TEXTBOOK LOVE

you're dreaming or at least you've got your eyes closed

As these waves crash against these highway cliffs, I'm so scared they'll flood me where I sit...

TAG: ELI TATE PERRISH. WORDS: 619. NOTES: NONE

Another day, another two hours wasted on what could be known as the most boring faculty meeting in all of time and space. Not only were there no refreshments, but the principal decided that it was time to begin preaching about some mind-numbing topic. To be perfectly honest, Caspian had stopped listening about ten minutes in. It was nothing more than useless, considering it seemed like everyone besides the principle was either zoning out, playing some shitty game on their phone, or whispering quietly to the person next to them. Oh, just kidding, someone else was also asleep, their face buried in their arms to the point where someone should really check and see if he was still alive. It's funny how these people always got on the students for not paying attention and yet here they were, demonstrating the same lack of concentration they reprimanded the teenagers for. Being an art teacher, Caspian was obviously better at understanding the student's emotional needs and craving for freedom of expression. 

He sat there examining the other teachers one by one, taking in the way they sat and the manner in which they held themselves. He almost had the urge to draw a parody painting of the last supper, just switching out the apostles and Jesus for the teachers and the principal. This was the only activity keeping him from leaping out of his seat and bolting out the door like a madman. Being a teacher since only the beginning of the semester (there was some sort of weird happenings with the last guy), he wasn't entirely interested in school news, unless the district was attempting to cut Art Class out for some BS reason like funding. Glancing over every individual, his boredom almost got the best of him until his gaze fell upon a certain fellow across the table and down a bit. He wasn't entirely sure what subject he taught, but he knew it wasn't one of the electives because he definitely would have noticed him in the hallway. The man was smaller than him (but let's face it, that wasn't entirely uncommon), and wore not exactly delicate features, but traceable, well designed lines perfect for drawing. Adjusting his seat, he rested his head in his hand so his vision encompassed the rather pleasing looking figure, yet he still could feign interest in whatever Mr. I-Don't-Get-Enough-Attention-So-I-Force-My-Employees-To-Listen-To-My-Ramblings was saying.

Now this man could have been his own painting if Caspian had the time to sit down and study him for a few hours. Normally, Caspian would keep his staring to a minimum, but this guy's features and what he could see of his body were pretty mesmerizing, to sound rather flamboyant, but that's the artist norm, right? He had to shake his head a little to break the trance. He had already subconsciously begun tracing the man's features onto the table with his fingertip, and was wishing he had his actual sketchpad with him. Caspian is one of those people that doesn't find drawing people to be creepy. What else were you suppose to do as an artist who appreciates the aesthetic of the human body? If he had the confidence, he would have asked more people to model for him so that he didn't have to draw them unaware.

'Holy shit, he caught me. Look away, look away!' . Turns out that the other man had noticed Caspian's eyes on him, and it looked like he was rather frightened. Cursing himself, he looked away, but couldn't help meeting his eyes again, noticing how innocent and round they were before tearing away again. This was going to be a problem during every for-seeable meeting, he could tell.

ⒶⓀⒾ

hold my little hand, baby

It's a shame i know, thinking of how it could go
textbook love, when i was on my way to redemption

This was not the first time he had been in this room. In fact, he had been seated - right in this very same spot - every single faculty meeting since he had first arrived at this school. He could remember the day quite clearly; the long plastic white tables stretching across the not-so-spacious room. The then brand new math teacher placed himself about three chairs to the left of the head of the table. Of course, he could have easily put himself right next to it, or even at it, because he had arrived about fifteen minutes early. Since then, he had always sat there, same time, same place. Which was about two years ago. Ordinarily, Mr. Perrish prided himself on his ability to make time for things that were a priority. He was able to convince his attention to remain focused, even if it had to focus on something incredibly boring, and give special attention to relatively plain and drawling things. Today had been slightly different. Perhaps there wasn't anything specific, but the way his emotions had been swirling around inside of him were definitely more powerful than the droning voice of the freshman English teacher. This was not the first time he had been in this room, but, this was the first time that he noticed that the walls were not perfectly white.

His attention lingered on that. They were too light to be cream, but much too tinged to be pure white, as he had originally seen them to be. He then started thinking about how strange it was that you could go two years of your life always believing that you had four very white walls around you; then one day you wake up and they're eggshell. Ordinarily, he sat almost perfectly erect. He would be an active participant that the rest of the staff looked forward to hearing from. Instead, he was half slumped - trying to remind himself that it wasn't very polite to rest his head on the table - while he merely heard what was happening around him. He had long since missed what they were talking about, and certainly wouldn't keep up with the rapid change of subjects throughout a conversation. He glanced up at the head of the table, where the principal was now waving his arms to emphasize his point. Eli felt a little guilty, suddenly aware that no one was really offering their support by, er, paying attention. Maybe it was just an off day. Yeah, he clung to that. Then, his gaze moved to the clock. Had it changed at all since he first sat down? Mrs. Sheinson leaned in next to him to whisper in his ear, startling him from his thoughts. But, he didn't really hear what she said. She looked at him expectantly, and he just offered a weak smile. 

