Seth spent the rest of the evening stressing out and attempting to rid himself of any imperfection. He had never taken a more thorough and thought out shower in his entire life, with all the intention to impress someone that didn't really need much impressing in the first place. Still, Seth was an over-thinker and, at this point, quite a changed man since the beginning of the year. He physically cringed every time he thought of the way he spoke to Darien when they first met, especially his demands to have him sleep on the floor. Really? Who does that?
Seth stood in front of the mirror, blow drying his hair, something he never did on routine. It was something he should probably consider doing, as his black locks became softer and shinier than they had ever been. After a few quick glances in the mirror, he decided he was ready to move on to his outfit, but what to wear? He stood in front of the closet, pondering and holding up shirts and throwing them back in. He sighed heavily, frustrated for virtually no reason.
He finally decided on a black pair of Levi's (per usual), a dark grey v-neck, a black and navy flannel and some classic Chuck Taylor's to match. He wanted to be casual, comfortable, but still nice looking. After a few turns in the mirror, he decided his look met his standards, and applied some cologne to his chest. He looked over at the clock, discovering that it was already 7:30 p.m. and Darien should be there soon.
He had a case of the jitters, and he downed a shot of Jack Daniel's and began playing a round of Mario Kart to calm his nerves. He had a hard time understanding why he was so anxious; it was just Darien. He knew him, he knew he was safe, so why was he freaking out? Love, I guess, he thought to himself. It probably had something to do with Andy finding out as well, though Seth wasn't scared of him. As he tried his best to relax, he was wondering about his other half, Caroline.
The dynamic duo had come up with a rather interesting plan, one to save his and Darien's ass and another to get some information on Andy. Caroline decided she was going to attend Andy's night class to make sure the boys were back home on time, but also to see how Andy reacted in a different setting and situation. There was something off about him, and Caroline was determined to get to the bottom of it in a much better fashion than before.
As Seth finished the final lap in the final race of the cup, a knock on the door commenced like magic. He shut off his Nintendo Switch and TV, stepped over to the door and opened it shyly. There Darien stood, decked out in some joggers and a hoodie. Seth suddenly felt embarrassed for worrying so much about how he dressed, and he was more concerned about being over dressed.
"Seth, you look really nice," Darien said. "I only wore the hoodie so I could hide my face with the hood if I needed to, y'know, when we walk to your car."
"No, you don't need to explain yourself. I think you still look really great," Seth said, feeling a little bit better about the whole thing. Just the sight of Darien made his heart pound against his chest, skipping a beat every few moments, utterly taking his breath away. He did everything in his power to remain calm and collected, but it was so difficult in the presence of such a beautiful boy.
"Thank you," Darien said and gave a little half smile. He was also feeling quite anxious, mostly because he was fearful that Andy would find them out, but also because the situation in general was incredibly awkward considering the original fallout between them. They weren't really close anymore, not like they used to be. They could tell you quite a bit about each other, but after Darien moved out, they became strangers.
"Shall we, then?" Seth asked, grabbed his keys and stepped outside the dorm room.
"We shall," Darien said, walking side by side with Seth, resisting the urge to hold his hand. The entire walk grew more and more awkward considering neither of the two were really talking, but maybe that was a good thing. After all, they weren't really trying to draw a lot of attention to themselves. The only sound was the tapping of their sneakers on the ground as they walked, which also grew quieter once they made it outside.
Once they made it out to Seth's vehicle, Seth didn't go over to the passenger side door to hold it open for Darien like he had in the past. He wasn't trying to be rude, and he was actually quite frustrated that he couldn't, but he was trying to hold a low profile at that time. Especially because Seth hadn't really been seen with anyone other than Caroline for the past few months. He climbed in the driver's seat and shut the door, waiting for Darien to get settled.
"So," Seth began. "Did Andy question how little you brought home?"
"No, I don't think he really noticed," Darien admitted, buckling his seatbelt. Seth buckled his own and started the car.
"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Seth asked.
"Yeah, definitely. I'm terrible at confrontation in situations like that, I don't know how I'd deal with that," Darien said.
