Face To Face

Chapter 2: Star Signs

 (TW for this chapter: Panic attack)

Harvey's POV

I was sitting on my phone at my breakfast table, a plate of waffles in front of me. They had a drizzle of maple syrup and a bit of whipped cream on top of a melting slab of butter in the center.

When Riley walked in, their eyes immediately lit up, their grey eyes sparkling like crystals.

They immediately pulled out a chair, sitting down. I handed them the bottle of maple syrup I had bought a few days ago, just for this occasion. They poured the syrup all over their waffles, which gave me diabetes just looking at it, put a small slab of butter in the middle, and squirted whipped cream all over.

"You're going to get diabetes someday if you eat that much sugar." I said to them as they shoveled syrup-drenched waffles into their mouth.

"Mro eh whon." Riley said with their mouth full.

"What?" I laughed as they tried to swallow their food.

"No I won't." They repeated, mouth now mostly clear of waffle.

"Whatever you say." I smiled fondly at them as I picked up my knife and fork to cut my waffles.

We ate in comfortable silence, they had slowed down their eating and we were both now on our phones. "Did you know our star signs are compatible?" I asked, looking up to see Riley's reaction. They kept their face blank, on purpose or not, I didn't know.

"Huh." Is all that they said.

That's it?

Riley's POV

Our star signs are compatible.

I fought to keep my face blank.

Holy shit.

Why would he bring that up? Maybe he just thought it was a cool fact. Yeah that's it. But what if- What if he was hinting at something. Maybe he likes me back? Maybe he's trying to hint that he likes me? Maybe he- Maybe he- Maybe- I'm hyperventilating.

I have to get away from Harvey.

Just for a minute.

Just to get my thoughts together.

"I need to go to the bathroom." I said, getting up, causing him to look up from his meal. "Alright. Down the hall to the right." He said and I nodded, glad it was at least a bit far from the table.

I followed his directions to the bathroom, while trying to calm my breathing.

When I made it to the bathroom, I closed the door and locked it. Taking a seat on the lid of the toilet, my head in my hands, I took deep, steady, breaths, trying to calm myself before I started to hyperventilate.

It was a fairly large bathroom, so I slid to the floor, sitting on my legs. Tears pricked at my eyes.

I don't even know why.

I don't even know why I'm getting so worked up about this.

It was just a little fun fact and I had to let it go to my head.

Of course it did.

At this point I'm full on sobbing.

I don't know what to do.

I can't stay in Harvey's bathroom forever.

3rd Person POV

Riley's breath was coming out in short gasps, tears streaming down their face and clinging to their chin. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.