Ivan's pen slowed to a halt, the tip hovering just above the paper. He blinked once, then twice, before realizing the quiet that had fallen over the room. It wasn't just the usual kind of quiet. The background hum of a ceiling fan and the faint ticking of a clock. This was different.
Adrian had stopped talking. Ivan lifted his gaze, and Adrian, slumped over the table. His head resting on his arm, completely knocked out. His textbook lay forgotten and half-open. The pen still clutched between his fingers. His face was turned slightly to the side, lips parted just a little, his breathing slow and steady.
For a moment, Ivan simply stared. He's asleep, he thought, blinking a few times as if to make sure.
He leaned back slightly, unsure what to do. Was he supposed to wake him up? Let him sleep? Ivan sighed quietly, the kind that came more from habit than frustration. His dark eyes softened a fraction as he took in the sight before him. Adrian's messy blonde hair falling into his face, the faint crease on his cheek where it pressed against his arm.
He looks… different when he's not talking, Ivan found himself thinking.
Still, he needed to make sure. He leaned forward and waved his hand gently in front of Adrian's face, keeping a cautious distance. No response.
"...He's actually asleep," he murmured under his breath, more to himself than anything.
Something suddenly tugged at his attention, Adrian's hair. It was slightly disheveled, a few golden strands sticking out at odd angles. Ivan hesitated, fingers twitching in midair. It wasn't like Adrian would know, right?
He slowly reached out, his movements deliberate and careful, brushing the tips of Adrian's hair with the back of his fingers, just enough to push the strands away from his eyes. His hair was softer than he'd expected. The second he started to draw his hand back, Adrian's fingers suddenly shot up and caught his wrist.
Ivan froze. The contact was light but firm, Adrian's hand warm around his. He looked down but Adrian's eyes were still closed.
"…Let go," Ivan muttered, trying to pull his hand back. Instead, Adrian's fingers tightened slightly, guiding Ivan's hand up to his cheek. Ivan stiffened, every nerve in his body suddenly aware of how close they were. Adrian's skin was warm against his palm. His grin faint but unmistakable even with his eyes closed.
"Don't wanna," Adrian murmured lazily, voice low and a little hoarse from sleep. "You touched me first."
Ivan's jaw tensed. "Adrian—"
"Fair, don't you think?" Adrian continued, opening his eyes now, a teasing spark glinting in them. He tilted his head, that infuriating grin spreading wider. "I don't mind if you wanna touch me more. I'll gladly give in."
Ivan's face went still. His eyes cool and unreadable but his ears betrayed him with the faintest hint of red at the tips. He pulled his hand back sharply, clicking his tongue in irritation. "Ridiculous." His tone was flat, but the way he avoided Adrian's gaze didn't go unnoticed.
"Hey, you started it," Adrian said with a smirk, propping his chin on his hand as he watched Ivan flip back to his notes like nothing happened. "You can't just touch me and pretend it didn't happen. That's cold."
"Then stop talking and study." Ivan's reply was curt.
"Yes sir," Adrian said, mock-saluting him before leaning over his own book. He tried to focus, but his eyes kept darting back toward Ivan. The way Ivan's brows furrowed slightly when he was deep in thought. The faint concentration line between them.
Adrian caught himself smiling and quickly looked away. What the hell is wrong with me?
After a few more silent minutes, Adrian spoke again, voice softer this time. "Did you… keep studying while I was asleep?"
Ivan gave a short nod, while his eyes still on his book.
"Wow. You really don't take breaks, huh?" Adrian stretched, yawning, trying to play it off like he didn't feel guilty. "Sorry. Guess I'm not the best study partner."
Ivan only hummed in response, but that small sound, that quiet, almost reluctant acknowledgment, made something inside Adrian weirdly warm.
He caught it then, yet again the faint pink dusting the tips of Ivan's ears. He's so easy to fluster, Adrian thought, a small grin tugging at his lips. Cute.
He leaned back, cracking his neck lightly before flipping open his notebook again. "Alright, Mr. Serious," he said, pretending to focus. "Teach me more math before my brain explodes."
