"Oh my lord, it is far too early and far too monday for you to be smiling like that, babe," Helen claimed the second she spotted Adrian approaching. Yes, he had seen it too. The smile that was on his face, unwavering and bright, and the new twinkle in his eyes. Even his mother, who rarely paid attention to him, had seen it, and tried to rid her son of his silly grin by telling him that none of the food in the house was his to eat so he'd have to go without breakfast. "Adri, what the fuck is wrong with you? Did your mom die or something? I haven't seen you this happy since, well, you're a happy person in general, so it's been about the span of time since I've seen you last, but I haven't see you this happy for this long, well, that's not true eit-"
"Helen, dear, do stop talking". He pushed her gently out of the way of his locker and took his time with the dial, too happy to be worried about being late for class.
"Well you're awful bitchy this morning," she said, though she sounded more delighted with the idea than upset. Of course she would be. Helen was a total bitch and she loved when it showed in Adrian. It always made her believe that she actually had influence over him. "What happened? You being quiet about it is really starting to piss me off". Adrian sighed, finally pulling open his locker and looking in at the space.
"What happened?" he repeated, drawing his attention to the small mirror he had hanging up and decided that he didn't like where he had put the silver barrette in his hair. He removed it, blowing his hair off of his face before handing the clip to Helen and turning to her.
"I will only help you," she said, holding the barrette between two fingers out in front of her, "if you tell me what happened". Adrian huffed in both annoyance, and to move his hair off his face once again.
"Of course I was going to tell you, idiot," he said, and Helen grinned even though he had insulted her. "You're my best friend".
They had made up after Adrian had found out about David, but the topic of Ezra was still a little sensitive. El didn't exactly trust him, and Adrian was wondering how she would take the news that not only had they gone on a date, but it was spectacular and they were most definitely going on more.
"Spit it out, Dri," she demanded, gripping his face and tilting his head back. Helen wasn't exceptionally tall for a woman. Only a bit above average at five-six, but she was still taller than Adrian at his pathetic height of five-two, so he still had to look up at her for her so she could clip the barrette in his hair, making sure there were no loose strands that would fall in his eyes during the day and drive him mad.
"Ezra and I are kind of dating," he said, and even though he was nervous about telling her, he couldn't help but smile at the words, almost not believing them himself. God. He felt so fucking lucky.
El's finger's paused, pressing against Adrian's temple as she processed the words. Her eyes were studying his face, trying to read something there, but she must not have been able to because she sighed loudly and dropped her hand. "I'm..." mad, disgusted, horrified, disappointed. There were so many negative things she could say and whatever one she chose it would break Adrian's heart. "Happy for you," she finished.
He felt his eyes widen. Out of all the things he considered that she would say, happy for you wasn't one of them. "You are?" Helen's eyes flashed, showing her amusement, and Adrian's lips curved into a small smile.
"Of course I am, Dri. You always knew how I felt about David, and I'm glad that you've found someone who isn't him". She suddenly grew very serious. "Let him know that if he hurts you I'll hunt him down and chop off his dick and feed it to him on a hot dog bun". A wince drew itself out of Adrian at this description, and he nodded quickly, simply agreeing with her because she was terrifying, not because he was actually going to share this information with nis new boyfriend. He wanted him to remain as his boyfriend for at least a little bit longer. "Good boy". She placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled down at him. "Don't look so freaked out babe. I'm really okay with it." Adrian nodded wearily. "So, is this serious or something?"
Adrian said the words that he had been repeating to himself since saturday night, and saying them to her made them feel even more true. "I think I'm maybe in love with him, El".
His best friend's eyebrows shot up and her mouth parted in surprise. "I-" she cut off, blinking her wide eyes owlishly. "How long has this been going on?"
Adrian didn't want to tell her. It had only been two weeks since Adrian had been instructed to tutor Ezra, but that was all the time it had taken for him to develop these deep feelings. He was afraid that if he told Helen that it had only been that long, she would dismiss his emotions as a little crush, and this most definitely was more than that.
"Not long, Helen. But I know. I know that this is something," he begged her to understand, and was surprised yet again by her as she smiled thoughtfully and nodded.
"I believe you, Dri. I haven't seen you happy, in this way, ever before. I know my best friend". He felt immediately relieved, and it must have shown on his face because she laughed. "Stop freaking out, dork. I'm gonna get to class". She kissed his forehead before she left, and Adrian sighed loudly, watching her go. Yes. Helen was a bitch, but she was the most caring and understanding bitch that Adrian had ever met.
The language arts room was full when he arrived, and Ezra turned to look at him. How they were supposed to act around each other in public was a topic that had yet to be discussed, and it all came down to this moment.
Ezra grinned and stood from his desk, walking through the row and sitting next to Adrian, leaning towards him to talk. "Hey sugar," he said, winking, and Adrian felt his face heat and wondered how this beautiful boy was able to get this reaction from him.
"Ezra," he breathed on an exhale, and the boy next to him grinned, delighted to hear his name coming from the other's lips. Adrian's heart fluttered, and he cursed it.
"Can we go to my house after school?" the older asked, eyeing Adrian's figure before grinning at him. "To study, of course". He hadn't asked if they were going to, he just asked if they could go to his house when they did. Was it so obvious that Adrian wouldn't say no to him?
