Chapter Text
“Hello… Can you help me?”
General English just ended, as everyone stood up, collecting their items and leaving the classroom. Barry was closing his notebook as the soft spoken voice made his head turn around. Behind him was a lengthy man, who wore a black baseball cap that obscured his face a little.
“Uh- sure. How can I help?” Barry responded as he placed his notebook into his crossbody bookbag, standing up from the grey cushioned seat.
“Are you good at English?” The tall man spoke again. As Barry listened, he noticed the guy had an accent, it reminded him of French.
Barry slightly jokes, “Yeah- I’m from this country, of course I am.” He stood up straight next to the guy, realizing the differences in their bodies. The guy was a bit skinny, and lengthy, while Barry was quite the opposite, on the bigger side, while not as tall.
“I’m not good at writing English- and I don’t really see you with anyone else in this class and I’m sorry to ask but… I need help with writing. Please.” Barry looks at the man nervously asking, looking at him up and down. His accent was cute, and he was incredibly soft spoken.
“Okay. But can you help me with a class in return? Specifically a math class maybe.” Barry asks, as he takes out his phone, opening the call app.
“Yeah, of course. What class do you need help with?” Jacob looks down at Barry, as Barry hands the other man his phone to type his number in.
“Calculus. I’m okay at math but I feel like I keep making the same mistake over and over again, and it’s annoying me. You’re good at math?” Asking once again, as he watches Jacob handle his phone, fingers typing over the numbers.
“Yes, I am majoring in Chemical Engineering. My name is Jacob.”
“Oh- uh Barry. Barry Williams I mean, nice to meet you- Jacob.”
Barry slightly stuttered as a smile plastered across his freckled face. Jacob passes the phone back to Barry, when a moment of silence comes over the two.
“Thank you.” Jacob quietly thanked as he took a step back, while Barry sheepishly smiled and chuckled.
“Uhm no problem. See you around?”
Jacob nodded as they both walked towards the door in silence, Jacob speed walking out of the cold classroom.
___
This would be the first tutoring session Barry would be helping Jacob with. On Monday afternoons, Barry would help Jacob with English, while Jacob would be helping Barry on Friday evenings.
They’ve been texting a little, and Barry found out pretty quickly that Jacob transferred from France, and for some god forsaken reason went to college in the UK. They’ve also exchanged socials… which Jacob didn’t post on to begin with. With a basic profile picture of the default grey photo, his bio in French. Unlike Barry, who posted random photos whenever he felt like it, despite the fact only his close friends and family saw them.
They agreed to meet up at a Public Library, Barry awkwardly standing at the front door, watching as people passed on by, walking inside. It wasn’t until a little while later Barry saw Jacob rushing towards the door.
“Hello! I am sorry- I came a couple minutes late.” Jacob was a little out of breath, clutching his grey backpack as he stood directly in front of Barry, “My papa- he called me and I lost track of time.”
Barry couldn’t help himself but smile whenever he was near Jacob. They seemed to get along as of recently, and Barry could tell that Jacob was introverted and kept to himself. So he was grateful that Jacob probably had to build up a lot of courage to ask him for help. In classes, Barry noticed that Jacob didn’t really talk to anyone, they were like polar opposites.
“Ah- it’s no worries, c'mon let’s go.”
Barry gently slapped Jacob on his back, as they entered the library.
___
It’s been a good couple weeks since they started tutoring each other. Jacob was good at math, scarily good. Despite the fact they were in different math classes, Jacob still was able to help Barry with his assignments.
But whenever it was Barry’s turn to tutor Jacob, he noticed Jacob’s quiet confidence was suddenly gone, as Jacob sheepishly typed his essay, nervous whenever Barry read over his paragraphs.
Today, they were in the university library, in one of the many quiet rooms. Barry made sure to book the room on his laptop a couple days before. Now, Jacob and Barry had the room to themselves, standing in front of a whiteboard as Jacob watched the other man solve the problem.
