Chapter Text
“Am I going too fast?” This was Anthony’s third time asking that question to his plants in the past hour, and in fifteen minutes, it’ll be seven hours since he has gotten home from his date with a certain bookshop keeper and ex-professor named Asa Fell.
Asa with an S, the man had told him. ‘Could you write down your number too?' he added quite confidentiality too and by then, Anthony was just beyond any coherent thought. Whatever angel or demon possessed him to answer the way he did – he’s thankful to them because he wouldn't have had the guts to say the things he did without them.
“No, but seriously. A date on our first time seeing each other…? I must be out of my mind…” Giving up on his painting, he decided to retire to his bed. It was only a little over eleven in the evening; if he grabs a cup of coffee now, he'll probably be asleep by one in the morning, but then again, he has to get up at five in time for a school field trip to the observatory and he really didn’t want to miss that. “I can’t think of anything else. I want to see him again… but it’s too soon!” Anthony yelled into his pillow.
He must’ve been more exhausted than he thought, though, because the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out cold. The potted plant by his window could only listen to him snoring throughout the night, and then when Anthony woke up in a rush, the plant was still there, listening to him mutter and patter about.
“It’s unlike you to be late to a trip to the observatory, Professor Crowley," Brian commented as they got on the school bus. Anthony was always eager to get on trips like these; he'd either insist that the school should fund it and if the school couldn't, then Anthony would fit the bill as long as they got permission to leave campus.
But right now, Anthony only dismissed Brian, blaming it on non-existent traffic this morning and moving on to get everyone in the bus before double-checking the students list to see if everyone was present before they left.
Brian takes one last look at their teacher before leaning towards Pepper, who sat in the aisle seat next to him. “Really, though. He looks…”
“Distracted…” Wensleydale finished the sentence for her as he stared out the window. He saw the way their Professor looked when he arrived earlier, distracted and anxious, like his mind was in some other universe. Professor Crowley wasn’t really that hard to read. His emotions were always out in the open; everyone knew what he was feeling. Hearts and sleeves and all that. No one knew what he was thinking of, though. "Or just hungry. I know I'm hungry," Wensleydale added.
“Whatever it is, he’s being really quiet," Pepper chimed in, crossing her arms above her chest. “And speaking of quiet…” at this, The Them, excluding their leader, looked over the end of the bus where Adam sat. He was just as quiet and distracted as Anthony. The only difference was the fact that none of them even knew what happened or what was wrong. “Why is everyone so off today? Adam likes going on trips and Professor Crowley usually gets all bubbly about these things too.” Brian's questions sadly go unanswered.
At the observatory, Anthony gathers his students around the entrance to give them a rundown of dos and don’ts. The rules basically comprise ‘don’t leave the building, don’t destroy anything and make sure to return to the entrance in one hour.' The students already know what to expect too; Professor Crowley loves to have an open discussion on what they said or learnt on their little adventures, to ask questions and be as curious as possible. The only real rule Anthony has had with his students is that everyone should be able to ask at least one question at the end of every field trip.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," Anthony cursed himself as he leaned over the bathroom sink. He still couldn’t think properly. He spent all morning going in and out of his car, forgetting his items in his rushed franticness. Why was he like this? It was a first date and frankly, they hadn't even spoken over the phone yet since yesterday—Oh, he forgot to give Asa his number. "Fuck—! Oh, shit. Sorry, Adam. H—How long have you been there?” Adam looks just as surprised as Anthony, especially since he's never heard his Professor curse out loud like this before, but where Anthony looks a bit ashamed after the initial shock has died down, Adam just looks crestfallen as he shakes his head.
“Oh, Adam, is something wrong, dear child?” Anthony called out softly, walking over to the door, locking it to ensure privacy and to show that Anthony wanted no one else to see Adam like this. He'd dealt with this before and he knew how much Adam valued keeping things under wraps until he could finally, properly, talk about them without blowing up on anyone. Another thing that he noticed was that Adam didn't even correct him when he called him a 'child'. Adam was usually sharp with his tongue, reminding Anthony that he wasn't the same grade schooler anymore. “Speak to me, lad... I’m here,” Anthony continued to urge him on gently, careful not to overwhelm the boy. It seemed like he was already overwhelmed beforehand and the silence of the bathroom along with Anthony’s soft voice was enough for him to crack.
