Jeff only steps in to get out of the rain. It's pouring down, the kind of rain that drenches you immediately and yet still somehow still makes you wetter the longer you stay out in it. His blazer's sodden, and Jeff's glad he had the sense to put a hoodie on underneath it or his shirt would be soaked through too. He pushes his hood down, shaking his fringe out of his eyes as he looks around at the shop he's chosen to shelter in. The walls are lined with shelves of books in neatly labelled categories and sub-categories, and there are two tables in the middle of the room laden with books on display. Jeff walks over to look at them, running his fingers over their shiny covers. He notes with approval a few of his favourite books face out on the shelves, and is just stepping over to have a closer look at Fiction – Horror when his bag catches the edge of a pile of books.

They slip with a bang to the floor, making Jeff almost jump out of his skin. Cursing under his breath, he spins round, picking them up quickly and putting them back on the table. He's just trying to arrange them neatly when there's a cough from behind him. Jeff winces, slowly turning around. Behind a counter Jeff hadn't even noticed is a man watching him with an amused smile, hands curled around a steaming mug.

"I was just..." Jeff starts, trailing off and looking down at his feet as the man raises an eyebrow.

"Browsing?" The man finishes with a smile. "Feel free to continue, those books have seen worse than the floor in here." Jeff looks at him curiously, then at the books. "I'll just be back there," He gestures behind him, "If you want me just... ring the bell!" He says, hitting an old porter's bell that sits next to the till.

With that, the man turns and goes through a beaded curtain into what Jeff assumes must be some kind of stockroom, leaving him alone once again. Jeff glances at the door, at the storm still raging outside, and decides to stay, just until the rain stops. He sets his bag down at the base of the counter and makes his way over to the horror section, picking out Let the Right One In and settling himself in the leather sofa that's tucked into the corner of the shop.

The rain outside pounds against the glass in the door of the shop but Jeff barely hears it, losing himself completely in the story spread out on the pages in front of him. He pulls his feet up and turns in the sofa, leaning back against the arm with the book resting on his thighs. Jeff forgets how his clothes are clinging to him from the rain, how his hair is starting to dry fluffy on his forehead, how he should probably be keeping an eye on the time, and just lets himself get absorbed into the book in his hands. He has no idea how long he's been reading when the shop plunges into darkness, and, much to his embarrassment, Jeff lets out a scream.

There's a scream and a crash from the back room, and the man from before pushes noisily through the bead curtain with a torch in his hands. Jeff blinks as the beam hits him full in the face, shielding himself with the book.

"Oh! It's you! I didn't realise you were still here, you just scared the crap outta me!" He laughs, lowering the torch and coming round from behind the counter toward Jeff. Jeff laughs a little nervously. He's in a dark shop, he realises, with a man he doesn't know. A man who might very well be a murderer. Jeff glances down at the book in his hands. Or a vampire, he thinks. "The power's out." The man says. "I'm gonna have to close up."

Jeff stands up quickly, pushing his feet back into his damp shoes. He holds out the book for the man to take.

"I guess I got a bit involved..." He says, smiling, "I'll... I'll come back and get it another day, my wallet's back at school so..."

The man pushes the book back toward him gently. "I'll tell you what; you borrow it, and bring it back tomorrow to pay for it. Or just bring it back and get something else." He smiles, only half visible in the darkness of the shop.

Jeff smiles back, hugging the book to his chest as he makes his way to his bag in the dark and picks it up, swinging it over his shoulder.

"Thank you..." Jeff pauses in the doorway, glancing back at the man.

"Nick."

"Thanks Nick." Jeff says again, "I'll see you tomorrow to pay for this!" He raises the book a little in his arms, tugging his hood up over his head. Nick just nods and goes back behind his curtain. Jeff watches a second longer before opening the door and stepping out into the rain. He pushes the book into his bag and runs all the way back to Dalton.

