#i started talking too much in the notes of the fic kfjlsejfkel forcibly stopping myself from rambling bc i need to GO TO BED!!!!

[cerealmonster15]

Support Comes in All Sizes [Twst fic] [Trey&Cater]

Summary: Trey wants Cater to know that he's there to support him, when or if Cater's ever ready to talk.

Wordcount: 475

[Ao3 Link]

“You’re back early,” Trey comments as Cater walks through the door to their shared dormitory space.

Cater greets him back with a bit of a startled jump, but a quick recovery. “Oh! Hey, Trey; I didn’t know you’d be in. You workin’ on some Vice Housewarden paperwork?”

He walks over to where Trey sits at  his desk and positions himself behind the chair so he can peer over Trey’s shoulder.

“Yeah, just checking something over for Riddle - not that I really need to, of course, but Riddle -”

“Insisted you follow protocol to a T, huh?” Cater finishes Trey’s statement with a grin. “Aren’t you the most dutifully diligent secretary?”

Trey snorts out a laugh and shakes his head. “Yeah, yeah… Really, though, why are you back so early? Usually you like to stay out late on the weekends when you have plans. Did something happen on your date?”

He turns in his chair and tries to meet Cater’s eye, but Cater has already turned away and walks over to flop onto his back on his own bed.

“Oh, y’know,” Cater waves a noncommittal hand in the air with one hand and pulls out his phone with the other. “We just weren’t really, like… vibing, I guess? It’s no biggie, really, but now Cay-Cay’s gonna be BORED all night with NO plans!”

He sighs for dramatic effect, eyes locked onto his phone as he scrolls a little too fast to reasonably digest any of the content passing by.

Trey doesn’t speak for a while, but keeps his eyes on Cater.

Cater pretends not to see.

Trey pretends in turn that he doesn’t notice Cater’s refusal to answer his unasked questions. He doesn’t comment on the way Cater has angled his face just enough in the opposite direction to obscure his full expression from Trey’s line of sight.

They’re well into their second year at NRC. They’ve been roommates and friends as long as they’ve known each other. Trey feels more at ease with Cater than anyone else at the school.

But, Cater…

“Cater.”

“...What’s up?” Cater’s reply is slow, and he is still refusing to look across the room.

“Do you want to go check out that cafe you were talking about this morning?”

Cater sits up slowly, but finally looks over. “Oh, for realsies? You KNOW I’m not gonna pass up an opportunity to go scope out the latest hotspot!”

The next thing Trey knows, Cater’s crossed the room and is tugging on his arm to pull him out of the chair. “C’mon, c’mon- they’re not open super late, so we’ve gotta motor if we wanna make it in time!”

Trey laughs, putting his papers aside and rising to his feet. “Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

Cater finally meets Trey’s eyes as they reach the door, and he smiles.

They go together, as they always do.