17. College Life
Chapter seventeen
College Life
The first day of class came way too fast. It seemed like only yesterday that I was fighting an internal battle over whether I hated Jason with a passion or found him extremely attractive. Knowing my luck, it could be both. All I knew was that I was in big trouble because instead of wondering what my first day of class at an actual campus would be like, I was thinking about whether I was going to see Jason again.
Forget trouble, I was royally fucked.
Luckily, Derek seemed excited for both of us. He woke up early and insisted that he cook breakfast for both of us. It didn’t take much convincing because my mind was a complete jumble, and I found I didn’t really have an appetite at all.
Lying in bed wasn’t doing anything to relieve my jumbled mind, so I went to the kitchen to see what Derek whipped up for breakfast. I found him humming happily to himself while bacon sizzled in a cast iron skillet, the apron he usually wears while grilling tied around his waist. Besides the apron, the only thing he wore was a pair of white boxers with pink polka dots. The sight created a set of contradicting set of emotions within me.
Seeing his plump ass jiggle as he did a little jig to a song only he could hear, coupled with the fact that his body was—for the most part—on full display, it was like a miracle drug that banished my worries. It probably had to do with all the blood rushing from my head and making its way down south.
I was also relieved that he wasn’t cooking fully naked. As much as I marveled at his body, a naked body doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
I will die on that hill.
The bacon seemed pretty much done, and Derek agreed, by the way he brought the pan over to the island and heaped the meat all on a plate next to the sausages…
And some sausage patties and a healthy pile of eggs.
“That’s a lot of meat, Derek.”
“That’s what he said.” Ugh, I’m so disgusted with myself. Practically walked right into that one.
“Ha, funny. But seriously, I don’t think I can fit all of that inside me.”
“You didn’t say that last night,” he said with a shit-eating grin.
Goddamnit! I couldn’t even be mad at him. Clearly, my mind was on other things, albeit subconsciously.
“Seriously, what’s with all the meat?”
He shrugs and starts to make a plate. “Just trying to get more protein. Need to gain more muscle and lose this stubborn fat.” He shakes his stomach in emphasis. He started to say something else, but I was too preoccupied with what was underneath that apron to hear him clearly.
“Hey Bubba,” he stops, a fork halfway from the plate to his mouth. “Wanna partake in a pre-meal workout?” Confusion crosses his face for a second.
“Pre-meal work—“ The words die as he realizes what I’m implying, and I laugh as he drops his fork and makes his way over to me, something underneath making the apron stick out in front of him. My mouth started to water but for an entirely different reason.
I’ll give you a hint—it wasn’t because of the food.
“Nothing like a morning tumble to get the blood pumping, right baby?” I nod eagerly, too preoccupied with so many distractions happening at once to even give a verbal reply.
First, there was the fact that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Derek’s. Our gaze was locked together like it was magnetically charged.
Second, he had started to play with my ass—something he and I both enjoyed immensely. He would play with each cheek like a kid plays with Play-Doh, grabbing a handful and seeing how it fits and interacts in your hand.
Third, due to the first two, my briefs were now absolutely soaked , the warm fluid coating the insides of my thighs and making them slippery.
He reached out and held my neck in a firm grip, and I swear, I thought I was seconds away from making a mess in my pants. The keening sound that came out of me was probably the most submissive I’ve ever felt. If he asked me to suck the soul out of him, I would do it without hesitation.
I mean, I probably would have done it regardless, but with more enthusiasm.
“As much as I would love to hear my name like a prayer, we don’t have the time. I gotta get ready for work, and you have your first day of school to get to.”
“So? We can knock one out in five minutes. Ten minutes if we’re really pushing it,” He gives me a flat look. “Yeah, you’re right.” There was no way I was gonna last the whole day in this state of mind.
“I’m gonna go take a quick shower, alone .“ I had to rush to say the last part because as I started to leave, he was right behind me like a shadow.
“You sure you don’t need any help?”
“Positive.” He was still following me by the time I got to the bedroom.
“Can I at least watch?” I swatted him on his chest, unable to keep myself from laughing.
“No, now get out of here, you perv!”
“Alright, alright. But hear me out first. We need to be more conscientious about how we use hot water.”
“Mmhmm, sure...”
“Seriously! Not only is it a drain on our money, but also time. By the time you get out and get ready, I’ll have even less time to take my own shower and could potentially be late for work.”
“But aren’t you... the boss? Who cares if you’re late?”
“That’s beside the point. Also, a good boss leads by example, right?”
“Hmm,” He did have a point, albeit a loose one—just like my hole was about to be. “I guess that would be a good start for us to be eco-friendly. Maybe we can even try Vegetarianism for a little bit?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He was already leading me into the bathroom, his hands removing what little clothing I had while his lips were on my neck. “We should start by trying to conserve water.”
“You’re right, baby steps.” I started to help Derek undress as well, although he had even less clothing on than I did. That was fine with me, less time undressing and more time groping.
Ugh, maybe not groping. Fondling? Yeah, that sounds better. Derek was an attractive man; I couldn’t help putting my hands all over his powerful body. Something told me he suffered from the same affliction, the way his finger circled around the rim of my hole.
