Milo noticed Corym some months later, after everyone was back at the university from Summerfest. The boys had started speaking more frequently, and slowly started becoming friends - spending lunch time together, meeting at the library for study sessions, playing board games.

After Summerfest, the university had changed the labeling of the classrooms, much to Milos dismay. He had gotten so used to the numbering system he didn't have to think about how to get where he needed to be. He looked down at the letter announcing their participation to a mandatory healing class:

In light of recent events in and around the city of Holn, extra measures have been decreed by the High Keeper of Security. All students must participate in a workshop to learn to heal themselves and others that may need assistance. This will be held on the morning of August 20th in room _______.

The pen was smeared- was that room A103-b? Why did rooms suddenly need so many numbers?

It was only his first day back, and Milo was hopelessly lost in the hallways when someone crashed into his back, knocking him to the ground. The world around him blurred as his glasses fell off his face.

Next to him was Corym, who was laughing. 

"Oh gods I'm so sorry Milo, are you ok?" He helped him up and picked up his glasses, sliding them on Milos face himself.

"I'm fine I'm just so late to that mandatory healing class," Milo replied, dusting off. The wind around him was quite strong - he never was one to even be a minute late.

"Mr Anani, late to class, are you becoming a rebel now?" he teased. "I was just headed there, it's down the hall and up the tower-".

The last warning bell rang in the distance. "Follow me!" Corym said, running ahead in the direction he showed. 

Milo wasn't much of a runner and quickly ran out of breath, yet the situation had him laughing nervously. Coryms laugh was contagious, almost musical. The half-drow ran back and took Milos hand, helping him run the final distance to the room. 

The two burst into the room, where everyone turned to stare at them. The air tousled papers around in the room as Milo noticed people's stares. He saw Reyna raise an eyebrow and noticed he was still holding onto Corym’s hand.

"Sorry," Milo muttered. "I'll pick everything up."

"Don't bother" the professor replied with a sigh. "Go sit down."

He quickly let go of Coryms hand and the pair shuffled to the only table left, at the very front of the room. 

Milo for once found it difficult to focus in class, considering the laughing fit he was trying to suppress. Every time he'd glance at Corym he couldn't help but smile, trying not to laugh. 

The class itself was - conceptually - simple enough. They were to learn how to use basic healing spells by practice. Milo was nervous about cutting his palm, especially considering that he didn't recognize the spell the professor was teaching them. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't heal the wound in his hand, at least not with the method being taught. The spell he used to heal himself after nightmares was far more simple, but he assumed also far less effective. Muttering his usual encantation, he noticed the wound heal at the edges, but only barely. He swore under his breath, worried.

"Here, let me". Corym took his arm and muttered the spell, making it almost sound... musical? In no time, the cut started healing, until its scar faded entirely. "Your rings are going to stain from the blood, you might want to go clean them."

"Where did you learn to do that?" Milo asked. The entire room seemed to be struggling with getting the spell to work properly.

Corym shrugged. "I like helping people, is that so bad?"

"Not bad, just... unexpected?"

"Oh how you wound me, Anani." Corym commented with a grin.

"No, I think that's the knife."

Corym rolled his eyes at the joke and looked away, only then letting go of his arm.

The entire situation was unusual for him, and what was more unusual was recurring thoughts of the fun he had running into class late. 

Then things changed, abruplty and unforgivingly.

Out of the blue, Reyna ended their relationship. It was friendly; she just realized she didn't want a relationship - any at all. She explained that she had never felt that way about anyone. She thought it would be different with Milo, she had said, since they were friends for so long. And yet anytime they were together, both of them felt an uneasy pressure. Holding hands was always for show, the few kisses they exchanged were uncomfortable.

In truth, it came as a relief to them both.

“Besides, there’s clearly someone else on your mind”.

“What? Who?” 

“I don’t know. But you’re daydreaming even more than usual. It's almost creepy”.

Milo understood her reasoning - in fact, she seemed so happy to admit that she didn't care for relationships at all. He himself wasn’t particularly interested in intimacy, yet he did often have romantic feelings for people. He supposed it could be just as easy not to. 

Well... romantic feelings for men, and Reyna knew it. Of course she did, she knew everything about him.

"We're still friends though, right?" he asked, hopeful.

Reyna glared at him. "I'm making the awkwardness stop so we can be better friends, you idiot".

She was right, as usual. Their friendship changed for the better, but she would still call him out for daydreaming.

And when Milo saw Corym smile at him later that week as they were playing a board game, a realization dawned on him. 

It was him. He was making him daydream.

Corym was… he was so beautiful. 

He made Milo laugh and feel unusually comfortable. He was kind and charming and patient and sweet and he wanted to get to know him better. Maybe even take his hand again and lean his head on his shoulder and-  Milo felt them then. 

The first butterflies in his stomach.