Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brandon
My brain is supposed to be my wingman. My number one bro. So at what point did it think focusing on Robbie would be a good idea? I swear one morning I woke up and suddenly my brain was all him, he’s the one.
Because of course he is.
I look down at where he’s sleeping soundly, knowing last night could have been a million times worse. If Zeke hadn’t grabbed him before he jumped …
My annoyance at him spikes again, just as he lets out a pathetic whimper. His whole face screws up, and I hurry to grab the bucket I brought up in case he needs to puke.
“Brando …”
“I’m here, big guy.”
“What happened?”
Sure that he’s not going to bring everything back up, I set the bucket down again. “You got drunk.”
“I normally get drunk though. This isn’t drunk. This is … torture.”
“Well, I’m not surprised considering you tried to swing from the chandelier. While singing ‘Chandelier’ by Sia.”
Robbie cringes. “Why am I so dumb?”
His pathetic tone helps my annoyance disappear. “It’s part of your charm.”
“I’m sorry. Like, damn. My liver has already given up on me, so I must have been bad for me to be feeling it.”
I frown. “I know you get a bit loose sometimes, but last night was wild, even for you.”
And I’ve never seen such a big guy pout, but that’s exactly what he does. “Do you hate me?”
“Dude, if the last three years haven’t done it, one night isn’t going to change things.”
“But you’re always going on about what a pain in the ass I am and how you don’t get to have fun because of it, and then I go and do that.”
He’s right. It’s irritating, and he was thoughtless.
But one thing I know about Robbie is he cares big about his friends, and since we’ve started hooking up, he’s proved again and again that he cares about me, so last night was …
well, drinking and having fun is him, but getting so written off he’s almost blackout drunk is not.
“Why did you do it?” I ask.
Instead of answering, he folds his arms over his face.
“Robbie?”
Nothing.
“If you don’t start talking, I’m going to have to assume it’s because you hate me and wanted to make my life difficult.”
When he peeks out at me, he’s glaring. “You know that isn’t it.”
“Then …”
“I don’t wanna say,” he mumbles, hiding again.
“Well, I dunno, I need something. Because I want to think you had a reason, but you’re making it very hard for me not to be shitty at you right now.”
He huffs and rolls onto his front, looking almost green from the movement. I wrap my arm around him and move closer, because even if the big idiot annoyed me last night, I think his hangover is punishment enough.
“I got scared,” he eventually says.
“Of?”
“Jenny.”
I almost laugh. “I didn’t even see her at the party.”
“I did. All damn night.”
“Well, was it something she said, or …” I try to think of something she could have said that would have any effect on Robbie. Things usually just roll off his back.
“No.”
“You need to stop being cryptic, because I have no idea what you’re saying.” I pinch his chin. “Since when are you all … shy? Embarrassed? What’s going on here?” My mood plummets as I’m hit with a horrible thought. “Did you hook up with her?”
“Fuck no.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay, then can you spit it out?”
“She made me insecure.”
“Insecure?”
“About … us.” He buries his face in my side. “When we were in Kilborough, I heard you talking to your mom.”
“O … kay …” Something in his tone makes me hold him tighter. I’m refusing to get excited, because when he says us, he could mean he’s having second thoughts, but … somehow, I’m sure that’s not it. I don’t interrupt because I get the feeling he’s thinking hard.
“You mentioned all the reasons why we’d never work, and one of those reasons was that I’m not the relationship type.”
I try to read his face, wondering where he’s going with this and struggling to remember what else I said. “Because you’re not.”
“But I am. I can do relationships, and I can be committed. I’d be the best fucking boyfriend in history, because if I was into someone enough that I wanted that with them, they’d be my whole world.”
My breath catches because is he … is he … “Why are you telling me this?”
He doesn’t answer at first, and then, finally, he lifts his head and looks me in the eyes. “The reason I’m not into relationships is because no one has even made me want one before … until you.”
“Robbie …”
“Shut up a minute—”
“You’re really selling that greatest boyfriend in history line.”
“Brando … I’ve just gotta get this out.” He covers my mouth with one of his big hands.
“I was insecure because Jenny is your type, and I’m so not a Jenny.
You’re going to get married to some chick one day, and if I’m honest, I don’t want you to.
When we were talking about that future of buying a property and having babies, it sounded perfect to me.
So maybe it’s too early to say, or I’m wearing cum-goggles or something, but …
I want to be the one who gets that future with you. ”
I swear my heart swells. “Fuck.”
“Exactly. Fuck. This is all super new and strange to me, and it’s caught me off guard, but when I think about losing you, it makes me panic. Like this gross feeling clawing up into my throat and making it hard to breathe.”
“Fuck …”
“Can you say something else?”
