Silence | Book 1

3-3: Road Trip

"Do you want me to start reading?" He asked a bit unsure, but Hibiki nodded from behind the wheel as he drove them out onto the road. With a decisive head nod, Tristan tried to get his confidence up before setting to reading.

He was halfway through chapter one, when Hibiki drove into a petrol station. From the passenger seat, he watched as Hibiki topped off the car. He'd offered to do it, but Hibiki was adamant that he wanted to. Since there wasn't much else to see at a petrol station, he decided to watch him figure out how to do it on his own. In a strange way it was comforting to see that Hibiki too struggled with some things, especially ones he considered so mundane – it was like he had been let in on a side of him that normally wouldn't be seen. He didn't mind him being there, and he didn't mind to be there either, and the realisation sank in of how close they had gotten within a mere month.

A rattle broke the quiet, and made him look up to see that Hibiki had figured it out surprisingly quick considering how confused he had appeared at first. Tristan continued to watch, while he put the nozzle back in his place and stretched his arms out above his head apparently unaware of him. Or maybe he was and didn't care that Tristan saw his jumper lift up an inch or two above the waistband of his jeans.

Hibiki hadn't been lying when he said he was in shape, as even a small glimpse was enough to see the soft rise and fall of muscle caressed gently by his skin. Naturally his eyes had seen the expected first, including his navel and the dark hairs leading down. But then he saw the contrasts against his light golden skin; a few darker moles that dotted him, and what looked like several round, pale scars that edged up under the jumper. He wasn't sure what to make of it, part of him was curious about what could have caused those scars, but he felt like he should just forget he had ever seen it at all. Caught up in thoughts, he looked down and let his fingers drift over the edge of the book, taking a few deep breaths hoping that his blush would subside.

A tap on the window startled him, not even having realised that Hibiki had walked around. He looked up to see Hibiki point at him, make a walking gesture and point towards the store, before he smiled and drew a question mark. Realising that he was asked to go with, he smiled back and nodded despite still feeling his cheeks burn. He laid the book away on the dashboard, and could only hope that the cold air outside would hide how flustered he was.

The petrol station was on the larger size, with a chain coffee store attached to it. Since it was early on a Sunday morning, it was calm and quiet. As they entered, Hibiki gave him a tap on his shoulder and pointed towards the coffee store, then handed him a tenner. It took Tristan a second to get what he was saying, but then he nodded and took the money.

"What do you want?"

'A latte'

"Alright, thank you." He said, genuinely grateful. His only answer was a bit of a huff and a playful shooing gesture, waving him in the direction of the coffee store. Despite sighing and shaking his head, he still smiled as he walked over to make an order.

While he waited for a very uninterested looking employee to make the order, he checked his phone. As per usual there were a few new mails, and a few messages in the group chat they had made for that trip specifically. While typing out an update for the rest, he inadvertently let out a yawn.

T: Hey guys, we're on our way out of Oxford now.

K: You already left?

T: Hibiki picked me up.

H: You didn't call dibs first

Seeing Hibiki respond, Tristan leant back a little and threw a glance into the store. He was met with a sly grin and a little wave from Hibiki. He shook his head and looked down at his phone again as it pinged.