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Luna had fallen for the man- literally and figuratively- as soon as they had crossed paths.
The building was confusing and she’d hardly had time to get used to it. It was only the first day of their little trip. Four days of conferences, workshops and, hopefully, some parties. She wasn’t quite sure what she was doing there, most of the other students were from more industrial branches, or physics nerds. What would a med student need to know the intricacies of outer space for?
So, she sneaked out.
The scientist giving out the lecture was an old, boring man with clear eyesight problems, slipping out of her seat and leaving through the backdoor was easy as cake- especially for an outstanding gal like her! She could even be a spy!
The rest of her little escapade would prove to be a bit harder, though. The group had moved into the hall together, guided by an assistant that remained standing inside, and Luna had to admit that she hadn’t paid particular attention to the way they took to get there. All the hallways looked the same, while bland and boring. Some tree tops were visible through the windows, a welcome splash of color, but not particularly helpful as a hint to her whereabouts. First things first, she would have to find the stairs and return to the first floor. Surely, once she was outside in the courtyard, she would be able to find a nice spot to relax for the remainder of the lecture, then join the group when they exited the building.
With that plan in mind, she confidently walked onward (but still silently, of course- such was the nature of sneaking out).
She’d made it through five identical corridors with no stairwell in sight when she started losing her mind. Was she going in circles? Was this building much bigger than she’d thought? Why was everything so white ? She strained her eyes to look at the walls as she walked, looking for any kind of hint that would differentiate this corridor from the others, a crack, a cobweb, old chewed gum stuck to the ceiling, anything.
And that’s how, turning a corner, she ended up literally stumbling into the greatest thing she could have hoped to find on this trip.
One fine nerd.
Of course, technically, the first thing she noticed upon slamming her head against the foreign mass was the unpleasant scratch of hard plastic. The second, though, the second was expressive dark eyes looking at her with intrigue.
(The third was the pomp, and she had the strange impulse to flick her fingers at it).
“Are you alright?” the man asked, and Luna was gone.
Tall, pretty, obviously smart if he was here, and also kind with a smooth voice to boot?
Maybe she’d gotten so lost she managed to walk into heaven.
As fast as she could, Luna gathered back her composure and tried to subtly fix her hair, “Y-- Yes, I’m alright! Thank you,“ -a quick glance to the (sharp, painful) card that hung on his breast pocket- “Doctor Xeno?”
That had a nice ring to it.
Five minutes later would find Luna back with her group, guided by a helpful Doctor Xeno. Of course I wouldn’t mind , he’d said, and kindly walked with the poor student that “went to the bathroom and got lost”. She could not risk making a bad impression this soon, and if she knew anything about the nerdy type, it was that a clutz was preferable to a fugitive. It did mean she would have to sit through the horrendous lecture again, but it was near the end now and she’d gotten something much better out of her escapade than half an hour idling in the halls. The brief five minutes had solidified it. The man, a couple odd quirks notwithstanding, was definitely her type.
Now, she had four days to conquer him.
After the last conference, they had some free time before dinner started. The students more familiar with the area were brave enough to venture outside and even take the bus to greener pastures, so to say, but those that weren’t, or didn’t care to take the chance to travel, roamed the gardens of the premises or gravitated towards the single coffee shop in the vicinity to loiter until dinner time. Luna was not scared of getting lost, not in the city, but she still remained in place. After all, she had to make the best out of what little time she had. Dr. Xeno H. Wingfield, his card had read. There was more writing under the name, but she hadn’t gotten a good look at it. Rookie mistake, she was better than that, but the twinkle he got in his eyes as he talked about the conference she was missing (prompted by her stammering about where she was even supposed to be) was distracting, even a little mesmerizing. If she knew his specialization it would be easier to narrow down the locations she could go to to coincidentally bump into him again.
She had already forgotten what the conference was about, though.
“..na? Miss Luna?” a worried voice snapped her out of her thoughts. When she returned from her reminiscing she was greeted by the confused faces of Max and Carlos, her entourage of two.
“Are you not going to go out?”
She glanced at the bus stop. Usually, she would be the first to haul ass and get out of the stifling campus in search of an actual good time, but this time she had a mission. A purpose.
Which meant they had a mission and a purpose.
She set a hand on each of their shoulders and leaned in, face as serious and the situation demanded. They both still looked confused and worried, but complacently leaned in as well, closing their circle of conspiration.
“Listen, guys...I need you to find out about this man...”
