It was a good day today! Not only did Booker have an amazing jog this morning, the breakfast he had made was impeccable (which he knew because he had to protect his waffle every time Nessa tried to steal bits whenever she passed by the table and if she wanted one she should have said so when he asked the FIRST time instead of burying her face deeper into the pillow!), AND he made it to work in plenty of time to actually get a jump on some much needed work. Over all, Booker was in an absolute good mood and couldn’t wait to see what else the world was going to bring him.

Wandering through the New York Public Library, pushing a small bookc art of books, Booker was must have made quite the sight. For starters, the man who easily towered past six-feet, was pushing a small, half cart made of wood that barely reached up to his waist. Slightly hunched as he pushed the cart with books, Booker looked every bit the dedicated librarian with his dark jeans, his lilac colored, button up shirt, and the smoky gray vest that adorned his muscular chest. Around his neck, of course, was his patented bow tie. At a glance it looked rather plain black with a repetitive pattern, but upon closer inspection one could see it was from a classic and popular video game series entitled Average Giuseppe Bros.

Booker did nothing to hide his fandom. It was a good thing, then, that few, if anyone, ever actually called him out on them. Booker wasn’t afraid to defend his fashion choices, but he was fortunate enough that few, if anyone actually bothered him on the matter.

Fresh-faced for the morning, Booker casually whistled in a low tone to himself as he moved throughout the bookshelves, quietly picking up books and sliding them back into their empty spots on the shelves for other people to find them. As he did this, he picked up a clipboard from his card and casually made notes about work interns had done in the same area, nodding when they shelved books correctly and sighing when they didn’t. He shook his head, made a note of a bad shelving, and pressed on.

His light hair looked slightly disheveled but the man managed to pull it off to utter perfection. Added to that the rugged, five-o-clock shadow and he certainly cut a roguish figure. The man got more than a few stares from other patrons in the building but he was too engrossed in his work to actually take notice of any of it. Instead the man moved his way back to the References Desk, the area which greeted most every person who entered the library.

Pushing the cart behind the desk, Booker smiled to the older woman who was sitting up front, a Ms. Washinton, who was sweet with every patron who came in and every co-worker. Of course that didn’t mean she didn’t get handsy whenever she took part in happy hour. More often than Booker liked to admit, he had been a victim of those surprisingly spry hands. And, my god, she knew how to punch. It had been months he could swear his left buttcheek was still sore where she last pinched it.

Luckily it was both daylight and work hours, ole Righty would be safe to work around her.

As Ms. Washington covered the desk, Booker had his back to her, and anyone who would approach the desk, as he looked at the stacks and stacks of book crates that had been collected from the bookdrop this morning. It seemed that most of the big exams were finally over and all the local students who used their services had returned everything en masse. It was going to be a pain-in-the-butt to check-in everything, but first thing was first – he needed to move these boxes.

”Yo Washington,” he smirked and scratched at his stubble. ’You can handle lifting all these crates, right?” He beamed innocently

“Now why would I do that?” she asked with a devilish smile. “When I can sit back and enjoy the show?”

Booker chuckled, blushing a tiny bit and twirled his finger, giving her the signal to turn her chair back around. Maybe he wasn’t as safe as he initially thought he was. When Ms. Washington gave him a wink and swiveled her chair back around to help someone who had walked up to the desk, Booker snerked as he turned his back to her again, and faced the crates. He sighed. Leaning down, he easily managed to pick up a crate that looked far too heavy for most anyone else to pick up and set it aside. Once that was moved, he bent over again to pick up another crate and moved it.

Ugh, okay, so maybe this was annoying, but he still had a great morning and high hopes for the rest of the day. Come on, karma! Make it a good one!

The New York Library really was just as big as Booker had claimed. It was also a heck of a lot prettier than Juliette had initially pictured, too. It was an old white building with intricate carvings on the front and three large doors flanked by white columns. She stepped on the staircase and took another glance down at the business card that had sat in her wallet for the past few weeks. It was one of her rare days off, so she figured that it would be a good time to finally go where she said she would.

She was wearing a simple outfit - jeans, a lacy white top, a green jacket, and little black ankle boots. It wasn’t particularly low cut, which was a purposeful choice. Things had been made clear during their first meeting, and they were going to keep it that way.

Still, she didn’t want to overanalyze things. She was just meeting a friend at his workplace. Thankfully, it was midday on a Tuesday, so the library, for the most part, wasn’t all that busy. She assumed that the steps that she was standing on were usually full of people, not just the odd school tour on a lunch break. She walked up the stairs and entered the library, looking around for a familiar face.