Seth pulled out of his parking spot, eager to get to their destination. Darien spent most of the ride quiet, fiddling with his fingers and glancing up at Seth every few minutes. His heart was racing, thudding mercilessly against his chest. He was very visibly distressed, and it didn't take Seth too long to notice.
"If you're feeling too anxious, I can take you home whenever you want. Just say the word" Seth said, not once taking his eyes off the road.
"No, it's okay. I mean, I am a little nervous about Andy, but I want to spend time with you," Darien said shyly, a peach blush warming up his cheeks. Seth let out a deep sigh.
"Can I tell you something without you being mad at me?" Seth asked nervously.
"That depends," Darien said. "But go on."
"Well, I kinda had Caroline go to Andy's class tonight to make sure we were back on time," Seth admitted.
"You did?" Darien asked, looking down at his lap.
"Yeah, I know it's technically spying and I'm sorry for not telling you beforehand. I just thought it could be helpful, and I know Andy's class isn't a scheduled one, more of an extracurricular thing," Seth said.
"It is, it's like a glorified club, really," Darien said, rolling his eyes.
"I just wanted to tell you, I felt bad," Seth said.
"Honestly? It makes me feel much better. Thank you, Seth," Darien grinned. Seth let out another sigh, a quieter one, in relief. He turned his focus back to the drive, but finally became brave enough to put a hand on Darien's thigh. Darien placed his hand on top of Seth's nervously, and turned his head to look out the window.
In that very moment, Darien was much more conflicted with everything than he ever had been. He stared, mesmerized by the blur of the trees and stars in the night sky as Seth wizzed by them on the interstate. He thought about Andy and how blind he had been to his true colors. If Seth was really telling the truth, and Andy lied to him about the hospital, what else was he lying about? His stomach twisted and turned, he really felt like he fucked up big time, but was it really all his fault? Andy seemed so sweet and kind to him, especially when they first met. Maybe he was just too easy to deceive.
"Can I ask a personal question?" Seth asked quietly.
"Hm? Oh, sure," Darien said.
"You don't have to answer, but what was it like? Y'know, the situation where you were shot," Seth asked. Darien got nervous again, trying to think up a quick story in order to hide his hero persona.
"It was scary, obviously," Darien replied. "I just wanted to deposit some money that evening, next thing you know, there was the whole robbery and I guess I got caught up in the fire. Andy found me under some rubble. I don't remember much after that."
"I'm so glad you're okay," Seth said, almost in a whisper.
"Me too."
Seth finally brought their drive to an end, parking up top a hilly area in a National Park. It was a look out area, and though they were there, it was vacant otherwise. They were secluded, but surrounded by beautiful nature. Seth turned off the engine and the boys sat in silence for a moment.
"Well, we're here," Seth said. "No one ever really comes here. I like visiting when I need to think. I haven't even showed this place to Caroline yet."
"It's pretty," Darien said, looking out all the windows. He took off his seatbelt to get more comfortable.
"Darien? Is there a specific reason why you had to see me again?"
"I just kept thinking about the things you said to me. I couldn't stop, it seemed like everything that tried to be on my mind was swept away by the thought of you. I just can't believe how much has changed, Seth. You hated me. You wanted nothing to do with me. Then we were what I considered friends, and now we're practically strangers. Strangers with really strong and fucked up emotions, apparently."
"I know, it's strange to me too. Things are so different now, without you. I spent most of my nights alone until I met Caroline. I met her being an asshole, too," he sighed. "I guess that's just how I am, or, how I was. She's really helped me become a better man."
"I must say, I'm quite surprised you guys were never a couple. I can tell she's really good for you," Darien said.
"If I was straight or bisexual, maybe. Even if I was, she doesn't seem too interested in dating anyone right now. She's really focused on her career," Seth said.
"She has changed you though, not into a completely new person, but a better version of you," Darien said, looking up at Seth.
Seth smiled to himself and nodded, agreeing. He looked over at Darien and looked at him, in his eyes, up and down at every little part of him.
"What?" Darien asked.
"You're like a cute little cinnamon roll," Seth said and grinned. Darien's face turned a bright red and he looked away, trying to hide his smile. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. Andy wasn't even a thought in his mind. Seth reached over and held Darien's chin gently, turning his head back to face him.
