The shy boy [AU - CW]

Romeo not showing up to school was quite peculiar. But Eden also felt that it would’ve been hard to face him as well after their texts back and forth. Why did the lycan have to be so straightforward? He wasnt used to it at all. But as the day went by, he simply couldnt get him out of his mind. Even less when everyone was talking about the lycan’s absence, even Kareema spoke of it in their small breaks between classes. So when lunch break arrived, he went to sit in his usual spot but not with a book but his phone.

[Eden:] Are you sick?
[Eden:] Or is it something I did?

Did he feel a little silly for waiting for replies? Well he did, leaning his head back against the windowsill he was sitting in, looking out on the school yard. The messages ticked in, and he checked his phone. Dont worry? He frowned shaking his head.

[Eden:] Lycans dont just get sick.
[Eden:] I want to see you.

Was he the one being forward now? Well he just wanted to see it for himself. See just how sick the lycan was or if it was because he had somehow hurt him.

He didnt really know what to make out of what the lycan was texting right now? It had to be big enough of a deal for the lycan to suddenly not be here. And Eden worried that it was all his fault, that him not replying had somehow done something. He looked at the replies ticking in, sighing as he tapped his phone in contemplation. The other messages ticked in and he looked them over.

[Eden:] Okay.
[Eden:] I’ll see you tomorrow then.

That was all he could say right? He couldnt think of anything else at least. He felt dumb and stupid and still quite at fault because somehow they hadnt gotten to clear up anything. It had just been pushed. He got off the windowsill and moved out to smoke, trying to clear his mind and think of something else.

Eden frowned at the girls walking by spoke of the lycan, narrowing his eyes as he couldnt help but listen. He drew in a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head. It was just rumors and Eden wouldnt buy into them. Even if it seemed that the rest of the school buzzed like insects with all kinds of theories. Kareema even came to talk to him but he just left her as soon as she started mentioning something she had heard. He didnt even stop by theater class to work on his project.

The next day the day passed as normal and when biology came around he walked into the classroom, seeing the lycan sit in his spot. He sat down next to him, biting the inside of his cheek a little as he tried thinking of something to say. “Are you feeling better?” He asked, looking down at the table rather than at the lycan.

He felt the lycan’s eyes on him and looked to see his charming nature. He looked back at his notes as if he was barely affected by it, but he was squeezing his own thigh a little under the table as if that was going to keep him in check. How could the lycan just do that? Be so alluring?
“The rumors are ridicolous.” He mumbled, seeing the lycan’s hand move closer, looking down to see the note. He pulled it closer and read it. “People say the weirdest things in jealousy.” He said, though a little absentminded as he clearly focused on reading the note. This guy was quite clever, still sticking to the communication that Eden was most comfortable with because the vampyre ate it right up. He scribbled a quick alright below, though his handwriting was rather polished; but that was only expected of a vampyre of his standing. He passed the note back with a paper. “This is yesterday’s notes. Write them down.” He said, because he wasnt going to have his biology partner fall behind.

He did glance over at the lycan’s side, making sure he got everything from the lesson he had missed. Sure, Eden was still getting used to him but it was way worse to have some new stranger come around and then it had been a girl as well. He took the notes as they were passed back, seeing the note he frowned ever so slightly as he saw it. He wasnt stupid, he knew the lycan was flirting, but on school ground? That was quite a risk. He sent the note back with a simple answer underneath. I dont use perfume. Way to go Eden, but at least it wasnt a lie.
The lycan was rather persistent with the notes and Eden didnt mind it. He leaned a little closer to the lycan at his mutter, watching him draw, seeing the note, and read it before he realized something. “Wait you’re missing something.” He said as he snatched the pen from his hand, which he didnt have to, and yet he did. Me too. He added a few things to the drawing, just making sure it was adding to the general overview the lycan had wanted, before he glanced at the lycan. “Sorry for taking your pen.” He said, holding it out for the lycan to take back.

