Rachael walked into the school library to report for detention, looking around at the never ending supply of books with a strange comfort. She spotted Beckett sitting at one of the back tables surrounded by stacks of books, and heading over to him.

"Hey, um, I'm not late, am I?" Rachael asks, as she approaches him.

"No, I was already here." Beckett says, glancing up at her from the book he was reading. His eyes narrowed at her when he spotted Tim sitting on her shoulder. "Familiars aren't allowed in the library. Did you not read the sign?"

"No, who reads the signs? They're really just suggestions." Rachael scoffs.

"You're ridiculous. Just send him to the ether." Beckett says returning his attention back down to his book.

"Uh...Go to the ether?" Rachael says confused, but trying to not to seem completely clueless. Tim disappeared immediately with a happy little croak. "Where'd he go?"

"Don't worry, he'll come right back when you call. And he'll be perfectly happy there with all the other off-duty familiars." Beckett explains closing the book he was reading and standing up.

"Are you studying already? School just started, yesterday!" Rachael asks, confused on why anyone would do that.

"Slacking off gets you nowhere. Though I'm sure you already know that by now." Beckett grumbles, defensively.

"Right..." Rachael nods, having thought that they were past this little rivalry thing.

"I got our service assignment from Mr. Korningshwip, the librarian. We're supposed to reshelve the Attuned history section from 1309 to 1350." Beckett explains.

"That doesn't sound terrible. It's only fifty years. Where's that section?" Rachael asks, looking around.

Beckett pointed to the nearest isle of books that looked like it continued on forever, into the darkest depths of the library. "It goes all the way down."

"We'll be here forever." Rachael sighs. "But at least all we have to do is put some books in the right place."

He pointed up at the dozens of books fluttering and zooming around the air like birds.

"Oh...good point." Rachael frowns, already over with this assignment.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" Beckett asks.

—

Almost two hours later Beckett and Rachael stood in the isle back to back putting book after book back on the shelves. She slid one into it's slot only for the one next to it to fly off the shelf.

"Ugh! This is fucking torture." Rachael mumbles, frustratedly.

"Tell me about it. This is make even me hate the library." Beckett sighs.

Rachael took a deep breath turning around to look at him, leaning against the book shelf. She watched as he effortlessly placed books back on the shelves.

"So...This morning in Dean Goeffe's you vouched for me." Rachael says.

"Yeah? So what?" Beckett asks.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I know the dean said it didn't change anything, but it did for me. So thanks..." Rachael smiles.

Beckett didn't turn around to look at her, but she noticed the tips of his ears turned a bit red. "Well...don't get used to it. I was feeling generous. Besides, I figured I owed you one for telling the dean it wasn't my fault. Just...don't make a thing out of it."

"Are you always like this?" Rachael asks, a bit frustrated with him, only because every time she thought she was close to getting him to open up to her, he shuts her out again.

"Like what, exactly?" Beckett glared, turning around to look at her this time.

"Like this. Mean, spiteful. Not everyone is out to get you, you know?" Rachael says softly.

"Obviously, I don't think that's the case. I-" Beckett says his angry resolve faltering as he struggles to find the words he was looking for. "This is important to me. School, I mean. I have to do well. I have to excel."

He turned away from her again, aggressively using a small whirlwind to draw in all the nearby books still flying through the air.

"I have to be the best." He says, with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"But why? This place is incredible. Isn't it enough to just be here?" Rachael asks.

"I wish it were, but no. If I don't graduate top of my class, or win the Attuned Magickae Uirtus Award, what's the point?" Beckett says, as one of the books he pulled down in his current got away again.

"Um, a stellar education? Making lifelong connections? The college experience?" Rachael replies.

"You..You wouldn't understand." Beckett sighs, heading down the aisle. "I'll be back. I have to hunt down that book."

She followed him after a moment much to his dismay.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" Beckett sighs, stopping and turning to look back at her as she catches up.

"Nope! I'll have you know I was voted 'Most Tenacious' in high school." Rachael smiles at him.

Beckett felt a smile creeping onto his face, as the same warmth flooded his stomach from earlier, he fought it off, before continuing to follow the book fluttering weakly over head. "Lucky me."

"So, Beckett Harrington, what exactly is your deal?" Rachael asks, curiously.

"I wouldn't say there's a deal. My parents expect...a lot of me, that's all." Beckett says.

"Yeah, I get that." Rachael nods.

"Really? You'd think you'd try a little harder in class then." Beckett says.

"Hey, I thought we were getting past the snarky remarks?" Rachael says, patiently.

"Sorry, sorry. Old habits, I guess." Beckett sighs. "It's more than that, though. my parents don't just expect a lot. They expect everything. Katrina, my sister, has four degrees from three different Attunded universities worldwide, and an MBA from Harvard."

"Well, that's definitely impressive, but does she have your incredibly good looks?" Rachael asks, trying to cheer him up a bit.

