Keith watched Eric sit on the couch, scrolling on his phone. How long would Eric keep this just friends thing up? He couldn’t resist Keith for long, especially when he was touch-starved. Eric wouldn’t try to fulfil his needs with someone else, he was too paranoid of strangers for that. The thought of him with someone else gave Keith an uncomfortable twist in his stomach.

Keith walked to the couch. He took a seat right beside Eric, Eric only spared him a glance.

“What was the writing group like?”

Eric laid his phone in his lap and gave him his attention. “Other than a short introduction from the organiser in the beginning, we were left to our own devices. Everyone was already divided into groups, like little cliques at schools.”

“With who did you sit?”

“Someone else who was alone. We chatted a bit.”

Keith hummed. He hadn’t expected him to actually speak to anyone, but he supposed that was the point of him going there.

He laid his arm on Eric’s shoulders and leaned against him. Eric raised a brow.

“It’s good for you to get out of the house more.” Keith smiled. “Maybe I should join you sometime.”

“Why would you go to a writing group?”

“I meant in general,” he murmured before pressing a kiss to Eric’s temple. “We could go on a date.”

He felt Eric’s shoulders tense underneath his arm. Eric was still for a moment, his face seemed to be considering something. He looked away, upset. Then he put a hand on Keith’s chest and pushed him away, to Keith’s surprise. He caught himself on his hand behind him, sitting leaned back.

“I told you not to do things like that,” Eric sternly told him.

Keith clenched his hand on the couch in annoyance. “We’ll see how long you can keep this up when you’re starved for affection.”

Eric let out an angry, mocking laugh. “How could I possibly resist a guy who doesn’t take my feelings seriously?” He pushed himself off the couch. “Honestly, you think you’ll win me over like that? Grow up!” He stormed off to his room.

Keith was left on the couch, stunned. Grow up? He had to grow up? Keith wasn’t the one who broke them up over a stupid relationship label! Why was labelling it such a big deal to him?

He decided to give him space. He’ll come back to him. He always does.

Eric walked into the library again. There was Ben, in the same spot as last week. Eric smiled and took his headphones off, leaving them around his neck. It was nice, some normalcy.

“Hey,” Ben greeted with a grin as Eric arrived at the table.

“Hi.” Eric sat.

“Have you written anything yet?”

“Nope.”

“Why not? Busy week?”

Eric shrugged. “No, I… I don’t know how to start. Or where.”

“At the first scene? Or your favourite scene? Or you could plan out more of the story, so it doesn’t feel like such a huge task and you don’t have to figure things out as you go.” Ben leaned closer.  “Would probably make for a better story in the end.”

“You only write short stories, how would you know how to plan a longer one?”

“I don’t only do short stories, just for now until I’m ready for something big. Which I have been planning for a while.”

“Oh yeah?” Eric smirked. “About what?”

Ben shyly turned his head away. “A—uh… romantic fantasy type of thing.”

“What kind of fantasy?”

“More low fantasy. Like our world, but one magical component added, you know?”

“More magical than the superhumans that do exist?”

Ben tensed up, his face was almost offended. “Superhumans aren’t magic.”

“Then what are they? Sci-fi?”

“I don’t know.” Ben became quite animated with his hands while he argued, “But it’s not magic, there’s always a biological component to it.”

“As if magic can’t be biological.”

Ben groaned. “I don’t know what it’s classified as, but it’s not magic, because it can be scientifically studied.”

Eric arched a brow. “And how do you know all that?”

Ben shrugged, becoming more still again. “It’s basic knowledge if you’ve ever done as much as an Internet search on superhumans.”

“Have you?”

“Obviously. You haven’t?”

“I have,” Eric admitted. Though, it was a bit more than an Internet search for him. “Gotta do a bit of research on them if I wanna write about them, right?” 

Ben chuckled. “Yeah.”

Eric thought of a question. But would it be too obvious? Maybe if he had asked it out of the blue, but this conversation could lead to it. “Have you met one?” He had now, but knowingly?

