center."

Tigris blinks several times, forcing herself to focus before checking her watch; to her surprise, she'd slept for most of the hour's drive there.

Thanking the driver, Tigris steps out of the car, her adrenaline again pumping through her veins as she stops in front of the hospital.

The last time she'd been to one was the night her uncle and aunt had died. She'd already been living with Grandma'am for over a year after her mother had died from cancer and her father passed a few months later from what she realized later was alcoholism, but she vividly remembered when Grandma'am had turned to her and told her that Coriolanus was going to live with them from then on. At first, not understanding why he was going to live with them, Tigris had been ecstatic, but when she'd asked if Uncle Crassus and Aunt Clarisse would be joining them too, it was then that Grandma'am had to explain that they hadn't survived the car crash.

And then Tigris understood that Coriolanus was an orphan just like her, and her original joy at having her cousin live with them had turned into heartbreak.

Swallowing the emotions that prickle at her eyes, Tigris follows the signage for the Emergency Room and tries to take calming breaths as she enters the waiting room. She hesitates for a moment, unsure of where to go or who to ask about Coryo.

"Tigris?" A timid voice calls out, and Tigris spins around to see who she assumes is Sejanus, hunched over in a plastic chair with red-rimmed eyes.

Rage propels her forward. "What the fuck happened?"

Sejanus flinches and bows his head, wringing his hands. "I - I don't know the full story yet."

"Well, what do you know?" Tigris demands, hands on her hips.

"He - he hit his head," Sejanus stammers out.

"How?" Tigris wants to scream but restrains herself to a hiss.

"I don't know yet," Sejanus whispers. "They wouldn't let me in because my mom and sister are already there with him."

Tigris is too enraged to be comforted by the fact that her cousin isn’t in the room alone, and she continues on the attack. "How did you even lose track of my cousin in the first place?"

"I - I didn't mean to," Sejanus swears, curling into himself protectively.

"You didn't mean to?" Tigris exclaims incredulously.

Sejanus shakes his head, eyes wide. "No, we were at a party and he just -"

"You're his best friend, Sejanus!" she shouts. "You should have been taking better care of him, and then none of this would have happened!"

Sejanus burst into tears before croaking, "You're right - I’m so, so sorry, Tigris."

Tigris pauses, realizing she's made a bit of a scene as she takes in the heads turned towards them, and with a huff, sits beside Sejanus before crossing her arms over her chest.

They sit there together, Sejanus quietly crying while Tigris calms herself down.

"How long has he been in there?" Tigris asks finally.

"About forty minutes," Sejanus sniffles, and Tigris hums in acknowledgment, her attention focused on the TV commercial before it changes to The Great British Bake-Off.

A surprising choice for an Emergency Room, she muses, but it’s not a bad idea - it's successfully distracting her.

"Tigris, I'm so sorry," Sejanus wobbles. "You have every right to be mad at me - I should have been a better boyfriend-"

"'Boyfriend?'" Tigris repeats, her body going still, and Sejanus looks like he wants the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

"Shit," Sejanus exhales brokenly, covering his face, "I literally can't stop fucking up tonight."

All of Tigris' rage drains out of her, and she stares blankly ahead as the word repeats in her mind.

Coryo had a boyfriend. His first relationship. And she didn’t know.

Or at least, Coryo hadn’t told her.

She’d suspected he wasn’t entirely straight when she’d tried to have “the talk” with him before the Academy, and he’d asked about how sex works if it’s two boys - but she'd assumed he'd tell her when he'd started dating someone.

She'd assumed incorrectly.

They sit in silence aside from the occasional announcement over the intercom.

"Tigris?" Sejanus says softly. "Are you...are you okay?"

"Fine," Tigris responds instinctively, but it comes out thick and hollow.

"Um..." Sejanus hesitates. "But you're crying."

Tigris reaches up a hand and rests it on her cheek, which she realizes dimly is wet with tears.

"Oh," Tigris says in a detached way. "Maybe I’m not then."

"Is it..." Sejanus seems to brace himself. "Is it because of the gay thing-"

But Tigris shakes her head vehemently. "No, it's not that." She inhales shakily. "I just - I thought..." Tigris' voice wavers, but she soldiers on, "I thought he'd tell me something like that." She turns to face Sejanus with far less animosity than she'd had up until then, aware that the devastation is written all over her face.

Sejanus looks away.

"How long?" Tigris asks, scuffing the floor with her too-small shoes.

