Chapter Text
GaMing knew the boy.
All freckled, coral cheeks and blonde eyelashes that may not look at him. But damn, how GaMing wished they did. His blue eyes were like two pieces of the cleanest ocean. Pearl-like milkish skin that looked soft.
GaMing never talked to him.
He always looked. But talk? Hell no.
It wasn't like he was shy. No. GaMing was at the opposite edge of the meaning "shy." So, what was keeping away him from saying hi? GaMing wished he knew. He had tried plenty of times. By the moment he'd figure the courage to do so, the guy had managed a way to slipped through his fingers.
So GaMing stopped. He kept coming to the library.
"I have a book to return to the library" Xingqiu would say, more often than he should "Mind to accompany me?"
That's how a group of four loud people entered the library, trying their best at not to annoy anyone in there. GaMing, usually talkative, would just laid his head down against the table, all heart-eyed looking at the corner, where the ocean boy was sitting at. He tried to be sly, but not a stalker, fearing the boy may caught his gaze and felt uncomfortable. But if not even GaMing's friends noticed how down bad was he, how could the other one do?
GaMing liked to imagine. He wondered how would his voice sound like. What career was he taking. He bet his name must be pretty. Where was him from? He wasn't liyuean for sure. A mondstadter, a fontanian? Maybe snezhnayan. He looked like an ice floe. Solitary and cold. Why would he be in here? Maybe his family moved, maybe he was born in Liyue, or maybe he fled from home, like GaMing.
But those were just prejudices he had built in his mind, hoping the day would bring him the courage to face them.
Then, it happened.
Just a mere coincidence.
He was waiting for Hu Tao at the end of day. The sky was a grayish purple and orange grading, and GaMing felt his head nodding off. He heard his phone buzzing, it was a text from his friend.
Tao:
"What do you mean you're waiting for me? I've already left lol."
GaMing tsk-ad.
He suddenly got up and then his body hit another one. He heard loud thuds and then he hissed.
And there it was him.
Siren eyes with a deer expression met his. He couldn't even processed why the guy was on the floor, nor why his own foot hurt so badly.
GaMing was used to steal some glances, but this close– He was breathtaking.
One of his infinite questions was answered– His voice was pretty.
Low and quiet.
Soft and slow.
Visibly shy.
"Sorry" he mumbled.
GaMing then noticed him picking up the book from the floor. A tough, heavy one. Then he understood why did his foot hurt so much.
"What for? I bumped into you. I should be the one saying sorry."
The boy got up, and how dumb could GaMing be? He didn't help him. Would he think of him as rude? And, as he stood up, he was already leaving.
"A heavy read?" he joked, trying not to punch himself.
What was the saying? «Isn't it better to be dead than to be silent?». Or something like that.
He turned around to see him again. After their first ever eye contact, the guy had been notably avoiding to look at him.
"Not really."
Didn't he understand the joke? That was good, because it was awful.
"Oh" now, this was awkward "I'm GaMing, by the way" he left out a bright, so-him smile "Waiting for someone?"
He hoped to hear his name, but the guy only answered the question.
"My siblings."
"What a coincidence, that makes two of us. My friend Hu Tao is supposed to be here sometime. Mind if I wait with you?"
He looked hesitant, but after thinking about it, the guy nodded. GaMing led their way back to the bench.
"I'm really sorry about earlier. I should have helped you. I– actually I should've been careful so you wouldn't have fall at all."
"It's fine."
"No like– Well, perhals if you think about it, if it wouldn't have happened then we wouldn't be here. Guess being hit by a stranger wasn't part of your plans." GaMing wasn't in his usual charming demeanor. If he felt anything, it was embarrassment. His smile faltered. "Wait– that sounded wrong. I'm sorry. I mean it in a way that–..." He heard a low, barely audible snort. Even when the boy didn't say anything, GaMing couldn't help but smile again "What's your faculty?"
And, although that was something that made him curious, GaMing just wanted to knew his name.
"Engineering."
"You're an engineer? What kind of?"
"Mechatronical Engineer."
That was– a bit expected.
He had saw him working on prototypes while he was supposed to be "dozing off" in the library. Still, GaMing didn't really know what they were for. GaMing was always curious about it, though. The guy seemed to know so much. Even when they were only prototypes, they looked pretty and delicately armed. He didn't have that type of look that one would expect from an engineer, but maybe GaMing was just prejudging again.
If he had been joking with a friend, the word "nerd" might have slipped through his mouth. But then again, that didn't feel right to say now.
"Woah, a challenger."
"Challenger?"
