The following day, Rowan lingered around the courtyard after lectures since Llewyn had disappeared before he'd go talk to him. His eyes pend around deliberately. Finally, his gaze fell on Llewyn walking towards his direction.
"Llewyn!!" He shouted sprinting towards him.
Llewyn stopped hearing his name, which was very uncommon. He raised his gaze to see Rowan jogging towards him.
"Hey Llewyn, how are you?" Rowan asked smiling widely.
Llewyn hesitated, reviewing Rowan for a moment before replying. "I'm okay."
Rowan waited for the question to be reciprocated but it never came. He uttered a nervously laughed and continued. "Well…wanna hangout after school today?"
"I'm sorry, I have work to do today." Llewyn replied nonchalantly as he walked past Rowan.
"Huh?" Rowan's gaze followed him. "W-wait…"
His words hung in his mouth as he watched Llewyn walked away.
— — —
The next day, Rowan went looking for Llewyn again not satisfied with the rejection. He moved around the courtyard after lecture hours deliberately and when he finally saw Llewyn, he rushed towards him once more shouting.
"Llewyn!!"
Llewyn stopped and turned around to see Rowan once again, eager to mingle with him.
He wore his usual enthusiasm on his face.
"I wanna go to the game arcade with you today!." Rowan said his eyes hopeful and blistering.
Llewyn hesitated for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, I have to get some things done in my work shop." He said firmly and walked away once more .
"Ugh! come on!" Rowan called after him disappointed as he watched Llewyn walk off again.
"Why is he being so difficult?" He muttered with a sigh.
Is there something he's hiding that's making him to keep people away ?. Come to think of it…I have never seen him being friendly or talking to anyone. Rowan thought.
Llewyn's rejections only gnawed at his curiousity even more.
— —
The following day, Rowan was distracted through out lectures his attention fixated on Llewyn so he could catch him quicker before he leaves the lecture hall.
The moment the lecturer dismissed the class, Rowan hurried to Llewyn's desk.
"Hello, Llewyn. Today you're not permitted to decline." Rowan said, his tone firm. "We are walking home together"
Llewyn stared at Rowan's unusually serious expression, the corner of his mouths twitching as he tried to not break character.
"I—"
"There's something important I want to talk to you about today." Rowan interrupted, cutting llewyn's sentence. "So please wait for me at the school gate, unfailingly."
With that, he turned and walked back to his friends.
Llewyn remained silent, watching as they exited the building.
****
It was evening. Rowan hurried to the gate and unexpectedly, Llewyn was already there waiting patiently for him. A suprised yet fufiled smile spread across Rowan's face as he approached.
"Hey! I'm glad you showed up."
***
Their footsteps moved silently along the path for a few moment before Rowan cleared his throat, making room for a conversation.
"So, Llewyn. Where do you stay?"
Llewyn continued walking without answering.
Rowan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I'm sorry that must've been an intrusive question." He forced a smiled before pressing again. "You're really tall Llewyn."
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Llewyn asked abruptly.
Realization hit Rowan that he had no clue on an excuse to give.
"Oh…y-yea…about that!" He stammered nervously. "I hit my head earlier and can't seem to remember…w-what was it again?"
Llewyn neither reacted nor asked further questions. He just kept walking forward, his gaze distant and unreadable, his demeanor as if hostile.
Suddenly, Llewyn halted his steps prompting Rowan to stop as well.
"What is it?" Rowan asked concerned.
Llewyn stood silently. He wondered why Rowan has taken interest in him. all of a sudden. The unexpected friendliness made absolutely no sense to him.
"Llewyn?" Rowan called out his name worry seeping into his voice.
"What is it you seek to gain out of talking to me?" Llewyn said suddenly, his gaze fixed somewhere behind Rowan.
Rowan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, hesitation seeping into his voice. "I'm sorry, if you don't feel comfortable talking with me—"
"I'm leaving." Llewyn said coldly turning to walk away.
Rowan quickly stepped in front of him, his arms spreaded to block his path.
"You can't just keep walking away like that! I wanna get to know you, is it a crime?"
Llewyn said nothing. He moved to the side wanting to pass, but Rowan shifted with him still blocking his way, his arms still spread out, and his brows frowning in determination.
Llewyn's nonchalant expression stared at Rowan, studying his demeanor. Without another word he turned to the road ahead and resumed walking in silence.
Rowan grinned in satisfaction and immediately fell into step beside him.
"So how old are?"
"Twenty four" Llewyn responded, sounding uninterested.
"Wow, I'm twenty three! Just like one year older." Rowan said with a soft giggle.
His gaze soon settled on llewyn's face. The fringe of his bangs almost obscured his eyes stirring Rowan's curiousity. He reached out and held llewyn's hands lightly.
"Umm, can I check something?" He asked politely.
Before he could react, Rowan gently pressed him back against a nearby wall, stepping closer tilting his face upward to meet Llewyn's gaze.
"I took a liking to you." Rowan said softly. "that's why I wanna be close to you."
Rowan moved his hands to Llewyn's face, he carefully brushed his bangs aside to catch proper glimpse of his eyes.
Llewyn fell stiff. His blank expression fixed on Rowan.
For the first time, Llewyn got to really look at Rowan's face. Until now he had never noticed how eye-catching he was—his light brown eyes, his quite long lashes and the delicate soft facial features that gave him an almost feminine beauty.
Llewyn's eyes stared blankly, showing no signs of emotion or thought, an emptiness that felt unsettling. A faint scar marked around his eye area, but it didn't seem to affect his sight.
Something in Llewyn seemed to be shaken by Rowan's closeness. There was something about Rowan's face disturbed his composure. His cheeks got red and without a warning he pushed Rowan away with full force ending the tension.
"Ow!! That hurts my shoulders!" Rowan cried out gripping his shoulder.
"I…need to go." Llewyn said, his tone faltering as his head hung low trying to hide his expression.
"What has gotten into you?" Rowan asked leaning forward to catch a glimpse of his face
Llewyn remained silent. His entire demeanor had become tense and disengaged. Without another word he turned and and walked away.
"Llewyn? What's wrong?" Rowan asked, worry seeping into his voice as he watched him leave. What did I do again? He thought confused.
— — —
Llewyn quickly got into his apartment, the slam of his door echoed through the dimmed and quiet room.
His back slowly slid down the closed door until he came to rest against it. His bag dropped to the floor.
He panted, his eyes slowly moving downwards, not comprehending why his body had reacted strongly from Rowan's closeness.
He could still feel it vividly—Rowan's breathe brushing against his neck, his striking eyes, his pretty lips.
Llewyn covered his mouth, His breathing unsteady. He stared at his ceiling clenching his fist, his thoughts unsettled.
"Rowan…." He whispered under his breathe.