Finding Yourself

Chapter Eight: Observant

(Remote school is stressful. Advanced Placement classes are stressful. College preparations are stressful. Applying for scholarships by yourself is stressful. Calculus is stressful. Keeping it all in your head at once...is stressful. I'm stress full. So...here we are.)

Dakota was stirred awake, but this time, not by the sound of his obnoxious alarm. In fact, it was still quite dark and quiet when Dakota was woken up by the sound of his door opening. He blinked his eyes open and allowed himself to slowly adjust to the darkness of the night.

Dakota's eyes adjusted after a moment, and he soon realized that he wasn't about to be murdered by a serial killer or a shadow demon. It was Lucas making the noise, presumably coming home from the club he went out to.

The black-haired boy wondered why Lucas was coming home so late. Surely he wouldn't stay that long in a club?

Lucas quietly shuffled over to Dakota's drawers and rummaged through them. Dakota didn't mind- he had nothing to hide from Lucas. At least, not since Lucas figured out his deepest, darkest secret. 

Lucas went into the bathroom to dress himself- and came out in Dakota's pajamas. Dakota not only thought it was super cute, but he also was surprised. He thought Lucas was going to pop out of the bathroom in nothing but underwear- just like Dakota had seen throughout Lucas's stay. 

Dakota noticed Lucas opened the box of his mysterious belongings, dropping unknown items silently into the box. Dakota's eyes strained to see what they were, but he could only make out black silouettes. Lucas himself seemed to move very quietly, as if he thought Dakota was sleeping.

However, unlike the previous day, where he seemed graceful, Lucas seemed to have received a limp. He limped everywhere he walked- to the point where Dakota almost wondered if it was really Lucas he was seeing.

But it was. The figure was the same stature, the same shape, and it rested in Lucas's bed where it stayed. 

Was Lucas injured? Dakota wondered. He fretted at the idea. Was he hiding an injury?

Dakota, his eyes feeling heavy, his brain feeling numb, decided to rest his head again.

He would ask Lucas again when he woke.

~{()}~

When Dakota woke again, he was freaked the flip out. Literally, he almost flipped off the bed. Lucas, hair dripping from a fresh shower, dressed in Dakota's clothes, was so close to Dakota's face that it took Dakota a full three seconds to comprehend what he was looking at when he woke up.

And when he figured it out, he freaked.

"What are you doing?!" He asked, shooting out of bed to distance their faces. He then heard the distant cry of his alarm, but that wasn't important to Dakota in that moment. The only thing that was important was Lucas's owl-like eyes, puppy-dog head tilt, and Cheshire smile. 

"Your alarm went off," Lucas replied, then looked at Dakota more inquisitively, "I could see it."

"You could see what?" Dakota asked, blinking in confusion and sleepiness.

"Nothing. You know, I can teach you if you want to learn," Lucas said, dropping his eyes to the feet of Dakota- then raking his gaze up Dakota's body again. As if he was assessing Dakota- or checking him out.

"Learn what?!" Dakota huffed, still frazzled from the unexpected wake-up call.

"You know what, nevermind," Lucas shook his head, "You need to be let down lightly."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dakota furrowed his brows. He didn't know what Lucas was getting at- but Dakota wondered if it was Lucas's attempt at teasing him for being a virgin. Maybe it was teasing, and Dakota didn't know it- and that was the joke.