Funny How Love Is (Maylor AU)

Chapter 15

Brian heaved a sigh as he unlocked the front door of his house and stepped inside, throwing his jacket and his bag by the coat rack and bending down to pick up the mail that the mailman had pushed through the door slot earlier in the day. He didn't bother turning on any lights as he trudged through the halls and into the kitchen, the only light illuminating his way being the one that hung above the sink, giving the entire floor an eerie feel.

He tossed the envelopes onto the counter and walked over to the coffee machine, pulling the carafe out and dragging a mug that had been left out across the counter. He lifted the coffee pot to pour himself a cup, but all that came out was a single drop of cold, dark, three-day-old coffee. The professor slammed the carafe back into its place out of frustration and rested his hands down on the counter, tilting his head down and closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself down.

After dropping Roger off, he couldn't ignore the thoughts racing through his head. They only got worse the farther he drove, and no matter how loud he turned the radio up, he couldn't stop thinking about how he wished that his and Roger's drive was longer, that their drive together hadn't ended at—what he believed was—Roger's house, and that he was the one that Roger kissed instead of—who he assumed was—the man who'd been his ride. That last thought troubled Brian the most, because the desire was so unusual for him.

He'd never thought about someone like this before, not even Chrissie. Perhaps it was because when they first got involved, Chrissie made it very clear that they had to keep things professional. Of course, there were moments where they risked it, but even then, they were both very conscientious about their relationship and how far they could take it.

With Roger, that boundary hadn't been established. In fact, Brian was pretty sure that Roger didn't want that boundary—especially with the way he acted around him and talked with him. And though he wasn't ready to admit it yet, he kind of liked the lack of boundary the two shared. It was a nice change from the everyday lull that being a young professor entailed; a strange frontier, dare he say.

A shrill ring snapped Brian out of the distressed state of mind he'd fallen into, drawing him away from the counter and across the room where he lifted the phone up from its cradle and held it up to his ear, greeting, "Brian May speaking."

"Hey, Bri," Chrissie's soft voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"Chrissie," he breathed, his heart rate picking up at the mention of her name, "H-Hey."

A moment of silence passed over the phone before the two of them began speaking at the same time, their attempts at starting the conversation overlapping one another's. They shared a quick, embarrassed laugh before Brian said, "Go on."

"I-I don't like where we left things," she confessed, causing Brian to bite his lip and lean against the wall. "I feel bad for leaving you at the school. I just...I didn't know what else to do; like there was nothing I could do to help. You've just been so...different these past few days, and...and today I almost didn't recognize you." The professor remained silent, allowing the headmistress to explain, "Now, I don't know if it's the time of the year or what—"

"No, no. Yeah," he cut her short, bringing his free hand up to his forehead and saying, "That...That's it."

An unfiltered giggle emanated from the speaker, followed by the clearing of her throat. "Brian, you know I can tell when you're lying, right? I've been able to do that since the day we first met."

Brian's lips twitched upward into a small grin as he reminisced about the day he first met Chrissie. It was for his interview at the university—his third one, specifically. He had just turned twenty-six and received his master's degree in Physics from Imperial College months before. He was well liked by most of his teachers and almost all his peers, but suddenly that changed when he applied for the open professor position.

By the looks on the faces of those interviewing him, he doubted he'd actually get the position. He only applied for it because his father didn't support his other post-graduate plan, which was to delve into music and see where it took him. Now, Brian's dad supported his son's interest in music—in fact, he was the one to first encourage it—but it was using it as a means of living where he drew the line. So, not wanting to disappoint his biggest supporter, Brian seized the opportunity that had been presented to him and put his best foot forward.

If it wasn't for that third interview or for Chrissie—who, at the time, had been recently appointed as headmistress—it was very unlikely that Brian would have gotten the job. Despite his nerves getting the best of him in some of the questions he was asked, she didn't give up on him. She saw something in him that none of the other administrators or highly-regarded professors—many of whom Brian had taken classes with, passing all with flying colors—did, and as a result, took a chance on him, much like she did with Roger.

"Hello?" Chrissie asked, worried he'd hung up on her.

"I'm still here," Brian reassured her, wrapping the phone cord around his finger.

The headmistress sighed. "If I invite you over, will you finally tell me what's going on? What's really going on?" He didn't get the chance to reply before she added swiftly, "And I don't mean as your superior...I mean just as me, your girlfriend."

He took in a deep breath, the offer certainly tempting, but he feared that if he let her in and if he confided in her about the confusing feelings he was having, she would take away his position at the university just as quickly as she had given it to him. It was that thin line they were always afraid of crossing, and though it never seemed to really cause any issues before, it surely was now.

"I'm just concerned, Brian," she tacked on in hopes of convincing him, "I love you, and I hate seeing you like this."

The professor's eyes went wide at her words, making him forget about everything else that had been on his mind. "Wait, what was that again?"

"I-I just said I'm concer—"

"No, after that," he clarified, his heartbeat picking up once again, but this time for a different reason.

Static quietly crackled over the speaker before Chrissie guessed, "That I love you and I hate seeing you like this?"

"Yes!" Brian exclaimed, bringing his free hand up to the microphone and over his other as he told her with blushing cheeks, "I...I think that's the first time you said 'I love you' to me."

Another bout of near unbearable static ensued, thankfully interrupted by an awkward, "Oh?"

He chuckled in relief, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach as he bashfully answered, "Yes, and I..." His lip got caught underneath his teeth for the second time during their conversation, his cheeks growing even redder, "...I love you too."

Even though he couldn't see her, Chrissie smiled. She couldn't wipe it off her face as she proposed again, "So what do you say? Do you want to come over?"

Brian glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall, seeing that it was quite late, but for matters of the heart, it was never too late. So, with the kind of confidence that Roger exuded every time he strutted his way down the halls at the university, the professor replied, "I'll be right over."