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Kieran's alarm went off at about fifteen minutes to six.

Nic barely woke up from it until Kieran pushed himself up, which meant that a cold draft split between them. Nic's hand went to where Kieran had his arm over his chest all night. It felt like there was an indent there, still warm against the fabric of his shirt. He pushed his elbow into the mattress and sat up, but he was just pushed back down.

"Go to sleep. I'm just gonna head out," Kieran whispered, crawling forward toward the desk and lowering himself down. He was discretely quiet, hopping down from the desk and fetching his phone. Nic nearly fell asleep again if Kieran hadn't reached up to tap him on the head.

"Hm?" Nic grunted out, squinting an eye open. It was just barely morning, so he could see the highlights on the hand Kieran held up to him. A fist. "You're so weird," Nic giggled quietly. He pushed his hand over and gave Kieran a fist-bump.

Kieran hurried off to work after that, and Nic slept lightly until his first class. During the times he woke up briefly before his alarm, he considered the idea that... Yes, he had slept through nearly the entire night. It wasn't every night he got a full eight hours of sleep, but... this was damn near close. He used to share a bed with his siblings and he couldn't stop himself from waking up constantly to make sure they were still asleep and comfortable, but Kieran was different. Kieran was... fine. It was fine sleeping the night through with him.

Nic sat up with a groan five minutes before his alarm and started to get ready for the day. By that point Leo was already up, so as he got down, he muttered, "Mornin'," and received the same back.

He moseyed over to his closet, and glanced over at where Leo was applying deodorant underneath his shirt. "Thanks for being cool with Kieran staying the night," Nic said after a moment, turning to his own closet and pulling out a shirt for the day.

"No problem. S'long as you two don't do anything nasty we're good—which... not really expecting, but just so ya know," Leo said. Nic snorted and shook his head, agreeing that that probably wouldn't happen any time soon. Or at all.

The thought popped up often enough for Nic to dismiss it easily. Of course, he dismissed it after a worried look came to his face before he reassured himself, Having sex with Kieran wouldn't validate anything at this point since he doesn't view it as an act of love. So it's got nothing to do with me.

"Olivia can stay over if she wants, too," he said.

"I dunno. Not really into that."

"C'mon, it'd be cool. We could have, like, a slumber party. Do each other's nails. Face mask."

"Preferably not during midterms, 'kay?" Leo suggested, grimacing at the thought. "I already feel like I'm drowning."

"Okay. So after midterms?"

"Um... sure? Do I have a choice?"

"No."

He finished changing and swiftly donned his winter coat and hat. After snatching his portfolio bag and backpack, he was off to Economics. It was brisk that morning, and air was sharp on every intake of breath. Somehow, it wasn't quite freezing temperatures, so there was a chilly mist around campus and it followed Nic across the bridge and past the old brick buildings along the way. When he got to the lecture hall, he found Milo waiting for him at their usual spot.

Nic swept into his spot with a delighted sigh and said, "Today's gonna be a good day."

"You think?" Milo laughed, and Nic confirmed the declaration. "I... actually wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you think Bev would say 'yes' if I asked if we could be friends?"

Nic hesitated in unpacking his backpack. He sat back in his chair and stared at the front of the room for a second. For a moment, he considered opening his mouth to say something, but closed it and reconsidered his words more carefully. It took a sufficient amount of time for Milo to even comment, "What is it? You're making me nervous."

"I just—" Nic started, flustered by the question, "Are we in first grade or something? If you like her, then—"

"I never said that I like her, like her," he hissed out, irritated. "She just... she seems cool and I want to hang out with her more."

"Then ask her."

"Yeah, but I don't have her number. And I have no reason to see her unless we all hang out," Milo insisted, gesturing to the collective 'we' that consisted of Nic, Kieran, Sav, Bev, and Ellen. Leo and Olivia could join in if they wanted, Nic supposed.

"Have you asked Kieran about it?"

At that, he sighed and rubbed his forehead, saying, "No. He seems like he's really close with Bev. He'd probably tell her regardless. And they'd find it amusing and funny and not serious or anything like that."

"I feel like people don't make friends like that any more. We all just... befriend one another by association and convenience," Nic admitted, biting into his lip as he thought more about it. His brow furrowed as he shook his head. "Like... we don't have to say anything to validate friendship. You know what I mean?"

"How do you come up with these two AM concepts. I don't understand," Milo complained. "It's too early to process this existential crisis right now."