"What?" Sejanus gives her a blank stare.

"How long have you been together?"

"About a month and a half," Sejanus answers as he shifts awkwardly in his seat. "We started dating after my birthday in October." He clears his throat. "Um, thanks again for the embroidered socks...they're my favorite pair."

"Oh," Tigris repeats, staring at the floor. "Um. Yeah, you're welcome."

"I don't think it has anything to do with you," Sejanus interjects hastily. "He didn't tell anyone else either. We've been dating in secret because he just... doesn't want to be out yet."

Tigris nods, tugging at a thread in her jeans, but her heart hurts, and a storm of suppressed emotions stirs in her chest; Tigris has the ominous feeling that she's going to drown in them if she can't shove them down fast enough.

"Tigris?" Sejanus tries again.

"You know the last time I was in a hospital was after Coryo was in the car accident with his parents," Tigris says suddenly. "He was so young and small." She gives him a sad smile. "He got eight stitches on his tiny forehead."

Sejanus doesn't reply, but tentatively rests a hand on top of Tigris', who doesn’t try to remove it.

"It's just -" her voice catches in her throat and she coughs to clear it before continuing in a somewhat manic tone, “Can I just vent to you for a second?”

Sejanus nods though the apprehension is obvious in the set of his shoulders.

"Honestly, Sejanus, I've kind of...raised Coryo. He's more than my cousin, he's more like a brother – and, and even then, he’s more like...my baby.” She shakes her head, her face flushing. “I know that’s weird to say, because we're only about three years apart, but it’s what it feels like. I had to take on the parenting role because my grandmother, she – I don’t know." She exhales, staring into her lap, "After losing her two fully-grown adult kids, I don’t think she was capable of raising anyone else," Tigris is talking faster and faster, unable to slow down, "but she was all we had left, and she kept us out of the foster care system, which I'm grateful for, but still. She just...she's very distant," Tigris decides diplomatically with a long-suffering sigh and the familiar ache that comes with missing her parents.

"That sounds hard," Sejanus ventures.

"It was. It is." Tigris swipes at her eyes before her tone turns mournful. "You know, we - me and Coryo, I mean - we used to tell each other everything." She laughs thickly. "Well, he would tell me everything," she corrects with a wistful smile that drops almost as quickly as it appeared. "It's been so hard to have him away at the Academy the last couple of years."

Tigris watches as her vision blurs in and out of focus, the patterns on the tile floor becoming impossible to identify. “I mean, logically, it’s one less person to worry about - but I miss him, Sejanus; I miss Coryo so much." Her voice catches. "I used to call him my shadow because he always followed me around when we were younger." She smiles fondly at the memory, but her face falls soon after. "I hate that I only get to see him for a couple of months out of the year." She shoves her hands into her frayed hoodie pocket. "And I know this is his best shot for a better life than we have now, but it's just so hard," Tigris slumps in her seat and whispers, "I'm only nineteen, Sejanus. But I've had to take care of everyone since I was, like, eight." She thinks back. "No, actually, since I was six, probably. That's when my mom died and then my dad started drinking a lot." Tigris' childhood wounds are getting irritated but she can't help picking at them anyway, "And then he died from alcohol poisoning when I was seven, and that was that."

“I'm so sorry, Tigris,” Sejanus says softly. "I - I didn't know."

"Not many people do."

"Still, I'm sorry," he says and Tigris gives him a tight smile before leaning her head back against the wall behind her.

"I work three jobs, Sejanus, because I'm the only one who can work," Tigris continues quietly, embarrassed to be admitting all her trauma at once to the boy her cousin was dating, but unable to stop herself as all the feelings poured out of her. "And it's barely enough for our bills between me and Grandma'am - I don’t even know how Coryo manages to eat with what little money I send him because I know it’s not enough,” she manages as her voice gets higher with emotion, “but I know he’d never ask for more because Coryo knows that’s all we can afford to send him. And the thought that he goes hungry is just –" Tigris inhales sharply, struggling to breathe in her anguish.

“Tigiris, um, I’ve been paying for his meals the last couple of months,” Sejanus confesses, and Tigris blinks up at him in surprise. “And please know that even if we – if we break up, I’m not going to stop.”

Tigris’ face twists as shame twists deep in her chest like a knife, pain radiating outwards at the thought that Sejanus is doing what she can’t for her cousin.