"I'm in Communication. I suck at programming and we barely see any of it. Yours must be a harsh career."
"Well, sort of" he said, as if it was nothing for him.
Was that a bit of cockyness? GaMing liked it.
"Sort of..." he repeated, tasting the words with a shiny smile "Oh, I haven't ask for your–"
"Fréminet, my dear." GaMing, for some strange reason, freezed at the high, kind of pompous male voice "Who's this?"
The guy– Fréminet? It sounded somehow melodic. GaMing have never heard that name before. It did sound fontainian. Fréminet stood up still "He's GaMing." Was all he said.
This new man looked at him with something in his eyes. GaMing couldn't say exactly what. Darkness? Curiosity? Passive-agressiveness? Amusement? It was intimidating, for sure.
"Thanks for taking care of him. Now, we'll go. Say bye, Fréminet."
The words between those lines pierced something in GaMing's brain. Fréminet didn't say bye, but he waved his hand and GaMing blurted out a very nervous but bright goodbye. Still, why did he feel so weird? Taking care of him. What? Why did it sound so–petty.
GaMing just exhaled. He probably was just in a bad mood because of his lack of sleep, Hu Tao, and the shortened conversation. He should stop lying to people, though.
- - -
"Wait, rent payment is tomorrow right?" he asked, his roomie all spread over the lunch table without even looking at him.
"Yeah."
GaMing cried out loud, dramatically, leaning against the table.
"This is gonna be a harsh month."
Hu Tao giggled as if this was amusing to her. It was, he had no doubt. She always helped GaMing with monthly expenses he couldn't cover, but GaMing made sure to worked all night and gained enough to not be a burden. Hu Tao, even with all her arrogance, said she didn't mind. They were friends, after all. But to, GaMing it did matter.
He rested his chin on his hand, thinking about yesterday's situation. He never thought he would actually talked to him. He still had his name being repeated all over again in his mind. Was he a lot? Fréminet didn't know him. To Fréminet, he was probably someone as strange as cow on the street.
"What are you thinking about so much? Everything will be fine. We'll survive. I promise."
"It's not that. I'm thinking about how you abandoned me just because and told me after you've left."
"You are the most dramatic person I've ever know, you know that?"
"I bet you were with your girlfriend Xiangling. That's why you stabbed me from behind. You should be her roomie instead."
Hu Tao laughed.
"I would love to be Xiangling's roomie. But I wasn't just with my beautiful girlfriend. I was with my two girlfriends. Lan Yan was also there."
"Oh, so now I am in like third place?"
"Bro, you are in like hundredth place." GaMing took his fist to his own chest, making a painful expression "You should get a girlfriend, for real. Lan Yan is pretty, don't you like her?"
"Lan Yan is scary."
"Ain't that what makes her better?"
"No, you just like her because you are as scary as her. And you and her like Xiangling because she is literally the opposite of you both. You girls are scary combined."
"Well, get a boyfriend then."
GaMing raised an eyebrow. A boyfriend? That was... something that had never crossed his mind and no one had ever told him. Not even Hu Tao, who was the most lesbian girl he had ever met, and still he wasn't sure if she was a lesbian. She had this situationship with Xiangling that may or may not be real. But he, for sure, as his roomie, knew that it was real to Hu Tao. But no one never gave him the possibility of seeking love aside from the girls.
GaMing was sure he liked girls. He used to like Lan Yan in elementary school. But now he was very serious about how she scared him. He had some other girl crushes on secondary school, but ever since high school, he hadn't liked anyone.
"Buddy, you look like I just opened the matrix for you. Are you questioning your sexuality in the middle of lunch?"
"I'm not gay."
"Bisexuality exists for a reason."
"Well, I don't like men."
Hu Tao shrugged, as if she didn't actually care.
GaMing was thinking about Fréminet again. If he liked boys, he was sure he'd like Fréminet. He was the most endearing guy GaMing had ever met.
"Well, there's this boy, actually." Hu Tao seemed to be frozen in her place. The grip on her spoon stopped halfway to his mouth "I don't like him I just... think he's pretty."
"What?"
"What? He's objectively beautiful."
"But why was he the one thing that came to your mind when we are talking about your sexuality?"
"I'm just saying... if I liked boys–"
Hu Tao giggled.
"Who's he, though?"
GaMing had an exciting feeling for telling her, but that would just spoil everything. He wouldn't be able to go any longer to the library with his friends and pretend to be asleep or indifferent.
"He's from Mechatronical Engineer."
"Woah, a nerd. You aim high for sure."
GaMing formed a thin line with his lips.
"He's pretty."
