Late Night Library AU

[Nienke]

As the librarian stood next to him, seemingly chipper as ever, the puzzle pieces clicked together. He smelled and looked fresh, with clean clothes, but his face contradicted him enough to let Aslan know just what happened. The piece of confetti was also pretty damning.

“I have read it.” Aslan said with an ever so slightly detectable growl in his voice. The nice librarian had just gone way down on the list of people he wanted to spend time with.

“Your lovely colleague Margot helped me when I returned the book you suggested. The ending was disappointing.” If this guy hadn’t let him sleep last night, he was not planning on giving him the satisfaction of recommending good books.

Aslan wasn’t a very petty person, as long as he got a good enough rest, that was. Right now he had murder on his mind and just found the person to direct it at. Instead he had picked a few good books and actually was planning on doing some writing today. Yesterday’s reading nook had been occupied, so just had to find a new one today.

“You have something on your shoe.” He told the librarian, before walking away to find a spot. He was about to sit down in a very comfy looking chair, when he saw realised that he’d seen the two guys make out on it last night, and opting for a different reading nook.

The next person to disturb him, could only hope they walked away with their guts inside their body.

[Nienke]

BANDERSNATCH

Elijah's face fell as the guy told him he hadn't liked the ending. He was about to argue about it - Elijah could be incredibly annoying and argumentative about his favorite books, sometimes forgetting that liking a book was a subjective thing - but thought better of it, determination filling him instead.
"Okay, that's okay, but I promise I'm gonna find you the perfect book!" He finally grinned at him, throwing in a wink for free.

As he turned to look at his boot at the guy's remark, he bent down to take it off. Shrugging to himself since only he knew what had happened, he crumpled it up and stuffed it in one of his many pockets to throw it away later and straightened again only to find the mysterious stranger gone.
"Oh, but I had a new book for you..." He muttered sadly.

Elijah spent the rest of the day zooming through the library, putting away and fetching books for people, giving unsolicited recommendations - though secretly everyone liked his suggestions since he always seemed to know the perfect book for each person - and creating another makeshift buffet of finger sandwiches, which to Margot's dismay he had prepared right on her counter.
"This does not need to happen here." She grumbled.
"What's that Margie?" He asked in a disinterested voice, clearly not listening while he was cutting a pickle into small pieces to put into the cucumber salad he was making.
"Where did you even get this stuff?? I haven't seen you leave the library yet here you are with a goddamn cutting board, vegetables, bread, the works... This isn't a goddamn restaurant, you little shit."
"Here, try this one..." He butted in, shoving a finger sandwich with tuna salad into her hand.
"Not bad." She grouchily admitted, reaching for another one.
"I'm gonna do a snack round for the patrons, be right back." Elijah announced as he plated a couple of the little sandwiches, stacking them precariously.
"People are not supposed to eat in here, this is a goddamn library." She pointed at him, though at this point she scolded him more for the sport of it, having given up the notion that anything or anyone would be able to change Eli's ways.
"I'm civilized okay, I'm giving them napkins too. Besides, there's nothing better than reading a good book and having a nice little snack to go with it." He whined, before disappearing off to drop plates off randomly on people's laps, on the arms of their chairs or shoving it into people's hands if they were standing, not pausing to give anyone any explanation or so much as a greeting.

With delight he discovered the hot guy with the pretty hair sitting in one of the better hidden reading corners. Seeing that he was immersed in a new book he very quietly retrieved the book he wanted to recommend him next out of the inside pocket in his blouse before placing it next to the guy on the little table, neatly putting a plate on top of it and disappearing again without the guy noticing, a small smile on his face at the fact that he had been able to see the guy again before the end of the day.

[Nienke]

If anger and frustration did one thing for Aslan, it was a certain laser focus on his work. It's almost as if the feeling did him good, maybe that's why he was so excellent at it. He had found his new little nook and got absolutely absorbed into his book. It wasn't long, he thought, before he'd finished it, but as he looked up the sky outside had darkened and his stomach was rumbling. To his surprise, he found some finger sandwiches on the arm of his chair. It wasn't a replacement for dinner, but it was exactly what his stomach had been growling for. He didn't really question where it had come from, as he had a glaring suspicion. Quickly confirmed by the librarian who kept walking by suspiciously often looking in his direction. He had to say that the librarians new book recommendation was quite the novel. His residing anger allowed him to acknowledge that and bygones were bygones. Until the next library party he presumed.

