It was a cool Thursday afternoon, now a week before midterms. Richard and Jared were walking side by side on campus.

"I am glad that you finished. I know that you were basically working on that for ages!" Jared said as they walked past a few people.

Richard looked down at his phone and texted Jared.

Richard:I know right. It took awhile, but I finished. Now I just have like four more classes to study for.

Jared quickly read it, and nodded. "See I wish I could do the same. I still have to study for the rest of the classes. I think I still have to study for LInear Algebra, even after our study session yesterday."

Richard nodded, and looked around the campus.
"See, I think this is one of the reasons that I moved to Stanford. I love the weather, and…." Jared looked around. "Just everything! I mean, it's cloudy, but I don't think that it's much of a problem."

Richard: I think it's going to rain.

"Really?" Jared looked back at Richard. "Maybe. Do you still want to come over? If so, we should probably start walking towards my house, especially if it's going to start raining." Richard nodded, and stuck this thums in each jean pocket.

They both walked to the apartment complex in comfortable silence, with Jared commenting about the surroundings, or animals nearby. When they had about a block to walk, it began to rain.
"I think we might have to walk a little faster." Jared suggested as it began to rain a little heavier.

They both luckily arrived to Jared's apartment when the rain began to drop quickly. "Come in! You can leave your shoes near the door." Jared quickly stated as he let Richard in and shut the door behind him. "I think I'm going to make some tea, if you want some." He quickly took his shoes off.

Soon after, Richard looked around the flat, looking at the pictures on the wall.

Richard: It's very blue

Jared laughed at the text, and looked back at Richard. "Yeah. I guess I really like the colour."

Richard looked at him and nodded, looking to the right corner of the living room, where a piano took up the space. He hesitated, and began to walk towards it, then pressed a single high key.
"That would be my piano." Jared stated as he followed Richard. Richard pulled out his phone.

Richard: Can I hear you play?

Jared blushed, "Oh I can't play that well I...I barely started so I can't do much.

Richard: But you can nonetheless play something right?

"Well yes but still." Jared explained. Richard shook his head and got closer to Jared. Jared's eyes began to dilate as Richard approached him. Jared cleared his throat, "Right, so um-I have not showed you the rest of the house, if you wanna follow me, I can give you a tour, even if it's a bit small."

"So this is the kitchen," Jared and Richard entered to a small countered kitchen with the basic necessities. "It's very small, I know, but I am happy with it." He walked towards the door. "This is the balcony." Richard looked at it, then back at the kitchen.

"This is the closest bathroom." Jared stated as they walked back into the living room and into a hall. "Just in case."

Richard opened the door to the bathroom and looked in. "And to the left is the office, to the right is my bedroom." Jared commented, opening the doors to both. "Aaaaand that's the tour of my flat. I know, not that big, but I am comfortable in it. Plus, it was a great deal as a college student."

Richard nodded, and slowly went back to the living room.

Richard:I'll eventually want to hear you play piano, you know that right?
Richard walked towards the piano, and sat down at the bench, and played a C major scale with both hands.

"Do you play Richard?" Jared asked as he approached.

Richard: Ron's sister tried to show me once when she came over. I literally only learned like the warm-ups

"That's great Richard, it's always good to know even a little." Jared commented. "I think I'm finally gonna do the tea I mentioned a while ago." He pointed towards the kitchen. "...Be right back."

Eventually Jared came back into the living room with two cups of Green Tea as Richard continued to mess around with the piano.
"This is yours." Jared stated as he handed Richard a cup.

Richard looked up and smiled, then grabbed the cup.

Richard: Thank you.

"It's my pleasure Richard." Jared replied as he sat at the couch. Jared turned on the TV and Richard messed with the music Jared had laying out near the piano, while Richard's phone continued to buzz, notifying him of texts.

"You're quite popular right now huh?" Jared commented. Richard picked up his phone.

