Catalyst

Morning comes, and Leo is woken by the smell of pancakes, eggs, and sausage, and his stomach growls in anticipation. He is unsurprised to find the younger boy putting down two plates at the coffee table in the sitting room, and Leo joins him, putting aside all thoughts as he quietly thanks the boy for the food and digs in.

He is aware that he is being watched, but he says nothing, offers nothing, and soon the other boy is eating as well. They finish in silence, and only now does Leo turn his head to the other boy, expression thoughtful.

“What’s your name?” Leo asks, and this causes the younger boy to start, as though he had been expecting a reprimand, though he offers no answer, merely returning Leo’s look of curiosity with one of his own. The older boy nods to himself after awhile, a small smile gracing his lips, and he reaches out, ruffling his roommates’ hair affectionately before getting up. “I understand, I think. Maybe later,” he offers, expecting no answer and receiving none.

He returns to the bedroom to dress, mind racing.

Leo’s first day of classes begins with a science, which he spends his time surveying the other students, looking for the likely suspects. By the end of the day, he’s pleased to have found two potential boys and he is already planning how he’d like to ‘bump’ into them.

Next is music, his favorite class. He settles in with the brass section, his prized trumpet in hand, and briefly goes over the music. It is difficult, but not beyond him, and he endures the leers and jeers of being the new kid with good humor. The students are surprisingly professional, as once the music teacher has taken to her podium, they fall silent, instruments ready.

They begin playing, and Leo holds himself back, getting a feel for how his fellow musicians follow the ebb and flow of the beat, and is pleased to note that they are all competent, efficient, and easily falls into the rhythm. He puts himself into his music, focused intently on playing everything to the best of his ability, and by the end of the piece there is a moment of surprised silence, broken by the clapping on his shoulder by the section leader – he’s earned his place here.

The remainder of the day is lost in the flurry of activity, of mathematics, languages, and philosophy, and by its end he’s tired, if pleasantly so. He returns to his dorm, which he still finds empty, save for the nameless boy, who is working on his homework at a small desk. Leo follows suit, sitting on his bed and starts his reading for the day.

They finish in comparative silence, and by tacit agreement move into the kitchen to have dinner, which Leo graciously prepares – pleased that the kitchen has been stocked with some of his favorite foods, he prepares fish fillet and garlic bread for two. Nothing is left when they finish.

They retire to the bedroom, and here Leo pauses, watching as the younger boy strips down and settles onto a nearby bed, seeming to make an effort of avoiding Leo.

“You can sleep with me again, if you like,” Leo offers tentatively, watching. The boy finally turns to face him, eyes searching Leo’s face, perhaps for duplicity, and Leo shifts in his bed, making room.

The younger boy needs no further encouragement than that, and, although hesitant, slips in beside the older boy after turning out the light. Leo wraps his arms around the small body, and feels the nameless boy relax against him and drift off into sleep.

Leo spends the night wondering why he feels so protective of this boy, and why he has not taken advantage of the situation as he would have any other boy. He falls asleep long before he can find an answer.