the librarian ❆ kagehina

making friends with the storyteller.

shōyō could only imagine how embarrassing it would be if tobio woke up right about now.

the rain has been pouring for some time, and tobio has been sitting on the faded couch against the far wall of the library reading a book he plucked from a random shelf. he had his head in the pages all while shōyō restocked the shelves and did some tidy work around the isles, and when shōyō finally finished up and went to go check in with him, tobio had fallen asleep.
it was quite funny, actually- he was no delicate sleeper. his mouth was wide open and very small snores, almost inaudible, drifted from the back of his throat; his head was craned over his shoulder, the book now laying in his lap, hands balled up in fists from some type of sleep reflex. his legs were tucked indian style beneath him, and every so often, he'd mumble incoherent nothings, as if he was trying to tell the story of his dream. shōyō couldn't help but let a tiny laugh escape the confines of his tight-lipped smile.
no matter, he knew better than to let him sleep- most often, people hate knowing they've slept too long, especially in a public place.
he sat on the stout coffee table in front of the aged couch and nudged tobio's knee, whispering a rousing, "hey, wake up."

tobio's eyes shot wide open, and blood rushed from the nape of his neck to the tips of his ears as if somebody had taken a paintbrush to the skin. he laughed anxiously, unballing and flexing his hands repeatedly, and then he said, "oops."

"was the book boring?"

"no, no- uh, i guess i just got tired," he scratched his neck, and shōyō wondered if that was a social habit. "the rain makes me sleepy."

"it's very quiet in here, i'm not surprised. i provably would've been knocked out, too, if i wasn't busy doing stuff. but i'm all done now."

"that's good, then."

"mhm." the employee nodded, unable to fight the natural grin that glued itself to his face. tobio was just so intriguing.

"so..."

"so."

"i'm not very good with conversation."

"no kidding!"

"hey!" tobio laughed, and shōyō felt it reach down into his stomach and twist it from the inside. oh, how he liked that laugh.

"well, let's see," shōyō wiggled around on the table, getting as comfortable as it would allow him to, "what's your major?"

"studio arts, drawing mainly. you?"

     "english lit. seems fitting enough, huh?"

     "you do work in a library."

    "art, huh? i wouldn't have pegged you for that. maybe like, a history major. i don't know."

     "history? what about me says history?"

     "your unkempt hair and wide selection of hoodies, for starters."

     "hey, hoodies are comfortable, okay?" tobio teased, "i don't need to look good for college."

     shōyō chuckled low and picked at his fingertips, running his thumb pad over the chipped yellow nail polish on his ring finger. he stared at the color as he spoke, "your girlfriend doesn't mind your lazy style, then?"

     "oh, i don't have a girlfriend. girls aren't... they're not really my type, y'know?"

     "oh," shōyō met eyes with him, a new type of cheeky grin taking over his freshly pink face, "well, that's good to know."

     "why?"

     "isn't it obvious? dude, i work in a library and study shakespeare. that's what i chose. no straight boy chooses to read gay plays."

    "oh, i knew that. just wanted to hear you say it."

     the librarian tried to deflect the playful smirk tobio was sending his way with a, "so, what book are you reading, anyway?"

     tobio's hand wrapped around the binding of the volume beside him, holding it up and shaking it lightly, "the book of lost things."

     "about?"

     "a young, troubled boy who gets stuck in an alternate fairytale land and is trying to find a way back home. it's like an even darker twist on the already dark grimm's stories."

     "love me a dark book."

     "yeah, me too," tobio agreed, running his nimble fingers over the red cover.

     the air between them was warm, and it felt like a blanket- no, more like a wall, boxing them in from the rain and the books and the dust floating, enclosing them in their space and zapping away the tension. it was comfortable, and it was stirring an ache to talk forever.
     responsibilities forgotten, the students dove into conversations of authors and stories, and what their favorite paintings looked like; how they pass the nights when they can't sleep, and what kind of treats they come home to when christmas vacation rolls around. tobio was laying with his lanky body across the couch, and shōyō was tummy-down and propped on his elbows atop the wooden table. tobio played with the string bracelets wrapped around his thin wrist, and shōyō's sock-covered toes fiddled with the cuffs of his sweatpants. the rain lightened its course, and slowly the clouds imparted a few golden stripes through the skylight, catching the attention of both of them as they chatted away the hours stuck inside the library.

     "oh, look," shōyō sang, "the sun's coming back!"

     "what time is it?"

     shōyō glanced at the clock, surprise shocking his eyes, "oh, jeez! it's 5 o'clock!"

     "we have been here since 10 this morning." tobio chortled, scrunching his nose up in disbelief.

     "time flies when you're having fun."

     "you had fun?"

     "you're a fun person."

     tobio smiled that picturesque smile once again, and shōyō could feel the hand squeezing him in the lower part of his stomach, making it warm and fuzzy. his vision felt a little impaired by the soft light that danced around tobio's face, and when shōyō smiled back, he recognized that the boy he's made friends with was far more than simply attractive.

     "well, i guess i should get going, huh?"

     "oh- um, yeah. yeah, i have to switch shifts soon, anyway, so that's fine."

     "wanna check this book out for me before i leave?" tobio outstretched his hand, the red book inside his tight grasp.

     "sure."

     he hurried behind the desk and scanned the book, taking one last glance at the cover with winding vines and a boy with a book over his head in a longing gaze. he handed it back to tobio, who was in the process of slinging his raincoat over his shoulders.

     "when is your next shift?"

     "monday at four."

     "i'll be back to return this, then."

     "okay."

     "bye, shōyō," tobio winked. the boy patted the counter lightly and headed for the freezing winter air, his right hand in his pocket and the book in his left.

     "bye," shōyō answered, small enough for tobio to almost miss it.

     it's been a while since he's made a friend- let alone a cute one who can draw and likes to read fiction.