Richard: Not really. It's just Ron lol. He's telling me a story, which probably means that I still have like a few more texts to receive before I should probably read them

"Ahhhh." Jared nodded, "I don't think I have met a better couple than you two."

Richard looked up from his phone very confused.

Richard: Couple? Wdym?

"Well, I think that you two are good together. Isn't he your boyfriend?" Jared asked.

Richard looked more confused, and shook his head.
Richard:Ron & I aren't together. We're just good friends. Why would you think we are together?

"Well," Jared explained, "I asked him if you guys are partners, and he said that I could say it like that. That implies that yes, you guys are in fact together."

Richard: I think you read that wrong. No, Ron is not my boyfriend

"Wait really?" Jared asked. At this moment, Jared was excited and nervous, because now he knew that he had a chance to get with Richard, but at the same time was scared for the future, and what it could hold.

Richard nodded.
Richard:He's a great guy though. Very nice. I hope I end up with someone like him, but not Ron specifically.

"I am pretty sure that you will Richard."

Richard: Really?

"Of course." Jared nodded, "I think that you are quite a catch Richard. I don't know who wouldn't want to be with you."

Richard blushed, and stood up, and looked everywhere but at Jared. Eventually, a stack of books caught his attention.

Richard: Dangerous, nice

"Oh right? I just read a few of those books." Jared commented, pointing towards the books.

Richard: I like how many bird books you have. Do you really like birds?

"Oh, I like birdwatching. A lot. I like to read up on the kinds of birds near the area and stuff." Jared explained.

Richard looked back, and nodded.
Richard: I like looking at documentaries about how some birds can navigate with a little biological thing they have where they can sense the magnetic force field the earth has

"Oh really? I just like to learn about them. I honestly just find them to be amazing creatures." Jared explained. "If you want, I can pull up a documentary on birds."

Richard nodded, and sat down as far as he could from Jared on the couch. About half an hour into the documentary, Richard stood up to get his satchel, and then sat back down, and pulled out his laptop.
Jared looked back and smiled. Richard, looked back, and pulled out his phone.

Richard: Is this alright? Fuck. I know I didn't ask, sorry

Jared grabbed his phone. "Oh no it's fine Richard! Do you wanna watch a different documentary? I mean, it is a bit boring but not-" Jared got cut off my a ping.

Richard: The documentary is fine. I just like to do something while watching television, if that makes sense.

"Okay then, we are fine." Jared replied. Slowly, the two unconsciously got closer together. Richard would move himself to adjust the laptop, and get slightly closer to Jared, and Jared slowly moved closer by shuffling around in his seat. They however, became aware of their closeness by the time that their knees touched. Richard quickly pulled back his legs, but didn't move away, so Jared didn't do anything.
After the documentary, they simply began to watch Hamilton's Pharmacopeia, not really paying attention to it, just enjoying each other's presence-and coding in the case of Richard-while sinking deeper into the couch.

Richard: I think I have to get going. Ron is coming over so I can edit some of his applications to different internships.

Jared nodded, "Sounds great. Tell Ron that I will happily help him out too if he ever needs it."

Richard: I will, he will probably appreciate it, he needs all the help he can get.

As Richard began to pack up, Jared looked out the window, appreciating the noise and the environment outside.

"Wait Richard, are you taking an Uber or….?" Jared asked as he looked back.

Richard shook his head no. "Wait are you walking?" Jared looked mildly concerned. "I know that it's probably like an eight minute walk, but it's nonetheless far away. Plus it's raining still, and quite hard I must add." Jared explained.

Richard looked out the window, and sighed.

Richard: Fuck. I mean, I guess I can, but I have to stop by the library to print some stuff

Jared still looked worried. "I mean you're wearing a sweater, yes, but it's a fabric that absorbs the water, and what if you get sick?"
Richard pulled out his phone. Jared bit his lip, and made a suggestion.
"What if I let you borrow a windbreaker of mine? So you can wear something on top of the sweater?"