He would have looked back at her to see her face falling in disappointment - a lack of reaction wasn't the best outcome at a time like this, but suddenly, something moved in his peripheral vision. It pried his spacey attention away from his coworker (and even further from the meeting subjects.) Brown eyes flickered towards his left and then flickered back immediately. That new art teacher was there. The hair on the back of his neck started to twinge. Was he staring at Eli? Or was it just his paranoid imagination? 'Don't be so self-centered, you need to pay attention to the meeting.' Right, the meeting. His eyes flickered back, and his breathing hitched. What was his name? Eli wanted to curse himself for being so shy - why was he noticing him now? He bit his lip, because the eyes looking back at him were very blue, and very mesmerizing. Eli shifted in his seat, crossing and uncrossing his legs. He leaned forward a little more, twisting his head away to better convince his eyes to stay away from the man on the other side of the table. 

Eli moved like that for the rest of the meeting, using this physical distraction to throw his attention back where it should be. He might have pulled out some lesson plans to review again, his hand writing crisp and precise despite multitasking. His calmness was beginning to fade, and anxiety began to tremble where his heart should be. What was his name? Mr. Pine? Mr. Peach? Capricorn Pine? 'No,' he mentally shook his head, 'It was something silly like those, but not quite that ridiculous.' Now Eli's attention was on track, but divided between the meeting and this new teacher. He was shy, yes, but he felt like there was something else holding him back from just going up and talking to him. There was something different here, and for reasons Eli himself did not yet know, he was nervous. Maybe it was because he felt like he already introduced himself, and he told himself that it was very rude to have to reintroduce yourself. But, the question that had to be asked was - did he really already meet this man? 

These were the thoughts that spread through his mind for the rest of the meeting, as he continued adjust his position in the seat. His restless was just about overwhelming by the time the meeting closed, and Eli found himself gathering his papers and things up with jittery energy. He spent a little more time than he had liked doing so, needing them to be perfectly aligned before resting them in the crook of his arm. As he walked through the doorframe, he shifted through them, his attention now focused only on them. Occasionally, his eyes would flicker up to make sure there were no obstacles in his path. As he skimmed through the stacks, he let out a sharp exhale of frustration. 'I forgot my lesson plans,' he murmured out loud. Pivoting back on his heels to inverse his direction of travel. Although the missing papers were obvious, he continued to skim, cursing at himself for letting that mistake happen. He didn't like himself when he was this distracted. 'Today just hasn't been a good day,' he had barely completed the thought when he was suddenly colliding with something else. Feeling gravity take affect, his body fell forwards while his papers spiraled down around him. His hands were outstretched instinctively, and his legs slipped and sliding as they scrabbled around to remain balanced. 

But there was nothing that could be done; he was falling. The seconds seemed to expand into years in the moment, and it happened in slow motion. He looked up to see what he had collided with, and his breath left his body before he slammed against the ground. 'It's you!' he shrieked, unable to stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. He let out an involuntary grunt as he hit the tile. A numbness spread over his body, and the slow motion effect disappeared entirely. He blushed, feeling very rude. He scrabbled up to his hands and knees, bending and stretching to collect the scattered materials. He looked up apologetically, but only as many times as he could afford to. 'I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't p-paying any attention t-to where I w-was going, and I had to t-turn around because I left my lesson p-pl-plans in the staff room,' for someone who used to be a mute, he was rambling quite a lot, 'I'm sorry.' He repeated the apology a second time, pausing, but only for a moment. 'I'm also sorry, because I k-know I've seen you before. B-but I don't think I've ever p-properly introduced myself,' he held out a shaking hand, 'I'm Eli P-Perrish, I teach a c-couple of different math subjects h-here. M-mostly senior classes, but also some junior.'

Everything was back in his hands now, but instead of standing up completely, he rocked back on his legs before flopping into a criss-crossed sitting postion. He placed all the papers in front of him, smoothing them out and reorganizing them meticulously. He used this as an excuse to avoid eye contact. Suddenly, his eyes widened in the beginnings of panic, 'Y-you aren't hurt, are you? Oh, j-jeeze, I'm so sorry. I know I've said that a bunch, but I really am. I m-mean, this is definitely not how I w-would have wanted to welcome y-you to the school.' He risked looking up at the other teacher, and offered a warmly concerned smile.