"Okay, but... if we want this friendship to kick off smoothly after all the shit that happened, we'll just... organize another get-together? It'd have to be spontaneous because that's how they role." They considered the proposal for a moment while Nic thought about all their other get togethers. The study date didn't go too well, and Bev and Ellen had to have decided to go to the movies last minute considering Kieran had no clue... He and Milo hung out at the gym with Kieran, so—

"The gym! Organize a gym meet-up again!" Nic said, clapping his hands together. "I'll ask Kieran when he goes to the gym next, and we can get Bev and Ellen to come with."

"What about Sav?"

"She's allergic to the gym. So you in?"

Milo hummed uncertainly just moments before the professor entered the room and started up the lecture. It wasn't until the end of a painful hour of game theory that Milo was able to accept the offer. They decided on a day, and as the planners they were, plotted to not inform Kieran, Bev, and Ellen until thirty minutes before the event. "But plan for them to drop out just in case. Ya never know with those ones," Nic told him.

"Same with you. And since I tend to work out every other day I'd probably end up going anyways," Milo confessed. "So if you wanted to swim regardless of how things work out, you might see me there."

Nic laughed and said he'd keep his eyes open if things didn't go as planned. They slapped hands before heading their separate ways in the Quad. On Mondays, Nic tended to have a lengthy break between Economics and his figure drawing class, so he debated going back to Kingsley only to skip that idea and go to Starbucks. It was one of those rare days where he didn't need a coffee to keep him going.

He slipped through the revolving door and found a good portion of the room filled with students studying for exams and such. Nic wandered across the tiled floors, underneath the vaulted ceilings lined with skylights that circled the Starbucks stand where Kieran worked. He was at the cash register that day, and noticed Nic nearly as soon as he hopped in line. Kieran hesitated in writing down the customer's name, and looked down smiling. Sometimes it took a while for Nic to realize he was smiling uncontrollably, and it was mostly the strain it put on his cheeks. He should smile more, and going to Starbucks seemed to give him the daily dose he needed.

When he came up in line, he said, "Surprise me."

"Really? Wow, I didn't know you were so spontaneous," Kieran commented, directing his snarky tone into a sly grin.

"I dunno. Last time I asked a Starbucks barista to surprise me, she did a pretty good job. Something with caramel in it, I think," he confessed, stuffing his hands in his pockets to pull out his student ID.

As Kieran swiped it, he cheekily asked, "Should I be worried that you're seeing another Starbucks barista other than me?"

"She used lots and lots of whipped cream, too..."

"Sounds sticky. Gross."

"Oh my God I can't tell if you're being ignorant or perverted. Honestly I'd prefer the latter," he confessed with a grin, and watched Kieran write Nic's name onto the clear cup. A cold drink then, Nic mused, only to back up a moment. "Wait—Did you write Perverted Idiot on that?"

"Next please," Kieran called out. He was still grinning though, despite the fact that he refused to look at Nic.

When Nic's drink came up next to be made, Kieran switched places with the barista, just so he could have the satisfaction of sliding the drink across the counter and calling out, "Perverted Idiot, your drink's up."

"I am going to throttle you by the neck the next time we hang out," Nic hissed out through his smile as he snatched his drink out of Kieran's hands.

"Ooh, kinky. See you then."

"Why are you being so feisty right now? You realize I have to deal with Ronan in an hour, don't you? Can't you just pity me for a little while?" Nic whined, peering over the espresso machine as Kieran started to fix up another drink.

"Oh, come on, he's trying to go after me. Why else would he pester you for the drawings of me?" he reassured Nic. "Which, by the way, totally flattered that you have nude pictures of me saved on your phone."

"I am never going to get past this, am I?"

"It's cute!"

"You're ace! You're not supposed to think it's cute!"

"Okay, me actively participating in your pastime isn't cute, but the sentiment is. You have to admit that much."

By that point, one of the customers waiting for their drink caught Nic's eye with a weird look. Nic had the good sense to blush under the confusion of innocent bystanders, so he leaned in to hiss, "We aren't talking about this right now. Get back to work."

"Anything you say, sir," Kieran chimed in, sliding a drink onto the counter and calling out the name.

Not a minute later, someone got up from the barstools nearby, so Nic stuffed his portfolio bag under it and pulled out his usual sketchbook from his backpack. He perched himself at the counter facing the epicenter of the room, where the coffee brewed and filled the space with warm energy. His drink was everything vanilla and coffee-flavored bliss, and he sipped it when he remembered that it existed. Other than that, his attention was focused on detailing Kieran in his natural habitat—working at the cashier's, being flirted with by girls and guys alike who visited that Starbucks.