“I really don’t know.” Robbie saying all these things is beyond anything I could have expected from him, and yet … it’s everything I need. Everything I want.
“Great. And now I’m panicking again.”
The sheer level of insecurity that takes over his face actually makes me laugh. I tackle him back onto the bed, and he groans at the movement, but I don’t back off. “Promise you won’t puke on me.”
“Ah …”
I capture his mouth with mine. And goddamn he feels so good. Too good. It still catches me off guard every time how desperately my body reacts to his. He moans, and my cock perks up in interest when his moan morphs into a half sob.
“I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but I think I’m too sick for sex stuff.”
I mock gasp. “Who are you, and what have you done with my boyfriend?”
“B-boyfriend? Not brofriend?”
“No. We can stop kidding ourselves that this is nothing, because I think it might be everything.”
“I like the way you think.” He attacks me with a kiss, and even morning breath isn’t enough to tear me away from him. He makes my heart full and my cock ache.
The next kiss I give him is softer. “I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Can you … do you think for the last few months you could calm things down a little? Small pranks and whatever is fine, but we’ve got finals coming up, and I need to be able to focus on those and not what you and Chad are getting up to, or if you’re going to try and fly again at the next party we have.
You said you were scared, but … I care about you, dude, and that scared me. ”
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” His arms tighten around my waist. “I promise. No more pulling shit.”
“That kind of sounds gross and like I’m trying to change you, but I swear it isn’t that.”
“I get it.”
“Do you?” I brush his nose with mine. “Because I’ve gotta say, Rob-dog, I really like the you that you are.”
“Cargo pants and all?”
“Right down to your fanny pack.”
His troublemaker look appears. “I’m a big fan of your fanny too.”
“Dude, call it an ass.”
“My boyfriend’s ass.”
I like how that sounds. “You’re going to get way too much enjoyment out of that, aren’t you?”
“You don’t even know the half of it.”
“Wow,” I say, suddenly realizing something. “You’re in a relationship.”
“Crazy, huh?”
“With me.”
“Yep.”
“So … that means I am basically the greatest person alive.”
His brow bunches up. “How’s that?”
“I’ve done what no one in the last three and a half years has managed. I’ve tamed the beast.”
His laugh cuts off with a groan. “Ouch. Stop making me laugh, I’m tender.”
“Poor baby.”
There’s a knock at the door, and we exchange a look.
“Brandon, you in there?”
It’s Chad.
I only have a split second to make up my mind, but fuck it. I climb off Robbie, don’t bother putting on clothes, and walk over to answer the door in my boxer briefs.
“Hey,” Chad says. “Have you …” His attention shifts from me to where Robbie is lying shirtless in bed.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Well, I was going to ask if you’d seen Robbie because I went to check on him, but it looks like you’ve seen a whole lot more of him than I meant.”
“Was that all?”
“Nope.” He leans around me. “Finally got some D, brother?”
“Yep. I got me some D and some A and some H, B, and J.”
“Gross,” I say.
They both ignore me.
“So, was this like a one-time thing?” Chad asks.
“Nope,” I answer. “We’re, umm, dating.” And fuck if that isn’t weird to say.
Chad stares from me to Robbie like we’ve grown balls on our heads. It’s a mixture of shock and amusement, and I’ve gotta say, I’m not a fan.
“That all?”
“Nope. One last thing. When you tell the rest of the house, please make sure I’m there. The reactions will be priceless.”
I close the door on him. “Goddamn Chad.”
“Love you too,” he calls through the door.
Silence falls, and when I glance back at Robbie, he’s grinning wide, even though he still looks one foot in the grave. “We just told someone.”
“We did.”
“And you’re not freaking out.”
“I figure if we’re dating, people are going to know.”
“This is true.”
I make my way back over to sit beside him on the bed. “You know what their reactions will be though, right?”
“Laughter?”
“We’ll literally be the butt of all jokes—”
“Butt, heh.”
“Shut up. You know what I mean. They’re going to think this is ridiculous. Ten bucks says they take bets on how long we’ll last.”
He frowns. “I don’t like that.”
“Neither do I. But we’re going to have to deal with it again, and again. All the dumbass questions and …” I take his hand. “I’m sorta protective of this. Being with you is the happiest I’ve maybe ever been.”
“Me too.”
“Wow. That’s a big claim coming from Mr. Funsies over here.”
He squeezes my hand as he thinks. “Give me a few days, and I’ll handle it.”
“You’ll handle it?”
“Yep.”
“Should I be worried?”
He cracks a smile. “Always. It’s me you’re talking to.”
“That doesn’t fill me with confidence.”
“Will you trust me?”
“Fine, but don’t forget your promise.”
“I won’t.” He mimes drawing a halo around his head. “It’ll be completely and totally safe.”