Chapter Text
In small towns, news travels like wildfire. An unfamiliar face arrived, and the crowd stood still to stare. Someone from outside their bubble. Someone who didn’t belong. Someone who they didn’t know.
He dressed strangely; he wore a vibrant green hoodie and a leather jacket, and his pale hair was tied up with a cap on his head. He was shiny and new; with dark skin, cerulean eyes, and a handsome face.
He seized their attention as he slid by, and it caught them off guard when he jumped off of his skateboard and turned to the library.
The small athenaeum was tucked neatly in between a theater and a clothing shop, both equally more interesting with their neon advertisements and bewitching smells, but the stranger entered the library. A place where nearly no one dared to go.
It wasn’t as if the people of this town didn’t enjoy reading, no…It was rather the rumors that kept the library a ghost town. And the stranger hadn’t heard the rumor yet…The rumor that the librarian was a vampire.
A doorbell wrung over the stranger’s head as he entered the library, and the man at the front desk lifted his head from a book.
Oh. The new guy.
He watched the other man look around, and studied him with curiosity. When cerulean eyes looked to his onyx orbs, he looked back down to his novel.
“Welcome. Have a look around. Let me know if ya need anything.”
The short man nodded in response, and took a turn down one of the isles. The librarian watched him go through his peripheral vision, and let out a heavy sigh.
Naib brushed his fingers against the spines of the books, and his eyes wandered from title to title.
He could find solace in this silent place: there were no watching eyes. When you move from a big city to a small town, you expect it to be muted and untroubled. Yet all the man could hear was the chitter chatter of the locals that always seemed to follow him around. It was like he was some curiosity that they could gawk at, like he was some fancy new car that everyone wanted to test drive.
It pissed him off.
A buzz from his phone brought away his attention from the shelves, and he flicked through the device to see who had texted him.
_________________________
Eli
Hey naib!! ^^ how’s it going?
It’s good. I’m just trying to find a book,
OHH could I recommend one?
Knock yourself out
Twilight ;D
_________________________
Naib rolled his eyes. He turned his head over his shoulder, but no one was there. Strange. He could’ve sworn he heard something behind him.
_________________________
Im not reading that
AW, but its one of the most famous series EVER!
More like one of the lamest
I just have a feeling you’re gonna like it!! PLEASEEEE READ IT…Who knows, you just moved to a small town….Maybe you’ll have your own vampire romance!
…in your dreams…But Ig I’ll give it a shot. if its horrible you have to paypal me $30
Deal!
_________________________
Naib tucked his phone back into his pocket, and pulled out the first book he laid his eyes on, but he almost leapt out of his skin when a pair of brown eyes peered at him through the empty space.
“Oh! Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!”
A girl chirped, and came around to his aisle. She wore large glasses and a bright pink hoodie, with a skirt that peeked out from the oversized coat. Adorning her brunette head was a beanie, with little pins and patches that screamed otaku.
“I was just looking for something to read, like you!”
She smiled, and held out her hand.
“Haven’t seen you around here, my name is Helena Adams.”
The stranger took her outstretched palm and returned the smile.
“Naib Subedar.”
“Are you the guy that moved into the Nightingale apartments?”
“Wow, can’t even go home without an entourage?”
Helena turned pink and nervously scratched behind her ear.
“Sorry…It’s a small town after all! Rumors spread easily.”
“I can see that.”
The male placed the book he had grabbed back onto the shelf, and turned back to the girl with glasses.
“Uhh, could you please um…Help me really quick?”
Naib cocked a brow.
“I can’t reach a book,”
She nervously fiddled with her sleeves, and shyly looked away: she was evidently embarrassed by her incapacity to do something on her own, but Naib could understand and respect that. He wasn’t one to rush to another for help either.
“Sure.”
The pair walked around the bookshelf and she pointed to a book with a deep green cover.
“That one,”
She said, and he stood on the tips of his toes to snag it for the short girl.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Hey, could I ask you something?”
She pushed her glasses farther up her nose, and nodded.
“Do you know where I can find Twilight? The vampire love story thing?”
The look of surprise on Helena’s face made the Nepali turn pink.
“Uh, yes! It should be in the romance section over there.”
