Chapter Text
“Hold the-” Hudson slid inside the elevator before the door closed. Trying to catch his breath, Hudson took in a deep breath and nodded his head at the man inside. “Thanks.”
He received a soft smile in return.
Leaning his back against the wall, Hudson took in one more deep breath and adjusted his backpack. He had taken a nap after practice and was now late to his meeting with his professor.
He had been working on extra credit to remain eligible for the basketball team and needed to present his project.
Checking his phone, he saw it was half past seven.
His meeting had been at seven.
“Fuck.” Hudson put his phone back in his pocket.
There was no way that his professor was going to accept his project now.
He had already waited until the last possible moment to request extra work and his professor only agreed because the basketball coach made a phone call for him.
His coach had vouched for him.
Not only was he going to fail out of the Asian language course, he was also going to disappoint his coach.
And be forced to sit out games with scouts.
Looking towards the man sharing the elevator ride with him, Hudson went to share his woes and jolted as the elevator came to an abrupt stop.
The overhead lights dimmed and a red light glowed over the emergency button.
“What the fuck was that?” Hudson looked around the elevator. They were stopped somewhere between the third and fourth floor if the number was right.
“I believe it was the elevator failing to perform its one job.” The man squeezed his arms tight against his waist and leaned forward before pressing back against the opposite wall from Hudson. “Fifteen billion dollar university and they didn’t think to use some of that money to maintain the elevator.”
“I mean, what do we do?” Hudson leaned down to read the information next to the emergency button. “Do you think we can press this button? Like, will it actually do something?”
“Why don’t you press the button and see what happens?” The man let out a short laugh and shifted his feet. “They don’t have elevators in Canada?”
Pressing the button, Hudson jumped when the sound of an old fashioned phone ringing filled the room.
“Operator.”
“Yes, we are in the elevator in the um, Kresge Hall. It stopped?” Hudson leaned into the speaker. “I mean, it stopped and we are inside it. Can you send someone to help us?”
“Help is on the way.”
The speaker clicked off.
“Help is on the way.” The man repeated in the same robotic tone of the operator and shifted his feet. “Now we know what the button does.”
“Yes.” Hudson set his backpack down at his feet and ran his hands through his hair.
Maybe the elevator stopping was a blessing. It wasn’t his fault if he was stuck in an elevator.
His professor would have to give him credit now.
Leaning back against the wall with a smile, Hudson allowed his brain to take in the man in front of him.
He was dressed similar to himself. Jeans and a t shirt. Only his was a solid black.
He was his height and his short brown hair had a slight curl to it.
Even in the dim lighting, Hudson noticed his bright blue eyes staring back at him.
“Hudson.” He pointed to himself. “Wait, how do you know I’m from Canada?”
“You look Canadian.” The man shrugged. “Nicer than us Americans.”
“I look Canadian?” Hudson laughed. “Yeah. I have never been told that before. Seriously?”
“You have an accent.” The man shifted his feet and leaned forward before pressing back. “You are on the basketball team. I get the university newsletters. Hudson Williams: Star Forward of the Wildcats. Go U Northwestern.”
“Oh.” Hudson nodded his head. There was that. He was the only half-Asian Canadian player on the team. “And your name is?”
“Connor.” He bit the side of his bottom lip. “Not a sports fan.”
“Well, Connor Not a Sports Fan, you come here often?” Hudson joked.
“Yes.” Connor pressed his hands together and continued to stare him down.
He was cute.
Hudson was not attached to anyone serious at the moment.
His last girlfriend had been a disaster from the beginning of the relationship.
Hudson told himself that he was not going to date, or rather fuck, any more cheerleaders.
That declaration always held until he was at a party.
Or one of the cheerleaders winked at him during a game.
Yeah, he needed to work on that.
His male hookups were rarer.
Not that he cared that anyone knew he did not discriminate based on genitalia, but he spent a lot of his time with straight males. Or mostly straight males and some straight males that loosened their ideas of masculinity when they had a few drinks in them.
Maybe the elevator stopping was even more of a blessing.
“You have an intense stare.” Hudson smiled to show that he was flirting. “Why are you here at this time of night?”
“The library is quieter at night.” Connor took a deep breath and started patting at his pockets until he found a piece of gum. He did not offer one to Hudson.
“What year are you?” Hudson watched him put the gum package into his front pocket. “I graduate this year. At least, I hope to graduate this year. It is already my fifth.”
Connor spoke in Japanese as he crossed his legs and sat down on the floor. His eyes left Hudson briefly as he adjusted his body. His hands found his ankles and he squeezed them as his eyes looked up at Hudson.
“My mother is Japanese. She knows conversational Japanese from speaking with her parents; however, I was not taught it. I know what it sounds like from listening to her talk to them. Yet I know nothing that you just said.”
“First year graduate student.” Connor pressed his lips together and lowered his head.
Hudson was not sure, but he might have said it again.
Feeling awkward standing while he was on the ground, Hudson pushed away his backpack and folded himself down. He kept his legs out in front of him but made sure they stayed to the side of Connor.
“So…” Hudson ran his hand through his hair and nodded his head. “Are you seeing anyone?”
“I see you sitting in front of me.” Connor’s face stayed neutral as he continued to chew his gum. “Do you mean in a different sense? I’m not seeing any spirits in here with us. Am I dating anyone? No.”
“You are funny.” Hudson laughed and moved his foot over to tap on Connor’s thigh.
Or at least he meant to but Connor moved away before he could make contact with him.
“Sorry.” Hudson pulled his legs up and crossed them. “I’m attempting to flirt with you, but I don’t think you are interested.”
“I know.” Connor ran a hand through his hair like Hudson had just done and gave him a similar smile to the one Hudson had used. “Are you seeing anyone?”
Fucker said it the same way Hudson had asked him. Mild Canadian accent and all.
Narrowing his eyebrows, Hudson tilted his head with a soft smile.
What the fuck was that?
Before he could ask, the lights turned back on and the elevator started moving.
Both of them stood up and Hudson heard the door open as he was reaching for his backpack.
By the time he stood up, Connor was gone.
Looking at his phone, Hudson saw he was now forty five minutes late for his meeting.
Running down the hallway, Hudson replayed the strange interaction in the elevator and wondered where he could find more information about Connor.