High School Diaries (A Throne of Glass Fanfiction)

Chapter 19

"What's going on with Kaltain and Celaena?" 

Dorian paused his conversation with Chaol, which was basically trying to make Chaol smile after his unflattering reaction to false alarm for school shooting drill. He was shrinking himself in the seat, trying to be invisible. As if it was possible for a man of his physique to be unnoticeable. Luckily, no one except Celaena and Hasar laughed at him. He turned to the person standing next to them.

It was Pelor, with his reedy body and gangly hair falling all over his forehead. 

"What?" 

"I mean, they've been sneaking around for quite some time. Are they dating?" 

Chaol's eyebrows raised, his earlier meek expression changing into that of incredulity. 

"I don't think they are-"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Pelor." Dorian could feel Chaol's eyes on him, creased in worry, at the icy politeness lacing the finality of his tone. 

He breathed out once, trying to calm him but people like Pelor tested his patience. If he was going to make a perverted or a homophobic comment, Dorian swore to all gods... 

But it seemed Pelor detected his train of thoughts and raised his hands in defeat. 

"I didn't mean to come out as intrusive but I wanted to know so that I could ask Celaena for the Autumn Ball."

"What?" Chaol's voice came out all squeaky. Dorian chuckled, nudging him with his foot. Chaol cleared his throat once. 

"What?"

"I'm dating our senior, Nox. You know, handsome face, smooth hair, toned chest, big dick-"

"Yeah, yeah we get it!" Chaol was getting flustered by every sentence Pelor said and Dorian was thoroughly enjoying it. 

"Well, I haven't exactly come out to my parents yet. And they've been pestering me about my date. I realized Kaltain and Hasar are going with you both, so I could ask Celaena to just meet my parents as my fake date." 

"Sorry Pelor, but Celaena and Kaltain are not dating. And Ress has already asked Celaena to go to the ball with him." 

"Oh."

"So have you both come out to your parents? What did they say about you both dating?" There was no stopping Pelor, who was raising himself back and forth on his calves, hands in his pockets. 

"We're not dating."

Dorian's eyebrows creased at how quick Chaol's reply was to dismiss the idea of them dating. His words left an unsettling feeling in his stomach, urging him to add something to Chaol's phrase, somehow seeming incomplete. And the whole conversation with Pelor, while it had diverted Chaol's attention from his 'embarrassment', it was making him more and more red. Dorian wanted to tease him further. 

"Yeah, believe me, the world would not be able to handle Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall dating." 

Dorian turned to Chaol, wanting to see his reaction and his breath hitched. 

He heard Pelor go back mumbling something like My shipping senses are failing but Dorian couldn't care less. Not when Chaol was looking right at him, unblinkingly. 

Chaol's eyes were brown, not like chocolate but a darker shade of honey. The sunlight from the windows was making them shine, the flecks popping out. Had they always been this bright?

Dorian gulped. The comfortable ease around Chaol had somehow been replaced with something else. Something rigid, building up, suffocating them. There was a tension in the air whenever he talked to Chaol, like a balloon filling with air continuously, threatening to burst any moment.