"We may," Adrian said, and Ezra's eyes, which had chosen to be blue today, flashed mischievously. "Will your parents be home?" He tried not to sound hopeful, but knew he failed. Luckily, Ezra seemed oblivious to this, or was pretending to be, because he simply pressed his lips together and said:
"Nope". He stood then, trailing a finger up Adrian's arm as he moved to go back to his seat. Another flutter. Damnnit.
***
Adrian liked to practice in the room that he had been fucked in, due to all of the fond memories he had of himself on that bench. This only caused some trouble, because the room, and that bench, happened to belong to Osmond's favorite piano, though this problem was easily solved when Adrian pouted at the boy and asked him if he could please use the room just this once.
Osmond had cursed him, but went into a different practice room and played the out of tune piano there.
Though Adrian thought the discussion was over, Osmond asked him about it as they both packed up to go.
The freshman was leaning in the door of the practice room that Adrian had left moments before, and he looked particularly beautiful then, but of course Adrian didn't say this. Leading the boy on was an idea he wasn't fond of. Even though he didn't have those kinds of feelings for Oz, he didn't want to hurt the boy. And even though he didn't like to talk about his past, Adrian understood that Osmond had been hurt enough before.
"Why'd you want the room?" he asked softly, and Adrian looked up from where he was standing in front of his locker, his fingers pausing on the door before swinging it closed at turning to Oz.
"Because, I kissed a boy in that room". It was true, but it wasn't all of the truth. It was all of the truth that Osmond needed to know though.
"That must make him a special boy". Adrian glanced at the clock above Osmond's head and ignored the statement.
"Are you leaving?" He asked, and Osmond considered this for a moment, and then nodded.
"I could". He flicked the light out in the practice room and then walked over to one of the plastic chairs where he had left his backpack earlier. Adrian smiled as Osmond carried Adrian's backpack over to him and held it out with one hand. "Let's walk".
Osmond accompanied him to the field, and then allowed Adrian to pull him down onto the grass. He looked uncomfortable kneeling, but Adrian let him, folding his own legs under himself and looking up at all of the boys practicing. "Are you gay?" he asked Osmond quietly.
It was quite obvious that Osmond had a crush on him, everyone could see it, but the younger had never established whether or not he was gay or bisexual yet, and Adrian couldn't help but to be curious. "I'm nothing".
"You're..."
"Nothing," Oz said once more, eyeing the boys on the field with interest. "I think I prefer boys, but I'm not disgusted by girls or anything". Adrian hummed as if he understood.
"Which one of them is the most attractive to you?" Adrian asked, and Osmond glanced at him quickly before sighing and looking back at the field.
"Well Ezra Drake is attractive," he said simply, and Adrian grinned. That boy was his. "But, I'd have to say Landon. He's very... unclassically... cute? I appreciate it".
"Ezra Drake," Adrian said softly, and Osmond glanced at him as he giggled. "That boy is something".
They sat in silence, and Adrian couldn't keep his eyes off of... his boyfriend. The thought made him giggle, and Osmond, who had eventually lost interest in the boys and directed his attention to the sky, glanced at him.
Ezra was absolutely gorgeous, especially when he laughed. At the moment, he still had yet to notice Adrian, and was kicking a soccer ball back and forth with the mean boy who had interrupted them at the lunch table the week before, and Spencer, Ezra's best friend. Every once and awhile, Spencer's lips would move, and then the two other boys would laugh at what he was saying. Adrian wished he had more friends.
It wasn't like Adrian was lonely at school. Far from it. He was well loved and people were constantly talking to him, but none of them really knew anything about him, and he wouldn't call them his friends. His only real friend would be Helen, and then maybe Osmond if their strange relationship qualified as a friendship.
When Adrian looked back to Ezra, a pair of blue eyes looked back, and the soccer player was suddenly jogging towards him. He was halfway there when Spencer called, "I'll miss you too you little ass hole!" and Ezra turned around, the sound of his laugh blowing to Adrian in the wind, even as he raised his hand and flipped Spencer off.
And then he was in front of Adrian and Osmond, and the two unfamiliar boys were studying each other. Adrian remembered that day in the band room where Ezra and Osmond had briefly interacted, but he wasn't sure if he introduced them at the time. "Ezra, Osmond. Osmond, Ezra". Ezra looked intrigued whilst Oz looked annoyed.
"Thanks for that," the youngest said, standing then and pulling his backpack up with him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Adrian," and then he was walking away.
"Uh," Ezra began, looking after the boy and furrowing his eyebrows. "Have I done something wrong?"
"No. That's kind of just who he is," Adrian said, looking at Osmond retreating form one last time before directing his attention up to Ezra. "You're sweaty".
"Is that gross?" He asked, looking down towards him and not looking the least bit concerned about the answer.
"Sexy". Ezra grinned then and offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet and against his chest for a long (but still too short) second before stepping back. Adrian knew that Ezra was still not comfortable telling his teammates that he was gay, and Adrian was very okay with this. He thought of how long it took him to gather the courage to tell his parents, and then cringed at that memory.
"Are you ready to go, my dear?" Ezra asked, though it was a stupid question since Adrian was clearly already standing there, wearing his backpack and looking up at the boy, who was a foot taller than him, expectantly.
"I am". Ezra lead the way to his car, talking the entire way about soccer and new techniques and what his coach wanted him to change, and Adrian listened, but more to the boy's beautiful voice than his actual words.
Fuck he was lucky.
***Sex Scene Removed***