a/n College life is crazy. Honestly. I just can't wait to get through everything I need to do for this semester. Break is going to be so nice. But yeah. College has sort of drained the creativity out of me for the time being. There's a bit over a month left until the end of the semester, and then I'll hopefully be able to get more updates out. There will probably only be one or two more chapters this month, though.

As The Years Pass

Age 19 Part 2

The group laughed as they pushed everybody's chairs closer together and stacked trays of half eaten dinners so that the two newest members of the group join them at the small circular table. The table could comfortably fit four people and hold five people decently well, but with the addition of Dirk and Jake, it was nearly impossible for Tavros to move his arms without elbowing one of the boys on either side of him.

Although in other circumstances Tavros would have felt awkward because of the close proximity of several people, that wasn't the reason that Tavros quieted when the happy couple sat next to him; his mind started wandering and he lost track of the conversations taking place around him. Roxy sat directly across the table from him, between her boyfriend and best friend, John and Jane. While Roxy and Jane shared stories of what they did the night before, John and Dave, who were sitting next to each other with Tavros on Dave's other side, complained about professors and boring classes.

Jake asked Jane about her baking while Dirk draped an arm over his shoulder and kissed his cheek. The two boys had just recently started dating, in a honeymoon phase where they were constantly sharing small touches and quick kisses and smiling vibrantly.

The entire thing just reminded Tavros of Gamzee, and how long it had been since they'd seen each other last. Usually, they would see each other every other week, when Gamzee came up to visit or Tavros went home for a weekend, but the last time Tavros was supposed to come home, he had to stay at school to concentrate on a huge paper due the next week, and two weeks later when Gamzee was supposed to come up to visit, he had fallen sick and couldn't make the trip.

Tavros pulled out his phone and leaned back in his seat, opening up the messages and reading the last few messages from Gamzee. He had been heading to a night class when they last talked an hour ago, and Tavros knew the class was three hours long. He didn't expect a response from Gamzee when he sent a quick message saying he missed him, but he still kept his phone out and kept looking at it while his friends talked.

At some point, Roxy and John started getting just as affectionate as Dirk and Jake, but Tavros hardly noticed. He was already too deep in thought to notice that, or Dave leaning back in his seat and glancing at Tav's screen.

"You alright, bro?" He asked, causing Tavros to jump a bit and put his phone down.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm good," Tavros gave him a week smile and starting eating some cake he had picked up for dessert.

Dave nodded and Tavros inwardly sighed of relief, thankful that his roommate let it go.

Once the cake was gone, Tavros pushed the chair out and waved at his friends as he gathered his dishes to put them on the conveyor belt to the dish room, "Well, uh, I'm done, so I think I'm going to go back to my room. See you guys later."

"Aww Tavvy you sure you wanna go?" Roxy whined, "We're probs gonna go hang in John's room in like a few minutes and you should join us!"

"Please come, Tavros! It'll be fun! And I'll bring some of my sweets from my room for you!" Jane added.

"Aha, as tempting as it is, and as much as I love your baking, I really shouldn't…" Tavros scratched the back of his head, "I should study, and maybe Gamzee will be able to skype, or, uh, something."

Dave raised an eyebrow, but Tavros ignored it, hoping that he wouldn't tell them that Gamzee had class and usually couldn't skype on Tuesdays anyway.

"Oh, it's a shame you can't join us!" Jake said, "But I know I, for one, entirely understand wanting to talk to your boyfriend!"

"Yeah man I don't know how I'd do it if I couldn't see Jake every day," Dirk nuzzled his nose into Jake's hair, causing the dark haired boy to roll his eyes.

Tavros knew they weren't trying, but they were rubbing the fact that they got to see each other all the time in like salt in a wound.

"Well if he can't, or if you have some time afterwards tonight, you can feel free to stop by!" John smiled at him kindly.

"Uh, thanks, I'll think about it," Tavros smiled at them again, waving once more and heading out as Dave said he'd see him soon.

Tavros quickly walks to his room and pulls out a book to study, but he can't concentrate. Ten minutes later, when Dave opens the door, it's to Tavros holding his head in a hand and rereading the last half of the first paragraph he had to read for class later that week for the third time.

"Tav. Seriously. What's wrong," He says, closing the door behind him and taking the book from Tav's hands.

