As the school day went on my brain tried and failed to focus on the many things my teacher, Mr.Romero was trying to teach. For someone who looked ancient he was definitely well advanced with the tech now a days an even knows more stuff then I do about the graphic tools that I have been using since I was just a young tween.
Sitting down for lunch was probably the most boring thing though and didn't help my wandering mind from deep blue eyes and terrifying dreams. Swallowing the last of my cafeteria bought sandwich which wasn't actually as bad as I was expecting I started heading back to the classroom seeing as there wasn't any real point of staying any longer in the cafeteria by myself.
"Ah Mr.Blake, already back before lunch has even ended." Mr.Romero says kindly looking up from his desktop to stare at me calmly from underneath bushy gray eyebrows.
"Well I've never been much for a people person Mr.Romero. Just rather get my work done and be on my way." I say taking my seat again and pulling out my tablet and laptop, opening up the design apps and starting some small rough sketches.
Feeling eyes on me I look up to see Mr.Romero staring before finally going back to his laptop sporting a small smirk as the printer in the room starts to spit out sheets of paper making the old man smile even more.
Promptly ignoring the old man for the next twenty minutes as the bell finally rings stating that everyone needs to get their asses back to class I start to close out of my rough sketch drawings that unfortunately are reminding me too much of a certain tall dark and mysterious man.
Soon enough the classroom is full and my anxiety is at a high level with the amount of people yet there is still an open seat at the two desk seaters that we have been placed at.
"Welcome back my lovely students. Now that we are past common introduction as well as setting everything up for you to design I want to explain why we have two desk seaters and why there is still an open space for someone at each of your desks." Mr.Romero says with almost a laugh in his voice and now I can definitely feel my stomach has dropped to my feet and throwing up is seeming like a lovely aspect right now.
"Before I tell you all though, I would like each one of you to pull a sheet of paper out of this hat here and return to your seats once you have. Do not open the paper until otherwise told." And just like that everyone is out of their seat grabbing a sheet of paper, me of course being the last one grabbing the last sheet of paper in the hat.
"Alright Mr.Gordo you may bring in your students now, mine are all ready." Mr.Romero says soon enough the classroom is being filled with more students from a different class lead by a similarly older man.
"Students, this is Mr.Gordo and his freshman class of architecture students. The extra seat at your table is where your new partner will be sitting. You will both be partners till graduation so hopefully you will be able to get along well with each other. Best way I have always said is think of this as a marriage and do what you can to make it work." Mr.Romero said in a calm voice with a small smile gracing his face as he looked at Mr.Gordo.
"Ah yes wise words from you Mr.Romero wise words indeed. I thank you all on behalf of my students and hope for the best." Mr.Gordo could not be described as anything but gruff with a thick old rich accent.
"Alright now starting in alphabetical order in reverse you will open your piece of paper when I call your name. Then you will say who is to be your partner and they will join you at your table. After everyone has their respected partner you may take the rest of the class day to get to know each other and such." Mr.Romero said before beginning to call out names.
Looking down not wanting to even stare at the students of the other class knowing that it won't matter seeing as I'm last anyways to be able to call out my new partner's name. I swear this old man has to already hate me and its only the first day. I mean he could have said something to me in the twenty minutes before class but of course not. Old people and their cryptic ways.
Getting lost in my thoughts about it I finally hear my name called by Mr.Romero and barely looking up I grab the discarded sheet of paper off the desk table and open it before saying in probably the softest voice anyone must have ever heard, "Zarif Mellano." keeping my head down as I hear a pair of boots strut across the floor before hearing the chair next to me being pulled out and someone sitting down.
"Well now you are all partnered up to get to know each other. You'll be given an assignment tomorrow." Mr.Romero says as he and Mr.Gordo sit at his desk and start chatting. Soon enough the entire room is full of soft talking between the new partnerships and I can barely even attempt to look up. I must look pretty fucking pathic.
"So um ya know my name now lad but I seem ta only know ya last name. Can we by chance change that?" I hear the familiar rough voice of a certain tall blue eyed man before I whip my head up to see him staring at me wearing a small smirk on his face and leaning back lightly in his chair.
