Road of the Heavenly Light

16-3: A Different Kind of Love

Adrian woke up on the couch the next morning with a splitting headache. He knew he had overindulged, but apparently it had been so bad that he hadn't even made it to his bed. Why had he overindulged so much again? Oh right, he had been trying his very best to forget about his feelings for Christian, especially after he had touched his hand so intimately at the art exhibition. It was a miracle he'd been so insufferable at the tavern, acting like he had bad taste in drinks and giving him that annoying, judgmental look for ordering more. And then, afterward, he had... he had...
Oh no.

Adrian wanted to jump out of a window. He had forgotten how, in all his drunkenness, he had told Christian quite literally everything about his life, including how he had never liked Sigrid, but had always held feelings for Christian instead. If that wasn't mortifying enough, the memory of him kissing Christian also flooded back to him, and Adrian was quite certain he would be better off locking himself in a small room and never coming out again. The kiss had been heavenly, better than he could have ever imagined after all that time pining for him, but Christian had run off into his bedroom immediately after, and instead of talking about it like a sensible, sober person, Adrian had fallen asleep on the couch immediately after.

To say he had messed up was an understatement. Adrian had probably frightened Christian beyond words, if not disgusted him. After all those years of carefully hiding his feelings, pretending he cared about Sigrid when it was so obvious that she held feelings for another, all it took was one touch and a few drinks to make it all come rolling off his tongue. It was safe to say that after all that time trying to prove he was the best, he had lost the competition utterly. Perhaps it was best to cut his losses and go home. He let out a loud sigh and went to his room to begin packing.

Christian kicked a pebble ahead of him as he walked around the school gardens in the early morning. He had barely gotten any sleep the night and, at a certain point, had given up entirely, choosing instead to linger his mind on the events that had preceded. After much thought about his feelings, he had concluded that he was never in love with Sigrid. It was merely a feeling that seemed like love at the time. Christian knew now that he never would have felt the way he did if he had kissed Sigrid instead of Adrian. It had been a magical, exhilarating feeling that could not compare to anything else in his life.

Perhaps, Christian wondered, he had only been competing with Adrian because he liked impressing him, and he just didn't know it. He would be lying if he said he had never thought Adrian was attractive, but the feeling was so much more intense now. He longed to put his hands through those dreamy brown curls and to gaze into those hazel eyes that looked like an enchanting forest in autumn. It was thus very frustrating that Adrian had been drunk when kissing him, and if he even remembered it, he would probably say it didn't mean anything.

He let out a frustrated sigh and kicked the pebble into the pond, where it made a soft splashing sound before sinking to the bottom. He then noticed Glen and his new girlfriend, Astrid—the entire school had learned about that union within a day—walking in his direction.
"You look rather downcast, Christian. What is the matter?" Astrid asked.
"I realized last night that I never loved Sigrid."
"You're joking," Glen said, his eyes wide in surprise.
Christian shook his head.
"I think I like Adrian instead."
"You can't be serious. Next thing, you'll tell me you saw Saint Divinia!"
A murderous glare from Astrid quickly shut Glen up.

"What has caused this sudden change?" Astrid asked, turning back to him.
"Adrian drunkenly kissed me last night and told me that he never loved Sigrid, and was just competing with me so he could be with me. And I... well, I've felt things with him that I've never felt with anyone else."
"Have you told Adrian about this?" Glen asked.
"No. He wasn't awake when I went outside."
"You should speak with him," Astrid advised, "if you don't, you may never find peace with yourself. I speak from experience," she added, looking over at Glen with a fond smile.
She was right, of course. He needed to see Adrian. At best, his feelings would be returned, and at worst, he would always have last night's kiss to comfort him.
"I will. Thank you," Christian responded, before turning around and running off.
He heard Glen saying that he needed to tell Felix about this just before he left. Perhaps informing him about this all wasn't the best idea.

After packing his luggage, Adrian left this bedroom. He glanced over at Christian's room, which was still empty. It was probably for the best if he just left and saved him the embarrassment of recounting last night's memories. He knew he couldn't avoid Christian forever, especially since they were both heirs to very important positions, but avoiding him until they could at least move on from the drunken confession and kiss was probably for the best, if that was even possible.

Adrian moved through the hallways of the school, both hoping and not hoping to run into Christian. He wanted to see him again, to kiss him again. All that time, he had never allowed himself to think about it, but now that he had experienced a taste, he wanted more. That was also why he didn't want to run into him, because there was a very big chance he would be rejected. He wasn't sure he could take it. That was why he went towards the carriage that could take him back to Earth, and from there he would find a way back to Aurion. As fate would have it, however, that wouldn't be so easy.
"Adrian!"

He didn't need to turn around. Christian's voice was one he had memorized in great detail. He would hear it above a thousand other ones.
"Christian..." he responded, slowly turning around, afraid to face him.
"Is that your luggage?" Christian asked, "are you... leaving?"
Adrian took a deep breath, unsure what to say.
"I'm sorry for last night. I was drunk and not thinking clearly, but I know that's no excuse. I never should have-"
"I like you."
Adrian's mouth fell open, and he wasn't sure if he heard it correctly.
"What?"
"I panicked last night because when we kissed... it felt so right, and I realized I felt things for you that I never felt for Sigrid, but I didn't see it until that moment. Her departure allowed me to see what was there all along..."

Christian reached out to cup his cheeks, closing the distance between them.
"I like you, Adrian Grivia."
Adrian's eyes lit up, and he watched as Christian slowly leaned in. They shared a much deeper and more passionate kiss than they did last night, and Adrian, now actually sober enough to enjoy the moment, was in absolute bliss. He had wanted this for so long, and it was actually happening. Christian liked him back.

"Don't leave," Christian whispered when their lips parted.
"How could I? Not when you're here."
Christian chuckled softly. It was a wonderful sound to hear.
"Do you think Abigail will let us stay for longer?" Adrian asked.
"Not in the way we are now. If we began attending the lessons, perhaps. We wouldn't get a graduation, but we would be able to stay here."
"That's just a small sacrifice for me. All that matters is being with you," Adrian said, stroking Christian's hair.
Christian smiled before leaning in for another kiss.