Funny How Love Is (Maylor AU)

Chapter 17

Brian swallowed the nervous lump that formed in his throat as Ray slunk out of the doorway with narrowed eyes and returned his embarrassed attention to Roger, replying, "So, I...I'm assuming your weekend wasn't fine."

"Of course it wasn't fine!" Roger shouted, pounding his hands against the table and jumping up from the seat he was in. He dragged himself over to one of the windows and looked outside pensively, crossing his arms over his chest. Brian glanced over at him and frowned, feeling bad for the music instructor.

An awkward moment of silence passed over the two, disturbed only by the sound of delinquent students running down the halls and the sound of Brian's chair scraping across the linoleum as he got up and walked over to the coffee machine to prepare himself a cup. Roger glanced over at him and bit his lip, guilt washing over him as he realized Brian wasn't the person he was mad at—well, not entirely. He wanted to apologize, but all he could get out was, "So, you and Chrissie?"

The professor shook his head, keeping his back to the blonde as he replied, "W-We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to."

"No, tell me," he insisted, "Was it good?"

Brian choked on the sip of coffee he had taken, astonished by the blunt question he'd been asked. He wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist and set the mug and saucer down, admitting, "You know, when I said we didn't have to talk about it anymore if you didn't want to, I-I really meant to say that I didn't want to talk about it anymore."

"Oh, come on," Roger whined playfully, crossing the room and leaning against the counter Brian was cleaning up, "You were so excited to tell me before, and I could really use a good first-time story." The corner of his lip perked up into a smirk as he tacked on, "It would really make my day."

The professor scoffed and looked over at the instructor. "What makes you think it was my first time?"

"Well, was it?"

"No..." he answered timidly. He wasn't even lying, but the matter of the subject was enough to redden his cheeks ever more than they already were. "Of course not. I-I've slept with lots of people."

The blonde grinned widely, finding great amusement in Brian's flustered state, and slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Oh really? How many?"

"Roger, I really don't want to talk about this anymore," he muttered, taking his coffee and leaving the room just like the other professors had.

The music instructor immediately went after him but stopped dead in his tracks just as he was about to walk out. It was as though there was an imaginary wall trapping him inside the lounge, a wall of his own creation. He couldn't let himself go after Brian, knowing that if he were to follow him and continue their conversation, he'd only push him farther away. He'd gone too far, like he always did, and if he were truly going to change and become the better person he sought to be, the next step was to recognize when he got carried away.

All Brian wanted to do was tell him about his weekend, and what did Roger do? He made fun of him; he joked about it being his first time, though he doubted a man like him would have any trouble getting laid. Hell, he'd sleep with him if—

"Hey," a voice snapped Roger back into reality, turning him around to face the other side of the lounge. His eyes fell upon Brian's student, the same one who'd seen him and Tim, and who interrupted Brian's and his conversation the day of the exam. He stood in the center of the doorway opposite to the one Roger stood in, holding a few textbooks close to his chest with a piece of paper pinched between his fingers.

Roger sighed and crossed his arms. "Your teacher's not here, kid. You just missed him."

"I actually wasn't looking for him," he clarified, daring to step into the lounge forbidden to people like him, "I was looking for you." He flipped the piece of paper around, showing him one of the flyers he and Brian had put up around the school last week. "You're the one offering music lessons, yeah?"

The blonde sauntered over, meeting him halfway with a suspiciously raised brow. "Yeah, why?"

"W-Well, I play bass," he stammered with warming cheeks as Roger's eyes widened in realization, "A little bit, at least, and...and I'm not the best or anything, but if you could show me—"

"Yes!" Roger exclaimed, ecstatic about the prospect of his first student; of actually making a name for himself here at the university; of starting the new life he was looking for. It immediately lifted his spirit, startling the student as he excitedly elaborated on his initial response. "Yes, I would love to. Um, w-why don't I take you down to my room, and we can figure out when and where to get you started?"