After a while, Donovan’s body finally calmed down, his humiliating problem no longer obvious. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as if that would somehow clear his head. 

This was ridiculous, embarrassing—he needed to get a grip. Straightening up, he grabbed his bag and stood, forcing himself to take a slow breath. No more sitting here, overthinking. No more letting his mind wander to places it absolutely shouldn’t have. He just needed to move, to walk—casually, of course.

Not follow. Definitely not stalk.

It wasn’t like he was obsessed—no, that wasn’t it. He just needed to make sure everything was okay. Agatha had taken the hot new guy away from the group, and that had thrown him off. So, naturally, he followed. Casually. Just to see where they’d gone.

He wandered around campus, moving through the yard and past classrooms, as if he wasn’t really looking for them at all. Just stretching his legs. Getting some fresh air. 

Totally normal behavior. 

Rounding a corner, he spotted them by the vending machines, each holding some drinks. So they’d just left to grab something to drink? Not exactly a far trek. Nothing suspicious. Nothing worth reading into. 

And yet, Donovan lingered. This was the perfect chance. But what was he supposed to do? Walk up to them like it was completely normal? Strike up a conversation with him? That was ridiculous. He wasn’t that kind of person. Still, a part of him itched to do something—anything—just to see how the hot new guy would react. Would he be indifferent? Annoyed? Maybe even amused? 

The thought sent an odd thrill down Donovan’s spine, but before he could entertain it further, reality hit him. Of course not, he thought bitterly. There was no way he’d come off as anything but a complete weirdo. He could already see it—the awkward introduction, the polite but forced smiles, the inevitable shift in expression when he realized exactly what kind of person he was.

A self-deprecating chuckle slipped out. Yeah, right. As if the hot new guy would actually want to talk to him. Maybe he should just walk away. Pretend he hadn’t seen them. They clearly didn’t need him. 

But then again… was that really what he wanted?

The thought of walking away crossed his mind, but his feet stayed planted. No. He shook his head, as if physically trying to dispel the creeping self-deprecation. That wasn’t the mindset he needed right now. He was overthinking this. What he needed was more data. Yes, that was it. More observations, more information— nothing weird about that. Just... casual surveillance. It wasn’t like he was stalking anyone. Just keeping an eye on things.

The justification settled something in him, but his mind was already racing ahead, spinning through scenarios in which he might accidentally bump into this hot new guy again. Casually, of course. No big deal. No hidden intentions. Just a completely normal conversation between two completely normal people. No harm in a friendly chat, right? Just a little test to see what kind of person Connor was hanging out with.

Then another thought struck him, one that curled around his mind and refused to let go. What if Connor noticed? Would he care? Would he be jealous? The idea made his pulse quicken. Not that it mattered, of course. He wasn’t trying to get a reaction out of Connor. He wasn’t trying to stir the pot. But if he did... Well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Then, like a brick to the chest, the realization hit him. Connor and hot new guy—two of the most attractive men he’d ever laid eyes on—were now both orbiting Agatha. Both standing right there, within arm’s reach.

The thought alone was driving him insane. Oh, how he wished he could be in her place—one of the popular ones, effortlessly surrounded by handsome guys, able to get close to anyone without fear. But before he could fall any further down that rabbit hole, a shift in the air made his stomach drop.

Hot new guy was walking toward him, each step slow and deliberate, like a predator locking onto its prey. And worse? He looked almost ethereal doing it. The way the light caught in his hair, the sheer presence he carried—it was straight out of a movie, and Donovan was momentarily too captivated to register the danger.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hot new guy asked. Him! Hot new guy had spoken to him first. For a split second, Donovan’s brain short-circuited. Every carefully constructed scenario, every imagined interaction, and yet—not once had he considered this.

His breath hitched. His body screamed at him to react, to say something—anything—but all he could do was nod, stiff and robotic, as if that would somehow mask the fact that he was absolutely, unequivocally not okay.

"Well, it’s just that you look like you're deep in thought. Are you some kind of philosopher or just... lost in your head?"

Donovan blinked, caught off guard by the casual, almost playful tone. Lost in his head? He couldn’t deny it. He’d been a mess of overthinking everything about Connor for the last few weeks now, but hearing it from someone else made him feel like he was being exposed in some way.

"Uh... I guess I tend to overthink things?" Donovan muttered, mostly to himself, his voice betraying how flustered he felt. He forced a smile, though it felt stiff, like he was playing a role he didn’t know how to act in.

Hot new guy’s lips quirked into a knowing smile. "I can tell. You’ve got that... distracted look about you. Like there’s something on your mind." He leaned in just a little, lowering his voice. "Anything I can help with?"

Donovan’s breath caught in his throat. This wasn’t the casual, neutral interaction he had imagined. Hot new guy—this godlike person—was flirting with him, of all people.

"I—uh, no, I’m fine," Donovan stammered, trying to appear less awkward than he felt. "Just... you know, trying to get some air."

Hot new guy’s smile only deepened, as if he found Donovan’s discomfort amusing. He didn’t step back, instead closing the space just a little more, his presence overwhelming now. 

"Sure," he said, voice dripping with sweetness. "But maybe you could use a little more than just air. You look like you could use a break."

Donovan’s heart skipped a beat, unsure if he was hearing things right. What was he even supposed to say to that? His brain was in overdrive, still trying to process how things had escalated so quickly, but before he could form any coherent response, a shift in the atmosphere broke the moment. Agatha’s voice broke through, neutral as she called over her shoulder to the hot new guy. 

"Come on, we should head back. The others are waiting for us." The words hit Donovan like a bucket of ice water. The hot new guy didn’t even look disappointed. He just flashed Donovan a playful look, with a hint of something more, and turned toward Agatha. 

"Oh, but I wanted to talk some more with my new friend." He almost pouted, as if he didn’t want to lose his new plaything.

Agatha just rolled her eyes, and started walking away. "Fineeee, have fun."

Donovan stood there, completely stunned. His thoughts raced, each one colliding with the next. What just happened? The strange mix of confusion, excitement, and embarrassment flooded through him, and he was left staring at the hot new guy with too many thoughts coursing through his brain.