CASPIAN LUTHER PRINCE , 1404 , sorry it's pretty ramble filled, pls don't laugh at any typos lmao. but srs these fehkin nerds

you're dreaming or at least you've got your eyes closed

As these waves crash against these highway cliffs, I'm so scared they'll flood me where I sit...

TAG: ELI TATE PERRISH. WORDS: 586. NOTES: hopefully my posts will get longer with time...

Suddenly the meeting was over and people were filing out of the room. Caspian pushed away from the table, pausing for a moment, and glancing back at the other man for about the hundredth time. Part of him wanted to approach him, maybe even introduce himself and offer to buy him coffee some time, but he seemed to be busy with the papers in front of him. Sighing, he waited until most of the others flooded out before following, his mind now wandering to what needed to be done before his next class. Mentally sorting through the clay projects that needed to be taken out of the kiln and coated with finish, he didn't notice when he rammed into someone, sending their papers flying out over the tile. And, of course, because his feet had already made it known they were revolting against him being upright and dignified, they slipped out from under him, and he landed with a thud. Of course, he had to knock down the other person too, who had already begun to gather the papers frantically.

He hadn't really noticed who it was until he was being shrieked at. The smaller man who had captured his attention at the meeting scrabbled to collect his things, speaking quickly, making Caspian wonder how he had the energy and lung capacity to do that. Righting himself, he would have helped if everything hadn't been scooped up already, leaving him to turn his attention back to his fellow teacher, which he instantly regretted. Despite looking like he light explode at any second, his face was flushed and Caspian couldn't help but admire the way it complemented his skin tone. Shaking his head a little, he stepped forward to clasp Eli's hand and smile. Don't worry about it too much, man, there's no need to apologize. I'm Caspian Prince, the brand-spanking new art teacher . His smile widened, hoping that friendliness would help calm down the twitchy math teacher. Watching him sit on the floor and neaten out his papers, he looked around, wondering if he should just walk away or stay behind and keep Mr. Perrish company while he sorted things.

The decision was made for him when the man on the floor started apologizing again. Kneeling down so he could place a hand on his shoulder, he gives him another warm smile. I'm perfectly okay. Trust me, with these useless legs, I've taken much worse falls than that. I'm pretty sure I've grown extra thick bones to withstand all the beatings they've gotten He laughs a little at himself, hoping to further relieve some of the tension. Realizing that his hand should have moved a while ago, he quickly withdraws it, hurriedly standing up again and subconsciously brushing himself off. Hey, if you would like, I could walk with you to go get your lesson plans if you still need them? If not that's cool too.... Now it was his turn to flush and look away.

He hadn't really made too many acquaintances, and was kind of getting sick of only interacting with students. His heart was almost jumping out of his chest at the thought of getting to spend time with the rather handsome math teacher. Romance wasn't something he was proficient at, so Caspian would probably just settle for friendship, despite the fact that he was already feeling some sort of twinge of connection to him. He cursed himself for the speed at which he attached to people, this probably being one of the quickest he had experienced.

ⒶⓀⒾ

[/quote]

hold my little hand, baby

It's a shame i know, thinking of how it could go
textbook love, when i was on my way to redemption

When one of Eli's routines were shaken early in the day, that was when the whole thing usually ended up unraveling into this off-putting, grey tinged, mess. It disturbed his inner peace, tying knots in his stomach. But the strangest thing was, which part of his routine had been disrupted? During the meeting, he had mentally retraced his steps all the way up to opening his eyes for the first time. It was odd, but with the way he was feeling, a broken routine just had to be the cause of it all. It had been a cold morning - maybe he just needed to wake up again. As he thought about it, he realized that there were tiny weights clipped underneath his eyes. With every blink, they grew heavier, pulling down dark circles and adding something sluggish to the way he moved. He shook his head; maybe that could throw them off. (It merely scattered them.) So, the meeting dragged on, and Eli was certain that the flourescent lights were sucking the vibrance and color out of everything. Once he was out of the room, his thoughts began to spread out and evaporate into the recently-realized cream walls. 

