Chapter 6 ✔️

2 hours later...

"So, what was world-famous actor Jefferson Blake doing in your humble bookshop." Luke wonders aloud. Words dripping like honey from his lips thanks to  his smooth West London accent.

"Uh-" Chris attempts to speak, cheeks reddening as he feels himself getting flustered. What's he doing here anyway?

"It's not a bookshop, it's a library." Harvey quips, growing bored of the tiresome l 'will they-won't they' routine that seemed to start up whenever the pair were in the same room, "And I'm sure that's not why you came here, is it Prince William?"

"I may look like a prince but my name certainly isn't William...  It's far too common." Luke jokes, coming to stand on the other side of Harvey's reception desk, purposefully positioned just slightly too close to Chris, "And that's the exact reason why I'm here."

Harvey raises one dark brown eyebrow, which forms a imperfect arch above the chocolate of his eyes. He glances at his best friend inquisitively, hoping he might have a clue, but Chris just shrugs dumbly and looks at his crush equally confused.

"Oh come on, Chrissy? Even you haven't seen it? It's all over twitter!" Chris blushes a ferocious pink at the utterance of embarrassing nickname but only shakes his head.

"Haven't been on twitter recently." He shrugs again, nonchalant. He leans on the desk casually, trying to look muster some semblance desirability. But Luke, of course, sees through the façade and smirks, bemused, before turning to Harvey once again.

He fishes out and expensive phone, encased in a thick, tasteful, black covering devoid of any other decoration, and shoves it towards Harvey's face, "There, read it."

On the screen, glaringly bright and unmissable, is a tweet, written by someone with the handle @JeffBlakeOfficial. Harvey figures that it wouldn't take a genius to know that the account belongs to his celebrity crush. But he isn't very focused on the fact, because underneath is what manages to snatch his attention.

@JeffBlakeOfficial: So excited to announce that I'll be coming to @MorayUniversity this Thursday to give a talk on the life in the film industry! Hope you guys are too!

Harvey's eyes widen comically, causing Luke to shoot a smug grin at him. Chris furrows his eyebrows, making him look even younger than he already is and snatches the phone from his friend's firm grip.

"Oi, easy kiddo!" Luke warns, protective over his expensive phone.

"M'not a kid." Chris mumbles while he reads. He looks to be re-reading the tweet over and over again because his eyes scan the screen more than once, with increasing degrees of intensity. He then adopts the same expression that Harvey still has etched onto his face.

"This is real?" Harvey asks, though his mind is already elsewhere, working at a mile a minute.

"Yup." Luke states matter-of-factly, taking his phone back from Chris, "So... What's the deal with the two of you?"

Harvey snaps his head up, causing the mass of floppy brown curls to bounce around his face, then he tilts his head slightly to the side, "What d'you mean? We met once. That's all."

Luke scoffs, a disbelieving gesture, and turns to face Chris who's cheeks are still tinted pink in his presence.

"What do you think, Chrissy? There was totally a spark there."

Chris looks into Luke's warm honey eyes and visibly melts, "Yeah." He says breathlessly before catching himself and straightening up, "Um.. yeah, I definitely saw some flirting there." He nodded.

"See?" Luke grins triumphantly, "Like fireworks."

"Shut up, Lucas." Harvey sighs and starts stamping books with the university's logo. He knows Luke is only doing this to get under his skin. He's an ass like that. But Chris is practically in love with him and Luke - despite his aloof nature - seems to like Chris back. And he isn't so bad, he's just - as previously established - an annoying ass.

"Rude. But whatever. When you guys end up kissing under the Eiffel Tower just don't come asking me to design your wedding tuxedos." With that, Luke pushes himself off the desk and saunters out of the door with practiced grace. Chris stares at him with unmistakable longing.

"Fucking fashion students." Harvey mutters, "Dude. Why don't you lick his feet while you're down there kissing his ass?"

"If he asked me to I would do it in a heart beat." Chris muses, only half joking, "Anyway, he was right. You and Jeff had a connection."

"Chris, please. Not you too."

"No really! Did you see how flirty he was? He was totally coming on to you. Seems like he's embracing the gay culture perfectly."

"How?" Harvey asks blankly, pausing in his book stamping to look up at Chris.

"He saw a hot guy and went for it. It's not his fault that said hot guy didn't take the chance."

"Okay one; that was not 'going for it' and two; you think I'm hot?"

"Okay one; it was as close as you're ever gonna get, and two; is that really all you got from this conversation?"

Harvey just grins his adorable teeth-baring grin, and goes back to stamping his books.

"Idiot." Chris murmurs under his breath. He goes to leave; his shift well over by now. And when he's just out of the door he hears a faint, 'Asshole'.

He smiles. His best friend is so fucking clueless.