"Look at me," he said sweetly, grinning at the blushing boy. His heart began to race again, and he remembered the way he felt when he took Darien home from their mock date. This was such a similar feeling; hot and lustful and daring. He leaned in and pressed his lips up against Darien's, kissing him softly and cradling his jaw in his hand. The hot feeling slowly went away as he mellowed out, feeling less nervous. He pulled away for just a moment to unbuckle his own seatbelt to reach Darien a little better.
Darien felt happier and much less regretful than he did the first time he kissed Seth. In fact, he didn't really feel much regret at all. He found himself lifting himself up, climbing over the center console and straddling Seth's lap comfortably before kissing him again.
Seth used the lever on the side of his seat to slide it all the way back, giving Darien a little bit more leg room. He kept his eyes shut, and helped himself to Darien, grabbing onto his waist and thigh. Every little part of him hoped that Darien would finally end things with Andy; that he wasn't being taken advantage of. He wasn't necessarily worried or distrusting of Darien, he just knew that there was a lot of sexual tension between them, which is very distracting in an emotional setting. Still, he ate up all the attention he was getting, and held Darien closer to him, with all intentions of keeping him close for however long forever is.
***
On campus, Caroline sat in a desk in the front row of the room. She had never attended a night class before, and she had to try to be less excited to focus on the little "mission" she was assigned. She looked around the room to see the other students, just a few, focusing on their phones or daydreaming. As far as she knew, this was an extracurricular art club, advertised like a class.
She twiddled her thumbs, wanting to text Seth badly, but the agreement was no text messages unless something was wrong. They had set Seth's text notifications to a specific noise for Caroline, just in case the boys ended up getting too distracted. It was the safest way to make sure they got her messages.
The door creaked open, a groan from the old university building. Some of the members turned around to look at Andy walking in, sporting some khakis, nice shoes, and a button up with a tie. Caroline didn't bother turning around to look at him; she just focused on the front of the room.
"Hello everyone," Andy said as he walked up to the front of the room. "I'm glad to see you guys back again this week. And I think we have a new face?"
He had caught a glimpse at Caroline's strawberry hair, not recognizing her from previous meetings. He finally made it up to his desk, sitting on top of it and realizing just exactly who she was; the gorgeous girl who associated with Seth, the one who he met before by the vending machine. He grinned at her.
"Welcome, may I ask what your name might be?" Andy asked her.
"My name is Caroline," she said softly.
"Caroline," he repeated, the name rolled off his tongue so smoothly. "Well, it's very nice to meet you. What brings you here?"
"I found the course to be interesting, I don't know too much about art myself and I needed something interesting to fill my evening with," she said swiftly, having thought about this before.
"We're glad to have you," Andy said. He slowly broke his gaze from the beautiful girl, beginning the lesson.
It appeared that Andy's class actually did have some substance to it. That night's lesson was all about painting; he passed out a small canvas to everyone in the room in order to practice technique with acrylic paint. Caroline was actually a little excited; despite what she said to Andy and the rest of the class, she excelled at art, many forms of it. She was a natural, but for this class, she'll just pretend she didn't know about her "hidden" talent.
"Today, we'll be focusing on acrylics. Our theme will be a free for all, today. You can paint whatever you guys desire. Landscapes, people, patterns; just remember," he said, glancing over at Caroline. "Beauty is such a broad term. What you may find as beautiful, I may find.. captivating. Paint what you feel is beautiful."
Caroline made eye contact with Andy, feeling strange. Something was off, she knew it, but she tried to focus on the lesson and hold on for Seth. She decided to dip her brush in some water first before beginning her masterpiece. She studied the canvas and it's size in order to figure out what to do with it. She appreciated the rugged texture, how easily holdable it was. Knowing just how messy she was about to be, she pulled all her hair back into a high ponytail.
She felt Andy's eyes on her, and she decided to shake it off and begin her artwork. She began with a light pencil sketch to start off, deciding on a painting of the Milky Way. She enjoyed the universe, planets and unknown. She used her pencil only to section off certain areas, and she finally switched to her brush and dipped it into some teal paint.
Andy walked around the room like a grade school teacher making sure no one cheated on a test. The classic walk with his hands behind his back, walking slowly, glancing over shoulders and occasionally correcting a student or offering advice. Eventually he made his way over to Caroline, standing behind her and watching her.
