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As exams grew near and their schedules grew busier, they didn’t have much time to spare for each other, and wasn’t that a shame? Their relationship had blossomed into being more than just friends, yet they’d only had a handful of opportunities to appreciate it since. Which was nice! They appreciated what moments together they could afford! But still, they both found themselves wishing they had more.
Thus, a simple proposal was made: A study date. Riddle wouldn’t have to compromise his duties, and Trey would get a leg-up right before midterms—something he sorely needed, though he’d never admit it around Riddle. Win-win all around.
They met in Riddle’s room, fingers threading the minute Trey had his hands free from setting down the sweets and tea he’d brought. Almost daily he delivered treats, hoping to give Riddle a boost as he whiled away the hours under the lamplight, so it only made sense to up the ante with enough goodies for both.
Except tea and violets could only bring a man so far.
Trey had been feeling the dregs of exhaustion tugging at the edges of his brain for a while, but he knew he was well and truly fried when he’d read the same two sentence passage over and over and found he could not, for the life of him, understand it. Two sentences! It was like the information slid right over the top of his skull and leaked out his ears without ever so much as touching his brain. One more attempt, this time the letters actually began merging together, and he had to face the facts: He couldn’t keep going.
But that didn’t mean he could stop, either.
His gaze kept drifting over to Riddle, watching him work with no signs of slowing down from the corner of his vision. How Riddle managed to keep going so strong after everything, the torment he’d been put through with studying as the vessel, Trey would never know. Still, he couldn’t help but be awed by his tenacity. Wouldn’t be Riddle without it.
When Riddle paused to take a sip of his tea, from there Trey scanned the table, checking over the smorgasbord and teapot, searching for any sign they were running low. Sadly he’d just replenished their spread not too long ago, and he’d already excused himself to the restroom even earlier. Until the clock struck eight, he was stuck. Which would’ve been fine in Riddle’s room, more than fine even, had the task at hand been anything else but studying.
He had a reputation to keep up. Call him stubborn. Even if he found himself relaxing more and more in Riddle’s presence, he refused to tarnish Riddle’s image of him as a capable Vice Housewarden.
More than that, he hated disappointing him.
By now his eyes had gone dry from all his staring, and he nudged up his glasses to rub at them when blinking didn’t help. Maybe he could argue a late run to Sam’s for some eye drops as a break. As he formulated how to word his request, thoughts sludgy from jumbled letters trying to untangle themselves, he let his book fall into his lap and his body slumped against the couch with a deep, weary sigh. A gravelly bit of a groan slipped its way in. His hand fell next, staring blank up at the ceiling, too tired, his rope running to its end.
Only when he heard the soft clink of the teacup did Trey realize exactly what he just did, and who was next to him. His mind scrambled over itself for a cover, the result being an awkward half-stretch and another, fake content sigh before reaching for his book and opening his mouth to—
Hands grabbed his jaw, firm and commanding, helpless to do anything but turn his head when pulled. He expected a glare, a reprimand, maybe even a shake if Riddle felt particularly fed up with his nonsense; he did not expect the lips on his. Trey stared wide-eyed at Riddle’s closed ones, cheeks prickling with heat, brain lagging until the thumbs gently stroking along his skin convinced him it was fine to give in. His eyes shut, all but melting into the touch as he pressed back, and Riddle adjusted his head for a better angle. One hand rose to cup over one of Riddle’s.
The kiss didn’t linger long, and Riddle pulled back farther away than Trey would’ve liked, but his body still sagged in relief, eyes blinking open with a third lovestruck little sigh. Knocked for a loop and then some. Not that he was complaining.
“Is that enough of a boost for you to continue?” Riddle asked, brows raised in amusement though his tone held an undercurrent of warning to it. A sign that scolding was still in the cards.
Still, whether it was because his head hadn’t fully gotten with the program yet, or because the kiss sent butterflies fluttering through his stomach, Trey decided to play the odds. “Will I get another as a reward for finishing?”
Humming, Riddle bobbed his head as he thought it over. “Perhaps. But only if your notes are correct.”
The haze cleared from his mind, a new fire chasing away the worst. Not entirely, his thoughts were still foggy at the edges, but enough for him to grin. “I can agree to that.” Then he blinked again. “And maybe we could swing by Sam’s, too?”
“For eye drops?”
Trey’s grin faltered a little. “Yeah. Is it that obvious?”
“You were rubbing at them. You know that’s not healthy.”
And then it became sheepish. “I know, I know, I wasn’t really thinking.”
Tutting softly, Riddle dropped the hand not held within Trey’s. “Very well, I have to place a request with Sam anyway. We’ll clean up and make the trip after we each finish our respective chapters.” From under Trey’s palm, Riddle’s fingers patted his cheek, eyes darting down to the book still sitting precariously on his lap. “Back to studying, now. And no cutting corners.”
“Yes, Housewarden.” With one last squeeze, Riddle’s hand slipped away, and with it went Trey’s temptation to turn and press his lips to his palm. He had other things to worry about first, like the butterflies still flapping up a storm inside him, because how in the world was he ever supposed to focus on some seaside prince when the taste of Riddle’s sugary, herbal kiss still lingered on his lips?
With a deep breath to try and clear his head, Trey picked his book back up, and found those two cursed sentences finally made sense.
Maybe he should ask for a boost more often.