The bell rang.
The cafeteria was already a cacophony, but TJ was quickly able to find Sydney by the sound of his voice. As well as his musk, just barely disguised by the deodorant. Next to him was Flynn, and they were already carrying trails and sitting on an otherwise unoccupied table.
"Hey Syd!" TJ waved, "Hey Flynn!"
Sydney got up and hugged the love of his life, giving him the softest of kisses on his lips.
"We saved us a spot!" Sydney grinned, "Just you, me and Flynn."
"What about the others?" TJ asked.
"Chase and Leo are off to fuck, Jenna's mad at me" Flynn said.
"Oh dear, what happened?" TJ asked.
"Got pissy when I told her to fuck off about college" Flynn shrugged, "Might have also pulled a never 'bout her family situation or somethin'."
"That sounds horrible" TJ said, "Do you want me to talk to her-"
"No" Flynn said, then sighed, "I suppose I'll apologise later. Can't deal with her right not, though."
Sydney looked as though he was about to say something, but upon looking at TJ he decided to cheer up.
"C'mon, let's hang out!"
Sydney and TJ sat down next to each other, the otter bumping Flynn with his tail.
"What was that for?" Flynn asked, retaliating with a kick to Sydney's leg.
"You're both trapped here with me" Sydney said mischievously.
"Noooooooo" TJ said playfully, trying to mimic Sydney's style of comedy but being too cute for it to work.
For his efforts, Sydney nibbled on his ear tufts.
"Eh, I can always kick your ass" Flynn said to Sydney.
"You'd hurt your brother-from-an-equally-shitty-mother?" Sydney faux-whimpered, his eyes all puppy like.
"You're lucky you're my best friend" Flynn grunted, though a smirk formed on his face, "Your dramatics get really fuckin' old, you know."
"Language" TJ said.
"Oh come on, TJ" Flynn said exasperated, "Sydney just said 'shitty'."
"I have 's' word privileges" Sydney said, showing his tongue at Flynn.
"I mean, I guess I will try to not nanny your language, Flynn" TJ said, guiltily, "I know I am a bit demmanding, but you should be having fun with your best friend and I don't want to-"
"Thanks, Teej" Flynn said calmly, even smiling in spite of his institutionalised herpetophobia, "I'll try to be not too much of an ass. But ONLY once."
"Aw, my family is getting along!" Sydey said, embracing both TJ (who, being smaller, snuggled under his arm) and Flynn (who, being larger, felt an annoying weight that he couldn't bring himself to swat away).
"What 'bout your brothers?" Flynn asked.
"They can go fuck themselves, I'm tired of them throwing dirty underwear at my nose whenever they're home."
"Oh come on Syd, they love you too!" TJ said happily, "They're quite nice and supportive of us."
"I guess my younger twerps are fine" Sydney said, "but the older ones just try to woe you away from me just to make me an easier target for their underwear."
"Now this I gotta see" Flynn said, "Is any... availiable?"
"Bayson probably, but even he has a girlfriend I think" Sydney said, "Not that I look forward for you to become his boyfriend and turn against me."
"Nah" Flynn said, "I'd be like a double agent. Pretend that I love him just to fuck 'im and steal his secrets and show them to you."
"Nasty" Sydney said, "I hereby knight thee my superspy."
"Come on, he doesn't deserve that" TJ said.
"I know babe, just kidding" Sydney said, kissing TJ on the cheek, "Besides, I ship Flynn with Carl."
"And why the hell would you even do that?" Flynn hissed, "We barely even talk, and I'm pretty sure he's into those weird chinese cartoon chicks or whatever."
"Intuition" Sydney shrugged, "Besides you love to hang out with him when you can."
"Under that logic I might as well like Chase and Leo" Flynn grunted.
"Ooh, a love triangle" Sydney said, "or square at any rate. Just like in all best wrestling shows!"
Flynn flipped him the bird.
It was a hamburger day, and sure enough the hamburgers in their plates were shrivelled and overcooked. They did come with a mushroom gravy, which was probably the most inspired take the cafeteria had ever conceived.
"You're not liking these very much, uh?" TJ asked Sydney.
"Eh, food's food" Sydney shrugged.
"I'll pass" Flynn said, "Can make a better gravy with wild shrooms. Adding in some garlic and you'll know heaven on earth."
"Sounds positively delightful" TJ nodded, "You're an expert cook."
"Nah, I'm just doing bare minimum stuff" Flynn said, "Which goes to show how pathetic this shit really is."
"Bro, you sell yourself waaay too short" Sydney said, "I can't cook to save my life. Been mostly eating cheap take-outs or poptarts when I'm not at Toby's place or your's."
"At least eat a goddamn salad every once in a while" Flynn frowned, "They sell 'em pretty cheap around here."
"Mm, but I don't wanna" Sydney said in faux-petulance.
"TJ, you gotta help me out with this" Flynn said.
"I can make sure he gets his greens" TJ said.
"Traitor!" Sydney said dramatically, "And to think I thought you loved me!"
Just then the bell rang.
"Welp, gotta go to the only class I like" Sydney said, "See ya latter?"
"Nah, I'm leaving early" Flynn said, "though I'm free 'round an hour later or so, when you get to Echo."
"Sounds great!" Sydney said, "Toby, wanna come hang out later?"
"Y-yeah" TJ said, a bit nervously, "It's going to be outdoors, right?"
"You guessed it" Flynn said, mentally kicking himself a little for sounding too sarcastic.
"Then I can go, provided I'm home by 20" the lynx said, "I can get back by myself when it's time for me to go home, don't worry about it."
"Nah, we'll escort ya" Flynn said, "You might be a bit boring but yer still good company."
"Thanks, Flynn" TJ said, hugging the Gila monster.
"I love it when you too get along" Sydney said, his arms around his boyfriend's and best friend's shoulders, "At least I won't have to juggle between you both."
"At least you're better at it than Leo and Chase" Flynn sighed, "Fuckers always leave Jenna and Carl alone."
"Yeah" Sydney said, "Helps that Toby always reminds me to check in on the others as well."
"We are all friends, after all" TJ said, "I would feel guilty if we didn't spend time with each other."
Flynn just nodded. As much as he typically preffered Sydney and now TJ's company, he long for a moment when all of the gang could just have fun together. As much as he hated to admit it, seeing the others happy and being in their company made him jubilant.
"Thanks, both of you" he concluded, "But don't fuckin' miss class. The principal has it out for us gays."
"Thanks, we won't!" TJ said, holding Sydney's hand.
A final wave, and they left their seperate ways.