Jeff makes his way to his room, trailing water on the polished wooden floors of Dalton's many hallways. His bag, blazer, and hoodie are on the floor the moment he's through the door of his room, quickly followed by his damp shirt. Jeff glances at the door to his bathroom, but the book in his bag is practically calling out to him to be read, and he decides to forgo a shower and just read. Besides, he reasons as he changes into a pair of loose lounge pants, he's already been in one shower today. Jeff retrieves his book from his bag and flops onto his stomach on the bed. He turns on his bedside light, grateful for its light filling the room as a crash of thunder practically rattles the window panes. Stretching out lazily and flicking through to find his page, Jeff settles down with his chin on his hand and starts to read.

The next time Jeff looks up it's three in the morning and he's finished the book. As he rolls over and sets it on his bedside table his stomach rumbles so loudly that for a second Jeff thinks the storm's still going outside. He grabs his phone and selects the flashlight, pushing himself off the bed and walking out into the corridor. He creeps as quietly as he can to the lunch hall, his phone lighting the way ahead of him. The hall is quiet around him, silent and still and shadows jump up on the walls, making him shiver. He's beginning to think that this was a dumb idea, images of monsters hiding just behind the kitchen doors creeping unwanted into his mind. Jeff makes it safely into the kitchen, jumping through the doors to scare away anyone who might be there. He doesn't want coffee, it's far too much the middle of the night for that, and decides on warm milk.

It's only when he's leaning back against the counter, an empty crisp packet by his side, sipping slowly from the mug in his hands, that he remembers the man from the shop - Nick - in the same position. Jeff still isn't over how nice Nick had been to him in lending him the book. Jeff's eyes droop slightly, head dipping forward in a momentary doze. He glances at his phone. Four AM. Jeff winces. He has to be up in three hours, and it's looking all the more tempting to just skip class and go back and pay for the book when he wakes up. But his first lesson is English Literature. They're doing banned texts and, quite honestly, he just doesn't want to miss it. So he heads back to bed, padding sleepily through the corridors to his room. Jeff's barely got comfortable, nuzzling his cheek into the pillow gently, before he's fast asleep, hand curled in the sheets.

Jeff pushes his hand out of the covers, grabbing blindly for his phone to try and turn his alarm off. Normally McFly is the only way to start his day but after barely three hours sleep he definitely doesn't want to hear about girls going insane, no matter how many colours they have in their hair. He turns the alarm off with a groan, slowly getting out of bed and putting on a clean pair of boxers and a shirt from his wardrobe. Jeff makes a face as he pulls on his trousers. He'd left them on the floor overnight and they're still damp, clinging to his skin as he shrugs on his blazer and grabs his English folder. His hand lingers on the top of Let the Right One in, and he pushes that into his bag too. He'll go back to the shop after class.

Despite his enthusiasm for it during the wee hours, English drags. Jeff dozes and doodles in the margins of his notebooks. He's hardly paying attention at all to his teacher, and when the bell rings it takes him a minute to snap out of his Lady Chatterley's Lover fuelled stupor. In fact, it takes Trent nudging him before he even realises that the bell's rung at all.

"Jeff! You aren't listening to me at all, are you?" Trent sighs as they make their way slowly to their next class. "I was just saying that Lady Chatterley is, quite frankly, one of the greatest books of our time, although I entirely see why it was banned for so long. The language alone makes me blush..."

"I've read worse..." Jeff says without thinking, ignoring the resulting startled look from Trent.

There's a piece of paper pinned to their French room's door. Their teacher is sick and, much to Jeff's delight, class has been cancelled for the day. They've been set an assignment, and the note was in French, so that was sort of work, but Jeff still has the entire rest of the day free. Bed beckons, but the heavy weight of the book in his bag reminds him that he has somewhere he should be.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Trent asks, carefully copying down the assignment details from the note on the door. In French. "I might go and start on this. I like to get it done early. Or we could see what the other Warblers are doing?"

"Actually... I have to go out for a bit, I'm gonna go actually buy a copy of the texts for English..." Jeff answers him. It's not really a lie. He should at least see if Nick has a copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover, because he most certainly doesn't. Trent nods approvingly and bids him farewell before leaving him to go to the library. Jeff shakes his head, smiling slightly. He takes a quick picture with his phone of the note on the door so that he has the assignment - as if he's going to write it down - and then hurries out of school.