She didn’t see a familiar face, but she did see the inside of the library. She had thought that the outside of the building was something to see, but the inside was truly incredible. It was enormous, and there were more books than she ever thought there could be in one building. Apparently, she had been putting off the trip to that library for far too long.

On that, her first visit, though, she had two goals: find a certain book, and find a certain Book. The latter would be able to help her with the former, so she decided to scan closer to the ceiling for the tall man.

There were plenty of people in the library, but she couldn’t seem to spot Booker. She spun around in her spot with no avail. As far as she could see, he wasn’t there. Maybe she had come on his day off? That would be impossibly unfortunate.

She wasn’t about to give up, though. Juliette strode forward and approached the woman sitting at the front desk. ”Hi, is there any chance that you could help me find… never mind.”

There he was. Standing behind the desk, moving a bunch of crates. She realised that she must have missed him the first time because of her eye line of the crouching man. She may have been looking at his back, but the lavender shirt and grey vest were huge clues. Not to mention the height.

“You’re looking for Booker?” The woman behind the desk smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Good choice. Booker, sweetheart, you have a visitor!”

Booker was a busy boy. When he had a task on his mind, the man worked hard to get it done. It was just his way. It was actually what made him such a good librarian, his attention to detail and his focus. So as he busied himself with books from the book drop, organizing them into crafts alphabetically so that they could more easily be sorted onto shelves, she didn’t pay attention to the rest of the world around him. If he had, he would have noticed the familiar face that wandered in through the front doors and the fact that she had approached the desk with a question on her lips.

Again, Booker was a harder worker and, unfortunately, that tended to mean that, from time to time, he wasn’t all together present.

>> ”Hi, is there any chance that you could help me find… never mind.”

He both heard the voice, and didn’t hear the voice. With a little song on his lips, the man quietly sang to himself, holding up handfuls of books at a time and placing them into order on the spot before moving them back into a more organized crate. Really this was work that he should be passing off to his interns but seeing as they were out on a shifting project, he didn’t want to put too much on their plates. Besides, this was nice, zoning out work, and Booker, if anyone, loved a nice session of zoning out.

Again, that meant he wasn’t all-together present in the moment. He didn’t hear the voice of the most medically knowledged DJ on the east coast when she started to ask her question to Ms. Washington. As a matter of fact, to Booker it was little more than white noise that he drowned out with his own humming as he continued to work. His deskmate, though, knew how to get his attention whenever he was in these states of mind.

>>“You’re looking for Booker? Good choice. Booker, sweetheart, you have a visitor!”

Booker made an inquisitive sound as she turned on his heel to face the woman. He opened his mouth, about to throw some sass and a grin the older woman’s way, but stopped when he suddenly caught sight of the woman in front of the counter.

It only took a second for Booker to instantly recognize her as Juliette, the nurse whom he had met a few weeks ago. Without really meaning too, Booker smiled genuinely at the sight of her. She looked a bit different than from when he last saw her, but that made sense since she was wearing scrubs. That wasn’t the twenty-four hour dress of all medical professionals; they did have lives outside of those places. A quick glance would show that she must off work for whatever reason. Her attire was far more casual and it definitely, definitely suited her.

”DJ Dizzle…” he said with a pleasant surprise in his voice.

In all fairness, he really wasn’t expecting her to come visit at the library. He had assumed that maybe she was just talking, agreeing she would visit, as a means of letting him down easily. So imagine his surprise when he found that she was actually here, actually standing before him, with a smile on her lips. For a moment he wasn’t exactly sure what else to say but a sound of something clearing their throat pulled his attention back to the present.

Ms. Washington tilted her head down, pulling her glasses onto the bridge of her nose as she eyed him close. Her lips pressed them, she subtly, and silently, mouthed to him “Go” before she turned back around in her chair to face Juliette.

“He’ll be with you in a moment, hun,” the older woman said lightly. “He’s busy regaining his senses.”

His cheeks colored in slight embarrassment as he walked up to the desk, giving the woman a dismissive wave and keeping his eyes on Juliette. ”Don’t mind her, she’s just…you know…bitter.” A playful slap landed on his arm, to which Booker feigned it being a far more grievous injury. Said injury only lasted a second, though, she he shared a well-meaning smile with the woman before turning his attention back to the off-duty nurse. ”Good to see you, Lady Juliette,” he beamed. ”What brings you to my neck of the woods? If it’s to collect on my medical bill, we did have a verbal contract that I didn’t have to pay on account of my amazing dance skills.”

Clearly, Booker had been lost in thought as he unpacked books from the crates. He didn’t even seem to have noticed that she’d come in, or that she was speaking just a few feet away from him. However, when the woman behind the desk (whose name tag said was Ms. Washington) called his name, he was broken from his trance.

