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Art and science don't go well together. Bill knew that. He was a scientist, not an artist.
Bill looked at his reflection in the mirror, fixing his tie for the millionth time, then glanced at the clock. "8.45". "For the love of Newton! I need to be there in fifteen minutes!" He thought. Today was his big day. The day where he would get his very own Disney show, and about science! Bill never thought he would be teaching so many kids about his passion. He filled him with a happiness impossible to explain with words.
He grabbed his bag and helmet and ran out the door, getting in his bike and cycling as fast as he could to Disney studios. He parked and locked his bike in the first space he could find, then went up to the front desk. "Where's set eight?" He asked breathless. The woman just pointed down a long corridor. Bill nodded before he started walking as fast as he could without running. He looked at his clock again, Wich said he had five minutes left. He was too focused on making sure he had everything he needed that he didn't notice the boy walking towards him.
"For Hooke's law! I'm so sorry!" Bill gathered his perfectly ordered papers and looked up. He didn't expect what he saw. The boy was around his age, and he had the most breathtaking blue eyes he has ever seen. As blue as Methylene blue or cobalt aluminate... He wore a bright red Sweater with paint splatters and blue jeans, "No worries" said the other boy, with a deep Mancunian accent, which made Bill's heart flip. "I'm Neil, by the way... Neil Buchanan, I present Art attack, maybe you've heard of it?" Neil said, while offering his hand and a warm smile that made Bill's breath hitch.
"I'm Bill. Bill Nye the science guy. I'm starting today"
"Nice to meet you, Bill... It's almost nine, so I have to go, but we'll see each other around, aye?"
Bill stayed in his super for what he thought was an eternity, hypnotized by the boy he had just seen. He realized he was running late, and enter set eight which was (thankfully!) close. He recorded following all the instructions, but there were thoughts in the back of his mind nagging him. "Cut! Great job everyone!" As soon as those words left the director's mouth, Bill was already out the door. He needed time to think.
He walked down the corridor, deep in thought.
Neil is cute.
But boys aren't cute.
Art and science don't mix.
Or maybe they do?
Leonardo da Vinci had great anatomy studies.
Galileo was a great artist too.
I don't like boys.
I like girls.
I like chatting with them, studying, hanging out with girls...
Maybe...
Maybe I like-
His thoughts were interrupted when he crashed against Neil again. "We should stop seeing each other like this." Neil joked , his evergreen smile plastered on his face. Bill was staring at his face like an idiot. "Yeah, yeah" Bill laughed. "Are you going to the cafeteria? I'm going there too, mind if I join?" "No, never! Your company would be great." Bill's heart beat a as fast as Helios 2 solar probe every time he even looked at Neil.
They walked together until they reached the cafeteria, where they grabbed some plastic trays and served their food. Bill chose a salad and salmon, with an apple as dessert. Neil, on the other hand, chose a gigantic plate of pasta and brownies as dessert.
"Completely different" Bill thought. "Opposites attract"
They took seat at a table next to the window, and started talking. Bill discovered many things that day.
• Neil used to play in a band.
• When Neil is enjoying something, he closes his eyes.
• Boys can like boys
• He liked boys
• He was completely and uselessly in love with Neil
They discovered that they both went to work by bike, and that they lived nearby, so they decided to go to work and come back together every day. Bill was hopeless, he thought that hiding that he was in love with his friend would make the feelings disappear.
But matter can't be created or destroyed.
The same goes with feelings.
Summer was approaching, the heat growing, and so did the butterflies in Bill's stomach.
"Bill, can I ask you to do me a favor? You don't have to if you don't want to, but it would really help me..." "Sure thing" Bill was about to say "anything for you" but kept his mouth shut. "Well... I need to do some face painting for the show... Can you be my practice head?" Bill was surprised. That was not what he was expecting. "Oh... Yeah, fine."
They sat in Neil's living room, face to face, while Neil was painting a flower in Bill's face and Bill tried his best to not stare at Neil's lips. Then, Neil moved on to his lips. Bill enjoyed the feeling of the brush on his lips, but he wished they were Neil's lips. When he opened his eyes, he saw Neil with the same expression as his, staring at his lips. They both closed the distance between their faces at the same time.
Neil backed away almost instantly. "I- I'm sorry... I probably shouldn't have done that-..." "No." Bill interrupted, then wrapped his arms around Neil's waist and kissed him. They kissed like there was no tomorrow. Getting paint everywhere, letting out feelings that had been hiding for way longer that they should've.
Because maybe, and only maybe,
Art and science *do* go well together. Bill knew that. He was in love with an artist.