"Yeah, you mentioned that."
There was something on Hu Tao's glance that looked midly suspicious. GaMing thought if she was trying to tell him that it didn't matter who he liked, or if she was amused by his own doubts. But, to GaMing, both options could be true and coexist at the same time.
It was not that he didn't want to question himself. It was that he couldn't. His family was very traditional. One of the reasons GaMing fled from them. They never gave him any sort of space to even doubt his likings. To have freedom with his choice.
The next hour started and they had to picked up their stuff to go to class. But when GaMing looked up, he saw someone he didn't expect. His body went immediately still.
"GaMing?"
Hu Tao's voice reminded him of where he was and how he was just staring at someone who had already noticed it.
"Eh?"
"Is that–?"
"No."
The boy crossed all the way to their seats and stood arms-crossed in front of him., grinning.
"Hi" he leaned, giving a friendly smile to Hu Tao and a not-as-kind to him "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. My name is Lyney, may I ask for yours?"
"Uh, oh, yeah" good luck, GaMing recovered his demeanor "I'm GaMing, this is my friend Hu Tao."
Hu Tao said hi, with a friendly smile but a suspicious glance. Lyney nodded.
GaMing was still trying to figure out who was him. He called Fréminet "my dear", so... could he be his boyfriend? GaMing haven't tought about that possibility until now. He seemed a bit older than Fréminet, but not so much. They looked alike, but again, not so much. While they were both blonde, Fréminet was a light golden blond and this dude was a pale, cinder blond. And while Fréminet had ocean blue eyes, Lyney had a purplish tone on his dark eyes. And he didn't have freckles like Fréminet.
"Are you running late to class? I would like to talk to you in private."
Okay. That was strange.
If he was Fréminet's boyfriend, could he happen to be mad at him? Why? Well, maybe he had a good reason. Maybe he knew about his little glances, his usual trips to the library. Maybe, while he was observing Fréminet from the thin line of his eyes closed, Lyney was staring at him. He gulped.
"I'll catch you up" he said to Hu Tao, with a fake calm.
The girl left, not without trying to make sure if GaMing was really fine. She didn't know the guy, and he actually looked very kind when he wasn't looking at GaMing. Once they were all alone on the cafetería, the guy sat crossed-legs.
"So, you are–"
"I want to ask for a favor from you" before GaMing noticed, he already had his wallet on hands "Befriend my brother."
GaMing immediately frowned.
"What– What do you mean?"
"Fréminet. That one boy from yesterday. I saw you two chit-chatting. Please, just be his friend. Can you? I'll pay you. How much do you want?"
Out of all the things this stranger, Lyney, could have said to him, that was not what he expected. GaMing felt his heart beating hard inside his chest. What the hell did this dude think he was?
"Man, are you being for real? Why would I accept money to be someone's friend? Your brother seems nice. I bet he doesn't need to pay people to make friends by his own. I don't mean to assume things up since you are just a stranger, but don't you think you are being really mean?"
GaMing had never saw Fréminet with another person. Not ever. Not even a bit of talking. But it wasn't like he was stalking him 24/7. Maybe he did talk to people outside of the library. Still, yesterday, Fréminet seemed shy, but not off-putting at all. He was so kind it was unrealistic for GaMing to have this conversation right now with his brother.
"I'm not asking for a moralty lecture. Do you need the money or not? I'll double it if you want."
When GaMing saw the money he was lending, it was–
Way more than it should be.
GaMing wouldn't even earn that much if he worked for three weeks in a row. He didn't like to be doubting.
"Why me? I talked to him once."
"He's autistic." The words slapped him hard. He never would have noticed– "He's not the type of making friends so easily. He's not a fan of people, he doesn't trust anyone that much to have a friend. And when he does, people think they can take advantage of him. But I saw you two talking. You may don't even think about it" he definitely did "but I have never seen him that confident around anyone before. I don't trust you, but I bet he will. I want it to be you."
GaMing struggled.
Ever since he left home, he had to take numerous types of jobs. Now he's just a cargo delivery worker. He has grown strength for the worst payment ever to survive by his own while also studying. This was– awfully tempting. That was money he would gave a very good use to. He wouldn't have Hu Tao paying off for his expenses and he could even invited her to their usual dinner in some repay for last times. But was this correct? Definitely not.
But even, it wasn't as if he didn't want an excuse to get close to Fréminet. There was something about him that felt beautiful and real. He wanted to meet him. He wanted to get to know him, and if he had just the perfect excuse–
Damn, this was something he could have even done for free.
But he happened to also need the money.
So, he took it.