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Great. Because the last thing Trott needed was to be stuck outside this coffee shop, after closing, at 10 at night. He had been stood under the awning outside the store for what felt like an hour, desperately clutching his backpack to his chest and scowling out at the rain pouring down in bucket-loads onto the street before him. Of all days it could rain like this, it had to be the day he had neglected to lift a coat or an umbrella before leaving his dorm. He glanced heavenward for just a second, narrowing his eyes at the dark grey clouds. That sadistic bastard up there had it in for him, didn't he?
"So," he heard a voice say, coming from his left, "why not just hop, skip and jump your way back to your dorm, then? It's just a little bit of rain, y'know? Not like it's gonna kill you, man."
Just a little bit of rain. A little. Just. Trott could have laughed, if only he weren't feeling so pissy. He was tired, and the last thing he needed was for he or his backpack to be soaked through. He glanced towards the young man sitting on the ground under the awning, legs stretched out and back resting against the shuttered entrance of the now-closed coffee shop. His dark eyes were closed over, an almost content expression on his face, and his baseball cap was pulled low over his head, shadowing his unshaven face. How could he look this relaxed when the weather was like this? Urgh.
"You don't realise what I've been working on all day, do you?" Trott frowned down at the man on the ground, shaking his head. Slowly, he opened one eye, giving Trott a quick sideways glance. "Chris, this is my final paper. Y'know, that dissertation that everyone has to work on at the end of the year? Hello, we're at university, you idiot, and you- You're just lounging there, relaxing, acting as though you've nothing to worry about, and-"
"Hey, hey, don't get your panties in a twist, man, it's all cool. Just some rain. Bad weather, it happens. But hey, is it finished?" He sounded so carefree, it almost angered Trott. He could bet his entire student loan balance that Chris hadn't even started his final paper yet, and it was due in a few weeks. God, Trott had been working relentlessly to get his to the standard it was at now, and if he went out in that rainstorm, his laptop would be soaked through, useless, broken, and his final paper along with it. The mere thought had him shuddering.
"My paper?" Trott shook his head. "Not nearly. Still editing to be done, and there's not enough time to just be standing around here like this when I should be- I don't know. In my dorm, editing? Working on my final project? Ross'll be wondering where I am, and I should have started ages ago, and we haven't had any time, and now-"
"Whoa, whoa, Trotty, dude, calm down." Chris cocked an eyebrow, motioning with his hands as if to say cool it, man. "An hour won't kill you, and it's not gonna fail you, either. Jeez, calm down. It's all cool. We can just wait for this rain to let up, and you can head back to your dorm, and I can go get some pizza, and it'll all be cool, man."
Trott blinked incredulously at the man. He was so carefree, so calm, for a university student meant to be working on his final project. What exactly was going through this idiot's head, then, if not worries about his finals? Trott could have smacked him with his backpack, if only its contents weren't so precious.
"We're gonna be here for a while, Chris." Trott sighed, looking back out at the empty road. No cars, no people. Of course - it was late, and people were either at home relaxing or studying in their dorms and the library. God, why had he gone so far off campus to study? He really was a blathering idiot. How was he going to pass his finals with brains like his? He ground his teeth together anxiously at the thought, eyes flitting back and forth behind his glasses as he studied the dark, empty street.
A while of silence between the two passed, and then Chris piped up, his voice lower than before as he spoke. "Y'know, my dorm's right across from yours, yeah?"
Trott nodded, casting him a downwards glance. Of course he knew that; he saw the guy leaving it every morning, and near-crawling in every evening after classes were finished. He was almost sick of the sight of the guy, and so being stuck under this awning with him was certainly the last thing he wanted.
"Well, hey - every time I come past your dorm, you've got this little window on your door, right?" Of course - every dorm in the student halls had a little window on the door, it made it easier to check who was in their room without having to peek in. Some students had taken to using posters or paint to cover up their windows for privacy's sake; Trott's roommate Ross had proceeded to do the very same thing, but Trott had stopped him, fearful that it might not actually be allowed. "Well, every time I come out my room, or walk past yours, I see you just sitting at that little desk at your window, reading away. God, no wonder you need glasses, man, you'd think all you knew how to do was read, it's boring. What are you, eighty? Anyway," Trott scowled down at him, and Chris laughed, eyes squinting as he did so, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm joking, I'm joking. But hey, all that reading, all that studying - you've gotta be smart, man. Smarter than me, maybe smarter than your roommate - he's never fuckin' around, anyway, where does he even go at night?"
"He goes elsewhere to let me study in peace." Trott informed him with a frown. Why was he so interested in his study habits, all of a sudden? "What's your point?"
"Well, you gotta be smart enough to ace your finals, man, with all that studying. What, no girlfriend, no family visits, no nights out - you're literally eighty, man."
