Adrian strolled back to class like a man who'd just won the lottery. His grin hadn't left his face since the infirmary, a stupid curve tugging at his lips that made him look half-drunk on air. Every step felt lighter, like his shoes barely touched the floor.
The moment he pushed open the classroom door, the familiar mess of noise greeted him. Some classmates were chattering in clusters, swapping snacks or gossip. A few had their heads down, napping openly on their desks. The faint buzz of laughter, the clatter of chairs, the squeak of markers against the whiteboard, just background noise. Ordinary.
But Adrian wasn't ordinary right now. He was buzzing.
Sliding into his seat, he leaned back with a sigh, a lazy smile plastered across his face like he'd been handed the best secret in the world. He didn't even try to hide it.
It took Leon exactly three seconds to notice.
Leon, sprawled next to him like usual, lifted his head from doodling nonsense in his notebook and gave Adrian a long, suspicious look. Then his lips twisted into a grin. "What's with you? You look like some lovestruck clown."
Adrian rolled his eyes, forcing his mouth into something more neutral.
"And," Leon added, stretching his arms above his head with a groan, "you better be grateful. Teacher had a meeting, so you didn't get your ass chewed out for skipping. Talk about luck. Did you win the lottery or something?"
"Hmm…nothing much," Adrian said casually, dragging out the words like he was searching for an answer before dismissing it with a shrug.
Leon arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Seriously? That's all I get?" He leaned closer, narrowing his eyes with fake seriousness. "Where'd you disappear to?"
Adrian drummed his fingers on the desk, side-eyeing him. Since when did Leon turn into a nosy aunt?
"Infirmary," he replied smoothly. " I had a headache earlier." The lie slipped off his tongue smoother than it should have.
Leon studied him for a beat too long, as though weighing the truth. Then he snorted. "Figures. You're always skipping out of class for some bullshit excuse."
Adrian smirked, hiding his relief behind it. "What can I say? I like to keep life interesting."
But in the corner of his mind, a thought lingered, quiet and unwanted.
Ever since this whole bet started, whenever Ivan's name came up, whether in jokes, updates, or teasing, Adrian swore he caught something flicker in Leon's eyes. Something dark, like a shadow sliding across glass. It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced with the usual grin, the lazy sarcasm, the friendly shoulder nudges.
Adrian had known Leon since middle school. He knew his habits, his moods, his short temper and his softer edges. Leon wasn't the type to hide things. Not from him. So maybe he was just imagining it. Maybe he was too wrapped up in this stupid bet, in Ivan, in his own restless thoughts.
Yeah. That's it.
He forced himself to shake it off, leaning back in his chair until it creaked under his weight. Leon went back to his doodles, humming under his breath, while Adrian stared at the ceiling tiles with that dumb grin still tugging at his lips.
Ivan's quiet "thanks" replayed in his head like a song stuck on loop. He was drunk, but not on alcohol and not even on love. Just on possibility.