Luna sat at a small round table just by the cafeteria’s entrance. Dinner time had come and mostly gone, the only people remaining were those still finishing their meals, the late comers, and some simply enjoying a drink and a moment of relaxation after their dinner. Luna did not belong to any of these groups. She simply sat in her seat, arms crossed and leaned on the empty space of the table. Max and Carlos sat in front of her, their cooling plates on their laps to not intrude on her space. They hastily took bites of their dinners in the moments the other spoke up.
“-apparently from NASA-” said Max.
“-heard he has an office in block B-!” interjected Carlos, after a hasty swallow.
“Yes, yes, he’s not campus staff, but a regular speaker-”
“-he’ll be here the entire week-”
“-He leads a workshop tomorrow!” they both said, at the same time.
After a haughty glance at each other, they simply decided to both take a bite of their meal.
“Okay, that’s great!” she said. She at least knew where to begin looking for him now, even if it was still a bit vague. Block B, if she recalled, was the complex of yellow-tinted buildings one could see in the distance behind the cafeteria. Still, one of the most important questions hadn’t been answered yet. She leaned further on the table, commanding her boys’ attention, “So,” she started, making sure they both met her eyes, “Is he single?”
For a brief moment, it felt as if the entire cafeteria quieted.
“Sin…”
“...gle?”
The boys looked at her, turned towards each other, then back at her again.
“Miss Luna, are you..?”
“But he’s so old, you know? ...Probably.”
“I’m sure there’s so many better men here-”
She pursed her lips, tapping her finger on her arm, and they stopped.
They looked at each other again, then averted their gazes to the side. She saw Carlos nudge Max with his elbow, making him jolt. She couldn’t see his response, but judging by the way Carlos flinched and his fork rattled and fell to the floor, he’d probably been stomped in the foot.
“Come on,” one seemed to say to the other, “no, you tell her,” was the answer. She was starting to lose her patience. She uncrossed her arms and planted her hands on the table.
“ Is. He. Single? ”
They gulped and finally gave up.
“Well, you see…” Carlos started.
“It’s only a rumour, of course…” Max continued.
“...Though, it’s been confirmed by various sources…”
They went on for another moment, talking but not saying anything at all, until eventually Max shrieked and seemed to kick Carlos again.
“What the-?!” Carlos seemed ready to make demands and kick ass, but some frantic signaling stopped him in his tracks and they both started giving very conspicuous glances at some point behind her.
What was it now ?
Luna turned around, ready to find out for herself, but nothing seemed to be out of place. There were still a few, frankly unimportant, people lingering on tables or ordering a drink.
For a second she had thought maybe Xeno had showed up, but no luck.
The boys stayed deathly quiet.
What? She wanted to ask, but as soon as she opened her mouth she heard, not far behind her-
“-Xeno, yeah,” said someone.
She quickly turned in her seat again, eyes quickly finding and focusing on the origin of the voice- the man chatting with the old lady at the cafeteria’s counter. She thought he was ordering a drink, but now she saw how he was handed a big paper bag. He didn’t seem to pay for it.
“You poor thing,” the cafeteria auntie cooed, “next time I’ll set aside a treat for you.”
The man laughed, soft and charming, “There is no way I’ll escape delivery duty, huh? I’m expecting a great treat, the man is a slave-driver.”
”Of course, dear, don’t worry! Just tell the good doctor to come by himself once in a while, okay? We miss him!”
“Will do.”
The man quickly checked the bag’s contents and with a last wave to the clerk started walking towards the door.
“Who is that?” Luna asked, quick and clear. She didn’t want to leave the man out of her sight for long, but those two obviously knew something.
“That’s, uh,” they stammered, but Luna’s unhappy glare was unflinching and they sighed, resigned to the inevitable resolution.
“...His husband.”
“WHAT?!”
Her shriek and the painful sound of her chair violently scraping against the floor and falling and she shot out of her seat resonated in the entire cafeteria.
It only took her a fraction of a second to be sure by Max and Carlos’ faces that they were definitely not joking. When she whipped around the man ( husband? ) was looking back at her, hand on the handle of the cafeteria’s door and an eyebrow raised.
She immediately jolted and moved towards him, planting herself right in front of him faster than she heard another couple of chairs rattle.
“You- are you-”
He simply stared, perfectly relaxed and not the least bit intimidated.
Luna couldn’t say the same. He was beautiful . Magazine-cover beautiful. What the hell! This was her competition?!
She gaped like a fish for a moment longer, but as soon as she got her bearings she was interrupted by Max and Carlos flanking her from the sides.
“M-miss Luna!”
She heard their plea to stop and carelessly discarded it. The interruption did serve to at least let her cool her head a bit, though, and when she straightened to stare the mystery husband down again she felt more composed. She put on her best “I mean business” face, but he simply leaned against the wall beside the door, arms slightly crossed, bag held loose in his grasp. Was he actually a model? How was this fair? If she didn’t have a goal already and was in a better mood she might have even swooned a little.