"I wouldn't exactly say I'm all that attractive..." Beckett says, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Well, I would." Rachael smiles.

"Still, my sister always had the looks in the family. She was also Miss Massachusetts in the Miss America pageant." Beckett sighs.

"Wow, she the whole package deal, huh?" Rachael mumbles.

They followed the book into another isle, full of bright green books, that smelt like freshly cut grass.

"On top of all that, she's a humanitarian, she speaks eight languages, and she even spent time studying at Le Cordon Bleu." Beckett says.

"Corbin Bleu? From jump in?" Rachael jokes.

"Le Cordon Bleu." Beckett corrects her rolling his eyes, trying to hide his smile.

"How much older is she than you?" Rachael asks, seriously this time.

"She's only twenty-eight." Beckett frowns.

"Oh come on! That's just unfair!" Rachael scoffs.

"I know, right? The worst part is that she's honestly the nicest, most caring person I've ever met." Beckett groans, turning to look at her. "And look at me. I haven't even accomplished anything yet, and I'm already a curmudgeonly jerk."

"Don't say that about yourself! Listen...You can't try to live up to other people's expectations of yourself! It's hard enough to listen to your own. Letting people control you like that isn't healthy." Rachael says, putting her hand on his shoulder gently.

"Easier said than done. My expectations of myself are pretty high too." Beckett sighs.

"Yeah, I noticed." Rachael says, with a sad smile. "Just remember to relax sometimes."

The book they were following changed course again and they started to move again following it to a pair of sketchy stairs leading downwards. They started to climb down them without a second thought.

"What do you do for fun?" Rachael asks.

"I-I uh...I read, I guess." Beckett says not actually sure.

"Okay, reading is good. What's your favorite book?" Rachael asks.

"Well, I did just finish the most exciting book about the correlation between shield and ward magick and their manipulations!" Beckett smiles out of the joy reading brought to him.

"I thought you meant, like reading fan fiction or poetry or something. Something for entertainment purposes." Rachael laughs as they follow the book of a door and into what looked like an art museum. "Whoa... there's a whole art gallery in here?"

Beckett seemed unfazed by their current surrounding and was continuing to follow the book.

"There has to be something that you do just for the hell of it?" Rachael persists.

"I do, sometimes, enjoy...yoga." Beckett says.

"Really?" Rachael asks surprised.

"It's excellent practice for focusing yourself before casting!" Beckett says defensively. "And it's just relaxing."

"Hey, no judgement here!" Rachael smiles at him.

They got close enough to the book for the first time for Beckett to attempt to draw it to him with a spell, but it barely dodge it, fluttering away.

"Fuck..." Beckett grumbles, glancing at Rachael briefly, pausing for a moment. "What about you? What do you do for fun?"

"Me? I like to go on adventures, go somewhere you've never been before and just see what trouble you can get yourself into." Rachael smiles.

"Sound like a little too much for me, but I could see how that might be fun." Beckett smiles, as the book goes up another pair of stairs.

"This book is really giving us the scenic tour, huh?" Rachael says.

"Can you blame it? It know as soon as we catch it, it's back to the shelf." Beckett smiles at her.

The two fell into a comfortable silence. Rachael observed him carefully and for the first time he seemed to be relaxed and carefree. The book had lead them back to the library and was taking a break resting on one of the tables.

"You take the left, I'll take the right?" Rachael whispers to him.

He nods and the two of them slowly get on either side of the book. "Now!"

They both reached out quickly to hold down the book, banging their foreheads directly into each other, but managing to grab the book before it could get away. Beckett was the first to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"We could have just used magick, you know!" Beckett laughs, holding his stomach he was laughing so hard.

"Well, sometimes it's more fun to get your hands dirty." Rachael giggles.

He calmed down after a moment, adjusting his blazer and clearing his throat. "Should we...get back to it then?"

"Yeah, I guess." Rachael shrugs starting to walk back towards the aisle, but Beckett stopped her.

"I suppose I should thank you." Beckett says, softly.

"For getting you in trouble and landing you in magickal college detention?" Rachael asks, with a smile on her lips.

"Not exactly. Though I guess thanks for that too." Beckett smiles at her, the warmth in his stomach returning. "I should thank you...for listening to me. And giving me a second chance, considering I was such a-"

"An asshole?" Rachael teases.

"Not exactly what I was going to say, but yes." Beckett nods.

"At least you made up for it by opening up to me and just being generally adorable." Rachael teases, smiling widely, making Beckett's cheeks turned light pink. "You're especially adorable when you get a compliment and you start blushing."

His face turned a darker shade of pink, and he looked away from her. "I-...thanks, I suppose? Er, is that...You are also...nice to look at. Um, in a normal way. Not that I'm looking, but I just mean that-"

Rachael smiles widely at his embarrassment. "Don't worry. I get it. Now, come on. Let's hurry this up since we can get out of here."