I Just Wanna Know You || Tim & Cullen
The college was huge. It had taken Cullen a year and a half to get used to how big his high school was. This place could fit at least four high schools. It didn’t help that it was a visitors’ day. Prospective students, parents and tour guides were wandering all over the place, mixed in with the students and the professors.
His stomach turning nervously, Cullen tugged down the sleeve of his shirt to try to cover up his cast better. For some reason, it felt like a neon sign. The last thing he wanted was for people to stare at him. Not today. He unfolded the paper in his hands again, the creases showing he had folded and unfolded it several dozen times. The information for his tour was simple enough. He was supposed to be there at nine o’clock sharp, which he was, and to wait for his tour guide outside the main office, where he was standing. Actually, he had gotten there about twenty minutes early. The nerves had made it practically impossible to sleep the night before, so getting up bright and early hadn’t been much of a problem. It was already a little tricky getting from the Narrows to the other districts, but he had managed it in record time.
Because he wasn’t looking at the date or time on the paper. He was looking at the name of his guide. Tim Drake. His guide, his crush, the face on the picture he had tucked away in his locker. Cullen was going to get to meet him.
Going to the college for a tour had been exciting long before he had got the letter with his guide’s name on it, but now, he couldn’t stop his stomach from fluttering every time his eyes ran over the name. In the back of his mind, he had been aware that it could have been a possibility. He knew Tim was college age and living in Gotham, but he had never imagined that this would actually happen.
Cullen took a deep breath and folded the paper up again. He carefully tucked it into his pocket, where he had been keeping it since it had arrived in the mail a week ago. How much longer? He checked the time. Still a few minutes to nine. Why had he gotten there so early? Well, Tim, from what he’d read in magazines, seemed to be very efficient. He seemed like the sort of person who would get places early.
There were chairs outside the office for people to wait, but he couldn’t sit still if he wanted to. So he paced a few steps, practicing his introduction in his head. Hi I’m Cullen. No that was too juvenile. He had to sound mature. As mature as a small sixteen-year-old could. Good day. No, not good day, that was too stuffy. Maybe skip that altogether. Just, it’s nice to meet you, and go for a hand shake. That sounded alright. Wait, when would he introduce himself? Would Tim think it’s nice to meet him? Oh god. What if he didn’t like him?
No, stop. He couldn’t let himself think like that. It would be okay. It was just a tour. Getting worked up over it would only make things worse.
He took another deep breath and moved to sit in one of the chairs. His foot instantly started tapping on the ground. He pulled out the paper again. It had said nine in the morning, right? What if he had gotten it wrong and it was a night tour? Did they even give night tours?
No. Nine am. It was fine. All he had to do now was wait.