“Thank you, Sejanus,” she cries, clutching his hand. "I'm sorry I've been so mean to you tonight, I just - it's so hard. Everything is so hard, and I don't know when it's going to get easier," she weeps. "I don't think it ever will."

Sejanus gives her an awkward smile but seems to sense that she’s not done talking.

“And I never get to talk to Coryo for as long as I want to, even though I try to call him at least once every week.” She shakes her head, nails digging into her arm. “When he’s home in the summer, I’m always working; and when I’m not, I’m sleeping because I have no fucking energy to do anything else.” Tigris can’t stop the tears pouring down her cheeks, and she stops trying to. “And truthfully, I know why he doesn’t tell me things – it’s because he doesn’t want to be a burden, but then I just feel guilty because I can’t be there for him, and it’s this horrible cycle where I don’t feel like I’m doing enough but I physically can't do more than I already am.”

Tigris is sobbing at this point, but it feels cathartic to finally tell someone how she’s been feeling for the past couple of years, and she can’t bring herself to be embarrassed, though Grandma'am's voice is in her head now, berating her for causing such a scene. “And I don’t know why it hurts so much that Coryo didn’t even feel like he could tell me about you, but it does. He should be able to tell me anything, and I should be able to be there for him, no matter what,” she ends miserably, digging her palms into her eyes. "But knowing that he chose not to, I just feel like I did something wrong to make him not tell me-"

“Excuse me, but are you Tigris, by any chance?” a warm voice asks, and Tigris looks up, teary-eyed and frozen like a deer in headlights, and Sejanus nods beside her.

The stunning woman in front of her smiles. “Hi, sweetheart - I’m Aless, Sejanus’ mom." Tigris sees the resemblance immediately.

“Oh,” Tigris scrambles to make herself more presentable, wiping her eyes with her sleeve before offering her hand. “Hi, sorry-”

Aless ignores the outstretched hand and wraps her in a hug; Tigris freezes, so unused to affection from a motherly figure that her brain short-circuits, and all she can do is silently cry into the embrace as she breathes in the pleasant floral perfume.

“Sejanus, honey, you can go in to see Coryo,” Aless says, still hugging her. “I’ll stay here with Tigris in the meantime.”

Sejanus doesn't reply as he all but sprints to where the nurse holds open the door for him.

“How is he?” Tigris sniffles, realizing belatedly that there is going to be a bill attached to the ER visit, and the tears and panic threaten to choke her again. She can't imagine what it's all going to cost by the end and she has no idea how she's going to pay for it.

“He’s okay,” Aless replies calmly. “He got a couple of stitches, but no concussion.”

"Oh, good," Tigris knows she doesn't sound as relieved as one might expect her to because she's now moved onto a new crisis of how the fuck they're supposed to afford this.

Aless pauses, lowering her voice so no one can overhear. “I hope you know that we’ve already paid the hospital bill, sweetheart,” she says gently. “So please don’t worry about that.”

Tigris can't speak for a solid thirty seconds as her brain processes this miracle.

“Thank you,” Tigris finally squeaks, and then all the tension in her body releases as the previous grief, anxiety, and exhaustion overwhelm her. Aless strokes her hair as Tigris bawls into her arms, relief crashing on her so hard she can barely breathe as Aless comforts her through it all.

Chapter Text

"Coryo?"

Coriolanus blinks his eyes open, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lighting of the ER, his head dully thudding despite the pain meds the nurse had given him.

"Sejanus?" Coriolanus rasps, eyes finally focusing.

"Hi," Sejanus says softly, his face worried. "How are you doing?"

"Terrible," Coriolanus tries to laugh, but it makes his head hurt worse, and he grimaces as his eyes shut.

"Can I hold your hand?" Sejanus asks, tentative and unsure.

"Yes, please," Coriolanus whispers plaintively, curling into himself as he turns to face his boyfriend, who takes his hand with all the reverence of someone holding a priceless artifact.

"Just so you know, everyone deleted the pictures," Sejanus tells him, thumb tracing patterns into Coriolanus' skin in what he hopes is a comforting way.

"What?" Coriolanus’ voice comes out barely audible.

"At the party," Sejanus continues earnestly. "We got everyone to delete them."

"We?" Coriolanus' brow furrows, eyes still closed against the onslaught of the lights as he struggles to process this information.

"Festus, Hilarius, and me," Sejanus clarified.

"Oh," Coriolanus responds, surprised. "I thought Festus would be..."

