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At approximately 2pm on Saturday Oliver had exactly three guesses as to who could possibly be knocking on his door. The first, and his dearest hope, was that it was his landlord, Mr Hershel (a well meaning but rather forgetful man that tended to give one the impression of a wilted stick of celery, though that may have just been the smell) with news of the building’s air conditioner which, after the third straight day of record temperatures in Plymouth, had decided that enough was enough. The second, slightly less welcome guess, was that his assistant Leonard was at the door with a stack of statistics for Oliver to use for his next sports column (normally this would excite Oliver, but at the moment he was sure that if he moved from his spot on the tile floor, under the blow of not one but two fans, he would melt into a puddle and die). And his third was that the grim reaper himself was outside the door ready to collect him from his stifling apartment, as with every passing minute Oliver was becoming increasingly certain that he was already dead, having succumbed to dehydration.
This feeling did not lessen when he opened the door to find a tall red haired man holding a large fish tank and wearing nothing but turquoise swim trunks covered with little yellow ducks and an absolutely frantic expression. “Iamsosorrytobotheryoubutisyourrefrigeratorrunning?” he tumbled out, already peering over his shoulder as if looking for the aforementioned cardio-inclined refrigerator.
“I- yes?”, Oliver stumbled out in reply. He was staring at the man, marveling at his mind’s ability to create such a lifelike hallucination in his dehydrated state. Oliver decided that the man must be real, however, when the man promptly pushed Oliver to the side and awkwardly half walked half jogged around the corner and into his kitchen with the fish tank in his arms. Oliver remained by the entryway, jaw dropped in confusion for several moments before quickly closing the door, as he refused to lose any of his measly cool air into the oven of a hallway. He then walked slowly toward the kitchen and peered around the corner to see the man kneeling in front of his open refrigerator, food, Oliver’s food, scattered around him on the floor. He had placed the tank inside the fridge and seemed to be kneeling in front of it, watching intently at what appeared to be several small white fish swimming around inside.
Oliver leaned back against the wall in the hallway. It was far too hot for him to even begin to think of how to deal with this situation. A strange man bursting into his apartment with a tank full of fish? Even on a normal day he wouldn’t know where to start. The police surely. Even at 40 degrees he knew that when a strange man bursts into your apartment you call the police.
He peered around the corner again. The man hadn’t moved an inch, he was just watching the fish swim round and round, bright blue eyes never leaving the tank. He truly did have startlingly blue eyes. Oliver hadn’t entirely registered it at first when the man had burst in, with the fish tank between them but he was rather striking. Quite tall, taller than Oliver. His bright red curls contrasted gorgeously with his pale skin, though his cheeks were flatteringly pink from the heat (unlike Oliver who had a tendency to go rather splotchy if the sun dared to show its face for longer than an hour). Perhaps I should hold off from calling the police, he thought. Pretty people aren’t usually murderers are they? Or perhaps that’s what they want you to think.
He leaned back up against the wall again and stared up at the ceiling. Really the police seemed like quite a hassle over something as harmless as a pretty man in his kitchen. In any case the man didn’t seem concerned with Oliver at all, he was just watching those odd fish. Perhaps he would ask first, yes that seemed like the right thing to do. He would find out what the man wanted before making any choices.
Peeling his already sweaty back off the wall, he turned and stepped cautiously into the kitchen and said “I don’t mean to be rude… but who the hell are you?”
The man jumped and turned back to look at Oliver, eyes wide, as if he had entirely forgotten Oliver was there. They stared at each other for a moment before he stood quickly and went to brush off his knees but slowed and turned even more pink as he observed his own beach-worthy attire.
He looked back up at Oliver and said much more softly than before “My apologies, my name is Percy Weasley. I live upstairs.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the stairs, “6B”
“It’s nice to meet you Percy,” he replied, watching the man uncertainty.
Percy’s shoulders sank slightly at Oliver’s expression and he glanced towards the fridge. “I should probably explain why I’m in your apartment shouldn’t I,” he said slowly.
“Yes, perhaps that would be nice,” said Oliver with a slight smile. “I’d offer to put the kettle on for you but..” he trailed off and gestured vaguely around the room. Though the refrigerator door remained open, the room was still unbearably hot; the butter Oliver normally kept on the counter was little more than a puddle in the bowl.
Percy grimaced and said “I appreciate the sentiment but it's probably best we don’t.”
Oliver laughed and took a seat at the table and Percy, after one more glance at the fish tank, sat down as well. He tangled his fingers together on the table, tracing over the knuckles on his fingers and very determinedly not at Oliver.
“The fish in your fridge are called rainbow goodeids. They originate in Mexico and they’re in the guppy family. They’re endangered because their habitat range isn’t very large so any disturbances to it cause major problems for the wild population. There aren’t a whole lot of these guys left so some people have started a breeding program to help get the population back up.” He was speaking very quickly and though before he was only looking at the table he was now looking directly into Oliver’s eyes, though he still gave the impression that he was looking at something quite a long distance away as he spoke. “That’s where these guys are headed, I have a few males here that I’m bringing to our females. They really shouldn’t be all in one tank if I’m honest because they can be rather territorial but it’s only for a short time so I’m hoping it will be okay. I’ve just been keeping a very close watch on them for now and they have lots of plant cover which should help.” He looked concernedly over his shoulder at the fish again.
