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As you enter the lecture hall, you remove your sunglasses and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, a mixture of excitement and apprehension bubbling in your stomach. Scanning the room for an empty seat, you notice one and head for it.
“Is this seat taken?” You ask the man to your left.
He looks at you with a small smile and shakes his head. “No, no, please” and gestures for you to sit.
“Vincent Renzi” he says extending a hand.
You laugh as you shake it and introduce yourself.
“So formal” you tease.
A faint blush appears on his cheeks. “I just..” He starts.
“Oh don’t worry I’m just messing with you” you laugh.
“But hey just because were in law school doesn’t mean we can’t be friends right?” You say, looking over at him once more.
“I mean I don’t want to be competing with everyone here all the time, do you?” You’d heard the rumours about how vicious law school could be and you hoped to have at least one person in your corner.
“Of course” he responded with a smile. “I’d like that very much”.
You grinned meeting his eyes before turning towards the front of the room where the professor now stood, missing the way his eyes lingered on you for just a few seconds more.
—
A few weeks into the term found you and Vincent sitting in a corner of the library in the early hours of the morning, piles of books surrounding the two of you.
You let out an exasperated sigh as you flipped through the pages of a textbook. “How is it even possible to get through this much reading in such a small amount of time?”
Vincent stifled a laugh, “beats me, but I’m sure we’ll get used to it eventually”.
“We’d better” you said darkly, bringing your head down to rest atop the book.
You let your eyes close for a second, feeling the sweet call of slumber echo throughout your brain.
“Careful” Vincent chided. “Don’t you be falling asleep now”.
“Wouldn’t dream of it” you mumbled, eyes still closed.
You couldn’t help it though, and quickly felt yourself drifting off to sleep.
You awoke maybe an hour later to the feeling of someone gently shaking your shoulder. Through bleary eyes you realized it was Vincent, attempting to wake you.
“Shit I’m so sorry I swear I didn’t mean to fall asleep” you sat upright, rubbing your eyes.
He laughed, dropping his hand from your shoulder. “No really it’s alright, but I figured I should wake you before I left”.
“Ugh, what time is it?” You asked.
“Like 3am I think?” He replied, running a hand through his now disheveled hair.
“Are you kidding?” You muttered reaching to gather your things. “We have class in like 5 hours”.
“Well then, we’d better hurry back to our rooms so we can get some amount of sleep”. “But of course you’re already beating me in that department” he winked, a small smirk playing across his lips.
You felt your stomach leap involuntarily. Certainly not at the way his blue-grey eyes twinkled when they met yours.
—
Vincent approached where you were currently laying, sprawled across a couch in one of the university common areas, two cups of coffee in his hands. The two of you had just finished your first major law school exam, and it was safe to say you were both exhausted.
You sat up a little as he reached to pass you one of the coffees.
“Mmm thank you” you practically groaned. “You don’t even know how much I needed this”.
“I think I have a pretty good idea” he laughed, sinking into the couch on the opposite end.
After a few sips of the warm beverage you stretched back out, absentmindedly laying your feet in his lap. Absorbed in your thoughts you missed the way he sat up a little straighter at your touch.
“Just think about it” you reasoned. “We’re one exam closer to becoming lawyers”.
“Ha sure, I’m so much more relaxed now that you mention it” he teased.
“Maître Vincent Renzi” you mimicked the voice of a judge. “I can practically hear it now”.
A smile tugged at his lips and he leant back further into the couch resting one hand on your lower leg as he listened to you chatter away into the evening.
—
You and Vincent grew closer and closer throughout the term. From late night study sessions to acting out hypothetical scenes in a courtroom between the two of you and even venturing out to the local bars with groups of your peers.
One day when Vincent was really quite sick, you brought him soup and sat with him by his bed, pressing a cool cloth to his forehead in an attempt to reduce his fever. You stayed even as he adamantly insisted he did not need anyone to take care of him.
