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Hermann walked into the lab wearing a suit and carrying a suitcase as old as his chalkboard. He often wore slightly smarter clothes when he traveled. Newt couldn’t help staring every time.
“Morning, Hermann. You look sexy,” he said as if it was the most casual comment anyone ever made. But then he realized too late what he said and suddenly if was like he was 8 years old again when he tripped and fell, knocking all the wind out of him. “Aaaaa, I mean great, er nice.” For a man who basically had to cram his entire proverbial foot in his mouth, he sounded remarkably calm. His heart was racing and he didn’t look up from his kaiju sample.
“Th-thank you for the compliment, Newton,” Hermann said, his mouth gaping at the biologist who pretended to be engrossed in his work. “Well, I’m off.” He jabbed his cane into the floor once and swallowed.
“Kay, have a nice flight.” Newt’s voice was squeaky and strained, overcompensating for the deep horror at what he had said.
“Yes, hopefully,” Hermann said flatly. He was blinking and he didn’t know where to look.
“See you when you get back.”
“Yes, goodbye Newton,” Hermann said as he high-tailed it out of the lab.
“Oh my god,” Newton growled, “please let me die of kaiju blue poisoning before he gets back.”
Hermann was almost numb throughout the duration of the flight. He was not loved by the flight attendants who had to repeat their questions about food and beverages at least three times each.
“Newton thinks I’m sexy?” Hermann thought to himself. “That can’t be right. It must have been a slip of the tongue. Surely Newton must have misspoken.” But he was not able to compose himself for long. He couldn’t think clearly through the entire conference. Accidentally calling a professor of physics “Newton” was easy to brush off, but saying that the kaiju attacks were “sexy times as frequent...ugh, si-sixty times as frequent as originally projected,” could not be ignored. Needless to say Hermann turned bright red and began to sweat. His hankie was quite damp at the end of the first day. He was very glad to leave the conference and return home, K Science, but then he thought about seeing Newton again. Hermann could not shut off Newton’s voice in his head.
“You look sexy.” “You look sexy.” “You look sexy.” SEXY.
Hermann paused outside the lab for nearly five minutes. He could hear Newton walking around and the occasional clatter of a scalpel on his dissection try.
“How shall I face him?” he whispered to himself. But he resolved to behave normally and if there was an opportunity he would ask Newton what his true feelings were. He clenched his long fingers around the handle of his cane and walked into the lab with as much confidence as he could muster. Newton looked up. If felt as though all the air was sucked out of the vast room.
“Hi.”
“Hello, Newton,” Hermann said. His voice was more deep and soft than usual. The biologist looked back down at his work but stole the occasional glance.
“Glad you’re back safe.”
“Thank you, Newton.” Hermann stared, hoping Newton would say something but he was clearly too embarrassed to speak about the incident and so Hermann turned away slowly. But Newt’s compliment would not leave his mind and there was no way on Earth he could let the matter drop. He faced Newt again, squaring his shoulders.
“Newton, I must say something.”
“Oh shit.”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what you said before I left and I must know if there was any truth in your words.”
“Ok, listen, I. I didn’t mean to blurt that out. I really think you looked - look - great, I just. Shit.”
“Yes, I understand,” Hermann said, resigned. “You were just being complimentary. That’s what I thought.”
“No, I...um. I do actually think you’re...” Hermann hung on his every word. “...sexy.”
“Oh,” Hermann said, his voice suddenly lighter.
“Yeah,” Newt said, relieved but still very red in the face. He scratched the back of his neck and looked at the floor. Hermann stared at him until he made eye contact. Knowing that Newton found him sexy (and not just when wearing his best suit) warmed him through and through. Newt couldn’t help but smirk a little.
“So, um, do you wanna go out on an actual..um...date?”
“Yes, Newt. That would be nice.”
“Ok,” Newton said, grinning. Hermann bit his lip and smiled back.
“Well,” Hermann said, able to breathe again. “I must get some sleep. I’m horribly jet-lagged.”
“Oh sure. Night.” Newton tried not to sound disappointed.
“No, just a nap,” Hermann assured him. “I don’t intend to waste valuable time.”
“Oh ok.” Newt leaned over the kaiju organ again and made an incision. Hermann cleared his throat delicately and paused for a few moments.
“Care to join me?” It was s simple, if yet sad, attempt at seduction. And for one horrible moment Hermann thought he had made a serious error. But Newton dropped his scalpel on the metal tray, ran up to Hermann, flung his arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the mouth. At first, Hermann was shocked to have Newton suddenly embracing him so forcefully but he kissed back in equal measure. Then he wrapped his arms around his waist, tentatively at first, but then, he squeezed him, leaning into him so that they were supporting each other like a castle of playing cards.
“Phew!” Newton said as he pulled away. “Sorry. Hah!”
“That’s quite alright.”
“Now I gotta ask. Are you serious? You want to sleep with me, next to me? Like, a joint nap?”
“Yes.” Hermann said very solemnly. “But I’m not promising any hanky-panky.” Newt laughed.
“Dude, that’s totally fine!”
“Perhaps another time.”
“Oh man, really? That’s great!”
“I’m just too tired.”
“Yeah, dude, me too. I didn’t really get any sleep cause I was so embarrassed about what I said.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Hermann said as he caressed Newton’s arms. He was genuinely sympathetic.
“I gotta warn you though, I’m a cuddler.”
“That sounds very agreeable.” They headed to Hermann’s room hand in hand.
“Dude, aren’t you gonna take your shoes off?”
“Can’t be bothered,” Hermann mumbled as he stretched out on the neatly-made bed.
“Let me.”
“I’m not going to stop you. Just get onto the bed before I fall asleep.” Newt took off both their shoes and climbed in. Hermann’s eyes were closed but he drew Newton close. He sighed contentedly.
“Oh man, do I need this.”
“It’s been a terribly long two days.”
“It sure has.” Hermann kissed him sleepily before lying on his back. Newton snuggled into his chest. After a few moments of adjusting to the most comfortable position, they were both still and fast asleep.