Walking into the dining center on campus was a lot different than walking into the cafeteria at high school. It actually looked more like a food court one might find at the mall than the dull, dingy open space that most were used to when it came to school dining.
Ryan looked around the dining center trying to find something that might whet his appetite while Troy seemed to have zeroed in on what he was going to have for dinner.
"Come on, Ry," Troy said while tugging on his arm. "Let's go to that burger joint over there."
"I don't know," Ryan said hesitantly. "I really don't feel like a burger. I think I might go get some soup and salad from the deli."
"Gotta watch your girlish figure, huh?" Troy added as he reached over and lightly tickled Ryan's side.
Ryan quickly slapped the offending hand away and turned to face Troy. He raised an eyebrow and gave Troy's body a "once over" before saying, "Well, it looks to me like someone else might want to be watching his figure as well."
Then he poked his boyfriend in the stomach.
"Why you little …" Troy trailed off as he made a grab for Ryan. The blonde was too quick for his boyfriend and was able to evade his grip. He stood there grinning at Troy and bouncing from foot to foot.
"What? You're moving a little slow. Are you sure you want to get that burger for diner?" Ryan asked as he waggled his eyebrow.
Troy straightened himself and with an air of superiority said, "I'll have you know that I am in top shape. And I could still whoop your butt on the court any day."
"Yeah, and so could Sharpay," Ryan said as he stopped bouncing. "What's your point?"
Then, from out of the blue and with cat-like agility, Troy made his move. He grabbed Ryan around his waist and brought him close, securing his hold on the smaller boy with his other arm.
"My point, darling," Troy began in a near whisper, "is that I want a cheeseburger, and even though you're going to get soup and salad, I know you're going to eat half of my fries."
Ryan blushed a little and rolled his eyes.
"Fine, you know my little secret. Go get your burger and I'll meet you at a table in a few minutes."
Troy gave his boyfriend one last squeeze before he bounded off to his restaurant of choice. Ryan shook his head and chuckled to himself quietly as he made his way to the salad bar.
After putting together what he thought was a fantastic salad, Ryan moved his tray over to the soup pots. He looked at the labels and opened one of the lids. The smell that greeted him was anything but palatable and he dropped the lid back onto the pot.
'Note to self,' Ryan thought. 'Stay away from the black bean gumbo.'
He eventually found a soup that looked good enough, served himself up and grabbed a brownie for Troy.
As he was walking to the cashier, someone bumped into him, causing his soup to slosh around in the bowl and spill out a little onto his tray.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said a voice. Ryan turned around to see who had bumped into him and came face to face with someone who looked vaguely familiar.
"Hey, you were in my orientation group over the summer, weren't you?" asked the boy.
Ryan gave a once-over to the person who claimed to know him. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn't seem to place it. He was tall. Taller than Troy, maybe 6 ft. 3 in, he had short dark brown hair and looked like a swimmer.
"Um … I'm not sure," Ryan said. When he saw a disappointed look cross the boy's face he added. "It's okay, though. I'm awful with names and remembering anyone."
"It's cool," the boy said. "I just remember you saying you had a boyfriend that was coming here, too. It's funny that we ran into each other again. Even if you don't remember me."
Ryan laughed a little and then tried to extend his had to shake his companion's but realized he was still holding onto his meal tray.
"Well, I'd shake your hand, but," Ryan trailed off gesturing to his tray with his eyes.
"Oh it's fine," the boy said. "I'm Jordan, by the way. I'm living in West Hall."
"Me, too," Ryan said. "Well, maybe I'll run into you again soon. But I better go meet my boyfriend. He's probably already finished with dinner."
"Okay, Ryan," Jordan said as he turned to walk in the other direction. "I'll see you around."
Ryan quickly paid for his meal and walked out into the dining area to find Troy sitting at a booth already half way through his hamburger.
"Nice to see you waited for me," Ryan said as he walked up to the booth. Placing his tray on the opposite side of the table, he scooted in and placed a napkin in his lap
He lightly peppered his salad and then dug in. A few minutes later, he could tell that Troy was eyeing something on his tray.
Ryan looked up and caught Troy's gaze. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Well, uh, I was just wondering if you had gotten that brownie for me," Troy asked as kept eyeing what looked to be an incredibly moist treat.
"You know," Ryan began as he picked up the confection. "I was going to let you have it, but seeing as how you were so rude and almost finished your meal before I even got here, I might just have to eat it myself."
Ryan then trailed a finger through the chocolate frosting and brought it up to his mouth. He stuck out his tongue and swirled it around the chocolaty-sweet frosting, then stuck his finger in his mouth to clean it off.
"Mmm …" Ryan softly moaned.
Troy could only watch slack-jawed as his boyfriend sensually cleaned his finger of any evidence of frosting.
"You're evil, Ryan," Troy stated breathily. "Pure evil."
"I know. And that's why you love me." Ryan continued as he drug another hand through the frosting.
Before even he knew what he was doing, Troy had grabbed a hold of Ryan's arm and brought the finger to his mouth, doing the exact same thing Ryan had just been teasing Troy with.
Ryan groaned ever so softly as his finger slipped out of Troy's mouth. "You sure know how to get what you want."
"That I do," Troy replied. "How else do you think I would have been able to get you? If I remember correctly, you were a hard catch. Always trying to avoid me, making Sharpay talk to me instead of you. Thank goodness I'm committed."
