the anatomy of love [BxB] COMPLETED

8

Jackson knocks on the apartment door 210. Overall, the building looks exactly like his own apartment building, except it's stationed across town farther from campus. The door opens. Eliot smiles, his eyes a flash of bright light reflecting off his glasses.

"Hey, Eliot."

"Hi. Come in."

Eliot opens the door and shuffles to the side. He looks more groomed than at their tutoring session. His blonde curls are dark from a recent shower, brushing his temples. Instead of jeans and a t-shirt, Eliot's wearing fitted pants and a forest green crew neck sweater. With the glasses, he looks even more like a Calculus genius than before. Not for the first time, Jackson wonders what he's doing here.

"Do you want popcorn?" Despite his seemingly inherent awkwardness, Eliot holds himself much more relaxed in his apartment than at the library. Jackson would think it'd be the opposite.

"Sure." Jackson follows Eliot in silence to the kitchen.

"Butter?"

"Yes, please." God, this is painful. Jackson glances around for a picture, or painting, anything for him to comment on, but he finds nothing personal, just functional items you'd expect in an apartment. Finally, Jackson sees a pair of heels neatly placed next to the couch. "Do you have a roommate?"

Eliot's eyes flicker up from the popcorn bag he begins unwrapping. "Yes. Sasha. She's really nice."

"Oh?" Jackson's mind blanks, then—, "Not Sasha Sokolov."

Eliot brightens immediately. "Yes! Why? Do you know her?"

"Yeah I do," Jackson says, his mind whirling. "Sasha is one of Lauren's close friends." He had hung out with them once, and now distinctly remembers Sasha explaining her roommate situation, some 'cute nerdy Sophomore' that she had found online.

"Oh, I've met Lauren." Eliot places the popcorn bag in the microwave, oblivious to Jackson's turmoil.

"You're a sophomore?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Eliot looks amused, and Jackson wants to get up and move around but his head still feels knocked upside down.

"No. I guess my counselor forgot to mention that." And Caleb, Jackson doesn't add. It's not that Jackson's mad about this, but it changes everything.

"Surprised?"

Jackson doesn't know what he feels. "A little, yeah." The microwave beeps. Eliot grabs the popcorn and sets up two bowls. "So, you're Sasha's roommate, huh?"

"Did she mention me?" Eliot sounds more shocked than curious.

"One time in the beginning of the year. She mentioned finding a sophomore roommate online. She said you were nice."

Eliot's blushing, and it makes Jackson wonder what would happen if he gave him a real reason to blush. "Sasha's really nice," Eliot repeats.

He's right. Sasha is nice, in an angelic, ditzy kind of way that makes you feel instantly responsible for her well-being. It actually worries Jackson that both Eliot and Sasha are roommates together, as he sees both of them as fragile and unaware of everything.

"Do you guys get along?"

"Oh yeah," Eliot says, in a voice that Jackson can only describe as dreamy. "She sometimes makes dinner for both of us. She's a really good cook. Sometimes I help her with homework."

"I'm glad it's working out. Do you think we should start the movie?" Jackson asks. He did not expect to stumble upon a boy infatuated with Sasha Sokolov, of all people.