bsumone | ❝ You fairies love where love is wise and just ❞

"That's okay. My usual breakfast is toast because it's easy and fast and lets me sleep later. Milk though please."

He very much wasn't bothered by the breakfast he got, happily digging into it. This was seriously good even if it was just basic instant stuff. Better than dry toast at any rate. He could live with that. "What kind of snacks do you like by the way? I can look through what I have to see if I've got some I can grab for you."

"I'm not picky," he replied while getting the milk from the fridge. "We should probably avoid anything too messy." Since they're not supposed to be eating there... Leaving a lot of crumbs behind could attract pests the librarians wouldn't know to look out for. "I like a mix of sweet and salty," he added.

"I can do that." He had a few easy snacks that would work. Including a bag of kettle corn. That would be a great snack that would be easy to clean up later if there was a problem. With a nod of thanks for the milk, he added a bit to his tea before having some.

"How do you want to do this? Getting there and going in, I mean." Eli imagined they might need to go separately. Then he could get in there and make sure he got a room for the day which his boyfriend could join him in.

How indeed. James looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, we could go pick up my car," which meant yet another rideshare. "I could drop you off at your place so you have some time to get freshened up. We can pick a time to meet at the library and I can meet you there maybe ten minutes later?"

Sipping his tea, he thought about that. The library closed early so if they went right away they'd have time to do all this and get there with enough time to stay until closing. Eli thought about that a bit before nodding with a bright smile on his face. "I'll pay for the ride to get your car. You already paid for a lot last night."

Because he was upset with him and made him do that but that seriously wasn't the point.

James waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. You have more important things to spend your money on." That dance academy couldn't be cheap. Plus his own housing and daily life expenses... Yeah, no. James definitely could cover this.

"I'll schedule the ride while you're eating so it will be here when you're done."

"It's not that much..." He pouted a bit but he didn't fight it further. After all, he really did appreciate his boyfriend watching his back like that. Eli knew that he had a lot that he had to pay for right now until graduation. After that he'd be able to join a company. Maybe by then he and James would be living the dream and living together...

It was a nice thought. Smiling at his boyfriend, he nodded to show he understood and finished tucking into breakfast. When he was done, he politely went to go rinse his dishes and grabbed his stuff and shoes so they could go get the car together.

It really shouldn't make him feel this giddy just watching Eli moving around so comfortably in his house. If they could get through the next few months -- until Eli graduated -- this could become a regular thing. It's been some time since James had anything in the future to actually look forward to.

While Eli gathered his things, James tugged on his jacket -- it wasn't quite cold enough yet for his actual winter coat. He felt a little more self-conscious, though. It was daytime now and they were leaving his house together. But in the safety of the car, he promptly reached for Eli's hand again and held on all the way to the bar. His own car was still in the lot, right he left it last night. That's probably not unusual since a lot of people go to bars in their own vehicles and then up in a cab or a rideshare to get home.

It's an older model car, something he's had for over ten years now. But it worked and maintenance didn't cost more than it was worth, so he kept it. Why take on an extra expense if he didn't have to? The only problem with it?

"The passenger door sticks. It won't open from the outside," James explained as he unlocked it. Once he got inside, he leaned across the seat to open the door from within so Eli could get inside.

"If it was a newer car I'd think you were just using that as an excuse to open the door for your boyfriend," Eli teased as he got in the car after James opened it for him. Settling in, he got himself buckled up then gave the directions to his place. On the way he also pointed to where they were going until they got to a pretty tiny apartment building that didn't look the best.

But at least it was gated.

Looking around super fast, he made sure no one could see then leaned over to kiss James on the cheek as he got out. "See you in about a half an hour okay?"

With that, he ran inside so he could go get ready and make himself look cute for their date.

At least the apartment wasn't in the worst part of town. It may look a little sketchy, but it could always be worse. That didn't mean James had to like it. Unfortunately, at this time, there really wasn't anything he could do about it. It's not like he could suddenly invite Eli to live with him. That would just be uncomfortable with them still being teacher and student. Not to mention Malory being around part of the time.

Maybe this would prompt him to get the upstairs of his house finished by the end of the school year. He'd gotten it cheap because the upstairs loft hadn't been finished into a proper living space. He hadn't needed it since there was enough room for him and Malory.

Wow. Wasn't it a little premature to think about Eli moving in? They'd barely even started this relationship a few hours ago!

James smiled when Eli kissed him and gave a small wave as he departed. And you can bet he stayed parked right where he was until he watched Eli vanish into the building. Then and only then did he leave.

He didn't have any errands to run, so he just drove around for a bit until it was time for them to meet. James made sure he was a few minutes early, waiting to see Eli go into the library before, too, went inside about ten minutes after. He wandered near the study rooms until he found the one Eli had booked. Then he knocked lightly to be let in.

Eli was quick to get properly cleaned up and dressed with his book bag over his shoulder. Then he was off to the library after snagging a ride. Getting the room was easy since he came here a lot and he even was able to grab several books of poetry. After that it was just a matter of waiting.

