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It’s just another boring Tuesday afternoon. Erik has been wandering around his favorite bookstore, hoping for some book to catch his attention, when he sees him. A short man trying to reach for a book in one of the top shelves. He seems like a nerdy guy with fluffy brown hair, khaki pants and a tweed jacket.
Deciding to be a gentleman, he approaches the man and gets the book for him. It’s one of those terrible Star Trek novels, and he can’t help to let out a laugh.
“Nerd” Erik whispers quietly to himself.
“Excuse me?!” says the short man.
It seems that he wasn’t as quiet as he thought. Turning to see the man’s face, the first thing he notices are his vibrant blue eyes. Oh, and wow, he also has really red lips.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that you don’t look like a Star Trek fan.” Erik tries to placate him smiling a little. Of course, it doesn’t work.
“What do you mean?” Nerdy Guy says in an angrier voice, giving him a hard look, like daring him to say another offensive thing.
“Well, you know, with all the tweed that you are wearing and the dorky sweater, you look more like a boring professor.”
Shit, great job not being offensive Erik.
“I beg your pardon?!” Nerdy Guy’s face it’s a little red now.
“I…” he looks around, trying to get out of this awkward situation, but his brain is not cooperating. “I’ll just go. Oh, and you’re welcome.” Says pointing to the book on Nerdy Guy’s hand.
He doesn’t dare to look back at the stranger’s face, but Erik can feel him fuming beside him. Erik decides to approach the closest shelf display with, hopefully, interesting non-fiction books, pick one and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.
Concentrated on his new route of escape, he doesn’t notice the malicious glint in the stranger’s eyes, or the foot getting on his way. Losing his step, Erik tries to get some balance grabbing the first thing he can, which is, of fucking course, Nerdy Guy.
Together they fall all over the non-fiction shelf causing a big mess, limbs and books sprawled all over the floor, between groans of pain.
“Why the bloody hell did you grab me?!” Yells Nerdy Guy after gaining some composure.
“Why the fuck did you tripped me?!” Erik yells back.
“You were being an asshole, so you deserved it!”
“Well, then, karma is a bitch!”
They continue to shout at each other for some minutes, before the owner of the store comes and kindly but very firmly asks them to get the hell out of her store, and please don’t ever come back.
Standing on the street, trying to calm themselves and getting deep breaths, Erik can’t believe the hilariousness of the situation. Better try to get the best out of it.
“So, what’s your name? I have been calling you Nerdy Guy in my head, but I don’t think you would appreciate it.”
“Charles, and you are certainly right.” Charles takes his offered hand and gives him a firm shake. “Although, to be honest, I’ve been calling you German Asshole in my head.”
That gets a laugh out of Erik and a sheepish smile from Charles.
“Well, Charles, I’m Erik, and I’m really sorry. I don’t have any excuse for my behavior.”
“Apology accepted, and I’m also sorry for my little petty revenge act”
“I think we’re even on that, seeing that you fell with me.”
Charles doesn’t say anything, but he gets an adorable blush on his face and averts his eyes. Erik thinks he’s really cute, and feels himself properly smitten.
“Would you let me take you for a cup of coffee? You know, as a proper apology.”
“Make it a cup of tea, and you better be paying.”
“Of course Charles” he says in a gentle tone.
“So, you are a Star Trek fan, Charles. How did that happen?” Erik asks after watching Charles take a sip from his cup and let a satisfied sigh.
Charles laughs and looks embarrassed.
“What can I say? I started watching it as a joke with my sister, and the next thing we know, we are totally hooked on the series and can’t stop watching.” He laughs a little, his eyes twinkling. “Now it’s my guilty pleasure, and you know, they are not so bad.”
Erik makes a non-impressed face, but smirks a little at the end.
“Ok, that’s one mystery solved, now the other one, are you a professor?”
“Yes” Charles says resignedly.
Erik fights down the impulse to say 'I knew it!', and just raises an eyebrow.
“Of…? Literature?”
“God no! I’m terrible at that. I thought you could tell by my taste in books” Charles says with a sheepish smile. “I teach genetics and molecular biology”
“Wow, that’s impressive.” Nerdy, cute and intelligent. There’s no escape for Erik now. “You realize this means you are a proper nerd, right?”
“Of course I’m a nerd. It doesn’t mean that I like handsome strangers saying it to my face”
“I didn’t say it to your face, you weren’t even meant to hear me!” says Erik defensibly. Then his brain catches up with the rest of the sentence, and he sends a (hopefully) flirty smile in Charles’ direction. “So…you think I’m handsome, uh?”
“Oh, shut up Erik” Charles’ cheeks are red, and he’s doing his best to appear annoyed, but can’t fight the smile on his face.
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I thought that you were pretty cute too.” Erik extends a hand over the table with the intention of resting it over Charles’. “It’s just that I’m kind of an asshole.”
Ugh, can his stupid brain give him a break? He tries to take his hand back, but Charles beats him to it, and put his hand over Erik’s.
“Yeah I noticed, but I guess I’m also kind of an asshole” His smile is tentative, like he’s not sure if his touch is appreciated. Erik turns his hand, and gives him a gentle squeeze.
“So, second date on Friday night?”
After that first date (Charles says it wasn’t a date, he just felt sorry for Erik and decided to give him a chance out of pity….riiiight.), and that second one on Friday night (movie and dinner), they followed many, many others.
They also, eventually, begged for forgiveness to the bookstore owner to allow them back, promising her to be on their best behavior. But, sadly, they were banned again; not for fighting, but for making out rather passionately against one of the fiction shelves and scandalizing everyone.
Oh, well.