Ryan didn't sleep well that night, worrying about whether he should confront Jack about lying. Jack could have just said that he wanted to study. Ryan still hadn't decided what to do the next morning, when he headed to the library to borrow a copy of the movie he had slept through in class so that he'd be able to do the assignment.

Ryan headed down to the media section in the basement of the library, but as he walked through the stacks he paused when he saw the back of a familiar head of brown hair. Jack seemed to be concentrating on a dusty old book that he was flipping through; Ryan chewed on his lip, unsure of whether he wanted to talk to Jack right now.

As if sensing Ryan's indecision, Jack looked up and saw Ryan staring at him. Ryan winced inwardly.

"Hey, man," Jack grinned.

"Hey," Ryan responded, a little nervously. Okay, this was going to be it, he was going to confront Jack—

"You like Mexican, right?" Jack said before Ryan could begin.

"Yeah," Ryan responded warily. "But listen—"

"Okay, Friday night, we're going," Jack grinned. "I know a place with really cheap margaritas that, like, never checks I.D.s."

Ryan was rendered temporarily speechless. Maybe he had been all wrong? He made a snap decision, not at all influenced by how good Jack looked with his hair falling into his eyes like that, to let it go—just this once. "Um, yeah!" Ryan agreed.

The rest of the week passed as usual. Ryan and Jack sat together in Humanities lecture, and when Jack flirted with the gymnast in section, Ryan just ignored him. After all, Jack had asked him out.

Friday night, Ryan stared limply into the mirror cursing his hair.

"What is your problem tonight, kid?" Tony finally growled from across the room.

"Nothing, I, uh—"

"You got a hot date or something?" Tony demanded. Ryan felt a faint blush creeping over his cheeks.

"Um…"

Just then, there was a knock. Ryan saw Tony's eyes dart towards the door, and before Ryan could stop him, Tony had dashed across the room to open it. Ryan winced.

"Why hello, Jack, how nice to see you!" Tony grinned broadly when he saw the other boy standing in the doorframe.

"Hey Tony, what's up?" Jack greeted him, with all his usual friendliness. "Ryan, you wanna go?"

"Yeah. See you later, Tony," Ryan muttered, grabbing his jacked.

"Oh, you most certainly will," Tony smirked. "You kids have fun!" he exclaimed before practically pushing Ryan out the door and slamming it.

Ryan took a breath, and looked at Jack, whose eyes were twinkling. At that moment, nothing else seemed very important.

Dinner was great—better than anything Ryan had had at college, for sure—and as they biked back to campus, Jack asked if Ryan wanted to hang out some more.

"Sure!" Ryan replied, jubilant. "But I think Tony might still be in the room—can we go to your dorm?"

"Nah, I've got a quad in Branner—I don't think you want three guys breathing down your neck." Ryan agreed.

When they got back to Ryan's room, Tony was sitting on his bed with Latin assignments spread out all around him. And he did not look pleased to see Ryan.

"Uh, hey Tony, do you think you'd mind, um…"

"Think I'd mind what, Ryan?" Leave it to Tony to make this difficult.

"Mind, you know…going somewhere else for a little while?"

"Why Ryan, whatever would compel me to go somewhere else? Seeing as this is my room, and all?"

Ryan sighed. "Uh…"

Jack took a step into the room and leveled his gaze at Tony. "What Ryan is trying to say is that you're being sexiled; because unless you want to watch me do unspeakable things to your roommate, or unless you'd like to join in, this might be a tad uncomfortable."

Ryan gaped, his expression mirroring Tony's own. But then Jack broke into one of his familiarly dazzling smiles, and Ryan couldn't help but laugh. Tony smirked.

"Ugh. Whatever, I'm going to the library. I'll leave you two crazy kids at it," Tony said, gathering his stuff and, finally, leaving them alone. Ryan waited all of about two seconds after the door closed before jumping Jack.