A few weeks passed. Aslan had gone from reading and research to writing. The research was ongoing though, but at least he was putting words on 'paper'. His usual method of writing was a rough draft, just to abandon it and focus on the characters. He couldn't help but find inspiration in the people around him. Marge was an excellent example. Although, soon his eye fell on the obvious choice. His mind had tried to stay clear of him, but he just couldn't help it. Aslan had developed a bit of an obsession.

As usual, he was in early morning, every day. He was a morning person after all. Then again, the librarian clearly did not seem like the morning person type, but he was here regardless most mornings. He would be there when Aslan left in the late evening and most moments in between. The librarian seemed to annoy his colleagues and patrons in equal amounts as being endeared by them. It was as if he had a magnetic pull. Specifically, with continuously switching poles. Where in the one moment you could completely reject him and the next your were mysteriously attracted to him. Not that mysteriously, Aslan knew how magnets worked, but still.
The librarian would have a party at night, keeping him awake, just to somehow win him over again the next day. He absolutely hated it, made him feel like he had no control over his mind and body. Which was one of the area's Aslan took particular pride in. There was just something about seeing this guy push up a cart of books on the little slope. Those ridiculously tight outfits and that dashing smile that was gifted to any passing person. You'd think it would have lost all meaning. But whenever Aslan was on the receiving end, he couldn't help but feel something.

Safe to say, he had developped somewhat a social life outside of the library. He had joined a bigger woodworking atelier and went bird-spotting once a week with a little club. He even had plans to go out to a bar tonight. It had been a while since he had been with, well, anyone really. Aslan didn't like to admit it, but even he needed some physical connection every now and then. For now he was content to write at the library though, in his new favourite nook. It didn't take the librarian long before coming over.

"You have a new book for me?" Aslan asked as he kept writing.

"Good morning to you too! Actually I'm here with a little questionnaire. We like to keep up with patrons to see if everything is to their liking and if we need to make any adjustments." Eli tapped a few times on his clipboard. Which was very much entirely empty, save for some lude illustrations he'd done earlier.

"Just leave it here and I will fill it out later."

"No, that's okay. It's more of a conversational questionnaire. First question: What is your marital status? And if single, please indicate if you are dating someone." The librarian's face was very, very serious.

"Excuse me? What does that have to do with my library needs?" Let's just say, Aslan liked life private.

"it just gives us a complete picture of our patrons and whether their partners are also a part of our library." Eli flashed a toothy grin and then attempted to put on a serious face again. His questionnaire face.

[Nienke]

BANDERSNATCH

"Hey Eli, can you check on some books for me? Computer says we still have them but some of our patrons couldn't find them." Marge asked him without looking up from the computer.
"Anything for you beautiful." He replied cheerily as he jumped down from her desk - which his ass had claimed with complete disregard for all the pens and books she kept there tidily, much to her chagrin.
She pushed a clipboard into his hands before continuing her furious typing.
He half heartedly looked the list over before halfway through flipping over the page and deciding to instead spend his time developing his artistic abilities. He was halfway through shading a faceless guy's ass when he found he had subconsciously been walking over to his favorite patron's new dwelling grounds. Before his brain could even catch up with his mouth he had launched into his questionnaire spiel.

"My dating life is none of your business." The guy coldly replied. Elijah, not deterred, simply smiled his brightest smile back at him.
"Oh no, this is not for me, this is for the library. The big boss just wanted some insights into word of mouth advertising, boring stuff like that, whether people like it here enough to bring their partners, yadda yadda yadda." He smiled sweetly at the guy.
"No."
"Okay, no problem." Elijah pursed his lips and turned around with his little clipboard, going back to his doodling of male genitals and faces making lewd and suggestive expressions. He was a bit crestfallen, but he'd get the guy to crack, he thought with determination.
"So do you have a book for me?" The deep called after him. A giddy little smile crept up his face as he swiftly turned around again and once again managed to magically procure a book from somewhere under his blouse, already wildly rambling about how good this new book was and why he needed to read it.

Elijah spent the rest of the day smiling and whistling through the library, pissing off several of the patrons whenever he started full on belting out to whatever weird niche music he was listening to - though he was blissfully unaware of the complaints since he had his big headphones on.
The guy was a tough nut to crack, that was for sure, but Elijah really felt like he was warming up to him. Or maybe defrosting was the better term. Elijah being Elijah, he honestly kinda like the challenge. He was too used to just strutting into clubs and bars and getting his way easily. This was a nice change of pace. Well, as long as the guy was gay or bi, he realised with horror. He usually had a great radar, but this guy was giving him nothing. He felt like an enigma, which was both thrilling and fun but also terrifying to him. He felt like a teen again with a silly crush, but who knew, maybe he was a serial killer. Or an escaped fugitive or something. He came to the weird realisation that he still hadn't actually learned the guy's name. That was next on his list, then.