“Can I help you..?”
“S-sorry! It’s fine!” one of the boys said. She didn’t bother focusing on who. They were ready to drag her back to their table, but she didn’t budge.
“I heard you’re married to Dr. Xeno. Is that true?”
The man raised an eyebrow, but otherwise remained unaffected.
“...That’s right,” he said, and stepped towards the door, “speaking of my husband, I should get his dinner to him before it gets too cold.”
Luna opened her mouth again, but the man gave her no mind, ending the conversation on his call.
She remained standing by the door until the boys managed to gently push her to sit.
Married. He was married. To an incredibly handsome man that lovingly picked up dinner for him. She was not a homewrecker by any means, so there was no use in competing, but if she had to lose against a spouse, she’d have preferred it had been someone less outstanding.
Still, she thought a little meanly, they both may have been at least a solid nine, but they did not look good as a couple at all.
She would not compete, but if something were to happen… Well, she should still throw her net.
“...You said the doctor is leading a workshop tomorrow?”
“Huh? Yes, he…” Max pulled out a flyer to check, but it was swept off his hands before he could read a single word.
Luna studied it intensely. It listed all activities planned in the expo. The second day consisted of workshops on different topics, Luna remembered having to choose between them and signing up. A hard choice, as they had all looked equally unappealing. But now, she had something appealing to find in them. The flyer listed every workshop, their schedule, location, and, most importantly, the suvervisor.
Dr. Xeno, Dr. Xeno… , she frantically looked over the sheet until-
“There!” she practically jumped in place, “Dr. X.H. Wingfield! The workshop is…”
She immediately started sweating.
Well, she knew she hadn’t signed up to that one. Dejected, she took out her crumpled schedule and confirmed her doom.
She was signed up in a different workshop at the same time, on the other end of campus.
With a melodramatic sigh, she let herself fall on the table. She knew she couldn’t skip it as easily as the conference, since there was actually a headcount to record. She couldn’t show up unannounced at Dr. Xeno’s workshop, either, for much the same reason. Fate was cruel. If only she’d known…
She sighed once more, melting even further into the table. Her boys stood nearby, clearly at a loss as to what to do. Carlos looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept cringing and grimacing, apparently unsatisfied with the words his own brain tried to provide him with. Max, somber, had picked up his flyer and stared at it.
Before Luna could sigh dramatically for the third time she heard Max sigh himself, though nowhere as big or dramatic as she felt the situation deserved.
“If,” he started, awkward and not all-too-pleased, “If you really want to go miss Luna…”
She sat up a little from her slump.
“I...have an idea.”
The paper bag and a cup of steaming coffee were set on the table, just outside the workspace littered with papers.
“Thank you, Stan.”
“Mhm,” Stanley leaned on the wall, a safe distance from the piles of paperwork precariously scattered through the desk, and watched as Xeno took the cup to his lips, “Some kids, visitors for the expo I think, asked me if we were married.”
Xeno coughed lightly, narrowly avoiding splashing his documents. The glare he sent Stanley’s way made it clear he knew that had been on purpose, but the smile he received in response held no trace of apology.
“...Is that so?” he asked, setting his cup back on the desk, at a safe distance, “Rumours sure spread fast and grandiose. Last I heard we’d only started dating last year. Although before that I’d also heard we were ‘highschool sweethearts’, still to tie the knot after over ten years together. I assume you said yes?”
“Of course, husband.”
Xeno sighed, “I do not know why you find that so funny…”
Stanley shrugged. He still remembered, fondly, the first time a chatty staffer asked Xeno if he was his boyfriend, and the completely flabbergasted look on his friend’s face. Stanley had taken it on himself to answer- by putting his arm around Xeno and smirking. The boy had nervously shuffled and left before Xeno was out of his stupor.
The rumours had spread fast.
“You know, it would all be cleared up if you denied it, even once.”
“Now, why would I do that?” Xeno asked with a smile, “People are likely to latch onto the first side they learn and be reluctant to listen to others. Plus, it’s been too long and spread too far. Let them believe what they want, arguing would be more trouble than it’s worth.”
“You mean you like not being bothered for going alone to corporate events. Nobody ever asks why your military date didn’t come.”
“...Well,” Xeno hummed, bringing the cup back to his lips, “that, too.”
Luna sat, prim and proper, in one of the empty tables at Dr. Xeno’s workshop. The man himself had not arrived yet, but it seemed most of the participants had already trickled into the room.
She had come in thirty minutes early and watched them fill the room.