The brunette lifted a finger and pointed to the other side of the library. He nodded, said his thanks, and headed over towards the other half of the building. He couldn’t care less what the brunette girl thought of his choice, after all, it wasn’t really his choice. Yet embarrassment managed to creep up his neck as he felt her curious gaze follow him.
While he made his way to his destination, his eyes wandered again to the front desk: the man from earlier was still there, and once more he looked up from his novel.
“Find anything you want?”
“Not yet.”
The stranger was continuously watched by the librarian as he delved into the romance section, yet the nepali did not spare a glance over his shoulder.
He was used to all the gawking at this point. Eventually they’d get bored, so why even dwell on it?
Naib skimmed titles and authors, until finally he found what he was looking for. The book itself had a black cover, with a picture of white hands holding an apple: he raised a brow at the image.
The newcomer turned on his heel, and bumped into the librarian, which caused the stack of books the taller man had been carrying to come crashing down to the hardwood floors. A loud slam reverberated off of the shelves, along with a curse too.
“Shit! Sorry,”
Naib quickly fell to his knees to help pick up the mess, and caught the onyx gaze of the other man. How did he get here so fast? And how did Naib not hear him approaching?
“No, it’s okay! I should’ve been paying more attention.”
The other smiled, and Naib, feeling guilty, returned the gesture. Now that he was up close and personal, Naib observed that the librarian was quite handsome, with a strong jaw and intelligent eyes. A curious piercing protruded from his nose, and he had similar piercings on his ears.
The most intriguing aspect of the other man was his silvery-white hair, and a large scar on the left side of his face. It was mysterious, and a part of the nepali wanted to ask about the origins of such a huge blemish, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
“I’m Norton, by the way.”
“I hope so. I’d be worried if you weren’t.”
He motioned towards the nametag on the taller man’s chest. Norton looked down at his label, and laughed.
“Usually you’d give your name when someone offers theirs.”
“I’m Naib Subedar. You’ve probably already know where I came from, where I live, and my cat’s name by now.”
Norton laughed again, a deep rumble that came from his chest, and shook his head. He gathered his stack of books, and handed Naib the novel he had picked out.
“No, I haven’t. The library isn’t everyone’s favorite place for gossip…Though I am very intrigued by the name of your pet.”
It was Naib’s turn to chuckle, and he rubbed the back of his neck. There was a pregnant pause between the pair as they exchanged eye contact.
“I uh…Could I check this out?”
He raised the book, and Norton observed the title. His expression was not judgmental, which Naib greatly appreciated. He had already gotten off on the wrong foot by bumping into him…
“You don’t have a library card yet, so we’d have to getcha one of those first. Otherwise, it’s yours to read. Give me a second, and I’ll be with you.”
“Thanks,”
The nepali left the aisles and waited patiently at the front desk, where Norton joined him just a few moments later. He handed the librarian his choice, and shoved his hands in his coat.
“Could I get some ID?”
Naib nodded and shuffled through his pockets for his wallet, but all he pulled out was a packet of gum and a couple of loose dollars.
“Shit…”
Naib flushed with embarrassment. How could he forget his wallet? Norton raised a brow, then slid Twilight back over the counter.
“Tell you what. You can borrow the book, but you have to come back tomorrow with the ID. Okay?”
“Thanks.”
He gave Norton a sheepish grin, and made his way to the exit. The bell dinged as he opened the door, but he threw his head over his shoulder.
“By the way, my cat’s name is Mr. Whiskers.”
Norton smiled from ear to ear, and Naib left the building.
-
Norton had to close the library early that day. After he switched the sign from open to closed, he all but ran up to his apartment on the next floor. The librarian crashed into the bathroom, and dug though the cabinet, tossing every useless item aside until he found what he had been searching for: a red vial.
He cracked the cork of the bottle and quickly downed the liquid, then tossed it to the side and rested his hands on the sink: it shattered somewhere on the tile floors, but he wasn’t worried about that at the moment. Sweat trickled down his brow, as he looked up at himself in the mirror, and the color in his cheeks came flooding back.
The smell of the new guy-no, Naib-drove him crazy.
It took every ounce of self-control to not pounce on him and suck him dry. The vampire bit his lip so hard that it drew blood, but he only could focus on him. Him. Him.
He almost regretted asking Naib to come the next day, perhaps he wouldn’t be so reserved in his desires.
Running a hand through his silver hair, the librarian took a few deep breaths.
He was so screwed.