That Sexy Librarian and Me

40th

a forty second and less

romance

Such sweet torture it was to watch Maddie prance around weird old bald tattooed man as if he was the love of her life. And oddly enough, he seemed to fit the role painfully well, watching her every move and brushing her hair as she sat next to him.

“Simon,” he announced himself in that Hagrid like voice with a Hagrid like body, over six inches taller than Remy. “Pleased to meet ya’.”

"Good to see you, Simon." They shook hands, his grip far too hard on Remy's gentle, and now what seemed like dwarfish, hands.

"This is my brother, Augustus." He introduced his kid brother, who didn't cower behind his form, as he'd expected, or hoped. "Tell us about yourself."

Simon was Irish, thirty one years old and undoubtedly owned a Harley Davidson, and a bar a few blocks down. Augustus was more than pleased with the information of the bike. When the news came up, he was practically jumping up and down, begging for a ride.

“Please, oh, please.”

For a second Remy thought the boy would cry without said ride. Luckily enough for the three of them, Simon agreed. Remy almost followed them out before Maddie stopped him.

“We need to talk.”

“Okay.” He stepped back from the threshold, keeping one ear on the stairwell outside where Augustus went on with his questions. “What?”

“I have some news.”

His eyes widened. Did this mean—

“Not Athenia related, Remy.” She told him as she shrugged off her jacket. Her leather jacket. That perfectly matched Simon’s.

“Okay then,” he took a breath. “What is it?”

“We’re going to get married.”

His eyes widened further.

“He’s a wonderful man.”

“He looks like a beast!”

“He doesn’t believe in what’s on the outside, and neither do I. We're perfect for each other.”

“Is that why he called you a stripper? Jesus, Maddie!” Remy yelled at her as started pacing. Maddie merely watched him pace. Ten minutes passed as the two friends said nothing to each other, nothing but the disapproving silence from Remy’s end. The silence was literally deafening. They heard the boy and Simon approach from a mile away.

Dinner was inconsequential. Simon talked to Augustus about things that didn’t matter and Remy ignored all three of them. While the adults understood his silence and respected his space, as best as they possibly could, Augustus didn’t seem to care. The three of them ended up on the PS playing NFS as the only woman in the studio cleared up after dinner.

“I prefer the Mazda,” Simon told Augustus. “I think you’d do well with it too, Gus.”

Remy watched Augustus for some kind of retort, seeing as the boy hated being called that. Shockingly, he found none. ‘Gus’ merely nodded in return and picked the red Mazda. Remy picked his usual BMW.

By the end of the night, Remy watched as ‘Gus’ ate out of the older, very scary looking man’s, hands. It was sickening to watch how gently he handled the kid, as if he might break if the hulk screamed.

“You’re a strange man,” Remy gave the couple as they left, with Gus still stuck on the PS. “You’re both strange.”

“Isn’t everybody?” he asked in return as he pulled on his jacket. Winking at Gus in goodbye he marched down the stairs without Maddie, as if something was still left to be said.

“It’ll be a small ceremony,” she said quietly, her eyes on the floor. “Just his parents, my father and brother.” She looked at his brother before looking at Remy. “I’d like it if you came.”

“When?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

He sighed in response. "I'll be there."

"Wear a tux."

Remy shut the door after Maddie left the apartment, his eyes burning from the long day he’d had. With a dozen papers due he knew he was going to get into shit the next day at work, as well. Saturday was a day away, and Friday was going to be more than miserable.

“I like him a lot. Call me when he’s over again.” Gus told Remy and his mother when he was collected.

“Who?”

“The Hulk, Mom.” Remy announced with a scrunched up brow. “Don’t ask.”

“Is this got to do with another one of your girlfriends?”

At that, Remy laughed. “You’d wish it was another of my girlfriends.”

His mother didn’t take the joke lightly and grilled her younger son for more information. Remy had nothing to hide, but that she’d think it was a girlfriend he’d called the hulk... clearly his mother had no idea about comic books or super heroes. 

"What's 'The Hulk'?"

Clearly, neither did his adopted brother.