[it's not that francel was away from school, exactly — but a flurry of quizzes and exams left him holed up in his room at home for a week, studying, his duties as a student librarian put on hold by the ever-accommodating urianger. in that time, the only flight of fancy the boy allowed himself was that he kept one of zephirin's signed borrowing cards, one from a newer addition to the library's reserve, the lines of it crisp and new and untouched by any other student. now and then, over trigonometry and precalculus notes, francel stroked the lines of zephirin's name with his finger and giggled to himself.
he does so now at the loans desk, no longer concerned with his exams but instead thinking of when zephirin might come in, and whether or not he'll be disappointed. francel thoroughly expects to be disappointed. how often do two students cross paths, after all, at such a large school, and with no classes or friends in common?
but then he looks up — and zephirin is there — and the boy smiles radiantly. his coveted borrowing card is underneath his hand.]
...You came back!
[francel says this with such wonder, and such vivid delight, that it seems as though no gift to him could be greater than that of zephirin's presence.]
no subject
he does so now at the loans desk, no longer concerned with his exams but instead thinking of when zephirin might come in, and whether or not he'll be disappointed. francel thoroughly expects to be disappointed. how often do two students cross paths, after all, at such a large school, and with no classes or friends in common?
but then he looks up — and zephirin is there — and the boy smiles radiantly. his coveted borrowing card is underneath his hand.]
...You came back!
[francel says this with such wonder, and such vivid delight, that it seems as though no gift to him could be greater than that of zephirin's presence.]