Adam leaned forward on Anthony’s chest before he let out a drawn-out sigh, his shoulders visibly deflating with the release of his breath. Wrapping an arm around the not-so-small child came as second nature for Anthony now. “What do you do when you forget something, Professor Crowley?” Adam asked, keeping it vague but open for interpretation. Anthony took a moment to respond, wondering if he should take this seriously or lightly at first. He chose the latter; it’s safer to do so anyway. “Well, I’d go back to it. Check if I got the right thing. Maybe even check if I get everything I need.” He answered slowly, his hand rubbing Adam’s back with long, measured strokes while the boy kept his forehead pressed against his shirt.
“But what if I forgot about it for weeks?” Adam continued, not yet hearing the answer that he wanted.
Anthony took a while longer to answer this time, processing the words Adam said. So, it’s a person, not a thing… probably. Anthony’s answer will be as good or as bad as anything by now but at least he tried. "Apologise, I think? I know I apologise to my plants if I didn't remember to water them in the morning. They seem to forgive, I think. Sorry, who are we talking about again?” he asked, because there’s not much else to do, really. Wrong move, apparently, because Adam moved away when he said that. “Not a who," He muttered defiantly, to which Anthony just raised an eyebrow. “Right, not a person. Well, if it’s a plant, I’m telling you it’s better you get back to them as soon as you can and apologise. ‘Sorry for the wait; here, let me water you. that’s good. Better.’ Might as well throw in some fertilisers and a promise that you’d remember next time," Anthony insisted.
“And what if the plant doesn’t want me back?” Adam anxiously asked again, looking up at his mentor for guidance.
“Well, you wouldn’t find out unless you tried now, would you?” Anthony answered with too much sarcasm for his liking. He gets like this when he’s stressed, and this conversation about forgetting is hitting far too close to home for his liking. Softening his voice, he placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Look, you can still try and apologise. Tell them why you forgot, make it up to them, and do better next time. But making them wait and then not even apologising would hurt quite a bit. Even if that person loves you, an apology will go a long way.” It was only then that Adam seemed to finally take Anthony’s words to heart. With a sigh, Adam nodded, and Anthony left the bathroom to give him time to think.
Anthony needed to do some apologising soon too. He really needs to get back to that bookshop and finally get Asa’s number. Sometimes it makes him wonder how he could go on and name every moon and every planet in the neighbouring solar system and still be as forgetful as this. It’s a mystery to him. Same with how he could feel like a teenager again in his mid-40s. He'll probably blame this on the plants as well.
“You can’t leave this bookshop," Anthony was panting, chest heaving as he blocked the exit to the store. He had spent all day regretting his decision to let his students wander off into the observatory unsupervised. What was supposed to be an hour of exploration became three hours of pure chaos. A search and rescue sort of shenanigan but the person he needed to rescue was himself and his career. His rules were simple. Don’t leave the building, don’t break anything, and come back in 1 hour. Simple, right? Nope!
It’s like that one card shuffle game where you try to find the lady, but Anthony's been searching for three hours and on the one-hour marker, someone decided to add a baby into the mix.
Apparently, Wensleydale accidentally broke off a piece of equipment and tried to make a run for it. Why and how, Anthony didn't know, nor did it matter because as soon as he found the poor lad hiding in the bathroom, worried sick and looking like he was about to throw up, Anthony's anger for the mess-up faded away. It wasn't Wensleydale's fault. Technically they're supposed to be 'adults' now but there's still room for learning. Besides, Anthony wasn't always this 'well-behaved and well-mannered'. So, on top of taking 3 hours to find all his students, including Wensleydale, he also had to cover for the broken equipment. He’s not about to let his students, who've barely got enough money for their daily allowance, fit the bill for something that could’ve been avoided if he wasn’t such a hot mess in the first place.
“Er… hello,” Asa bashfully greeted, looking at Anthony with that same bright smile and sparkling eyes. “May I… help you?” Beautiful, beautiful eyes. Perfect nose. Pretty lips, perfect lips. Apple cheeks that are ripe enough to bite. Cute smile— “Anthony?”
“Right! Yes, yes. Um, okay, um, your phone. Give it," Anthony demanded suddenly, surprising even Asa by the blunt, abrupt command. Still, Asa offered the phone, to which Anthony dialled his own number, saved it, and then returned the phone back to Asa. “There, so you can call me. I mean, Only if you want. No pressure at all."
God, what was he doing?
