Two weeks slipped by in a blur and Adrian was starting to feel the weight of the bet pressing down on him. At first, he thought two months was plenty of time. Hell, he'd been cocky enough to think Ivan might fold in less than that. Now, sitting here, restless in his seat, Adrian realized he should've pushed for three months instead. His ego had shortened the deadline, and his ego was slowly strangling him for it.
When the bell rang for recess, Adrian sprang to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Leon's voice cut through, brows raised as he lounged back in his chair.
Adrian stilled, caught in the act. Ethan was long gone, of course. Everyone knew once he landed himself a girlfriend, he practically erased his existence from the group chat. He only resurfaced when he was dumped.
"Hm, don't you know already?" Avery chimed, smirking knowingly.
Leon looked at her with a shrug. "Yeah. Just curious."
Marcus, hands shoved deep into his pockets, didn't bother to sugarcoat. "He's probably going to Ivan. Ditching us just for that guy." His tone was casual, but the shrug was enough to crawl under Adrian's skin.
Adrian forced a neutral expression, fighting the twitch in his jaw. "Nah, come on. You know I'm only doing this for the bet. Fifty bucks from you losers? That's practically treasure."
"Oh, really?" Marcus drawled, skeptical as ever.
Avery leaned forward, wiggling her brows. "Then tell us, what progress have you made these past two weeks?"
"Yeah," Leon added, smirking now. "You only ever give short answers when we ask. 'It's going fine,' 'don't worry about it.' Suspicious."
Adrian's smile stretched, smooth and confident, even if his insides twisted. "Oh, I'll tell you. All the sweet stuff we've been doing. So sweet it'll make you guys puke just hearing about it." The lie rolled off his tongue with practiced ease. Even though he knew the truth, not even five percent progress. If there was a scale for winning someone over, he hadn't even gotten past the tutorial stage.
The clock on the wall ticked, taunting him. Adrian glanced at it, then back at his friends. "Anyway, you're wasting my time. I should be with Ivan by now." His grin turned teasing as he pivoted toward the door.
"Whoa, Marcus. You see that? The guy literally has hearts in his eyes," Avery laughed.
"Told you," Marcus said with a smirk as they trailed toward the cafeteria.
"Wait, isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Leon asked, brow furrowed.
Marcus clapped him lightly on the back. "Heh. Who knows?"
Adrian headed straight for the cafeteria, but Ivan wasn't there. No dark head, no solitary tray, no signature detached aura.
Adrian frowned, weaving through the tables before sighing and changing course. Ivan's classroom then. But when he glanced at the desk near the window, the seat was empty. Just his luck.
He was about to ask someone when a familiar figure appeared at the end of the hallway. Eliana. Her voice carried before she even reached him, giggling with her group of cheerleaders, the sway of her hips announcing her presence before anything else.
Adrian's stomach sank. Not today. Scanning for an escape, his eyes landed on the nearest door. The library.
Perfect.
He slipped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him, and exhaled a sigh of relief. The hush hit him immediately with thick, steady, like stepping into another world. Stacks of books towered, the faint scent of paper and dust filling the air. Only three students dotted the place, one reading intently, two passed out with their heads on the table.
And then Adrian's gaze snagged on the reader. Of course, it's Ivan.
Adrian's lips curved. So that's where you've been hiding. Jackpot.
"Ivan," he called softly, too softly, apparently because the librarian snapped a sharp shh! his way. Adrian pressed his lips together, suppressing a laugh.
Ivan looked up, gaze flicking to him, unreadable as always.
Instead of choosing the empty seat across, Adrian dragged the chair beside Ivan and plopped down, all ease and audacity.
"It's recess," Ivan murmured, tone low, a subtle question hidden in the words.
"So?" Adrian shot back, leaning his elbow on the table. "I can't hang out here with you?"
Ivan's gaze lingered on him for a beat, then dropped back to his book. "Nevermind."
Adrian suddenly remembered the soy milk carton still in his hand. He slid it onto the table like an offering. "For you."
Ivan's brow furrowed immediately. "I'm allergic." His gaze sharpened, skeptical. The unspoken question hung heavy in the silence. Why are you giving me this?
"Oh…" Adrian blinked, sweeping the carton aside quickly. "That explains why you tossed it before." His grin softened awkwardly. "I thought you liked it."
Ivan's eyes narrowed, suspicion edging his features. "Why would you think that?"
Caught off guard by the closeness, their chairs side by side, Ivan's presence so near and Adrian faltered. He looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't know. Just… didn't know your preferences. Took a guess. Isn't that normal?"
Ivan studied him for a moment longer, then murmured, "Fair point," before turning calmly back to his book as if the moment never existed.
Adrian released a silent sigh, leaning back. That was close.
Minutes ticked by. Adrian's gaze drifted to the open page Ivan was reading, dense words lined up neatly, the kind of book that made his brain yawn just looking at it. "You're such a nerd," Adrian muttered with a grin.
His eyes lingered on Ivan's profile for long moment, the straight bridge of his nose, the subtle curve of his lips, the tousled black hair that begged to be touched. His hand twitched unconsciously, half-tempted to reach out. Then his gaze slid lower, catching the shift of Ivan's throat as he swallowed, and heat shot up his neck.
Oh, shit.
Adrian slapped himself across the cheek, hard. The sharp crack startled Ivan enough to look up, though thankfully no one else in the library noticed.
Adrian winced, rubbing his reddening skin with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Zoned out for a sec."
Inside, he screamed. Ow.