#rochuweek

“No. Are you?”

Ivan nods, unable to suppress his yawn. “It's… midnight.”

Yao rubs his face. “You're kidding me...”

Ivan holds out his palm, and the startled way Yao looks at it makes him flush.

“Y-Your book,” Ivan says quickly, “I can put it back.”

“Oh.”

Ivan gingerly takes the book from Yao's hands, getting up to find its shelf. He's actually not sure where they picked this book out from, and Yao is eager to follow and smugly guide him to the bookshelf. Ivan, like the klutz he is, manages to drop both the book and his rucksack. It’s then that something else falls - a well-worn novel, tumbling out onto the floor with a soft thud that is louder than anything else in this deserted library. The cover stares up unashamedly: The Remains of the Day, the title reads beneath an image of a lavish mansion.

Yao blinks, a pause. “Is that yours?”

Ivan curses under his breath and grabs it off the floor, eager to hide it away - only Yao is reaching for it, too.

“Why are you so shy?” Yao asks, beaming with a knowing smile. “What’s it about?”

“Just... a novel. About. Things.”

Yao laughs, reaching for the book although Ivan is holding it close to his chest. “Things?”

“I read it for practice. F-For my english,” Ivan says, backing into the bookshelf when Yao takes a step towards him.

“For your english?”

“Y-Yes, it improves my vocabulary.”

The corners of Yao's gentle mouth tug up a little more. “You’re making me very curious about this book.” His fingertips are on the book’s spine, close to Ivan's, and the way his dark eyes are looking up at him so fervently sets Ivan's heart into a frenzy.

“Can I see it?”

“N-No,” Ivan gulps. He can feel sweat under his collar. Yao's face is practically in his, but his eyes are fixated on the book as he continues to try and gently pry it away. 

“I just want to have a look,” Yao says teasingly.

“You really don't,” Ivan laughs nervously, unsure how he could possibly explain the obvious wear and tear of a much-loved book - a book like this, no less, which revelled in nostalgia and longing. But more than this, he can’t help the thoughts running through his head as Yao leans in only closer. Yao looks too touchable like this, too sweet as he smiles and attempts to peer into the book. Yao's ponytail has fallen apart, and Ivan is oh-so-tempted to tuck in that stray wisp of hair from his face. They're so close together, he could just about touch it –

The lights go out completely, leaving them in darkness.

“Crap, they’re locking up, we better go!” Yao grabs Ivan’s hand in the dark, pulling him along to the usual frenzy of their day to day life. Ivan isn’t sure if he’s disappointed or relieved as they squeeze past the security guard, muttering their apologies and ducking out into the icy rain. But it’s with a small smile that he realises that even on their way home, Yao doesn’t let go.

.

A/N: Thank you for reading!! It’s short, but hopefully sweet. I highly recommend reading (or watching) The Remains of the Day if you’re into the torture of two characters pining for each other but never directly expressing their feelings for each other, plus just a really good story about a butler. (and Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson are in it how can u not)