Once the apron and boxers were removed, he was primed and ready to be mounted—at least until his phone started ringing.
Derek continued to kiss every patch of bare skin he could, seemingly determined to ignore the insistent ringing.
“Isn’t that your work phone?” He had different ringtones for his work and personal phones, and I’ve grown used to being able to tell which is which. He murmured against my skin, whether it was a yes or no, I have no clue. The fact that it was ringing nonstop was worrisome, though.
“Shouldn’t you get that? What if it’s important?” He sighed, pouting while walking over to where the phone was ringing for the fourth time.
“What,” he said tersely. There was a pregnant pause as he listened to what the person on the other end of the line had to say. I could see anger slowly overcome him as the silence stretched on, the signs were all there.
Tensed shoulders, clenched fist, the way his breathing came more rapidly. Whatever happened, it was pretty bad, and Derek was livid.
“ What the fuck was he doing at the site anyway? We don’t let our employees bring their buddies on the site whenever they want to! How long has this been going on?“ He left the room in his birthday suit, his heavy footsteps on the stairs giving me a clue as to where he was going. I wanted to follow him, but I had no idea what was going on or how bad things were. I could end up just getting in his way.
With nothing else to do, I took a quick shower, waiting in the kitchen afterward, hoping that this anxious energy would bother someone else. A huge part of me wanted to go upstairs and help him in any way that I could, but I didn't know what was going on or what kind of help I could even give him. I would just get in the way.
An Omega’s duty is to support their Alpha.
The motto that I was taught most of my life sounded in my mind like a clarion bell, quieting all the turbulent thoughts coursing through my head. I was taught better than this. Right now, it wasn’t about me, but Derek. He was the one currently having a truckload of shit dumped on him, the least I could do was give him emotional support.
I found him sitting at his desk, staring intensely at the screen with a scowl on his face. At some point, he had put on some clothes, wearing a polo and some boxers. He gave me a glance but then quickly reverted his attention back to the screen. He did, however, hold his hand out, beckoning me closer as I stood in the doorway.
Walking closer, I saw that there were numerous faces arrayed on a grid, shock turning my blood cold as I recognized two faces among them. One of them being Dimitri, the other Danny.
What the hell happened?
I placed my hand in Derek’s, something in me breaking as I felt his hand trembling. I leaned against the desk, making sure I was out of view from the camera as a man was explaining the current dilemma.
“Due to the fact that the foreman on sight expressed that the man in question was able to work on the job with our company—in front of others, no less—it’s basically a verbal agreement. Legally binding.
“Now normally, we would have been able to plead negligence on both our part, and the part of the foreman, since it is one of his responsibilities to make sure the proper paperwork was signed for freelance work. If it were an ideal scenario, the trial would have been a speedy procedure, but he surprisingly has friends in very high places. He’s hired the Wingham and McIntosh firm, and William McIntosh is taking the case himself.“ Danny cursed, his eyes going wide.
“This is not looking good, Dad. W a political science class called Gender, Science, and Politics. It seemed the least boring of all the available options, and thankfully, if I passed the class, I would have fulfilled my credit requirements.
The Fundamentals of Novel Writing class was the one I was most excited about. I’ve always had trouble completing a story because once I started it with a burning desire to create something new, that feeling would quickly fade.
I didn't grow tired of the story, but only because I didn’t really know where I wanted to take it. Hopefully, the class will change that.
I soon found myself walking to the familiar building where I ran into Jason again, and a part of me wondered if I was gonna run into him again today. Did I really want to run into him again? Shouldn’t I want to avoid him?
After working up the courage to ask for directions instead of relying on my now apparent terrible sense of direction, I found the class without too much trouble and sat near the back. That way, if I happened to fall asleep, it would be less noticeable. It’s a good thing I don’t snore.
Well, at least I don’t think I snore…
I had just booted up my computer when Jason walked into the class. His eyes widen in surprise as our gazes met.
Please don’t sit near me.
As he made his way up the stairs, a part of me actually thought that he would sit somewhere else, as he stopped to talk with a pretty brunette who seemed to have a thing for him, the way she touched him every chance she could.
As the instructor announced that the class was about to start, people went to find their seats. To my surprise, instead of sitting next to the woman he was talking to, Jason made his way up a couple of rows to where I was sitting and approached the seat next to me.
“Hey Damon, fancy seeing you here. Mind if I sit?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind.”
“Really? Your mouth says one thing, but your face says something else entirely. You probably didn’t want me to sit next to you, but I thought having one familiar face on your first day would be nice.”
Cue the incoming guilt.
“You can sit there, really. I don’t mind. I just thought you were gonna sit next to the pretty brunette, is all…”
“Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?”
“Please, it was curiosity at best.”
So, there are two things that I find infuriatingly attractive about this man. One, when he smirks, as if he’s the only one aware that a joke’s been made. Two, when he raises an eyebrow like he’s just come across something that defies all logic.
Why do I find these two actions attractive? I have no idea, but when he combined them in a two-hit combo, I was glad he chose to sit next to me instead of the woman from earlier.
Shit, now I felt bad for an entirely different reason.