"Holy crap it's you." I say half whispered before I can even stop the words from coming out of my mouth making me go beet red. As if a dam broke Zarif as I now know his name starts to laugh merrily not even seeming to mind my weird saying.
"Aye that it is. Now uh back to the name problem lad. I think if we gonna have a partnership we might want ta start there." He says around his chuckle now.
"Oh um yeah right that. I'm Lucus, Lucus Blake. NIce to meet you Zarif." I say trying to reign in my now highly overstimulated anxious nerves. Holding out my hand in a nice and gentle greeting before his warm and large hand engulfs my smaller one.
"Lucus. Well that's a mighty fine name ya got." He says smiling wide an squeezing my hand before letting it go, "Well I guess we are supposed ta get to know each other but ta be honest Im not much sure on where to start." and for the first time ever I couldn't agree more with someone.
"How about things we like? You can go first if you want." I say softly looking back at my open laptop on the desk and wanting to get lost in a drawing then be sitting here in this room at all.
"How bout while we are talkin about what we like the other sketches, what they think best describes the other.'' He says lightly, making me look back at him and nod happily at the escape to draw even if it is for something like that.
"Alright me first then. I like working with me hands. Grew up with a da who worked in a forge so that's where I spent most ma days. Somethin bout a nice warm forge that always makes me feel at home. Only reason I am takin this class is cause for the type a buildin I want to do I need to have a degree in architecture if I wanna actually sell it which I do." slowly I begin to sketch different things like a anvil with a sword being beaten on with a hammer an a nice warm fire roasting in the background as I let my mind wander and let my hands sketch with the words he says.
"I like to hike quite a bit actually. Can't stand being in a house too long. If I'm not in a forge then I'm hiking the blue forest trail by ma family home. Now that I've talked bout myself enough, how bout we talk bout you a little bit. I'd love to hear what makes Mr.Lucas Blake tick '' he says with a quirky half smile that can easily be seen even under his well maintained beard.
Stopping my forming sketch as my mouth goes dry from the lack of knowing what to say to this man. He lives such a full life and I can't help but find mine very lacking at this point.
"Well for starters I am not as outdoorsy as you. Not from not wanting to be but from an overprotective single mom who was scared if I even went slightly into the woods just to take a picture of a lark I might get attacked." I say which thankfully earns a small chuckle out of the big burly man.
"The reason I am here though is because I love art. I love to draw and take pictures and make something beautiful out of the surrounding places." drifting off into my own thoughts as my words begin to flow much easier than before for some reason.
"There's uh not much else to me I suppose. If I'm not drawing, I'm reading. If not reading then taking pictures. If not pictures then writing." finally coming to a close about the subject of me while looking down and not saying another word while I go back to the unfinished drawing on my tablet.
"I think that's amazing. I mean I could never do stuff like that. Specially not writing or stuff like that. I think it's quite alright that you don't do stuff like me but if you were ever wanting to maybe go out and explore and get some nice pictures I'd be more than happy to take you on some of the trails on my family land." Zarif says with a calm yet earnest smile.
"Oh um maybe. That would be nice sometime." is all I say not really knowing how to respond to the blatant praise for being different.
"So before I show ya ma sketch how bout ya show me yours. It'll most likely be better than mine anyway." He says looking imploringly toward my tablet making me blush slightly. What the hell is wrong with me for me to blushing like a damn young boy with his first crush.
"It's really nothing special I swear." I say before turning the tablet around and showing him the sketch of the anvil and hammer beating on a sword. Watching as his eyes take in the sketch and seeing the way his eyes light up at the depiction.
"You drew this in that short of time." he says in more of an awestruck tone than one of questioning.
Rubbing the back of my neck roughly as I set my tablet on the clear work space in front of us, "Yeah I tend to do that sometimes when I talk to people. Im sorry, I really was listening to you when you spo-"
"Don't you dare apologize for something like that. Your artwork is beautiful and if you want to pull inspiration from the things I say then do it. I don't mind if that's what makes you happy and comfortable in my presence." Zarif says effectively cutting me off and making me stare wide eyed at him. In my nineteen years of life no one has said anything even slightly similar to that.
