Inspired by buildarocketboys' tags on a post on tumblr reading 'Can I apologise in advance for basically everything I will ever do'.
Tom had been doing quite well, he hadn't snapped at anyone who'd made a comment on his accent and he'd kept his head down when someone had made a comment about them letting 'all kinds of riffraff into the hallowed halls nowadays'. He hadn't needed to talk to anyone until his final lecture of the day. This one is a little more practical and requires them to partner up. He looks around awkwardly for a few seconds when someone lounges up to him. He knows that's not a real verb but it's the only way to describe the way this boy moves. He holds his hand out and Tom takes it uncomfortably. He can't refuse the first offer of friendship he's had all day even if this boy looks nothing like he belongs here.
'Miles Hesketh Thorne. General idiot. Please excuse anything I do in the course of knowing me, my sister tells me I'm a great embarrassment to everyone I encounter.'
'Gillan, Tom,' he says shortly, 'I don't anticipate anything you do in the course of this class requires you to apologise beforehand.'
The boy, Hesketh Thorne, raises an eyebrow. 'You underestimate my powers of idiocy my dear Gillan, you really do.'
Years later, Tom would remember their first meeting with a smile. True to his warnings, Miles had indeed caused chaos, adding too much of one chemical and then another and then when the test tube had exploded, Tom had tried desperately to pretend he wasn't working with him. It hadn't worked and they'd been put on lab clean up for the next four weeks. By the end of that, Tom had learnt that he wasn't going to shake Miles off easily and in spite of the madness that followed him everywhere, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
Miles had settled down now but occasionally his old self would pop out, mostly after a few drinks and Tom would fondly smile and then when he became too much he would try to remember that Miles had already apologised for whatever he might do and Tom, the fool, had accepted it.
The lovely Needle suggested I post this here as well as on my tumblr. Hope you enjoyed, reviews are wonderful and made of sunshine :)