Sadly though, his plans to take the big next step - asking the guy for his name - were foiled as the handsome stranger disappeared from the library about halfway through the day. He didn't return for the rest of the day. His mood didn't sour though, because it only cemented his decision to be more bold going forward. That was, until he stepped out at night, locking up the library with a soft click, and turning to find two figures in a passionate embrace at the entrance of the place next door. He went to look away out of respect, before realising he recognized the big bulky figure and that unmissable beautiful long hair. A pang shot through him as he realised it was his favorite library-goer. Of course it was too good to be true, how could someone like him not have a partner? The only small relief was that the other person appeared to be a guy too. At least he was into guys, then.
He was about to quietly sneak away when suddenly Aslan's eyes opened and met his. Elijah's breath hitched in his throat, feeling frozen in place as the guy kept looking at him through hooded eyes, seemingly kissing the shorter guy with even more passion, Aslan's mouth and tongue moving lasciviously slow. His heart beat fast in his chest as he could feel his face warming, unable to move under Aslan's gaze.

[Nienke]

One of his new-found friends, Gale, from woodworking club had invited him to the local bar. She mentioned it was just a chill get together and to let off some steam from their workday. It had been a long time since Aslan had a typical workday, but he appreciated the sentiment.
As it turns out, Gale and her friends were all professors at the local university. The conversations that night went from intellectual to the local school gossip and back. He had to admit that he actually had a great time with them, they seemed to warm up to him easily and they even invited him to their weekly book club. Which was basically just reading trash novels, getting drunk and deciding who the worst character was.

They said their goodbyes and Aslan went over last to settle his bill, a smile still playing on his lips. As he looked around, he saw he was the last person to still be in the bar. It was the first time he noticed the bartender opposite him. Handsome guy, bit shorter than he was, casual, though well dressed. Not bad, he thought to himself. He gave the guy a smile, put some money in the tip box and bid him a good evening. Just as he was about to leave, the guy put down a glass.

“On the house,” the bartender flashed a smile as he continued cleaning glasses.
“You’re not from around here,” he said as Aslan sat down opposite him and sipped on the glass of whiskey.

“Neither are you, James.” His name tag very much said ‘Jim’, but the guy just did not seem like a Jim.

“Do you also teach at Weston’s?” He realized Gale and her friends must be regulars here then.

“No, Gale and me just happen to be in the same woodworking class,” Aslan smiled politely, doubting if he’d made the right choice to stay, or if this guy just needed some company while closing.

“Huh… Woodworking, I didn’t know that was still a thing. What’s it like?” James seemed genuinely interested, but after a night of socializing Aslan did not feel like feigning interest, even if the guy was quite attractive.

“Listen, James, thank you for the drink, but I don’t enjoy small talk very much. I do however think you are very hot.” Aslan held eye contact as he took another sip of his whiskey. Aslan leaned over the bar and took the pen out of James’ shirt pocket. “Here’s my number in case you’re free tonight after your shift.” Aslan flashed him a smile as he leaned back over to put the pen back and ever so slightly touch the near blushing bartender’s chest. He took another sip and left the bar.



Aslan got home with a slight buzz, a slightly fuzzy head and generally feeling very pleasant. He fed his birds, dressed down to something comfortable and got himself another whiskey. Settling in with a good book on the couch. His birds cuddling up in the neck of his sweater, making little chirps every now and then. It wasn’t long before his phone beeped, and James asked where to meet him.
“Someone’s got game,” he mused to his birds before putting them back in their cage and draping over a light blanket. He lit some candles and put on some music, before walking downstairs barefoot and meeting him downstairs at the library.

“Hey.” James seemed equal amounts of nervous and excited. Aslan brought up both his hands to James’ cheeks and kissed him slightly before saying hi back. He took the bartender’s hand to bring him upstairs, but the sweet little taste that James had gotten was not enough. Before they could reach the stairs, James pushed Aslan against the wall and started to kiss him with a bit more passion.

