Adrian blinked, snapped back to the present, realizing he'd been quiet for too long. "Oh, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck, forcing a grin. "Sorry, went off-topic. Anyway, about that study thing—"
Ivan didn't respond right away. His expression had softened, the sharp edges dulled. "Fine," he said finally, closing his sketchbook. "One session."
Adrian blinked. "Wait, really?"
Ivan nodded. "Don't make me regret it."
"Oh, you won't." Adrian's grin returned instantly, bright and boyish again. "I'll bring snacks. And notes. And my charming personality."
Ivan started walking away, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "That's what I'm afraid of." Adrian followed, still smiling. But deep down, something in him felt strangely… light.
Now, back in time.
Ivan stood in front of Adrian's house, hands tucked into his pockets, looking as calm and collected as ever. It was weird seeing him out of uniform. Just a simple shirt and jeans. Nothing flashy, nothing particularly special. But on him, it looked… good. Too good. Effortlessly neat, like his whole existence came with a natural filter.
Adrian leaned on the doorframe, blinking for a second too long. He blinked once, then twice, like the universe had glitched.
We're both dudes, he reminded himself, mentally shaking his head. Pull yourself together, Adrian.
He cleared his throat. "So, uh...how did you even get here? We didn't exactly talk about time or place. And—wait." He squinted. "How the hell do you even know my address? We didn't exchange numbers."
Ivan shot him a look. "Don't get any weird ideas." His voice was sharp, his frown sharper. "I asked your friend."
Adrian's grin widened instantly. "Ohhh, so you asked around for me? Damn, Ivan. I didn't know I had that effect on you. Well, is it Leon?"
Ivan didn't answer, but his silence said it all. Adrian just chuckled, stepping aside. "Great timing, though. My parents aren't home right now." He swung the door open with an exaggerated bow. "Welcome to my humble palace, your highness."
Ivan didn't even flinch at the tease. He just walked in, quiet as always, eyes darting around the place. It felt strange. He'd never gone to a friend's house before. Never had someone he'd willingly tracked down just to study with. The thought itself was ridiculous, and now that he was actually here, it felt even more so.
"Why're you standing like a statue?" Adrian called, shutting the door behind him. "You waiting for someone to turn you into art?"
Ivan blinked, slightly startled out of his daze.
"Have you eaten?" Adrian asked.
"I'm not hungry."
"Straight to studying, then. Got it." Adrian gestured for him to follow as they made their way upstairs.
Ivan trailed behind, his eyes had caught something on a nearby wall. A framed portrait of Adrian as a kid, he looked maybe eight in the picture sitting between his parents. His mom's hands rested gently on his shoulders. His dad looked proud and composed. Adrian's smile in the photo was wide and his eyes bright. He looked happy.
He's an only child, Ivan thought absently.
"See something interesting?" Adrian's voice broke through his thoughts, light and teasing. Ivan turned his head away immediately. They stopped in front of a bedroom door.
"Sorry if it's messy," Adrian said, pushing it open. It wasn't messy, but it wasn't neat either. A few badminton trophies sat on the shelf, along with posters of athletes Ivan actually recognized.
"Lin Dan," Ivan murmured, tilting his head toward the biggest poster.
"Yup. My motivational god. Man's a legend." Adrian said, dusting off a stack of notes that looked like they hadn't been touched in weeks. "My motivation to actually move my ass sometimes."
Ivan's gaze flickered across the room again, taking in the slightly chaotic energy. It fit Adrian's personality too well. He sighed quietly, already judging the half-hearted cleaning effort. The silence stretched until Adrian realized just how unprepared his room looked. He cleared his throat, looking around in mild panic. "Okay, yeah, maybe studying here's a bad idea. Let's move to the living room before my socks start judging us."
Ivan just nodded, grateful.
In the living room, Adrian laid out his books and stationery on the low table while Ivan sat cross-legged across from him. The light filtered softly through the curtains, hitting Ivan's hair just right. He looked calm. Like someone who actually knew how to study.
Adrian, on the other hand, looked like a fraud sitting across from a monk. After a moment of quiet page-turning, Ivan broke the silence.
"Did you cheat on all subject?" Ivan asked suddenly, his tone calm, not accusing and almost curious.
Adrian looked up, offended. He nearly choked on his own breath. "No! What do you take me for?" Then he scratched the back of his neck. "...only math," he admitted sheepishly.
Ivan hummed. "Figures."
"Hey, math's evil, okay? It's the hardest subject to score on. You can't blame me for finding an alternative path to survival."
"I didn't say I blamed you." Ivan's voice was neutral, his attention back on the book. "Then we'll start with math."
Adrian groaned dramatically. "Of course we will."
Ivan ignored him, flipping to a page and writing down an example equation. Adrian stared blankly at his own paper, realizing this was about to get serious. He glanced at Ivan, who was already solving something. The scratch of pen against paper, the quiet concentration.
Then, Adrian's foot accidentally brushed against Ivan's under the table. Or maybe not so accidentally. Ivan stopped writing, his eyes narrowing. "What?"
Adrian blinked innocently. "Oh. Sorry. I can't solve this one, " He pointed vaguely at a random equation in his workbook. "Help me out?"
Ivan leaned over, his pen tapping the page. "You just need to factor it properly. Watch." He started explaining, voice steady and low, tracing each number and symbol as he went. "See? Multiply this part, then simplify here…"
Adrian wasn't listening. His eyes were on Ivan, to the way his hair fell slightly over his forehead, to the faint crease between his brows when he focused, how his lips moved when he spoke. His brain wasn't processing math anymore. It was processing Ivan.
His eyes are so dark up close, he thought, studying the flecks of brown near the center. His gaze drifted lower, to Ivan's lips. His breath hitched as the memory of their accidental kiss flashed through his mind. And then Adrian's gaze dropped even lower, where a tiny mole rested near his collarbone, barely visible through the loose neckline of his shirt.
Did he always have that? His thoughts started spinning, like tracing that spot with his tongue. If I kissed there, would he… Adrian swallowed hard, dragging his gaze back up before Ivan could notice.
"…Understand?" Ivan asked, finishing the explanation. Adrian jolted so hard his pencil rolled off the table, realizing he hadn't heard a word. Ivan was staring right at him, one eyebrow raised. The example equation sat there, perfectly written out, waiting for him to solve it.
"Yeah! Yeah, totally. You're such a good teacher." Adrian said quickly, flashing a nervous grin.
Ivan looked unconvinced. "Then solve the next one."
Adrian's confidence evaporated instantly. He stared down at the numbers like they were written in ancient code. "…Fucked," he muttered under his breath.
Ivan's pen paused mid-air. "What?"
"Nothing." Adrian replied, suddenly laughing too loud.
Ivan exhaled through his nose, half in irritation, half in disbelief. Adrian tried again, chewing his pencil, pretending to think deeply. But every few seconds, his eyes drifted back up, drawn to Ivan like gravity.