"And what do you propose I do instead, then? Studying is important." Trott couldn't believe this guy. He seriously didn't think studying was important, did he? "I've got plenty of time for nights out and family visits when university is over. And as for girlfriends..." He snorted, holding back a laugh. Ah, if only he knew.
"Hey, girlfriends are better at university. All that free roam, man. All that cheap student union booze. All the clingy new chicks just lining up, whoo..." He laughed. "It's fun, man. Take a leaf outta my book, you'd enjoy it."
"You want me to take a leaf out of your book, huh." Trott snorted incredulously, raising his eyebrows. "Do you even own any books?"
"I own a few, smart-ass. Getting sassy now, are we?" He laughed, and then settled back down on the ground, looking out at the rain-soaked street. "Hey, think they'd deliver a pizza here?"
"Pizza?" Trott was stuck here under this awning, final paper settled precariously in his backpack, trapped by the rain and worried about his studies, and this guy was seriously still talking about food? "You're unbelievable." But even as he spoke, his stomach growled loudly, and his cheeks flushed red. Ah, great. Of course he'd forgotten to eat today amidst his studies, hadn't he?
"Your stomach says differently, Trotty. Sure you don't want to half in? I don't know if they'd deliver here, but it's worth a shot, right?" Trott had to admit, the guy had a point. Reluctantly, he settled down on the ground beside Chris, backpack pressed protectively to his chest like a mother might hold a newborn baby. "God, it's just a paper, man, put the rucksack down already."
"It's not just a paper, you idiot - this is all my studies, my final paper, edits for my final project - and my roommate's finals, too - and it's too important to lose, or break, or-"
"Yo, calm down. Ever heard of backing up your files? God, I spend, like, 30% of my time studying and I still know about backing up my files and studies. Stop stressing, grandma, and figure out what pizza you want, I'm gonna call that Italian place a few blocks over and see if they'll deliver here." Trott studied Chris through narrowed eyes, frowning. His dark eyes were filled with this odd sort of content he'd only seen in the eyes of his family's cat when it had polished off a saucer of milk, and his hair was covered by the navy-blue baseball cap pulled tight over his head, shadowing his pale, unshaven face. If it weren't for the goofy, ridiculous smile on his face, Trott could have dared say the fellow was attractive. Ah, if only he weren't such a carefree asshole, huh.
"I know about backing up my files. I'm not some idiot, I do know about computers, and studying, and everything like that. I mean, I spend more than 30% of my time studying, which is why I have no time for bloody pizza, or sitting here with someone like you all evening, I have things to do, and people to see, I have studying to get on with, and I am trying to be civil but oh my god you are insufferable, you seriously don't get why I'm so fixated on getting my paper finished and getting an A, do you? Urgh, this is unbelievable - never mind your pizza, I want to get back to my dorm and-"
Trott was cut off by something pressing against his mouth mid-rant, and it took him a moment to realise it was a pair of lips, cutting off his complaints and silencing him. His cheeks heated up, and his eyes grew wide, eyebrows shooting up as he froze in place, unable to move, unable to push him away and - God, was he pressing on his laptop? Was the screen being crushed? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't move to check, not with this going on right in front of him.
Chris pulled away a few seconds later, settling back down on the ground beside Trott and closing his eyes again, contentedly relaxing against the shutters as though that hadn't just happened, as though he hadn't just dived forward and cut Trott off with a kiss that he didn't seem eager to explain.
"Wh-what the hell was that?" Trott blurted out, startled. "What the- What- Huh?"
"Well, hey, it stopped you from insulting me anymore, right? I gotta say, you've got a real stick up your ass, buddy. Gotta wrench that out and get yourself a good time, right?"
"A good time... Your idea of a good time is jumping somebody outside a closed coffee shop at this time of night, when they're quite clearly busy and-"
"Hey, we're both stuck here, I wouldn't say either of us is very busy until the pizza's ordered. Speaking of which, I gotta order that. I'll wait 'til you've blown off your hate-steam, all right with you? I mean, we're both very hungry - I know I'm real hungry, and man, I could really do with a nice margherita right about now - the pizza, that is, though the drink could go down a treat right now. I don't know, you look like you could use one, too, after that." He laughed, but Trott couldn't bring himself to laugh too, or even muster up a smile. He just blinked, almost confused, and then hugged his backpack to his chest, resting his back against the metal shutters.
The street was illuminated by the orange glow from the streetlamps dotted along the street, the light glaring in puddles formed in dips in the concrete of the road. A cold wind blew as rain bucketed down, sending a shiver through Trott, and Chris laughed under his breath.
"What a night to be stuck out here, huh. Maybe the pizza guy won't deliver here after all." He still sounded so content, almost joyous, and it confused Trott. How could he be so peaceful when they were stuck here in the same place, in the same weather, and Trott didn't feel any measure of the contentedness that the man seemed to be feeling?
He went back to watching the road, shivering and hugging his backpack to his chest, drawing his shoulders up against the cold dancing around his bare neck. God, if only he'd brought a damn coat, urgh...
