Chapter Text
Nate slumped down in his chair and sighed. Class was so boring. Literally no one cared about how Punnett squares worked. He took a glance at the clock. Fifteen minutes left. He found his thoughts drifting to various things, including the three messages he had left on read, the crushed 15 dollars in the bottom of his backpack he needed to do something with, how he only has one pencil left in his pencil case, and…
Liam.
The way his hair just brushed in front of his eyes. The way his handwriting scribbled at just a slight slant. The way his eyes moved and showed emotion. The way he smiled. The way the sunlight reflected off of his puffer jacket. His laugh. Everything about him was a whole different type of fascinating to Nate.
Liam's eyes turned to him, and Nate quickly looked away and back at the empty punnet square. He just realized he was staring at him like he was God in the middle of 4th period science. Oh, how he wished Liam and him could both make eye contact without him losing it, and pass notes, and all the other things the young couples did.
Nate knew very well he wasn't supposed to be feeling this. They were best friends, and that was it to Liam. He shouldn't feel butterflies whenever Liam looks at him. He shouldn't fantasize about actually being in a relationship with him. He should be focusing on the unread texts people kept sending him, and the Punnett squares he had no idea how to do. But he couldn't help it.
He wanted to walk with him, and go out for ice cream on Friday nights. He wanted to “study” together. He wanted to get matching bracelets, and hold hands during lunch. He wanted to spend every moment near Liam. Liam was like a magnet, pulling Nate's full focus wherever he went.
Nate's heart pounding and questionable fantasizing were quickly interrupted as the science teacher dismissed them. As he began to walk out of the classroom, Liam caught up with him. The butterflies came back. Ugh, why was he feeling butterflies?
“Yo! What's up?” Liam bumped his shoulder.
“Yo. Not much.” Nate responded, his heart fluttering from the sudden touch.
They began to walk in sync, their sneakers scuffing against the floor in the same beat. Nate was almost mesmerised by the perfection of it all.
“Have you signed up for basketball yet?” Liam asked.
“No, not yet. Probably later.”
“Well, the signups are right here. I have a pencil you can borrow.”
Liam then proceeded to take a large pencil case out of his pocket. It was filled to the brim with pencils. He dug through them for a little while and ended up giving Nate the nicest one of the batch.
Nate laughed. “Why do you have so many?”
“I collect. You never know when someone will need a pencil.”
“You… collect pencils?”
“Uhm. Yeah. Haven't you seen me with like, two in each hand during math class?”
Nate had in fact seen him with two pencils. He watched him, using one for an eraser and one for writing. He loved how weird he was, and how cute he looked doing it. But if you had a huge crush on your best friend, would you tell them that you watch them write their math homework? Probably not.
“No.” Nate lied.
“Huh. Well, here.” He handed the pencil over to Nate.
Their fingers touch. It may have seemed simple to others, just a normal finger brush between friends. But it was much more to Nate. So, so, much more.
Liam coughed. “You uhm… you gonna take the pencil or no?”
Nate’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Oh. Yeah.”
He quickly scribbled down his name and practically threw the pencil back at Liam.
“Keep it. I know you only have, like, one left.”
Nate smiled and chuckled. “Sure. You are so weird, you know.”
Liam grinned. “You are no better. I saw you watching me.” And with that, he walked away.