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Hunter Clarington hated attending new schools. New schools meant new people, and new people meant the questions started all over again. His father and mother were recently stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which meant Hunter had to move with them to the middle of fucking nowhere. Great. Just what he needed, to be branded as a freak by a bunch of hillbillies with uncle-fathers and buckteeth.
He adjusted the weight of his nearly empty messenger bag on his shoulder as he walked into the school. It was only the second time in his life he’d attended public school, his parents usually choosing to place him in private schools better suited for his ‘needs.’ Which, fuck his ‘needs.’ He wasn’t helpless. He had gotten along just fine for the first 17 years of his life, and he would continue to get along just fine.
He collected his books from the library with minimal incident, the librarian doing nothing more than looking at the paper he held from the office before scuttling away to fetch the books. He gave her a nod of thanks and a small smile before he pulled out his class schedule. As he left the library, he heard a few girls talking about the ‘new transfer from Colorado’ and how he was supposedly ‘the hottest thing on two legs.’ That would have made Hunter smile to himself had he not heard them start to talk about his ‘issue.’ As he just pushed through the doors, he absently noticed that lunch was ending, the halls soon to be filled with students rushing to socialize and get to their next class all in the span of a few minutes.
He navigated the halls to his assigned locker, the combination already memorized. He slid what books he wouldn’t need for the remainder of the day into the locker, taking a deep breath before he closed it. He could do this. It was just a little under year more and he was done with high school all together. He wouldn’t have to worry about stupid kids and their stupid preconceived notions and…
"Damn," came a voice from behind him, smooth as silk. "I should consider moving to Colorado if all the boys look like this."
Hunter turned around, his mouth open in surprise. He hadn’t heard anyone walk up behind him, which was odd. Still, he squared his shoulders and prepared for the inevitable, his hand resting on his bag.
"Don’t look so surprised, new kid," the boy continued. It was at that moment that Hunter took in, really took in the other’s appearance. He was tall, just a little taller than Hunter, and thin, but not too thin. He looked like a runner, to be honest, and while Hunter had never dated another boy before, he knew enough about himself that he knew he could appreciate the look the boy had going on. Hunter’s eyes finally rested on his face again, just the hint of a smirk at the corner of the friendly boy’s lips. The boy quirked an eyebrow slightly, shaking his head a little as he started speaking again. "Are you going to let me buy you a coffee or not?"
Hunter opened his mouth to answer, the strange boy causing him to do something he hadn’t done in what felt like ages. It wasn’t like him to slip up like that, but there he was, acting like he could answer. He rolled his lips between his teeth in embarrassment, his hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. He’d never been openly hit on by a boy before, and never one this… smooth? Attractive? Earnest sounding? Surely he’d heard more about him than just where he came from…?
He must have hesitated too long, since the other boy was adding, “Come on, I’m not taking no for an answer.”
He smiled indulgently, fully intending to tell the other boy, in no uncertain terms, that he would take no for an answer, at least as soon as he found something to write it on. Instead, Hunter found his lips widening into an almost shy, boyish grin as he nodded his head once.
"I’m Sebastian," the boy offered, holding out his hand to shake. Hunter took it, shaking firmly and smiling, finding himself slightly caught in the green of Sebastian’s eyes.
It was then that Hunter realized he would have to tell this boy his name. He let go of his hand, reaching into his bag to retrieve a small notebook and a thin black permanent marker. He’d forgone pens when his grandmother’s eyesight had started to go, finding the darker black lines easier to read. He wrote down his name in neat, precise handwriting before handing the notepad to Sebastian.
"Well, Hunter Clarington, aren’t you just full of surprises?" Sebastian teased, plucking the pen out of Hunter’s hand and scribbling something on the next page before handing both items back to the slightly stunned boy. He looked at the paper, seeing under his own neat writing the elaborate, elongated cursive of one Sebastian… Smythe. Under that was a phone number and a Twitter, with the words ‘After school. You and me. Lima Bean coffee shop down on Main. Text me your order before you leave the school. Don’t be late.’
As Hunter looked back up after reading the note another two times, Sebastian was walking away, talking to what he assumed was a friend about how he’d be skipping lacrosse practice that afternoon. It was the first time in his life Hunter hadn’t immediately been questioned as to whether he could speak or not. This Sebastian just took what information was given and rolled with it, no awkward questions asked. It was as if he didn’t care why Hunter was mute, or that he was even mute at all. It was… refreshing, to say the least. Any doubt Hunter had before that he would just skip out on coffee with this boy was promptly eradicated as he realized that.
Hunter had a huge, real smile heading into his first class, one that even lasted through the ‘can you just not speak or do you just choose not to speak?’ questions. Nothing was going to get him down, not even bucktooth, hillbilly uncle-fathers.
Because he, Hunter Clarington, had a coffee date.