0.3 [Feels like I am floating]
"Any big plans for this weekend?" Drake's questions floats into Adam's head and pulls him back from the haze he's put himself into. He's normally not this spacey, especially around Drake, but he can't seem to shake away last night's events. Sighing softly, he blinks once, glancing up at Drake before shrugging some and taking a drink of his cola.
"I'm not sure. I'll probably just stay in and read or something. Just hang around, you know?" He says and Drake nods once, a small smile playing at his Cajun lips. "What about you? Are you doing anything?"
"Yeah. Brad and I are going out to Sacramento to visit his family. Apparently his dad is sick and needs some support or something like that." Adam hums softly in acknowledgement. Despite the crush he's had on Drake since senior year in high school, Adam's been very supportive of the relationship between the brunette and Brad. They've been dating since freshman year in college and, as juniors for the three of them now, they're still as deeply in love with one another as when they were early in their relationship.
"When will you guys be back, do you know?" Drake nods, swallowing a drink from his pepsi.
"Yeah. We're leaving on Friday and we'll be back either on Monday or Tuesday. It really depends on Brad though. His mom has been kind of vague on the extremity of his dad's condition, but by the sounds of things it's not good." Adam frowns a little, dropping his hands to his lap to wipe his palms clean of the condensation from his glass.
"Do you think he's gonna be alright?" Adam asks gently, and Drake lets out a soft breath, not looking at him. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a therapist to read the expression on Drake's face and discern that Brad's dad might not be alright. Biting his lip, he brings one of his hands up and stretches it across the table, taking hold of Drake's hand. The brunette's gaze doesn't lift to Adam, but it shifts to their hands and he smiles a little.
A comforting silence falls between the two as the waitress comes out with their cheeseburgers and fries, setting them down onto the table. Adam gives Drake's hand a tender squeeze before letting go, photographing the sweet smile on Drake's lips before locking it away in the vault of his memory, treasuring it. In the years he's known Drake, Adam's taken note to various expressions and smiles. The brunette is, normally, a happy person, but sometimes Adam catches those smiles that are a little forced, a little fake. Fortunately, the one Drake flashes to him now isn't one of those.
Taking a bite of his cheeseburger, Adam glances out of the window next to their booth, staring across the campus. For early afternoon, there are, perhaps, dozens of students walking around, to and from their classes. Young men and women of all colors, sizes, religions and ethnicities. Despite this, Adam's not looking to the members of the student body that are flitting around outside. He's looking beyond them, past the soccer field and the bleachers.
It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense why he had such a raging headache this morning and why he didn't remember anything from the texts. It all seemed so real the night before, but maybe it really was just all in his head. Or, perhaps, it was a practical joke laid by Brad to fuck with his head and Drake got caught in the mix of it all. But if it was all a joke, why would he still have the roses? Why would they shine with such dazzling glitter?
Shaking his head a little, Adam takes another bite, trying to connect the pieces. The memory loss and the headache.. He inhales slowly, swallowing as he glances outside again, looking back towards the trees. He sifts back through his memory, trying to recall what might have caused the headache and the amnesia. He remembers seeing the rose petal, following the trail and up to the bed of roses and thorns, glowing a light blue. He remembers the man with his gold and burnt orange eyes.. He remembers the man's fingers touching his face.. the burning warmth..
"…Adam?" Blinking once, Adam snaps his attention back to Drake, who has an amused smile on his face, laughter in his bright blue eyes. "Fucking space cadet…" Drake chuckles and Adam rolls his eyes, taking a drink of his cola.
"Sorry.." He apologizes quietly, blushing a little from embarrassment. Nonchalantly rubbing his cheek where the blond had touched his face, he can still feel them; the cold and smooth fingers caressing his skin. A shiver rolls down his spine and Adam drops his hand before returning to his meal, ignoring the smirk that Drake has spread across his lips.
"No you're not." Drake jokes and Adam kicks at his foot from under the table, earning a sharp and shocked squeal from the brunette.
"I am! …Okay, no, not really." Adam admits and it's Drake's turn to kick at him under the table. "Ow! Hey now!"
