Funny How Love Is (Maylor AU)

Chapter 20

Roger hung his head in shame and finished with a quiet, "I just feel like such a fool."

The professor remained silent, crossing his arms over his chest as he impatiently waited for the music instructor to explain what he meant. His eyes flickered between his car that was parked on the far side of the lot and the blonde whose gaze began to wander as well, searching for the words he wanted to say.

After a short while, not long enough for Brian to conjure an excuse for him to leave, Roger proposed vaguely, "Have you ever done something for a really long time, and then you start something new and realize that what you've been doing all along isn't...cutting it anymore?"

The taller of the pair stared at the shorter with an unreadable expression, a mix of responses building up inside of him. The first thing that came to his mind was this, their budding relationship.

For the longest time, Brian kept to himself, almost never daring to follow his instincts. It was possible that this hindrance was of his parents' doing, always encouraging him to play it safe; to go for the guarantees in life. As they told him time and time again, even though those guarantees might not always seem ideal, they'll be worth it in the long run.

Then Roger came along, and suddenly everything his parents told him all his life escaped him. Their warnings about the risks of what can happen if he were to go outside the lines made no impact on his growing desire to search for the blonde, to get to know more about him, and to figure out why he couldn't get him off his mind. It was why he was still standing there, lost in Roger's question that held more weight to it than he was leading on.

"Well, have you?" the instructor inquired, snapping Brian out of the daze he'd fallen into.

The professor felt the blush creeping up in his cheeks, and in an attempt to hide it, burrowed himself into his jacket, muttering, "You know, it's getting late, Roger. I should probably head home."

"Oh, yeah. M-Me too," Roger stammered, nodding his head in forced agreement and shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.

The silence between the two of them was almost unbearable, yet neither of them stepped away, waiting for the other person to make the first move. The blonde cleared his throat, attracting Brian's hopeful gaze, and blurted out, "You wanna maybe grab a drink first, though? I'm meeting up with a friend of mine to celebrate." The corner of Roger's lips perked up into a smirk as he playfully punched the professor in the arm and added, "It was just supposed to be in honor of my new student, but I'm sure we can squeeze in a quick toast for you losing your v-card too."

"I didn't—" Brian stopped himself short, realizing his argument was futile with a shake of the head and a small chuckle. "I appreciate the offer, Roger, but it's Monday and I really should be getting on home. Besides, I-I'm not much of a drinker."

The music instructor pouted his lips. "You're no fun."

"I'm loads of fun!" the professor couldn't help but try to defend himself.

"Oh really? Then come to the bar with me and show me."

Brian sighed. "Roger..."

"It's the only way I'll know you're not bluffing!" he challenged him, crossing his arms in a tantalizing way and tacking on, "Otherwise, I'll have no other choice but to believe that you're as boring and dull as they say you are."

"Who's 'they'?" the professor immediately wondered, his thought manifesting itself without his doing. He shook his head as he realized how petty of a question that was and finally succumbed to the blonde's plea, saying, "You know what? Fine. I'll have one drink, but only one! Then I'm leaving."

A wide grin appeared on Roger's face as he began to shorten the distance between him and Brian, the latter's eyes growing wide in fear of what was to come. The tension growing in his body all but disappeared as the instructor leaned in and whispered, "That's all I ever wanted, dear." He wrapped his hand around the professor's and tugged him towards his car, exclaiming, "Now let's go! My friend'll kill me if I stand him up again."

Brian swallowed the lump in his throat as he was dragged along, repeating in a mixture of confusion and concern, "Again?"