Oliver, for his part, just stared at Percy. He wasn’t sure if he should be more intrigued or concerned at this slew of information, and he was having a hard time focusing between watching the increasingly attractive man across the table from him and the steady feeling of his brain melting out of his ears.
“Forgive me,” he said finally, “They do sound quite lovely but can I ask why they are in my refrigerator?”
Percy turned back around, concerned expression back on his face. “Oh yes I’m sorry I guess I didn’t explain that bit. They’re very temperature sensitive and when the air went out I was trying to keep them cool so I had them in my fridge like here but then all of a sudden my fridge started smelling like chemicals and it wasn’t working anymore and I think it might have broke and I panicked because they really can’t be kept higher than 27 degrees so I was just trying to find someone with a fridge and you were sort of the first person to answer the door.” Percy was looking at his hands again.
“Right,” said Oliver slowly, piecing everything together. “So you need to keep your fish cold so that they’ll stay alive for this breeding program to repopulate the wild?”
“Sort of, yeah, I mean they’re not my fish I’m just transporting them. I work for the Plymouth aquarium, I’m just transporting these guys from a private breeder.”
“Oh wow the aquarium, that’s so cool I’ve never been!” Oliver has seen the posters up throughout town of stingrays and sharks and other cool creatures but he never quite felt like he had a reason to go.
“It’s quite lovely,” said Percy, brightening again. “I specialize in the guppies but the whole aquarium has some great exhibits and projects. You should really go if you can.”
“I just might have to,” said Oliver, smiling at Percy and the man smiled slightly back. He really is quite breathtaking thought Oliver.
“So how are you going to get the little guys to the aquarium? Would they not make it to your car?”
“No, they’d be okay for that distance I think,” said Percy, turning pink again. “I just don’t.. Drive? I mean I have but I hate it and I don’t have a car and I’m not sure how they’d do on public transport especially in this weather. My coworker was supposed to come get me and the rainbows tomorrow but I’m just so nervous about them with these temperature fluctuations.” He was rubbing his knuckles again in his hands.
“Hey, why don’t I take you then?” Oliver said before he could even think about the words coming out of his mouth.
Percy looked up quickly “Really? I mean- I can’t ask you to do that,” he shook his head quickly.
“Really it’s no problem! Then I can take a peek around the aquarium anyway! Like I said I’ve been meaning to go, and I’m assuming it's air conditioned? Anything to get away from this heat,” he laughed.
Percy smiled too and glanced back at the fish again before locking eyes with Oliver and saying earnestly, “I really, really appreciate it…”
“Oliver,” he replied, sticking out a hand. Percy’s smile widened and he put out his hand as well, shaking Oliver’s firmly before letting his hand drop. They both went to stand, Percy heading for the fish tank and Oliver going to track down his keys.
He hadn’t yet left the room, however, when he heard Percy’s voice again behind him. “I hate to ask another thing of you…but can I possibly borrow a shirt?” Oliver turned again to see Percy standing awkwardly looking anywhere but at Oliver. “I swear I really didn’t think I would be seeing another soul today or I would have been wearing anything else. It's just that this is my place of employment you know and I just can’t imagine what I would do if I showed up without a shirt for a second time.”
“A second time?” Oliver repeated laughing.
“It’s a long story,” Percy mumbled at the ground, and then said something indecipherable but Oliver could have sworn he made out the word “twins”.
“Understood,” said Oliver, still laughing as he left the room.
In short order they and the fish were securely in the air conditioned haven of Oliver’s hatchback. It took them some time to get to the aquarium, due to the influx of people coming from further inland to enjoy the cooler coastal air, and they had a few close calls on turns Oliver forgot to take gently, however they all made it alive and intact to the tall, glass building overlooking the bay.
The facility was really quite lovely, but Oliver didn’t have much time to admire it as Percy shuffled them quickly towards the back and through a side door, down a long series of hallways before reaching a small laboratory occupied by a large woman with very long brown hair, sporting a lab coat and holding a bucket of unidentifiable (to Oliver) wriggling slimy creatures.
“Percy! I didn’t think you were going to make it in today,” the woman greeted them as they came in. “Ooh and who’s your friend?” She looked him up and down curiously.
Percy smiled at her but made an immediate beeline for a desk that Oliver assumed was his, and so instead he gave the woman a wave and replied “Hello I’m Oliver.”
“Penelope,” she replied, sticking out the hand not holding the bucket to shake his. “Are you the breeder, then?”
“No, I’m just here with Percy,” he said quickly, shaking his head.
“Are you now?” Her smile turned playful. “Percy darling, you didn’t tell me you had a man at home.”
