Chalkdust

title: Chalkdust
chapter: two The Proposition
author: theredtart
listening to: i feel so
chapter summary: eh. no summary sorry. i couldn't think of one.

An: so here it is. i actually wrote more. it took longer than i expected. i'm very dissatisfied with it. i think it took a turn i really didn't want to go. and of course my skills are lacking. that being the biggest reason i don't write anything.

--

"I'm sorry I was so rude to you yesterday."

Steven looked up from his desk. Tom Russel had unexpectedly popped into his room.

"You weren't rude," Steven said as casually as he could.

"But I was. Could I make it up to you," Russel's eyes looked hopeful. He smiled down at the other teacher, "by asking you out to dinner?" Steven felt shocked and he looked shocked for that matter. Well, wasn't that very unexpected. Still.

"No. You can't." Those blue eyes took a dive from hopeful to heartbroken. Honestly, he didn't think Russel would be that tearful over a 'no'. Steven kept talking, his voice even, "You can't make up for something you didn't do."

The eyes were back up to hopeful, but his mouth turned to a straight unfriendly line. "Well even if I wasn't rude." Steven decided Tom Russel was officially persistent, unofficially pushy, and certainly didn't give up easily.

He calculated his options in his head and choice another tactic. He tired putting it off and seeming busy. "Dinner?" Breaking eye contact, he shuffled papers, put something into a draw. Anything to keep his hands occupied, his behavior nonchalant, and his face as reasonable shade of red as he could given the circumstances. "That seems," his voice broke, "terribly date-ish." Steven hoped the crack in his voice was not as terrible as it sounded to him.

If Russel noticed it he gave no response and continued with the conversation. "So it does." Steven could just hear Russel's smile returning to his face. Very very persistent that man. Extremely straight forward too. So this was Tom Russel.

Russel coughed. Steven looked up at the sudden distraction. Something Tom wanted. It meant that Steven's eyes were locked onto his once again. Something Steven didn't want at all.

"That would just prove the students are right," Steven said carefully, trying to shift his eyes downward again. Tom wouldn't let him. His hand caught Steven's chin.

Steven gulped.

"No it wouldn't." Tom told him, his hand never leaving Steven's face. "They said 'Mr. Blake loves Mr. Russel'. Not the other way around." Tom knew he had him and so he did. Steven could only stare blankly. Stooping Tom was suddenly very close and then closer. His mouth just a breath or less away from his.

"Get back to me on the answer, Mr. Blake," whispered Tom. Steven could only gasp and gap, his mouth open as perfectly as a fish. It was all too much a relief when Tom released him, turned, and walked out of his classroom. This time, unknown to both of them, it was Tom who was running away.

--

The answer turned out to be a half-way yes. It hadn't meant to be. It was supposed to be a straight out no. Steven was still unsure how it happened. But, the end result was it had.

A week after the original... incident in the teacher's lounge, Tom came to his classroom once again. Steven was leaving and it was an awkward bump at the door as he tired to walk out and Tom tired to walk in.

"Err, sorry," mumbled Steven and he tired to walk around him.

"It was my fault," Tom apologized, moving to the side. Unfortunately, his choice was the same choice Steven was making. Standing there, chest to chest, neither moved and when they did again it was to the same side.

Steven a bit fed up and more then wanting to go home, rudely pushed him aside. "Excuse me," and sooner then perhaps Tom would have liked their shuffle ended. Tom stood back unsure of what to say, but standing there as if to say something.

Steven knew that, of course he knew that, and so he asked "Did you want something?"

"Yes, of course." Tom seemed thrown off from their encounter at the door. "I was wondering if you thought over my proposition?"

"Propositio--? Oh." His mind drew a blank. Then, "Oh. Oh! Your proposition."

"Will you come out with me? Tonight, maybe." Tom looked less sure of himself then the time before. Secretly, Steven felt relieved.

He thought of what to say. He had to sound stern. Manly, even, like he couldn't be pushed around. Something that said "No, I am not going out to dinner with you and I mean it." Something that wasn't what he unfortunately said. A high, almost shaking, "Um, not tonight?"

Not missing a beat, Tom's confidence had a comeback and he gave Steven a smile. "How is tomorrow night for you?"

"I couldn't."

All too quickly, Tom could see where this was headed. "You can't or you won't?"

Steven's face flushed. "Both."

"Ah. So the truth comes out. I won't bother you anymore, Mr. Blake." He moved to leave.

"Tom, wait." Steven felt he couldn't let him walk away again. "Tomorrow. The reason why I can't tomorrow is, well, it's the day I grade my weekly essays."

Tom's back was to him, but he was listening. "Uh huh."

"And I always stay after to do them. It takes all evening and I usually end up ordering take away. Do you, I mean, would you want to join me instead of going out? If you don't mind too much?"

Never turning around Tom grinned. When he finally did, his face was reflected the casual aloof of a teenage getting asked out by the boy of her dreams. "I think," his voice rather thick, "that sounds like an wonderful idea. I'll bring papers and Chinese."

"Yeah?" Steven tried not to sound too enthusiastic. In all honesty, he didn't feel like he should be enthusiastic. After all, not five minutes ago he was trying to get out of this date. No. No, this felt better then the date did. This was something he could handle. This he wanted. He gave Tom his own grin.

"Yeah," Tom smiled back.

Together, neither speaking and neither wanting to, they walked out of the building. Steven gaving a little wave as they parted in the parking lot.

--

An: i would just like to thank my five lovely reviewers and the two hundred and ten or so of you that have read my story (i'm pretty sure at least fifty of those were me rereading it). i would especially like to thank cheddar. you made me really really not want to make another chapter of this. simply to prove a point. the point being that even one chapter of an unfinished story is still something in a writer's eyes. now i feel like i have failed as a creative writer by continuing. i know that sounds stupid. i apologize. i'm just sad like that. review i guess.