Chapter Text
Eclipse stared the front of the school with fearful eyes, walking in as he always did— head bowed and steps hurried. You see, Eclipse was a transfer from Plex Private to Celestial secondary due to his parents moving house. Something about finances and being closer to his brother's sixth form or something, he had been to busy trying not to cry when they first broke the news. As a result, he had no friends in or out of school—apart from his current ones that he maintained contact with. Not to mention the bullying he faced. The kids at his old school were rude, sure, but they never dumped his lunch onto him or try and break his glasses. They did flush them once, and he felt pathetic fishing them out the dirty boy's urinal.
His only set of friends were his brothers, Sun and Moon— or as he called them, Tea and Brew. They..didn't like him hanging around him, though. Correction, Brew didn't like Eclipse hanging around them, and would be shoo-ed away if he tried to sit with them. Not even his own brothers wanted him around during school...
So he sat in the toilets, drawing as he ate. He'd draw whatever he remembered during the day: the funny ass outfit his science teacher was wearing, with those pointed sandals; whatever gross food he saw when buying stuff from the canteen; the trees he saw outside before hurrying in. Sometimes, he'd do people. His brother's mostly, and...Saturn.
Saturn had initially been a crush, the kind where he knew he had no shot at getting with her, that he kept fixating on. To exhaust his thoughts, he began doodling her. At first it was simply her face, her eye that seemed to catch his gaze every time he'd see her in his peripheral, and then it was her headshot. Her hair and how that gorgeous navy settled over an eye and down her shoulders like waterfalls. Then it was full body drawings in different poses, in her uniform and then her P.E kit. She was so athletic, and so...hot talented. She was on the netball and track team for the school, had been for years, and by the gods was she good. Had he seen her?
Well...
Mostly during breaks or after school—they’ve bumped paths before as her netball is the same day as his drama! That counts right?.. Regardless, he's used these close-ups to doodle in lessons too, making sure to add the details when he was in the cubicle to avoid suspicion from his classmates. She was popular, of course they'd recognise her if he actually drew her as she was right then and there. And he'd gotten good at this too! Covering the sketchbook with his hands in lesson and hiding it in his bag beneath several books and random sheets for when his bag was raided. You have to get clever when the bullies also get crafty.
He wasn't smart enough though, for one day when he was walking across the tennis courts to go the sixth form building— he and Tea had plans for a cosplay and he needed measurements before textiles club— he was shoved against a brick wall. "Oi, Neek, you finally left your toilet hide-out? You're getting bold, huh."
This guy again...he was from one of the younger years, but from the way he was built you'd think he was a sixth former in disguise. He never learnt his name, didn't want to, but he'd learnt that cocky attitude that the words it spoke cut the air like a dagger and that red hair that never got him in trouble. How, he'd never know. "Oh, staying silent now, huh?" He grabbed Eclipse by both back straps and thrust his back against the brick of the sports hall, once twice and three times, before shoving him to the floor. "Look at that mighty big bag ya got, wonder what's inside?"
Tugging Eclipse around, they dragged the bag off and dumped everything out. O-Ok, his big sketchbook was at home, so as long as they didnt-
The red head held his pencil case high in the air, unzipping it and throwing it up, the contents falling out like rain. And out fell the sketchbook, snatched up by the thrower and flourished around the courts. "Oh, so you draw girls, huh pervert? Look, he's been drawing Saturn like some stalker!"
They weren’t meant to see it, he thought he'd hid it so well. Saturn had been in the further part of the tennis courts, but she had rushed over when they started yelling her name. His sketch-book was being presented like some twisted form of show and tell, with him being the laughing stock. Curling in on himself, he began crying. The noise persisted past the barriers of his arms, until it slowly faded
Then, someone tapped his head— his curls— with a palm. He slowly raised his head, expecting that guy to laugh at him more.
It was Saturn, with a nervous smile on her face. “Hey...so..um..you draw me?”
His cheeks warmed, redder from that and the irritation brought by the tears. He quickly wiped his cheeks, and fixed his glasses, before looking at her properly. “Y-yeah..you’re just so pretty a-and i’m so meh, and..sorry, t-that’s pathetic huh?” He chuckled weakly, looking around. Teachers had arrived, shooing everyone who hadn't left away. “No, it’s..ahem kind of cute…anyways, are you ok?”