He shaded in the darkened background behind Kieran, where the baristas would disappear to and fetch things from storage beyond the windowless door. There were spotlights around their counters and machines, and with the white glow coming in from outside, the area was filled with bright, gentle light that hinted on the gleam of the pastry glass, and the metal of the sleek, new machinery polished to a flawless point. Nic tried his best to blur out the foreground and background, and was in the midst of smudging with his index finger when someone stepped up beside him to observe.

"What a beautiful drawing," said Ellen, who simply beamed at Nic when he was nearly startled out of his chair. He should have recognized her from the curtain of blond hair tucked over her shoulder and into Nic's line of view. She chuckled a little, leaning her elbow against the counter and nodding to where Kieran was working. "Did you get something to drink?"

"Uh, yeah—thanks for reminding me. I keep forgetting about it," he confessed, reaching behind him to pick up the cup and drink a bit more.

She snapped her fingers and said, "Darn. I have a gift card that one of my relatives gave me. I don't like to support Starbucks, so... do you want it? I mean, free of charge. You don't need to pay me back."

"Um...?"

"An excuse to come here more often without going broke," she reiterated, and that was enough to convince Nic to take it. She combed her fingers through her hair and glanced around the room at all the people mingling at tables.

They stood together in mutual silence. Nic went back to sketching and Ellen stood there observing. They didn't really need to talk, and they were just passing the time until Ellen's order was called. He figured she was off on her own way then, but she came back to say, "Hey, I don't know if you're super into parties—Kieran says you aren't—but he's probably not gonna tell you and end up tricking you into coming. The Co-Op's having a Thanksgiving party this weekend before midterms, so... just so you know. Avoid us on Saturday."

Nic laughed and said, "Thanks for the warning. Yeah, I probably won't go. I guess the way to get me to go to parties is to trick me into them like Kieran does."

"Nothing wrong with that," she confessed with a reassuring smile. "And also, you should probably know all this small-talk is just for me to ask if I could get a picture of you real quick. If any of my friends are having a particularly good Outfit Day, I like to memorialize it on my Instagram." She displayed it in the air like an arch over their heads, and Nic looked down at her smiling face afterwards, a bit dumbfounded.

"Uh, sure? Yeah, that's fine."

Nic stuffed his sketchbook into his backpack as Ellen recommended a place across the bridge. They walked out of the revolving door together with Nic's portfolio bag hooked over one shoulder, and his coffee in the other hand. Their meeting seemed to be at the perfect moment because not only was Nic closer to Ryce Hall, but by the end of their photoshoot against the brick wall, he was set to get to class.

By the time he got to the room, he already had a notification from Ellen, and evidence of their time together on her Snapstory—a picture of the two of them in front of a bright, saturated red wall, Nic sticking his tongue out at the camera. A less embarrassing picture was on Instagram, featuring Nic against the brick wall with his portfolio bag, hand up to his hair as he tried to flatten it down and make it more manageable. And... he definitely had a well-rested look to him that was rare these days. He was thankful Ellen had been there to capture it.

"All right class, I'd like to introduce you to our next model. But first, remember—phones off and in your bags. I don't want to see them at all until class is over—not even during breaks. Remember to be courteous and mindful our model," their professor declared, stepping off the platform as a familiar silver-haired man stood on the sidelines against the wall, donning a deep blue robe that ended at his mid-thigh.

The professor encouraged Ronan to introduce himself, and Nic found himself startled that he hadn't realized Ronan already found him, and pegged him down with those deep-set, slim eyes. He seemed to study the rest of the class as he unclasped his hands from in front of him and pushed off of the wall.

"Well, you may all call me Ronan. I recently moved here and was in the same class as your previous model, Kieran. So... that's me I suppose," he said, smiling at the professor before she turned off the lights, and left only the spotlights to focus on the center of the room.

As the professor discussed the routine for that class, and the mediums they'd be using for the exercises, Nic watched Ronan turn his phone on and set a timer. He stepped onto the rounded platform and set it onto the chair propped to the side. His shoulder-length silver hair was down, and it seemed to curl underneath his chin, and dip away from where he had it tucked behind his ears. Nic studied the gentle fabric of his robe, and how the sheen of it imitated silk, and the shine of Ronan's hair.

The moment they were set to draw, and Ronan dispensed his robe onto the chair, set the timer, he was swift to get into position. His twisted his weight onto one hip, an arm draped over his lower back, the other falling to his thigh—as Nic would later note, in a position that completely blocked his crotch from the opposite side of the room, and one that displayed it to the rest of them. And his head turned—

And his eyes fell directly on Nic.

