Page 37 of The Not So Super Hero
“I think it’s impossible to insult someone like you.”
Zane nodded, causing Bailey to give him another sparkling smile.Before they could say another word, the door opened to show Ryan coming in with a very “I’m done” expression.However, the moment he found Zane and Bailey in bed together, his grin spread from ear to ear.
“Am I interrupting something?”Ryan asked in such a sweet tone that even Bailey felt his teeth ache.
“No!”Bailey answered far too quickly, which had Ryan nodding in a very unbelieving fashion.“Zane needed some rest, so he came here, that’s all.”
Ryan stepped over to his side of the room, waving at Zane.Zane half-assed a wave back that made Ryan laugh before he dropped his backpack onto his bed.“Well, no need to worry about me, because I have plans.”
“Huh?”Bailey asked.
“Yeah, something came up,” Ryan said, winking.“I’ll text you later.”
Ryan headed for the door.Bailey jumped out of bed, leaving Zane with a bag of chips that he would happily devour.Running after Ryan, Bailey jumped in front of the boy, successfully blocking the door from his friend.
“What the hell are you doing?”Bailey whispered, glancing back at Zane, who dumped the last remnants of the chips in his mouth.
“Giving you two some privacy,” Ryan said, then snapped his finger.“Oh, there are condoms in my bedside table.”
“Fuck off, that’s not happening.”
“That blush on your face says it isn’t completely off the table.”Ryan chuckled.“But play hard to get if that’s what you’re into.”
Bailey punched Ryan in the chest.Laughing, he walked out the door.Bailey ran after him into the hall attempting to talk him into staying, but Ryan simply spun around and said as he walked backwards, “As your friend, my job is to help you get laid.Have fun, lover boy.”
With that, Ryan was gone, leaving Bailey and Zane alone.
CHAPTER 13
Baileystoodinthedoorway, flushed and arms pinned to his sides.He scoffed, cursing Ryan in his head.Bailey needed him!Why couldn’t he be a good wingman?Or a distraction.Now, he and Zane were alone.Not like he expected anything to happen, but, like it could.Sighing, the poor boy slowly made his way back towards his bed.Each step felt a little heavier than the last.
Zane watched Bailey’s every move; to the point where he returned to the bed.Feeling Zane’s bright blue eyes on him made Bailey’s knees tremble.That reaction didn’t go unnoticed based on Zane’s smug expression.
“Shut up,” Bailey grumbled.
“Are you hearing things?Because I said nothing,” Zane replied.Bailey squirmed.Their arms brushed, so he swiftly crossed his arms in a futile attempt to separate them.
Zane would have moved further away, but the wall pressed against his opposite arm.Good thing he was best at ignoring things because, at that moment, he needed to ignore something.That something was the warmth next to him and how it reminded him he had a heart.He hated when it worked up.He wished it would crawl back into its hole and die.
“I can hear you thinking sassy thoughts,” Bailey said, curling his nose.
“My sassy thoughts?”Zane chuckled again, and without Bailey’s permission, leaned closer.Bailey knew he did it on purpose by the grin Zane sported.He couldn’t stay mad because now he stared at Zane, and his pretty eyes, and his soft-looking hair, and his stupid handsome face.Bailey needed to see a doctor immediately.He was unhealthy.
“Normally, I’m the one in a foul mood, but you’re trying to steal that today.What’s wrong?Regretting inviting me up here already?”
“No, of course not,” Bailey replied so quickly that Zane, nor himself, expected it.
The air went still.Both went silent.Zane’s grin fell.Bailey swallowed the lump in his throat.Then the next, and the next.The silence between them had a mind of its own, twisting around them like a heavy mist.Bailey wished he could have been more tactful.He wasn’t thinking straight because he honestly didn’t want Zane to believe that he disliked his presence.
Actually, Bailey didn’t have the time to think since his mouth went off without his permission.But, the point of him saying that was, Bailey wouldn’t have offered Zane to come up to his dorm if he didn’t actually want the man to be there.He simply didn’t want Zane to feel out of place.Something told Bailey that Zane was used to that feeling and he sure as hell didn’t want to add to it.
Zane eventually pulled back, so that he was no longer in Bailey’s sight.However, Bailey forgot his No Looking rule and spun his head to watch Zane.He sunk into the pillows behind them.Bailey wasn’t sure what changed; the atmosphere, Zane himself, but the room grew warm.Zane’s expression hadn’t changed.He just looked different, like he was comfortable for once.That thought made Bailey’s toes curl.
Of all the people to make him feel that, it had to be Zane.Bailey wished he had better taste in guys.Couldn’t he crush on the nice guy?The one who would buy him flowers or watch bad horror movies with him through the night?Regardless, the feelings never left.Bailey couldn’t help but feel this sense of attraction to Zane.It didn’t matter how much he denied the truth.His heart was practically writing his feelings on a billboard and placing it before him while screaming,admit it already!
Bailey was so screwed.But it wasn’t all bad, right?Zane had his moments, like how he was quiet next to Bailey with a sort of soft expression that really suited him.Sometimes he was funny, sometimes he was kind, like when he helped Bailey out of the store during that villain attack.Maybe Zane would show even more sides of him if Bailey tried harder at getting to them?
“What do you do in your spare time?”Bailey asked.