He had been the one to knock into the other teacher, so he apologized. But, he had remained balanced on his part. Yet, there he was, on the floor. His own legs had been swept under him by the other teacher, he knew this. But he wasn't going to dwell on it. Just because the other man wobbled, it wasn't his fault. In fact, he wouldn't even be wobbling if it hadn't been for Eli's own failed attention. So he just let the apologies fall out. Even if they were drowning him, Eli had no way of stopping them. But then he spoke, and Eli realized with a sudden jolt that he was hearing this man's voice for the first time. 'Don't worry about it too much, man, there's no need to apologize.' That's what most people would say to someone who needed to apologize. This wasn't the first time Eli had heard this been said to him though, so he let him continue uninterrupted as the handshake locked into place. Eli couldn't help but admire the artist's hands as he went on, 'I'm Caspian Prince,' 'Of course!' He thoguht, 'I knew I was on the right track.' '...the brand-spanking new art teacher.' Eli's nervous grin twisted into a beaming smile, but just for a moment. Although the happiness was genuine, he pushed it away. Subconsciously, he was ensuring that he continued to feel out of place and unwelcome. A horrible combination of self abuse and a defense mechanism. 

Eli nodded down at his papers, letting go of Mr. Prince's hand rather quickly before getting back to work. 'P-pleasure to officially meet you.' He looked up with just enough time to see the grin on his face, causing Eli's heart to bump against his rib cage. Eli felt a combination of things he had never felt before in Caspian's presence: anxiety, curiosity, and although he was in the presence of a complete stranger, Eli felt soothed by his company. 'Hopefully that c-could explain why we've never really talked much. With y-you being an art teacher, I n-never really go by th-that section of campus.' Through his perripheral vision, Eli caught a glimpse of Caspian looking around, as if trying to make a decision. For a terrifying moment, Eli was concerned that the newcomer would just leave him. After the, hopefully final, wave of apologies washed over them, Caspian settled and responded. Relief flooded through him, although he wasn't sure why he was so attached to this man. Ordinarily, he would be happier without him hovering over him. However, when the hand was placed on his shoulder, Eli stopped moving entirely, his breathing catching in his throat. 'I'm perfectly okay. Trust me, with these useless legs, I've taken much worse falls than that. I'm pretty sure I've grown extra thick bones to withstand all the beatings they've gotten.' A little strain of laughter on Caspian's part, but Eli was trying not to tremble. The hand was startling, and being touched was causing his brain to send up way too many red flags and alarms. 

He cursed at himself, and for a moment he wondered if he would actually start crying. It was just a hand, just a hand. There was warmth settling between his shoulder and Caspian's palm, and as he saw the smile Eli instinctively mirrored it, but he was focusing on trying to remain unreadable. So many - too many - things rattled through his brain. He wanted to ask Caspian when was the last time he washed his hands, but he didn't. Before things got too much more intense though, Caspian took it away. It lasted only a moment, and Eli wondered how on earth he could possibly be missing the contact. He genuinely hated himself sometimes. But he blinked, allowing his words to sink in. He smiled for real this time. His eyes followed Caspian upwards as he stood, so he was now looking up at him. 'Hey, if you would like, I could walk with you to go get your lesson plans if you still need them? If not that's cool too.' Eli's eyes widened again, and he looked away before he could read the other teacher's body language. His cheeks were flushing again, but the grin was prominent. He neatened the last of the papers before tucking them safely in the crook of his arm, standing up so he could meet the other man's gaze. 'Oh! Uhm, I-I think that would be really nice, th-thank you, Caspian.'

He led the way back to the meeting room, slowing down his natural pace so it didn't seem like he was trying to get away from his company. Wanting to keep the other man talking, Eli groped around his brain to pull out any conversation starter he could think of. 'S-so where did you come from? Er, I mean, is this your first year t-teaching in general, or j-just at this school?' He kept talking as best as he could, but the distance they had to go wasn't very far at all. It felt like it was way too soon to be holding the plans back in his hand, so he looked up at the other man. 'D-do you wanna, maybe, come back to my classroom so I can drop these off? M-maybe then you could show me your room, too?' 

CASPIAN LUTHER PRINCE , 1089 , eh don't worry about it bruh ur doin great. oh god i rushed this p hard core bc of course waited last minute before work lmao

you're dreaming or at least you've got your eyes closed

As these waves crash against these highway cliffs, I'm so scared they'll flood me where I sit...

TAG: ELI TATE PERRISH. WORDS: 645. NOTES: this meeting is after school right?

He was glad that he took his hand away at the moment he did, it seemed like Mr. Perrish didn't enjoy being touched, and Caspian cursed himself silently, wishing he wasn't so comfortable that he wouldn't even think of keeping his hands to himself. To be fair, it was a lot better than what he was imagining. For some reason, the tall, clumsy art teacher could see himself kissing this small, neat math teacher everywhere he could reach. Thoughts like this were probably the reason he was normally too nervous to actually converse with the people he found attractive and the possibility, however slight, that he might one day act on them. He realized that Eli was actually continuing a conversation, and he directed his attention to the one in reality instead of the one falling for him in his imagination, he could save that for later when he was painting or ... something. God, he was easily distracted. Yeah, I try to avoid that part of campus, I don't want to be sucked into one of the math classes by accident Caspian screwed up his face in an attempt to be humorous. Math is iiiiicky . His eyes lit up a bit, more in hopes that the other man would find it funny than thinking that he would actually laugh or react in some other desirable way.