The walk into town doesn't take Jeff long. The weather's cleared up, sun shining brightly and reflecting off the puddles left from the storm. It's still a little cold and Jeff's fingers soon go numb even though he has his hands pushed into his pockets. It smells of rain on dirt. Petrichor, Jeff reminds himself. He's smiling already when he reaches the book shop, and actually laughs out loud when he reads the name of the shop.

'A Likely Story' proclaims a painted sign displayed proudly across the front of the shop. Jeff had missed it in his hurry to get inside the day before. He pushes the door open, still smiling to himself, and walks through the empty shop to the counter. Rummaging through his bag with one hand, he hits the bell with the other and waits for Nick to appear. Jeff retrieves the book and lays it on the counter, tracing his fingers idly over the embossed letters of the title, filling out the shape of them one by one. He rings the bell again.

"Just coming!" Nick yells from somewhere behind the curtain, appearing through the strings of beads a moment later. The moment he sees Jeff, he grins, a huge white smile that unexpectedly makes Jeff's heart flutter with excitement. "It's you! You know the power came back on about fifteen minutes after you left yesterday. You could have stayed out of the rain a little longer."

"Oh, um..." Jeff stutters, "I had to get back to school anyway... I board there..."

"Ah yes, I noticed the blazer yesterday." Nick says, reaching out to tap the 'D' on Jeff's blazer pocket, "A fellow Detonate I see."

"You... you went to Dalton?"

"I did indeed." Nick laughs. "A while ago now..."

Jeff smiles down at Nick. He can't be that much older than him, at least, Jeff doesn't think that he looks it. There's a slightly awkward silence as Jeff tries to think of something to say in reply. Should he ask how old Nick is? He kind of wants to know now but his mother always taught him it was rude to ask people's age. Or to ask a woman her age. Does it apply to guys too? Jeff realises they've been standing in silence for at least a minute now when Nick raises his eyebrows expectantly.

"Oh! I brought this back!" He says, pushing the book forward with his index finger.

"Did you want to pay for it or swap it for something else?" Nick asks, picking the book up and flicking through it. Jeff hesitates. He wants to pay for it, after all, it's not a library here, it's a bookshop, but... he's finished it. He makes a decision.

"I... May I swap it please?"

Nick grins at him. "So you finished it did you?" He comes out from behind the counter, going over to put the book back in its place on the shelf. "I guess you must have read a lot of it here before you left?"

"Actually I... I kind of stayed up half the night reading it..." Jeff admits, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't stop reading until three..." He pushes his hands into his blazer pockets, shrugging a little.

"A man after my own heart." Nick laughs and folds his arms over his chest. "I've done that more times than I can remember..." Nick looks him up and down, and Jeff feels himself blushing. "Coffee?"

Jeff nods, stifling a yawn that makes Nick chuckle. "I'll be right back then. Have a look around, pick something new out." He's halfway to the counter before he stops suddenly and turns around. "I am being so incredibly rude. I never asked how you like your coffee... Or even your name for that matter."

"Um, cream and two sugars please, if that's okay. And I'm Jeff."

"Pleased to meet you, Jeff from Dalton Academy."

Jeff watches Nick disappear behind the curtain and goes back to the horror section, looking over the spines. A book face out on the shelf catches his eye. The figure of a man in uniform, his hand pressed against a frosty window pane, decorates the cover.

"The Greatcoat." Jeff reads aloud. He turns the book over and scans the blurb before dropping his eyes down to look for a price. To his surprise, it's in pounds.

"That's a good one."

Jeff turns, still holding it in his hands. Nick's holding out a mug of coffee and Jeff takes it from him, putting the book back on the shelf. The two of them sit on the leather sofa that Jeff had been so comfortable on the day before and suddenly Jeff feels very shy. The shop's almost silent, the sound of Nick gingerly sipping from his mug and the buzz of speech from somewhere in that back room. Jeff glances at Nick, but Nick isn't looking at him, and then down at his mug. The coffee's warmed the ceramic to the point where it almost hurts to hold it, but Jeff likes that, bringing it to his lips to take a tiny sip. It's sweet and creamy and so absolutely perfectly made that Jeff can't help but make a little noise of approval. Nick looks up, catching his eye and smiling.

"This is really good..."

"Thank you." Nick says, sipping from his mug again.

