[#andy writes], not consistently, but fairly well.

todd dropped his bags to the floor as he took in the apartment. the wooden flooring creaked under the weight of all his things, which included about one million books.

neil had promised himself that he wouldn't be like this, but the sight of him after a week of daydreaming made his heart sink to his gut. oh no, this boy was flesh and bone. the real thing. looking flushed from coming upstairs and kind of scared like a kitten, yet bigger than neil in size.

neil had always been good with introductions, but this time was unlike the others. every second seemed to drag out as he watched todd's every move from the moment he went through the door.

there was something oddly interesting about him. something charming, which todd couldn't quite put his finger on. but this guy was surely something else. charismatic, maybe. enthusiastic and confident. everything todd could never be.

and for some unknown reason his eyes kept going back to neil's side profile, to neil's hair, to the green sweater he had on, to his bare feet on the wooden floor. there was just something about being this close to him; todd had never allowed himself to stare like that. never before.

at one moment neil offered to help him with his bags. don't embarrass yourself, neil, he thought to himself; but todd could still see the way his hands' muscles clenched, and quickly apologized for the weight of his books.

this eventually led to a full blown conversation - about how each of them liked spending their time, and what they loved so much about doing those things, and what cruel twists of fate were stopping them from doing those things. nothing they hadn't briefly said over the phone before. but it was nice, it seemed, to tell each other all about it face to face. or face to... hair. fingers fumbling anxiously with the hem of a sweater.

and soon, despite not looking like it, todd wanted to know everything. he felt oddly drawn to this boy who loved theater and art and experiencing life to its fullest. and because he wishes he loved all those things, too.

todd was really flesh and bone from up close, but had a tough shell to crack. put aside the instincts neil couldn't quite control, he still wanted to know this boy inside and out. but a part of him refrained, too afraid to ruin something beautiful. forget about it neil. forget about it.

that night, neil went to bed late, and slept even later. he held his pillow to his chest and took deep, steady breaths as he tried to let go of impossible thoughts that raced through his mind.

☆ ... part three?