Aslan really wasn’t the type of person to start making out on the street, but it had been a while and the excitement was mutual. He found himself getting very much lost in it, until he heard, maybe even felt, an every so slight footstep next to him. His eyes shot open, bringing him back to earth again. It took his eyes a second to get used to the dark, but two big familiar eyes were looking back at him a few feet away. Two big eyes he had been thinking about more and more lately. Whatever had started out as a character case study had developed into something a little more and he didn’t realize until that very moment.

There was something magnetic between the Librarian’s eyes and his own. He couldn’t look away; he didn’t want to. Oblivious James just kept kissing him and with a strange, hot feeling inside of him, Aslan got into it even more. It must have been six seconds at most, but they felt to stretch forever. James started kissing his neck and moving his hands under his shirt, a heavy breathing Aslan was still stuck staring at Eli. The slightest bit of skin was visible between his sweater and the hem of his pants. Aslan wasn’t sure why, but he enjoyed the librarian seeing him like this. He could see the flush in Eli’s cheeks even in the dark.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered into James’ ear, taking his hand. He took one last look over his shoulder before reaching the second floor. The Librarian still standing there frozen in place.



After a very fun night, and morning, Aslan had cooked James up a nutritious breakfast as he was showering and packaged it for him to take with. He couldn’t send a hook up away without a good meal, the hospitality in him was too strong. He did however need James to get the fuck out. He had books to read and books to write. And a mission to make a certain Librarian blush. Again.

He walked into the library that morning, seeing Eli and Milo leaning over the counter, shoulders touching looking like they had hot gossip. It stopped the second he came in and said, “Good morning”. A smile on his face as he walked away and settled into his little nook.

[Nienke]

BANDERSNATCH

Naturally, Elijah was unbearable to be around the next day.
Although the nighttime interaction had left him montrously h0rny and confused, as soon as he had 'taken care of business' he had laid in bed awake for the rest of the night, sulking to himself and thinking of the beautiful stranger and how he was probably having a grand old time with someone who wasn't him.

"Wait so he saw you and just kept going??" Milo hissed towards him. Two patrons had been waiting impatiently at the counter for about 15 minutes, but neither of them gave them the time of day since CLEARLY they had something more important to talk about.
"Yes!! And like what does that even mean?? I won't lie, I was hard as rocks because that was hot as fuck but I can't believe he's taken... I mean, I can, because look at him, you know? Have you ever looked at his ass? Why do the gods hate me so much..." He lamented, to which Milo sympathetically patted him on the back while throwing a glare at the woman who cleared her throat in annoyance. This, however, drew his gaze to the door, from which the center of their conversation walked through. Milo quickly kicked Elijah to shut him up.
Milo unabashedly stared at Aslan, but Eli awkwardly tried to not look at the guy - failing miserably as his gaze kept being drawn to him, eyes slightly widened and cheeks once again reddening.
"Holy shit did you see that smirk? Man definitely knows what he's doing. Yeah, I don't envy you. Or maybe I do." Milo started blabbering again as soon as he was out of sight.
"Jesus christ are you actually blushing?" He cackled as he looked back at a now silent Eli.
"Shut up and go sweep or something." Eli snarked back.

For the rest of the day, Eli did everything within his might to avoid running into the handsome mystery man, but the fates seemed to be playing some practical joke on him as he kept being sent to the section where he had his new reading nook, or running into him in random isles. Anytime he ran into him he would turn red and book it as quickly as he could.
He'd never met anyone who could render him such a useless stammering pile.
He let himself sink down against the Terry Pratchett bookshelf with a sigh as he had once again run away after seeing the guy.
"What the fuck Eli..." he mumbled to himself. Normally he was great with people, he never got embarrassed or flustered, HE was the one who made others flustered - or simply annoyed, on a bad day.
"Get your shit together!" He groaned as he hit himself with an old copy of "Guards! Guards!".

[Nienke]

BANDERSNATCH

Naturally, Elijah was unbearable to be around the next day.
Although the nighttime interaction had left him montrously h0rny and confused, as soon as he had 'taken care of business' he had laid in bed awake for the rest of the night, sulking to himself and thinking of the beautiful stranger and how he was probably having a grand old time with someone who wasn't him.