"Huh? It's nothing," Tavros reached for the book, but Dave had aleady closed it and dropped it on his desk. He took Tav's hand and tugged it, pulling him up from his chair and forcing him to sit on his bed.

"Bullshit. I spend enough time around you to tell when you're like about to cry or something, seriously," Dave insisted, walking around the room and gathering a few things.

"No, really, I'm find," He tried to smile to prove it and sat up, but Dave just tossed a box of tissues at him and pulled two sodas out of the fridge.

"Tav if you don't tell me right now I'm going to steal your phone and text Gamzee that you're crying."

Tavros blinked tears back as they gathered and shook his head, "No, don't. I don't want him to worry."

"Then tell me what's up," Dave insisted, sitting next to Tavros and shoving a bottle into his hands.

"Okay, just…I'm just overreacting. It's not a big deal. I swear," Tavros explained, rubbing his eyes and sniffling with his eyes downcast and staring at the can in his hand, "I just…I miss Gamzee a lot. It's been like, almost a month and a half, and we used to see each other, every day, so it's just really hard now, having him so far away, when I want to be with him, so badly."

"When are you supposed to see him again?" Dave asked quietly, rubbing soothing circles on his roommate's back.

"I think, uh, if he's feeling better when I get home, then this weekend. But he isn't really feeling better yet? Like, he's going to class, and things, because he can't afford to miss too many, and his brother is making him, but it's kind of just stressing him, and, making him feel worse…" Tavros trailed off, realizing he was starting to ramble.

"Hey man it'll be okay," Dave said soothingly, "If he doesn't feel better you could like bring him some soup or something. And you know I have my car and if you give me fair warning and shit I might let you use my car or I could drive you up to see him when you're really missing him."

"You'd do that?" Tavros looked at Dave with wide eyes. He couldn't figure out why Gamzee hated Dave so much, honestly. Dave never made a move on Tavros, he never tried anything suspicious, and the only problem they really ever had was near the beginning when Tavros didn't understand when Dave was just teasing him and took it seriously.

"Yeah of course," Dave opened his can of soda and took a big drink, "You're my roommate and one of my best bros here. Why wouldn't I give you a ride every once in a while to see your boyfriend?"

Tavros set down his soda and hugged Dave, "Thank you so much, Dave, you have no idea how much this means to me."

Dave hugged him back with one arm, patting his shoulder. "It's no problem dude. Seriously I don't mind."

"Still, I think, when I tell Gamzee, that you offered, I think he's going to be really happy," Tavros let him go and smiled widely. He didn't mention the fact that maybe when Gamzee finds out, he might even hate Dave a little less.

Dave hung out in the room for an hour or so. As it turned out, he had told the others that he had forgotten an assignment he had due tomorrow, and that he'd come join then again once it was done. They spent the hour talking about Tavros; he excitedly explained some of his favorite games and the various versions of Peter Pan that he had watched, going into details that he knew most likely bored his roommate to death. Dave only left when Tavros got a text from Gamzee saying that he had gotten home from class and asking if they could skype. He patted Tavros on the shoulder, told him to just make sure Dave would have a warning if he would be driving Tavros around any time soon, and strode out the door with a second can of soda.

"Thanks again, Dave," Tavros called as the door closed and the skype tone rang out. He answered the call and smiled at Gamzee, "Hey!"

"Hey Tavbabe," Gamzee says tiredly, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, really, like a lot," Tavros agreed, "Do you think, you'll be well enough, this weekend?"

"I should all up and be fine by then. If not, Kurbro's probably going to make me go to the doctor. And you know I motherfucking hate the doctor."

"Yeah…I really hope, that you get better, because you being sick kind of worries me, a bit."

Their conversation lasted for hours after that, the conversation flowing seamlessly from one topic to the next to the point where they couldn't tell when they had gone from talking about Gamzee's horns to talking about whether or not they should get a dog or a cat once they share an apartment, or how the topics seemed to connect.

a/n Argh I always have trouble writing the ends. I never feel like it's final enough, and there's always just one or two more things I'd like to make. Endings are tough sometimes. Ah well. I have two or three more chapters plotted out but after like four days without stress(which is how long it took to write this) I now have quite a bit more stress. Hence, only one or two more chapters this month. Thanks for reading, guys!