Sweet Little Birds (BxB Romance, Completed)

Chapter 34: Pure Sugar

The auditorium was quiet, except for a few hushed whispers among the spectators in the half-moon-shaped space. Several hundred pairs of eyes--a rough and probably exaggerated estimation-- were directed at Robin as he walked out on the stage for his presentation. Instantly, a knot formed itself in his chest, expanding by the second and making it hard for him to breathe. His palms and forehead started to drip with sweat. The spotlights beaming down on him appeared as bright as the sun itself.

"Welcome our last speaker of the day, Robin Erie!" the speaker announced.

He could do this. He could do this. He could fucking do this. He could do this for Ty. He could do this for himself.

The mantra seemed to work. By sheer will, Robin made his breaths deeper and slower. Oxygen started to swirl in his blood vessels once again, bringing strength to his vocal cords. The words were ingrained in his brain like a nursery rhyme, he just had to force his body to utter them.

Looking up, Robin momentarily became overwhelmed by the number of people looking back at him. But he didn't let the fear settle. Instead, he started to speak. "I'm," Robin began. "I'm here to present a possible research project, focusing on identifying cases of Munchhausen by proxy in adolescents, that I hope to take on-"

That's when he saw her. Steely blue eyes without compassion drilled into him. Liza Erie didn't smile as she gave her son a slight nod.

Robin forgot to breathe. He forgot where he even was. For a moment, there was only sheer panic.

She was here. She would watch every second and hear every word of this presentation.

The presentation. As if his mother's presence was enough, it dawned on Robin what he was about to present. Slide after slide detailing the harrowing treatment she'd put him through as a child. Sure, he wouldn't speak about his own experience, but the topic in itself should be enough to clue her in. All the list of common signs should ring a bell. She would know that he knew. And who knew what that knowledge would drive her to do?

He couldn't do this. It was impossible. Inconceivable. Incompatible with his desire to avoid confrontation.

Blurry shapes danced before his eyes as his throat constricted, letting no air in and no words out. Dread bubbled in his chest like dark tar threatening to drown him. He would sink into a dark pit of bitter despair forever.

She would take this from him. She would take everything. Just like she always did.

That's when the doors to the auditorium flew open. A draft of fresh air blew inside, carrying with it lollipops and candy canes. Blond curls caught Robin's attention. The mere sight made him gasp, making air once again flow into his lungs. The room came back into focus. His mother's glare stopped hurting. Bitter despair was replaced by sweet relief.

Ty was here. Robin didn't know how or why but it hardly mattered. Just having those green eyes look at him with affection was enough to jolt courage into his veins again, like an injection of pure sugar.

"Excuse me," one of the organizers told the newcomer. "You can't just barge in here like this. Spectators were told to arrive in good time before the presentations started."

"Well maybe you should have made sure your venue had an elevator then," Ty threw back, letting the door close with a loud thump behind him. "I've hobbled up ten flights of stairs on these." He overdramatically displayed his crutches, making his point quite clear. "Disability accommodation is a thing, you know..."

The man didn't have a good response to that retort.

Meanwhile, Des--who of course had come to watch her best friend's presentation, after forcing him to eat a nutritious breakfast in preparation--waved toward Ty, scooting over in her seat to make room for him. With everyone's eyes on him, Ty made his way to the aisle in the front. But despite all this attention coming his way, Tyler still made time to wave toward Robin and, once he had got in his seat, even throw an air kiss toward his boyfriend.