· N E R D ·

s e v e n

For @IceColdAnger, who wanted to see the stars and the moon.

Evan climbed outside his bedroom window and scrambled onto the roof of the college's dormitory building.

He wrapped his blanket around himself and tilted his head up so he could gaze at the full moon and all of the stars. It was beautiful like always.

"'Oh, Romeo, Romeo...'" Evan began to recite, "'Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself.'"

Closing his eyes and laying back, Evan sighed. "Jonathan, when we first met back in August, we didn't like each other very much. You always teased me and picked on me, but you've become so nice and caring over the months. All the more reason to love you..."

A sudden noise made him jolt. He sat up and saw Jonathan climbing from the window as well.

"'I take thee at thy word: call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo,'" he said poetically.

Evan was taken back. "J-Jonathan? You know Shakespeare?"

Jonathan sat next to him with his own blanket and nodded. "Of course. I didn't get into this school for nothing."

"Oh. How... Um, how much did you hear?"

"Enough."

Evan looked away and sighed again.

"'Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs...'" Jonathan whispered.

They looked at each other, but what was supposed to be a glance easily turned into a trapped gaze.

"'Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes...'" Evan whispered back.

Very, very slowly, they both began to lean in. At the halfway point, they stopped, only an inch apart.

"Can I kiss you?" Jonathan asked quietly.

Evan closed his eyes and nodded.

Smiling, Jonathan closed the gap.

Their lips touched and it was like blood began to boil, stars suddenly aligned, the world was still and at peace...

The nerd pulled back so they were an inch away once more.

"'You kiss by the book,'" he laughed. "I, um, I've never kissed anyone before."

Jonathan grinned. "Good, 'cause now you have."

"Does this mean I'm your nerd now? For real?"

"It can mean whatever you want it to mean, Nerd."