It was almost time.
She took a deep breath and rearranged the items on her desk once more, making sure everything was in order. She had to make a good impression, show she was not just an easily-lost girl. She could impress him and maybe even ask about his husband! Two birds, one stone, Luna style!
She hoped Max had fun in the heart surgery workshop.
Three minutes before the scheduled start, Dr. Xeno finally walked in through the door, carrying an impressive stack of papers and apologizing for the wait. Just seeing him made her smile. He set his papers on his desk, a little ways from the rest. Luna had made sure to pick the desk that was closest, and could fully enjoy the elegant way his hands moved as he organized his materials and the way his eyes had glanced over her.
He smiled and handed her a worksheet and a strange laminated folder.
“It’s good to see you, I hope you enjoy the material,” he said, and walked further into the room to keep distributing the materials among the attendees as proceeded with introductions.
She had only managed a small squeak and enthusiastic nod, but nevermind. She would rock this workshop and show how capable she was. He would be impressed and then- then maybe they could keep talking and…
No, Luna, no! She shook her head. She was not going to throw herself at a married man! She just had to leave a solid foundation- just in case. One that would leave on -platonic!- friendly terms. Seeing how just seeing him made her buzz with excitement, it was a road worth pursuing, even if it never managed to reach the goal she wanted. Either way, she simply had to do her best and sweep him off his feet! ...Friendly-ly.
As Dr. Xeno made it back to the front and began his explanation, she gathered her determination and directed it into the work at hand.
She looked at the worksheet and immediately despaired. It was literally rocket science.
Stanley was, like Xeno, merely on a stop for work in the university. It was not the first time they came together for the expo, although it didn’t happen every year either, and they had a nice routine worked out. Stanley tended to have a lesser workload (if only because Xeno refused to leave his usual work behind, and would become swamped with reports while dealing with the campus paperwork and events) so he often went on errands for his friend, or simply hung out in his office while he worked. Xeno, unlike some, was definitely capable of working and entertaining a friend at the same time. It was all the same good old song, and he’d almost let the pace lull him into letting his guard down as he mindlessly played with his lighter while Xeno talked about his day. Almost.
“That girl again, huh..?” Stanley hummed. He recalled Xeno talking about a lost bubbly girl the other day, apparently making enough of an impression for him to consider important to mention, and now he brought her up again, “Should I be jealous?”
“What are you talking about, Stanley?”
“I’m just saying she seems to have caught your attention, that’s all.”
“Hm, well, you know I quite enjoy seeing the younger generations interested in science,” Xeno said, keeping his eyes on his work, “it is a...boost to morale, so to say.”
“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Philanthropist. Still, it’s strange for you to mention a particular person more than once,” he thought a bit, then reconsidered his point, “She doesn’t sound like a genius.”
“Perhaps, but I find her enthusiasm charming.”
Was this enthusiasm for learning and science, or for Xeno himself, Stanley thought, but kept quiet. It was not a certainty, there could be two “excitable” girls named Luna that had in some way come in contact with Xeno during the expo, but he wouldn’t honestly bet on it. If it was indeed the girl that had approached him in the cafeteria the other day...
“...‘Charming’, you say…” Stanley muttered as he leaned on the desk with a smile. He hadn’t known Xeno was even capable of being “charmed”, at least, not by a person, and certainly not by some girl he barely knew.
Perhaps, after all those years in his youth spent dedicated to the pursuit of science, puberty and teenage drama was finally catching up to him. Talk about a late bloomer.
“What are you laughing about, Stan?”
“Nothing,” he answered, still grinning ear to ear, “You should tell her we’re not married. Or dating.”
Xeno raised an elegant brow, “Why?”
“You’re the genius here, Xeno, but,” Stanley said, as he clapped his friend’s shoulder, perhaps too hard, judging from the way Xeno flinched forward, “just trust my expertise on this one, okay?”
“...”
He got no response, but it didn’t matter. He knew Xeno would, no matter the circles he went around in his own pretty little head.
“He-ey, Dr. X!”
Luna cringed as soon as the man met her gaze. Where had that nickname come from? Had it been too forward? Rude? Would he think she forgot his name? She lowered her head in embarrassment, looking at her shoes and- gosh, were those finger guns? She quickly put her hands behind her back.
“Good morning, Luna. Are you heading to the D hall for Dr. Chelsea’s conference?”
“I’d rather head your D…”
“Pardon?”
“I-I mean, yes! The conference! I would- appreciate your guidance?” Luna said, just barely managing to refrain from slapping herself thanks to her hands still being locked behind her back.