And when you found out you didn’t get the summer internship you had so desperately wanted, he held you in his arms and let you cry for as long as you needed as he stroked your hair while muttering about how everything would turn out okay.
The two of you revelled in each others presence’s, and clearly brought out the best in one another. And so what if his mindless touches sometimes lingered a moment too long or you caught yourself getting lost whilst gazing into his eyes. Neither of you dared to act on any deeper feelings, for fear of ruing the sense of companionship that you had built over the course of the semester.
—
On the last day of term you, Vincent and a great many of your classmates were out at a bar in town to celebrate. Everyone was drinking and laughing as they shared their favourite memories from the term.
You couldn’t help but steal a glance at Vincent. His hair was messier than usual, with a few strands falling across his forehead and he wore his shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a few buttons undone at the top. You turned away before he could notice your gaze. You had never allowed yourself to admit it, but you really did find him quite beautiful.
As you tuned away his gaze lingered on you for a few moments, unseen. He watched you laugh and smile with the others, a look of adoration in his eyes.
After some time, the noise and crowdedness of the bar were beginning to catch up to you. Leaning into Vincent, you tried to speak above the cacophony of sounds.
“I’m heading out for a smoke, care to join me?”
“Yeah absolutely” he replied, looking slightly relived. He handed you your coat as the two of you headed out the door.
Outside the midnight air was crisp. Your fingers trembled as you attempted to strike the lighter.
“Here let me” Vincent offered, reaching out to take it.
You leant forwards, cigarette in your mouth as he bent in towards you to light it. The gesture felt strangely intimate.
You tilted your head back exhaling the smoke into the night sky as you looked up at the stars above you.
Vincent watched you, a smile playing across his lips. “Beautiful night isn’t it?”
You grinned, turning to look at him. “Even more so now that were done with classes for the next few months”.
Without thinking you stepped in a little closer, offering him the cigarette in your hand. You could have sworn there was a faint blush across his cheeks.
Your fingers brushed as he took it from you and you felt strangely hot despite the cool night air.
As he exhaled you instinctively took a breath in, feeling the secondhand smoke warming your chest.
“You know I really couldn’t have made it through this year without you” Vincent said, looking down at his feet as if embarrassed.
You lifted his chin up with your fingers, your eyes searching his. “I agree, seriously..”
The rest of your sentence caught in your throat as one of his hands rose to cradle the side of your face.
The two of you remained there for a few moments, your breaths intermingling.
Then Vincent leaned forwards every so slightly and your lips met.
Immediately he moved his other hand so he was gently cupping your face and you laced your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. He tasted of cheep alcohol and cigarette smoke but in that moment it was the best taste in the world.
The kiss lasted a mere few seconds but you pulled away panting and out of breath, arms still draped over his shoulders.
Vincent looked at you, his eyes round and full of emotion. He stroked a hand down your cheek.
“I love you, I just wanted you to know that” he whispered.
“Oh Vincent I love you too” you replied without hesitation. “I think I’ve loved you since that first night in the library”.
The realization hit you in that moment, of course it was him. It was always going to be him. And by the look being reflected in his eyes you had no doubt he felt the same way.
You leaned in for the kiss this time, your hand finding purchase in his ruffled hair that you loved so much.
His hands moved down your body to grip your waist, pulling you closer to him. You tugged at his hair and he let out a low groan, causing you to smile against his lips.
He moved down your neck, leaving light kisses as he went. You rested your cheek against him, leaning into his warmth. You gasped aloud as you felt his teeth sink into the soft skin around your collarbone.
“Vincent!” You fake scolded him. “We are in a public place”.
He laughed, his eyes softening around the corners.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be?..” He trailed off.
You raised an eyebrow. “Well then Maître Vincent” you smirked at the nickname you had given him. “Tell me what I should do”.
He grasped your hand in his and turned, gesturing back towards the campus. You fell into step beside him and leaned your head towards his, shoulders brushing as you went. You couldn’t remember a time when you’d felt happier.