Cute…him? “Y-yeah! As ok as I c-can be…um, i-if this isn’t too awkward, do you wanna go in town with me after school?”
He bit his tongue directly after that.
What are you thinking, Eclipse?! There’s no way she’d say-
“Yeah. I can only be out until 5, is that ok?”
“..M-More than ok!” He smiled giddily. She smiled back, patting his head before hurrying off to her group of friends as they flickered their gazes to him between chatter.
Oh my stars, he got a date!
Eclipse couldn’t wait for the clock to hit 3pm, tapping his foot anxiously during English, and when it did he practically sprinted to the buses. He was catching his usual bus, only now saving a seat for Saturn. Giddily, he set his bag on the aisle seat with the expectation that this time, he'd be removing it for a person! Said person came a few minutes later, smiling a tad bit awkwardly as she sat down beside him. “Did you have any specific places in mind?” She asked, taking out her wired headphones from her inner blazer pocket. “Um, n-not really. Just planned to go around—is that ok?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” A final set of smiles were exchanged before the two sat in solo musical silence as they travelled to the main city. The poor boy stared out the window internally panicking the whole bus ride until the familiar landmarks indicating their arrival to town began to show. Eclipse tapped her shoulder to indicate their stop, and they left the bus shortly after. “You, um, wanna pick where we go first?” In all honesty, he had no clue where a girl would wanna go when in town—aside from shops like Primark and Superdrug, since Chica adored those places. “We can go to Costa, I would like to chat a bit.” …uh oh.
The two made their way to the nearest one, ordering their drinks and sitting at a table once they arrived. It was a small booth in the corner, tucked safely away form a window lest anyone from school try to spy on them. Eclipse added his sugars, stirring it with a stick when Saturn asked— “So..why did you draw me? We’ve only met a handful of times, last I remember. I barely remember your name too, Eclipse... that is it right?”
His stirring paused. “Yes, and um…W-Well, if we’re being honest. I-I’ve noticed you for months now. 2 to be exact. I-I’m sorry if it’s creepy, you’re just such a pretty girl and i-i couldn’t get your beauty out of my head unless I put it to paper and from there it kinda snowballed and-…u-um? I'm rambling huh?” He smiled awkwardly, cheeks burning. He probably looked so dorky—circular glasses slid down his noise, braces on display to a gorgeous girl he’s just opened his soul to and she’s only known him for less than a day! What a great first impression Eclipse…
Meanwhile, Saturn stared in awe at this ball of anxiety seated in front of her. His cheeks, with a tad bit of chub, filled in for a smile that displayed the cute little brackets banded with a dulling lilac colour. A dimple sank on his right cheek, and a few strands of curly hair leaked out the ponytail he had behind him. Glasses that slid down his nose ever so slightly as he moved his head, not tight enough to stay in place but just enough to not slip off his face.
Oh my god. Why’s he so cute?!
“…Draw me.”
Both behaved in equal manners of shock. “O-Oh! Um, if you want I guess..I’d be honoured!” Scrambling through his bag, he found his sketch book and pencil case. His drink grew long forgotten in front of him in favour of sketching the beauty in front of him. Saturn, meanwhile, sat stunned and flustered in her own forwardness as she was sketched. How...peculiar of her, huh?
It took around ten minutes, and by then both drinks had gone cold since Eclipse was focused on drawing and Saturn was too awe-struck at the process to lift her eyes from his work, but Saturn was more focused on inspecting the drawing of her. He got most, if not all, of the details. “..you..y-you have a keen eye.” Was the most compliment she could utter around a tense jaw. If she was being honest? She wanted to frame this, or put it in her phone case. It was perfect. "Thanks! It's hard n-not to, you're just so pretty. You're a pretty lady, y'know?"
Her...pretty?
"Let's go for dinner. L-Lunch I mean. Lunch. On Saturday?" She blurted out in a manner that was more suited for Eclipse than her. "I wanna get to know you more."
He stared in shock before smiling. "Sure, sounds like a date."