The morning air felt thin as the results for the quiz were posted. Ryan felt a surge of pure relief when he saw his score. He hadn't just passed, he'd done well, above average.
Beside him, Ethan just shrugged at his own score. Though he hadn't performed nearly as well, he felt no need to panic since he wasn't on a scholarship that meant his grades would come with the same life-or-death weight.
To Ethan, a bad grade was a nuisance, while to Ryan, it was a threat to his future.
They were walking across the quad later that afternoon when a figure cut through the crowd toward them. Dylan looked as good-looking as ever, though he seemed slightly out of breath as he caught up to them.
"Am I late?" Dylan asked, his eyes immediately finding Ethan.
"No, I just stepped out of lecture," Ethan replied, a small smile appearing on his face.
"Oh, how was the quiz, then?"
"It went fine," Ethan said, opting for the simplest reply.
Dylan didn't press for details, instead, he reached into his bag and carefully pulled out the camera. "It's perfectly fine now. The files are also intact. It was backed up here just incase" He reached out, a hard drive in his hand.
Ethan took it, looking it over in genuine awe. He seemed to realize the silence standing next to him, noticing the awkward, questioning look on Ryan's face as he glanced between the two of them.
"Dylan, this is Ryan, my roommate," Ethan said, stepping into the role of mediator. "Ryan, this is Dylan."
"Hi," Dylan said with a smile.
"Hi," Ryan returned, giving a small wave.
After a few more brief exchanges about the project, Dylan checked his watch and bid Ethan goodbye, disappearing back toward a building nearby.
As soon as he was out of sight, Ryan nudged Ethan's shoulder. "Your boyfriend? That guy's hot. I like his glasses, too."
Ethan let out of a soft laugh, shaking his head as he looked Ryan over. "Don't be ridiculous. Anyway, I'm heading off to the club, I've got to analyze these footages before the meeting. Bye!"
Ryan waved at him, his mind drifting back to his own little victory. He was so genuinely happy about his quiz result that he decided he couldn't wait until their next scheduled session to tell Adrian.
Even during his afternoon shift at the café, which usually felt like it dragged was something Ryan didn't mind. His mood was cheerful, fueled by the passing grade as he hurried over his work.
Midway through, he pulled out his phone at the buzz it made.
A message from Liam.
Have you chosen the day yet? I think this place should be okay.
The map location to a restaurant, trendy but comfortable, was attached to it.
Ryan bit his lip to hide a smile, his thumbs hovering over the screen as he typed back.
Okay, today's good by 9 pm.
He tapped the send button and slipped the phone back into his apron, hurriedly spinning to attend to the remaining customers.
Before clocking out, he paused by the store's bakery display. He figured bring something along, not as an announcement of his success, but as a genuine thank you. And after a careful search, he picked out a small, elegantly decorated cake.
With the cake box held carefully in his hand, he made his way toward the apartment. The plan was simple.
Drop by Adrian's to share the good news, then head straight to his dinner with Liam.
_____________________
Adrian lay shirtless on his bed, eyes down at the man beneath him, whose name he couldn't remember his name. He had picked him up at the club, drawn to something a bit familiar, a resemblance to the person whose face kept pressing into his thoughts even now.
The stranger clung to him frantically, his tongue working him down, his skin with a mix of sweat and a hint of tears. They had been at this for hours, yet Adrian felt nothing close to satisfaction. If anything, the longer it went on, the rougher he became, impatience slipping through every touch.
Adrian's hand threaded into the man's hair, gripping hard.
Fuck. He wanted more, he realized with irritation, the thought snapping internally.
The rhythm was wrong. Everything felt wrong.
No matter how many times he closed his eyes, he couldn't see the man below him. All he saw was Ryan's wide, hesitant eyes.
He saw the night after the party, the pale naked body sprawled helplessly on his chair with marks of his touch everywhere on him.
He remembered the reactions he had pulled from him. The way Ryan's body responded so easily to every touch. The little squirms. The way it felt under him. The way that small frame felt even smaller under the weight of his body.
He wanted to recreate that scene. He chased the memory relentlessly, replaying it again and again in his head, his pulse finally spiking until the stranger gagged with Adrian's fluid filling up his mouth.
Still, when it was over, there was nothing. There was no hint of satisfaction, just a hollow ache settling deep in Adrian's chest.