"Oh, no, you started this, so don't even go there, Lambert!" Drake retaliates and Adam can't suppress the laugh that tumbles from his throat. The smile that Drake flashes to him makes his heart kick a little and Adam looks away, taking another drink of his cola.
There's a moment before Drake looks over at Adam with a soft, shy smile and asks with a quiet voice, "But, seriously, are you okay?" Adam frowns for a moment before realizing the Cajun brunette is referring to kicking him and Adam smiles brightly, nodding once. "Okay, cause, like, every time I horse around with Brad he gets kind of offended or whatever by it and I wanted to make sure that you weren't going to, like, eat my head for it."
Adam snorts softly, "No, I'm not gonna eat your head. Unless you want me to?" The smirk that toys at the corners of Adam's mouth is all the indication Drake needs to know that Adam's not talking about the head with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Drake's cheek flush a brilliant red and he kicks Adam under the table again. "Ow! Okay! No blowjobs for the Cajun misfit." Drake kicks him again.
Laughing, Adam tucks his feet as far away from Drake as he can before he takes another drink of his soda. Drake's mocked angry face fades into a smile and he, too, begins to laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. Adam glances over at him, smiling a little more at how adorable Drake is before letting out a breath and returning his focus to his burger. No matter how much he cares about Drake, he's always finding himself looking away and playing it safe. The last thing that he wants is to stir trouble between Drake and Brad.
~.~.~
After lunch, Drake tells Adam that he has to go meet up with Brad and that he'll see him later. A quick exchange of a hug and a kiss on the cheek left by Adam for Drake, he watches the brunette scamper off to meet with his boyfriend. There's a kind of loss in the pit of his stomach, but he pushes it aside and retreats back to the dormitory. He's still a little tired from last night and after remembering everything, he doesn't have much interest in spending a whole lot of time with anyone right now.
Making his way through the lobby, Adam keeps his head down and minds his own business as he crosses to the door leading to the stairwell. Just because he's a junior in college doesn't me he's popular. Being a theatre kid and a bit of a singer doesn't exactly take you far compared to the football players and the basketball stars. Still though, Adam's learned to keep to himself and not bother anyone, and that's usually enough to keep his gay and freckled ass out of trouble.
Climbing the stairs and up to his floor, Adam pushes the door open with his shoulder, keeping close to the wall as he nears his dorm room door. He snatches his key from his pocket and unlocks the door, slipping inside and shutting it again. Sighing heavily, he leans against the door for a moment before kicking off his boots. He slumps across the floor and collapses onto his bed, the idea of a nap tugging as his consciousness.
Rolling onto his side, Adam's eyes flutter open just a little and he glances towards the side table. Sitting beside his lamp is the jar with the few rose petals kept safely inside. Now that the sun isn't shining on them directly, the faintest traces of glitter seem practically invisible, and the petals look normal. Letting out a breath, he shuts his eyes again, curling in a little on himself.
Much to his chagrin, though, he doesn't quite doze off as immediately as he wishes he would. He tosses and he turns over and over in his bed before finding himself staring at the jar of rose petals. He sighs softly, blinking once and seeing that they haven't changed. They're still the dark crimson from the night before, crumpled a little. Dried out.
Biting his lip, Adam reaches out with his left hand, grasping the jar and pulling it close. He gazes down at the petals nestled in the bottom, watching them intently, almost waiting. But waiting for what, exactly? What is he waiting for, staring at the glass jar with a few wrinkled rose petals?
Sighing softly, Adam tucks the jar against his arm, resting it close to his head. A sense of peace washes over him as he holds the jar, the glass warm in his hands. It reminds him of the feel of the man's touch against his skin, cool at first before warming just a little, soon to be blazing like a fire. A smile tugs at his lips as he lets his eyes slide shut again, curling in on himself. Behind his lids, he sees those eyes he remembers so clearly from the night before. Pools of burnt orange and gold. A shiver races down his spine as he slips under into sleep, the petals in the jar glowing the faintest light blue.