29 Let’s Find a Hotel

At noon, Riley and Draco went to the back of the university, where many small eateries and restaurants were situated. They picked one that was enclosed and airconditioned after considering the heat of the noontime sun.

The place was clean, and though the dishes were simple, they were quite delicious. Riley enjoyed the food. Draco, on the other hand, had to eat slowly due to his injuries. But truthfully, Draco did not really care much about the quality of the food. What mattered most to the man was having the meal with Riley, how mundane it may be.

After lunch, Riley and Draco returned to the school and resumed their tour. At around 3 PM, they were back at the parking lot ready to go home.

They were driving for about 10 minutes when all of a sudden, a thunderstorm started. Lightning started to crack the sky, followed by loud thunders and heavy rain. 

It was nothing unexpected. P. Country has them all year round. But soon, the gutters were overflooded, and water filled the streets.

Riley was getting worried. Observing the outside, it was almost zero visibility. The roads were packed and flooded, very prone to accidents.

"Should we stop somewhere first and wait for the storm to pass? It's getting dangerous," Riley suggested.

Draco thought it was wise and agreed. "Alright. Let's find a hotel and rest. Besides, the water is getting higher, and most roads would probably be unpassable."

Riley nodded. Pulling out his phone, he checked their location and the nearest hotels in the area. After a while, he said to Draco, "There is one, about two blocks away. Take a right turn and from there, drive 200 meters. It's on the right side of the road."

"Okay." Draco changed lanes and gradually veered to the right.

It was a slow drive because of the heavy traffic. It took the two 15 minutes to arrive at the hotel. The downpour was still ongoing, so they opted for valet service.

Entering the hotel lobby, Riley shivered. It was cold. It was sweltering hot when they left A City that morning, thus he was wearing thin breezy clothes. To keep warm, he tried to rub the chill away from his arms.

Suddenly, Riley felt something draping his shoulders, then heard Draco say, "Wait here. I'll go check in." When he looked, he saw Draco's jacket. The man must have seen his telling actions and taken his coat off for him to use.

Riley watched Draco approach the reception, feeling warmth in his heart. The man was very attentive. Without warning, a thought came to Riley's mind: Draco Sy would be a great lover. The person he would choose to love would be very lucky. Riley was sure of that.

After a few minutes, Draco returned to where Riley was standing, holding a key card.

"There's a convention, and the hotel is full. Only one room was left available. I took it without consulting you. If you're not comfortable staying in a room with me, we can drive to another place. But…" Draco left his words hanging.

"I don't mind at all," Riley quickly said. It's better than driving out again in heavy rain. Besides, they're both men. And at most, they will just stay for a couple of hours. What is there to worry?

Having decided that, the two took the elevator to their room on the 8th floor.

The room was modest but clean.

There was a personal-sized fridge, two pairs of cups and saucers, spoons and forks, and an electric kettle. By the window were a chair and coffee table. Facing it was the dresser with a large mirror. A double bed sits in the middle of the room, and on the opposite wall is the TV. The bathroom was on the right side near the entrance. All in all, it was a decent place to stay out of the storm.

Riley went in first and immediately set the air-con to a higher temperature. He was tweaking the controls when he remembered to ask for Draco's opinion. "Do you mind if I keep it a little warm?"

Draco shook his head, smiling. Then he asked, "How did you survive two years of living in L. Country when you are this easily cold."

Riley fondly smiled. "With layers and layers of clothes. And not going out as much as possible during winter. Dy was the one who suffered. He had to do everything alone."

Draco listened to Riley quietly sitting on the chair beside the window, gazing outside. He remembered the photos included in the regular reports he received on Riley. 

One photo, in particular, was of the boy taken while he was outside, his feet buried in the snow. It was during the boy's first winter in L. Country.

Riley was wearing so many layers of thick clothes he looked like a giant Christmas ball; his face was barely visible under his muffler, earmuffs, and warm knitted cap. Draco recalled he had a good laugh over that funny photo.

Now hearing Riley talk about snow and cold weather, he cannot help but smile in reminiscence. 

When the shorthand of the clock hit the number six, and the weather gave no hint of getting any better, Draco decided they should stay for the night. Riley did not question it and agreed.

"I'll call room service for dinner. You go take a shower first." Draco told Riley.

Again, Riley was impressed at how astute Draco was. He knows that Riley would be reluctant to leave the room's warmth and so ordered in-room dining for his sake.

Who wouldn't appreciate such care? Though it may seem a simple gesture, it says a lot about how sensitive Draco was to Riley's every reaction and slight changes in his expression. Riley also noticed that Draco always put his needs over his own.

"Thank you…" Riley said, almost in a whisper.

Then he hurriedly entered the bathroom and leaned on the door. His right hand clutched his chest. It was rising and falling more rapidly than usual. But Riley couldn't contain the budding emotion that had arisen from within him. 

It was the first time he felt something like this or felt this for someone. He could not recognize what it was.

However, he felt happy, scared, excited, and doubtful all at the same time.

It was such a conflicting feeling.

What could this be?