Julian had been writing for hours.
He hadn't noticed the light in the dorm shift from the soft golden warmth of afternoon to the pale wash of evening. His legs were folded beneath him on his chair, one sock slipping halfway off his foot, forgotten. His laptop sat precariously on a stack of books, his notebook flopped open beside him, pages full of frantic scribbles and crossed-out lines.
Thomas had barely spoken the whole time.
He sat across the room at his desk, supposedly reading—but Julian knew better. He'd caught Thomas glancing over a few times when he thought Julian wasn't looking, brows faintly drawn as if curious or maybe… quietly concerned.
Julian tapped one final period onto the screen and sat back with a sigh, stretching his arms over his head. His back cracked. His fingers were stiff.
A moment passed, filled only by the low hum of the computer fan.
Then Julian turned, eyes still half-lidded, and said, "Hey."
Thomas didn't look up from his book. "What?"
"I'm done." Julian's voice carried a strange mix of exhaustion and pride. "What's next?"
Thomas finally glanced up, slow and unhurried. He set his book down with a quiet thump. "Let me see."
Julian stood, laptop in hand, and padded over to Thomas's side of the room. There was hesitation in his steps—not hesitation because he was unsure of the work, but because, somehow, walking across the room toward Thomas always made his chest feel too small.
He sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders barely didn't touch.
Thomas adjusted the screen without asking, and they both leaned in at the same time. For a moment, their cheeks were nearly aligned, and Julian forgot how to breathe properly.
"Your formatting's sloppy," Thomas said flatly.
Julian groaned. "You really don't believe in compliments, huh?"
"You used the word 'journey' four times in the same paragraph."
"I was trying to be poetic!"
Thomas didn't reply. He leaned in closer instead, squinting at a particular section. The proximity sent a flush up Julian's neck.
And then—Thomas's hand brushed over Julian's to reach the trackpad. It was small. A flicker. But it was enough.
Julian blinked. His heart picked up its pace.
Thomas corrected a word silently, the soft clack of keys the only sound between them.
Julian watched his profile—the way his lashes curved downward, how his hair fell forward slightly when he tilted his head, the little line between his brows when he focused.
He looked… unfairly beautiful up close.
Julian turned his head away quickly and muttered, "Okay. No need to breathe on my soul like that."
Thomas paused. "Then don't lean in. You're leaning closer and closer."
Julian kicked his shin lightly. Thomas didn't even flinch. "I'm watching what you're doing!"
The tension didn't dissolve. It just folded deeper into the air between them.