And even looking down at the man who was spent and shaking, the frustration in his chest flared up more. The sight, only making it worse.
He was done playing the nice guy. Why had he even bothered being generous in the first place? It had been part of the plan, sure, but now it felt unnecessarily too long. He was tired of waiting and pretending, he was demanding what he wanted.
Adrian reached for his phone, fingers already moving to Ryan's name, before his voice broke through the silence.
"Get out," he said, his voice calm yet urgent.
"What? Adrian, I..."
"I said, get out. Now!" he snapped.
The man scurried off the bed, terrified with confusion written all over his. He gathered his clothes in a rush, barely managing to pull on his underwear before hurrying out of the room.
_____________________
Ryan stepped off the staircase, now cornered into the corridor, a grin he couldn't suppress wide on his face. He clutched the same cake from the café as he approached Adrian's room.
The door flew open with a guy stumbling out, almost naked and disheveled, his eyes red and brimming with tears. Ryan froze at the spot, his eyes darting and his heart skipping in confusion. The stranger didn't even look at his, just bolted down the staircase.
What was that about? Ryan frowned, shaking it off and assuming Adrian just had a messy or difficult guest, while he remained high on the success he had achieved. He wasn't letting it ruin the moment.
He knocked softly on the door before pushing it open.
"Adrian? I have good news! I passed the..."
He stopped dead.
The room had an odd smell, with a mix of the usual scent Ryan was used to. And on the floor were torn wraps, items, and fabrics scattered on the floor, and a dripping bottle somewhere near the bed.
Adrian stood at by the bed with just pants, a robe over him and his chest completely bare and glowing under the light. He was looking into a phone, and his expression didn't look like the composed tutor Ryan had seen for the past eight sessions. He looked totally... different.
"Oh, you're here," Adrian said, dropping his phone to a side table and turning to Ryan.
"Yeah, I... um brought a cake." Ryan stammered, his voice small as the jovial mood was no more. "To say thank you. I passed the quiz."
Adrian tilted his head slightly, his gaze raking over Ryan, "I was just about to text you," he stated, not acknowledging whatever Ryan had said.
"Come here," he added, his voice firm and commanding.
Ryan's heart hammered against his ribs at each hesitant step he took forward. Then another, until he was within arm's reach.
"So you passed, huh?" Adrian asked, his voice still low as though he was containing something.
He stepped closer, and at each step forward, followed a backward step from Ryan until he was leaning against the wall.
Adrian closed the distance between them and went on. "That's good, Ryan. But I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," Adrian said, looking at his flicking fingers, "And I've come to the realization that I'm on the losing end of this deal."
"What deal? But..." Ryan's breath hitched as his eyes darted to Adrian's, trying to think of something... for a hint of why he's suddenly being like that. "You said it was out of goodwill."
"I never said anything like that. You assumed that on your own." Adrian laughed, a dark, melodic sound as he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, how can you be so dumb?"
He leaned closer, slamming one hand against the wall to cage Ryan in. "What do you take me for? A charity home? You think I'd be doing this if I never wanted anything from you?"
"I've played the nice tutor for quite a long time," he whispered, his gaze dropping to Ryan's trembling lips, tracing the terror within its softness. "Now my work has paid off, and I need a reward from you, don't you think?"
"I don't get... what reward?" Ryan asked, praying, pleading in his mind that it wasn't what he thought, that he had misread the burning in Adrian's eyes. The eyes he's only been able to read for the first time.
"Do I have to spell it out?"
Ryan's stomach twisted. Of course, he knew.
He knew exactly what Adrian was demanding. He knew this man was the only reason he had been able to pass that quiz, the only thing standing between him and academic failure.
He had deluded himself into thinking this was just Adrian being kind, a gradual connection forming in the quiet of the study room. And now, as Adrian asked for his body as payment, he didn't know if he could say no to it.
Saying no meant going back to square one. Losing the help, losing the scholarship, losing his future. But saying yes...
Before he could finish processing his thoughts and the impossible choices it came with, Adrian's hand shot out, yanking Ryan forward with a strength that left no room for resistance... throwing him off balance and dropping him hard onto the bed.
The cake box fell to the floor, the lid popped open, its contents ruined, just like the safety Ryan thought he had found.