< library >

@jaehyun j. Cheeks dyed a brilliant warmth and gaze lowered when benign eyes landed on his croquis, figure tautened as he espied askance Jaehyun freezing. Heart pulsated in trepidation, a tremulous inspiration, and Ten impelled himself to lift his crown. Fear evinced in his umber orbs, searching the librarian's countenance, unsure of what he might perceive but frightened all the same.

No conspicuous negative reaction could be detected on Jaehyun's face, only shock and perplexity with a bit of what Ten could discern to be curiosity. The lack of appall and abhorrence prompted Ten to loosen up, a timid smile adorned his lips as he downcast his peer, assessing the esquisse in his journal. Elegant constituted flowing hair which framed a suave face, eyes tenebrous but eloquent, beauteous smile ornamented his profile, build broad and pulchritudinous, disposition that of one reposing their chin on a hand as they surveyed an event or a person from afar.

"Yes," responded Ten at last, glancing up to Jaehyun once more, identifying the personage in his composition before him, very much tangible and mobile. "It's you."

Words abruptly died in his gorge, uncertain of what more to avow. Panic arose as he glanced around frantically, hoping to find something to talk about, anything. Finally, Ten just bowed his head and apologised, "I'm sorry for drawing you without permission. It wasn't my intention."

@ten l. Dust motes adorn the clarity of Jaehyun's vision upon entering the threshold of spines and tomes hidden in the crevices between bookshelves. Dexterity infatuates the motions with which he has been blessed upon being a library keeper, with eyes rapidly flitting through the names embossed on the spines; some encrusted gold, some obsidian, and some cerulean. The corona of letters enervates an indefatigable exhaust towards his muscles straining under the smooth creases of his shirt. The white of which reconciles with his cream complexion subjected under butter-laden sun rays. A sigh elicits from his parted tiers, feeling the cobwebs of constraint edging through his limbs.

Nonetheless, Jaehyun tosses a peek towards Ten, finding the boy staring back at him causing Jaehyun to snatch back his vision to the books fastened to his arms. The sunlight denudes sorrel tinges to the library, the phosphenes rendering the words on the cover pages iridescent. As he takes in this beauty, he does not realize the glimpses flung towards him by the other man.

His legs feel dreary, but the vanquish with which his heart has attuned itself to could not be ignored. Especially upon eyes dusting towards the unmistakable figure of an art piece almost casted upon his stature and features. A momentary pause, limbs freezing.

And then he asks, "Ten? Is that me?"

@jaehyun j. With scantily preserved consolidation, Ten managed to unearth an iota more on the practices of past regimes. Though his studying wasn’t all indefatigable, for his mind would veer, eyes unfocused and hand moving unbidden across the lined pages. As in his deepest thoughts, a familiar but welcomed visage arose, and he would glide his pen across the vacant sheet, projecting the suave appearance into his notepad.

Focus retreating to the current, gaze flickered down unto his journal, cheeks flaming instantaneously at the imagery his brain conjured. Eyes grew wide as saucers in bewilderment, pondering how the figure came to be, flustered at his audacious subconscious which brought up the sketch before him. Chaotic streaks superimposed each other, blue ink darkening where many brushes were collected, but this only added accent to the overall messy drawing, supplying an authentic sense to the display art.

The name of his muse could be heard from across the room, bringing him out from his mooning, pate lifting to steal a peek. Ten kept his head lowered, though his eyes lingered, heart thumping at the sight of the librarian, art piece momentarily forgotten. His neck burned in bashfulness, regarding Jaehyun who was now carrying books to the counter, realising too late that the latter would be passing him by as he goes.

Ten remembered the drawing, but didn’t hide it in time.

@ten l. A sweep of an altruistic gaze encumbers upon Ten's solitary physique, hand clutching a pen whose movement is almost mellifluous against the silence inundating his stark mien. Astute and sable irises saturate and ruminate clusters of clever syntaxes brocaded in embrowned pages, a gossamer of words reflects back onto the spectacles carefully perched upon the bridge of a retrousse nose.

"Jaehyun-ssi? May you help me bring these books to the counter?" A coworker's soft voice perks up behind him. Eyes still intact upon the object of affection, Jaehyun merely tosses a nod, lithe digits reaching for the askewed paper skidded back to the mahogany desk. The work should be easy enough. Inculcated in his movements is that of clemency which douses such beauteous features with an urgency to be observed upon despite his ignorance to any outward show of appraisal.

These books mean passing Ten, he abruptly thinks.

A canopy of profound breaths eases itself into his lungs, shoulders trembling with the intensity of his inhalation. His heart pounds fervidly behind his ribcage, ivory-doused pallor tinges a slight inclination of vermillion arising to his cheeks. Damn him for getting so easily flustered.

Then his legs start to move.

@jaehyun j. Heaps of history books fluctuating in widths, lengths and heights piled upon one another to enclose the researching writer, slips of harlequin sticky notes peeping out from between denseness. A reference book laid bare beside his journal, the opened page displaying explicit graphics of settings and raiment alongside meticulous passages explaining the culture and lifestyle of ancient times. Scrawls of blue ink covered the pale yellow pages, with of red and pencil doodles popping up here and there.

Dark brown gaze peered through thin-rimmed spectacles, orbs darting between the two opened books, quickly scanning the texts and recording important deets. The sound of round pointed tip against smooth surface barely audible in the pin-drop silent library. A soft hum escaped Ten as he took off his glasses, lids fluttering shut as digits placed pressure on the covered eyes, a slight massage to the tired organs.

When Ten opened his eyes once more, his gaze instantly fell upon the working librarian, Jaehyun. Lips upturned the slightest bit at the corners, fatigue instantly forgotten as he admired the man from afar. His heart beat just that tad bit faster, and he swiftly tore his gaze away when Jaehyun turned to his general direction. An involuntary sigh escaped him at the knowledge of the other not even noticing him, let alone feeling what he felt. Replacing his spectacles, he resumed his analysis, flipping to a new page on his notebook.

@ten l. The yearning scent of the books wafts through the quietude expansive in its contiguity to Jaehyun's hearing, the congeniality allocated to each of his motion is a resplendent show to the still tomes of the books edging through the threshold of his vision. Jaehyun sighs, his hands sleek with the scattered motes of dust. Limbs exhausted from having spent the last few hours doing the duty of diligently rearranging the books patterning them to a more organised fashion.

A question is risen through the canvas of his silent features. Is the writer, Ten, here? He wonders. Limpid gaze then crawls through the nameless faces intersecting his sight; he only wishes Ten was here. The days imbued with exhaustion are delivered with a momentary reprieve once Jaehyun's vision has been graced with the lonesome stature of Ten's as he pores over countless books stacked against one another.

A concoction of excitement and anticipation grapples his ribcage, a hint of a smile spreading across the frame of his face upon being embellished with the writer's figure far off in the distance. Jaehyun could only wish the partitions which behold them could be threaded by long footfalls aching to traipse the floorboards to reach the space in which Ten has enmeshed himself into.