A pause. “No. Not in person. Have you?” Ben squinted.

“No. What would you do if you did?”

Ben thought about it. “I don’t know. Ask how their powers work? Be honoured they’d trust me enough to tell me?”

Eric sniffed out a chuckle with a smile.

“What would you do?”

“No idea. Depends who they are to me.” Eric saw Ben’s frown and reconsidered his answer. “Not that I’d turn anyone in or rat them out, but if I’m close to them, I’d not care that much.”

“Do you think you would freak out?”

“Probably not, but it hasn’t happened yet, so I don’t know.” A lie. But Eric could hardly tell the truth right now.

Ben hummed. “Hard to predict.”

“You seem quite interested in supers. Why?”

“Because they’re fascinating! People with all kinds of superpowers, who wouldn’t be interested?”

“Yeah, true.” Eric smiled.

“Back to your story, though,” Ben changed the subject. “I could help you outline?”

“If you wanna help, sure! That’d be great.”

Ben grinned. That damn grin. “That’s why we’re in a writing group, right? To help each other out?”

“Yeah. Could I help you too, somehow?”

Ben shrugged. “You could give me critique when I need it.”

Eric smiled. “Deal. Although, it would be nice if you could help me more than two hours a week.”

Ben stared at Eric for a moment, like his brain was processing something, then smirked. “Give me your phone.”

Eric raised his eyebrow, then reluctantly unlocked his phone and handed it to Ben. 

Ben messed around with it for a minute, then handed it back. “There.” That same godforsaken grin again. 

Eric looked at his phone screen, he felt blood rush to his cheeks. He had a new contact: Ben. 

Smooth little bastard. 

Eric hadn’t even meant it as a hint, just an observation. 

“Feel free to text or call me whenever you feel like it.” Ben winked. 

Yep, Eric was sure of it. He was flirting. 

Eric grinned back, trying to play it cool like he hadn’t been with only one person his entire life and was totally used to this. “Will do.”

Eric lay in bed on his side, staring at his phone. He had an empty chat opened, debating what to send. Ben didn’t have his number yet, so he at least had to tell him who it was.

He never texted anyone. Not full conversations, anyway. Sometimes, he sent Keith or Abi a text like We’re out of milk, or Where are you? But never much more than that.

He began typing, then deleted it. He started over but sighed and deleted it again. This was ridiculous, he had no reason to be so anxious about something so stupid.

Eventually, he landed on, “Hey, it’s Eric. What are you up to?”

He waited for a response. He laid his phone down and closed his eyes; he might not answer until morning.

But after a few minutes, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw an answer from Ben.

“Hi! Getting ready for bed. You?”

Eric smiled.

“Already in bed.”

“Oh, so I have your undivided attention? Sweet.”

“Depends how entertaining you are, sleep is very tempting.”

“Oh gee, how could I compete with sleep itself? Such unrealistic standards.”

Eric quietly laughed.

“You’re doing a good job so far.”

“Great :) did you do anything today?”

“Nah. I had some small arguments with both my friends, but nothing too serious.”

Eric wasn’t sure if he should’ve told him that. And it didn’t happen today. But it was on his mind, and it was nice to tell someone who didn’t know the other two.

“Oh, that’s not so great. About what?”

“I told one that he had to grow up, and the other that she needed to find a hobby. They were both a bit offended.”

“Does sound like something they’d need to hear. Are things still tense?”

“A little, but it’ll blow over.”

“Alright.”

“Did you do anything today?”

“I sat at home, made some delicious dinner, took a bath, might’ve been waiting to see when you’d text me.”

Eric was surprised.

“Oh, were you? How flattering. Are you a good cook?”

“I like to think so. You could come over and I’ll make you something ;)”

“Sure, I’ll make you pancakes in return.”

“Haha, sounds good. But we should go to sleep. I’m also in bed now.”

“Aw, okay.”

“Tomorrow is another day.”

“Sure is. Good night.”

“Good night :p”

Eric laid his phone down on his bed. He pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes with a smile.