Jeff drinks a little more of his coffee. He's probably imagining it, but he's sure he can feel himself getting more and more awake with each mouthful. They've been sitting together without speaking for almost ten minutes when a phone rings in the back room, startling them both. Nick apologises and stands up, going to answer it, leaving Jeff alone in the shop with his empty coffee mug. He tries not to eavesdrop, taking The Greatcoat off the shelf again and studying it. Jeff takes his time in looking over the other books, but nothing else grabs him, so he takes his choice over to the counter. He leans forward, peering through the curtain a little guiltily. He can see Nick pacing, the phone pressed to his ear. He laughs loudly, just the sound of it making Jeff smile without him meaning to.

Nick hangs up and Jeff jerks back behind the counter hurriedly. Jeff smiles innocently - he hopes - as Nick comes back from behind the curtain, looking down at him.

"I will get this one, I think... seeing as it comes so highly recommended..." He tells Nick, holding The Greatcoat up.

"Very good, Sir. And is there anything else I can get for you today, Sir?" Nick says in a surprisingly good fake English accent as he puts the book in the bag.

"Um... how much is it? It was in pounds on the back..."

Nick grins. "Ten dollars. I got a box of them in from England, we've only got the hardcover copy here and I think it puts people off sometimes... they're lovely to own and have on a shelf but to carry around..." He shrugs.

"I agree!" Jeff says excitedly, digging ten bucks out of his wallet and handing it over. "They're so heavy! Sometimes I buy two copies, one to have on a shelf and one to actually take with me and read!" He takes the bag and pushes it into his rucksack, smiling at Nick.

Nick laughs. "I'm the same. A clean copy and a reading copy." Jeff nods enthusiastically. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jeff. Maybe I'll see you soon?"

Jeff nods even harder. "I'll definitely be back." He pauses. "I mean, you have books and you make good coffee, why wouldn't I? See you around." Jeff waves and heads out of the door.

Jeff's blushing, cursing at himself as he walks. He'd flirted with Nick. He'd flirted with him. He's such an ass. He makes it halfway back to Dalton, lost in his own thoughts before turning around and pelting back to 'A Likely Story'. His rucksack bounces and bumps against his back as he runs until he bursts, breathless, into the shop.

"Lady Chatterley's Lover!" He half yells, gasping, bent over with his hands on his knees. He looks up to see Nick staring at him, wide eyed.

"... What about her?"

"I..." Jeff takes a deep breath, straightening up. "I need a copy... for school..."

"Oh!" Nick laughs as realisation dawns. "You still study that at Dalton then?" Jeff just nods, still panting. "Banned Texts?" Jeff nods again.

"Do you have it?" Jeff asks, finally catching his breath. "I have an assignment to do and I... to be honest I haven't even read it."

Nick shakes his head. "It's such a good book. I think you're really going to love it." He says, stepping out into the shop. "Actually..." He turns and goes back behind the curtain. Jeff watches him in confusion, waiting until he comes back with a battered copy in his hands. "This was my copy when I was in school. Maybe my notes will help you as much as they helped me."

Jeff holds his hands out for the book.

"How much do I -"

"Take it. But bring it back. That was the book that made me want to study English at College."

Jeff takes the book carefully. "Seriously? I can take a new copy if you want me to..."

Nick shakes his head. "Go on. Maybe he'll like a little trip back to his old stomping ground. The book, I mean."

Jeff laughs and puts it into his bag. "Thank you, Nick... I better get back..."

Nick says goodbye, and Jeff leaves the shop and walks slowly back to Dalton. He's really only met Nick twice but already just thinking about him makes his stomach twist pleasantly. It's nice, Jeff thinks, having a friend that's a bit older. It's nice having a friend that he hasn't met at school. Hell, it's nice having a friend that isn't a fictional character. Jeff stops suddenly, the shape of the two books digging into his back a little through his bag. What if Nick isn't his friend? What if Nick doesn't think of him like that? What if he's that friendly to everyone he meets? He starts walking again, even slower than before. He's dawdling, mind going around in circles about Nick. Why does it even matter to him so much what Nick thinks. Surely Nick wouldn't just lend a book to a random person. But then... Jeff had been a random person when Nick lent him that book. He might even still be a random person to Nick. Not that it matters... But it does matter... until he's through the door and back into his own room, putting his bag on his bed and sitting down heavily next to it.

