The Hookups of Hickyhook Hall [Wattpad Edition]

Chapter 7

Jenner quietly entered his dorm room and smiled tightly at Aiden Tasker, his heart sinking.

Soft pop music played from Aiden's phone in a respectable volume. He was on his bed in tears while holding Daan Crespo in his arms. It was the kind of longingness that showed just how much they loved each other. If only Daan didn't have to return to his native country of The Netherlands and travel between there and Portugal because of his close connection with both sides of his family, making him busy enough with school and work on top of it all to put their long-distance romance to the test. If only he had family here to stay a while longer, but would it have made a difference overall?

What was it like to have the kind of romance they had? Granted, Aiden and Daan were both asexual and proud virgins, but the love they shared couldn't have been any different from that of a sexual couple's love.

Aiden had been a great roommate, albeit not very talkative, but far more tolerable to live with than what Jenner had initially worried about. Jenner couldn't imagine replacing him with anyone, and the two of them treated each other with kindness and respect. It also helped they were both clean and hated living in pigsty conditions. Just perfect, overall.

Jenner cleared his throat, forming a smirk.

Aiden and Daan separated with reserved smiles, wiping their faces.

"Hi," Aiden said.

"Carry on. I don't mind." Though, Jenner had to admit he'd feel like a third wheel if the affection carried on for too long.

Aiden shook his head. "We have to get to the library, anyway. Lots of studying for this project I have going on."

"I see. Well, I guess I'll see you later?"

Aiden nodded, and he and Daan grabbed their things and held hands out of the room, never failing to be inseparable.

But before the door could close, Michael rushed inside and closed the door. He smiled. "Hey."

Jenner hadn't been alone with Michael in a while, and his heart always pumped faster at just the sight of him. Why couldn't it behave for once? "Hey."

"So...wanna be roommates?"

Jenner wrinkled his forehead. "I already have one and so do you."

"Yeah, but mine is a pain to live with. I just can't stand living with her."

"Oh. I see."

"I'm sure you probably get annoyed with yours too, right?" A hopeful look spanned Michael's face.

Jenner paused. Rooming with Michael could cause a setback on his emotions, on his strong feelings for him. Even if the two of them would clearly never be intimate with each other in any way, just living with him, day by day and night by night, would produce the most agonizing ache to be closer to him, closer than he'd ever be able to be. Was it even worth feeling like that by agreeing to room together?

No. It wasn't.

Jenner sighed. "Actually...my roommate's kind of awesome. We get along well."

"Oh." Michael shrugged. "Cool. No biggie. Just an idea, that's all."

"There's no way you can compromise with your roommate? Like, set some boundaries or some kind of schedule to when you can do certain things there?"

Michael shook his head. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll think of something." But he remained there with his gaze on Jenner.

Jenner returned the gaze, his heart like a hand reaching out to grab him and pull him toward him to become one with him, the only one to ever make him feel like this. Why? Why was this damn romance continually dangling in his thoughts when they could never be together?

Michael licked his lips. "Guess I'll see you around, then."

Jenner inhaled and held his breath, watching as Michael sauntered away from him and out of the room as if nonchalant. He exhaled and threw himself on his bed, his eyes tearing up. Yeah, he needed to move on, and rejecting Michael's offer was for the best. Sometimes, he wished he could shut his own heart, find some kind of hidden world of pure lust, and share himself without ever having to worry about love. Those who were sexual and romance-free seemed to have had it easy. What was the point of romance, anyway?

Why bother?