Motionless in White One Shots

Love at First Meeting Pt. 1 - Ricky Fluff

"Okay y/n, all you need to do is pick up the new Steven King book, get your online order for your class and leave.  Do not wander around or you are going to buy too many books," you give yourself a mental pep talk as you step into Barnes and Noble, fully aware that you will more than likely not listen to yourself.  Honestly you could spend thousands here and not bat an eye if you had the funds to do so. 
Trying to keep yourself on course and not spend more money than you have you head straight towards the new releases, hoping to get a copy of the book that you came in for.  You can't help but smile when you notice there was one last copy, reaching for it you accidentally bumped into someone else who was doing the same. 
"I am so sorry, here you can take the book." You say instantly, embarrassed that you just bumped into someone's hand like that.  You don't look up in an effort to hide your flushed face, not wanting your embarrassment to be obvious.
"It's fine, I can order the ebook instead.  Here, you take it," you aren't sure why but you didn't expect a man's voice. 
You glance up just in time to see him quickly throw it in your basket, thrown off when you accidentally make eye contact with the most beutiful blue eyes you have ever seen.  You force yourself to glance away, you don't want to because they were drawing you in but you make yourself, it is just too awkward to sit and stare in a stranger's eyes.
"Well, thank you," you respond softly, starting to walk off to another shelf to avoid any more of this awkward encounter with this stranger you somehow feel very drawn to.  The feeling confuses you, you've never felt this instant connection with someone that you don't even know.
Unknown to you he is thinking the same thing about you and is currently debating if he should approach you again, and ultimately decides that he should and follows you to a new shelf.
"Hey sorry to bother you again, but you clearly have great tastes in books, do you have any recommendations?" he asks you, a hopeful smile on his face. "Shit, I should probably tell you my name.  I'm Rick."
"I'm y/n, and sure! Are you looking for only horror or?  Just need to know where I should guide you," you ask, now even more embarrassed by the fact that you are so excited that this handsome stranger is still talking to you... and he cares about your opinions?
"Pretty much anything honestly, I leave for a work trip soon and I always like to take some with me," he responds.  And he is being truthful, honestly at this point you could probably hand him a little kids book and he would buy it just because it is giving him a chance to talk to you.
And you are just as happy to have an  excuse to talk to him, even more so when it is about your first love, books.
"Absolutely, follow me!"
He can't help but smile at you after you turn around with a huge smile on your face.  The pure joy written across your face has a warmth flooding over him that he can't fully explain, but he loves that feeling.  He gladly follows you to another shelf.
"So this is my favorite fiction novel, The Storyteller.  Basically it is about this reclusive Jewish woman who works nights at a bakery and there is a new regular old man who comes around at night and they start to talk a little.  He eventually confesses to her that he was a  Nazi and he starts to tell her stories.  I can't tell you much more without ruining it but it is amazing," you say. 
Not thinking you grab his hand to go drag him to another shelf, you realize quickly that you grabbed his hand once the goosebumps start to spread along your skin.  You are completely taken off guard, why are you so comfortable with this man when you have never met? Why didn't he stop you or pull away?  Shaking off the thoughts you stop in at another shelf. 
"This series is about demons, each book focuses on another one in the same family as they discover their own unique power that they have. There is some minor smut in it, so if you aren't chill with that we can move on.  And right next to it is a really good vampire series."
He can't help the laugh that escapes as you continue to drag him around the store, showing him books in almost every genre.  You really are into almost everything, and he didn't expect that.
"Is there anything that you don't like?" He finally teases you, a smile still present on his face when he realizes he made you blush.
"Shit sorry, I'm rambling on aren't I?  And yeah, westerns, I can't bring myself to like westerns," you say in a joking tone, giving a quick apology again.
"Don't be, it's really cute seeing you get so excited about them..." he trails off for a second before looking at your basket. "What's the Ashfall book in your basket about? I noticed you quickly threw it in while we were walking around."
"Oh, a lot of my students are reading it and love it so I want to read it so I know what they are all into.  Basically a kid from Iowa is home alone when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, so it follows him as he travels to find his parents through all the ash and stuff." You hand him the book so he can look at the back of it quick.
You take a moment to really look at him while he reads it, admiring his tattoos on his throat that you are able to see despite the leather jacket his has on.  You also can't help but notice the way his black hair makes the paleness of his face pop, completely different than your type but you find him very attractive.
He glances up and catches you staring at him, raising an eyebrow at you.  Blushing you look down, you can't believe you let him catch you clearly checking him out.
He takes a second to clear his throat before speaking up. "Sounds interesting, so you said your students, you are a teacher I am guessing?"
"Yeah, freshman English and creative writing, I also oversee the school newspaper and yearbook," you answer truthfully. "They are all such great kids, I couldn't ask for a better group than what I have right now."
"I can tell you really love what you do, hey to thank you for your time, can I buy you a coffee from the little cafe area?" He is hoping that you will say yes, really wanting to get to know you better.
"Umm..." you glance down at your watch to see the time. "Shit, I would love to but I have to get going soon.  I am meeting my friend at a restaurant in 15 minutes. I'm sorry," you say softly, a little upset that you have to say no.
"I get it, can we at least maybe exchange numbers? I'll buy the digital version of that book so we can read and talk about it together.  I'd say in person but I leave for work in two days for a couple months."
You smile at the shy expression that is currently crossing his face, he clearly is feeling a bit out of his element as well.  But you are glad that he seems to be even slightly interested in you like you are with him.
"Normally I would say no to  a stranger, so please do not make me regret this," you joke as you pull your phone out of you pocket and hand it to him.
He hands his phone to you as well, both of you quickly typing in your numbers before you swap them back and both of you make your way up front to finish checking out, you letting the cashier know that you have an online order to pick up as well.
She hands you a rather large box and finishes checking you out, thanking her before turning to grab your box and leave.
"Wait, let me help you with the box," Rick offers from the checkout next to you.  Before you can protest he is already taking the box away from you.
You mumble a meek thank you, leading him to your car and opening the back door for him to put the box in for you before closing it and turning to face him.
"I'll text you once I start the book," he tells you with a smile, before slowly backing away from your car, hesitating because he doesn't want to let you leave without talking to him.
"Sounds great, I look forward to it," you respond playfully before getting into your car so that you can meet your friend... who you are now officially late for meeting.