La Maison 3: Pretty (Complete: mxm)

Chapter 8: Sundara

"You have your final Monday, don't you?" River was still sober because he'd been running high on the stress from the evening and didn't think adding alcohol would be a great idea.

Mat, on the other hand, was swaying on the dancefloor with a happy grin on his face and a beer in one hand, the other firmly around River's waist.

"I do. You coming?"

"Of course."

The finals for Mat's performing arts major weren't quite as much of a show as the music majors. They'd done their biggest production – Doctor Faustus – in the first semester, so their final senior assignments had been less full on. Mat's piece was to be a soliloquy he'd penned, based on an existing piece by Shakespeare. He wasn't as secretive as River about his work, and he'd practiced sections for them, but River hadn't heard the whole thing yet. They'd perform them in the performing arts auditorium, and the audience would be expanded by friends and family. Mat's family were on the other side of the country, and had never expressed a huge amount of interest in his chosen path, so his friends would be there for him on Monday.

River dragged Mat back to the table when it seemed he might have to hold his friend up just a bit more than he was comfortable with.

"Sit down, I'm going to get you some water."

"You're so good to me, Babe. Bring beer too!"

River ignored Mat's last shout, sliding between packed bodies to get to the bar.

He accepted the water bottles from the bartender but almost dropped them at David appearing by his side.

"Surprised you're not crying in that pathetic little room you live in."

River gaped for a moment but took a deep breath, remembering everything his friends had done to support him earlier. He was better than this dick.

"I wouldn't waste the tears on you."

"Come on, you were one word away from telling me you loved me."

"Jog on. I was a long way from that." Though River couldn't help flushing, because he knew he had tried to convince himself that he could feel more for David than he did, and he knew why. Speak of the devil.

"Fuck off, David. You aren't wanted around here," Mat slung an arm over River's shoulder.

"You don't get a say in that," David straightened up arrogantly.

"I do though," River had had enough, "you're a total dick, and if you think you're getting away with stealing my work, you're wrong. I will fight you, and I don't give a fuck who your daddy is. Your egotism is utterly undeserved, and, yes, I'm including in bed, and if I ever see you again, it will be a million years too soon."

River strode off, clutching Mat's hand, the only thing grounding him. When they were far enough away from the bar that he knew David wouldn't see, River let himself shake, and let Mat pull him in close, and soothe him with a stroking palm on his back.

"Come on, Babe, come back to mine so I can be your big spoon."

"Sure," River looked up at his friend with watery eyes, huffing out a laugh.

* * * * *

The next morning, River did feel a lot better. Sharing a bed with Mat, like they used to, with his larger body wrapped right around him like an octopus in human form, wasn't going to help the feelings that River was determined to crush down, but it did help him feel like their friendship was back on track after the derailment it had suffered.