tophu haha I am so sorry this took so long that writing block hit hard and I just went sleep lmao
Anyway have math nerds being gay. It came out a bit long oops.
btw I wrote this as young Tom.
"You're early." Tom forgot that people are usually meant to say 'hi' when they meet, but it was a bit late to go back on that. "Not that I mind, um. Did you get any further on that problem? I think I may have gotten something on it."
Mark did not seem to have registered what Tom said, and seemed to instead start talking very much and very quickly. It didn't bother Tom anymore at this point, Mark just did that sometimes. He was used to it (and admittedly he thought it was adorable when the boy got worked up talking about things he liked). Wait what was he talking about? That's not analytic geometry.
"Oh." That was a confession. One so spectacularly unexpected it felt like Mark was spewing gibberish at him at this point. He was gonna need a moment.
Tom never was a particularly social person. Not only was he shy, he simply didn't share many common interests with anyone around him. He didn't follow sports, nor any TV shows, nor was he particularly interested in cars or women and whatever other things he'd been told men were supposed to like. There just wasn't common ground to start a conversation.
But with Mark it just clicked.
The two were outcasts, eccentrics, even. That was probably what drew them together: no one else was willing to talk to them. Besides, Mark was probably the only other person in that miserable little town that knew anything about linear algebra, or topology, or hyperbolic geometry, or any of those abstract mathematical concepts that would drive most people to madness. For once in his life, Tom found himself immersed in a conversation that could go on for hours. It was nice.
He had starting looking forward to their encounters, maybe even caught feelings for him. Not that he ever intended Mark to find out. He wouldn't want to scare away the only friend he had. And then it hit him. Mark liked him. What were the chances? Was he finally having a streak of good luck? Tom could feel the blood rushing to his face (and tried very hard to make it stop). What was he supposed to do? Not once had he even considered the possibility that his feelings could be reciprocated.
He looked back at the boy, and it hit him again just how cute he was. He had large, deep red eyes with long dark lashes and messy white hair that nicely framed his face. It did not help with Tom's nerves.
"Uh, um. I- You're being serious right?" Tom genuinely couldn't tell. At least it didn't seem like he wasn't? "I mean. I like you too. Yeah. Do you, do you wanna go out?"