Chapter 270: boy talk

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: boy talk

(Damian POV)

Damian had barely reached the path leading toward the dormitories when his phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket.

Julian.

He answered.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Walking back to my dorm."

"Don’t go there yet."

Damian smiled faintly.

"Why?"

"Adrian and I just finished practice. I’m starving."

Damian glanced toward the dormitory buildings.

"So?"

"So come out with us."

Damian looked ahead.

He had nothing particularly important waiting for him in his room. He might as well spend some time with his friends.

"All right."

"Good. We’re heading toward the south gate."

"I’ll meet you there."

"See you."

The call ended.

Damian slipped his phone back into his pocket and changed direction.

It was only a meal with friends.

Nothing complicated.

--

Julian and Adrian were already waiting near the south gate when Damian arrived.

Julian was still wearing his soccer training clothes, his hair slightly damp from practice. Adrian stood beside him, looking considerably less disheveled.

Julian spotted Damian first.

"There he is."

Damian approached them.

"How was practice?"

"Fine."

Julian stretched his shoulders.

"Exhausting."

"I thought you said you weren’t tired."

"I changed my mind."

Adrian’s lips curved faintly.

"He’s been complaining since practice ended."

"I have not."

"You have."

Damian shook his head.

"Where are we going?"

"There’s a restaurant a few blocks from here."

They started walking.

For a while, the conversation remained ordinary.

They talked about tomorrow’s Sports Fest, the opening ceremony, the parade, and some of the competitions scheduled for the first day.

Then Julian glanced at Damian.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

Damian looked at him.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

Adrian glanced over as well.

"He does."

Damian shrugged.

"Nothing wrong with being in a good mood."

"No," Julian said. "It’s just unusual."

"Why?"

Julian gave him a sideways look.

"Because the last time I saw you, you looked like someone owed you a very large sum of money."

Damian gave him a flat look.

"The last time you saw me was Friday."

"Exactly."

Adrian nodded mildly.

"You were in a particularly bad mood."

Damian sighed.

"I was fine."

"Sure," Julian said.

Damian shook his head.

"I wasn’t that bad."

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"Damian, you looked like you were personally offended by the existence of everyone around you."

Adrian’s lips curved into a small chuckle.

"That is fairly accurate."

Damian looked between them.

"You two are exaggerating."

"Maybe," Julian said. "But you’re definitely in a better mood now."

Damian didn’t answer.

He didn’t particularly have an explanation he wanted to give them.

He simply was.

They continued toward the restaurant.

After a moment, Adrian glanced toward the sky. ℴ

"At least yesterday’s storm didn’t ruin anything."

Julian nodded.

"That was some rain."

"Yeah."

"Did you manage to get back to the university?"

Damian hesitated.

"No."

Both Julian and Adrian looked at him.

"What?"

Julian frowned.

"You didn’t?"

"We stayed in East Junction."

"Stayed?"

"The storm was too strong."

Julian nodded slowly.

"Right."

Then he looked at Damian again.

--

Julian and Adrian were already waiting near the south gate when Damian arrived.

Julian has changed into something casual, his hair slightly damp from practice. Adrian stood beside him, looking considerably less disheveled.

Julian spotted Damian first.

"There he is."

Damian approached them.

"How was practice?"

"Fine."

Julian stretched his shoulders.

"Exhausting."

"I thought you said you weren’t tired."

"I changed my mind."

Adrian’s lips curved faintly.

"He’s been complaining since practice ended."

"I have not."

"You have."

Damian shook his head.

"Where are we going?"

"There’s a restaurant a few blocks from here."

They started walking.

For a while, the conversation remained ordinary.

They talked about tomorrow’s Sports Fest, the opening ceremony, the parade, and some of the competitions scheduled for the first day.

Then Julian glanced at Damian.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

Damian looked at him.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

Adrian glanced over as well.

"He does."

Damian shrugged.

"Nothing wrong with being in a good mood."

"No," Julian said. "It’s just unusual."

"Why?"

Julian gave him a sideways look.

"Because the last time I saw you, you looked like someone owed you a very large sum of money."

Damian gave him a flat look.

"The last time you saw me was Friday."

"Exactly."

Adrian nodded mildly.

"You were in a particularly bad mood."

Damian sighed.

"I was fine."

"Sure," Julian said.

Damian shook his head.

"I wasn’t that bad."

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"Damian, you looked like you were personally offended by the existence of everyone around you."

Adrian’s lips curved into a small chuckle.

"That is fairly accurate."

Damian looked between them.

"You two are exaggerating."

"Maybe," Julian said. "But you’re definitely in a better mood now."

Damian didn’t answer.

He didn’t particularly have an explanation he wanted to give them.

He simply was.

They continued walking.

After a moment, Adrian glanced toward the sky.

"At least yesterday’s storm didn’t ruin anything."

Julian nodded.

"That was some rain."

"Yeah."

Julian looked at Damian.

"Did you manage to get back to the university?"

Damian hesitated.

"No."

Both Julian and Adrian looked at him.

"What?"

Julian frowned.

"You didn’t?"

"We stayed in East Junction."

"Stayed?"

"The storm was too strong."

Julian nodded slowly.

"Right."

Then he looked at Damian again.

"Wait."

Damian immediately became wary.

"What?"

"You stayed in East Junction?"

"Yes."

"Overnight?"

Damian nodded.

Julian looked at him for another moment.

"With Vivienne Beaumont?"

Damian’s ears immediately turned warm.

"We were there for the Foundation project."

