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There is a beautiful boy in the library.
This is nothing new, Flins supposes. There are many beautiful boys in many libraries. Many beautiful people in many beautiful places. But this beautiful boy is new. He is sitting across from the seat Flins usually sits at in the corner of the seventh floor. His hair is light silver-grey and there’s a touch of red in his eyes. Flins freezes when he sees him. Then he smiles.
The boy glances up for a half second when Flins slips into his seat. He’s typing away at something on his computer, earbuds tucked firmly at the sides of his face. Flins offers a polite smile and a nod, and the guy nods back, just once, before returning to whatever it is he’s doing.
A perfectly normal human interaction. Flins will spend the next forty-eight hours dwelling over it like a madman.
Of course, he doesn’t mean to bring it up with Nefer. That part always just sort of…happens.
Nefer squints at him as she puts her fork down beside her plate. “You know,” she starts conversationally, “when I look at you, I’m reminded of how thankful I am that I’m not attracted to men.”
“Excuse me?” says Flins.
“You’re excused,” says Nefer.
“I hardly think I did anything.”
“That’s exactly it,” says Nefer. “You didn’t do a single thing. There’s nothing to discuss. You two didn’t even talk to each other.”
Flins frowns. She does, regrettably, bring up a fair point.
“But we were in the library,” he says, leaning back against the hard wood of his chair. They’re at Speranza, their usual eatery just a little off campus, sharing a large order of lakkaberry madame between them. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk in such a quiet place. Plus, he seemed very busy.”
“Right. And you weren’t?”
“I was clearly distracted,” says Flins, sighing, thinking back to his fateful library encounter. “I haven’t ever seen him before. I wonder if he is new.”
Nefer rolls her eyes. “Do you know how many people go to this school?”
Flins considers this. “Too many.”
“Damn right,” says Nefer.
“But that was my specific special spot,” says Flins, with emphasis. “I have been studying in that exact spot almost every day for the past three years. It’s perfect because I think everyone else avoids it. Not that I know why.”
At this, Nefer stares at him like he’s crazy. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What?”
“Every single day?”
“No,” says Flins. “Almost every day. Are you even listening to me?”
“I wish I wasn’t.”
Flins sniffs. “Then stop. I don’t want to force you.”
“Thank god,” says Nefer, and then she reaches for her fork and stabs a piece of chicken through the prongs. Flins watches as she looks around for a moment to make sure no one is watching her, and then she proceeds to messily stuff the food into her mouth. When she looks up, it’s to the sight of Flins smiling serenely down at her, and she glares at him for a few seconds before Flins relents and reaches for his own utensils.
“I am not just going to talk to him out of the blue when he’s clearly so focused on his work,” he says, leaning his elbow onto the table and his chin against the palm of his hand. “I will probably never see him again, anyway, so it doesn’t matter. It was most likely just a one-off.”
“I thought you said you’d stop,” says Nefer through her next mouthful.
“I said that you can stop listening,” says Flins, “not that I’d stop talking.”
“All right,” says Nefer, nodding before taking her phone out. She’s texting Lauma, probably. She’s telling her that she’s not allowed to miss out on their dinner night ever again, probably, that she can’t take Flins’ company like this anymore, most definitely.
Not that Flins really cares. So he continues, “I wonder what his major is.”
“I thought you said you’d never see him again,” says Nefer.
“I thought you said you were no longer listening,” says Flins.
“I’m not,” says Nefer. “You’re just making it extremely difficult.”
“Thank you,” says Flins. “I pride myself in making things difficult for you.”
“I’m done eating,” Nefer announces, placing her fork daintily down on the table in front of her again. Flins thinks it’s quite a useless sentiment, given how sloppily she eats her food when it’s just the two of them. But Flins is nothing if not magnanimous, so he will not call her out on it.
“All right,” says Flins. “I will walk you back to your apartment.”
“Of course you will,” says Nefer.
When Flins goes back to the seventh floor the next day, he finds Library Boy in the same seat, his eyebrows scrunched atop his forehead and his fingers flying over the keyboard of his laptop at the speed of light.
This time, when Flins takes the seat across from him, Library Boy looks up for longer than half of a second. This time, they make direct eye contact, and then he’s starting before quickly moving his laptop closer to his chest.
“Sorry,” Library Boy whispers.
“No need to apologize,” says Flins, and Library Boy nods before going back to his work.
Hooray! Now Nefer cannot make fun of him, because Flins and Library Boy engaged in an actual conversation this time. And they made actual eye contact. This is most definitely an in.
So Flins gets out his own computer and opens his lab report template, still blank from his time in the lab last week. He has to write up a thin section analysis of an igneous rock by Thursday, but he can’t help but notice Library Boy’s silver eyes shining against the dull luminescent light overhead, the way his bangs fall over his eyes and highlight the darkness of his pupils. Staring at Library Boy is so much better than writing his geology lab.
Flins has seen a lot of people, but he’s never seen another person who looks like this before. A part of him wants to say more. He wants to hear what Library Boy’s voice sounds like beyond a whisper of sorry. He wants to stop calling him Library Boy in his head and start calling him by his actual name.
But he doesn’t. So the time passes smoothly. After about an hour and a half, Flins watches out of the corner of his eye as Library Boy sighs and rolls out his shoulders before standing up and packing his things away.
Flins watches him leave. He makes a note to come back tomorrow as well.
“Hmm,” says Lauma thoughtfully. “I…am not really sure that counts as a conversation?”
“Of course it doesn’t count as a conversation,” says Sandrone. She turns to look at Flins. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Who even invited you?” Nefer asks her.
