When I open my eyes, it's quiet. The way my room is alight tells me it's not as early as I normally get up. I'm grateful for that; my eyes feel like gravel, and I can tell they're gunky. I'm facing towards my room, the opposite position I had gone back to sleep in. When I turn over, I wasn't expecting David to be there still.

I wipe the sleep from my eyes, and just look at him. I don't mean to be creepy, he just looks so...Peaceful. Innocent. Angelic. He looks like all the things I wish I were, but am not.

I wake him up by peppering his face with soft kisses. He moans a moment, then his eyes flutter open, his brow wrinkled in confusion. Blinking repeatedly, he smiles when he realizes it's me. For a minute we just lay still, smiling at one another like idiots.

"Thanks for staying," I rumble, my voice deep and scratchy from sleep. 

"Did you really think I was going to leave you alone after you told me your harrowing experience?"

As David puts his hand on my cheek, rubbing it gently with his thumb, I reply. "It wasn't harrowing."

David frowns.

"What? It wasn't."

David rolls his eyes. "You can drop the macho bullshit, Tristan. It's just me. C'mon."

I sigh. "Fine. It was really scary because I didn't know what he was capable of, so I'm just happy I got away when I did."

David kisses the tip of my nose, smiling at me. "There. Was that so bad?"

"Horrible," I joke. 

David wraps his arms around me, and pulls me close. "Aw, my big, strong, jock man was scared?"

I laugh, trying to pull away. "Shut up. That's why I like to pretend I don't have fear as an  emotion."

David kisses me on the lips, and then pulls away and smiles. "I know. I'm happy you laughed."

We go back to silence. I had put my clothes back on, but David had merely slipped his pants back on, shirtless. I took the silence as a time to admire his body. He obviously took care of himself, but he wasn't ripped or anything.

"I jog," he tells me with a huge yawn. When he's done, he shakes his head, trying to get the sleep away. "I don't lift weights or anything."

I smile and kiss him. "I like it."

David yawns again, and speaks to me through it. "What're we doing today?"

My brow furrows. "We? Don't you have class?"

"Fuck it."

"Hey, no. It's important."

David rolls over on his back, flinging his arm over his eyes. He peeks out at me through the crook of his arm. "You my mother now?"

"No, but gettin' an education is important."

David snorts, resituating his head so he would be staring at his arm—if his eyes were open. "Then why aren't you in college?"

"I went into a trade school program in High School. I started working immediately."

"Oh." Still not looking at me, he mumbles, "What time is it?"

I look over my shoulder, and am admittedly surprised at the time. "Past nine."

"Fuck," David replies. He then sighs heavily, moving his arm and looking at me. "I'm already missing my first class."

"So then get moving!" I say earnestly. 

"Fuck it."

I frown, but I'm not going to argue with him. Instead I sit up and swing my feet off the side of the bed. I scratch at the stubble on my chin. Yawing myself, I get up and stretch, and then look over my shoulder at my boyfriend. "I gotta take a leak."

"Alright. When you're done, could you show me where the bathroom is?"

"Sure thing."

When I'm done and washing my hands, I look at my face, twisting my head side to side. I really should shave...I decide it could wait until later. So I go back into my room and tell David, who is wearing his shirt now, how to get to the bathroom. 

While he's gone, I change into fresh clothes and brush my hair quickly. I smell myself, decide I can go on without a shower, put on some deodorant, and do a quick spritz of cologne. It's very light; it's my favorite. I don't want to over-power people with the smell, I just want to smell good. 

I'm expecting David to come back soon. When he doesn't I sit on my bed, twiddling my thumbs. Finally my door opens, and David's head pops in. He grins at me and walks in, shutting the door behind himself.

"Sorry, got a little lost."

I chuckle. "No need to apologize."

"I ended up in your brother's room."

My heart stops a second.

"I didn't know you had a brother. He at college or something?"

"He's dead."

David blinks, no expression on his face. I shrug. No point in beating around the bush. When David still doesn't speak, I play with the hem of my shirt, looking at it instead of him.

"It's been awhile now."

"Fuck, Tristan."

I glance at David as he sits next to me, and takes my hand. I don't mean to be cruel, but I slip my hand away quickly and glare. "Don't."

After looking at me in worry for a moment, his eyes searching all over my face, David holds up his hands. "I won't."

I get to my feet, running my hand through my hair. Deciding it's greasy, I grab a baseball cap and slip it on. Then I turn back to David, who is still on the bed. "C'mon. Lets go scrounge up some breakfast."

David wordlessly follows me through the narrow hallway, into the living room, then then left into our kitchen. Ma is sitting there, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Mornin' ma," I say, going to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. The coffee smells like Bailey's.

Putting the paper down, she smiles at me. "G'morning, love!"

I chuckle, moving to the cabinet that held the cereal, as David stands awkwardly at the entranceway. My mom smiles at him.

"And good morning, David."

"Good morning, Ma'am," David greets quietly.

My mom grins. "I was wondering when the both of you were gonna roll outta bed. I checked on you about an hour ago and you were both sound asleep."

I glance at David as I pour us some cereal, and he's turned beet red. My mom laughs again. She pulls out the chair next to her and pats the seat. "C'mon, Dave. I don't bite."

David walks to her and takes a seat. I come over, putting the bowl in front of him, and sitting down myself.

"You don't mind if I call you Dave, do you?"

"No Ma'am," he replies, taking a bite of his cereal. He's speaking quietly, still quite red. "Actually I prefer it."

I swing my head to him. "Ya'do?"

David nods.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugs. 

"Dave, I'm sorry."

He shrugs again. To both of our surprise, ma laughs, and gently bats Dave's arm.

"Oh loosen up. Do you really think this is the first time I've woken up and found a man in Tristan's bed?"

I nearly choke. "M-ma!"

That makes Dave grin. "Why am I starting to get the feeling you're a bit of a playboy?"

I want to disappear. Instead I just cram more cereal into my mouth and look at my bowl.

"Well of course," ma continues. "I mean, just look at him!"

Now I do choke. Laughing, Dave slaps my back as I have a coughing fit. Once I can speak I look at ma, utterly bewildered and angry. "MA!"

I can tell the next thing that comes out of Dave's mouth slip out, because afterward he looks mortified. "I'm surprised you're so lax with your son."

Ma blinks at him.

"I mean—not that I'm judging Ma'am—"

She smiles and shrugs. "I know how teens are. If he's gonna be doing stuff like drinking and sleeping around, I'd rather him do it in a safe environment than go sneaking around behind our back, getting in trouble or in over his head."

Dave doesn't reply. We finish up breakfast in silence, ma reading her newspaper. Dave and I scarf down our food as quick as we can. Once we're done we excuse ourselves, and I ask if I can borrow the car. Ma doesn't have a problem with it, so Dave and I leave. Once we're in the car, I give him a stick of mint gum, taking a piece of my own.

"Your mom seems sweet."

I look over, the car on, but not in reverse yet.

David smiles at me. "I can tell she really loves you."

I blink at Dave. Then I shrug and put the car in reverse, backing out, because honestly? Since Tyler died, I really don't feel like she does. 

But David doesn't need to know that.