Chapter 4: The Quiet Hours

The school was almost empty by the time Liam and Ethan realized how late it was.

The hum of the lights had softened, and the usual noise of laughter and footsteps had faded into silence. The only sound left was the soft turning of notebook pages and the quiet scribbling of pens.

They were still in the library, surrounded by half-finished notes, an empty coffee cup, and a few crumpled papers that Ethan had balled up out of frustration.

Liam checked the time 7:48 p.m. They’d been working for nearly three hours.

“You’re still writing?” Ethan asked, leaning back in his chair. “I swear, you’re some kind of machine.”

Liam didn’t look up. “You’d finish faster if you actually focused.”

“I am focusing,” Ethan said, tapping his pen against the desk. “On not falling asleep.”

Liam sighed but couldn’t stop the tiny smile tugging at his lips. “You could’ve gone home, you know.”

Ethan tilted his head. “And let you finish everything? Not a chance.”

Their eyes met for a brief second quiet, calm, and strangely comfortable.

Ten minutes later, Ethan yawned loudly.

“See? You’re bored,” Liam said without looking up.

Ethan grinned. “No, I’m tired. There’s a difference.”

“You always have an excuse.”

Ethan chuckled, resting his chin on his arms. “Maybe. But at least I’m entertaining.”

Liam finally looked at him Ethan’s hair was messy, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. For once, he wasn’t smiling to impress anyone. He looked… peaceful. Real.

“Don’t stare too long,” Ethan murmured, eyes still closed. “You’ll fall in love.”

Liam froze, his pen stopping mid-sentence. “You wish.”

Ethan laughed softly, voice low and sleepy. “Maybe.”

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. Just quiet like the kind that fills the space between two people who no longer feel the need to pretend.

A few minutes later, Liam heard a soft snore.

He looked up to see Ethan, head tilted to the side, completely asleep on his notebook. His lips parted slightly, his breathing steady. The sight made something in Liam’s chest tighten in a way he didn’t understand.

He told himself to keep working to ignore it. But his eyes kept drifting back.

Ethan looked… different like this.

No teasing smile. No loud jokes. Just quiet. Vulnerable. Human.

Liam sighed softly and took off his jacket, draping it over Ethan’s shoulders.

“Idiot,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You’ll catch a cold.”

He sat back down, trying to focus on his notes again. But his mind refused to listen.

The clock ticked softly in the background. The fluorescent light flickered once, then steadied. Ethan stirred slightly, mumbling something Liam couldn’t make out.

And for the first time in a long time, Liam didn’t feel lonely working late.

He didn’t know why. Maybe it was because of the warmth coming from beside him. Maybe it was the quiet rhythm of Ethan’s breathing, steady and calm. Or maybe though he wouldn’t admit it it was because being next to Ethan felt… right.

When Ethan finally woke up, it was almost 9 p.m.

He blinked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. “Did I? Oh.” He noticed the jacket and looked up. “You”

“Don’t say anything,” Liam interrupted, gathering his papers.

Ethan grinned anyway. “You’re softer than you look, Reyes.”

Liam rolled his eyes, though his ears turned pink. “You’re delusional.”

“Maybe,” Ethan said, smiling quietly. “But you didn’t wake me up.”

Liam didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

Because as they packed their things and walked side by side out of the empty library, both of them knew something between them had changed again.

Not much. Not suddenly.

Just a quiet shift, like the first hint of dawn after a long night.

And neither of them seemed ready to stop it.

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