Boy did his face light up when he saw his boyfriend though. Quickly he closed the blinds so that way they'd have privacy before letting him inside. With the door closed, he wrapped his arms around him to give him another kiss.

"Hi."

With the blinds closed, he felt safe enough to pull Eli tighter against him and draw that kiss out a little longer. James wasn't really sure what was making his heart race: Eli or the fact that they were still, very technically, in public. Well, did it matter much? Here they were holding each other for the first time.

It was nice. Except that part of his mind that was savoring what Eli's body felt like against his. That went onward imagining it in other ways... Jesus, he's a 54-year-old man. He should not be this horny! He pulled back finally and managed a smile despite the mental images playing out in his mind.

"Hi. You look nice."

"Thanks."

Seriously, the man was so good at kissing. Sure, he didn't have a lot of experience since he only had less than a month's worth of dating experience under his belt but that was fine. What mattered to him was that James was great at this and he loved it. Giving him another peck on the lips, he gently pushed those glasses back up onto that handsome face.

"We have the room until the library closes. It's all ours."

As long as Eli was happy with it, that's what mattered. There was bound to be a gap in experience, all things considered. There's no need for James to point it out again and again. Eli's most certainly aware of that fact.

So he smiles and then glances over to the books Eli's selected. He's familiar with most of the names, but wonders if there's some rationale behind the selections.

"ARe you familiar with Christina Rosetti?"

"I'm about to be. Because you're going to read some of her work to me right?"

Going over to the table, he made sure their chairs were close and looked until he saw the collection of her work. Holding that out to James, he sat down and smiled as he waited to see what his boyfriend was going to share with him.

James lifted his hand to indicate he didn't need the book. He turned his chair slightly so it was facing Eli before he sat down in it. He cleared his throat, then began.

"'I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be –
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’
With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.'"

He listened to the way James spoke the words, his tone so soft and soothing. It was like a spell had fallen over the room and he almost forgot to breathe. But the smile never left Eli's lips as he let himself cling to ever single word. A love poem. It was so sweet and so...perfect.

"I thought that one might end up sad but it really isn't. The end switches it up to something so beautifully uplifting."

Warmth spread over his features at Eli’s reception. His smile was soft and almost relieved that Eli enjoyed his selection. There weren’t a lot of people his age who genuinely enjoyed poetry and more of the older works that James built his academic life around.

“She’s a bit past the period I studied most, but I am deeply fond of her works. A highly underrated poet.”

He glances toward the books again, then back to Eli. “What else have you chosen for us?”

"I kind of grabbed everything that was poetry on the way in so I don't even know what all I grabbed," he confessed as he spread out the various books so that way they could look at them more easily. It was quite a nice selection now that he was looking at it. A variety of poets and genres.

"Poems make me think of you so I wanted to read poems with you," Eli admitted as he grabbed one to start flipping through it. "What eras did you really study?"

Because he really wanted to start go get to know him better.

“My specialty is in the Metaphysical poets. Seventeenth century. John Donne, specifically.” It might be a little high brow for high school, but Eli might at least have heard of Donne.

"Wow. The clergyman. I saw you reading something of his once so I looked him up to read things too." He paused then and made a small show of looking bashful as he looked over at James.

"I might have watched you a bit to read everything you were reading since sophomore year."

A brow lofted but then returned to its usual place. That was sweet and more than a little flattering. This boy’s been keeping up on his interests. So he’s probably read Crowley, Cleveland, and Marvell, as well. At least from that period.

It suddenly made him feel like he was trailing behind. Eli spent the last two years exploring James’ interests. And he doesn’t even know what sort of dance Eli studied.

“I know so little about your interests, outside dance. In the vague sense. I’m not even sure what sort of dance you do.” Well, outside of the erotic.

"I've studied a little bit of everything. My favorites are contemporary and ballet though. With some hip-hop in there when I just want to do something freer."

Eli paused in his flipping to realize that James was honestly right though. He'd spend almost two and a half years stalking this man to learn everything about him. Because how else would you describe what he'd been doing even if he hadn't gone as far as figuring out where he lived and all that.

"I guess you really don't know a lot about me. Okay, what do you want to know?"

Everything.

“Well, what are your other interests and hobbies? What are your dreams for the future? What kinda if music do you like?” Those seemed like a good start.

Setting the book down, he looked up at the ceiling while he pondered his starting point. He didn't have to answer that in order, after all. So, hmmmmm...

"Music depends on what I'm doing. If it's to study to then it's got to be instrumental and with a classical feel to it. But if it's just to listen to then anything that I can dance to. Because what I want to do is join a dance company after I graduate. My big dream is to be one of their headline performers."

Eli lifted his hands and moved them as if he was showing his name in lights on a sign in front of him. "I don't really have time for anything like interests and hobbies because if I'm not dancing then I'm sleeping or I'm at school. But I guess reading. I've always really loved to read."

His hands fell into his lap. "My parents always hated me dancing because it was so expensive. Books were a great way for me to escape when they wouldn't come to my competitions or wouldn't pay for lessons or shoes or outfits."

A sigh left him. "I've paid for most of my dance career so far. But it's been worth it because I feel so free when I'm dancing."

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