Jim stepped out of his language class quietly. The school encouraged the youth to take languages as an elective, especially for prominent cultures and worlds in which a space program was just being developed. It had felt appropriate to pick the language he recognized from among the lists.
The decision was one he regretted every class.
He made his way to dinner in a bit of a daze. Matt caught up to him in the halls but Jim barely registered his friend by his side. His mind was swirling with hazy memories. His father's heavy accent, and the occasional words that slipped into his vocabulary when he was arguing with Sarah.
Some days he felt like he couldn't remember his father's face. It had been about eleven years since he last saw his father, after all. And yet some days he could remember him as clearly as his mother. The color of his hair, the shape of his eyes, the sound of his rare laughter, and the way he would frown when he was seated alone.
Jim could remember it all now.
The way his father never seemed close to them, how his trips away would get longer and longer each time he left. He could recall the splinter he got in his foot the last time his dad had left without a goodbye. He had spent almost two years hoping his dad was coming back, wishing that he would walk through the door and scoop him up into his arms. Hoping that he hadn't gotten a proper goodbye because it wasn't goodbye forever.
But it had been forever.
He shook himself from his brooding thoughts. He didn't need to go down that path again. He had cut that man out of his life nine years ago. He didn't need his father. Not that father.
But he wouldn't let himself think of Silver either.
"Ah, there he is." Braxton sounded pleased.
"Jim!" 628 perked up eagerly. "Hi!"
Jim glanced around the table at his friends. "Sorry, I was thinking...what did I get myself for dinner?" He asked as he realized he had a full tray in front of him.
Matt shrugged. "Ask Sy, I dropped you off with him and he helped you through the line." He didn't look up from where he was finishing detailing a constellation on Jim's right arm.
Sy sat on his left. "I think I remembered your favorites, but you weren't paying enough attention to ask. You just lifted your tray when I nudged you. If you want to swap anything with me, that's fine."
Jim shook his head. "This is fine, thank you, Sy. Matt, are you almost done? It's looking great."
"Almost." Matt answered contently. "You've been an excellent canvas, much stiller than you usually are."
628 leaped up onto the table so he could see better. He reached out with one claw to poke a planet. Jim did his best not to flinch. He didn't want to disturb Matt's artwork.
"628." Braxton gave his friend a smile. "Leave Jim alone. He gets weird sometimes, but he's not dead." 628 plopped back down into his seat contentedly.
Matt put away his pen. "Done. Alright Jim, arm's yours again."
"Thank you." Jim shook out his stiff limb. How long had he been sitting there not moving? "What did I miss?"
"Not too much." Varian promised. "Only about half of dinner. You've still got time to finish up, and we'll even have a while to hang out tonight!"
"Who's room do we want to invade tonight?" Braxton glanced about the group for an answer.
"Mine's fine." Matt offered. "It'll give me time to organize my supplies for art. New semester, new portfolio. I haven't decided what my projects will be yet though."
Sy flashed him a smile. "Whatever you pick, I know they'll be amazing. I've never met someone with as much talent as you."
"Aww, cute, now Sy's flirting with you too, Matt." Braxton cooed.
"He's not flirting with him." Jim snapped hotly. It bugged him that Braxton still insisted on picking on Sy.
"Oh, right, that's what you do. Planning on asking him out again?" Braxton inquired with his usual casual grin.
Matt threw his roll at Braxton. "Leave them alone, you pest." 628 snatched the roll out of the air before it could hit the cyborg and popped it into his mouth.
"Thanks, little buddy." Braxton ruffled his ears. "I'll be good. Sorry guys. I thought it was still open season on Jim." He winked at his friend. "I warned you I was never going to let that go."
Jim sighed heavily. "Next time I ask someone out, I'm not telling you about it. Ever."
"Even if it's successful?" Braxton pouted at him.
"You're not even going to be invited to my wedding." Jim couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto his face. "Pest."
Braxton just laughed. He winked at Sy. "You get used to Jim's moods eventually. I'm sure Matt could sing us a song about them?" Matt ignored Braxton, though he couldn't hide his grin.
A commotion near the entrance drew their attention from the recently settled argument.
"What's going on?" Varian asked.
628 scrambled up onto Braxton's shoulder so he could see better. "Older boys?"
Jim frowned. "That's weird, the senior students usually eat in the other cafeteria." Like the rest of the dining hall he found himself on his feet trying to see better. The low rumble of voices drew just about everyone's eye. In the short period that they were watching, a flood of the young adults crowded around the seniors that had entered their dining area.
Sy shrunk down into his seat and focused on his dinner. Jim set a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm not too fond of the commotion either." He smiled at his friend and took his seat once more. "You haven't eaten yet?"
Sy shrugged it off. "I didn't want you to eat alone, 'specially since I wasn't certain you'd like everything you got at dinner." He peeked back towards the entrance of the room.
From the crowds an older blonde boy finally broke free. The younger boys reached out to tug at his sleeve, desperately trying to thrust their questions to the forefront of his mind. Though the path between the tables was blocked with multiple bodies, the admiral's grandson finally broke into a free patch with his friends' help.
Sy groaned quietly. Braxton snorted. "Looks like someone's enjoying his fame. Bet the third and fourth years finally stopped fawning over him so he had to come here to get his fix."
628 nodded his agreement. "Bighead!"
"Oh hush, Brax," Matt said, "what he did is amazing. I sort of want to thank him for speaking up on our behalf. I didn't think I'd hear from my family the rest of the year. Some of the boys here can't even go home to visit their families over school break. At least I'm able to do that much."
Jim raised an eyebrow. "He's looking at us."
All five boys turned towards Zephyr de Châteaupers. The older boy met Sy's eyes. He jerked his chin towards the door. Silently Sy stood up.
"Sy?" Jim caught his wrist. "What's going on? You know him?"
Sy blushed and nodded. "My mom, um, knows his dad," he admitted awkwardly. "They trained together, back when the school was coed. My mom made him promise he'd keep an eye on me."
"That's so cool!" Varian instantly turned his attention to him. "Does your mom know the admiral, too? You'll have to tell us some of their stories sometime!"
"Tell him thanks for me." Matt requested. "And let him know we've got eyes on you now. He can relax."
Sy gave his friends a shy smile. "Thanks guys. This won't take long." He slipped his hand out of Jim's hold and hurried over to meet Zephyr. The two spoke briefly before Sy disappeared among the seniors. The small group made their way out of the cafeteria together.
628 licked his lips and reached for Sy's tray. "He done now?"