Failing to Deny

CHAPTER SEVEN- FRANKLIN'S POV

heyy guys!

So i hate the new wattpad update, its not letting me upload with my laptop so i have to go through all this emailing shizzle to upload...sucks

this is a sort of filler for a freakily important next chapter

i cant cook apparently

peace out (ew im sound like a 12 year old)

Em xxx

CHAPTER SEVEN- (STILL) FRANKLIN'S POV

Eventually, we made it to the bus stop. It had just started to snow, so despite the freezing temperature and the ache in my arms from lugging James here, my spirits were lifted and I was grinning. I sat down on the bus stop bench with a sigh of relief, pulling James up to sit next to me. His head began to loll back into the same position it had been in the club- resting on my shoulder.
I checked the bus timetable, groaning when I saw the times. The next bus wouldn't be here for another 45 minutes, because it had past 10 o'clock. I moved James so his head was in my lap, stroking his soft brown hair time after time, running my fingers through it.
"Go to sleep James, it's a long wait" I whispered, rubbing my thumb in circles on his neck, trying to sooth him to sleep.
"Okay, love you Franklin" He mumbled. I sighed. His words hurt more than I thought. I cared about him so much and I wanted them to be true more than anything but I knew, soberly, James would never return my feelings.
"Love you too" I whispered, more to myself than to him. I pressed my lips down into his hair very gently, so they hardly touched. Leaning back, I closed my eyes, and drifted into a kind of half sleep, still stroking James' hair rhythmically.
...
I suddenly jolted back out of sleep. Worriedly, I checked my phone, relaxing in relief when I saw that I had only been asleep for about 40 minutes. The bus was due in 2 minutes. I craned my neck around to try and see down the road without waking James, but nothing was coming. The road was empty, lit duly my streetlights but covered in a white sheet, where the snow had set on the ground. I shivered as a snowflake landed on my neck, melting as it hit my skin. It was falling faster now, so the air around me was clouded with a white flurry that was more visible under the lampposts. I felt James' body shift under me, which meant he was waking up. Oh well, I would have had to wake him up in two minutes anyway.
"Where are we?" He said in a sleepy voice, half opening his eyes.
"We're still at the bus stop, the bus is due in 2 minutes" I replied, smiling at how confused he looked.
"I don't remember coming to a bus stop" He said slowly. I think he had slept of the main part of his drunkenness and was much more sober now.
"That's because I had to carry you here, you were almost passed out and completely off your head" I said, chuckling at him.
"Wait, so I presumably am still drunk, I remember going out, I was dancing- hey wait! You said you couldn't come!" He exclaimed. It worried me that he seemed to remember so much. I was counting on him forgetting this whole night.
"Yes, you're probably still drunk, but not too much. And yes, I couldn't come. You rang me so I snuck out to get you" I explained. His eyes were suddenly open and wide open.
"I rang you?" He squeaked, sounding troubled by this.
"Um, yeah, you were really drunk" I said, watching as he tried to lift his head, and then groaned. I pushed his head back into my lap and luckily, he didn't resist.
"I didn't um, did I, what did I say?" He asked, his voice slightly distorted where his cheek was resting on my leg. I thought I best not mention everything he said, I didn't want to be having that conversation just yet. Or ever.
"You said you were really tired, and that I should come and get you, and by the time I got here you were asleep in the club" I said. I don't think that counts as lying... just selected truthing.

I felt James relax beneath me at that. I wondered what he didn't want to say. Maybe it was something about why he was crying yesterday. The thought sat uneasily at the back of my mind, but I ignored it.
The bus came 3 minutes late, probably because of the heavy snow falling around us. James hair was prickled with white flakes and basically looked like something out of a movie. His cheeks and nose were pink and he was breathing out misty air and shivering, making me wish I could just wrap my arms around him and keep him warm.
We flashed our travel cards at the bus driver, who grunted at us and nodded grouchily. It looked like we were the only people here, unless more were upstairs. We started walking to the back of the bus, but the driver didn't wait for us to be seated. James wobbled-a lot- when the bus started and I automatically reached out my hands to his waist to steady him. I felt him tense under my touch, and cursed under my breath. I must remind myself that I wasn't allowed to do things like that.
"Thanks" He muttered, holding onto a pole to regain his balance, and then continuing to the seats at the back. I didn't bother to reply.
James sat next to the window, and I sat next to him, both of us watching the snow through the steamy glass. I watched as James eyes started to droop shut again, and he rested his head against the bus window. I've tried that before, and I am aware that it gives you mild concussion. I let him stay like that for a few minutes, but I knew he wasn't asleep, because every time the bus jolted his eyebrows pulled together.
"James" I said quietly, conscious of the silence on the bus.
"Mmm?" He hummed, opening one eye to look at me. I gestured to myself and grinned at him.
"I can be a pillow" I suggested, trying not to show my relief when he grinned at me.
"You sure? I'm heavy" he said, lifting his head from the window slowly.
"I know, you've already slept on me twice today" I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Thanks" He said, moving so he could put his head in my lap again. I rested my hands on his side, actually having to restrain myself from stroking his hair. He fell asleep again quickly.
I shook him awake when we got to the stop nearest to his house. Thanking the bus driver, we stepped out onto the snowy pavement, sinking our shoes into the sheet of white. James still wasn't walking quite in a straight line, but he looked much more awake now and he was talking sense.
"Oh sorry, I just assumed I could stay at your house. Would your parents be okay with that?" I asked, realising how rude I was being.
"Oh, don't worry, my parents had to stay out longer on their trip, so they aren't home" He replied, his voice sounding scratchy still from sleep. I tried and failed not to let my mind wander to the possible things that could happen, with me and him in a house alone together. Then, I remembered that it was James. James my friend, who wasn't gay and didn't even know that I was. He probably wouldn't let me sleep over if he knew I was. We might not even still be friends.
"Okay" I said, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to press the thought out of my head.
We walked in comfortable silence along the familiar roads until we reached his front door. He fumbled in his pockets to get out the key, and eventually found it. He opened the door and we walked in quickly, not wanting to spend another second in the freezing cold.
"Okay, I know I have just slept like all night, but I'm really tired. I'm going to bed. If you wanna stay up there's food in the fridge, I'll leave you some clothes on the bed" James said, stretching up and then rubbing his eyes.
"Hey wait, isn't that my jumper?" James asked, peering at me curiously. I felt my cheeks get hotter.
"Oh yeah, it is, I didn't take it off after I went home this morning" I said, plucking it with my fingers and then letting it drop.
"Dirty goat, you slept in that!" He laughed, turning to go upstairs, clearly not thinking anything of it. I stood for a moment in the hallway, wondering whether to stay awake any longer or not, and then followed him.