Chapter 140 Chapter 140

Chapter 140 Chapter 140
Ravi had rolled his eyes, about to retaliate, when Dean swept in, casually swinging an arm around his shoulders while fluttering his eyelashes like mad.
“Ladies.” He exclaimed. Two of the rugger lasses rolled their eyes, but the third one, the girl with long brown hair and broad shoulders, cocked her head. Ravi watched her lips part, revealing sharp canines as she stared at Dean like a piece of meat. The lock must have noticed, his smile stiffening, hand around Ravi’s shoulder, turning clammy.
It was hilarious to see Dean, a self-proclaimed womaniser, this nervous. 
They kept chatting some more, the muscular girl moving closer to Dean in increments, like a panther sneaking up on its prey. When she finally bounced, sliding up to the lock’s side, half a head taller, she snatched him from Ravi’s side. Dean went willingly, awed at the way she handled him, assessing her dominance with the flick of a hand.
“I think I love you,” Dean told her, tilting his head backward to look into her eyes.
She flashed him her canines. “Not yet, but you will.”
The girls were hollering in laughter, not that the couple seemed to notice. Dean licked his lips, body taut in anticipation. When she kissed him, it was to the soundtrack of the girls and Ravi cheering them on. 
Leaving the lovebirds in peace, he and the girl duo returned to conversation. If there was one thing Ravi could never grow tired of talking about, it was rugby. The girls’ season had been hard; they’d lost some of their best players because of injuries, and without a captain or a fly-half, it had been difficult to score tries. Ravi, in turn, summarised the lads’ season, of how they’d turned their luck and were currently doing quite well.
One girl, Alice, had slapped his knee, rolling her eyes and saying that they were doing god's work. Please don’t downplay it. Ravi had thrown his head back and laughed, promising he’d do better. 
A year ago, he would have hated this, talking to strangers, navigating the flow and ebb of conversations and interactions. Humans were unpredictable, like an array out of bounds. But now, he found he did not mind. Truth be told, he thrived.
Time moved surprisingly fast. Sebastian and Sam joined them later, both of their cheeks flushed and lips swollen. Sam sat close to Ravi, resting her head on his shoulder. He swept an arm around her, breathing in the familiar smell of coffee and books. Sebastian immediately jumped into the conversation with the Huffle girls, yapping on and on about how the lads would kick their arses in tomorrow's game. Their bickering was quite entertaining, Ravi nodding whenever the redhead turned to him, prompting, “Is that not right, Ravi?”
Theo joined, siding with Sebastian in his arguing, singing about the Griffin's future glory, and the lads proving they were the superior players. In the middle of it, Ravi’s phone chimed. Dean had then made an appearance, standing on the side of the girls, a dazed look about him as he leaned against the broad-shouldered gal who’d previously snatched him up. He was showing his palms, saying that the girls really weren't all that bad. Sebastian and Theo looked like someone had just punched them, scowls in place as they told Dean to snap out of it. 
The broad-shouldered girl pushed Dean to the side, muttering a baby as she got down on the sofa, a small square table in front of her. Her legs splayed wide, trousers stretched over hard thighs. With the confidence of a bull running towards something red and flapping, she pushed her hand forward, elbow hitting the table with a loud knock.
“Wrestle me.” She demanded, brows low and painted lips curled. She pointed at Theo. “You, let’s go.”
Theo was not as loud anymore, backing away with his hands in front of him. “Ravi. I nominate Ravi as a tribute.”
But Ravi’s phone had just chimed again. He took it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. It read Labpartner Denis. “Sorry, gotta go.”
Theo screamed in despair even as the girl in front of him smiled wider. “Don’t be a scaredy-cat, let’s do some arm-wrestling.”
Ravi left his friends behind, making his way through throngs of pressing bodies, offering excuse me’s along the way. There was a smile that didn’t quite want to disappear clinging to his face; he tried to shake it, but with no success. Denis wanted to talk to him.
Leaving the common room, the entrance to the dorm was buzzing with people. At least there were slivers of space between the clusters of students talking in low voices, enough space to navigate without bumping into strangers. Ravi sighed in relief as he made it out the door.
The night air blew past his face, and the noise from inside muted instantly. He hadn’t even realised how loud it had been before everything turned into a blissful silence. The big lad skipped a few steps, energy coursing through his body, begging to be let out. Denis was calling him.
The sun had set, but the sky was still indigo, the world in shade but not in shadow. Ravi found a spot away from the dorm, lying down in the summer-green grass, the dry strands warm after withstanding the beating of the sun. He took a few breaths, heart rushing, mind sprinting. Bringing out his phone, the screen displayed two missed calls a couple of minutes ago, both from the blonde.
Ravi hit call, pushing the small device against his ear.
Denis answered on the second ring. “Ravi,” he said in greeting.
“Denis,” Ravi answered. He fiddled with the grass stands beneath his hand, pulling a few of them from the earth and rolling them between his fingers. “I’ve missed you.” He was still beaming like an idiot, soaring so high he could see all the way to London. “I’m so happy you called.”
Denis was quiet on his end, probably tired after a long day. A string of worry penetrated Ravi’s euphoric state. He hated how much Denis had to work. If he wasn’t careful, the blonde was going to run himself ragged. Back in autumn, Sam had barely been hanging on, her light fading beneath the staggering weight of her many dedications. Ravi refused to let the same fate befall Denis. He was brilliant, a star in the sky. He could handle more than Ravi, but even the blonde had limits.