The Bookbelt | Tuesday

[bookbeltof_love]

So, like, Nina had about a million things to do (when didn't she though) but today most of her focus was on a) cleaning shop and b) wondering if it would be kind of pathetic to ask Prompto if he was showing up for Parents Weekend.

He probably had more important things to do, right? And it wasn't like they hadn't seen each other quite a bit recently. And she didn't want to be a bother...

... Maybe she'd ask Bus Dean to be her fake dad again. Or Liam.

But what if she was bothering them too? Ugh. It wasn't like Parents Weekend was important...

The Bookbelt is Open!

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[firstofitskind]

Nina, Nina, Nina...

Liam was sure they'd cleared up that whole 'You're not bothering me, I want to be here' thing over the weekend!

Case in point, before she'd left in the summer, he'd promised her a breakfast when she got back. Now he was making good on that promise, having spotted her opening up the shop today.

"Delivery!" he announced cheerfully as he pushed the door to the bookshop open.

[bookbeltof_love]

The lesson kept slipping from her mind! She was deeply bad at this!

"Liam!!!!!!!!" she said brightly, with a smile to match. "A delivery for me????????"

[firstofitskind]

“No, for the other owner of the bookstore,” Liam deadpanned. “The one I’ve never met and isn’t here today.”

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina flushed a little, though that smile of hers was going nowhere fast.

"He really does exist," she protested. "And, like, he does sometimes get deliveries here???????"

Mostly bits and pieces of parts of things that Nina couldn't figure out.

… what? Of course she went through his mail.

[firstofitskind]

"Yes, well," Liam waved a hand. "I don't remember promising him a breakfast," he pointed out.

It was nothing fancy; cheddar scones, a hot chocolate, and some fruit. Stuff that could be eaten around books without hopefully causing much of a mess, basically.

[bookbeltof_love]

"He'd probably think it was poisoned anyway," Nina admitted. "Like, he's a bit intense……"

Pot. Kettle.

"But thank you," she said, surveying the bounty. "I appreciate it!!!!!! Does this mean I get company for a while??????"

Because she'd appreciate that too.

[firstofitskind]

“You’re welcome,” Liam grinned at her. “And it absolutely does. I’m not just a delivery service; I happen to also be a decent conversationalist.”

[bookbeltof_love]

"Even better," Nina decided happily. "I was, like, starting to talk myself around in circles which means you're more than welcome to stay!!!!!!!!!"

And he didn't seem to have a drink, so...

"Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Tea? Water?"

[firstofitskind]

“You know? Tea would be great, actually,” Liam nodded.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Tea it is, then!!!!!!!!!!" Nina said, bouncing to her feet. "Luckily, I put the kettle on not long ago!"

Because in lieu of breakfast she'd been planning tea and then grabbing lunch later.

"I'm glad you showed up," Nina admitted.

[firstofitskind]

"Oh?" Liam asked. "Something on your mind?"

[bookbeltof_love]

"Always!!!!!!!!!" she said, as she puttered about getting his tea ready. "I mean, like, if I didn't, I'd be bored and I have it on good authority that no one wants that!!!!!!!!!"

Was Wayne good authority? He was certainly authoritative.

"Buuuuuuuuut there's two things????? Um, like, one is a favour for me and, like, really no big deal and I totally get if you don't want to????????? The other is....... something I'll probably have to bribe the squirrels to go away for???? But, like, it's not about me....."

[firstofitskind]

Sigh, Nina.

Liam just shook his head at her, because come on. "Okay, well, don't keep me in suspense, here!" he said pointedly. "What can I do for you?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin hadn't wanted to put her on the spot in class, so he'd engaged in some light stalking stopping into the book store instead. "Hello there."

[bookbeltof_love]

And, like, she deeply appreciated that! Both the stalking and the not putting her on the spot for class.

(Nina would always appreciate stalking.)

"Hi!!!!!!!!" she said, beaming up at him, glad to look away from the paperwork she was forging.

[sith_happened]

"Welcome back," Anakin said. "I missed you."

Which was very effusive, for Anakin.

[bookbeltof_love]

Which she knew, so that beaming grin wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm sorry," Nina said honestly. "Like, I didn't mean to be gone for so long?????????"

[sith_happened]

"How long was it for you?" Anakin asked.

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina blinked at him, startled.

"About two months for me," she said, bemused. "But, like, about three months here????????? You're the first person who has asked me if there was a time difference!!!!!!"

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "I was gone for years and it was only a week here, so I always ask."

[bookbeltof_love]

"That's probably, like, smart," she admitted, fidgeting a little before bursting out with, "Would it be weird if I asked for a hug??????"

It was probably weird? She definitely felt like it was weird.

[sith_happened]

"You can have a hug," Anakin said, stepping closer and just avoiding dealing with the potential weirdness altogether.

He gave really good hugs.

[bookbeltof_love]

That… was probably a good choice there because Nina would've just kept digging herself into the weirdness hole and it just would've ended in tragedy.

And he did give really good hugs.

It didn't banish the unsettled jitters that she'd been dealing with on her own but, like, it helped and Nina got few enough hugs that each of them was a gift.

"Thank you," she said, a bit embarrassed, when she pulled away.

[sith_happened]

"There's nothing to apologize for," Anakin said with a little smile.

[bookbeltof_love]

"I mean, like, I'd like to see you try that line on my brother," Nina said, wide-eyed. "He wasn't happy I disappeared for months on end!!!!!!!"

What? He was talking about the hug?

... Nina didn't want to talk about the hug, though she was very grateful for it.