Scorpius had been browsing for a new book to flick through. He had turned around, a specific volume that he could no longer remember the name of clutched in his hand. He had been going to ask Albus if he would hold it for him while he tried to get the book on one of the higher shelves. That idea dissipated when he saw the look on Albus' face. Setting the book down on one of the small tables that littered the school library, he looked at Albus curiously. Albus's face was panicked and he seemed to have caught something in his throat.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and Albus bit his lip, which Scorpius couldn't help glancing at.

"No," Albus said simply and in a tight voice, "I have to tell you something." His voice was barely a whisper now. Scorpius was unable to prevent the feeling of anxiety that crept up his neck. Did Albus know? Did Albus know that Scorpius was-
"I'm gay. I'm gay and I've had a crush on you for a while. You don't have to awknknowledge it, we can pretend I never told you if you like. Only, I had to tell you, because we're best friends, and we've always told each other everything." Albus was nearly in tears, and his voice had cracked slightly, which made a twinge of pain flutter in Scorpius's chest.

Scorpius wasn't quite sure how to react. On some level, he registered that he should reassure Albus, but this seemed too good to be true.

Naturally, he had to mess it up, his curiosity and tendancy to blurt things out without thinking getting the better of him.
"Why are you telling me in the library?" He asked, his ears turning pink when he realized what he'd said. But Albus answered, Albus always answered the random questions that Scorpius thought of, no matter how ludicrous. It was part of the reason Scorpius loved him so much.

"I figured you were least likely to yell at me in a library." Albus admitted, looking down at the floor in embarrasment. "You hate it when people are loud in libraries, so I figured if you started hating me, at least in a library you wouldn't shout.
"Well you were right." Scorpius said, and Albus looked hurt, "No, hang on. That's not what I meant, Al. I mean yes I wouldn't yell at you in a library. But not because I don't hate you!" Scorpius said hastily. Unfortunately trying to express what he meant quickly and coherently, was not something Scorpius was very good at. Albus started to turn away, his face filled with a hurt, lonely look that only made Scorpius feel ten times worse..
"Oh fuck, that's not what I meant at all," Scorpius said anxiously, grabbing Albus' forearm to prevent him from leaving before he could explain what he meant, though mostly stopping Albus with the fact that he swore, which he never did. Swearing was only used in the most extreme situations. "I meant that I don't hate you at all, so I would'nt shout at you because I hate you, because I don't. Hate you, I mean." Albus only looked more confused, and no more reassured than he had before. Scorpius exhaled exasperatedly. He looked up at the cieling. "Why can't I ever talk properly?" He asked of the air, before turning back to Albus, who was still being held in place by Scorpius. Scorpius gripped both of Albus's shoulders firmly and looked him dead in the eyes.

"I don't hate you, and I would never shout at you. That would be stupid. I mean, I don't know much about dating, or relationships, but I do think that a standard rule is that: if you like someone a lot," Scorpius's tight hold of Albus's shoulders relaxed a bit, "you don't yell at them."

There was a moment of silence, where Albus (and admittedly Scorpius) stood in shock, processing what Scorpius had just said, before Albus spoke.

"You like..-" He asked, trailing off.

"Yeah."

"Oh."
"Yeah."
There was another moment of silence. Scorpius still had his hands on Albus' shoulders, not wanting to move them, but still making him feel a little awkward.

"I don't know what to do." Albus confided quietly. And once again, Scorpius demonstrated his habit of saying exactly what was in his head without first truly considering it. And indeed, if he had let himself think about it, his anxious mind would never have let him say those two short, yet spectacular words that caused what was undoubtably the best moment in his entire life.

"Kiss me."