Richard looked confused, and eventually shrugged.

Richard: Sure mom. Btw though, I am very specific, and if I don't like it, I will leave without it, okay?

"Alright, deal." Jared smiled. "Thank you."

They soon went to Jared's room, and Jared began to scavenge for his collection of windbreakers.
"What about this one?" Jared grabbed the smallest fitting one he had and gave it to Richard. Richard took a deep breath and tried it on.

Richard took it off and rubbed his wrist, shaking his head no.

"Okay, what about this one? It doesn't have the same cloth inside." Jared commented.

Richard shook his head.

"What about this one?" Jared got to a slightly more worn out jacket-with Vassar College's emblem-trying to find a different texture from the ones Richard tried. Richard hesitated, and put it on. He moved around the jacket, and rubbed his wrists with the cloth on top, and then nodded. Jared smiled. "Alright, now I am okay with you walking home."

Richard smiled, and nodded, slowly walking back to the living room with the jacket on. Jared's smile widened as he saw the way the jacket fit Richard, as it was a bit too big and long for him, which made the jacket reach half way through his thigh, and the sleeves scrunching up near his hands. Richard soon grabbed his satchel one more time, and headed towards the door.

"Alright, I'll see you later." Jared stated as he followed Richard. "I had a really fun time hanging out with you. I-I'm glad you had the chance to come over, again it was fun!" Jared opened the door.

Richard: I had fun too. Thank you for everything. Including the jacket.

"It was my pleasure Richard, I hope I see you soon!" Jared commented as Richard walked out.

Richard gave a half smile, and waved awkwardly, before turning around and going home.

The whole way to the library and home, Richard kept on smelling the jacket. It was a new smell, especially so close to him. Jared's natural smell calmed Richard down, and made him have butterflies in his stomach.

"Hey Richard! You took forever to get here!" Bighead greeted as the door opened. "Hey… isn't that Jared's jacket?"

Richard made a noise, trying to play it off.

"I mean it says Vassar College on the bottom, and he's the only person I know who transferred here from there." Bighead explained.

With that, Richard got mostly everyone's attention, and they followed him with their eyes as he approached.

"Does that mean you are still hanging out with that fucking brogrammer?" Erlich asked as Richard sat down next to him.

Richard: Well…. Yes,

Richard: Erlich, you know this. You were the last person I talked to before going to his house. I literally told you.

"Well I didn't care. I was looking at Professor Morris, a soon to be colleague who walked in. Whatever you said was probably not relevant to me." Erlich explained.

Richard looked confused.

Richard: Then why do you care?

"Because he's a piece of shit." Erlich explained.

"So are you now fucking him? See, I told you Gilfoyle, Richard isn't just very awkward and a failure at being a human near females, he's just gay." Dinesh looked back at Gilfoyle.

"Bullshit." Gilfoyle replied, "Richard are you fucking him?"

Richard hummed, and then frowned.

"Good enough, Gilfoyle give me my fucking money!"

"No fuck you, Richard hasn't said shit!"

The door soon opened. "Hey guys!" Ron greeted as he walked into the apartment, "Alright Richie, so I printed what I so far have for my applicatins, if you can read it." He quickly walked towards the kitchen.

Richard did a quick nod towards Ron.

"Okay, it's one of those days." Ron commented. "Cool." He looked around, and then looked at the jacket Richard wore. "So what are you guys up to?"

"We are figuring out if Richard is with Jared, and trying to get my money that we agreed on." Dinesh explained as he stared at Gilfoyle.

"Fuck you."

Ron looked confused. "Okay, what about no?" He went over to Richard, "So shall we?"

Richard nodded, and quickly stood up.

As soon as they left, Erlich scoffed, and continued to smoke. "I am just glad that we can all agree that the hippy fuck named Jared sucks."

Comments are always appreciatedddd