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I let out a deep sigh, tilting my head up towards the sun and closing my eyes. It doesn’t help me to ponder stuff like this. That shit happened and now I have to live with it, no matter how fair it might have been at the time.

The brightness of the sun is suddenly blotted out. I open my eyes, startling as I realize someone is standing in front of me. I open my mouth to say something but I’m suddenly frozen.

Standing in front of me is Maverick.

Chapter Five

Maverick

I lean back in my chair, making sure all my patient notes are up to date. No one has come into the campus medical center today so there’s nothing new for me to work on. I’ve already read the latest article that Octavia sent me. I even took some detailed notes and sent them back to her, wanting to hear her thoughts on a couple specific points.

I think I might be bored?

I don’t even remember the last time I was bored. I’ve somehow gone from someone who works too many hours in the ER interspersed with ambulance shifts, to sitting in a medical center that sees maybe one or two people a day.

My chest feels weirdly light when I’m so used to feeling like I’m being slowly crushed. My appetite has slowly come back. Jesus Christ, I hate that everyone was right. I really did need a break from my usual schedule.

Speaking of my appetite, apparently it’s time for lunch. I stand up, stretching my arms over my head and groaning as my spine cracks. Then I grab my lunchbox and head outside. After locking up and placing a sign on the door letting people know they can call me or wait until I’m back from lunch in about forty-five minutes, I start wandering the campus.

The weather outside is beautiful. The perfect late summer day.

The sound of water splashing catches my attention. I turn towards the river, my steps slowing when I see a familiar figure sitting near the water.

I shouldn’t bother him. I should really turn around and find a different location to eat my lunch. My feet decide to go completely against my brain, walking towards where Thane is sitting.

His eyes are closed and his face is tilted up towards the sun. I can’t help but take him in, watching him sunbathe. Fuck, he’s beautiful.

Thane’s face looks relaxed, more so than I’ve ever seen. He’s the type of person to always have a tense body, like he’s constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

His jewelry shines in the sun. It’s strange, the desire I have to carefully pull the rings off his tusks, to gently caress his skin, to hold him in my arms. I barely know him but I’m drawn to him in a way that doesn’t make any sense.

Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m standing over him, watching him. Thane’s eyes snap open and I watch him freeze. He opens his mouth to say something but no words come out. His cheeks turn a delightful purple color as he blushes.

There’s that ‘deer caught in a headlights’ look again. I have to admit, that look is doing it for me.

“Hello, Thane,” I say softly. “Would you mind if I sat with you to eat my lunch?”

“Of course not! It’s a public space. You can sit anywhere you like, even if that means sitting by me.” He winces. “That came out wrong. Please, sit.”

I give him a tiny smile before sitting down across from him. I set my lunch box on the ground, unzipping it and pulling things out. Thane watches me, his body tense. I mourn the fact that my presence put that stiffness back onto his body. I want to see him relaxed again. I want to see him enjoying the sun.

“Did you have classes today?”

Thane hums. “My very first ones. Creative Writing and Research Methods.”

“Interesting. How did they go?”

“Really well,” he says right away. He places a hand on his notebook, giving a soft self-deprecating sound. “I’m supposed to be writing my first short story but I don’t have any ideas. It’s making me wonder if I’ve already fucked up by taking this class.”

“Having doubts is a normal part of life, but I don’t think you’ve made a mistake based on not having an instantaneous idea.”

Thane watches me for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. I’m really stuck in my head.”

“Are you stuck there a lot?”

“Yeah. Near constantly,” he admits, resting his face against his hand, pulling his knees up towards his chest. That makes a lot of sense from what I’ve been able to gather from the beautiful orc plaguing my thoughts. He seems like someone who needs to have a clear path, someone who will give his all but is unsure until he gets to that point.

I pick up my wrap, taking a bite of it. “I have a silly thought.”