The rest of the class was devoted to working on practice problems the professor assigned. Scientific and graphic calculators were brought out and every student began tapping in their numbers and formula. Gen sat, frozen in his anxiety.

Shit! I forgot my calculator! He put his face in his hands and breathed deep. No way was he about to tell Professor Ybarra that he had come to class unprepared. It was the second time that week…

“Hey,” a soft voice next to him said. He peeked from his fingers to see Mika standing there, a calculator held out to him, a knowing smile on his face. “You can give this back to me later.”

Gen stared at him a moment then took the proffered device. “Thanks,” he mumbled. Mika walked back to his desk without another word and Gen was left wondering how the guy even knew he needed it. He dismissed it, grateful to even have the thing, and began working on the problems. 

From a few desks up, Mika and his three friends were huddled together, working out the assignment in hushed tones; Working together was one of those things Professor Ybarra encouraged.

“In the real world, you’re not always going to be able to figure things out on your own,” he’d say. “Sometimes you need someone around to help guide you.”

They were so focused on the task, they almost didn’t hear the tone that echoed throughout campus indicating class was over. The students sighed and groaned and began packing up their things. Professor Ybarra was reminding everyone to turn in their homework on the way out and to enjoy the rest of their day.

Mika yawned and pulled his homework out of his binder, being sure to refill his bag once he did. He was following his friends to the front, when he felt someone touch his arm.

“H-hey.”

He looked down and saw his calculator. He took it and looked up at the tall, dark, and handsome student in the hoodie. He looked nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Um, t-thanks for letting me use that.”

Mika smiled up at him. “Sure,” he said. “Anytime.” He put the device in his bag and headed up to the front. He put his homework sheets on the desk along with all the rest and headed outside. He had one more class left for the day, another gen-ed, and it didn’t start for another hour. He had time to head to the cafeteria to review his notes and look over the practice problems they had just done in Algebra, eat a salad or something, then finish the reading assigned for his World History class that was due tomorrow.

He waved goodbye to his friends since they didn’t share this final class with him and turned to the right in the direction of the cafeteria. It was in the center of campus, about a five minute walk. He pulled out his cell and checked his texts as he walked. 

Back near the classroom, Gen watched Mika walk away. He was headed in that direction as well but waited until there was a fair amount of distance between them before he started walking. He was grateful for the use of the calculator but he wasn’t about to encourage any further interactions. The first one was bad enough, no point in continuing something that would probably only make his stomach hurt worse later. His last class was in thirty minutes and he was starving. Maybe he’d grab something from the cafeteria since it was on the way. He pulled a bluetooth earbud from his pants pocket and put it in his right ear, turning it on. He pulled his phone from his pocket, pulled up a music app, selected a band to listen to, and pressed play. He shoved his hands in his pocket and walked with his head down, lost in the lyrics as he went.

Gen walked into the large cafeteria and headed toward the sandwich bar, hoping there was a turkey hoagie available. One left. He reached out to grab it, but grabbed someone’s hand instead.

Startled, both hands pulled back and Gen looked down to see Mika standing there, the same look on his face, his cell phone still in his hand. Apparently, he hadn’t been paying attention, either.

“Oh, uh…” Gen stammered. 

“Sorry, you can have it,” Mika said.

“N-no, it’s okay–”

“Really, if you prefer that one, I can get something else.” He gave Gen a reassuring smile, which then turned teasing. “Or, how ‘bout this. I’ll let you have it, if you tell me your name.”

Gen’s face heated almost instantly and his throat tightened. Dammit, come on, it’s not that hard, it’s just your name! Plus, the turkey hoagie was the only sandwich he actually liked from here. He wouldn’t lose it to a short guy in an oversized white hoodie and My Hero Academia backpack. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Gen,” he croaked. “It’s Gen…Parker.” Smooth, dude. Real smooth.

Mika held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Gen,” he said. With the other, he handed over the treasured hoagie.

Gen took both, shaking Mika’s hand and trying to relax. His hands are so small… “Yeah, you, too,” he said. 

“Is that Man With A Mission?” he asked.

“Huh?”

Mika pointed at the bluetooth in Gen’s ear. Apparently the volume was loud enough that others could hear it clearly. He didn’t pay much attention to anyone else around him so it never occurred to him that his music could be heard outside of his own head.

“Oh,” he said, tapping the earbud and pausing the music. “Yeah, I really enjoy their sound.”

“I honestly didn’t know anyone else knew who they were,” Mika chuckled. “I mean, some of their stuff you can hear on a few anime, but unless it’s important to someone, they’re not going to go look them up.”

Gen gave a small, nervous grin, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said quietly. He held up the sandwich. “Thanks again for this. And for the calculator. I’ll see you, okay?” He turned to the drink bar and grabbed a canned coffee before heading to the self-serve kiosk register to pay. He really wanted to get away from this boy, to stop talking to him. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid and he was getting more and more uncomfortable, the knot getting tighter, moving up into his chest. Couldn’t he see Gen wanted to be alone? Gen shoved the sandwich and coffee into his hoodie pocket, tapped the bluetooth to restart the music, raised his hood, and quickly walked away.

If Kana asked, he could say he actually talked to someone, even told them his name. That ought to make her happy. So long as she didn’t press for details, of course, but that’s what the lock on his loft door was for.

The only thought screaming in his head as he pushed through the door was, Why did the cute guy in class talk to me?!

Mika watched Gen leave the building, his lips turned down in a sad frown. He wasn’t sad about the sandwich, he had actually meant to grab the one next to it. It was the scent that distracted him. He was subconsciously trying to place it while he was scrolling through his social media when he reached up for the sandwich. 

His hand was so big and warm…

Mika hadn’t meant to be pushy with his conversation, he had always been one to talk to people, especially those he found interesting in some way. He should have stopped in the classroom when Gen had turned away; it was obvious socializing wasn’t his thing. But Mika just had to keep at it, even going so far as to tease him with a sandwich to get his name.

He just wanted to be around that scent of spicy burnt wood and bourbon…the same smell his dad used to have.