Six - Bridge of Sighs
What usually happened after grocery shopping? Kit hadn't done this before; a usual evening in his household consisted of Chinese takeaway and reality TV. Not grocery shopping with a boy he barely knew.
The streets were damp and silent - it had been raining while they'd been inside, and now the pavement glistened, reflecting the orange of the streetlights. Occasionally another student would cycle past, their black formal gown billowing behind them. At this point, Kit would usually say a witty remark - something about those gowns making them look like extras in a Harry Potter film - but being around Ty somehow made it feel unnecessary. Ty wasn't one for small talk, and Kit found this refreshing.
"Which college do you live in?" Asked Ty.
"Selwyn."
"I live in King's."
Kit was always happy to provide a history fact. "King's was founded my Henry VI. He was the worst King in history."
"Really?" Said Ty, interested. They found themselves walking down the street, away from the dim lights of the supermarket. This was the part where they were supposed to leave in opposite directions, but for some reason that didn't happen.
"Yeah. There was this battle - the first Battle of St Albans - and he just sat under a tree, singing."
A corner of Ty's mouth lifted. "The college is much better than his battle tactics, then."
"I should hope so."
They continued walking, listening to each other's footfalls. Kit broke the silence with the truest thing he'd said since he'd arrived here: "I miss my dad."
It should have made him seem younger, weaker, but it didn't. There was no shame in it, and Ty knew it. "There's no shame in that. I miss my sister."
"You have a sibling?" Kit had rashly assumed that Ty was an only child. Why else would he always be alone like him - alone at the library, alone in the lecture hall, alone in the city?
Ty smiled, as if he were sharing a memory with himself that Kit could never know. "Four."
Kit's eyebrows shot up. "That sounds so tiring. How do you remember all their names?"
"It's more tiring for Julian," said Ty, "he's the eldest. He looks after us all," he stated, as if all families' older brother looked after them.
In his peripheral vision, Kit noticed that Ty's free hand - the hand that wasn't holding a shopping bag - had moving at his side, fluttering like a restless heartbeat. Maybe they should change the subject. Maybe Ty was feeling uncomfortable. "I've only ever lived with my dad, so it's pretty quiet. He didn't want me to leave for here."
"I could understand why." Ty bowed his head. "You're good company."
Kit laughed. "Thanks, but all I do is read."
"I like that." Now Ty's hands rested at his sides, pulling down at his sleeves. They'd reached a bridge - some memory told Kit that is was called the bridge of sighs - overlooking the dark, silent river.
Kit leaned on the side, placing his shopping bag down beside him to take in the murky view. "So, I heard there's some kind of festival on next week."
Ty didn't answer. He'd closed his eyes and was contentedly soaking up the spray from the river.
"It's supposed to be fun. It's where all the old building are lit up in different colours." Kit shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe we could go."
Ty looked up, his eyebrows raised in interest. "I'd like that." He said simply.
Now they were walking again, away from the bridge and past the imposing façade of Queen's College. When had they started walking? Time was all weird when Kit was with Ty. Ty seemed to screw up the basic workings of the universe.
"Livvy's my twin sister," said Ty. "She was going to come here with me. We'd planned it for years."
"Why didn't she?"
"She decided it wasn't for her." Ty's expression was unreadable. "I understood. But it still hurt."
"Hey. It's okay," Kit tried for a grin. Something to lighten him up. "You've got the freedom."
"I guess." Ty's hands were moving again under his sleeves. "I just didn't want to be alone."
Kit stopped in the street. Ty stopped too. Suddenly Kit's eyes were the same fierce blue as they had been when they'd first met. "You're not alone."