the anatomy of love [BxB] COMPLETED

13

"What happy pill did you take because I want some," Hunter mutters as they exit Econ class. Jackson enjoys not having to wake up early for work, but he's actually looking forward to his internship tomorrow, despite the coldness of his boss.

"Can't someone be in a good mood without you assuming they're on drugs?" Jackson asks. Hunter pretends to think over this question.

"No. Not when I'm not in a good mood."

"And pray, when are you in a good mood?" Jackson asks.

"Obviously," Hunter drawls, "when I'm on drugs." Jackson laughs, but Hunter just frowns moodily, settling into an unusual silence.

"So my boss moved me into his office..." Jackson offers, a juicy gift that Hunter would usually eat up right away, but he doesn't even flinch.

"Good for you."

"Do you think I could get him?"

"Not out of the question, when it comes to you," Hunter says, but it comes off with more bite and less fun than he usually would with a comeback like that.

"What's wrong?" Jackson asks, then thinking back to his conversation with Lauren, "You're not falling in love with me, are you?"

He's joking, of course, and he knows Hunter knows he's joking, and maybe that's why he got so surprised when Hunter didn't joke back. Instead, Hunter stops dead in his tracks and looks up at Jackson like he doesn't know how Jackson's brain functions without help. "Even if I was, why on earth would I tell you?"

They both go quiet. Jackson's cheeks feel hot and he doesn't know why. From betrayal? Shame? Anger? Maybe a combination of the three. Does he deserve it?

"I'm going to go back to my apartment," Jackson says, trying to sound more angry than betrayed. There's a flicker of regret in Hunter's eyes, and it gives him a little satisfaction, but not enough. The damage is done.

Hunter knows him well, though, and let's Jackson walk to the apartment alone. Some consolation, and it's nice to know Hunter will have to take some other inconvenient way home just to make up for his pettiness.

In the grand scheme of their friendship, Jackson knows deep down this comment wasn't made with ill will. Still, Hunter's words stay with him for the rest of the day, even when Caleb and Jackson go to the weight room for a late evening training.

As they finish up some weighted lunge walks, Caleb notices the frown etched on his face where a charming smile usually danced like sunlight on water. Right now it was more like a storm right before the thunder broke.

"Is everything okay? You seem pretty down," Caleb says.

Jackson sets the weights down on the rack with a heavy sigh. It seems everything in his life weighs more nowadays.

"Caleb...do people ask you about me?" Jackson asks hesitantly. He doesn't know what he wants to know, and what he's better off not knowing. Caleb's brows furrow and he scratches at his hair, which are slowly curling past his forehead.

"I mean, yeah. A lot want me to give them your number, or ask if you know them. That kind of thing," Caleb says. Jackson nods. He doesn't know what he's going to ask next until the words come out of his mouth.

"Do you warn people about me? Like, about my reputation?" Jackson asks, and is this not taking a bite of forbidden fruit? His mom always told him only to ask questions he's ready to hear the answer to.

Caleb shrugs, but his darting eyes give away his awkwardness. "I mean, when they ask, yeah, I do. Don't want them to get their hopes up, you know? Not everyone can handle it."