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Once again, the science library is full. It does not matter when Ray comes, morning, early afternoon, even night! There is hardly ever any table left. He has to roam about, waiting for an opportunity, always on the look-out, ready to fight to the death for a well-deserved seat.
(He may watch too many movies.)
Today is no different. He's been here for over twenty minutes and no students have left a table empty yet. He is not the only one waiting for a seat, but damn, he will be the next person to have one.
He is starting to think he'll have to go to a coffee shop to work (and he hates it, it's always so noisy) when, finally! Someone leaving!
He tries not to show how much he is lurking but the girl sees him looking at the tiny table like Finn looked at water after he crashed on Jakku. She smiles at him, laughs softly and takes off at last. Well, there goes being discreet, but hey, he has somewhere to work at least!
The taste of victory is sweet on his tongue as he walks to the table, but the taste turns to ashes when another bag is thrown on it at the exact moment he puts his own down.
“Sorry, it's my table.”
The guy does not look sorry. He snickers at Ray's outraged face.
“No!” Ray exclaims. “No way!”
“Shhh!”
Ray feels a bit guilty for raising his voice, but he can't let this happen, not after he spent so much time hunting for a seat. He smiles topologically at the blond-haired girl who just shushed him and then turns his attention back to the stranger and looks at him and wishes he had x-ray vision so that he could disintegrate his new-found enemy.
“No way,” Ray says, careful to keep his voice down, “I've been waiting forever for a seat, you wait for another one.”
The seat-stealer raises a single eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Ray's resistance, and okay that's impressive, Ray can't raise a single eyebrow.
“Well, you will have to wait for another one, pretty boy, I really don't have time.”
"'Cause I do? I have three assignments for next week, I should be working on them instead of talking to you!”
“Shhh!!” The same person, again, this time Ray ignores her. He will literally fight for this seat.
“Listen, man, just wait for another table, one will be free soon enough.”
“We both know this is quite untrue.”
Ray can feel his annoyance grow bigger by the second, and he sighs loudly. The guy continues smirking.
“Alright, I wish it didn't have to come to this.”
Ray looks directly at annoying guy slash seat-stealer slash parka-wearing supervillain, and he sits on the chair.
Now, the table is really microscopic and can obviously be used by only one person a time, so there is only one chair.
He is feeling really proud right now in a very childish way. He has won over his table, his kingdom really, and he feels like he can do anything. Probably even work on his assessments.
Ray smiles smugly at the other guy who looks a bit shocked, as if no one ever contradicts him. Maybe they don't, now that he thinks of it, he kind of looks intimidating with his piercing blue eyes. He is actually cute in a sort of threatening way.
He's about to turn on his computer when the guy suddenly sits on his lap.
“What!”
“SSSHH!”
Both Ray and the seat-stealer send a murderous look at the blond girl, although one is entirely red and the other probably looks really smug.
“Get away!” Ray hisses.
“Nope.”
“What, I, you won't even be able to work like this.”
“Oh I will, but you won't, so you should just go really.”
Ray is dumbfounded. Are they back to kindergarten? This whole situation is ridiculous, he should just go already and work in a damn coffee shop already, he has lost enough time as it is, but his pride always gets the better of him.
“If you don't think I can work like this, you really don't know me. I once wrote an entire essay in one sitting during a party because I forgot to do it. So just watch me, you thief.”
“Leonard Snart.”
“What?”
“My name, idiot. I gathered that since we're going to be pretty close for a while, we might as well go by a first-name basis.”
Ray huffs, but tells Snart his name as well.
After that, they don't talk much. Everyone who passes by send them weird look but Ray does the best he can to ignore them. Snart is taking notes as he reads a book on mechanical engineering, and Ray works on his computer on his robotic assignment.
It's difficult at the beginning, but they do find a pace.
Despite the weird arrangement, Ray works well. Having someone next to him actually helps him focus and forces him not to go on stupid websites and wastes his time.
After a while, Ray's right leg, which is the one taking most of Snart's weight on, starts being really numb, and the other must sense his discomfort because he switches leg without a world.
Not that he notices, but Snart looks even prettier up close.
“I have a class,” Ray says two hours later.
Snart stands up, and although his legs are relieved, Ray is somewhat disappointed from the loss of contact. He can feel the other's stare bore into him as he puts all his things back into his bag.
“Hm, well, that was peculiar, but hm, nice meeting you, I guess.”
He is a bit sad, the campus is huge and he probably will never see Snart again, and even though they had a rough start, he wishes he could see him again.
“Are you going to ask me?”
“Sorry?”
“Are you going to ask me out or do I have to do everything here?”
“Shhhhh!” Oh, come on, she can't still be here right? They're not even talking that loud!
“Oh shut up, blondie.”
Ray laughs.
He ends up giving his number to Len and goes to class with a smile on his face and a date on his agenda.