LITG Oneshots

dewey decimal system - Noah/MC (Explicit)

She's doing it again. That thing where she absentmindedly strolls up and down the library aisles, picking up any book that catches her fancy and putting it back again — but in the wrong spot. Noah would swear that she does it on purpose, but she never looks back over her shoulder to check if he's watching the way her hips sway as she moves along, her fingers trailing lightly along the shelves, searching for their next victim.

But he does watch, and he never fails to hate himself for it.

Noah Alexander doesn't hate anyone, but dammit, if she doesn't come close.

Every time she walks in the front door, he has to stifle a groan — one, because he knows he'll be spending the rest of his shift following after her, putting each book she picks up back in its proper place, and two, because of the way his trousers always seem a little bit tighter when she's around.

Alina is her name, according to her library account. Alina Pullman. Which is extra annoying, because she shares a surname with one of his favourite authors. They're now forever linked together in his mind by association, and he can't pick up a Philip Pullman book without automatically thinking of her, which never fails to lessen his enjoyment in the book in question. With golden blonde hair that falls in soft waves over her shoulders, the most stunning amber eyes that sparkle like stars in the night sky, and curves that could cause traffic accidents, she spends far too much time invading his thoughts.

He's dreamt about having her plump red lips wrapped around his cock on more than one occasion, waking up with a raging hard-on that won't go down until he takes care of it, no matter how hard he tries to resist.

And he might be harbouring a little fantasy that involves him pinning her against the library shelves and making her scream his name... but he would never admit it, of course.

He certainly wouldn't ever act on it.

It's quiet in the library tonight, and Noah's unsure whether or not to be grateful for that. On one hand, it means he's free to keep an eye on her and rescue each of the books she touches from their misplaced fate. On the other hand, it means he's free to keep an eye on her and imagine all the nasty things he'd like to do to her.

And it's a long list. He has quite a few thoughts that aren't entirely appropriate for the quiet library setting. Thoughts that would likely shock most of his patrons, who see him as a quiet, mild-mannered literary type, one who wouldn't be out of place in one of their regency romances. The old ladies like to tease him with talk of setting him up with their granddaughters; the young mothers who bring their kids to his reading times like to watch and swoon.

But Alina? Alina acts like she doesn't even know he exists. There are no glances snuck in his direction, no lowered eyes and flirtatious hair tucks while he checks her books out for her. Their interactions are quick and business-like, with friendly smiles just like those you'd give to any random stranger.

And it drives him crazy. Because while she's firmly burrowed her way under his skin, he can't say the same thing about himself. He seems to have no effect on her. None, zilch, nada. If she saw him in the street, she might not even recognize him.

She places a book on one of the shelves, wedging it between two others in a too-tight space where it doesn't belong before sashaying down the aisle and disappearing around the corner. He's about to go find the book and return it to its correct place when a mother and her three kids approach the counter carrying a stack of books.

Fighting the frown that tugs at his lips, he instead gives the woman a smile and a friendly comment, asking if she found everything she was looking for. She did, of course — Noah is proud of how well the library is kept organized, and he impresses the importance of putting everything in its proper place on all the new staff when he trains them. One of her kids hops up and down on one foot and asks if he can have a piece of candy from the jar on the counter, and Noah nods and tells him he can, as long as his mum allows him.