There's a rumble of thunder outside and Jeff looks up just as a flash of lightening lights up his room. It starts to hail, the sound of each tiny, icy little ball bouncing off his window as soothing to Jeff as a cool cloth on a feverish forehead. He's tired all of a sudden, his lack of sleep catching up with him as if the caffeine from his perfect, wonderful coffee with Nick had never even entered his system. Pushing his blazer off and dropping it on the floor along with his bag, Jeff rolls over onto his stomach, buries his face in the pillow and falls asleep almost instantly.

Jeff blinks lazily, slowly rising back up out of a dream. His phone tells him it's six a.m. He slept for twelve hours. Twelve hours of what he knows somehow was full of dreams, even though he doesn't really remember what they were about. Jeff stretches. He sits up. His sheets are tangled around his legs, still in his grey school trousers from the day before. Saturday. It's Saturday morning at six a.m. Jeff's positive he hasn't seen this particular time in several months. Or years. Maybe even a decade. He flicks his bedside light on and shuffles forward to pick up his rucksack and dig out his new books. He doesn't even hesitate, putting Lady Chatterley to one side and settling back against his pillows with The Greatcoat.

Jeff reads until ten, barely moving until the point when if he doesn't pee, he's actually going to wet the bed, and at seventeen years old no one really wants that. But he takes the book with him to the bathroom and only looks away when he absolutely has to, desperate to keep reading. He's back on his bed in no time, sprawled on his front with the book on his pillow, eyes flicking quickly over each word, each line, eating them up as fast as he can without missing the taste of each one. Occasionally Jeff stops to re-read a line or two. Let the syllables settle in his mind, speak them aloud to see what they sound like outside of his mind.

"The huge pregnant Lanc with its belly full of bombs..." Jeff reads slowly, closing his eyes to picture it properly. "The huge pregnant Lanc with its belly full of bombs..." Jeff can see it very clearly in his mind's eye, the plane flying low over some sleepy English field, heading toward the channel and over to France. He smiles slightly, opening his eyes so he can keep reading.

It takes him an hour more to finish the book entirely, closing the back cover and sitting up in silence. He leans back against the pillows again, looking down at the book. He feels unsettled. It didn't scare him, exactly, it wasn't that type of ghost story, the whole thing just... disconcerted him. He pushes his hand through his hair, trying to shake the feeling of unease that's on the edge of engulfing him to the point of making him want to hide in his bed and watch Spy Kids until he feels better. But he needs to shower. He needs to read Lady Chatterley. So he forces himself out of bed and back to the bathroom, pushing his clothes off on the way. The hot water of the shower cheers him up a little, but the spray knocks over a shampoo bottle and the noise startles him. He jumps, slipping slightly and managing to knock over every other bottle in his shower. He sighs, looking down at the shower gel and sugar scrub tubs around his feet before rinsing off the conditioner for a final time and shutting off the water.

After he's picked everything up and put it back around the base of his shower, Jeff dries off and gets dressed in baggy blue jeans and a purple v-neck t-shirt. It's bright out when he opens his curtains, and he looks out across the playing fields and smiles. He wants to see Nick. Wants to go and tell him how much he liked the book and ask if he has any other recommendations. Jeff looks slowly from the sunny day outside to the book sitting on his bedside table, then back out of the window again. Lady Chatterley isn't even that long of a book, he thinks. It's about the same length as the one he just read. He can read it tomorrow. He will read it tomorrow, Jeff decides with a nod. He's out of the door within ten minutes.

Jeff buys himself a sandwich from a deli on the way. He's in the queue, having settled on a cheese, ham, and red onion panini, before deciding that he doesn't want the onion because it might make his breath smell. Nick won't want oniony breath all over him. Jeff shakes his head slightly. Like he's going to be breathing on Nick enough for him to notice what Jeff's breath smells like. Like he's going to be breathing on Nick at all. Jeff pays for his onionless panini and leaves the deli, taking a bite as he walks. What kind of sandwiches does Nick like? Jeff wonders. Maybe he doesn't like sandwiches. He might not. Not everyone does. He might like sweet things in his sandwiches. He might be gluten-intolerant. Jeff takes another bite. He needs to get out of his head. It's why he likes books so much. They distract him.

