Sejanus never arrived at school on Monday, and Coriolanus hated that he was worried. He kept hoping that maybe the other boy was just simply late, but by lunch it was obvious that that was not the case.

His heart hurt with anxiety over what could possibly be wrong. He hated to think that their argument was the reason. It wasn't like Sejanus to just ditch. Coriolanus had seen him come to school the next day after even the worst verbal altercations with any peer or professor.

He felt incredibly guilty. So guilty that he didn't even have the appetite for the free Academy lunch. Instead, he found himself standing in front of the payphone in the library, debating whether or not to use his emergency coins that Tigris always ensured that he had to call the Plinth home.

He knew that the coins were for the bus, should the weather be too bad to walk home, or maybe for an important luncheon that was not sponsored by the Academy. The phone was expensive to use, and Coryo knew that realistically, he could just walk to Sejanus' house after school in a couple hours and save his money.

But the thought of waiting a couple hours was kind of unbearable, so he reluctantly pulled his emergency coins out of his backpack and stuck them in the phone, dialing the Plinth's phone number.

It rang a few times before the sweet, familiar voice of Mrs. Plinth picked up.

"Hello?"

Coryo exhaled, sharply. "Hi, Mrs. Plinth, it's Coriolanus."

"Oh, hello Coryo, is everything okay dear? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Coriolanus was caught off guard by the nickname. A warm feeling enveloped his chest, knowing that Sejanus must talk about him often to his mother for her to know his nickname. "Um, yes, I am at school, I'm using the library phone. I was just wondering if, uh," he glanced around, ensuring that no one was within earshot. "If Sejanus was okay? I couldn't help but notice that he didn't come to school and that's not like him."

Mrs. Plinth sighed on the other end. She lowered her voice. "Honestly, I'm worried about him. He says he is sick, but I don't think he is physically. Something is bothering him and it must be bad if he asked to stay home today. He..." Coryo heard her voice catch. "He never asks to miss. I'm worried something is going on with another classmate. Have you heard anything?"

Coriolanus felt like an asshole. "No, no I haven't heard anything." He anxiously messed with the buttons on his coat. "Would it be alright if I came over after school? To check on him?"

He could hear her warm smile. "That would be wonderful. I'll send our diver to get you."

He started to say that sending a driver was unnecessary and that he preferred walking–that's why his own driver never drove him, but Mrs. Plinth wouldn't hear it, insisting that the sooner he could get there the better.

So he waited the agonizing two hours until school let out before being picked up by the Plinth driver by himself. The ride was short and uncomfortable. He felt bad using their resources when it was his fault that Sejanus refused to go to school that day. Then he wondered when he had started to feel guilt over anything involving the Plinth's.

Sejanus' Ma easily let Coryo inside their house. "He's in his room." She gestured down the hall. Before he could make his way to him, Mrs. Plinth engulfed him in a tight hug. Coriolanus hesitated for a moment before reciprocating. "Thank you for being so good to my boy." She whispered, pulling back and rubbing her hands along his arms. "He's been so much happier since you started coming round and...it's nice to know that he has someone that cares when he's in trouble."

Coryo was at a loss of words. If only she knew the true depth of their relationship. He just stuttered out and 'of course' before slowly making his way down the hall and to Sejanus' closed bedroom door. He took a deep breath and knocked three times. No answer. "Sejanus?" he called, lightly. "Sejanus, it's me." From the other side, he could hear hurried movement. After only a few seconds the door was pulled open.

Sejanus was in night clothes, just like the last time he'd seen him, except this time there were bags under his eyes and his hair was unkempt. "What are you doing here?" he asked, confused.

Coriolanus couldn't help but rake his eyes over the other's body, taking in his entire disheveled appearance. Again, sleepy Sejanus made his brain feel cloudy. "I, uh, I wanted to check on you. You didn't show up today."

Sejanus crossed his arms. "I wasn't feeling up to it."

"I gathered that." Coryo fought the urge to mess with Sejanus' bed head. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the cause." The words sounded foolish, even to Coryo, as they left his mouth.

Sejanus raised his eyebrows, almost amused. "Seriously? You–" the muffled sound of Mrs. Plinth laughing and talking to who he could only assume to be Mr. Plinth cut Sejanus off. He pulled Coriolanus into the bedroom and shut the door. "You are so confusing, Coryo." he continued. "Saturday you couldn't even bring yourself to admit that you might care about me and now here you are on my doorstep?"

Coriolanus didn't have a great defense. He shrugged his shoulders, awkwardly. "I missed you." The words didn't come out easy. He had to force them out before his brain had time to comprehend what he was really saying, but he got them out anyway.

Sejanus' gaze softened. "You...missed me?"

Coryo groaned and moved to sit on the bed. "God, Sejanus, yes, obviously. I'm so used to hearing you talk my ear off every day with your treasonous remarks and your poetically sad takes on the districts and–and whatever else. It's awful not having you follow me around all day. I've grown used to your company."

"So that's it, you've just gotten used to me?" he asked, unimpressed.

Coriolanus could have screamed. "It's more than that."

Sejanus sat down next to him, his eyes pleading. "So tell me, Coryo. All I want is the truth out of you, for once."

Coryo stared at him for a long time. Even after laying in bed all day, Sejanus was gorgeous. How could others not see it? Maybe they did. That thought didn't sit well with him. "I didn't want to be your friend." He started. Sejanus grimaced. "I didn't want to be mean to you, but I didn't want to be your friend. You're...you're different." District was implied. He shook his head. "But somehow, I just could never take my eyes off of you. Anytime something happened, I found myself searching for you, wondering how you were going to react. Were you going to blurt out something stupid? Were you going to cry? Were you going to storm out? I never knew what to expect. I always hated that, not being able to read your mind."

"If you didn't like me, why did you always come after me?" Sejanus asked.

"I...don't know." He did know. It was smart to keep someone so rich close by. That was his reason in the beginning, anyway. Lately...lately it was something else. "You just somehow worked your way into my life, and before I knew it I was worrying about you all the time, not just at school. And...and..." He looked at Sejanus' lips and all of a sudden felt very warm. "I'd really like to kiss you again." He whispered.

Sejanus blushed immediately. "I can't."

"Why not?" Coryo asked, leaning in close enough to feel the other boy's breath on his face.

"Coryo, I can't do this to myself." He mumbled, but made no move to back up. "I really like you. I hate that I do. You're...you're you."

This took Coriolanus by surprise. He'd never considered that maybe Sejanus hated his feelings just as much as he hated his own. Hearing that stung worse than it should have, considering the feeling was mutual.

"I can't start something like this with you. You'll—you'll ruin me."

Coryo leaned in impossibly closer. "You've already ruined me." The urge to close the gap between the two of them was overwhelming. "I like you, Sejanus." He whispered, desperate to say anything that might relieve the tension between them. It might have even been true.

Sejanus let out a little gasp. "You do?"

"Don't make me say it again, please."

Sejanus didn't respond, he just leaned the rest of the way in and kissed Coryo breathless.