“Is this right so far?”
Barry slightly turned around to see Jacob’s face. Jacob had a poker face usually, a blank face, which Barry found a little unnerving. He liked being able to read people’s expressions, but Jacob was not like that. It was hard to guess how Jacob felt.
“Mmm. no, but you had it right on the first part. You made a mistake in your step. Which made your answer wrong- here.”
Barry watched as the taller man walked over to where he was, as his hand gently grabbed Barry’s writ. His brows raised as he felt Jacob’s warm fingers gently guide his wrist.
“Here- this is what you would do instead.”
Jacob softly spoke, as Barry just realized what was going on. He watched and listened as Jacob gently explained his mistake, and helped him fix it.
It felt nice. Jacob’s fingers felt nice on Barry’s wrist.
“Do you understand- are you okay?”
Barry didn’t realize that he was full on, staring at Jacob’s face- his freckled cheeks a blotchy red color. Jacob was staring back.
He didn’t even understand.
___
It was pouring. Jacob and Barry were both under Jacob’s black umbrella, slightly rushing towards a cafe, to which they were gonna study that Monday afternoon. The rain pattered harshly onto the umbrella, as Jacob’s neck awkwardly arched over a little so that the British man had his equal share of the umbrella as well.
Barry’s hand reached for the cold metal handle bars of the glass door, as they entered into the cafe, nearly tripping over the mats as Barry laughed from how ridiculous they probably looked.
“Oh goodness! Are you alright?” He straightened himself up, as he looked up at Jacob, realizing Jacob had a small smile on his face, which was rare from the Frenchman.
“Yes- I am fine. I think my bottom of my pants got wet though-”
Like usually, Barry would order for the both of them, while Jacob claimed a seat for them. Jacob usually chose a seat in the corner of the cafe. A small table against the wall, the warm yellow light gleaming above him as Jacob’s legs sunk into the brown cushion of the wooden seat.
As Barry also got settled, the two got their supplies out onto the clean cafe table. Some small talk until the waiters dropped their glass drinks off in little coasters.
They started to study after sipping their drinks for a little bit. Barry read over Jacob’s recently typed-out paragraph. He’s starting to notice the subtle difference and improvement in Jacob’s writing, which he couldn’t help but be proud of, since it was Barry who was helping him in his writing assignments.
Jacob’s eyes though seemed more weary, as Barry kept glancing over them. He liked Jacob’s brown eyes, and how utterly warm they seemed. Barry usually did have trouble reading Jacob’s emotions, but he couldn’t help but feel like Jacob seemed… sad? In a way.
“Jacob?”
Jacob, who seemed like his head was in the clouds, quickly turned his head to Barry and glanced at the Englishman, tilting his head.
“Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
Barry observed Jacob’s face as he blinked a couple times, and straightened himself up.
“I’m okay. Thank you for asking ah… recently I think I am homesick. I miss my country.”
“Ah France?”
“Mhm.”
Jacob’s eyes looked elsewhere for a moment awkwardly, Barry watching his Jacob’s nails dug into the pit of the other’s nail, fidgeting.
“I don’t really know anyone. In France, I’m not popular or anything but… I had my papas. And some of my friends. But here, I feel lonely.”
Papas?
“Papas?”
Jacob turned to glance back at the shorter man, before his eyebrows raised promptly and sheepishly nodded.
“Ah! Uhm- yes I never mentioned that. I have two papas-”
“Oh uh- I don’t mind. I’m not- like that. You know, against it, I mean?” Barry immediately tried to reassure, his hands signaling and moving.
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
Barry watched as Jacob had a small sigh of relief.
“I mean- I’m into both. Y’know. Men and women.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Barry watched as Jacob almost seemed to light up, seeming more comfortable.
“I don’t really tell many people, but I only like men. So uhm- I’m gay.”
“That’s nice.”
That night, Barry went back to his dorm giggling and thinking about the interaction in his bed.