Chapter Text
Prologue
...and when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment...
- Plato, The Symposium
The storm had been sudden and menacing, wind lashing out at everything it could. People went scurrying down the streets, desperate to avoid the vicious onslaught of the rain. Only a few remained in the city, being thrust down the sidewalk by the wind and rain as they attempted their journey home.
Desperate yourself to escape for the downpour, you hurried down the sidewalk, looking for a shop still open for refuge. The sudden deluge of rain as well as the late time of the evening had forced you to migrate to a part of town you'd never previously been, and so when you had seen a small, old bookshop that had a flickering 'open' sign, you hurriedly made your way in.
As soon as you had made your way into the shop and the door had shut, an eerie calm situated over you. There was no sound except for some obscure classical song playing over some outdated speakers, and the wooden floor creaked underfoot as you made your way deeper into the shop. The smell of old books was strong, and as you ventured deeper into the rows, you took notice of the books piled on the ground; some had been new, while others were in worse shape, their spines coming undone. Many were titles you did not recognize, though there were a few 'Romeo and Juliet' and other Shakespeare titles among the books.
You continued to make your way through the cramped aisles, finally stopping in what you assumed to be the 'Mythology' section. After glancing through the titles, you pulled out an old book on Greek mythology, carefully opening to a random page. Just as you began to read something about Kronos, something bumped into you, causing the book to fall out of your hands. Making a sound of surprise, you quickly turned around to catch the culprit. Instead, you were met with a young man with blue eyes full of confusion. You stared at each other for a moment, and as you did, you took in the sight before you. The blonde man had a stack of books under his arms, and had another book open, only it had no title.
The more you looked over him, you came to realize something.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming calm that the bookstore held, drowning out the rest of the world; or, maybe, it was the obscure classical song playing over the outdated speakers, but of one thing you were certain:
Those were the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured, barely managing to shake you from your trance. You both leaned down to collect the fallen book, now open to a random page. However, the blonde was faster than you, and opened the book, examining the pages contents as you both stood. He looked puzzled for a moment, his eyes slightly squinted and eyebrows furrowed. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, he handed the book back to you, his eyes connecting with your own, and as he did so, you swore he was able to read your mind. All too soon, he looked away, back down to the godforsaken Greek Mythology book, and asked, "You believe in soulmates?"
The question startled you, and as a blush rose to your cheeks, you profusely shook your head. "What?" you managed out. He wasn't looking into the depths of your mind, was he?
"The book- it's open on soulmates." the man paused for a moment, raising his gaze back to your own. "Isn't that what you were reading about?" Once again his gaze held confusion, and you took notice of a slight blush on his own cheeks. "You know, the Greek's story on soulmates is quite fascinating."
All you could do in that moment was nod your head, awestruck by the taller blonde.
He offered a shy smile, and, looking behind you, he murmured something about how the rain had stopped. Making eye contact one last time, it was almost as if his eyes held an unasked question. Despite this, he went on his way, continuing where he left off on that unnamed book.
Though, upon further inspection, you were able to make out the title of the book on the spine.
'The Symposium' by Plato.