illicit affairs | Charlie Barber x Reader

chapter five: burning questions

Happy 'illicit affairs' day!!!!! I know you guys are anxious for more Charlie interactions but don't worry!!! Ask and you shall receive ;)

I won't keep you guys waiting any longer but make sure you guys look at the links at the end of the chapter!

I LOVE YOU GUYS AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!!-dal
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You loved to get lost in the little world you made for yourself. Once you crossed the threshold of the library, you forgot about everything else. Nothing else mattered except what was in the little bubble with you.

It was a space you provided yourself with to think. You didn't carry the stress on your shoulders of the upcoming future or the fear of failure you carried around constantly. It was the opportunity to give yourself a time out, the only place you could think things through.

In your little world, it was the only time you could hear yourself think, the other voices quieting down when you found yourself here. It gave you something that you weren't always guaranteed... Silence.

Each day, you would forget what it was like for it to be quiet, the noises of the outside world always finding their way to you. Each night that you crossed into your own little world, you were reminded just how relaxing it was to be alone.

But this particular night, you weren't alone in your world anymore. With curiosity and the fear of refusing his offer, for the first time, someone was sharing your little world of silence.

Professor Barber.

"Thank you." His voice was in a low mumble as he set his stack of papers down on the table.

Shocked at his invitation, you slowly lowered yourself back into your seat, watching as he settled into his. It seemed like a taboo you refused to acknowledge. It felt odd letting someone, let alone your professor, join you in the library.

He was focused on organizing the pages in front of him, while you still had your eyes glued to him. You watched him carefully as he pouted his lips, being particular in what order to set his things up in. His eyes darted between the piles, humming to himself when he seemed pleased with the setup.

The next thing he did was slide his hand over the breast pocket of his shirt, grabbing a red pen from behind his cardigan. He was distracted, jotting down notes on the printed pages in front of him, while you settled on counting the beauty marks on his face.

You got to the twenty's before his eyes fluttered, catching a sense you were staring at him.

Before he could look up in your direction, you quickly looked down at your textbook, losing track of your count. You pretended to read the lesson in front of you, hoping it wasn't obvious what you were doing.

"So," He spoke your name, an awkward laugh pushing past his lips. "I never got your answer." He fiddled with the pen in his hand, tracing his thumb up and down the barrel of it.

"Hm?" You furrowed your brows as you looked back up at him, confused by his choice of words. "What do you mean?" You watched as he set his pen gently against the table before shrugging his shoulders. It was obvious he was having a hard time looking into your eyes, seeming like this was the first time he experienced an uncomfortable situation.

He glanced at you for a moment before tidying up his paperwork again, trying to keep himself busy.

It wasn't a surprise to you that you were easily intimidated by him. When you two met each other's eyes, you needed to constantly tell yourself not to look away from him. You needed to be strong instead of running away the longer he stared.