Ivan sighed but didn't comment, turning another page.
By the time they finished, the sun had already sunk low, leaving behind streaks of soft orange and violet across the evening sky. The living room was dim now, lit only by the warm glow of the lamp near the couch. Their books and notes were scattered across the table, a battlefield of pencils, erasers, and half-scribbled formulas.
Adrian stretched his arms above his head, groaning dramatically. "Ugh, my brain's fried. I swear, if I see another equation, I'm gonna combust."
Ivan quietly capped his pen and closed his notebook. "That's what happens when you actually use your brain," he said, deadpan.
Adrian pressed a hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded. "Ouch. You really have a way with words, you know that?"
"Truth hurts." Ivan replied dryly, packing his things neatly. The textbook stacked, pens aligned. His movements were careful, precise, and completely unlike Adrian's chaotic style.
Adrian watched him for a moment, chin resting on his hand. "You always this neat?"
Ivan didn't look up. "I don't like mess."
"Must be tough hanging out with me then."
Ivan's hand paused for half a second before continuing. "You said it, not me."
Adrian laughed under his breath. "Brutal."
When Ivan finally stood up, the room somehow felt different, quieter and heavier. He slung his bag over his shoulder, pausing near the front door as Adrian followed behind him. For once, Adrian wasn't grinning or teasing. He just looked at Ivan, like really looked at him.
"You sure you don't wanna stay for dinner? My parents aren't home, so there's no adult supervision. We could totally order pizza or something."
Ivan shook his head, slipping on his shoes. "It's late."
"C'mon, I'll walk you out at least."
Outside, the evening air was cool, carrying that faint scent of rain and cut grass. The streetlights flickered on one by one, casting soft halos across the pavement. They stood on the front porch, neither quite knowing what to say.
Adrian shoved his hands in his pockets. "You know, you're actually not that bad to study with."
Ivan gave him a sideways glance. "You fell asleep halfway through."
"Hey, power naps count as focus recovery."
Ivan sighed quietly, but the corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile, but close enough that Adrian caught it. For a moment, neither spoke. Crickets hummed faintly in the background, and Adrian's gaze drifted toward Ivan's face. The faint shadow under his eyes, the calm look that never seemed to break.
"So, uh…" Adrian started, scratching the back of his neck. "About earlier. When I was… y'know—"
"Being an idiot?" Ivan supplied flatly.
"—flirting," Adrian corrected, smirking a little despite himself. "That's what you meant to say."
Ivan gave him a blank stare. "You call that flirting?"
"Hey, I was half-asleep! I don't take responsibility for anything I say in that state."
"Convenient excuse."
Adrian chuckled softly, stepping closer until they were just a bit too near. Not enough to touch, but enough to make the air thicken slightly. "Still, thanks for coming over. I didn't expect you to actually agree to it."
"I didn't come because of you."
"Oh? Then who?"
Ivan's gaze flicked up to meet his, unreadable as ever. "Nevermind."
Adrian opened his mouth to reply but stopped. For a split second, something unspoken passed between them, a look that felt heavier than teasing, quieter than anger.
Then Ivan broke the gaze, stepping back onto the sidewalk. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Adrian said, softer now. "See you."
Ivan turned and started down the dim street, hands in his pockets, his figure gradually fading into the soft orange streetlight glow. Adrian watched him go, something strange tightening in his chest. When Ivan finally disappeared around the corner, Adrian let out a long sigh, rubbing his face with both hands.
"Damn it…" he muttered to himself, pacing back toward his door. "Why does he make everything so..."
He stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of the study table through the window, two pens lying close together, one of them still his, the other Ivan's.
Adrian blinked, then smiled faintly. "Guess he forgot something." He picked it up, twirling the pen between his fingers.
"Or maybe," he said to no one, "he just wanted a reason to come back." The words left his lips half-jokingly, but the warmth that bloomed in his chest wasn't. His chest felt weirdly heavy, like the kind of warmth that made no sense but wouldn't leave.