Unrequited love - 6
Thanks for waiting. This has been my favorite chapter to write. Please do not hesitate to send me an email with any of your continuing thoughts/comments! Enjoy!
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Chapter 6 - End of Semester Party - Part 1
"Should we erase the past?" Ian asks David earnestly.
"Not all of it," an older David says with pain and understanding.
------ Present Day
When David awoke to the last day of the first semester of graduate school, he felt a sigh of relief. It had been a tough few months attempting to raise his grades and trying not to flunk out. He had one more exam to take and it was for his hardest class. He was hoping his performance on this final exam would be enough to convince his professors to keep him around.
Everyone in the program had become accustomed to one another. Everyone except David. Although a few classmates were quite fond of him, David never knew how to fit in and he always preferred it that way. He never felt connected to his peers when they would talk to him. He was an outsider. Peering in from the sidelines. This was a complete juxtaposition to Ace, who would do anything to fit in.
The two of them had not spoken in months. David would not allow himself to beg for Ace's affection. And Ace continued dating Avia. They stayed out of each other's way, often passing one another like strangers. In time, David's affections turned to anger. He questioned Ace's integrity, his morals, and his intentions.
In Ace's attempt to belong, he had let some of the classmates know about David's sexuality. They gossiped about David, and began to isolate him. Although David felt weak at times, and afraid, he stayed committed and worked hard to try to end the year strong.
Ian, his roommate, had become a confidant to David during this time of betrayal. Often giving him advice and steering him in the right direction. It was often taxing for Ian to try to keep David afloat. But he did his best.
Following David's final exam would be a party. Every year, each graduate class took a limo bus up to a private casino outside of the campus and into the city. They were headed to one of the most exclusive venues in town and the program rented it out each year. They got wasted, took pictures, and shared memories.
David was up in arms about whether or not he should go. He had barely made any friends, and was afraid to be around Ace when he was drunk again. He headed into class unsure about what the future or that night had in store for him.
The room was filled with silence when David walked in. The tension was palpable. Each student was writing more vigorously than the last during the exam. David was the very last one to finish. His professor Will looked at him with pity, not knowing that David would be the top scorer this time. David had done the best he could do. It was now time to go.
The students gathered outside of the room waiting to board the limo bus. It was in the evening and everyone was dressed up in their best cocktail attire. The bus was leaving in 2 hours which was just enough time to give everyone the chance to pre-game and freshen up.
David stepped outside of the classroom after completing his exam. He took one good look at the crowd, and began heading in the other direction. He just wanted to head home and sleep.
Avia saw David walking away and a smug look appeared across her face. In that moment, Jax ran to David. As Jax pleaded with him to come back and join the group later, David still seemed reticent.
"Maybe I'll come back later...we'll see. I'm a bit tired now. Sorry."
A chill came over David as he walked out of the large gray doors. He began to think about the last 6 months and what they had meant to him. He was somewhat lost in thought when he heard footsteps running from behind.
"Hey stranger" a calm voice called.
David turned around to see Ace standing there with a half smile.
He was also fidgeting with his feet and seemed unsure of what he was doing.
"Hey," David said unemotionally.
"Look man. Don't let what happened between us keep you from going out tonight. That...that's in the past now."
Ace looked behind him to see if anyone was coming and then walked to David. Ace had gotten a haircut. And although the night was cold, Ace looked warm and like home.
David stayed guarded. He was not playing with his heart this time.
"I want us to be friends one day David. I just think it would be good if we..if we try..and.."
Ace stopped talking, now realizing that David seemed uninterested in what he was saying.
"Look I like you man. A lot..just not in that way.." David still seem bored.
He was giving Ace nothing back.
Ace looked behind him one more time.
He walked into David as he had done before and finally gave him a gentle kiss. David's heart began to melt. Slowly. As the boys embraced one another.
"Just come tonight okay?"
David's cold face now looked warm as if Ace had brought him to life. But before he could get a word in, Avia ran up from behind Ace. She wrapped her long arms around him, her brown hair flowing in the wind.
"Leave us alone you freak!" She spoke in a biting tone. "Leave my boyfriend alone." She snatched a silent Ace away and pulled him back into the building. Her blue eyes sending a warning to David.
David's heart froze once again.
He came home an hour later to his roommates playing video games in the living room. He walked past them silently and went to his room. When he opened his bedroom door, he saw Ian sitting there with a determined look on his face. He had laid out a dress shirt, some slacks and shoes on David's bed. The clothes were ironed and pressed, and Ian had also scuffed the shoes.
Ian had a boyish toughness to his appearance. He had a nice build and dark black hair that was buzzcut. He looked at David up and down slowly and then began to speak.
"You're going to that party David. Don't make me force you."
"What for," said David.
Ian motioned for David to come sit next to him. David begrudgingly obliged. Ian intertwined his hands with David's. He looked at him and smiled warmly.
"You're 23. Go have some fun. Go get drunk. You don't have to take everything so seriously all the time."
"I'm not sure if I should go. I don't want to see them together. You know, Ace and.."
"Stop it!" David interrupted. "You're going to make yourself sick."
Ian placed his hand on David's dick playfully.
"This guy hasn't been put to use in a while man....he needs some action." Ian said with a sly grin. "And...you have to try to get him back."
David then grabbed Ian by the crotch playfully too.
"Do I?" he said in the heat of the moment.
They began to wrestle.
Both boys could not stop laughing. Ian rolled on top of David and then back around again. David was now on top of Ian. He ran his hand slowly down Ian's back and into his trousers.
David was in a lustful mood after Ace's kiss. He kept traveling his hands down until he placed his fingers inside of Ian's hole.
"Just go!" Ian shouted. Afraid of going further.
"Go! Go! Go! This is your chance David. Go get Ace. And if anything goes wrong, I'll be back here waiting for you."
David looked down at Ian who had now stopped laughing.
"Ok. You win. Get out of my room so I can change...thanks Ian. I..don't know how to say this but.."
"But what?"
"These past few months, you helping me, it's...part of the reason I'm still here."
Ian got up and starting leaving the room.
"I'll wait for you when you come back David, okay?"
David got up and hugged Ian from behind.
"Look Ian." David said mischievously.
"I know you would love for me to stay here and turn you out, but that will have to wait."
Ian didn't laugh as David expected.
David then backed away from Ian who didn't turn around to look at him.
"You don't like me in that way right man?" He said to be sure.
Ian paused for a long moment as a stillness covered his whole body. He put his head down as his eyes shifted away.
"Go get Ace..he'll be waiting for you."