That Sexy Librarian and Me

17th

it's the seventeenth

so why aren't we dancing yet?

As the sun set outside, the gleaming pink and orange of the sky rather disheartening to see on a day that felt so gloomy, Athenia walked over to where Remy sat.

"Hey,"

"Hi."

"So..." she started, his eyes fixed on the book in front of him. "What're you doing?"

"Homework assignment."

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

Something about the one word replies made her wonder if she actually liked having Remy rant on in the past. Only that could explain why she missed them on. That, or that she'd finally lost a screw.

"Tell me about your family. You've never spoken about them."

"Nothing to tell. Mom. Dad. Six year old brother."

"Really? How come?"

"They decided to adopt. Probably a publicity stunt, knowing my dad."

"Oh."

Her hands went over her the smooth wooden texture once, then twice. "Tell me about your mom."

He looked at her then, his eyes somehow decisively arrogant. A few seconds calmed him somehow, Athenia felt. He looked a little less crazy after that. 

"She's kind, very special. Reminds me of one of those moms who worries that her son'll never get married."

This made her grin. "Really?"

"Yeah. She loves nosing into my business. I miss her."

"Why don't you call her?"

"She was pretty mad the last time we spoke. She was the one who cut me off."

Something in her heart softened at that. "Are you upset about that?"

"No," he told her as he took off his glasses. "Not anymore. To be honest, I don't think I was ever upset about that. It was like... a glitch I needed fixing."

She didn't think she needed to say anything to that. 

"What about you?" he asked then. "Tell me about your family."

"Well," she looked at the floor. "My father's... we don't talk anymore. My mother passed away a little after my sister was born."

"You have a sister?"

"And an older brother."

"Wow," he said with a smile. "I've lived with you for more than a month and I didn't even know that. Don't they call you?"

"My sister's eight, so I don't think phoning me is an option for her."

"And your brother?"

"He's pretty much my father's lackey. I doubt he'd do anything that went against my father's wishes."

"I'm sorry... I didn't even know."

"It doesn't really count as information," she told him with a smile. "You know how I like my hot chocolate, and that I prefer tea to beer. I think you knew enough."

He laughed then, finally sounding a little like his old self. 

"Do you want to get drunk?"

"Rem..."

"Come on! It's Friday. We'll go to one of those dancing places and have one drink." He put up a finger. "Plus, I never really got to dance with you."

"That's true. I'll call Maddie."

"Ath," he stood as she did. "Let's do this without her? I'm still embarrassed about how I left things last night."

"She doesn't care, Remy."

"I know. That's what makes it even harder."

Exactly one drink later, the two of them held each other as they danced like no one cared, their attire far too casual for a club, between everyone who was drunk, between everyone who thought they were too.