#ner0tic.

[ourblued]

@ner0tic, cont. from here!

astrid wanted to help. wanted to say something comforting, in a way. they were lonely -- not that lonely, but they wanted to feel something that wasn't this complete sense of hatred. reaching out, extending their hand over to his, wanting to comfort. that's all they wanted to do, at first. " let me . . --, " astrid's musing, carefully considering their words, not wanting to set anything off inside of the older man. humming, still keeping close, they're letting out this somewhat defeated sigh, shaking their head before eyes connect over to him. " . . let me take care of you first, " finally saying, lips curling into this lightened grin, taking his hand, curling around their own before squeezing. " no one can know, alright? " if anyone knew, there went astrid's creditability, or if they had any, that was the matter. they haven't done this before, however, they were going to do anything, if it proved something inside of them. for a second, astrid lends out an olive branch, wondering how to even do anything without his permission. " robert --, if i ask you something, will you tell me the truth? "

[ourblued]

heart pounding whenever the other does so much as to hold onto their wrist while guiding them through a crowd. / @ner0tic.

first time for everything, right? that's what astrid thinks. however, they're not letting go. they're holding onto his hand as tight as they can, with their eyes minimally turning back to make sure that he's comfortable, that he hasn't disappeared into the crowd of people. for some reason, astrid feels -- somewhat content, with squeezing his hand, waiting for a response back. heart beats against their chest, wondering if he's okay walking through a sea of people just to get to their destination, the one place astrid wanted to take him. ' you'd like it, ' they promised before taking him beforehand. lips curled into a smile as they're turning back one more time, soon pulling the older man close to them as they're out of the crowd.

" you're okay? " sentence comes out, reassuring, gently patting his shoulder, hoping he wasn't too shook up, walking through all of that. hand still holding tightly, humming softly before laying their head on his shoulder. " i -- i normally don't take people here, but you're special, robert. to me, you are. " deep breath, as they're attempting to show off their affectionate side, knowing that he's worth it, he wouldn't say anything bad if they were. " but, i come here if i feel empty, on the inside. " eyes glancing again, a statue of a greek god, keeping themselves close to the other. " & i just stare, you know? some people come here, silently pray, but i -- look at it, for a long time. until i feel like my life matters. & what i want to do matters. "

[ourblued]

@ner0tic, cont. from here!

they're not . . . worried. should they be? only coming to the library for books, for their class. god, their class. the one that they've immediately signed up for once they realized their love for archaeology. how fucking cliché, right? it seems like it, considering that they're just looking for a goddamned book. least bit, he seems like wonderful company -- for the moment being. though, a chill sends down their spine as his eyes are kept onto them, wondering what to say. nothing, except for a smile that creeps up on their face, a living, breathing expression that notes their interest. quiet scoff leaving their lips, shaking their head. he has nothing to worry about, it's not like he's . . a stalker. " it's fine, " words quip out, eyes turning away for a moment, looking for a specific author. someone famous, their professor mentioned.

a breath of air, as their chest heaves up & down, mentally taking a liking to the other, head cocked to the side, contemplating the most careful words, nonetheless, his admission gifts them a red shade among their cheeks, causing a brief laugh to leave their lips. " you think i'm beautiful, hm? " they're replying, pondering for a moment. does this count as some meet cute? astrid's eyeing him, up & down, nearly swearing that they've seen him around campus somewhere. not that they've . . . kept tabs, because that would be weird, to keep tabs on someone they've seen a few times, however, this time, being the first time they've ever spoken to one another. brow still raised, glancing at his hand, extending theirs to shake it. " astrid. it's nice to meet you, robert. " it's welcoming, their sentence. it's warm, it's something that someone gets used to once they're trying to build a relationship. " tell me something, yeah? do you usually come in here to gaze at strangers? "