Chapter Text
“…and that’s why Warhol was one of the most influential…” Steve’s laptop emitted a high-pitched beep and the screen turned blue. Steve sighed in frustration as the machine whirred to a stop once more.
“Damnit,” he muttered under his breath, pressing the laptop’s power button in the hope that something would happen. Nothing did. He sighed and closed the lid, then stood up, placing the device back in his bag. He would have to pay the Help Bar another visit.
He made his way along his empty dorm corridor, footsteps echoing on the hard floor. He could hear music coming from one of the rooms, and wondered who was having a party this time. Then again, it was Friday night. Not exactky a common time for studying.
Eventually, Steve reached the IT department. He found the sign that read HELP BAR and hesitantly knocked on the glass door, peering into the room. It appeared to be empty, but he pushed open the door anyway.
“Hello?” he called, taking a few steps into the room, and jumped when someone cleared their throat.
“Can I help you?” A voice came from across the room, and Steve turned in surprise when he noticed a man stood by the row of computers at the back. He was wearing glasses, and his dark, curly hair fell across his forehead in an unruly manner.
Steve’s cheeks flushed red. “Sorry, I, uh, didn’t see you there. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be here at this time on a Friday night.”
The boy shrugged. “I don't exactly go to many parties.
There was an awkward pause, before Steve remembered what he was there for. “Oh, umm… My laptop is broken and I kinda need it for my coursework so I was wondering if it could be fixed?” He removed it from his bag and help it up awkwardly.
The other boy nodded, removing his glasses and wiping them on his shirt before going to take a closer look. He pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, but nothing happened. “Ok,” he said eventually. “Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do. If you come back tomorrow afternoon, it should be sorted by then.”
Steve nodded, relieved. “Thank you. It’s happened several times before, but honestly I can’t afford to replace it so I keep getting it fixed.” He shrugged. “Never mind. So, how much do I owe you?”
“I’ll let you know tomorrow,” the dark haired boy replied, taking the laptop off the table and carrying it to his desk. He smiled at Steve, who returned it.
“Ok, I guess I’ll see you then…”
“Bruce.”
“Steve. Thanks again, Bruce,” he said, then left the room, waving as he walked away.
Bruce watched him leave with a small smile, then shook his head and got to work on the computer.