"Hey, you can't blame me for that," Ryan whined. "How was I supposed to know that you weren't just playing a practical joke on me?"
Troy's smile faded, "You really thought I'd do something like that to you? I mean, I know we weren't the closest of friends, but I didn't think you thought so little of me."
Ryan immediately felt bad for making Troy feel that way. He got up and moved to the other side of the booth to sit next to his boyfriend.
"Oh, baby," Ryan began, grabbing a hold of Troy's hand. "You know I love you so much. I was just nervous back then. I didn't know what to think of anything."
He leaned in to get a closer look at Troy's expression and rubbed his nose softly against the brunette's cheek.
"I know," Troy said softly.
"Good," Ryan smiled as he pecked Troy softly on the lips. "Now, eat your brownie before I finish all the frosting."
Ryan got up and moved back to the other side of the table, but not before snatching up a few of Troy's fries.
"See," Troy said victoriously, "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the fries. They get you every time, Mr. I'm-too-good-for-fried-foods."
"Oh shut up," Ryan said indignantly. "Finish your food and then we'll go to the carnival."
----------------------------------
Ryan and Troy walked through the main quad on campus, hand in hand, looking at all of the different booths and games available. There were students everywhere either standing in small groups talking, playing a game, or watching the live band play on the stage by the student union.
"Wow," Troy exclaimed. "What should we do first?"
"I don't know," Ryan said as he continued taking in all the sights. "You want to try that inflatable thing over there?"
Tory looked across the quad to a large inflatable … thing. Students were strapped into a Velcro/bungee kind of harness and then began running along the contraption with a swatch of fabric to see who could go the furthest before being pulled back by the bungee cord.
The winner would go up against the next person and continue until he or she lost. By the looks of it, the same person had been winning for quite a while.
As Troy and Ryan got closer and closer to the contraption, they could tell that the current champion was beginning to be a little more prideful than decorum would normally allow. He had removed his shirt and was taunting anyone who looked like they might be challenging him.
Ryan didn't think much of it and went up to the inflatable monstrosity, removed his shoes and started putting on the Velcro/bungee vest.
"Oh, looks like I've got a new, little freshman coming to challenge me," the guy on the contraption was taunting. "Don't try too hard, little freshman. We don't want you to hurt yourself."
Ryan rolled his eyes and got up on the big balloon of a game. He braced himself and waited for the person running the game to give them the go-ahead.
When the student off to the side shouted for Ryan and the other guy to start running, Ryan started with full force, but soon found himself straining against the tension in the bungee cord. The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back.
"Oh no, it looks like the little freshman didn't know what he had in store for him," the other guy taunted. "Better luck next time."
Ryan frowned as he got up and off the inflatable runway and slipped his shoes back on. He twisted his back to make sure everything was still in working order and then began walking back to Troy.
"Well, that was an experience," Ryan said as he stood in front of his boyfriend. "It would have been fun if it weren't for that jerk up there."
Troy wrapped an arm around Ryan's waist and put a mock serious expression on his face, then in his best gangster imitation voice he asked, "You want I should mess the fool up for you?"
"Oh, please," Ryan laughed as he leaned his head on Troy's shoulder.
"Oh look," the booming voice of the Neanderthal who claimed to be a student exclaimed as he caught sight of Ryan and Troy. "It looks like the little freshman had to go be comforted by his little boyfriend."
By this time, most people passing this part of the quad were either not paying attention to the man on the game because they knew what he was up to, or were shooting him angry glares for being such an ass to everyone else.
Troy sighed and shook his head. Apparently even at an institution of higher education, you could still be confronted with people who had no scope of life outside of their limited beliefs.
"I'm gonna go teach this guy a lesson," Troy said as he let go of Ryan's waist.
"Troy, no. It's not worth it. Just leave it alone," Ryan said as he grabbed a hold of Troy's arm.
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to show him what an ass he's making of himself," Troy said, shaking off Ryan's hold on his arm.
Troy walked up to the inflatable runway and looked at the guy without saying anything. He quietly slipped off his shoes and then turned around to face everyone who was either watching or passing by.
Then, with a great amount of flare, Troy yelled and ripped off his shirt. He flexed and then pointed to the guy who was still standing on the runway. He strapped himself into the vest and then jumped up on the contraption.
The taunter was looking a little perplexed, and most of the students walking past had stopped to see what was going on.
Troy then positioned himself and waited for the person in charge to tell them to start. Once the signal had been given, Troy watched as the guy next to him took off and ran as hard as he could, trying to go farther than he had gone all night. He watched as the guy tired himself out and then collapsed on the runway. Troy then unstrapped himself from the vest and walked down the runway until he was standing next to the panting boy who had been taunting everyone.
He then bent over and stuck the swatch of Velcroed fabric in the guy's hair. Troy then turned around to find that most people were laughing at his antics. He looked around the crowd and found that Ryan, too, was shaking his head in mirth.
Troy walked off the inflatable runway and slipped his shoes back on before walking over to Ryan.
"Oh, Troy," Ryan exclaimed over-dramatically. "My knight in shining armor."
Then after giving Troy another look he added, "Well, I guess you have no armor, seeing as how it's lying in pieces over there."
"Yeah, well, you like me better this way," Troy said as he moved closer to Ryan.
"I'd like you even better like this all to myself," Ryan whispered huskily into his boyfriend's ear.
"You know, that can be arranged," Troy said.
And with that, he picked Ryan up and flung him over his shoulder and began making his way back to his dorm room.