Work Text:
Dry, brown leaves crunching beneath his shoes, Hershel takes a stroll through the university campus. A rarity for this time of year, the sky is clear, a beautiful shade of blue, and the sun sits so low in the sky it dazzles him through the gaps in the buildings and trees. The air is cool yet not cold and the campus rather deserted; the only things Hershel can hear are the sounds of people chattering in the distance, birdsong and the leaves crunching whenever he steps on them. Days like this are his favourite; it’s all just so peaceful and beautiful and a wonderful sensory experience.
And all of this is made better by how Claire walks by his side. It is rare for Claire and Hershel to be out of lectures or the library, especially at the same time, so they need to seize times like this by spending time together. Hershel smiles; he adores spending time with Claire, his wonderful girlfriend.
“How was your lecture today, Claire?” he asks, trying not to get distracted by a leaf on the ground that reminds him of a puzzle. He looks at Claire, avoiding eye contact, but he sees her smile.
“Complicated, but fascinating,” Claire says. “As always. What about you?”
Hershel gives her a short description of his archaeology lecture, trying his best not to end up infodumping. After all, he is rather prone to that.
And when he has finished, he looks at Claire again. She smiles at him, and he flushes. He might as well ask. After all, they have been in a relationship for several weeks.
Still, he stammers as he says, “Claire? May I… May I kiss you?”
Claire blushes, smiling. “Of course you can.”
And Hershel gives her a soft, tentative kiss on the lips.