Habits Of My Heart

Chapter 35

That day, they made their way back to the school. On the bus ride back, Bailey had fallen asleep in Adrian's lap and Adrian had stroked his hair until his hand fell limp by Bailey's head as he too fell asleep.

He couldn't stop thinking of what Tristan had said, his words resonating in his head, worry rising each time his brain would process them. What would happen if they were caught? Would they be kicked out of the school? Would he be sent back home? And what about Bailey? Where would be go? Or maybe only Adrian would be sent off since he had a family and they would keep Bailey. All the different, endless possibilities piled up in his mind, further cluttering his already cluttered thoughts.

Why did the world have to be against them? He thought, like he did so often. Why did people hate on something as pure and powerful as love? The thought baffled him, never would be fully understand what went on in people's heads.

Once he was asleep, though, the thoughts cleared out, leaving him in peace for a while, until his eyes opened, letting the light in, and letting his thoughts back into his head.

He must have shown how pensive he was, since Bailey had intertwined their arms, leaned up against him and asked if he were okay, after which Mason had come to ask what he was thinking of that made him make that face. "What face?" Adrian had asked. "The one that makes you look like you really need to take a shit but can't find a bathroom." Blake had answered, having overheard them. A smack on the head for that, a push away from Mason to top it off.

"I'm not making any face, go away." he'd said, and gone to find Bailey again since his friends were annoying him.

"Do you think the sex maybe wasn't all that great?" Blake said, confused.

Mason shook his head, "No, it's definitely not that, I'm sure it was as amazing for them as they said, and don't talk about it so loudly, we're back at school now, we need to be careful."

"they'll be fine." Blake said nonchalantly.

Mason looked at him, mildly aghast, "Because they're careful, bro, what if you send them-"

Blake grabbed his shoulders, "Relax. I'm sure they know what they're doing."

Adrian went to his dorm, where Bailey was already settled, sitting on the bed examining a book he'd found in the hotel.

"Hey." he said, and Bailey looked up at him and smiled, "What's it about?"

It took Bailey a second to realise what he meant and looked back down at the book, "I'm not sure, the summary is really vague. It looks like something my dad would've kept on the bookshelf on top of what was my mother's side of the bed." he titled his head to the side, "I took it because it seemed like something she would've read, like the books she did read; a romance."

Adrian sat next to him and took the book from his hands, "I've never had a taste for romance." he said, "But probably because I was never really given any romance movies or books as a child, my mother said it was sappy and something for "girls and gays"." he let out a short laugh and put an arm around Bailey, "Little did she know."

Bailey laughed, but fleetingly, and took the book back, putting it on the bedside table. He turned his head to kiss Adrian on the cheek and then faced him more comfortably, "Your parents didn't come that day."

Adrian shook his head, and Bailey pressed his lips together.

"shame." he said.

"Nah, I don't care." Adrian said, "They haven't come for years, I haven't heard from them at all. Except, of course, when I'd tell them I decided not to go home for the summer and they'd reply with "Ok, it's for the best anyway". So I didn't expect them to come."