"Just thought I'd give it to you now in case you want another date," Anthony clarified, leaning back to give Asa a bit more space now that he's done what he'd been hoping to do since this morning. He still needs to apologise, though. What good was his advice to Adam when he himself couldn't even apply it in his own life?
Asa only smiled at him and thanked him again for it, though his cheeks did seem a bit more pinkish, “Are you… here for anything else?” he asked after staring at Anthony for a second longer. Asa’s not the only one here staring though. If anything, Asa had to get Anthony’s attention again, and once again, Anthony let out a jumble of words that barely sounded like an apology, let alone anything at all. “You’re doing that quite a lot, lost your head up in the clouds. Is everything alright?” It may seem like this was starting to become a habit but Asa will never get tired of asking. Not now, not ever.
“Fine. Everything’s fine. Was just… um… I forgot to give you my number and I didn’t have yours” Anthony offered a small, apologetic smile in hopes to reassure his charming bookshop keeper. Did he just call him his? “I’m just still… trying to catch up with what happened today. Nothing to worry about,” Now that he had the chance to catch his breath, he finally realized that Asa was just about to close the shop, if the jingle of his keys wasn't a big enough indicator. Anthony's mind just wasn't here, he's still looking for it high up in the satellites.
“Oh, shit – sorry. That’s all I came here for, I...” he leaned back, letting Asa lock the front door, finally. “…I just wanted – or, hoped that I can give you my number since you asked yesterday. Terribly sorry for forgetting.” Anthony finally said it, and part of him hoped that Adam did the same with his own memory problems. He also hoped that it helped Adam more than how it is for Anthony.
Humming to himself as the lock clicked into place, Asa looked back at Anthony and smiled. “Coffee would be nice. I can free my schedule for tomorrow morning, if you’d like to?” Asa asked and the concept of this beautiful man willingly skipping his job just to go to a cafe with Anthony easily sent his mind abroad again. It would be so easy to just call in sick tomorrow and enjoy his time with Asa but… “Can’t, got a class to teach,” he responded, looking both amused but saddened by it. Why must be he reponsible?
Asa looked proud and understanding, though. “Well, that’s not a problem.” Asa only smiled at him brightly, without so much as a hint of sorrow or disappointment. It's like Asa actually knew how it felt to be busy and not demand for anything more when you can't give more. Admittedly, this was the best form of reassurance Anthony could have ever receive from anyone. Or maybe it’s only reassuring since its Asa?
“Do—Do you need a lift home?” Anthony blurted out. Not wanting to end things here just yet. He already detests the fact that he chose his job over spending time with Asa. The only thing keeping him away from changing his mind and slacking off was the fear of being too much too soon as well as Asa not liking it if he ever was irresponsible. He wanted to do so many things... but sadly, we can’t always get what we want. At least not yet.
“Another time, my dear. I’ve got errands.”
“I am definitely going too fast.” Anthony groaned out, throwing his bag on the sofa on his way to his balcony to open the door and to let some air in. Once there, he checked on his potted plants and began to rant to them. “What was I thinking offering to take him home when I haven’t even asked him out to a second date yet?” Anthony felt so foolish. Foolish and hopeful and idiotic. Like a teen back in the day where being foolish was still considered endearing. Maybe it's still endearing now but who knows. Asa probably knows, though. Maybe. He knows that his plants are be disappointed, that's for sure. Nothing new for him, at least.
Sighing, he went and plucked any fallen leaf in the pots and the ground beside it. “I mean, seriously, it’s not even been a year since…” Anthony didn’t even want to think of him “and now I’m taking someone to dinner and offering to drive them home.” He could feel a headache coming on. The stress of the day, from being a forgetful bum all morning, to his missing responsibilities during the trip, and now this. Demanding Asa to give him his phone? Who’s to say Asa would even message him in the first place—
A ping from his phone caught Anthony’s attention. He wouldn’t have moved to grab it if it weren’t for the fact that it pinged twice. Thrice. Four times. And now, looking at the messages. All his worries melted away, or at least the majority of it.
One message was from Adam. It was a simple thank you, but it was enough of a hint to tell Anthony that the advice helpe.. The rest were from Asa. It was an attachment of a café menu and the name Asa’s favorite drink. Maybe he’s not going too fast after all, if Asa’s still talking to him, then maybe things really are alright. Thinking about it more... why would Asa run after him and ask for his number yesterday if he didn't want to message Anthony.
“Do you mind telling me your choice of drinks? If you can’t come to me then I’ll come to you”