"More homophobic?" Sejanus supplies.

"Uh, yeah, honestly," Coriolanus laughs weakly.

"He surprised me too," Sejanus admits, moving his chair closer, apologizing after the chair legs scrape against the floor and his boyfriend flinches at the sound. "Um, also..."

"Also?" Coriolanus mumbles.

"Tigris is here."

Coriolanus sits up suddenly, eyes wide, hand clenching Sejanus' before releasing it just as quickly. He covers his eyes, groaning at the pain as his eyes shut again. "She's here?" Coriolanus sounds dismayed.

"My mom asked me to let her know," Sejanus explains, guilt coating his words. "She called your phone after you left the party because you hadn't replied to her texts, and she got concerned."

"Shit, she's going to be so worried," Coriolanus removes his hands from his face and chews his bottom lip until it bleeds, and Sejanus has to restrain himself from cupping Coriolanus' face, unsure if Coriolanus would be okay with that. Sejanus settles on taking hold of one of his hands as Coriolanus takes several shaky breaths, seemingly trying to brace himself.

Sejanus sees Tigris rounding the corner and drops Coriolanus' hand.

"She's coming, Coryo."

Coriolanus reluctantly forces himself into a sitting position, his face twisting slightly in obvious pain as he tries and fails to hide the hurt that he's experiencing.

"Coryo!" Tigris falters, her voice hitching as she takes in the state of her younger cousin. "Oh, Coryo..."

And with those three words, Coriolanus bursts into tears, startling both Sejanus and Tigris, both of whom immediately start trying to comfort him.

"I'm sorry," Coriolanus sobs as Tigris sits on the edge of the bed and gathers him into a hug, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. "Tigris, I'm so sorry."

"Coryo, what are you apologizing for?" Tigris' voice comes out thick. "I'm sorry."

"Hi!" A voice chirps inconveniently. "We're just about ready to discharge Coriolanus. If someone can come with me to go over aftercare..." she trails off meaningfully.

"I'll go," Sejanus volunteers at once, leaving the two of them alone, hidden only somewhat by the curtain in their section of the ER.

"Coryo, why are you sorry?" Tigris pulls away, holding his face between both hands, the tears in her eyes blurring the bandages that wrap around his forehead.

"Because you had to drive all the way out here," Coryo hiccups, "and I didn't mean to waste the only time you have off. You should be resting, not sitting in an emergency room because I hit my head."

"Waste my time?" Tigris exclaims, face falling. "Coryo, none of this is a waste of time, and you didn't mean for it to happen!"

"But it did happen," Coryo cries, horribly aware of the ugly sounds coming from his chest as his body shakes, "and it's all my fault."

"Coryo, please don't talk like that," Tigris pleads, brushing his tears away with her thumbs. "I can't stand to hear you talk like that about yourself."

Coriolanus sniffles pathetically, his face crumples again. "Sorry. I'm sorry."

"Tigris? Coryo?" Sejanus ventures, stepping out in front of the curtain, a sheaf of papers held closely to his chest. "Um, they're discharging us."

Hurriedly, Coriolanus swipes at his face, flinching at the contact, and Tigris releases him, standing up from the bed as Coriolanus shuffles to the edge of it.

Sejanus stands on one side while Tigris stands on the other, each taking one of Coriolanus' arms as they help him stay upright. Together, they slowly make it out of the double doors and out to the waiting room, where Rory is waiting, looking expectantly.

"Mom's outside in the car," Rory informs them before turning on her heel and gliding away.

"Did mom get you Heelys?" Sejanus sputters, stopping in shock.

"Yeah," Rory calls over her shoulder with a careless shrug. "We saw them in a store in Hawaii."

"I swear to god," Sejanus mumbles, thoroughly exasperated despite the circumstances, "second-born children get everything. I begged my mom for Heelys for years, and she always said they were too dangerous. But Rory notices them in a store in Hawaii one time..."

Tigris breaks into peals of laughter at Sejanus' indignation as they approach the white Porsche that Aless is waving from.

With some less than graceful maneuvering, they get Coriolanus up and into the car, settling him between them both.

Within minutes of being in the car, Coriolanus nods off, and Tigris notices immediately that his head comes to rest on Sejanus' shoulder.

She tries not to take it personally, though part of her did expect him to rest his head on her shoulder, like he used to do when they were younger.

But that doesn't really make sense, does it?

They are boyfriends, after all.