“I did,” says Columbina out of nowhere, and the group turns to see her calmly walking toward them. When she sits down next to Sandrone, Nefer raises a delicate eyebrow.
“Okay,” she says, “and who invited you?”
“Me, obviously,” says Varka, also out of nowhere. He comes up behind Flins and swings his arm around his shoulders. Flins goes with it, swaying slightly sideways. “Now. What are we talking about?”
“This guy at the library said sorry to Flins,” says Sandrone, scoffing and rolling her eyes, “and now the idiot’s convinced that he’s in love with him.”
“That is an exaggeration,” says Flins.
“Dude,” says Varka.
“That isn’t true,” says Flins. “I know he’s not in love with me.”
“Dude,” says Varka.
“He just wants him to be in love with him,” Nefer adds unhelpfully.
“Oh my,” says Columbina.
“Did you guys know there’s a student named Hat Guy who goes here?” says Varka. “He’s in my political science class I just got out of.”
“I’m leaving,” says Sandrone, gathering her things and moving to stand up.
“Oh, I know Hat Guy,” says Nefer. “He was in my history elective last semester.”
“I’ll come with you, Sandrone,” Columbina says to Sandrone.
“What?” says Varka, jaw dropping. “That’s actually his name?”
“Well he introduced himself as Hat Guy, so yes I would assume so,” says Nefer.
“I think we’re getting a little off track,” says Lauma, not unkindly. She says, “I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that your library friend would be open to having an actual conversation with you, Flins.”
Flins, for one, does not really appreciate quite literally all of his friends being present in some way or the other for this conversation. Alas, he also cannot bring himself to be surprised any more.
“I believe Sandrone and Columbina were onto something,” he says instead of responding.
He stands up and walks away from the group.
At the library, he finds Library Boy. So funny, how these things work out.
“Hello,” he says before he can think too much about it. He watches as Library Boy’s ears perk ever so slightly, and his hair slides away from his forehead as he blinks up in surprise to catch Flins’ eyes.
“Hi,” says Library Boy, exhaling, leaning back a little so that he is no longer craning his neck. “Sorry. I’ll move my stuff—”
“No worries,” Flins says, and immediately, Library Boy freezes. “I just wanted to say hello.”
“Oh,” says Library Boy. “Oh, okay. Hi.”
A pause. Most people would find this awkward, Flins thinks. He’s almost certain that it is incredibly awkward for Library Boy.
“My name is Flins,” says Flins after another moment.
Library Boy jerks, like he wasn’t expecting this. Flins moves to sit down in his usual seat, then looks back at him expectantly.
“Oh,” says Library Boy, as if snapping out of a stupor. “I’m Illuga. Sorry. It’s nice to meet you, Flins.”
Flins peers at him. Illuga. “When was the last time you slept, Illuga?”
“Um,” says Illuga. He seems to be in great thought over this, as if the most obvious answer isn’t a simple just last night! “At least…a day and a half ago?”
“I see,” says Flins, and then the fire alarm goes off.
Illuga flinches again, harder this time, just as the entire floor around them emits a synchronous groan. Thankfully, Flins hadn’t taken any of his things out, so he simply grabs his bag and lingers by the edge of the table, watching as Illuga half-panics half-packs up, and then the two of them are standing across from each other rather than sitting, and Flins takes in their height difference for the first time.
“This is a disaster,” Illuga sighs as they make their way to the fire exit. It’s packed pretty much to the brim, but somehow with enough maneuvering they manage to break free into the cool afternoon air. Flins looks up toward the clouds, and Illuga fiddles with the strap of his bag. “I have this assignment due tomorrow morning and my roommate’s always bringing his girlfriend to our dorm. The library’s open twenty-four seven and the wifi’s always super fast so I’ve just always been there these days.”
He glances up, sidelong at Flins. From this angle, his eyelashes almost glitter over the whites of his eyes.
“I’ve noticed that,” says Flins breezily.
“Yeah, I noticed you too,” says Illuga. His shoulders drop. “Well, anyways, this is just my luck. I won’t bother you any longer, Flins. See you around—”
“That won’t do,” says Flins before he can stop himself, and immediately, Illuga freezes. “I have access to the geosciences lab. If you would like, I can key you in and you can work on your assignment there.”
Illuga’s eyes go wide. “Wait, really? Are you allowed to do that?”
“Yes,” Flins nods.
“Oh, then—yeah, actually, I’d really appreciate that. And I’m sure you probably still have a lot of work to do too so you’re more than welcome to study with me.”
“As long as you’re sure you wouldn’t rather be napping”
“I would love to be napping right now,” says Illuga, rubbing at his eyes. “The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can go to sleep for five billion years.”
“Sounds promising.”
“Archons, I know.”
“All right then,” says Flins with a short nod, tilting his head in the direction of the road down inner campus. “I’ll show you the way, Illuga.”
Illuga appears to turn a little pink at this, but before Flins can ask him why, he’s nodding and hoisting his bag tighter on his shoulders. “Show me the way, Flins,” he says, and so they go.
Nefer
[03:01] You: Nefer
[07:32] Nefer: why were you awake at 3am
[07:33] You: You are finally awake
[07:44] You: Yesterday I was with Illuga, but then the fire alarm started ringing, so I took him to the geo lab because he said he had an important assignment to finish. After he finished it, he got a text from his roommate saying to not go back to his dorm, so I offered him my couch. So we went back to my place and had a really good conversation and he went to sleep on my couch. He is still asleep on my couch.
[07:46] Nefer: who the fuck is illuga
[07:46] You: Library boy. His name is Illuga
[07:46] Nefer: oh
[07:46] Nefer: what the fuck