"Sorry, by the way." Chris piped up, his tone no different from before. Trott glanced to the side to meet his dark eyes, and saw an almost apologetic smile on his face. "Didn't really think, you know? I can be a bit, y'know. Obnoxious, I guess. Verbally and physically, huh." He let out a breathy laugh. "Still. Sorry. Y'know, for jumping you like that."
Trott found himself studying him again, taking in the creases at the corners of his eyes, the smile on his thin lips, the curve of his unshaven jaw. His dark brown hair was hidden under his baseball cap, the shadows cast from it creating the illusion of dark circles under his eyes, dark circles that Trott was sure he genuinely had under his own eyes. He hadn't had much time for sleep, not recently, and it had really started taking its toll on him - especially that now, he was beginning to think that this obnoxious man might just be sort of, maybe, a little attractive? Ugh. He was, but in a sort of horribly, scruffy, unkempt way, as though he hadn't slept in his own bed or showered in at least a week - but then again, Trott looked like that too, didn't he? Ross had commented on that very fact just earlier that afternoon.
"You all right? I mean, if you want me to leave, I can just... I don't know. Shuffle this way a bit, maybe get outta your face until this rain lets up?" He gestured to his right with his thumb, and Trott let out a quick laugh, letting a smile slip onto his face. What an idiot. "What? Now you're smiling? What next, you get up and start dancing? This is new, I gotta say, man."
Trott glanced towards his lips, turned up in a smile, and felt his cheeks flush pink. Oh, dear. He opened and closed his hands nervously, letting his backpack rest on his lap, and breathed out slowly, drawing his gaze away and looking out at the soaked, silent street. God, a distraction, he needed a distraction - where was a distraction when he needed one?!
A few minutes passed, and Trott felt something on his hand, pleasantly warm against his cold, clammy skin. He glanced down to find Chris's hand resting atop his, and his face heated up again, his eyes flying up to meet Chris's dark brown depths.
"Hey, you're cold, and I'm warm, right? So I thought, maybe... I might be able to heat you up. God, that came out so wrong, didn't it? I mean, like, I don't know. I might be able to, I don't know. Supply warmth, or something. I don't know, you spend 95% of your damn time reading, you word it for me."
Trott smiled, then, and his eyes dropped to rest on his mouth again. Chris licked his lips consciously, chuckling and squeezing Trott's hand, and the younger man let out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. God, he wasn't thinking straight, he was tired and this was weird. This guy was an obnoxious prick and he'd been stuck here with his unpleasant company for over an hour, and it was awful - so why was his stomach fluttering and flopping around nervously, why were his cheeks bright red, why was he letting Chris hold his hand? It was awful.
He gulped, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, and then, without another thought on the matter, he leaned in, pressing his lips against Chris's. He placed a hand on the ground to steady himself as their lips met, Chris's hand resting on the back of his head and tangling in his shaggy brown hair as he pressed their lips together. It was awful and wonderful and terrible and exciting all at once, and Chris moved his hand from the ground to wind it around Chris's neck, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss, feeling the older man's tongue slip into his mouth. Backpack and rain and finals forgotten about, he tugged at the cap atop his head, pulling it away to tangle his fingers in his short hair, yearning to be closer, to experience more and to feel more, not caring where they were or what was happening or who might see. It was just he and Chris and nobody and nothing else mattered, and this was wonderful and not so awful after all, and that in itself was quite wonderful.
It was Chris who pulled away moments later, breathing heavy as he met Trott's gaze through hooded dark eyes. Trott's breathing came quick, and embarrassment rushed through him in a thick wave as he met Chris's eyes, seeing the goofy smile on his face.
"Well, well, the nerd does have emotions aside from anger, huh. That was certainly unexpected." He chuckled as he spoke, and Trott's face burned a shocking shade of scarlet as he studied Chris's expression. He moved his hand from the back of his head to rest against his unshaven cheek, and the older man leaned into the touch slightly, laughing. "Well, hey. Good thing you're cute, huh. Say, still wanna get that pizza? Or are you still pissy about your study time?"
Trott let a smile slide onto his red-flushed face at that, and he cast his eyes downward, towards the backpack still resting on his lap, and then towards the hand still resting atop his own. He looked back up at Chris, shrugging.
"I was sort of, I don't know. Hoping the rain had let up. Could've gotten out of here, maybe gone back to my dorm." Chris looked disappointed for a second, until Trott smiled. "We could've had that pizza there instead. Still, I guess this'll have to do, if it doesn't calm down any time soon."
Chris grinned then, and untangled his fingers from Trott's shaggy hair to retrieve his phone from his pocket, chuckling. "We're having that margherita I mentioned, though, and that's final."
"Deal." Trott rolled his eyes, smiling. Maybe he had been wrong; this wasn't so awful after all.