“Excuse me, if you could find your seat please, so class can begin.” Jason held up his hand in apology and settled next to me.
“Whelp, too late to change now.” He took out supplies from his bag and seemed to focus his attention on the instructor, so I tried to put him in the back of my mind. During the duration of the lecture, however, I found that it was easier said than done.
My traitorous eyes would wander over to where Jason was, studying his profile. I soon found myself cataloging all the changes between the first time we met and now. His beard is neatly trimmed and not as thick as Derek’s, but it still lent him an air of ruggedness and masculinity. His arms were well-defined, a fact I noticed courtesy of the glimpse I saw when he stretched his arms overhead. While he had wide shoulders like Derek, that seemed to be the singular trait that they shared.
I was shaken out of my observations when he looked at me out of the corner of his eye and caught me studying him. I jolted in my seat, grabbing a pen and trying to look like I was listening to the instructor but failing miserably. I only know this because he leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“I model sometimes for the art department. You should come by one day, that way you can stare all you’d like.”
“No thanks, your ego is already inflated to dangerous proportions. Any bigger, and you wouldn’t be able to walk through a normal doorway.” Jason chuckled, causing the instructor to glare at us.
“Need I remind you two that this is not high school? We expect our students to actually pay attention.”
“Sorry, it won’t happen again.” The professor snorted, clearly giving his unspoken opinion on what he thought about that , and went back to the lesson at hand.
Thank goodness the class ended without further incident. I pulled out my schedule to look at my next class. With a couple of hours until my next class, I decided to kill time by finding a nice bench and reading the book I was currently reading. It is a spicy fantasy romance in which the main character just discovered a terrible secret about the enemy-turned-love interest.
Someone seemed to settle next to me on the bench, but I didn’t really pay it any mind. They were kind of close for comfort, but I was too preoccupied trying to find out if the main character’s relationship was gonna end before it even began to really care.
The scent of sandalwood and just a hint of tobacco registered with my nose just a second before he spoke.
“What book are you reading? You seem hard-wired in.” Jason was seated comfortably, his head tilted and eyes squinted as he probably tried to read the small print on the page.
“Still trying to hit on me, are we?”
“Still laboring under delusions of grandeur, are we?” Ouch, touché. “When are you gonna believe me when I say that I’m not here trying to pursue you romantically? You’ve made it perfectly clear that you were in a loving relationship, and I can respect that.” He draped his arm behind me, resting it on the bench’s backrest. “I may not like it, but I respect it.”
“Besides, if I was hitting on you, trust me, you’d know.” He pulls out my book from my grasp, inciting anger that quickly makes my heart pound and has me gritting my teeth. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s a book snatched from my hands.
Whatever witty comeback I was trying to concoct died as I was fully focused on the way he handled my book. Sure, it was dingy and had seen better days, but it was still mine, and I cherish my books like they’re my babies.
His handling of the book was surprisingly gentle, lips pursed in thought as he read the synopsis on the back, then reading the first page of the novel. Jason was lucky that he could keep his precious twig and berries, otherwise I’m pretty sure I would have torn them clean off had he acted otherwise.
Or at least tried to.
“Can I have my book back, please?” I held out my hand, trying to think of what to say next should he decide to withhold it from me. My spiritual and emotional prep shrivels up in vain as he hands me the book like I asked, simple as that.
“It seems interesting, what’s it about?” Naturally, I’m not one to pass up telling someone what’s happening, but I also didn’t want to spoil any of the plot-twists—in the highly unlikely event that he would actually read it—so I start from the beginning and we just sit there and talk. Well, I mostly talk, and he just listens. Once I exhausted the little tidbits I could openly reveal about the story, we somehow delved into a sort of easy-going conversation.
He asked why I love books so much, so I told him the truth, how books are a way for me to escape from the world as well as my troubles. Reading allows me to become someone else and experience things I never have before.
“So, what really made you go into political science? Am I gonna see you run for president one day?” The corner of his lips twitch before he turns his head, looking up at the sky.
“Something like that.” He didn’t say anything after that, which made me feel like the reason why may be a touchy subject for him.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to pry into something you rather not talk about.”
“No, it’s—“ He heaved a deep sigh, turning to me and giving a sad smile. “Let’s just say that it may not have been my first pick. Or second or third.” Ah.
“But enough about me, what other classes do you have today?”
Time passes in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t until he asked what other classes I was taking that I remembered to look at the time.
“Shit! My class starts in thirty minutes.” I stash my book and immediately take off, only to stop in my tracks as common decency caught up with me. Turning, I see Jason still lounging on the bench as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, a soft smile on his face.
“Thanks for passing the time with me.” Jason stood up, grabbed his bag, and started walking away, the same sad look from earlier crossing over his face briefly.
“Any time, Damon. I’ll catch you later.” He walked off, leaving me with the thought that today is doing its best to make me feel like everything is going wrong. With the threat of Derek being sued and the uncertainty of how I should interact with Jason, my earlier excitement of going to my writing class was curtailed somewhat.
With such melancholic thoughts plaguing my mind, I went to class so I could learn how to string words into proper sentences for a reader’s enjoyment.
Yay…