Kurt placed the laced crystal around his neck and lit the stove to boil water in the tea kettle. He opened the kitchen cabinet and fished out a packet of his favorite teabags- mint and lavender. Sitting at the dining room table, he peered out of the window as he waited for the water to boil. Kurt's apartment sat at the back of the complex and afforded him a few of the dense forest of pine trees. Kurt had loved the prospect of his home being so close to nature. It made him feel more grounded, the tall and ancient trees shrinking him beneath their breadth. There was also the air of inscrutability about them; like it dared you to meander through its perplexing maze of branches. Anybody could get lost in those woods if they let it. The hiss of the tea kettle abruptly shook Kurt from his musings, making him jump in sudden fright. He prepared his tea- a dash of milk and two sugars. He sat back at the table and pulled out his phone to check his emails as the scalding beverage cooled. Once his daily morning tea was finished, he donned a light coat and messenger bag to begin his day.
University of Washington's campus was strangely quiet on today's brisk Monday morning. Kurt suspected it had more to do with the inevitable hangovers his peers had left over from the weekends shenanigans. The sky was overcast as the sun hopelessly attempted to dislodge the gray clouds that blocked its rays. Such gloomy weather was to be expected in the wet state of Washington, Kurt thought quietly to himself. His fair skin would thank him later in life. The heel of Kurt's boots steadily tapped the stone pavers of the campus square as he made his way toward the library.
The air felt inexplicably mysterious as he continued to walk. Almost as if it were constructing itself around Kurt. The cherry blossoms that decorated the campus were beginning to die in the seasonal cooling of autumn. They were Kurt's favorite part of the campus. He swore if he looked closely that he could see them beginning to shrivel as their blossoms began to prepare for the onslaught of winter.
Suddenly Kurt felt a pair of eyes stalking his every move and he feet stilled. A shiver ran creeped over him and settled at the base of his spine. Someone was watching him. He was sure of it. But who? Kurt swiveled on his feet to survey his surroundings in hopes of finding the culprit.
The campus was just as desolate as it had been when he first arrived.
His fingers found their way around his necklace as they always did when Kurt was nervous. "Don't be ridiculous, Kurt." He mused in third person.
At last, his tired feet reached the entrance of the library to do some much-needed research. A history major's research, after all, was never done. It was a particularly grueling process of combing through dated texts and e-journals for relevant tidbits of information, but Kurt loved it. While history could sometimes be more conservative than he preferred, Kurt positively adored peering through the past and asking the important questions of why. And more importantly, how did the events of the past replicate themselves into the future. Kurt's latest historical kick just so happened to be early American history. He was inexplicably drawn to Salem, Massachusetts of all places. The allure of magic and witches felt entirely too campy for Kurt's taste. But he felt as though it was ripe for another round of historical reconsideration.
Kurt approached the front desk to check into the library and inwardly groaned. He cursed himself for not remembering Chandler of all people worked Monday's. Chandler was...exasperatingly nice. He was infatuated with Kurt and Kurt knew as much. He had danced around Chandler's affections since freshman year. He never did seem to get the hint that Kurt wasn't interested and today was no exception.
"Kurt! Fancy meeting you here, do you come here often." Chandler's moonstruck eyes were nauseating.
"You see me here every Monday, Chandler. You of all people should know a scholar's research is never done." Kurt smiled politely and was sure it didn't reach his eyes. Chandler didn't catch the annoyed tint to his tone and continued to ogle him.
"You look particularly lovely today. Is that a new sweater? It really brings out your eyes." Kurt's mind began to drift as it tuned out Chandlers annoying attempts at flirting. His eyes glazed over in disinterest and veered off into a different direction.
What he found was worlds beyond more infringing than whatever nonsense Chandler was spouting.
An unfamiliar man sat at Kurt's usual table. Normally Kurt would be peeved but the stranger was gorgeous. Kurt immediately noted his neatly cropped raven-hued curls that shone so dark it was almost blue. He stood up to stretch and Kurt almost fainted. He was above average in height, six feet at the very least with a broad, muscular build. His brawny forearms were covered in thick hair the same color of the coiled stands atop his head. His thick, triangular brows were scrunched in confusion as he leaned over the table to read what seemed to be a challenging text. His full, red-pink lips were framed by a deviously dark dusting of scruff. The stranger's tanned skin complimented his features beautifully. He was tall, dark, and handsome to a tee. I drank him in greedily, unashamed at my unabashed ogling.
My rapidly developing fantasies were rudely interrupted by Chandler snapping his frustratingly stubby fingers in my face.
"Kurt? Did you hear me? Are you feeling okay? You look little dazed." He looked genuinely concerned for Kurt's well-being. Kurt was still shaken by the gorgeous stranger when he replied.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm totally fine. Just peachy. Can you stamp me in for my usual texts?" Kurt said as he filled out the notary card.
"Sure, no problem. So I was thinking, did you maybe wanna get some coffe-"Chandler was interrupted by Kurt.
"Do you know who that man is at my usual table? I don't recognize him." He was shamelessly using Chandler for intel on the mysterious hottie.
"Who?" Chandler scanned the room and followed Kurt's gaze and huffed. "Oh him, I think he's a new transfer student named Blair or some stupid name like that. He's got some balls sitting in your seat. I ought to tell him to move. Do you want me to?" Chandlers tiny bird chest puffed out possessively. Kurt cringed.
"Oh, no need. I'll just find somewhere else to sit. Thanks for signing me in!" Kurt smiled, and Chandler was so captivated that he forgot all about his date proposal. Chandler sighed wistfully as Kurt strolled away with his signature strut that drove him wild. Kurt was more than thrilled to escape Chandler's clutches and he veered off to find a seat.
The stunning unidentified man nostrils flared as Kurt brushed by and he caught eyes with Kurt. Pools of liquid gold met sea stained orbs in a collision of spontaneous intimacy. Time seemed to be suspended for those brief moments of eye contact. Kurt's breath hitched in his throat. His eyes Kurt thought, so beautifully wild. They were truly extraordinary. There was an animalistic quality that couldn't possibly be human. Blair, or whatever his actual name was, was an otherworldly sight to behold. The stranger stared unflinchingly at Kurt, his incredible face stoically still. Kurt ducked his head to his chin to avoid his gaze as his fair cheeks flamed in embarrassment. He shook his head and made his way toward the history section, his mind enraptured in a giddy haze.
He sat at a nearby table and tried to pour himself into his research to rid his mind of the Adonis that occupied his usual seat. The words might as well have jumped off the page because none of them registered in Kurt's frazzled brain.
The only thing he could focus on was the stranger's eyes in all of their golden glory.
He never noticed the gentle hum of light that flickered in the crystal that was tied around his neck.