***

Nic could barely stand the half-hour drawing they were thrown into after the exercises.

The first five-minute sketch was bad enough, and the break between then and now was fine—Nic was able to fucking concentrate for once—but as soon as the timer started for the half-hour drawing, they tried sketches that involved lying-down poses. They set up the table for it, and Ronan draped himself across it, half-leaning on one elbow with his other arm pulled behind him, hand resting on his hip. He wasn't completely facing Nic, but that swiftly changed when he tipped his head to the side, and his eyes flickered away—landing on Nic and his easel once again.

God give me strength to survive this.

It was easy for anyone to get flustered over something as ridiculous as this, so Nic rationalized that he wasn't being completely insane with this. What were the chances that Ronan pegged him down like that in the first sketch anyways? And what was with these poses? He wasn't sure if anyone else could tell, but... Ronan's lean, narrow features just screamed sensuality—or was that Nic's brain fogging up? Was it getting hot in here?

Shit.

Nic somehow managed to draw with his usual form of intense detail, even in the oil pastels they were using. He filled in vibrant patches of contrasting colors between variations of light—he used long, swooping motions for the broader muscles of Ronan's chest—his shoulders—and the angle of his thigh pitching up to his raised knee. He used less detail in the face—darkening the shadows of his hollow eyes, and his slim cheekbones. Accentuating his angular nose, sharp at the point.

Ronan would blink slowly at Nic, and the more he thought about it, he started to wonder if he should have paid attention in Boy Scouts when they taught morse code. Was it possible that Ronan was trying to morse code him Hey let's fuck? Because Nic was seriously getting those vibes and he didn't want to be the only one freaking out here about it. But...

He seemed to be the only one.

At the break time for critique, he asked his studio friend, "Hey, did you notice anything... weird about the model?"

She shrugged and said, "I dunno. He seems pretty normal to me. Why? Do you think he has an STD or something?"

"Um, no? I don't think I'd pay attention that close anyway," Nic snorted.

"I'd pay close attention to that without an STD, if ya know what I mean—sh! Don't talk about it. Do you want to get kicked out," she hissed at him, giggling all the same as he blurted out, "You were the one who mentioned it!"

She just seemed to smile satanically. Nic was seriously starting to miss model sessions with Kieran. At least Kieran didn't stare at Nic incessantly through the drawings. Well, except for the painting, but that didn't count!

When they got back to an hour-long drawing to cover the rest of the class period, Ronan faced the other side of the class. He had a hand raised over his head, and the lighting was entirely even over his side while the shadows dipped down the lower edges of his back, exposing the dimples of Venus in darker divots.

Nic survived the hour of drawing Ronan's body, up until the moment where they finished their last critique, and everyone left the classroom with tired eyes and cramped fingers. Nic left with an equally exhausted brain from overthinking. He could practically feel the smoke protruding from his ears as he dared to function past exiting the room.

He went down his usual route out of the building, and found himself stopped at the same water counter where Kieran usually met him. Instead, Nic found Ronan in his place, eyes up and focusing on Nic the moment he turned the corner of the hallway.

Before Nic could say anything, Ronan held up his phone and shook it. "Kieran would snap me when he was waiting for you here. Recognized the water fountain," he confessed, pushing off the wall to walk to where Nic was still floored, standing completely still. He could have been a statue, or a nude model standing motionless in front of a class of art students.

"What are... What are you doing here?" he asked, clearing his throat as Ronan smiled down at him, stuffing his phone into his pocket.

"I just wanted to let you know I love your work," Ronan said casually, glancing down the hall with a simple nudge of his shoulder, as if the comment didn't mean all that much to him either way. "And I know how Kieran is about his work. So focused. Nothing else matters with that one."

"Um... not quite sure I understand," Nic confessed, eyes narrowing.

Ronan reached into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, lined with deep back fur up around the collar. He pulled out a slim grey card and said, "I figured I should mention this now, so you can make your decision by the end of the week. I'd love to have a private session with you, and normally it's the artist paying the model, but... we could make it work."

Nic's arm just seemed to function on its own accord. He plucked the card from Ronan's extended fingers, which just earned him a wink from the man before he walked off, pulling up the collar of his jacket. "We'll talk later, Nic. Good work in class today," Ronan said, offering a mocking salute before twisting around and swinging around the railing, down the main stairs, and out of view.

He probably stood next to that water fountain for another twenty minutes while his brain short-circuited and rewired itself. What. The actual. Fuck.