Nathan's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Nathan cracked the window two inches and fired up the vape mod. The cloud filled his dorm room thick and sweet, turning the air heavy. He leaned back against his bed and watched the vapor curl toward the ceiling, trying not to think about the studio pitch still scattered across his desk. The door opened without warning. His roommate stepped inside, stopped, and coughed once into his fist. Nathan sat up fast, ready to apologize or make a joke, but the words caught in his throat. His roommate's eyebrow ring caught the light from the desk lamp. A tattoo ran down his neck and disappeared under his shirt collar. He'd been living with the guy for three weeks and never really looked at him before. The roommate waved away the vapor and grinned, then walked to his own bed and sat down cross-legged. He didn't leave. He didn't complain. He just waited, like he'd been invited. Nathan offered him the vape mod without thinking. The polished metal caught the light as it changed hands. Something in Nathan's chest shifted when their fingers touched. He suddenly wanted to show someone the floor plan he'd drawn at 2am, the one he kept telling himself wasn't ready yet.