"That’s not what I asked."

Damian cleared his throat.

"The hotel had separate bedrooms."

Julian blinked.

"Separate bedrooms?"

"Yes."

He had answered too quickly.

Julian’s eyes narrowed.

"Okay."

Damian continued walking.

Julian caught up.

"So you had separate bedrooms."

"Yes."

"But not separate rooms."

Damian’s steps faltered.

He glanced at Julian.

Julian was staring at him.

Adrian’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Damian realized what he’d just given away.

"It’s a suite."

Julian stopped.

"A suite."

Damian sighed.

"Yes."

Julian looked at Adrian.

Then back at Damian.

"So you and Vivienne were in the same suite."

"Because of the storm."

"Right."

"She had her own bedroom."

"And you had yours."

"Yes."

Julian nodded slowly.

"Of course."

Damian could already see the realization forming behind his friend’s eyes.

He frowned.

"What?"

Julian stared at him.

"Nothing."

"Julian."

"I’m just thinking."

"About what?"

Julian’s gaze traveled over Damian’s face.

Then he noticed the faint color still lingering across his ears.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

Damian immediately felt his stomach drop.

"What?"

Julian’s mouth slowly curved into a grin.

"Don’t tell me something happened between the two of you."

Damian’s face went even warmer.

"What are you talking about?"

Julian’s grin widened.

"Damian."

"Nothing happened."

The denial came too quickly.

Adrian looked at him.

His lips curved slightly.

Julian stared at Damian for another second.

Then he suddenly remembered the pool party.

The way Damian had been openly hovering around Vivienne.

The way Vivienne had allowed him to.

The way the two of them had looked together.

And now Damian had spent the entire conversation trying very hard not to blush.

Julian’s eyes widened.

"My friend..."

Damian immediately shook his head.

"No."

"You got lucky."

"I did not say that."

"You didn’t have to."

Damian looked away.

Julian’s grin became enormous.

"Oh my God."

Adrian gave a quiet chuckle.

Julian turned toward him.

"Our friend finally ascended from monkhood to manhood."

Adrian raised his glassless hand as though toasting the occasion.

"Apparently."

Julian held up his hand.

Adrian gave him a quick high-five.

Damian stared at them.

"You two are idiots."

Julian laughed.

"You can’t blame us."

"I can."

"You absolutely can."

Damian shook his head.

"It was nothing like what you’re thinking."

Julian looked delighted.

"That’s exactly what someone who got lucky would say."

Damian sighed.

"Can we just go eat?"

Julian slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Of course, man."

"Get off."

"I’m happy for you."

"There is nothing to be happy about."

Julian looked at him.

"Then why are you smiling?"

Damian opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Adrian glanced at him.

He was still smiling.

And that, more than anything, gave him away.

Damian rarely looked this happy.

Julian laughed softly.

"Yeah. Thought so."

They continued toward the restaurant.

For a few moments, nobody said anything.

Then Julian spoke again.

"So..."

Damian sighed.

"What now?"

Julian gave him a sideways look.

"Are you two together?"

Damian immediately shook his head.

"No."

"Dating?"

"No."

"Seeing each other?"

Damian hesitated.

"Sort of."

Julian looked at him.

Adrian did too.

Damian rubbed the back of his neck.

"We’re still friends."

Julian stared at him.

"Friends."

"Yes."

Adrian’s eyebrow rose slightly.

"Just friends?"

Damian looked away.

"Something like that."

Julian was silent for a moment.

Then his expression changed.

He looked at Damian.

Then at Adrian.

Then back at Damian.

"Don’t tell me."

Damian frowned.

"What?"

Julian’s grin slowly returned.

"Friends with benefits?"

Damian froze.

His eyes widened.

For one brief second, his expression openly betrayed him.

How did you know that?

Julian burst out laughing.

"Oh, my God!"

Adrian lowered his gaze, a quiet chuckle escaping him.

"That was quite the reaction."

Damian recovered quickly.

"I didn’t react."

"You absolutely did."

"I did not."

Julian pointed at him.

"That face said everything."

Damian sighed.

There was no point.

These two knew him far too well.

"Fine."

Julian’s eyes widened.

"Fine?"

Damian lowered his voice.

"Yes."

He glanced around before continuing.

"That’s... where we are right now."

Julian grinned.

"Friends with benefits."

Damian nodded reluctantly.

"Yes."

Adrian gave another small chuckle.

"That explains quite a lot."

Damian looked at him.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

Julian shook his head, still looking far too pleased.

"So after two weeks of looking like someone owed you a fortune—"

"Julian."

"—you finally got what you wanted."

Damian’s ears warmed again.

He looked away.

"Something like that."

Julian laughed.

"Man."

He shook his head.

"I honestly didn’t think you’d get her."

Damian glanced at him.

Julian immediately raised a hand.

"Not because you couldn’t get a girl."

He gave Damian an incredulous look.

"You’re Damian Blackwood. Half the girls at Saint Albion would probably volunteer."

Adrian’s lips curved into a quiet smile.

"He’s not wrong."

"Exactly."

Julian looked back at Damian.

"It’s just... it’s Vivienne Beaumont."

His expression softened.

"And we all know how complicated that was."

Julian clapped him on the shoulder.

"But regardless, we’re happy for you, man."

Adrian nodded.

"Very."

Damian looked at them.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

Then he smiled.

"Thanks."

Julian grinned.

"Although I still can’t believe it."

Damian laughed softly.

"Neither can I."

--

Tbc