Step Bros - Part 3

Everyone in this story is 18+

As I walked toward the first-day orientation Jake had pointed me to, the reality of what had just happened settled in. My heartbeat had steadied, but my mind was still racing. The rush, the heat, the way it felt—it had been good. Better than good.

I wanted to do it again.

There was no denying it anymore. I’d known for a while, pushed it down, kept it at arm’s length, but there was no going back now. It wasn’t just curiosity—it was me. And for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to shove it into some dark corner of my mind.

College was supposed to be a fresh start, right? A chance to finally be myself, without the weight of expectations or the pressure to play some role that never felt right.

Maybe I could just… be.

I let out a slow breath, a smirk tugging at my lips.

I straightened my clothes further, running a hand down my shirt as I checked for any stains—just in case. My fingers hesitated near my waistband before I smirked, shaking my head. What would Jax have said if he knew?

Yeah. College was definitely going to be highly interesting.

After the morning’s…activities, I found myself weaving through the crowds of students making their way across campus. Orientation day. The air buzzed with nervous energy, upperclassmen guiding lost freshmen, club members aggressively handing out flyers, and the faint scent of cheap coffee clinging to the hallways of every academic building.

I spotted Jax near the main plaza, looking way too relaxed for someone about to sit through hours of icebreakers and lectures about "student expectations." He had a coffee in one hand and sunglasses perched lazily on his nose like he had just strolled out of a spring break commercial.

“Dude, you’re late,” he greeted, tossing a muffin at me. “Figured you’d need fuel.”

I caught it, peeling back the wrapper. “You mean you grabbed an extra and then didn’t want it?”

“Same thing,” he said, grinning. “Come on, we’re meeting some guys from the dorms before this thing starts.”

We wandered over to the courtyard where two familiar faces stood chatting—Dan and Cameron. Unlike Brady, who was a junior, and Asher, who was a sophomore, these two were freshmen like us.

Dan, auburn-haired and casually stylish, looked up first. “Hey, Nick, Jax.”

Cam, the tall and blond with bright blue eyes, gave a friendly nod. “Glad we found other freshmen in our dorm block. We wanted a mix of ages and classes, you know? Makes things more interesting.”

Jax smirked, crossing his arms. “Are you two like a thing?” He waggled his brows, and I already knew where this was going.

Dan looked at Cameron for approval before responding, "I guess you could say we are dating."

Jax smirked wider. "So, 'just dating,' huh? That’s what all those fucking noises were about last night?"”

Dan and Cam both went red, exchanging a flustered look before Dan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh… yeah. Sorry about that. We’ll try to keep it down.”

Cam let out a nervous laugh. “Didn’t think the walls were that thin.”

Jax clapped them both on the shoulders, looking way too amused. “Nah, don’t hold back on my account. Just saying, that was some serious cardio.”

Cam tilted his head slightly. "So, are you guys single?"

Jax grinned, puffing out his chest. "Single and ready to mingle with some hot college girls." He shot me a look. "Unlike this guy."

I shrugged. "Yeah, I have a girlfriend."

Jax, of course, had to chime in. "Yeah, somehow landed this hot chick named Cindy. Don’t ask me how."

Dan blinked, looking slightly surprised, but quickly nodded. "Cool, man."

Cam just smiled. “Nice. Long-distance thing?”

I shrugged. “Something like that.”

The orientation session was exactly as tedious as expected—long talks from faculty, forced interactions with other freshmen, and the occasional break to roam the campus.

At one point, I found myself walking alongside Dan, separate from the others. Seizing the opportunity, I glanced over at him. "So… you're gay?"

Dan hesitated, then shrugged. "I’m not really sure. I might be, or maybe bi. I don’t really know—other than being very into Cam. He used to just be my best friend, but we went on this ‘backbacking trip’ through Europe, and… well, shit went down."

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean 'backpacking'?"

Dan smirked. "Nah, 'backbacking.' It’s some stupid inside joke. Don’t worry about it."

Before I could ask more, Jax reappeared, tossing an arm around my shoulder. Dan took the moment to change the subject. "Hey, by the way, there’s a party happening later tonight. You guys should come."

The four of us stuck together, enduring long-winded speeches from faculty, forced icebreaker activities that no one actually wanted to do, and repetitive "welcome to college" talks that blurred together. We made sarcastic comments under our breath to stay entertained while Jax—true to form—managed to snag extra snacks from the refreshment table with an impressive lack of shame. By the time lunch finally rolled around, we were drained from smiling through introductions, nodding along to generic advice, and pretending to care about campus traditions. Orientation had done its job—we knew where the library was, who to ask for help, and that free food was our best friend. But beyond that? We were more than ready to move on to the real college experience.

By the time the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the quad, exhaustion was beginning to set in. The initial excitement of the day had worn off, replaced by the quiet realization that this was our new normal.

As I checked my phone while waiting in the cafeteria line, a message popped up.

Cindy:

“I’m breaking up with you.”