He felt the warm fingers brush over his cold ones. It was definitely not a feeling he was very used to. And yet it was so different from anyone else with a normal warmth. It probably was some kind of payback, but Eden just shrugged lightly. It wasnt a big deal, was it? The note made him hum as he read it. Was the lycan seeing it as some kind of challenge? Eden was sure he had smiled once before, but it wasnt like he kept track of how many times he’d smile a day. But he was feeling some weird feeling fluttering lightly in his chest. But he could push it back down, at least enough to not react to it. His free hand did however squeeze his leg hiding under the table. Since when had he ever had a need to do that?
Class ended and he wasnt really in a rush to pack his things. Most of the mortals rushed to get their food but as a vampyre, Eden always fed in the mornings and then when he eventually got home, so he didnt have to eat anything in school at all. He looked up to see the lycan standing around, scoffing lightly at the question. “Neither of us eats lunch.” He said with a small frown, pulling his bag over his shoulder. “But you can join me if you want.” He said as to not shoot down the lycan’s request. He was going to his usual spot, but would make a detour for the school canteen if the lycan needed food.

“Shouldnt you eat?” He asked. It was a fair question with the lycan’s super metabolism. He shook his head at the question but did notice how the lycan sounded as if he was pleading. It wasnt wrong, but Eden would be worried that he wasnt eating properly. Which was weird because the vampyre had never really considered before that some beings needed food, or actively cared.
“Do you have food on you?” He asked, looking forwards his bag. A fruit, an apple, anything would suffice.

Okay, the lycan wouldnt be starving. Then Eden was ready to go, heading to his remote space he had mostly for himself. It was a few floors up where no students really went as it was quite close to… well nothing that any student would have an intetest in. Eden sat up on the windowsill, gesturing for the lycan to do the same. It had enough space for the both of them, which Eden had never noticed before in all the time he had spent up there. “Why do you do that? Smile at everyone, being so approachable?” He asked, out of genuine curiousity over mockery.

He looked out on the view too, but glanced towards the lycan. The lunch break was long so he had time to hear it. He looked at the lycan’s hands fiddling with the bag. But then as he spoke, Eden listened and quite intently. He was bullied? Eden felt a little confused by that because he had never seen it coming. Everyone loved Romeo on sight here, at least it seemed so. “That makes sense.” He said as the lycan finished up his story, lifting a leg up to sit more comfortably in the sill. He preferred leaning back against the frame but he wasnt reading today so there was no point. “I guess it’s easy to bully a lycan for being a beast.” He said with a sigh. What a silly thing for kids to care about and yet it wasnt like Eden didnt understand that kids did whatever they wanted. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” He said more sincerely. As someone who enjoyed staying in the background, he had never really bullied anyone.

“It probably makes life easier for you.” He remarked. There wasnt anything bad in being nice to others, though Eden preferred sticking to politeness over having to go out of his way to be nice when he didnt feel nice by nature. The sun would always have it’s effect on vampyres, but the protection is the glass was at least keeping him from feeling drowsy. Fake it with him? He looked at him at the thought, watching as he ate. It was probably totally impolite but he at least noticed that the lycan seemingly didnt want to eat. “What does it feel like? Not wanting to eat?” He asked. As a vampyre it was quite easy to drink blood and rarely did vampyres ever have to feel nausea or throw up. Sure, stale blood wasnt pleasant and rotten blood could make them throw up but it wasnt like they could ever really drink bad blood in regards to food poisoning. Maybe if they began consuming things that they werent supposed to like mortal food.

Well Eden was up for hearing him try. It didnt occur to him that it wasnt helping the lycan’s nausea at all. And the description sounded rather unpleasant. Eden didnt feel like trying to imagine it, he took the lycan’s word for it. The notion that it wasnt helping made Eden look down with a small frown. “Sorry.” He mumbled rather politely, lifting a hand to scratch the side of his neck. The lycan’s question made him frown slightly because he felt like this was were he had to reveal just how predictable and boring he really was, sitting here all day reading books. “Read.” He just replied, moving his gaze out the window. “And if I dont read, then I’m looking out on the view.”