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“What's that?" Boq's gaze followed Fiyero's hand pointing at the newspaper stuck to the pinboard at his nearly messy desk, piled with books he borrowed from the library, ink cartridges and ripped off papers from his notebook.
His expression went shocked, his eyes blinking multiple times as he's tried to focus on the view in front of him, checking if it was really real or not, he hoped it wasn't.
"Oh! O-Oh T-this..! This is nothing!"
Boq quickly got up to his pinboard and ripped off the newspaper.
He crumbled it and attempted to toss it behind his back into the rubbish can, but it didn't land, as expected. It probably didn't even hit the rim, maybe it bounced off the complete opposite direction as where the rubbish can is.
Boq then quickly planted both hands on his hips, scrambling in his head for words to come up with an excuse.
"Ha, it's- you know.. I know it-it has your face on the paper but UM.. it's not real- ACTUALLY-"
Boq glanced at Fiyero, who's been staring at him relaxedly, as if he’d plotted this whole exposing thing from the start. Fiyero’s posture was loose, one shoulder leaning against the doorframe, his expression amused rather than confused. It was the kind of look that said he already knew the answer and was just waiting for Boq to admit it.
"-it's my interest... to collect newspapers."
Boq’s face went rosy, his ears burned. He avoided Fiyero’s eyes, pretending to be intensely interested in a loose thread on his bedspread. His hands tightened on his hips for a second before he dropped them, awkwardly fidgeting with the edge of his shirt instead. He felt caught, caught doing something ridiculous, something that screamed the emotion embarrassing in big, bold letters.
Fiyero’s smirk only widened. He pushed himself off the doorframe and took a few slow steps toward Boq, stopping just close enough that Boq could smell the faint scent of grass and.. lavender? Is-is it a perfume?
“And the only collection you got is with my face on it?” Fiyero said, tilting his head. The smirk was still there, clearly knowing something was up.
It wasn’t typical for Fiyero to think so smartly, figuring stuff out so quickly, but Boq was being too… transparent. Even the brainless transfer student could read the situation.
“I just started!” Boq blurted out, his voice higher than he meant it to be.
“On the day you arrived… it’s really just a coincidence.”
He scoffed, trying to sound dismissive, but it came out more like a nervous laugh. The air in the room seemed to thicken again, heavy with unspoken things. Fiyero being in Boq’s dorm room, getting up close to his personal space, standing directly in front of him, it was all just too much for that poor old Munchkin.
Fiyero didn’t back off. Instead, he reached down, picked up the crumpled newspaper next to his feet.
So that's where it went.. How did it appear over there...
He smoothed it out, holding it out to only look at it for a second, since Fiyero never bothered the news that involved with him.
“Started the day I arrived, huh?” Fiyero said, still looking at Boq rather than the paper. “That’s a… very specific starting point.” Boq’s face burned hotter. “I- well! Y-you were in the news! The prince from the Vinkus coming to Shiz, it’s newsworthy. I was… keeping up with current events.”
“Current events,” Fiyero repeated, the word sounding ridiculous coming out of his mouth.
He scoffed “That just so happens... to feature me?"
“I- you’re a prince!” Boq said, floundering. “People care about princes. I care about politics! And-and important people-"
"I mean! You’re… Fiyero." The last word came out a little softer than he intended, and he hated how it sounded like a confession all on its own.
Fiyero blinked.
Fiyero's smirk on his face softened, like he’d just realised something he hadn’t quite put together before.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I am.”
For a second, he just looked at Boq, like he was seeing him properly for the first time too. Then he huffed a small laugh and shook his head. “You’re ridiculous, you know that, right?"