Third period was a complete blur to Lee, who struggled to stay awake during their droning history lecture and power-point presentation. Even had his life depended on it, he wouldn’t have been able to recall a single section of the lesson.

He was eternally grateful when the bell signaling the start of their lunch period finally rang. He packed up his bag and quickly looked toward the front of the room for Thomas, hoping the President would join himself and Arland at their usual table.

However, Thomas had already been caught by their teacher, who unloaded a stack of books into his arms with directions to return them to the school library. Without a word of protest, Thomas immediately left to complete the task.

Lee hitched his backpack higher onto his shoulder and hurried to follow Thomas while Arland trailed behind at a slower pace.

“I’ll come with you to drop those off,” Lee volunteered as he caught up to Thomas in the hallway.

“You really don’t have to. I’ve got it,” Thomas murmured, adjusting his grip on the books.

“I want to!” Lee declared earnestly.

Thomas rolled his eyes and begrudgingly muttered, “Fine. Do what you want then.”

Lee grinned, stepping closer to take half of the stack into his own arms as he chirped cheekily, “I will.”

Arland, a silent observer of their short interaction, caught up to walk on Thomas’ opposite side. “Man, seeing really is believing huh?” He said with a bemused snort as he continued absentmindedly fiddling with his playing cards.

Lee and Thomas both aimed perplexed glances his way.

“I still need to get used to the idea of you two being so… comfortable with each other,” Arland elaborated, nudging Thomas’ side teasingly with his elbow while winking at Lee.

While Thomas furrowed his brow in further confusion, Lee suddenly found the floor to be supremely interesting. He hunched his shoulders and raised the books in his grasp a little higher, attempting to hide behind them.

He should’ve known Arland wouldn’t pass up the chance to tease him about his feelings for Thomas.

When they reached a junction in the hallway Arland paused, flicking a card out from his deck and sliding it between his middle and index fingers. He looked toward Lee and pointed the card at him as he remarked, “I expect a lot more details on what went on with you two later.”

With that, Arland veered away toward the cafeteria, twirling his card as he left.

Lee and Thomas continued on toward the library. The Class President quickened his stride and Lee hurried to match his pace. The echo of their footsteps became distractingly loud as the halls steadily emptied around them.

"You really don't have to come with me," Thomas eventually repeated.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Lee glanced his way, doing his best to interpret his partner’s minimalist expression.

The wrinkle between Thomas’ eyebrows might’ve been the only giveaway, but Lee thought that Thomas seemed frustrated all of a sudden.

“We went over this. I don’t mind helping,” Lee replied with a small frown. “You’re doing so much to help me after all.”

The next several seconds were spent walking in tense silence.

Then, as if unable to contain the words any longer, Thomas asked in a strained tone, "What exactly did you tell Arland about …us?"

The question hit Lee a little unexpectedly, but perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised.

“I mentioned that we’ve been spending more time together and that we went on a date,” Lee admitted, a new bout of anxiety rising within him.

Had Thomas wanted to keep their relationship —however it was defined— private?

With difficulty, Lee shifted the books he was holding to one arm and tentatively reached out to place a hand on Thomas’ shoulder.

“Was I not supposed to?” He asked quietly.

Thomas’ gaze slid down to the hand on him, flicked back up to briefly meet Lee’s eyes, then quickly skittered away toward the library's double doors up ahead.

“It’s fine. You’re fine,” Thomas stated, speeding up his pace.

Would he really react that way if everything was fine?

Confused and worried, Lee followed him up to the library’s front desk.

There was no librarian present, so the two of them went straight to the return box and dumped the books inside.

"Thomas," Lee began, attempting to ask the redhead to explain his thoughts. However, the words died on his lips as Thomas's hand shot out, wrapping around his bicep with unexpected urgency.

"Look," Thomas hissed, eyes fixed on the opposite end of the room; Lee followed his gaze.

Before anything else, Lee spotted the unmistakable flash of metal glinting as it caught the light filtering through the high windows. A beacon amidst the sea of shelves.

Its source was the accessory dangling from the left ear of a boy who had just entered the library.

Before Lee could react, Thomas was tugging him forward, cutting through the maze of bookcases with single-minded focus.

"Excuse me!" Thomas called out, uncaring of the fact he was supposed to keep his voice low in a library.

Well, with no authority figure present to enforce such a rule it probably didn’t matter.

The boy ahead paused and turned in their direction.

Lee felt something palpable shift in the air between them, as if a lock had clicked open in his mind. The world around Lee slowed to a crawl.

The new boy’s appearance was absolutely vibrant.

Dust particles danced around him, sparkling under the inexplicable spotlight that suddenly appeared from above.

A sudden breeze that shouldn't have been possible within the closed confines of the library surrounded him, tastefully fluttering the student’s uniform sleeves and collar and revealing the fishnet top underneath.

There was a glossy sheen to the dark, straight-edged hair and long bangs that hid the boy’s eyes from view. His well crafted skull earring with sparkling rubies for eyes swung idly in a hypnotic motion.

Even the spikes that dotted the choker wrapped around his pale neck and the jet black polish on his nails were details that involuntarily snatched Lee’s attention with obsessive clarity.

He simply couldn’t look away.

Thomas, meanwhile, blinked amidst the gust of impossible wind and implausible beams of light; his confusion was palpable. All the whimsical details that had Lee mesmerized, didn’t have nearly the same impact on Thomas.

Completely unaware of the splendor going on around him, the stranger voiced, "Did you guys …need something?"

The spellbound moment shattered, reality rushing back at Lee with the force of a crashing wave.

Just then, an intangible Affection Meter materialized over the head of the boy Lee had just spent an indeterminable amount of time gawking at.

[Affection 0%]

A new Love Interest had been discovered.