The hallway buzzed faintly with students talking, doors opening and closing, laughter spilling from one side.
But Noel didn't slow. His steps carried him like they always did—toward the quiet, toward the calm—toward the library.
He pushed the glass door open and stepped inside, the scent of paper and polished wood immediately wrapping around him like a second skin.
Near the center reading tables, just as expected, Alex was already there. A coffee cup beside him, sleeves rolled up, reviewing a thick textbook.
He glanced up as Noel approached, his expression lifting slightly in that quiet, familiar way.
Noel dropped into the seat beside him.
"You're early," Alex said.
Noel shrugged, pulling out his notes. "So are you."
Alex smiled and passed him the second coffee without asking. "Figured you'd come straight from lecture."
Noel accepted it with a grateful nod. "You figured right."
