The Devil's Trill Sonata by Matthew J. Metzger Page B

whether Jayden drank wine now or not. Whether…
    His phone buzzed, startling Darren out of his reverie, and Jayden’s photo flashed up on the screen. One new message: jayden, 9:32am. When’s your train getting in?
    330ish, Darren replied. Conexion in lndn. already hungry so may stop 4 food.
    Don’t you dare , came the swift chastisement, and Darren smiled. I’ll feed you when you get here, just don’t be late!
    Kinky , Darren opined.
    God you’re disgusting.
    Ur the 1 whos gonna ‘feed me’ ;) Darren pointed out, and laughed at the string of exclamation marks Jayden replied with. Maybe he was overreacting. Or, more likely, maybe that Ella who kept dragging Jayden away from his room wasn’t around, and Jayden was allowed to be himself for five minutes. R u alone?
    Oh, no, I am not getting into any of that. I know what you’re like, Darren Peace!
    Biblically.
    Oh, shut up!
    Darren shook his head and hit the call button. The phone rang for maybe half a minute before Jayden answered with, “No! No phone kinkiness or anything like that. I have to analyse this passage before you get here!”
    “If it was that urgent, you wouldn’t have answered,” Darren said.
    “Oh, shut up,” Jayden said. “You know what you’re like.”
    “Yes, well, I’ve known me for about, oh, eighteen years. Something like that.”
    “Shut up ,” Jayden repeated and sighed. “I miss you. Why aren’t you getting here until half three? Isn’t there a faster train?”
    “Engineering works.”
    Jayden groaned. “This sucks. I can’t concentrate because I know you’re coming. Are you coming right now?”
    “No. I’m in public.”
    “ Darren !” Jayden said, sounding scandalised, but then he laughed, quiet and breathless. “You’re awful.”
    “So I’ve been told. By you. Multiple times.”
    “And I’m right,” Jayden said imperiously.
    “ Are you alone?” Darren asked.
    “Why?”
    “Just asking.”
    “Yes?” Jayden said hesitantly. “I’m in my room. I finished my essay, and my exam went okay, so I’m just shifting a couple of pieces more before you get here. I just have to email this analysis to the lecturer before coming to meet you and I’m done for Christmas. Well, for seeing you and going home and everything.”
    “So what’re you wearing?” Darren said.
    “Darren…”
    “No kinky fun, promise.”
    “Yeah, right,” Jayden muttered, then sighed and said, “My blue shirt and my black jeans. My socks don’t match because I haven’t really, you know, got out of bed proper yet. You know, showered and everything; I skipped breakfast so I could do this analysis, and I’m eating some cookies instead.”
    “Don’t wear those,” Darren said. “Wear those baggy jeans you bought in London when we went to see UCL with Paul. Summer before last.”
    “Okay…” Jayden said warily.
    “And a baggy T-shirt.”
    “Why?”
    “I like you in baggy?”
    “But why?”
    “I get to bunch it up,” Darren said. It was true. He had a thing about it, and they’d worked that out fairly quickly, with Jayden’s (old) tendency to loaf around the house in massive T-shirts that could pass for short dresses, if he’d been a girl.
    “…Okay, fine,” Jayden said, sounding vaguely amused. “Just this once. I’ll look like a slob…”
    Darren checked the never bothered you before that lingered on his tongue and said, “Think of it as an investment.”
    “In what?”
    “In what I’m likely to do if you’re wearing those.”
    Jayden laughed. “Darren!” Darren grinned, the phone shifting against his cheek. “Fine. God, you’re bloody awful and I don’t know why I put up with you and heaven help you if Ella sees me in my baggy T-shirts, but fine, I’ll do it. For you.”
    “Why?” Darren pushed, still grinning.
    “You know why.”
    “No, I don’t.”
    “Prick. See you at three-thirty, and don’t be late!” Jayden ordered and hung up.
    Darren sniggered, dropping his head back against the rest and