Troye is pouring over his laptop, working on his design history homework, when there is a soft knock at the door. He raises his head as Jacob pushes it open, and gives a little wave with his big long hand. It's strange how the warmth he brings in the room with him reaches Troye almost instantaneously. Troye finds himself smiling.
"Hi Tro," Jacob says, approaching the work station.
"Hey, how're you," Troye replies.
"I'm good, you alright?" he says, still standing a little hesitantly.
"I'm good," Troye nods.
"I know you were probably just being nice when you said I could come find you but I usually just sit in my car and study so I thought maybe- you know, if I promise not to annoy you I could study in here- with you?" he says, hopeful face on again.
Troye shrugs, "sure Jacob, if you want to."
"Really? You don't mind?" Jacob asks, still gripping the straps of his backpack.
"No," Troye laughs, "I don't mind. I'm just doing homework."
Jacob grins and sheds his bag. Today he wears another pair of loose black jeans and a grey t-shirt that is much too large for him. It has a small red heart on the pocket over the left side. His short, dark, brown curls are messily arranged like the first day Troye saw him. There are three other stools around the work station but Jacob walks straight to the one beside Troye and sits down. He opens his backpack and pulls out a physics textbook and a notebook.
"What did you do last night?" Jacob asks, as he flips the pages of his textbook.
"Not much, just dinner and watched a movie with my friends," Troye shrugs, "you?"
"Connor forced me to go to the pub with him for dinner but I left pretty early. He didn't get in until about three I think," Jacob replies.
"What was he doing at a pub until three on a Wednesday?" Troye laughs.
"I doubt he stayed at the pub, he probably went home with some girl," Jacob rolls his eyes at that, "I love the guy but he's a bit of a slut, coming home at three is pretty regular for him."
Troye gives a small chuckle, "well you're young that's what you guys are supposed to be doing I suppose," he says.
Jacob shakes his head, "nah, I'm not the random hookup type," he says, "I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic."
Troye hums, "that must be nice."
"What do you mean?" Jacob asks.
"Tyler's the same way. I always tell him its a luxury to be able to be a romantic, it means you haven't been made cynical," Troye replies easily, "hold onto that as long as you can."
He was scrolling absentmindedly through the notes on his laptop but he looks up when he feels Jacob's eyes on him. Jacob's eyebrows are pulled together and he has on a slight frown. His elbow is propped on the desk, his cheek resting against his fist and he stares at Troye while he nibbles a bit on one of his knuckles. Troye feels his cheeks warm and he raises an eyebrow.
"Cynical?" Jacob asks.
"Believing that people are motivated by self interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity," Troye recites from some dictionary definition he'd read once.
"I know what cynical means Tro," Jacob says with a small smile, but he frowns again, "so you are then?"
"I am what?" Troye frowns.
"Cynical."
Troye shrugs, "I'm definitely not a hopeless romantic," he says.
Jacob goes back to chewing on his knuckle. He's still looking at Troye but Troye doesn't have anything else to say so he returns his eyes to his laptop. Neither of them say anything for a while, but Troye can feel Jacob's eyes on him. When Jacob breaks the silence his voice is gentle, laced with a note of curiosity.