Not knowing what to say I give a small nod and go back to the drawing knowing for a fact Zarif is watching everything little detail I put into the drawing and for once in my life I don't mind someone watching. I don't mind someone looking into my space and seeing the thing I love to do most in progress before getting a full picture. How this man has made me feel comfortable with him in such a short time when it took others months. Hell years even with some and yet all it took was one class period and I was feeling like I have known him my whole life.
Just as I was about to start selecting colors for the drawing the class bell rang signaling the end of the school day, "Alright everyone get out of here and remember we start real work tomorrow so I hope you all have made good work getting comfortable with each other since then." Mr. Romero says while I start packing up my things seeing Zarif doing the same.
"Can I walk ya ta ya car?" I hear as I go to stand to walk out of class making my turn and almost run into a solid chest face first, "Shit sorry bout that." Zarif says, putting his hands on my shoulders to steady me before I almost fall again.
Getting my bearings before risking looking into his eyes that seem to captivate me each time I look, "Sure I don't mind the company." I say softly before turning and starting to walk out knowing that he was right behind me by the sound of the heavy boots. I swear those have to be heavy. How does he even lift his feet with them on?
"For some reason I feel like thats only a half truth an that if it was anyone else in this whole room you wouldve told them to fuck off kindly." He says with a slight chuckle in his deep baritone.
Letting out a snort of a laugh as we step outside of the warm building now making me wish I brought a jacket as the wind cuts through my thermal, "I mean you wouldn't be necessarily wrong in that assessment Mr.Mellano." I say in a short response before feeling a warm jacket fall over my shoulders making my look at the large man now striding beside me down the long path to the student parking lot.
Not commenting on the now very warm jacket that smells of pine and fresh ocean air as I lightly tug it a little closer around my body not missing the slight smirk gracing the larger man's face by my action, "Yeah well there's nothing wrong with that. I kinda understand where ya are coming from seein as I'm not all that fond of people either." Zarif says as we finally get to the start of the student parking lot that is quickly becoming vacant and for once I find myself wishing that the walk to my truck didn't take such a short amount of time.
"Well I suppose here we are then huh." Zarif says as we stand next to my old beat up truck that has done me well since I was sixteen.
"Yeah, but we have tomorrow to catch up. Maybe tomorrow you can get me a coffee instead." I say as I go and open my truck door.
"I think I can manage that cutie." Zarif says before turning and walking away leaving me a blushing mess as I get into my truck and leave the parking lot before remembering the jacket that is still around my shoulders.
"Oh son of a bitch and I didnt even get his damn number! Fuck me in so many ways then one." I say as I keep driving towards my home knowing for a fact my mother is going to question the large as fuck leather jacket that is now drapped around me an for some reason I just cant seem to care.
Finally pulling into the two space driveway of my childhood home thankfully seeing that my mother isn't home which means I can run to my room and hide the jacket before she has a chance to see it. Not saying my mother minds me liking guys at all or would be disgusted with it. In fact she was beyond happy when I came out to her. It's more on the fact that she doesn't like the fact of me dating. She more or less just wants to make sure I am actually happy and know the person.
She always talks about how she rushed it with my dad and by the time I was born how he decided that he didn't want to be in the picture. She didn't mind when I asked about finding him and in fact helped me. What hurt was finding out he died six years ago once we reached the end of that rabbit hole of finding his family and then finding him.
Walking into the house and seeing Nico and Tanner, mine and my mom's german shepherds curled up with each other on the living room sofa, "Nico here boy." I say seeing the black shepherd get up off the couch and follow me up the stairs to my bedroom.
Closing my door and dropping my bag on the floor before finally taking the jacket off my shoulders and laying it on my bed while Nico goes up to sniff it and lets out a growl shocking the hell out of me seeing as this is the dog who is scared of his own shadow.
"Nico what the hell has gotten into you? It's just a jacket, nothing serious boy." I say petting the midriff between his perked ears before flopping down on my bed and checking my phone for any missed calls or messages before I pull up my book I've been reading for the past week. Before I know it my eyes start to drift off as I succumb to sleep I didn't think I was needing.