His heart had to restart for about the third time that day when he received another smile from his fellow teacher. Earning more time with him sparked a new energy to flit down his spine, guiding him into a better posture, looking more confident and professional than he normally did because, let's face it, Caspian looked pretty raggedy at least ninety-two percent of the time. And now Eli was standing up, so he could run his eyes down and back up, taking in his curvy little hips and well-developed arms, hopefully without being noticed, it would be rather embarrassing, and a new record, for the lanky man to scare someone off by just the way he was looking at them.

Following him to his room helped him gather his thoughts. The questions he asked were easy enough to ask and didn't really require too much thought, so he could analyze the other man's body structure without tripping over his own words, like his companion did in a very endearing way. Well, this is my first semester teaching really. I just got my certification about three months ago, but wow, you probably don't really care about that. What about you? How long have you been teaching? Trying to be a gentleman, he made sure to open the door and lead Eli through each time, wishing the meeting room was farther away so they didn't have to part ways so soon. Then Mr. Perrish offered for them to join each other to their respective rooms, and he smiled broadly, more than likely looking like an idiot. That would be great! I mean, if you think you can put up with me any longer. I can be a little overbearing if you haven't noticed yet.

He was joking when he said it, but the moment the words left his mouth, he realized how much he wanted to hear that the math teacher actually wanted his company and wasn't just saying it to be polite. Once they started moving again, he began speaking again, underhandedly complimenting his coworker while he spoke. You know, now that I think about it, I think I have heard of you. I've overheard many conversations concerning you during my classes. It seems as though a lot, and I mean a lot, of students appreciate your appearance. Caspian definitely edited what he heard, considering most of it was not rated PG-13. He didn't want to make him too uncomfortable.

ⒶⓀⒾ

hold my little hand, baby

It's a shame i know, thinking of how it could go
textbook love, when i was on my way to redemption

Although Eli seemed to only watch Caspian from his peripheral vision, he was still absorbing and analyzing as much information about the artist. The fact that he was so tall, with so much extra limb it seemed that Caspian himself had no idea what to do with, caused admiration to spark through him. Admiration? Maybe that wasn't the right word, because, although it was warm and fond, it didn't seem to fit the sensation in the pit of Eli's stomach. Words fell from his lips - speaking of lips, they felt dry? Were they too dry? Were they chapped and cracked, whitened and repulsive? Hyper conscious, he bit them a little, attempts to subtly bring moisture to them. Shaking his head, he tried to jump through the window of his original train of thought. He had lip balm in the drawer of his desk he could retrieve once he got back. Throughout all of these thoughts, Eli had been babbling. HE wasn't sure if he could even hear himself at this point. He must have stopped speaking long enough for Caspian to reply, however, because his voice was leaving his lips. 'Yeah, I try to avoid that part of campus, I don't want to be sucked into one of the math classes by accident.'

Eli looked up at him with just enough time to watch his face screw up, emphasizing his following words, 'Math is iiiiicky.' Eli's eyes sparkled, and although the gesture was juvenillie, he was thankful for it. Otherwise, he might have gotten as uppity as he usually did when his passion was bashed. Holding up one finger and fixing him with a "stern" stare, he began to retaliate. 'Math c-certainly isn't icky, if you gave it half the ch-chance it deserved, you'd find that it's actually very remarkable. Seriously, Caspian, there's a whole Wikipedia dedicated to it. It's actually called, "Math Isn't Icky Wiki." Believe it or not, but-' he cut himself off, frowning for a moment before looking up at him sheepishly, 'Nevermind. Sorry, I-I was trying to play along but I know that if I started going off n-now I wouldn't be able to stop.' He shrugged and inadvertently started walking faster, this time with the slightest of bounces in his step. The conversation still lingered in the comfortable silence surrounding them, and Eli bit his lip. Surprisingly cheekily he added very quickly, 'But-most-of-the-other-teacher's-on-that-side-are pretty-boring,' he giggled but then suddenly widened his eyes. 'Sorry! That was rude, I don't really feel that way. I'm just kidding.'

