Until You [BL]

Chapter 4 - Alexis Sebastian Hidalgo

He's running late. Alarm snoozed and ignored in favor of a few minutes more of sleep. Until he realized he snoozed one too many times.

Alternating between walking fast and running, Fallon tried to slip through groups loitering around the hall, overtake slow moving students and evade every other thing on his path to the classroom. He was less than 5 meters into it when something solid bumped into him that made him land butt first on the floor.

He was about to give a piece of his mind to this something when that something loudly called his name.

"Fallon! Dude!"

"Archer?"

"10 points for remembering my name. Wait, we go to the same univ?"

Archer Chase Hidalgo. He has mixed feelings when it comes to this person. A witness in the most tormenting and humiliating moment of his life, however he is also a savior of sorts. No time to ponder however since as he said, he's late.

"Hey, I'd love to stay and chat but I'm late. I'll see you around."

He made maybe two or three steps when River who's coming out of the room, blocked his way. "Prof's absent. Let's eat. I haven't had breakfast."

"Perfect. Dude let me join you....Hi, I'm Archer, Fallon's errr friend I think." Archer exclaimed by his side.

"Hello, Fallon's errr friend you think, name's River and unlike you, I am sure I am Falls' friend." River jokingly said while she extended her arm to Archer for a handshake.

Archer, somewhat smitten, happily shook River's hand.

"So, let's go? Ugh, I'm so hungry, I can eat a cow right now." River exaggeratedly said.

They started walking towards the canteen and while doing so, Archer lean-turned to Fallon saying: "She's funny, I like her. She your girlfriend?"

"Duuuude!" Fallon exaggerating Archer's nickname for him while hissing quietly "Did you forget when and why we know each other?"

"Oh!...Right."

River immediately got in line to buy food. Archer took the opportunity to ask, "So how are you? Are you ok now?"

Surprised by the question, Fallon took his time to think about his answer.

"I guess one can never be fully ok when heartache hits them. But it is pure stupidity to dwell on things we cannot change. Yes, he was a lying good for nothing scumbag, but I am the stupid idiot who spoiled the lying good for nothing scumbag. So why cry over him when I can do more important things? Why be angry when there are more productive emotions?" he said with indifference in his eyes.

"Whoo that's deep..and disturbingly cold." Archer commented.

***

Life seems ok. Fallon's dad calls him from time to time asking how he is and trying to somehow fix their strained relationship. But Fallon never regained the comfortable feeling of sharing his thoughts with his father. He feels isolated. River is the only one who can get through him somehow.

Fallon will see Archer from time to time and he and Archer will wave or nod at each other. Archer sometimes joins them for lunch, once-twice a month maybe. He's taking up Chemistry Fallon learned.

It was a Friday when destiny tried to tease him once again. River was trying to force feed him with this spicy noodle that she ordered. She knows Fallon hates anything spicy and so Fallon turned to face the other way to avoid her.

He smelled him first rather than saw him. There was this pleasing scent that invaded his sense of smell and so he tried to find the source. When he turned to face Archer, he saw a guy leaning over Archer's shoulder telling him something. Tall and not overly muscled from what Fallon can see. Clean looking short back and sides hairstyle but slightly longish at the top where it was secured in a short ponytail. The guy's face can be an advertisement for what stern and serious is.

As if feeling his stare, the guy lifted his eyes and Fallon held his breath. While Archer has melted milk chocolate brown eyes, this one has molten lava. The person directly looked at him arching his eyebrows as if asking: "What?"

He dropped his eyes as he heard Archer says: "This is River and this is Fallon. Fallon Dela Fuente. And dear friends, this guy right here is Alexis Sebastian Hidalgo, my big brother."

"Dela Fuente?"

"Yes, I believe you've heard of him. He's tito Francis' son."

The guy nodded once and said, "Archer calls me Ash, you can too.", looking into Fallon's eyes

Fallon though, 'Ash, an apt name for the guy with fire in his eyes and a scent that could make you burn.'

***

"So, he's a graduating student of BS Chem minor in business. He is also actively helping in the family business since his third year. Smart with a stern disposition and let us not forget how fine he looks. That short ponytail reminiscent of Daniel Padilla in a man bun whoo. The only time I ever liked Daniel Padilla mind you." River gushed out.

They're in a video call. Fallon is busy revising and is not really paying attention to what River is saying. So, in the lull of River's speech Fallon asked,

"Excuse me, who are we talking about?"

"Oh my God, you were not even listening... Ash! I'm talking about Ash Hidalgo...Three deadly S combination on a guy. Smart, Sexy and Serious."

"Oh."

"Oh? What do you mean oh? Such a cold reaction to my fiery monologue. Anyway, I'm sure this next information will pick you interest."

"Oh?"

River rolled her eyes before saying "He's bi! As in confirmed bi-sexual. To cool to focus on just one gender. I love it!" then River giggled loudly.

"Oh!"

"Really Falls? Oh? Tell me, do you know any other vowel except O?" River said annoyed.

Fallon sighed, "Well, what do you want me to say?"

"Anything other than Oh!" River loudly complained.

Fallon sighed once more, put down his notes and focused on River's face in his phone screen.

"Ok. Here's what I think. As you said he is Smart, Sexy and Serious, deadly and priced combination on a guy or girl or anybody for that matter. So, this means, even if I am interested, which I am not, he will never even look at me. Besides, finals is almost here, we should be revising for tests and finalizing our tasks instead of aiming for something that we cannot have. A good grade is achievable while Mr. Ash-smexy Hidalgo is not."

River looked at Fallon in the strangest way for a long time and Fallon wondered if the call hanged due to poor internet quality.