Even if Coriolanus hasn't officially told her yet.

About a half hour later, Aless pulls into a grand driveway, absentmindedly pressing a small button attached to her sun visor that Tigris hadn't noticed, and the gate parts for them.

"Tigris, honey," Aless says, putting the car into park, "I do hope you'll stay the night. It's been a long day."

Tigris bit her lip, thinking about Grandma'am. "I should be getting home to my grandmother. She's not the best at cooking, and I need to make sure she eats something tomorrow."

"I'll send a food delivery," Aless waves her hand, already pulling up her phone to a delivery app and handing it to Tigris. "Feel free to add whatever else you might need for the week, as an apology for us stealing you away for the night."

“Oh.” Tigris stares at the screen, dumbfounded. "Um, thank you. You really don't have to do that."

"Let's get Coriolanus situated," Aless says, ignoring Tigris' protests. "Sejanus, sweetheart? Are you awake?"

Rory turns in her seat before poking Sejanus' nose, causing him to make a groggy noise of annoyance, which in turn, shifts Coriolanus awake, too.

"Rory," Aless chastises, "don't poke your brother."

"You wanted to know if he was awake!" Rory argues, unlocking her door and popping out of it. "I was checking for you!"

"Apologize to your brother," Aless says sternly, unbuckling her seatbelt as Tigris puts Aless' phone in her pocket for a moment, readying herself to assist with Coriolanus.

"Sorry, Sejanus," Rory sighs, shutting the door immediately after, her silhouette visible as she skates around outside, impatient to get inside.

Aless unlocks the front door and shuttles Rory inside, followed closely behind by Coriolanus, Sejanus, and Tigris.

"I'll show you to the guest room, Tigris," Sejanus yawns, before his eyes widen slightly and he stammers, "and the other guest room for you, Coryo. Of course."

Coriolanus pauses. "Um, actually..." He swallows hard, his voice getting quieter as they stop in front of the staircase. "Tigris, I've been meaning to tell you, um...Sejanus is my boyfriend," Coriolanus whispers, chancing a worried look at her before staring at the ground. "So, I'll be...staying in his room." He swallows audibly. "I hope you're not...mad at me, for, um, having a boyfriend."

"Oh, Coryo, why would I be mad?" Tigris asks, her voice catching as she pulls him into another. "I'm so happy for you," Tigris says fiercely, holding him as tight as she dares, given his injury. "Thank you for telling me."

Pulling away slightly, Coriolanus gives her an embarrassed smile. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but it's kind of a secret right now. From everyone. Except Sejanus' family, obviously," Coriolanus adds hastily, looking at Sejanus, who laughs in a self-conscious way, but Tigris can tell he's thrilled Coriolanus told her.

"I understand," Tigris smiles at her cousin, the pieces of her heart being put back together slowly but surely. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."

Coriolanus smiles back before it breaks into a large yawn, and he stumbles back slightly, off-balance. Exchanging a quick look of understanding, Tigris and Sejanus help him up the staircase.

After getting Coriolanus up and into Sejanus' room, where he appears to be in good hands, she tells them both goodnight before Aless shows Tigris to her guest room, right next door.

It's the largest bedroom Tigris has ever seen, much less slept in, and while she’s gawking at it, Aless reminds her to make the food delivery order while she goes to get a towel and toiletries for Tigris.

Tigris adds only a few things, horribly self-conscious and mildly horrified at how much it costs to get food delivered from a grocery store, and then hands Aless the phone back after typing in the address for her. "Can you schedule it?" Tigris asks anxiously. "I don't want to scare my grandmother with a stranger knocking on our door when she's there all alone."

"Sure thing, sweetheart. How about 8 a.m.?"

"That's perfect," Tigris relaxes. "Thank you, Aless. For…everything."

"It's my pleasure, love. You've been through a lot." Aless motions to the closet. "There's a set of pajamas in the dresser, though they may be too big for you."

"Anything is better than sleeping in these," Tigris laughs tiredly, gesturing to her jeans. "Good thing tomorrow is my day off."

"Excellent timing," Aless agrees. "Get some sleep, love."

"You too," Tigris smiles, stifling a yawn, and then Aless bids her goodnight with a warm hug that Tigris can now appreciate since she’s no longer crying.

Tigris locates the pajama set, choosing only to put on the shirt after stripping off her work clothes, and almost immediately after slipping under the covers, falls into a deep, exhausted sleep.