The Shy & Clumsy Physicist (IkeVamp; Isaac Newton)
a/n: I havenât opened the ikevamp app in months, and when I did revisit it the other day, I was hit with nostalgia from the music alone. Decided to tackle an old wip from a retrospective angle, thinking of doing the same to the rest of the bunch. Thus, I present to you a piece of my Memories of the Mansion, talking to Isaac Newton for the first time.Â
[Characters]: You & Isaac (ft. Napoleon)
[Word count]: ~1000 words
[Notes]: Pre-relationship, first meetings, can be read as platonic, gender-neutral reader
In a mansion full of accomplished and renowned historical figures, Isaac Newton was no slouch. If anything, he was among the most dedicated to continuing his previous lifeâs work. He could work for hours on a single contraption without a care for the outside world, never losing patience and or focus. And yet, whenever you walked into the room he was working in or made your presence known to the hard-working scientist, something in him would switch.
Heâd stumble on his words and bump his elbow or knee against the nearest furniture. Itâs like heâd lost all sense of spatial awareness, and his vision tunneled in on you and every shift of your facial expression.
Isaacâs demeanor was endearing, to say the least. You may even call it cute. But the longer it persisted, the more you worried about him. He could seriously injure himself soon, if he hasnât already.
One time, you greeted him in the hall on your way to the kitchen as he came down the stairs from the second floor. His foot missed a step and nearly sent him tumbling down if it werenât for Napoleonâs quick reflexes pulling his arm back to straighten him.
âYouâve been spacing out a lot lately, something on your mind?â Napoleon asked.
âNo, no. Iâm quite alright.â You were already gone behind the swinging kitchen door when he looked back.
âI see. It is not something, but someone that is on your mind, hm?â Napoleon nudged.
Isaac whipped his head around. âHow did you know?â
âYou just told me, with your eyes.â Napoleon tilted his head in the same direction as Isaacâs gaze a second ago. He smirked. âAnd your reaction confirmed it.â
âNothing escapes you it seems.â Isaac sighed. âBut it really is nothing. I just feel so nervous around them.â
âThe new helper? Whyâs that?â
Before Isaac could elaborate on his dilemma, you emerged again from the kitchen, looking much relieved to be empty-handed.
âAnd how do you do, gentlemen?â You greeted cordially, imitating a guest at a ball. Â
Napoleon played along, bowing in response. âAll is well, et tu?â
âMuch the same, thank you, Monsieur Bonaparte.â
You shared a laugh, and Isaac looked between you two like you spoke some ancient tongue he was unaware of.
âJust âNapoleonâ will do, no need to be so formal.â
âRight, still getting used to that,â you said. You smiled at both of them. Isaac looked like he wanted to say something, but it remained caught in his throat. âI better get to my next task. Sebastian really isnât going easy on me, despite it being my second week! See ya!â
âDo let us know if you ever need help.â Napoleon called out to your retreating figure.
âHow did you do that?â Isaac asked.
âTalk with them soâŠnormally, casually.â
âHow to talk to MC?â Napoleon echoed. âWords are a good start.â
âIâm serious!â Isaacâs face warmed up, and his friendâs laughter wasnât doing him any favors. âItâs not that simple.â
âBut it is. Alright, how about this: talk about your day or your work. Iâm sure theyâd love to hear about it.â
Isaac didnât understand the logic behind it. Would you really be willing to listen to him babble about equations and theories, that even he wasnât certain of yet? No, no. That wonât do, he thought, shaking his head. Napoleon patted his shoulder and told him that you two will talk at some point, seeing as youâll be living in the same mansion for an undefined period of time.
Isaac thought it over when he returned to the library to continue his work. He even practiced some conversation starters on his pet hedgehog, Harry, when he fed him.
Later the same day, Isaac walked past the lounge on his way to get Rouge. From the corner of his eye, he spotted you in there, fiddling with a gramophone.
Isaacâs outburst startled you, and you almost knocked the gramophone right off of its station. You held it in place while also holding your breath. Safe.
âIâm so sorry,â Isaac said. âWhat were you doing with that?â
âOh, this? I wanted to see if it played any music.â You rubbed your arm sheepishly.
âIâm afraid it wonât. I havenât fully reassembled it yet.â
âReassembled?â You echoed.
âI took it apart, yes. Itâs a hobby of mine, observing how it works and then putting it back together.â
You looked at him stunned, and your silence worried him.
âW-whatâs wrong? Was it something I said?â Isaacâs shoulders tensed.
âI donât thinkâŠIâve ever heard you talk so much before.â You covered your mouth. âOh no, that was rude. I meant, we havenât gotten a chance to really talk, you knowâŠâ You trailed.
âQ-quite right. Well, be sure, Iâll have that gramophone fixed in no time,â he said.
âCould I watch you while you do that?â
âWatch you work, I mean. If youâre okay with it, of course.â
Isaac wasnât used to having a willing audience. It made him nervous. He tugged at his hair in thought. What should he do? Napoleonâs words came back to him. 'Words are a good start.â Yes, words! He passed that first obstacle. And he can do a little better than that. He left to get his tools from the library. When he returned, he found you with a tray of Rouge and sandwiches prepared.
âIâm no expert, but I believe itâs not proper to work on an empty stomach,â you said.
For the first time since you arrived at the mansion, Isaac smiled. It was a good look on him, you mused, gave him a boyish innocence.
The two of you sat on the floor, and Isaac went into focus-mode. He didnât mind your questions and even talked through his process with you. He sounded more confident, excited even. You helped organize his tools for him as he switched between them. As you looked at him working animatedly, you thought to yourself, he wasnât so intimidating after all. Heâs an introvert, like any other from your time period. But he was also brilliant, the way he carefully handled the project in front of him spoke of his meticulous nature. You looked forward to learning more about him.
Silently standing at the doorway was none other than Isaacâs friend and confidant smiling at the sight before him. Napoleon knew his friend had it in him, he just needed a little nudge in the right direction.
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