The library was a haven of silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of parchment and the soft scratch of quills. You sat at a long wooden table, your nose buried in ancient magical texts, completely absorbed in your project. Beside you, Cormac was focused on his own section of the project, his shoulder nearly brushing yours every now and then. He wasn’t exactly your favorite person, but the way he managed to decipher complicated runes without complaining made him bearable for the task at hand.

As you made a note in your book, your pocket gave a soft buzz. Your boyfriend Theodore’s name flashed on the screen, followed by a text that made your brow furrow.

Theodore: Move your as-

You blinked, staring at the message for a moment. You quickly typed back, confused.

You: Pardon?

Theodore: You’re too close to Cormac for my liking.

You stifled a laugh. You weren’t even aware of how close you were sitting to him.

You: We’re working.

Theodore: You are practically sitting on his lap. Move.

You raised your eyebrows. Now that was an exaggeration. You looked at Cormac—who was engrossed in his sketch of the rune diagram—and smirked.

You: Make me.

You could practically feel Theodore's frustration through the screen. Sure enough, within moments, you heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching, and when you glanced up, you saw him.

Your heart sank. He was coming over here.

“No, no, no,” you muttered under your breath, quickly glancing at Cormac, who had barely noticed the situation. But Theodore’s footsteps were getting louder, and you had no choice but to stand up, hands raised in surrender.

“Theo!” you hissed. “I was joking! Sit down for Merlin’s sake!”

Too late. Theodore was now standing directly in front of you, eyes locked onto Cormac like he was some kind of rival. Cormac blinked up at him, clearly confused, but too polite to say anything.

“Oh my-,” you muttered, slumping back into your seat as Theodore crossed his arms, still glaring at Cormac.