Now that they were moving out of the meeting room with a plan formed, Eli was finding it easier to relax. Although they were really just meeting for the first time, Eli was put at ease with this man. His stutter was already beginning to clear up - usually it took at least a day for that to dwindle down. Caspian answered his questions smoothly, and Eli focused rather intently on his words. 'Well, this is my first semester teaching really. I just got my certification about three months ago, but wow, you probably don't really care about that. What about you? How long have you been teaching?' Another giggle responded to Caspian's little side comment, 'Of c-course I care! I really like hearing as m-much details as people can offer, it's a nice way to get to know them. E-especially when I don't always know the right questions to ask.' He took a deeper breath, rounding the corner and walking down the familiar halls. 'Uhm, I've been at this s-school for about two years. I've been interested in teaching since middle school, and it felt really comfortable pursuing it. I stopped for few months because my-,' his breath caught in his throat, refusing to allow him to finish the thought. Sure he had been warming up to Caspian a lot faster than he usually did, but he was not about to reveal that part of his life yet. 'J-just, had second thoughts.' He filled in the gap awkwardly, and knew that it was a haggard attempt. 

So he moved on rapidly, 'But I'm here now. It's a good place to be.' Relief flooded through him as he saw the door to his room approaching. 'I can be a little overbearing if you haven't noticed yet.' Eli stopped in his tracks, taken aback. Was he still joking? Looking at him with narrowed eyes, Eli said in a tone that was very serious in contrast to the way they had been talking, 'You're not overbearing, Caspian. Uhm, I don't know if it's weird to say this, but I'm going to. I don't normally-I uhm, have a hard time talking to other people, usually. But uhm, it's been really different with you? I don't know, I d-don't want to make this weird, so just-you're not overbearing. Or, if someone has said that to you, know that I don't think so.' He cleared his throat, fumbling for his keys before unlocking the door and gesturing for Caspian to enter first. Inside, many posters covered the egg-shell white walls. They weren't' tacky motivational posters that covered other teacher's walls. They didn't have cheesy poems or puns. They were organized and visually appealing, neat and orderly. There were posters of his favorite plants, stylized with a designer's help. Some of them were posters of his favorite books, movies. The room was not cluttered. Every desk was straightened into very neat rows. In the corner, several plants enveloped the area. They were the most vibrant source of color in the room. Gifts that his students had given him were there, hung up in noticeable places with adoration. 

Despite the room being spotless, it was very welcoming and peaceful. He looked around, thinking that it felt this way only for him. 'Well, here it is. J-just feel free to let me know whenever you wanna go back to your room.' He said as he placed the papers in his hand in their designated areas. He rummaged through his desk drawers for a moment, pleased to find lip balm was still in the last place he left it. He ducked his head away, feeling exposed to even put lip balm on in front of the other man. But he looked up when he spoke, 'You know, now that I think about it, I think I have heard of you. I've overheard many conversations concerning you during my classes. It seems as though a lot, and I mean a lot, of students appreciate your appearance.' And then he was blushing, yet again. He blinked, understanding what Caspian meant, but his immediate reaction was to push it away. Anything like that didn't really exist. He cleared his throat, trying to will the heat in his cheeks to fade, 'O-oh? Well, I do try to p-put in an appearance every time I'm required to. P-perfect attendance and all that,' he twiddled his thumbs, unable to stop wiggling. He wanted to keep talking to him, and he threw the first thing that came to mind out into the air, 'S-so, what area of art do you specialize in? D-do you paint?' It was awkward, and it burned, but he was glad Caspian was here nonetheless. 

CASPIAN LUTHER PRINCE , 1209 , DORKS

you're dreaming or at least you've got your eyes closed

As these waves crash against these highway cliffs, I'm so scared they'll flood me where I sit...

TAG: ELI TATE PERRISH. WORDS: 938. NOTES: Elaspian needs to stop being dorks

In perfect honesty, biting his lip should not have been as attractive as he made it. Caspian's eyes went a little wide as Eli looked up at him with his round lip captured between his slightly uneven teeth, and pink dusted over his cheeks. His eyes took in every detail and stored it away to draw or maybe even paint later. Already categorizing the colors he would need, he glanced the math teacher over again, taking in more details with every sweep. Eli's mouth opened again, Caspian's attention focusing again on the words spilling out.

The sheepish look on Eli's face warmed Caspian's chest, he was so talkative, and even though the taller man knew he was playing along with the joke, he could tell he was really passionate about his subject. It was almost like they paralleled each other with the way they felt about their respective areas of expertise. Caspian probably would have reacted the same way if anyone even jokingly poked fun at art in any way. A laugh bubbled out of his chest in response. Don't feel bad, I don't mind listening to you ramble, actually, I like hearing you speak, yknow, for a boring old math teacher. A smirk played on his lips, which quickly turned into an exaggerated gasp of shock at his hurried comment about his side of the campus. Excuse me sir, but you obviously don't know me very well. I'm the exact opposite of boring. Yeah, there are some pretty bland people in my department, but I'm anything but vanilla. Wiggling his eyebrows, his smile returned along with his laugh.

