Less Than One | BxB

7.

"Let's get you home."

He nods, seeming tired. Must be the panic attack. I stand up and feel him wrapping his legs around me.

I chuckle. "I thought you wanted to take things slow." He whimpers and my laughing immediately dies. "From tomorrow on..."

I nod. "Tomorrow." I support his head on my shoulder and open the door to go back to the hallway. I notice he's clinging to me and my heart breaks at how vulnerable he feels.

"It's okay, love. We've got this," I whisper and walk to the nurse's office. I know he's almost never absent and if we just skipped class it'd probably cause him another panic.

He closes his eyes and I feel his body relax. "Thank you." It's a faint whisper, but so honest I get a lump in my throat. 

"Love, don't thank me, please." He nods. I pass the restroom and cringe when I hear the door open behind me. "You fucking betrayer."

Dylan flinches and when he lifts his head to look in my eyes, I see fear. I keep walking, not paying attention to my friends. Dylan needs comfort right now and not confrontation.

I'll beat them up later.

"Dallas! You better fucking get your ass here!" Jason calls. Dylan buries his face in my chest. I curse myself, just now realizing he had to look at them the whole time. I should've turned around and walked backwards.

A hand on my shoulder makes me still. I turn around, fury burning in me. "Leave me the fuck alone," I hiss. Jason shakes his head. "No. We're not done with him."

"The hell you are. Leave us alone." I turn and hear Dylan's soft sobs in my chest, but I need to get him away first if I want to comfort him.

I finally reach the nurse's office and sigh in relief, knowing they won't follow us here because they are just on a toilet break.

"Hi." I smile at her. Her eyes leave mine for a second and bounce to Dylan, then immediately walks around her desk. "What happened to the poor boy?"

Dylan shows his face. "I'm just tired," he lies, but I don't have the heart to correct him. "I'll bring him home," I tell her. She nods and smiles, turning to give us our passes. "That's very sweet of you, Dallas. This is the first tie I see you here without an injury," she winks.

I grin and take our passes. "That's true, miss. Hope I can leave it that way." She winks and I turn around, heading to my car. Dylan looks up at me. "Injuries?"

I kiss his forehead. "Football, love. And maybe some fighting, but that's alright." He sighs and closes his eyes again. "I'm sorry this is how we spend our first day, Dallas. I didn't mean to."

I set him on the passenger seat. "Dylan, don't apologize. I don't care what we do. Sure, I'd rather go on a date with you, but comforting you is a thing I don't mind to do." He nods and curls up in the seat while I walk around the car and take place behind the steering wheel.

I drive to his house, following his instructions. When we arrive, I want to pick him up again. But he shakes his head. "M-my Dad's home," he whispers. I bend next to the car. "What's with you and your Dad?"

He shrugs. "He thinks me liking guys is just a phase. He thinks so about the panic attacks." I hear by his tone how much it hurts him. 

"And your Mom?" A smile forms on his way. "Mom is very supportive and may have been the one who liked your pictures." I grin. "Are you sure it wasn't you drooling over me like some certain Friday night?"

He hides his red cheeks in his hands. "Don't bring that up! I will throw myself under a bus," he groans. I chuckle. "Don't worry, I'm sure Scarlett's brother knows a lot of stories about me too." 

His eyes glinster. "Really? About me?" I nod and smile at him. "Come on, let's get you inside." I support him by helping him out the car, but he's really distant after and doesn't want me to carry him.

His Dad really screwed up his mind.

He stumbles a few times, but adjusts after and walks down the path. I lock my car and run after him, but he's already inside. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad." The 'Hi, Dad' is much more silent than the 'Hi, Mom'.

I doubt. Should I follow or stay here until he's ready for it? I decide option two is the best and stay at the door.

"Honey? School just started, right?" His Mom sounds confused. I imagine him giving a silent shrug. "I got a panic attack."

A gasp and a sigh go through the room. I think I know who gave what. "Who brought you home? That's not your car, and neither is it Scarlett's," his Mom asks. 

A silent, then footsteps in the hallway. Dylan walks towards me with a frown and motions to follow him. I nod and close the door behind me. I shake his Mom's hand, who looks at me with wide eyes.

"Hey, I'm Dallas. A friend of your son," I smile and give her a charming wink. She smiles back and glances at Dylan. "Of course. Welcome in our home."

His Dad looks up from his newspaper. "Dallas, huh? Do you play in the football team?" I nod, extending my hand to him, but he never shakes it. I awkwardly take it back. "Yes, sir. I'm the quarterback."

He nods in approval. "Got a girlfriend?" Dylan shuts his eyes in shame and looks away. I feel bad for him. "Yes, sir. Her name is Hailey," I lie. "She's a cheerleader."

He nods again. "You're going to study upstairs?" I nod again. His Dad looks at Dylan. "You can close the door, son. But only if Dallas is comfortable with you and him being alone in a room."

Oh my fucking God.

"That's nor problem, sir," I say behind gritted teeth. But I know I can't snap at him, because it's Dylan's Dad. 

Me and Dylan walk upstairs. He's not looking at me. I frown. He does know there's no Hailey at our school, does he?

He opens the door to his room and lets me in. I sit down on his bed and look around. All the times I imagined how his bedroom looked, and I was still so far away from the truth. 

I frown when he stays at his door, not closing it. He coughs. "Are—Are you okay with me closing the door?" Oh my God.

"Of course." He nods and closes the door, then moves to the bed. I stand up and catch him in a hug. "Hey, it's okay. It went fine, didn't it? He doesn't suspect anything." He shakes his head. 

"I'm sorry about him humiliating you. He shouldn't have done that." He shakes his head again and sniffles. "I'm so tired of it, Dallas. He never speaks normally to me anymore. Only in that degrading tone like just now."

I hug him tighter. "I'm sorry," I breathe. I pull him into the bed and lie him down, knowing he's still tired. He immediately slumps and wraps his arms around my sitting posture.

"Sleep a little, love. I'll make sure your Dad doesn't find out," I whisper. He hugs me tighter and nods. 

He closes his eyes but before he can nestle his head into my chest, a knock on the door sounds. I shoot to the other side of the bed and quickly pick a book from his desk. "Um... What's the formula of gravity?"

Dylan gives me a thankful look and calls, "In!" We sigh in relief when it's his Mom with a plate of cookies. Dylan hides his face and groans. "Mom!"

She smiles and locks the door behind her, then joins us on the bed. "Spill the tea!" Dylan sighs and looks at me with an apologizing gaze, but I love this. I love how supporting his Mom is, it makes up a little for his Dad.

"Can I just say, Dallas, I understand my son's life choices," she smiles. I grin and lean back against the wall. "I know, he's very lucky with a guy like me."

Dylan groans again, making both me and his Mom chuckle. "But then again, no one can be more lucky then me," I add.