Sweet Little Birds (BxB Romance, Completed)

Chapter 6: Soda Splatter

As Robin hurried across the crowded campus, he cursed his Statistics teacher who seemed to have forgotten all about time while droning on about statistical models and variance. So now Robin was late for his second tutoring session with Tyler, which meant he wouldn't be able to grab a free table before Tyler arrived.

He dodged between backpack-clad students and cut through lawns on his journey toward the library. As he ran down a set of stone stairs, he almost lost his balance when he took two steps at a time. He didn't fall, but he did knock into a girl carrying a can of soda. Some of the beverage splattered on his shirt and formed colorful islands on the blue fabric.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Watch where you're going," she snarled.

Robin nodded courteously before continuing on his quest. He didn't want Tyler to have to wait.

As he rounded the last corner a blonde mop of hair could be seen on a bench outside the entrance. A blonde mop of hair that made his heart do somersaults in his chest. But surely, that was just from the running.

"Sorry, I'm late." Robin panted as Tyler gave him an amused look. A lollipop was perched between his lips, as always, and a blue Gatorade bottle rested against his thigh.

Green eyes fell on Robin's stained and sweaty shirt. "You look less... put together than usual," Tyler noted. "You didn't have to sprint across campus for me."

"I didn't want you to have to wait," Robin explained, realizing how dumb it sounded. Of course, Tyler was capable of waiting. But for some reason, Robin was desperate to make a good impression. "Have you been here long?"

Tyler shook his head, making the curls move like soft swirls of custard, and popped out the yellow lollipop between his lips. The candy glistened in the sunlight, moistened by plump lips. The move almost caused Robin to gasp out loud. It did things he couldn't explain to his body and mind. "I just got here anyway," the reason for Robin's flustered state stated. "I just needed to rest a bit before I tackled the library. "

Tyler turned up his palms to reveal red bumps all along the upper ridge. "Blisters are a side effect of using crutches," he explained.

"That looks uncomfortable." Robin wasn't sure what to say. His urges told him to embrace the boy in front of him, but that didn't seem proper.

"I've been through worse..." Tyler's voice held a sharp edge as he looked down at the empty space where his left leg should be.

Longingly, Tyler's gaze traveled toward a few guys who played soccer on the lawn. A sigh and a peek down at his leg told a whole story. Once again, Robin didn't know what to say and once again his urges told him to hold Tyler close. He didn't give in.

Averting his gaze from the ball players, Tyler switched to a look of determination."I think I'm ready to battle the library now! Come on, Robby."

Despite the crutches, Tyler moved at a brisk speed. Robin had to jog beside him to keep up. Once they entered the book-filled building it turned out to also be full of students. Every single table on the main floor appeared to be occupied.

Although, there still seemed to be some tables available on the balcony on the second floor. Robin threw a glance at Ty, whose eyes hesitantly observed the stairs and the masses of people around them. People who would all watch the boy on crutches, with blistered hands and shredded confidence, as he climbed up the narrow staircase.

"We could go to my place," Robin heard himself suggest, without knowing where the words even came from. He couldn't remember thinking them. "It's on the bottom floor."

"We don't have to..." Ty mumbled while flexing his hands, to warm up for the coming challenge. "I can make it up there..." His eyes revealed his hesitation toward the task.