“I see. Are you still finding the campus hard to navigate?” Great, she had really tripped from ‘charmingly clumsy’ all the way to ‘absolutely incompetent’, hadn’t she, “I do not mind accompanying you, I was heading there myself.”
“Haha, really..?...Great..!”
They headed off, walking through the stone path. Luna mentally gave a quick apology to Carlos and Max for ditching them. Well, it was their own fault for not coming sooner- she had a better escort now.
Despite feeling giddy at the company, with every step Luna felt herself sinking further into the ground. Maybe not physically, but definitely in spirit. This was more awkward than she’d expected. She tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t further ruin her image, but thankfully was saved.
“Are you familiar with Dr. Chelsea’s work?” Xeno asked, light and casual. How she wished she could keep up.
“I can’t say I am…” she said, trying to stay relaxed, “it will be interesting to hear her speak.”
There, she grinned. That made her look smart- not that she wasn’t! She simply hadn’t been on top of her game lately, that’s all. She had to correct her image.
Xeno smiled, so it had obviously been the right thing to say.
“I have crossed paths with Dr. Chelsea a few times before. Truly a remarkable scholar, though with an… interesting approach to work. I’m sure you will enjoy the conference.”
The conversation flowed easier after that, Xeno seeming happy to speak of his previous experience with Dr. Chelsea and her work. Luna found she had no problem following along, even if some of the words he used made her head spin. Still, despite the ease, she found the slight dejection she felt refused to leave and remained dampening her mood all the way until they had reached the hall doors.
They stopped, but remained there, standing. It was still a little early, and there was no need to break an interesting conversation, and still...
“So, um,” in the end, she decided to address the elephant stomping in her mind, “I have met your… husband.”
Xeno perked up and put his -definitely interesting! truly intriguing!- rambling on hold.
“My husband, you say?”
“Yes,” she nodded, praying the jealousy didn’t seep through her voice, “I didn’t catch his name, though. He’s... really pretty.”
Xeno laughed, a sound she stored away to remember, charming, and tried to ignore the fondness in it that was certainly not pointed at her. She could pretend, though. After a last hum, he frowned for a moment, thoughtful, before he seemed to perk up. She could see the lightbulb lighting up beside his head, although that image didn’t seem quite fitting. Perhaps a fluorescent tube? What would be a scientific and elegant enough replacement? She had just settled on a fluorescent lava lamp when he leaned towards her and offered a small smile.
“No, that is just a rumour that seems to be popular. Stan and I are just friends,” he said, slow and clear, smile slightly curling at the corners, “I could introduce you, sometime. Properly.”
She nearly stumbled into the doorframe.
“Really?!” she shouted, hope sparking.
She knew it couldn’t be true! They didn’t look good together at all. And, most importantly, this meant she did still have a chance.
“Yes, really,” he said, “Stanley just thinks himself very funny and likes to mess with people. We’re both very single. Did he say something to you?”
She shook herself from her delight-induced stupor. This was her time to focus! Her time to shine!
“Oh, nothing important, really,” she said, brushing off the topic, “rather than talking about that…”
One day, she still had one whole day.
She could do this.
She leaned back on the door and finally shook the rigidness off her hands. She had to be composed for this- bring out her best cool allure. She had this in the bag. She was a capable gal! She put on a practiced pout and held Xeno’s gaze as she lightly let her hand trail up his arm.
“If you’re free after this,” she started, strategically batting her eyelashes, “Would you like to go for coffee?”
No man could deny her, surely.
He tapped his chin, eyes wide and curious, “A social outing?” he seemed to ponder, shifting a bit, letting Luna’s hand press firmer against his bicep, “...I suppose I have a moment to spare.”
…
Yes…!
Luna held back the loud gallop that wanted to break out of her soul, but she couldn’t contain the grin taking hold of her face, or the slight spring in her step as she pushed away from the door.
“Alright!” she said, a bit loud, but not too obvious a cheer, “it’s a date, then!”
Feeling the need to openly squeal beginning to overpower her, and unwilling to give an opening for the doctor to change his mind, she jumped and skipped into the conference, although not without giving in to the urge to poke his nose as she turned.
She had this.
Her plans had suffered a little shakedown on the way, scattered and beat until the goal seemed hopeless, but she could still pull this through. Back on her feet, and knowing the way was clear, there was no stopping her now.
By the end of the expo she will have landed herself that fine nerd.
Sitting among the other professors, Xeno chuckled as he surreptitiously took out his phone and texted his friend, feeling like he was finally in the know in a scheme that had so far eluded him.
You charmer , he typed, I think little lady Luna has taken a liking to you.
Elsewhere, Stanley Snyder was starting to feel really sorry for this girl.