CHAPTER 76: A DATE

"Lee! Someone's looking for you?" a member of the student council shouts from the door of the main hall. I frown and look at my watch. It's only four and even though we're not that busy, dinner is still a long way. I get up from the floor and turn to the door and can't help but to be surprised.

It's not Chuck.

I run to the door where Keaton is standing, waiting and smiling at me with his adorable dimples.

"Why are you back already?" I ask after I peck both his cheeks. I'm delighted, of course, but also surprised.

"I've finished the signing," Keaton tells me.

His hands are still in mine and well, it will start to get awkward soon because people are here and people are gossipy and they will gossip and talk and see.

"I take it, it's successful, then?" I ask, grinning. I make no attempt in letting go either.

Should I care about those people, though?

"Thanks to Malik," Keaton says, nodding. "Are you busy?" he asks, looking behind me into the room where people are huddling and hurrying and busying themselves with whatever tasks Kimberly assigned them. Us.

"Not really," I tell him, "just some Winter festival preparation." I hold his hand and lead him back to the corner where I was busy with my laptop trying to design the set for the stage for the dance, along with the decoration, sound and equipment coordinators as well as the treasurer.

I walk towards the three who have been staring at me since I left to get Keaton at the door. I smile at them and introduce them to each other, "Keaton, this is Lula, Layla and Joshua," I introduce Keaton to them, "and this is Keaton, my friend," I tell the three who stand up and greet him, shaking his hand.

"You seem busy," Keaton says a little apologetically, "did I come on bad times?" he asks.

"Not at all," Joshua says, "we have determined the equipment and the budget required so we're pretty much done here," he tells Keaton.

"Are you taking me somewhere?" I ask half teasing, half curious.

"I want to take you out for dinner, actually," Keaton says, smiling, rather shyly.

"Woooo," Joshua, Lula, and Layla all grin at us and I roll my eyes at them as I gather my things.

"But it's still early," I frown at Keaton who smiles wider.

"I also want to take you somewhere before dinner," he admits.

"You taking him out on a date?" Layla asks, frowning but also smiling and I don't know how's that possible.

"Yes," Keaton nods at her, admitting and I can feel my face heating up.

"Better go now before your husband finds you, then," Joshua teases and I roll my eyes even more.

"Do I need to ask for permission?" Keaton asks half jokingly, half worriedly.

"Whatever the hell for?" I tell him, rolling my eyes once again I can feel I'm starting to get dizzy because of it. "Let's go," I grab his hand and drag him away after I clean up and gather my things, waving to the people in the room and shouting at them, telling them I'm leaving for the day.

Most of them waves back and shouts back at me, teasingly, of course, as they see me walking hand in hand with someone other than Chuck or Marhsa.

That will go around, surely.

"Slow down, Levi," chuckling, Keaton holds my hand tighter and pulls me back a little to stop me from practically running away from there.

"Sorry," I turn to him, smiling apologetically.

"Are you worried?" he asks and I bite my lip, unsure of what to say.

Smiling, Keaton takes a step towards me and brings his hand to my face, gently touching my bottom lip and I release it from my teeth. I smile at him. At how gentle he is to me. I smile because I also feel bad for him.

"Thank you," I tell him. "Where'd you park your car?" I turn around and see where exactly I'm leading him.

"At your dorm…" Keaton says slowly and I turn back to look at him, slightly wincing my eyes because he sounds somewhat embarrassed and I wonder why.

"Now why would you do that when there are plenty of perfectly available parking spots all around campus?" I ask, teasingly and he smiles at me a little mischievous but also a little apologetically.

"Why? I wonder," he replies with a smile and his dimples are showing and I can't help but to stare at them and I curse at myself for being swayed too easily.

"How can you look so innocent but bad at the same time?" I genuinely wonder and he laughs.

"Do I look innocent? I never really heard that," he tells me as he starts walking again, now towards the direction of my dorm.

"You look babie but also kinda daddy," I shrug and he throws his head back. His laugh is so cute. The way his eyes and nose crinkles when he laughs? Just adorable.

"You talk like you're on stan twitter," he shakes his head, probably in disbelief of what I just said.

"We stan spoke only the truth," I grin proudly and yes, I am a stan of a certain group. Bite me.

"Are you my stan? Do you simp me?" he asks, teasingly glancing over at me and I roll my eyes.

"Don't get your hopes up," I warn him half jokingly. He hums but says nothing and just smiles as we walk closer to my building. "Do you really want to come up to my room?" I ask a little worriedly.

"Can't I? I just want to see where you live," he tells me and then he eyes me from head to toe, "also, you may need to change your clothes and bring a spare," he tells me, smiling and I raise my eyebrow at him.

"Oh?" curiously, I inquire but he just smiles and walks beside me.

We walk and talk as we enter the building and the elevator. As we go up to my room, my heart starts beating louder. I can't help but to worry that we'd run into any of my friends. Or worse, Allen. I don't exactly know what I'm worried about, though, I just know that my heart is beating fast and my palms start to get clammy and I can't stop fidgeting with my fingers as they dig into my clammy palms.