Jeff finishes his panini and screws the paper bag up, putting it into the bin before crossing the street and heading into Nick's shop. Nick's serving a woman at the till, but he looks up when the door opens and flashes Jeff a smile. Jeff smiles back and starts to walk over to Horror before changing his mind and heading toward the Young Adult books. There's a handful of books on the shelf that he's read; Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, a few Scott Westerfeld books, but there's also a lot he's never even heard of. He's reaching out for one that's caught his eye when he hears Nick bid the woman goodbye. Jeff turns around, smiling at Nick.

"You're back awfully soon. Did you not like the book?" Nick asks, neatening a few pieces of paper on the counter.

"Not like it?" Jeff laughs, "I loved it. I read it this morning! You were right, it is good!"

Jeff stops himself from gushing, walking over to the counter and half leaning on it, face to face with Nick. He's glad he didn't get onions. Nick raises an eyebrow and smiles at him and suddenly Jeff remembers all too clearly what his dreams were about. He can't stop himself from blushing, cheeks heating up as images of Nick on his knees in front of him, his mouth – No. Jeff shakes his head a little, trying to get the incredibly hot but entirely inappropriate pictures out of his mind's eye.

"Coffee?" Nick says, "I was about to have one, I can make you one too, Jeff, if you'd like one." Jeff nods. "I'll be but a moment then. Make yourself comfy!"

Nick disappears off into that back room that Jeff's quickly becoming more and more interested in. Is it just a staff room? He wonders, sitting down on the leather sofa that he's starting to think of as his. Is it a stock room? Does Nick actually live here in the shop? Not in the shop itself, but in the apartment above. Maybe he does. That would be so cool, Jeff thinks, to live above a bookshop. Especially this one, especially Nick's bookshop. It would be so very cool, Jeff thinks, to live with Nick.

Nick comes out with a mug in each hand, a packet of chocolate chip cookies gripped precariously between his teeth. He walks over, hands Jeff one of the mugs and takes the packet of cookies out of his mouth. Jeff looks down at his mug, inhaling the smell of the coffee. The mug's a little chipped, decorated to look like the cover of The Great Gatsby. Jeff smiles.

"Cookie?" Nick offers the packet, smiling as Jeff takes one, before taking one himself and dipping it in his mug. A little melted chocolate smears across Nick's upper lip and Jeff licks his own lips without thinking. He wants to lick it off. He wants to lick chocolate off every part of Nick, if he's honest with himself.

"I... I really like this mug." Jeff says, trying to distract himself, swallowing as the tip of Nick's tongue runs over his lip, wiping away the chocolate, "I've never read the book though..."

"I'll let you into a secret," Nick says, leaning close even though they're the only people in the shop, "neither have I. I just like the cover."

Jeff laughs softly and takes a sip of his coffee. Nick does the same, smiling at him over the rim of his mug. The coffee's as perfect as it was the first time, and Jeff's almost absurdly happy that Nick remembered how he takes it. Nick sets his mug down on the wooden floor and turns to look at Jeff.

"So how're you finding Lady Chatterley?" Nick asks. Jeff must have pulled a face without meaning to because Nick chuckles and reaches for his coffee. "It's not that bad, surely?"

"I haven't... actually... started it yet..." Jeff says slowly, disappointed in himself as Nick jokingly shakes his head. "I'm going to read it tomorrow!"

"Of course you are." Nick laughs, patting Jeff's knee as he stands up, sipping his coffee.

"I am!" Jeff protests. He's not. He's not going to read it tomorrow and they both know it but right now he honestly couldn't care less if he tried because Nick's hand had been warm through his jeans from the mug of coffee and Jeff's silently freaking out because Nick touched him. Nick glances at Jeff, smiling at him.

"I might have to cut you off from your new supply of books if you don't start doing your homework soon!" Nick says sternly, despite the smile playing across his lips.

"Jeez, Mom." Jeff laughs, dropping his head down to hide his blush as Nick laughs too, busying himself with the cup of coffee still clutched in his hands. "It's just... there are so many... better books! Modern books!"