He walked along, avidly listening as the other man spoke, the corners of his mouth turning up a little more when he expresses the same interest in him that he felt for this beautiful person. Walking and swinging his long arms, noticing the pause in his otherwise flowing words, and the awkward recovery. It made him wonder what he didn't feel like he could say in front of him. That was one of the many frustrating things about just getting to know someone, Caspian was the type of person that wanted to know every facet of someone's life if he cared enough, and waiting for the other person to feel comfortable was almost torture. Especially with this person, the gangly artist felt as though he could some day get to a point that all there was to discover about him would be things that developed when they were together. And this was one of the reasons he was glad he had the chance to just listen to Eli. If he said any of this out loud, he would more than likely scare him off.

Then the words piling around his mind cleared when Eli looked at him in the way he did and said the things he said. If it weren't for years of practice with holding himself back, and noticing earlier the way the other man reacted to touch, Caspian would have hugged him tight to his chest. He even imagined the way it would feel to fold around him. Instead, he looked back at him for a moment, his smile softer now, before looking away. I feel really comfortable around you too, Eli. He didn't really trust himself to verbally express his gratitude, so he directed his gaze back into the other man's, blinking affectionately and hoping that was enough.

They entered his room. Glancing around, Caspian's head bobbed approvingly, enjoying the tidiness and overall comfort of it. There was almost a feeling of forced ease like purposefully trying to look comfortable in someone else's house. He gravitated toward the plants, delicately tracing the petals and leaves with his fingers, his smile falling into a frown of thought, again, his mind mixing paints in his brain to create the colors in front of him, going as far to take out his phone and snapping a quick picture of the display. Shoving the device back in his pocket, he turned to catch Mr. Perrish applying chap stick in a way that made him feel like he was invading his privacy.

Laughing when the meaning behind his words completely misses it's mark, he continues walking around the room, appreciating the decorations. I don't know if you can say I really specialize in anything, I just kind of dabble in anything that's introduced to me. But I guess I do draw and paint the most. Once you're done here, I'll show you some of my pieces back at my room, if that sounds okay? For some reason, he automatically felt self conscious about his art. Running a hand through his hair, he tries to remember exactly what he had up this month. He tried to change everything out at least once a month, mixing his own art with the student's even though he didn't have many of theirs yet. The students were just beginning to warm up to him, and not many had volunteered their work despite his open invitation. Mr. Prince was a firm believer that having one's work put up helped the artist gain confidence. It was one of the many ways his parents had supported his career of choice, even when he was little. Hell, they probably even had some up at their house now.

Turning back, yet again to the math teacher, he spoke almost timidly. I don't know if you really need it, but would you like some help with anything? I kind of feel bad for just standing in the middle of your room.

ⒶⓀⒾ

hold my little hand, baby

It's a shame i know, thinking of how it could go
textbook love, when i was on my way to redemption

The smirk characterized Caspian's words, but Eli found himself agreeing with them. 'Boring old math teacher,' Eli couldn't help but let the thought clang around his head for a few moments. It was true, right? But that was okay, because Caspian liked him anyways. Eli nodded, more so to himself rather than anything else. He shuffled his feet and continued to walk alongside Caspian, feeling a gentle shade of blush warm the top of his cheeks. 'Excuse me, sir, but you obviously don't know me very well. I'm the exact opposite of boring. Yeah, there are some pretty bland people in my department, but I'm anything but vanilla.' Eli smiled up at him once again, his eyes narrowing cheekily, 'W-wait, you're telling me that I don't know someone who I j-just started talking to not thirty minutes ago? I am shocked, appalled, but most of all d-disgusted and outraged right now!' A little giggle that spluttered out of his mouth completely erased any suggestion of seriousness behind his words. 'I don't know. V-vanilla is nice. I never really thought it very bland. And I mean. if we're talking in a l-literal sense, you seem p-pretty pale to me.' He gestured to Caspian's skin with his hands. He wasn't very colored himself, but he certainly looked a lot darker next to Caspian. He bounced alongside the taller man, and whenever they paused to stop walking, Eli found himself wiggling. It was just a habit he had worked himself into, a way for his emotions to demand to be expressed rather than repressed. 