"You're much... further along than I expected," Andy said. "Wonderful job, Ms. Caroline."
"Thank you," she muttered, glancing over to see him place a hand on the corner of her desk.
"Where did you learn to paint like this?" He asked her.
"I don't know, I've never taken any classes," she admitted, swirling her brush in the water, creating a mesmerizing whirlpool of colors. She watched it spin until it finally slowed down and stopped.
"Remarkable. You should attend my classes more often," he said, finally backing off and walking back up to the front of the room. Suddenly, his phone rang. He excused himself and walked out into the hallway momentarily. Upon his return, he left the classroom door open.
"Well, guys, I just found out I need to leave shortly to help out a friend. You all are excused," Andy said. As students began to get up, Caroline started to panic.
To: Seth
From: Caroline
9:13 pm: Andy is ending class early! He says he has somewhere to be. Get Darien home NOW! I'll try to stall him a little!
"Mister, uh," Caroline said, her eyes darting to the board to see Andy's last name written on it. "Blackwater? Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can, Caroline," he said, grinning at her. "What can I do for you?"
"Uh, I was wondering, um," she said, growing more uneasy now that she was the only student left in the classroom. "I was wondering if you could tell me how to better my technique."
"Oh? Well, Caroline, your abilities are already remarkable. I'm sure anything I could tell you is something you already have knowledge of," he said, standing up and walking towards her.
"There's always room for improvement, right?" She said, smiling nervously.
"I suppose that's correct, in a sense," he said, standing over her desk again.
"In a sense, sir?" She asked.
"Well, beauty is what the individual makes it out to be. Masterpieces are determined differently by each person. Like you. You are a work of art all on your own," he said quietly.
"Thank you," she said, cursing herself for caring so much about Seth in her head.
***
Seth's car windows had begun to fog up due to the boys' intense breathing during their make out. His phone began to chime, so he quickly grabbed it from the center console as Darien stayed in his lap, feeling his kisses on his neck and collarbone. He opened up his notification from Caroline.
"Shit," he muttered.
"What's wrong?" Darien mumbled into his neck.
"It's Andy, class is ending earlier than expected. Caroline says he has somewhere to be," Seth said.
"Mm, does he? He never mentioned anything to me," Darien said, pressing another kiss to Seth's cheek with not a care in the world.
"Apparently. We need to go now," Seth said. Darien whined and, with Seth's assistance, got back over into the passenger seat.
"I don't want to," Darien said, pouting.
"Then break up with him, Darien," Seth said bluntly. "What do you have to lose? Is it the money? Is it the social status? I can't give you those things, but I sure can give you a lot of love."
"No, no, it's not any of those things. I've just never broken up with anyone before and now that I've cheated on him, I feel so funny. It's weird. I'm sorry, Seth, but I will soon. Just give me some time," Darien said.
"I'll give you time, but not a lot. I want you to know that. I'm not going to keep sneaking around like this forever," Seth said. He turned on his car and adjusted the temperature in the car to de-fog the windows. "I love you. I want the world to know that. I want everyone to see you by MY side. I'm not going to resort to see you by his and come to mine when no one is looking. The only way I'll keep doing this is if you break up with him. Okay?"
"Okay, I understand. I'm sorry, Seth," Darien said, looking down at his lap.
"Don't apologize. I understand you're in a strange place. I'm just telling you how I feel, Babe," Seth said, put his car in reverse and began to turn around.
Babe, Darien thought. His heart fluttered. He stayed quiet as Seth got out of the park and back onto the interstate.
The drive back was a lot faster than the drive there, mostly because there was less anticipation for their arrival and because Seth was silently panicking and it caused him to speed. Even though he wanted Darien's relationship to end, he didn't want him getting into any trouble. He wasted no time getting Darien to the university.
***
"Well, thank you, sir," Caroline said, trying to make her way out of the classroom.
"Please, Caroline. Class is over. Call me Andy, I know we've met before," he said, smiling.
"Thank you, Andy," she repeated.
"I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind you staying and talking to me by yourself," Andy said.
"What? Boyfriend? Do you mean Seth?" She asked.
