it's just too hard

tension

𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔤𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯'𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢

☆

for his first few days of 'work' dream helped out in the library during the mornings before school but the librarian asked if he could do the first half of lunch today instead and he easily agreed- he figured that no one would be here at lunch and the librarian would leave to eat her food so he could just sit and listen to music.

he was wrong.

the library is almost completely empty besides one boy who has been there since the second that lunch began, looking at the books.

dream sort of wants him to fuck off, in the nicest way possible.

he supposes he could just go help the lost-looking brunette, since it would get him to leave quicker and that is sort of his job (even if he isn't paid for it).

with a sigh, dream gets up from behind the desk, coming out from behind it and heading over to the stranger. normally he wouldn't care but some part of his mind wasn't allowing him to relax with the brunette still in the room.

"hi. sorry," dream apologises when the shorter boy jumps a little. "i couldn't help but realise you look a bit lost, do you want help finding something?" he offers. then, because his brain doesn't know when to stop, he adds, "are you new here?"

the brunette's eyebrows furrow, a look of offence painting his features. "uh no, thanks," he says, "i've been going here for like two years."

besides his embarrassment, dream is surprised by the accent. "oh, sorry," he apologises.

the british boy rolls his lips into his mouth, offering dream a single, awkward nod before looking back at the books in front of him.

dream stands there for a hot second, feeling lost for what he should say before ultimately deciding to just walk away. he turns, almost speed-walking back to the desk.

that was so embarrassing, he can't help but think. he decides then that he is never going to offer someone help again. ever.

he sits back down in the librarian's chair, unconsciously grabbing a stray pen that was sitting on the desk.

he starts to tap it on the wood as he watches the british boy from across the room, nothing short of humiliated by their short interaction. he curses himself for having to ask if he was new- why didn't he just stop at needing help?

the brunette grabs a book and dream watches him take it over to one of the tables by the centre of the room. the blond only then notices the backpack hanging on a chair, which the stranger sits beside.

dream wants to sigh at the realisation that this boy isn't leaving but he holds it back.

the boy flips through the book, landing on a random page and starting to read. dream takes the other's distraction as an excuse to take in the british boy.

he's shorter than dream by quite a bit, he could tell from when he'd walked over, but he looks older in the face and generally mature. he doesn't have that same childish energy that the younger students at their school do.