Chapter 8
The rest of the week passed languidly. Snow was paved and students were able to leave, but Otto and Norman chose not to. They both had grown to prefer the company of each other rather than that of the rest of the student body. As the week continued, the two men fell into a kind of routine: Otto would brew coffee and pour cereal and they would eat together, having brought their desks together to form a makeshift table.
Of course, a table was not all that they shared.
The first night, Otto had simply fallen asleep in Norman’s bed on accident while cuddling the smaller man. There had been a brief awkward moment when they had awoken, but it soon passed when Norman pulled Otto closer. The next night, Norman had sheepishly invited Otto to share the bed. After that, it became automatic. The dorm beds were small, but Norman found that if he cuddled very closely to Otto- sometimes even venturing to wrap his hands around the larger man- there was plenty of room.
One night, Norman had started to feel Otto up. He had started with a hand on the thigh, and then slowly let his slender fingers explore every nuance of Otto's body. Otto pushed into Norman's touch and had reciprocated, gripping Norman's hips. Eventually, Norman had started rutting against Otto's crotch, quietly gasping. Otto had moaned in return, but when Norman reached for Otto's fly, Otto pulled away sharply, almost cowering.
"Oh, did I.. do something? I'm sorry," Norman said, almost breathless from desire.
Otto's face flushed in embarrassment. "No, of course not. I'm just... not sure if I'm ready."
Norman kissed Otto. "Don't worry, darling, I'm... inexperienced with other men too."
Otto sighed. "No, Norman. I'm not just inexperienced..." He trailed off, hoping Norman could extrapolate.
Norman removed his hands from Otto's chest. "Oh, Otto. That's okay! We'll figure it out together. That is, if you're..."
Otto kissed Norman tenderly. "Norman, I want you so bad it hurts. I've never wanted someone more. As soon as I'm ready, I'll let you know. I think I'm just still nervous."
Norman leaned into the kiss and spoke into Otto's lips quietly. "That's totally fine. I... really like you. And I would never want to make you uncomfortable." He wrapped his hand around Otto's wrist and carefully removed the luxury timepiece Otto had forgotten to take off before bed.
"All these fancy watches and you can't even remember to take them off. Just so impatient to hold me, aren't you?"
The men quietly held each other until they could no longer stay conscious.
---
And then it was morning, it was Monday, and it was time for a lecture.
Norman and Otto walked to class together, as they had before break, but now, there was a strange comfort in the small ritual. By the end of the walk, Norman had even worked up the nerve to hold Otto's hand.
They entered the lecture hall and chose two seats, next to each other, of course. Norman had zoned out for most of the lecture, and his hand moved absentmindedly to Otto's thigh, his thumb gently massaging it.
Otto tried his best to follow the lecture, unlike Norman. He took frantic notes and jotted down formulas- it seemed like they were taught a new equation every second. Yet despite his best efforts, his mind wandered. Wandered to Norman's hand on his thigh. Wandered to the previous night...the conversation they had had the previous night.
Suddenly, Otto's head was hazy with lust, and his thigh was flexed under Norman's grip. Somehow, while he was lost in his thoughts, the rest of his brain had gone into overdrive. He could feel the heat pooling in his lower stomach as Norman massaged his thigh.
Otto leaned over, into Norman's ear, his lips just barely brushing Norman.
"Norman, I'm ready."
Norman turned his head to look sharply at Otto. Both men's faces were red.
"Right here... Right now, I mean?" Ready for..." Norman trailed off as he caught the Professor glaring at him.
Rather than respond and risk more of their teacher's ire, Otto quickly scrawled a note on his paper.
Dorm. 15 minutes.
Otto trusted that Norman would obey his order, and so he stood up sharply and marched out of the lecture hall, backpack in hand. The professor looked visibly confused and angry, but Otto paid him no mind. He only had one priority in his head now, and it had nothing to do with Physics 101.
Norman, however, was not so bold. He sat in his seat, sweating.
I can't just ditch class to go meet Otto. Not only would that look suspicious, it would seriously hurt my already suffering performance in this pointless course.
Norman's grades were good- great, even. And physics should've been no challenge, as he already understood everything being taught. And yet, because of that, it had often been shoved to the bottom of the priority list, and so assignments were often never completed and his grade had begun to slip.
I can't afford to miss class, the professor will think I'm just slacking.
But then he noticed the growing tightness in his pants. And he saw Otto's beautiful face and body every time he blinked. Otto. The one man he had ever touched in such a way. The one man he had acted on his feelings for. The one man who mattered, the one man Norman cared about. And he was waiting in the dorm now, body probably splayed across Norman's bed. Otto, beautiful Otto. Perfect Otto. Norman couldn't put his emotions for the man into words. Couldn't quantify him. If this was the science of the heart, he was a terrible scientist. He couldn't collect data, couldn't hypothesize, couldn't experiment. For Otto, Norman was forced, time and time again, to act on mere feeling. Mere emotions, fickle as they were...
I have to go. I have to go meet Otto.
Otto. The one man I...
He cut his own thoughts off as he stood up, slinging his backpack across his shoulder and practically sprinting out of the lecture hall.
"Mr. Osborn!" The professor called after him. Norman didn't stop moving, just forced his legs to move as fast as they could without running until he was outside, in the crisp winter air, free to exhale a breath he had been holding for all of class.
It was time to show Otto how he really felt.