“What?,” Said Percy quickly, standing up so fast he bumped his head on the shelf above his desk, and turning around. He locked eyes with Oliver and seemed to do an involuntary sweep down Oliver’s body and back up with his eyes, before promptly turning bright red and turning back to his guppies. Penelope laughed and Oliver smiled slightly, too.
“Right, well I’m off to feed the tequilas” said Penelope brightly and she began to head for the door.
Oliver looked at Percy for a moment but the man didn’t stir. He wasn’t exactly sure what he should be doing so he said, too, “Perhaps I should be going too? I don’t want to intrude..”’
At this Penelope turned back again “Oh no you should stay! After Percy’s finished with those he can give you a tour of the facility, right Percy?”
Percy looked over his shoulder at her and stared at her as though trying to communicate telepathically while saying, “I should probably stay with the guppies right here, Penelope.”
“Oh please, I can handle that when I get back. Go show Oliver around, you know you give a better tour than any of the rest of us,” She then leaned conspiratorially towards Oliver and stage whispered “Sometimes I think he knows more about this place than all of us put together. I promise you’ll have quite an unforgettable tour experience,” and then she winked.
Oliver smiled and replied to the room “Well I can’t say no to an offer like that, what do you think Percy?”
For a moment Percy just looked at Oliver, then at the guppies, then back to Penelope and the two seemed to have quite a tense staring contest for a few moments before Percy just nodded and said “That would be acceptable,” though when he turned back to his desk to grab a set of keys he had a small smile on his face.
Back in the hallway they were quiet for a moment as they walked before Oliver said “Penelope seems quite lovely.”
“Oh yes she’s great, though rather meddlesome at times.” The pink in his cheeks hadn’t quite faded from earlier.
Oliver laughed “Yes she did seem quite determined to get me on this tour,”
Percy paused in the hallway and Oliver stopped too. Percy was looking at him rather nervously again and twisting his hands together in front of him. “You don’t mind, do you? You don’t actually have to go on this tour if you don’t want to.”
Oliver smiled at him again “And miss out on the famed Percy Weasley’s private museum experience? Never.”
At this Percy smiled too “Well if you’re sure… how about we start with the jellyfish?”
“That sounds lovely,” he replied, and they started back down the hallway.
The tour was absolutely mesmerizing. The aquarium was full of the most gorgeous and otherworldly creatures Oliver had ever seen and Percy was absolutely incredible. He seemed to know every single fact there was about just about everything they saw. He could cite papers and articles from memory and was incredibly knowledgeable on the behind the scenes work at the aquarium too, from the research and breeding programs, to simply how they managed to get so much water into all the tanks (Oliver couldn’t help from asking about that one). As captivating as the fish were, Oliver found he absolutely could not stop staring at Percy. He seemed to be positively glowing under the attention, and every time Oliver asked a question he let this small smile slip onto his face that was so endearing Oliver wanted nothing more than to keep asking him everything under the sun, just so he could keep seeing it.
There was even a moment when they were with the guppies (Percy’s personal area of expertise) that a small crowd of visitors gathered around Percy as he was explaining the different types of guppies, their origins, and their place in the ecosystem. As shy as Percy had seemed thus far, in front of that crowd he was confident and his words flowed easily. He answered everyone’s questions fully, though in a way that even the younger ones in the crowd could understand, and Oliver was absolutely enraptured.
When they were finally back in the atrium, Percy was at the tail end of explaining the applications of their seagrass laboratory research in coastal habitat restoration “... and that's why too much nitrogen can actually be harmful. Do you have any questions? Sorry I know that was a lot.” His blush was back and Oliver wanted nothing more than to run his fingertips along Percy’s cheekbones, to chase that blush as far as it would go.
“Do you have a favorite fish?” He asked instead. “Is there one that you always like to go back and look at?”
Percy thought for a moment before saying “Honestly I think those rainbow guppies have got to be some of my favorites. I know they’re not very big or cool looking, but they’re so incredibly unique and caring for them and being part of their breeding program has led me to so many wonderful people and places.”
Oliver smiled, thinking back to some of the photos he had noticed in Percy’s office of him wading in rivers and ponds, or standing in front of a large tank of the rainbow guppies. “That makes sense.”
“Do you have a favorite? One you’d like to see again?” Percy asked in turn.
“You, I think,” Oliver said entirely without thinking. “I mean-”
Percy broke out into an incredulous smile “I’m your favorite fish?”
“Um…” Oliver rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I suppose that is what I said wasn’t it. But I didn’t mean it like that!”
Percy threw back his head and laughed as Oliver felt his face heat and tried to stammer an excuse, though he quickly gave up and was content to smile rather bashfully and watch as Percy tried to calm the giggles still coming from behind his hand.
“Yes, alright you were my favorite fish,” Oliver said, smiling now too. “If I’m honest I probably spent more time watching you than I did any of them.”
Percy smiled even wider at that. “I would like to see you again too, you know.”
“That would be lovely.” They smiled at each other in that silly way that only two people at the beginning of something quite lovely can smile at one another, and then as they walked through the parking lot toward Oliver’s car, he felt Percy’s hand slide into his own.