Then He Smiled [BoyxBoy]

"I like you, too."

(Upcoming fluff?)

At first, it seemed normal.

Because Zach felt things all the time.

Because Zach had a heart that loved to love.

Because Zach's friends were always good to him.

He treated them back in the same way.

He smiled when they smiled first, laughed when one made a joke, and wrapped an arm around them when they were sad.

Zach's friends were always boys.

It was why he didn't notice at first.

"Is that...my book?"

"It belongs to the library so, no."

Arnold was too skeptical to come up with a response.

"I'm trying to figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"Your interest in traveling."

"I thought it was obvious," Arnold muttered. "Besides, you won't find the answer in there even if you looked."

Zach wanted to look.

He wanted to reach out, read every single word in that book, until he found the answer.

He was determined he could find the answer.

That's why he looked away from Arnold and focused his attention back to the travel book in his hands.

He heard Arnold sigh and glanced up reluctantly.

"It's like you do the opposite of what I tell you to do."

"You never tell me to do anything."

Another sigh.

It was mid-afternoon, right after their final lesson for the day. Arnold and Zach both decided to head back to their shared room instead of indulging in other activities like most of the other boys chose to do.

"Can I have the book back?" Arnold asked. "Please?"

"Why?" Zach was still busy reading.

"Because I'd like to read it."

"You've already read it."

"I want to read it again."

Zach ignored him, using the book to hide his face so he could secretly smile at the pages.

Until Arnold yanked the book from his hands, turned around, and stalked out of the room, banging the door shut.

With a smirk, Zach followed after him.

He walked out of the room, down the hallways, past different rooms, all while his eyes glued to Arnold's back.

"Stop following me."

Zach ignored him.

They stopped at the library doors.

Arnold turned around. "Leave me alone."

"No."

"Leave."

"I don't want to leave."

Arnold ran his fingers through his hair. "Just don't follow me in. I want to be alone."