Atlantis // DNF

With sugar

It's about two week later and we have finally planned a stream for today. I've been trying to get them to film a youtube video instead because we can always edit out the slip ups and awkward confessions. On streams there is nothing to hide behind.

It's too early in the morning and my body is already soaking in the cold water and i'm wondering how bad this could actually get.

Very bad.

I should cancel. I should say i'm sick. I can't speak to him in front of all these people the same way as before when in our private calls everything has changed so drastically. It's a new world, a new place and no one knows. I cant let them know.

I'm honestly not even sure if Dream knows how much things have changed. Since the last call on Christmas we have not talked about anything else than the stream and weather. It's awful.

And i miss the library but i can't go back, because it's not the same. It feels dead. It feels pointless and without dream's voice the blue covers stand out in the wrong section, the book doesn't breathe in my arms and the tea tastes so much more bitter. It's all Dream.

But i need to read more and i need to know what happens next, i need to drink the tea and sit in the corner while it's raining. It's been raining so much.

"Dream?"

"Yea?"

I wonder if i'm interrupting something important, i bet i am.

"I- um. Yea i guess i just wanted to let you know that i'm going to the library."

"Oh. Isn't it raining outside?" He sounds so calm and even though it's a little awkward and we've been talking for less then a minute i still feel my nerves relaxing. We should talk before the stream anyway.

"It is. But i have an umbrella."

"You don't."

"I don't?"

"You don't. You forgot it in the bus about a month ago and as far as i know you have not bought a new one."

How can he know that. How can he know so much while being so far away?

"Well i guess i'll put on a warmer jacket then. You don't have to come with me, i just felt like letting you know."

"No, no. I want to come."

It's silent for a second until we burst out laughing and it feels fine. It feels alright.

"Wait, i'll put on shoes." And as i'm doing that i can hear him talking with Patches and humming a song.

It doesn't take that long for me to regret the choice. It's raining badly and even though i love it, i don't have an umbrella and it's really gloomy outside, making it seem really dark. I try to make the run to the library, keeping the phone safe but about 3/4 way there Dreams voice starts cutting out and soon enough my phone turns off.

I'm not sure if i should run back home and try to save it right now or just figure it out in the library. As i'm already pretty much there, i gather the last energy i have left and run in the library completely wet with a thud.

I don't notice the stares from people because i'm too busy trying to save my phone, i need to call back Dream.

I drop my wet jacket on the floor in my corner and i hate everything twice as much because today i'm especially cold and i want peppermint tea and the smell of it is fading too. And my phone is struggling just as much as me. After a few unsuccessful tries of turning it on i notice a pair of legs coming closer.

Who is here and why are they in our corner?

When i bring up my eyes, still holding my phone and desperately trying to fix it, i meet the eyes of the librarian and i smile back.

He's a man my age and he seems wonderful, he smiles kindly at me and after a second of silence he finally speaks up.

"Um hi, my name is David. I'm the librarian."

"Hi! George! I've noticed yea, i come here pretty often."

"I've noticed that too. I've been watching you for quite a while now, i hope it doesn't sound weird, you just seem really... attractive in a way."

And i wish it wouldn't sound weird but it really does and even though he looks awfully good i can't help but wonder what Dream looks like. I cant help but compare their voices and the things they say.

"Oh."

"You have a really nice voice. I've heard you reading for a while and your voice really brings the most boring books to life."

At this point he's sitting next to me and i wish he would leave.

"Thank you."

"I was worried you wouldn't come back for a while, you disappeared around Christmas."

"Yea, I did. I'm back though." I say with a smile and try to turn my phone back on.

"Oh, yea, i noticed that your phone isn't working so i brought you some towels. I hope it helps."

And i smile back and it's actually pretty nice. I wonder how long he's been watching me and in a way it makes me uncomfortable but at the same time i feel my cheeks burning.

"Oh! Thank you so much!"

After a few minutes of him just watching me as i dry my phone it finally turns back on and the first thing i do is call Dream.

I smile at David as he gets up and smiles back at me with a little nod and disappears around the corner.

"George?"

"Hi!"

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, i'm in the library now. How about a chapter?"

"Are you warm?"

And yes i am warm because my heart is melting and my cheeks are burning and my stomach is going wild. Even if my clothes are sticking to my body and my hair is completely wet, i grab the towel around my shoulders and open the blue covers.

I sigh with a relief when the book takes a breath and the pages fit nicely between my fingers again. The library feels like a home again.

And it's getting dark outside rather quickly. It's about half an hour later when i hear footsteps again. I look up and David is smiling again and i smile back and it's rather nice. I like it.

"Wait, i'll be right back."

I put my phone next to me and mute the call.

"You always have peppermint tea. This whole side of library smells like it. I cant quite tell where the tea is from but i hope this one works too."

It feels truly nice. It really does feel that nice when someone notices. I like that. I wonder how David sees me, sitting in this corner almost every day, reading about the same things, drinking the same tea, speaking to the same person. I wonder what he can see from his table and it makes me feel warm, that he has taken the time to notice me.

"Thank you so much! That's really, really nice, David! I appreciate it!"

And he's cheeks become a little dark and i smile at him and pick my phone back up.

I unmute the call and i hear Dream talking to Patches and he says something along the lines of 'i wish i could do that too.'

And when i make my presence known again I hear him smiling, my stomach erupts in a catastrophe and my eyebrows furrow when i take the first sip of the peppermint tea.

Because it's not the same peppermint tea and it's with sugar.

I'm picky and I like my tea with honey.