"Wait so he saw you and just kept going??" Milo hissed towards him. Two patrons had been waiting impatiently at the counter for about 15 minutes, but neither of them gave them the time of day since CLEARLY they had something more important to talk about.
"Yes!! And like what does that even mean?? I won't lie, I was hard as rocks because that was hot as fuck but I can't believe he's taken... I mean, I can, because look at him, you know? Have you ever looked at his ass? Why do the gods hate me so much..." He lamented, to which Milo sympathetically patted him on the back while throwing a glare at the woman who cleared her throat in annoyance. This, however, drew his gaze to the door, from which the center of their conversation walked through. Milo quickly kicked Elijah to shut him up.
Milo unabashedly stared at Aslan, but Eli awkwardly tried to not look at the guy - failing miserably as his gaze kept being drawn to him, eyes slightly widened and cheeks once again reddening.
"Holy shit did you see that smirk? Man definitely knows what he's doing. Yeah, I don't envy you. Or maybe I do." Milo started blabbering again as soon as he was out of sight.
"Jesus christ are you actually blushing?" He cackled as he looked back at a now silent Eli.
"Shut up and go sweep or something." Eli snarked back.

For the rest of the day, Eli did everything within his might to avoid running into the handsome mystery man, but the fates seemed to be playing some practical joke on him as he kept being sent to the section where he had his new reading nook, or running into him in random isles. Anytime he ran into him he would turn red and book it as quickly as he could.
He'd never met anyone who could render him such a useless stammering pile.
He let himself sink down against the Terry Pratchett bookshelf with a sigh as he had once again run away after seeing the guy.
"What the fuck Eli..." he mumbled to himself. Normally he was great with people, he never got embarrassed or flustered, HE was the one who made others flustered - or simply annoyed, on a bad day.
"Get your shit together!" He groaned as he hit himself with an old copy of "Guards! Guards!".

[Nienke]

Last night had been fun he had to admit. James was alright, but nothing special, really. It had just been good to get his dopamine levels up. The one thing his mind kept coming back to though, was those big eyes staring at him as James had been kissing his neck. And those same eyes could barely meet his as he walked into the library this morning. He couldn't quite gage the librarians feelings about what had happened last night. He was keen to find out, of course, entirely from a writer's perspective, or so he told himself.

He got most of the work he had planned for that day out of the way. Closely sticking to the schedule he had set up for himself, to meet his publisher's deadlines. Which meant he had some time left to ambush his current muse.

It took him only a minute to find the guy. Somehow he was never really far. Given that the library wasn't all that big, he just always seemed to be around. With his head between his legs, arms folded over his head and a few books lying around him, he definitely looked like he was having a 'moment' of existential crisis. As quietly as Aslan could he sat down cross legged next to the librarian. Half a meter between them. Aslan leaned back against the book case.

"I used to love Terry Pratchett as a kid," he mused, startling the little puddle of desperation shaped like a librarian.

"Your book recommendation from yesterday kind of reminded me of his writing style." He held out the book he had just finished this morning during breakfast.

[Nienke]

BANDERSNATCH

Elijah's head darted up as that beautifully rich and deep voice sounded, frighteningly close for his taste.
He couldn't help but be drawn to the guy's pretty lips as he talked, remembering the way they had moved yesterday night. His pupils dilated as he mindlessly wet his lips, opening and closing his mouth while he tried to will his brain to not be mush and formulate actual words.
He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, but after a little while he managed to form a reply.
"Terry Pratchett is one of my favourite authors..." He spoke ever so softly. Wordlessly he accepted the book from the guy, his heart still warming at the fact that he had once again read Eli's recommendation.
He cleared his throat. "Uhm, yeah, actually that's why I like this one so much... I can give you another one by the same author if you'd like?" He licked his lips again as he thought and twisted around to grab a book just slightly above his head, barely having to look to reach the right one.

[Nienke]

He could see a bit of a blush forming on the guys cheeks. It suited him and effortlessly matched the peachy colour of his blouse.

"Looks like we have something in common, then. Besides liking books, that is." Aslan flashed a rare smile. Seeing the librarian licking his lips now, he couldn't help but be a bit taken by them. Realizing that was exactly what he was thinking about last night, as he stood outside the library kissing James, his eyes locked on someone else. It's what happened though, when you start to take inspiration from actual people, you become ever so slightly obsessed with them and start to romanticize the idea of them. Fantasy blurring with reality in a devilish smoothy of infatuation.

"I would like that very much." Aslan realized he actually had to say words out loud, instead of getting lost in whatever fantasy world he had been creating that morning. He might need to take a little break from writing about this character and focus on some other things. He expected it might be increasingly harder to get work done otherwise.

As Eli reached for the book, he unknowingly had another book slide out. With his quick reflexes Aslan leaned over to stop it from hitting the librarians head. In the process grazing his hand and leaning in much closer than he expected. Their faces weren't close enough to touch, but much closer than he ever intended. He felt a little flushed for a second, before moving back.