Gently, I feel Keaton's hand slowly caressing my fist and prying my fingers from my palm and that startles me and embarasses me at the same time but I refrain from biting my lip to seem even more like a clown. Keaton says nothing and just silently holds my hand and caresses my palm with his finger. I feel bad but also grateful for him for not saying anything that will make this even more awkward for me.

He knows nothing about Allen, of course, but maybe he can sense when I'm distraught and I can't help but be moved about that. Which is unfair because he's really good at this flirting and wooing thingy and I'm really very easily swayed, as it turns out.

Glad at least my fear is irrational, though. The hallways on my floor are empty and Allen is nowhere to be seen and I'm really glad I can finally heave a sigh of relief.

"Welcome to my humble abode," I grin at Keaton as I unlock the door to my room and open it for him. Smiling, Keaton steps inside ahead of me. I follow behind and lock the door as he stands, looking around. "What kind of clothes should I change to?" I ask, bypassing him to reach my fridge and offer him an ice tea. He takes the glass and I gesture for him to sit on the couch while I go to my closet and start rummaging.

"Anything suitable for indoor sports," Keaton tells me. I turn to him, raising my eyebrow.

"Oh?" I inquire more but he, once again, just smiles. I roll my eyes and take out a pair of shorts and a simple t-shirt before heading to my bathroom to change. "Is this good?" I ask him once I walk back into the room.

Keaton nods, smiling, "do you have any suitable shoes to go with those?" he asks. I nod and point at my shoe rack which he studies slowly before giving me a satisfied smile. "Take a change of clothes. Casual is fine. For dinner," he tells me.

I frown at him again before once again rummaging through my closet for some casual yet stylish clothes. I pack them into my backpack along with some shower gel, a small towel and other things I may need since it seems that I'll be doing some sweating later on. Keaton stares at me all the while looking annoyingly satisfied and proud of himself. Thank God he's extra adorable.

"Are you always this mysterious when taking out people on dates?" I ask Keaton curiously as I put on my shoes after packing the one for the sport thingy he mentioned.

"No," he shakes his head. "I know you like sports and have done a lot of it, so I think it'll be nice to do some of them together," he tells me, taking my bag and carrying it with him as we walk back outside my dorm and of course, Allen chooses to appear at that time.

What is this heart-attacking timing? Can't I have at least one day of my heart not trying to escape my chest?

"Hey," Allen, who seems to be about to walk to his own room, stops in front of my door and greets me with a smile. Before that smile falters once his eyes fall on Keaton. "Du Bois," Allen hreets Keaton with another smile.

"Hello Luthor," Keaton greets back cheerfully, "where's Joy?" he asks, looking around.

"In class," Allen tells him and my God, I think my nerve is really going to kill me one of these days. "Going somewhere?" he asks, more to me than Keaton and I really, really, really don't want to answer.

"Ah, yes," I nod, trying to maintain my usual cheerful and slightly foolish smile. Allen nods and smiles at me and Keaton. "Let's go," I turn to Keaton who smiles at me with his dimples showing and damn him. Damn them both, to be honest.

"See you later," Keaton says to Allen who nods. I smile and turn around and start walking beside Keaton towards the elevator.

"Levi," I stop dead on my track and will myself to smile and turn around even as I feel my whole body tingling, just like every time he calls me like that. "See you later," he smiles at me and I blink foolishly.

"Ah. Yes." I bob my head like a stupid parrot, "later," I tell him and turn around and walk as briskly as I can to the elevator, with Keaton right on my heels.

"Are you okay?" Keaton asks once we're in the elevator and I immediately heave a sigh of relief.

Too obvious, Lee. Too obvious.

"Yeah. yeah. I'm good," I tell him with a smile I'm hoping seems genuine. Keaton stares at me but says nothing and just offers a small smile in return. He's tactful. That's always good. I like that about him.

We get down to the underground parking lot where Keaton parks his car and get inside of it. Once again, I sigh in relief although not as obvious as before. Keaton gets inside after he closes the passenger's door. He turns on the engine but doesn't start driving and so I turn to him questioningly.

"Something wrong?" I ask when he just stares out of the window with a frown.

"I seem to have thought of something just now but it went by," Keaton says still with a frown. He turns to me and pout slightly and I've never seen him pout and it looks so damn cute I almost want to pinch his face. "Do you know that kind of feeling? Like you see something in the corner of your eyes but when you actually turn around there's nothing there but you were so sure it was there?" he asks.

I do know that feeling so I nod and I smile at his frustrated and pouty face, "you look cute pouting like that," I tell him honestly and he chuckles.

"You're cuter," he says softly, bringing his hand to caress my face and I really like his hands. How can someone's hand be so soft even with the calluses as well as warm?

"Are you gonna kiss me?" I whisper when he keeps staring at me, making me all shy.

"May I?" he softly asks, bringing his face closer.

Instead of answering, I smile and close my eyes and wait for his lips to be on mine. And when it does, I sigh again. More in satisfaction, this time, and I can feel Keaton's smiling through the soft and gentle kiss.

Damn him, really.