HANBROUGH COLLEGE HC where mike works at the library, and one day he notices this guy walking up and down the aisles, looking very confused. since mike’s shift that day was at the help desk, he technically isn’t supposed to be leaving the desk to go help people, but this guy just really looks like he’s struggling to find something (plus he’s really cute) so mike walks up to him and asks if he needs help finding anything.
the guy seems relieved at mike’s offer, but then slightly embarrassed at his request of helping find books about ghosts and vampires. mike doesn’t think anything of it, and he guides the guy to the right section and even helps pick out all the books he needs.
a few days later, mike notices the same guy back in the library, but this time he’s sitting in the study area, reading through the books and jotting down notes. mike wonders if it’s for one of his classes, and carries on with his shift.
during mike’s next shift, the guy returns, and this time asks mike for some help in finding books about werewolves and witches. of course mike doesn’t hesitate to show him, and while they’re looking for the right books, they finally introduce themselves, and mike learns that the guy’s name is bill.
this continues for a while, with bill coming into the library almost every day now. some days he’s in the study area and is working hard typing away on his laptop (mike always wonders what it is he’s writing, but never asks), other times he asks for mike’s help in finding another book (bill actually doesn’t need any help finding the books, he knows where they are….. but he enjoys talking to mike and it’s a good excuse to spend time with the cute librarian), and other times they just talk until mike’s boss tells him to get back to work.
and then, one day, bill comes into the library for the first time in a while. mike’s had a stressful past few days with school and work, so he can’t deny that it cheers him up a little bit when he sees bill. but as bill approaches the help desk, before mike can ask him what he’s looking for today, bill pulls out a folder from his bag.
turns out, all those times bill was working in the library, he was actually working on writing his first novel. and all those books he needed, were for research for his story.
“it’s still a work in progress, it’s just the first draft,” bill says shyly as he hands the folder over to mike. “but you’ve helped me so much with finding everything i needed for the story, and so i wanted you to be the first person to read it.”
mike is having a lot of emotions, because he’s so surprised that bill had been writing a novel this whole time, because that’s very impressive, because bill looks incredibly cute when he’s blushing, because bill wanted him to be the first to read it.
mike of course takes it and agrees, thanking bill and promising that he’ll start reading it right away. and when bill leaves the library he lets out a long breath, his hands shaking and his heart beating way too fast, because he can’t believe he actually just did that…. but the next day when bill comes to the library to study and mike tells him how much he’s enjoying the novel so far, bill can’t help but smile.
