"Luka," he mumbled through a slight grin.
Luka's heart jumped into his chest as he realized that Zane had called his name. He quickly turned his gaze towards the young man, surprised that he had been listening.
"Yes?" Luka asked, glancing back at Zane with a curious expression.
Luka noticed that Zane was smiling at him, and he immediately felt his face start to flush. He wondered why Zane would still talk to him, after Luka's obvious desire to keep to himself.
"Um..." Luka tried to fill in the silence, but found himself at a loss for words.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of suspicion, as if Zane knew something about Luka - something he wasn't willing to share.
"What do you want, Zane?" Luka finally grumbled out.
The conversation took a new turn as Zane offered a small chuckle.
"Just trying to be friendly, that's all," he mumbled quietly.
Luka couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as he realized that he might have been too harsh with his words. He wasn't used to having people talk to him, so the whole situation felt uncomfortable and awkward.
"I just don't want to talk," Luka finally spoke up, a bit of irritation creeping into his voice. "I'm...I'm not in the mood for conversation, okay?"
As the train continued on through the countryside, a few minutes passed and the silence persisted.
Luka couldn't help but notice the way Zane was looking at him out of the corner of his eye, it was almost like the stranger was sizing him up - or studying him. In a way, it felt like an invasion of his privacy, and he couldn't help but feel a bit defensive.
"What's with the stare?" Luka finally mumbled, glancing over at Zane with a slight scowl.
A small laugh escaped Zane as he finally spoke up.
"Just admiring a beautiful man ," he mumbled through a smirk.
Luka turned bright red, realizing that Zane was talking about him. He didn't think he'd ever been referred to as a beautiful man before, and the compliment caught him completely off-guard.
"H-Huh?"
Luka couldn't help but feel a rush of heat wash over his cheeks, and he quickly looked out the window again, feeling embarrassed.
As the train continued to chug along, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, as if the tension was suddenly released. Luka couldn't believe that Zane had just flirted with him.
Zane was attractive, there was no doubt about that, and Luka wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the attention. He had never been with another man before, but he felt an uneasy attraction building up inside of him.
The silence was broken by Zane's soft laughter.
"You're blushing, dear." Zane chuckled.
The train continued to rumble along through the countryside, and Luka felt a rush of emotions coursing through him. The attention from Zane was new, and he was confused about his feelings. Was he attracted to Zane? He couldn't help but feel a sense of awkwardness at the thought.
Zane kept glancing at him, and every time Luka's eyes met his, he could feel his face starting to flush.
Luka felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster. Each moment with Zane felt like a mix between excitement, tension, and confusion, and he had no idea how to handle it.
"you..can't just suddenly call a stranger 'dear'... We don't even know each other…"
"Oh, can't I?" Zane chuckled, as if they were already familiar with each other.
Luka rolled his eyes, but felt a spark of interest whenever Zane addressed him. Despite Zane's flirtatious manner, there was something about him that made Luka feel at ease.
"Oh, we'll get to know each other eventually," Zane said. "I'm nothing if not persistent, dear."
"Just give me time and I'll make you fall for me, I promise," Zane chuckled. "You're a very hard person to forget, anyway."
Luka couldn't help but feel a tinge of appreciation at the words, but he still tried to play it off. He didn't want to give Zane any ideas.
"I'm not looking for anything like that right now," Luka muttered quietly. "I just need a fresh start, and I don't need romance or relationships getting in the way of that."
"Oh, but romance can be a great source of motivation," Zane countered. "Think about it, having a cute and adorable boyfriend to take care of you."
Luka felt his cheeks flush at the thought. A boyfriend...him, having a boyfriend? It was almost too good to be true.
"Besides," Zane added "I'm already falling hard for you. It's just a matter of time before you do, too."
He gave Luka a playful smile, and his words sent a shiver down his spine.
"yeah no thank you.. beside, we only met this time and we separated anyway..."
Luka looks outside the moving train as it past the big city
"I think I can make you change your mind about that," Zane chuckled. "Or should I say 'convince'?"
Luka felt his heart racing as he listened to Zane's flirtatious tone, and he wondered if he would be making a mistake by pushing him away.
What if he was the one? Luka wondered silently. No no..I can't be thinking of romance.. I need to focus on college..
The train rocked from side to side, and Luka thought about the different paths ahead of him. A fresh start, a new life...or perhaps a new love, too?
Luka lets out a soft sigh.. "...I'm heading to Wara university, and you?" Luka turn his gaze back at Zane who was still looking at him.
"Same here," Zane replied, giving Luka a small grin. "I'm studying engineering. What about you?"
"I'm studying aviation," Luka finally spoke up, not wanting to let the conversation completely die.
"Just looking for a fresh start, you know...?"
"Yeah, right there with you," Zane chuckled in response.
Luka felt a sense of relief as Zane seemed willing to drop the romantic subject and focus on their university lives instead.
He nodded in response to the idea of a 'fresh start, as if he could empathize with what it felt like to be at a brand new place, with a brand new life ahead.
The train slowed to a complete stop, and the doors were opened as students made their way out for the upcoming semester.
Luka was ready to go and make his way to his new dorm, but he turned back one last time, to see Zane standing by the doors as well.
"Oh, you're in my building?" Luka mumbled, a touch of surprise in his voice.
"Wait, I'll meet you at the dorm," Zane replied with a small smirk.
"Maybe we could be friends, you know?"
"Guess I am stuck with you...which room are you in?" Luka finally is the one who started to ask first.
"Room 309,"
Luka was quite surprised at the response. His new dorm was huge, and he had hoped to have a bit of peace and quiet. Now he was stuck in a dorm room next to a flirty, talkative stranger who seemed set on befriending him.
"Don't tell me you're my roommate.." Zane speaks as his grin gets a bit wider.
Luka felt his heart sink as Zane said his room number. They were both in Room 309, and it seemed like they were fated to be roommates.
"How could this get any worse?" Luka uttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "...Just my luck."*
He turned to face Zane again, and tried to hide his annoyance with a fake smile.
"What a pleasant coincidence," Luka mumbled. "I'll see you at the dorm."*
And with that, he turned and started walking away.
.
.
.
What a coincidence.
Chapter 1 - New start
Start from the beginning