Nick rolls his eyes and finishes his coffee. "Kids these days." He says, "Modern doesn't necessarily mean better, you know. Is Twilight a better love story than Pride and Prejudice?"

"No, but at least it doesn't have as many letters in it..." Jeff mutters into his cup as he drains the last of the coffee from it.

"Oh!" Nick says, spinning around to face Jeff again, "Oh, but the epistolary narrative in Pride and Prejudice is wonderful." He says with such pure enthusiasm that Jeff almost laughs at him. "Don't

you think?" Nick continues, watching Jeff for an answer.

"Um..." Jeff starts, "I don't know... maybe?" He looks down at his coffee cup. "I kinda... didn't really enjoy it that much..."

"Ah, like you're struggling with Lady Chatterley?" Nick asks, holding his hand for Jeff's mug, his fingers brushing Jeff's lightly as he takes it. Jeff shivers.

"Yeah... at least Pride and Prejudice had a good TV show..."

"Mm, one with a rather wet Colin Firth..." Nick says, then freezes.

Jeff gapes at him, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Neither of them say anything for a very, very long minute before Jeff bursts out laughing. It doesn't take long before Nick's laughing too, hard enough that he has to put down the coffee cups so that he doesn't drop them. Jeff's panting in between giggles, desperately trying to calm himself down because he knows that he's red in the face and he has tears running down his cheeks but every time he thinks he's managed it, he remembers the look on Nick's face and starts laughing again.

Eventually they stop laughing, only the occasional quiet giggle escaping as Nick takes the coffee mugs behind the counter and off into the back room. As Jeff's standing up, half intending to ask Nick if he can help wash the mugs up or something, any excuse to see that back room, to spend a little time closer to Nick, a group of girls come into the shop, almost filling it. Jeff recognises a couple of them as girls from Crawford Country Day. For a second, Jeff feels almost violated. This is his place, his place to see Nick and read and talk. But of course it isn't his place, not really. The girls gather in the fiction section, and when Nick comes back, Jeff picks up his bag and goes over to the counter.

"I'm gonna go," Jeff says quietly, "You're about to get pretty busy..."

Nick nods, glancing at the group of girls. "If you're sure? It won't take too long to serve them, you can... wait around and laugh at my choice in men some more if you wanted?"

Jeff blinks in surprise, looking down as his cheeks heat up. "Um... another time." He says, as confident as he can, trying to restrain the grin that threatens to take over his entire face if he isn't careful. "I should go and read Lady Chatterley."

"Yes, yes, you should." Nick laughs, his gaze moving from Jeff to one of the girls as she approaches the counter. "Let me know how you get on with it, won't you?"

Jeff nods and says goodbye. Just as he's reaching the door, someone taps him on the shoulder and he turns back, expecting Nick to be standing there. It's one of the girls, holding a notebook and a pen.

"Excuse me," she asks, somehow causing a ripple of muffled giggles among the rest of the girls still hidden between Horowitz and Rowling, "Could I maybe get your number?"

Jeff doesn't know what to say. He's almost certain he's not interested in her, or in... well, in girls generally. He glances over at Nick, but Nick's busy chatting to the girl at the counter and so Jeff takes the pen and paper and jots his name and number down, even putting a kiss next to it. You never know, he thinks, she's pretty, and at least she's interested in him. Nick's still not looking.

"Thanks!" She says. "I'm Jenny, I'll call you!"

And with that, she hurries back to her friends and Jeff leaves the shop. He walks back slowly. The heat from the sun has faded a little, and although it's not dark yet, it's certainly getting there. With a start, Jeff realises that he'd been at Nick's most of the afternoon. He smiles to himself. He's still smiling when he gets to Dalton. He smiles all the way through his dinner, and even when he's back alone in his room. Because Nick. Nick likes Colin Firth. Nick likes Colin Firth in a wet shirt. Nick. Nick likes men. Old, British men, apparently, but men none the less. Jeff can't stop himself from laughing, just once, as he lies in his bed. Because Nick likes men, and Nick wanted him to stay at the shop longer and Nick likes men. Jeff smiles as he falls asleep.