"Of course! Who else?" he said.
"Seth.. isn't my boyfriend. Not at all," she informed him.
"Oh? Is he not? You guys just seemed-"
"I know what it seemed or seems, but he's not. We're both single," she said, almost glaring.
"Is that so? One of the prettiest girls I've ever met is single?" he asked, smirking.
"Yeah, and last time I checked, you weren't," she said.
"Oh, calm down, Caroline. Can't I compliment you?" He chuckled. "Anyways, I have somewhere to be, and I'm sure you have things of your own to do as well, as a busy student."
"I do. Thank you, Andy," she said again and made her way out of the classroom. Instead of taking the elevator, she slipped into the stairwell and ran down the stairs as quickly as possible.
What a creep, she thought. She darted out the front door and began to speed walk to Seth's dorm. Just then, by chance, Seth sped into the parking lot, just by Darien's apartment. Caroline switched directions and ran towards the car. Seth saw her coming and waved, rolling down his window to talk to her.
"Is it safe? Where is he?" He asked her.
"He's leaving now, he's a creep," she said. "Darien should have a bit to get into his apartment."
"I guess you didn't have to speed after all," Darien said with a nervous smile.
"I guess not," Seth said, sighing.
"Darien, be careful with him. He's weird behind closed doors," Caroline warned.
"Note taken," Darien said quietly. He climbed out of the passenger seat, and Seth stepped out as well to say goodbye.
"Jesus Christ, Darien!" Caroline said, yelling in a whisper.
"What? What is it?" Seth asked.
"Yeah, what did I- oh, oh my," Darien said, blushing a bright red.
There were a few bright purple bruises on Seth's neck and collar. Caroline opened the camera on her phone to show him, covering her mouth with one hand.
Seth stared at himself in the camera at the very noticeable bruises. Part of him wanted to be mad and frustrated, but he just couldn't be. He smiled, and laughed just a little bit.
"Jesus, what did you do to me, Babe?" he asked, looking over at Darien.
"I didn't mean to," he replied, blushing so hard he felt the heat radiating from his face. Seth laughed.
"I'm not even upset, it's okay," he said.
"Yeah, but until y'all get together, everyone and their mom is gonna think it was me!" Caroline said. The boys just laughed at her, and she smiled in response after being frustrated for about three and a half seconds.
"Get inside, I'll text you later tonight, okay?" Seth said.
"Okay," Darien said, smiling. "Goodbye Seth. Bye, Caroline!"
"Bye, Sweetheart!" She said, waving. As Darien made his way towards the apartments, she and Seth climbed in the car. Seth wasted no time starting it up and getting them the hell out of there.
"I don't even want to imagine what you guys did in here," Caroline said. "I'm gonna have to bleach my clothes."
"Shut up, we just talked. Then y'know, made out," Seth said.
"For an hour?" she asked.
"Yes, problem?" He snapped back at her. She just laughed. He grinned and parked all the way on the other side of campus, near his residence hall.
Darien on the other hand, made it to his apartment. He rushed inside and looked around, flicking the light on in the living room. No one was home.
"I made it," he muttered. He walked around a little aimlessly, and the knob on the door jiggled. He panicked and quickly sat on the couch just before Andy could get inside to greet him.
"Hello, Dear!" Andy called. He met Darien in the living room.
"Hi, hun!" Darien said, trying to be cheery. Andy looked around for a moment.
"Did you just get here?" He asked.
"What? No, I've been here this whole time," Darien lied.
"But there's only one light on, and your shoes are on," Andy pointed out.
"My shoes, yes. I was actually getting ready to go to the grocery store," he said.
"We went grocery shopping yesterday?"
"Yes, I know that, I just wanted to go out and browse and get some fresh air," Darien said, feeling himself begin to panic. Andy just stood there, staring at him. His look was piercing Darien, it almost felt like he was being stabbed in the chest.
"Darien... where were you?"
***
A/N: Alright guys, question time! I need your opinion. I have approached things as I have because I'm unsure of what you'd prefer. Kissing scenes, and possibly other X-Rated things, would you prefer more detail, or would you like them to stay a bit more vague and censored? Is there something specific you'd like to see? Please let me know so I can make this better tailored to you. <3