Teacher of the Year • Brallon [ON HOLD]

"in the morning air."

- I'd be a hypocrite to say that i hated books that never update.
its been 5-nEARLY  6MONTHS
ITS UNACCEPTABLE

- shout out to v-gabriel and VincentHyga cause i live them and theyre more goals than me.

e n j o y

-  -  -

"You look like shit."

Dallon's ocean eyes flickered up to see Brendon sheepishly standing in the doorway to the classroom.

"Okay." Was Dallons only respond as he looked back down to his papers. Grading a few, annotating others to assist on better solutions. Dallon figured Brendon would leave soon but he was still there, slowly drawing closer to his desk.

"Look, Dallon about yesterday-"

"It's fine Brendon."  Dallon hissed, standing up to mark the schedule on the white board, but Brendon didn't allow him and grasped onto his wrist. Dallon wanted to move, to yank his hand from Brendon's intoxicating touch but he couldn't will himself to do it.

"No, it's not." Brendon said softly looking up into Dallon's intense blue eyes. "Can you- can we just stop pretending it is?"

In that moment Dallon realized. He's hurting too, and not just physically. Yesterday was quite insane but how much did Brendon have to endure before Dallon came along?

Brendon reached a tentative hand up to Dallon's collar shirt. The teacher didn't so much as flinch as Brendon's fingers lightly trailed over the bandage that covered the severed skin on Dallon's collar bone.

Brendons eyes watered, not enough to cry but enough to show that he was conflicted in his own emotions. "I'm so sorry i did this to you."

Dallon sighed deeply, facing Brendon fully as he looked down at him. And despite himself he laced his fingers with Brendons. Their foreheads touched and they stood there, this emotion they're sharing and the level of unspoken comfort somehow just being enough to ease the pain.

"You didn't do this." Dallon muttered into Brandon's hair as they slowly wrapped their arms around each other. "He did. And he's  long gone. For sure."

"That's what i always believe," Brendon sighed into Dallons shirt "then he comes back"

"But that was then, this is now." Dallon assured, running circles into Brendons' back. "You're not alone. And last time I checked, 2 is greater than 1."

Brendon smirked against his chest, holding him tighter. "God you're so lame." Dallons chest vibrated with taimed chuckles.

"By the way, what's the scheme of the wedding?" Dallon couldn't help but smile.

Brendon slowly pulled back, his eyes wide with happiness. "You're  still going?"

"Of course." He nodded, grasping onto Brendond hand as they both walked out from behind the desk and into the sizable space of the classroom. The desks were pushed back against the far wall already preparing for the weekend.

"Besides i need to get out more." Dallon shrugged casually as he held Brendon close, playfully swaying side to side with their clasped hands raised in the air.

"Last wedding i went to was my own." Dallon reminisces with his head tilted. Brendon raised his eyebrows questionably.

"You didn't tell me much of that." Brendon hinted as he wanted to know more, but not be rude.

"She's not a good memory." Dallon said lowly. "But i have someone way better."

"Oh yeah?" Brendon smirked.

"Mhm," Dallon almost bursted out laughing "Mia Khalifa is quite amazing."

Brendon sharply gasped, smacking Dallon's shoulder playfully as they both laughed.

Dallon shook his head, eyes crinkled at the ends from his elastic smile. "But seriously," he looks back into Brendons eyes with determination. Instead, he figured his words couldn't remotely explain the way he felt.

So Dallon kissed him.

-   - -   -

Amelie stood within the playground, a frown covering her face as she picked red mulch from Declan's rosey-red hand. While she was waiting for her father to come and get her so they can go home- Declan decided he didnt need to use the railing for the monkey bars and jumped, with his short frame and the distance, it was only a recipie for disaster.

"Owy Amelie that hurts!"

"Stop bein' a baby." Amelie hissed as she picked out the last splintering mulch.

Declan blushed, folding his arms as he grumbled "Thank you"

"I texted my momma yesterday." Amelie started, siting beside Declan on the bench as he pulled out a ziploc bag full of cookies.

"What she say?"

"She wants to see me. She says she misses me."

"Thats grr" Declan struggled to congratulate as he chewed on his cookie, occasionally handing one over to his best friend.

Amelie nodded slowly, looking down at her hands with thought. Maybe Amelie didn't want to see her as much as she thought. 

"Maybe your mom  wants to see your dad too?" Declan suggested with a helpful smile, seeing her friends pain. Its what he saw his dad to to his mother when she would cry. He reached a hand over Amelies shoulders and swayed back and forth.

"Maybe your right." She says. "Or maybe  she dosent."

"But shes your mom?'

"She hasnt talked to me in a long time." Amelie says. "And i text her every night. Why would she talk to me now?" her emotions slowly bottled in her.

"My dad helps sad people." Declan offers. Amelie looks up to see his unsettled earthy eyes. "You should talk to him before you do anything."

The words hung low in the air and soon a vintage car pulled up, one Amelie recognized to be Declan's parent. She waved at the man with strawberry blonde hair and rimmed glasses. He wore a dark fedora and a huge smile.

'Maybe Declans dad can help.' Amelie thought before pushing herself up and running over to the Stumps.