250 songs - Newtmas AU

Golden Brown

"THESIS FINISHED TOMORROW" Dr Paige yelled at the students as they chattered and packed up notebooks and pens.

As the lecture finished, Thomas was shaken awake by his friend.

"Man you are gonna have to start paying attention sometimes" Minho said, peering over Thomas's shoulder at his empty notebook, "you will fail at this rate"

"I'm doing fine Min" Thomas protested as he shuffled through the seats towards the exit, "I'll do some work tomorrow ok?"

"You better mate, or I'm going to find someone to tutor you" Minho clapped his friend on the back

"Hello Thomas?" Dr. Paige said, appearing behind them, "Can I speak to you?"

"Um... of course" Thomas replied, feeling a sweat begin to break out across his palms and he gripped his bag more tightly

"I'll meet you at the dorm?" Minho asked, backing out of the door

"Yeah sure man" his friend returned, throwing him a look of resignation as he turned to his professor

"So Thomas, I have noticed your work has become less organised over the last term and it is very important that you keep up your standards if you want to get your degree" she straightened her lab coat and continued, "If you have any personal issues, there are people here who will be more than happy to help, okay?"

"I will make sure I catch up on work" Thomas said, feeling embarrassment creeping into his cheeks and began to head for the door "Have a nice day"

•••

Struggling slightly under the weight of his books, Thomas entered the library where the gentle chatter of students was an easy breath to take. He had very rarely visited this part of the campus and he felt a little out of place.

As all the tables were taken he looked around for one with fewer people and his eyes alighted on one in the very far corner where a single boy was studying with his notes and books sprawled across the table and surrounding chairs.

Thomas started to walk tentatively across to him, painfully aware of his deadline at midnight. As he neared the table, he swallowed, something about how studious the boy was made Thomas loath interrupting his work.

"May I...um..." he faltered as the boy looked at him. His dark eyes reminded Thomas of a young rabbit and he had beautiful golden brown hair, which put together with his pale delicate features gave him slightly angelic qualities. He raised a questioning eyebrow and Thomas realised he had been staring.

"May I sit here?" Thomas motioned to the seat next to the boy, "everywhere else was free and I..."

The blonde boy nodded, reaching across to clear his books from the other side of the table and pulling them into a slight wall around him.

As soon as Thomas sat down, he felt slightly embarrassed at his three textbooks, which looked insufficient next to the other boy's seven well used volumes, full of neon Post-it sticking out of the pages and scrawled notes on the pages.

"You're also doing haematology?" Thomas enquired, glancing at the mountain of notes in front of them

"Y-yes" Thomas was surprised to hear that he had a soft, slightly tremulous English accent

Silence fell for a while, but Thomas could feel the boy looking at him occasionally and the quiet became increasingly awkward. He stared at his textbook, pen hovering over the blank pages of his notepad, and shook his head and blinked his to get himself to concentrate.

"Do y-you um...doyouwantahand?" The boy burst out, swallowing in embarrassment and nervously digging his fingers into his forearm.

Thomas was surprised for a moment and the boy continued

"I'm-I'm sorry, don't worry" he muttered quietly, "you don't need me"

He grabbed his pens and shoved everything into his bag before Thomas could answer. As he hurried out of the room, his heavy bag slung over one shoulder, Thomas noticed that he had a limp and wondered why he had reacted like that, although he would have liked a hand. He packed up his work and headed over to the bookshelf.

"Excuse me?" He asked, once he had picked out a book, gripping his bag tightly, his feeling of discomfort growing when he realised how little he came in here.

"Yes?" The librarian demanded, pulling her glasses down her nose to take a better look at Thomas, revealing beady, bird like eyes.

He placed the book on the desk and she stamped it aggressively

"I see you have met Newton" she commented, looking at Thomas, who felt like she was staring into his very soul

"I didn't really tal-" he began, realising that he must be the boy he had met but she interrupted him

"He comes in here a lot" she pushed his book towards him and gave him a pointed look

Thomas grabbed his boob quickly and hurried out of the library feeling slightly disturbed.

He was going to come again nonetheless, because he needed the help and the boy seemed to offer. Was it Newton?

He would have to see, but for now he needed to sleep. And he was going to be late for Hockey practice.

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