Somewhere, in the back of Eli's mind, he was noticing the way Caspian walked. And not for any particular reason. But the way his limbs swung from side to side, taking up as much space as they could handle. The goofy grin plastered on his face - it made him start to wonder what he was like when he was angry. Did the smile remain? Did it twist and turn in distortion? Was he the type of person who would yell and scream, let his anger escape out of him with lava and suffocating ash? Or, was he silent? And then, what about all the other emotions? Sadness? Did he cry? Did the smile just fade into the rest of his features until you didn't believe he even knew how to smile? They were odd things to think, perhaps, but it was interesting to Eli. He only knew one side of Caspian so far. The outermost layer. And Caspian only knew the stuttering, nervous, but wiggly side of Eli. Instead of wondering, 'I wonder if I'll ever get to know all of his other sides,' Eli found himself - for some reason - thinking out loud, 'I can't wait to get to know all of you.' It was whispered, and stutter-less, but the moment he realized he spoke out loud, his face flushed vibrantly once again. He hoped, prayed, that Caspian hadn't heard it. He ducked his head, silently wishing he could get a hold of himself and just...express the way he felt. What was wrong with being interested in a new person? He shook his head, trying to refocus on the present. 

After Eli expressed his feelings more passionately, Caspian warmed him with a gentle smile. But, the artist looked away as he spoke, 'I feel really comfortable around you too, Eli.' Eli stopped, fidgeting internally before slowly - shakily - reaching out a hand and resting it on Caspian's shoulder. It was a little awkward, as Eli wasn't used to expressing himself physically. But he willed it to remain there, letting it warm up. He even squeezed it gently before removing it and introducing Caspian to his room. As Eli bumbled around his desk, applying the chapstick, he watched Caspian. His heart flickered. Was he comfortable? Twisting his lips in thought, he rummaged through some of his drawers. After a moment, Eli popped back up holding a bag. Grinning he placed it on the desk and started, 'Help yourself to some c-candy, by the way. I usually eat pretty healthy, so the st-students don't really know I h-have this.  But I really like sweet things from time to time. I d-don't - hmm, yeah, I don't think I c-can offer you any ch-chocolate, I hope thats okay? I just don't really like it all that much, I do have butterscotch in here though. And c-caramel. A h-heck of a lot of mints too.' He beamed up at Caspian, holding the bag out to him, hoping it would help put him at ease. 'I don't really know what my favorite is, to be honest. I find that I usually like the hard c-candies more than the softer ones. And m-mint just leaves such a nice, c-clean, after taste.' He shrugged, hoping Caspian would respond with his own favorites and opinions. You could tell a lot about a person with their favorite candies. Eli smiled to himself. He had just given Caspian a lot of details about himself. Normally, that would have taken ages to happen. 

He quieted down enough so Caspian could respond to his original question. 'I don't know if you can say I really specialize in anything, I just kind of dabble in anything that's introduced to me. But I guess I do draw and paint the most. Once you're done here, I'll show you some of my pieces back at my room, if that sounds okay?' Eli beamed, and nodded enthusiastically. 'O-of course it does! I really l-like it when artists show m-me their work. I'm u-usually always impressed. As y-you can see here, I e-encourage the artists in my c-class to doodle,' he gestured to the little bits of art the students had gifted him with, hung neatly on the wall behind his desk. 'Y-y'know, if th-they have free time or if they're the t-type who can multitask. W-with some of them, I think it helps th-them concentrate. I know m-math isn't for everyone, so I t-try to find anything I can d-do to make it m-more bearable. Uhm, anyways, the p-point I was trying to make was th-that, I think artists showing me t-their work is a b-big honor. It's n-not something I e-entirely understand, but I th-think that it must be v-very personal,' he paused for once, taking the time to add in a shaky smile before finishing, 'So I r-really freak out when it's p-presented to me a-as a gift.' A nervous giggle followed. 'S-sorry, you'll notice t-that I can g-get pretty ch-cheesy.' 

He looked around the room, wondering if there was anything that he needed to do. Even if there was, he wasn't going to make Caspian help him with it. There were a few seasonal decorations he wanted to put up, but that wouldn't take long. Besides, he didn't want to scare Caspian away with how precise everything he dealt with needed to be. So, either he'd stomach it and let Caspian do what he wanted, wait for him to leave, and redo everything - taking even longer, or he'd hurt Caspian's feelings. He didn't want to risk it. So he smiled, 'You d-don't have to feel bad for just s-standing in my room! I like having y-your company,' he giggled. 'B-but, in all honesty, I don't think there's anything I needed to do here. Just had to d-drop these off,' he tapped his knuckled against the lesson plans, and then stepped out around his desk. 'S-so, basically, whenever y-you get sick of th-this place, I'm r-ready for you to show me y-your very not-vanilla a-art room.' 

CASPIAN LUTHER PRINCE , 1262 , i'd apologize for being late,
but you've made me wait months before sooooooooo. also, jfc eli stfu gd