It didn’t take long for him to recognize her. The fear of him not remembering their meeting that she wasn’t even aware she had was immediately quelled, and she matched his grin. There was something overwhelmingly reassuring about his grin.

>>”DJ Dizzle…”

”In the flesh,” Juliette nodded. He’d trailed off after saying her nickname and then just stopped completely. She figured that her appearance might be a bit of a surprise, but she didn’t think that she would shock him that much. Her smile fell as she silently worried that she really had misdiagnosed his concussion and there were residual effects.

She was about to say something or wave her hand in front of his face, or really just do anything when Ms. Washington cleared her throat. Juliette was grateful for some sort of interruption. After a second, she turned back to her and informed her that Booker just needed a minute.

Juliette smirked and cocked her head at him. It was a little bit adorable, actually. He approached the desk while blushing, claiming that Ms. Washington was just bitter. The woman then slapped his arm in a friendly way and shook her head as she gave a meaningful glance toward Juliette. She seemed to be a little bit bitter about something, but it wasn’t that.

>>”What brings you to my neck of the woods? If it’s to collect on my medical bill, we did have a verbal contract that I didn’t have to pay on account of my amazing dance skills.”

She shook her head in response, grinning as she replied, ”no, no. I never collect money myself. I’m much too important for that. That’s what nursing students are really for,” she lied with a grin. She might have toned down her sarcasm a little if she’d thought that he couldn’t take it, but she knew full well that he could. ”From what I can remember, though, you lost the dance competition. That means that medical bills still need to be paid. Sorry.”

With a wink, she leaned her arms against the front desk and tapped her toe against the heel of her other foot. ”I’m here to see what you’re like when you’re not semi-concussed. And perhaps to take you up on that offer of a tour.”

Before waiting for a response, she chimed in with another detail that she’d noticed when he turned around to face her. How could she not? ”Nice bowtie.”

So this was an interesting turn of events! As much as he wanted to believe that he would see the pretty nurse again when he left the hospital that day, deep down he didn’t know if it was something that was really in the cards or just come fanciful dream of his. Besides, really, if she had agreed to come see him way back then, she had a boyfriend. She had said so herself. And Booker wasn’t the type to pursue someone who was already taken. Flirt with them a little, maybe, but willfully break up a relationship, certainly not.

Still, he was over thinking this. He knew he was. That was, unfortunately a probably that he did have. Booker tended to think of things over and over, over analyzing, picking things apart, and then trying to guess what was going to happen in the future. But that was no way to live a life and, if experience has taught him anything, it’s that the world loves to defy explanation, no matter how hard he tried.

Juliette being here was a surprise but it was certainly one that he was not going to second guess; you couldn’t second-guess a smile like that.

After his initial exchange with the sweet, yet ornery Ms. Washington, Booker focused back on the nurse across from him. He gave her a grin and arched his eyebrow as he accused her of trying to shake him down for medical bills when they had already agreed that he didn’t have to pay anything. She, however, found a loop hole…

>> ”No, no. I never collect money myself. I’m much too important for that. That’s what nursing students are really for… From what I can remember, though, you lost the dance competition. That means that medical bills still need to be paid. Sorry.”

There was that sass that he was so fond of. The woman certainly had a way of words and she didn’t back down. She met him, jab for jab, and Booker couldn’t help but dig the hole of his admiration for her just a little deeper each and every time. This was truly tragic just how cruel fate was. But, being the professional and a gentleman, the man soldiered on and masked whatever pain was there with humor; it made the perfect defense.

”Oh excuse me m’Lady,” he said with a chuckle. ”And I’ll have you know, I would have completely won that dance contest if the jury weren’t so clearly biased. Yes, she was more talented, skilled, cuter, and passionate than I was but…um…” he thought for a second, tapping his chin. ”I forgot where I was going with that...”

“You were outclassed by a better dancer than you in every way.” Ms. Washington said, a playful smirk on her lips, but focused entirely on her computer screen and not on the faces of either participant at the desk.

”THANK YOU…as always…Ms. Washington…” the man said with a sigh. Tapping her shoulder, he gave her a sweet smile when she finally caught his eye. ”Listen, I just have to say this. I know we joke around a lot, that we mock one another, hate each other sometimes even…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. He did that one purpose, earning him a subtle flipping off from the older woman as she returned to her oh-so-important game of solitaire. Booker himself had returned his gaze to Juliette, the thought crossing his mind as to what brought her here. He could guess, actually, since he did invite her by leaving her one of his business cards the last that they met. Could that have really been the reason to bring her back into his life?

As she leaned against the desk, Booker couldn’t help but draw parallels to how flirtatious that could have been taken. Her smile, her relaxed posture, the librarian let his mind wander briefly through dangerous territory. With his eidetic memory, he could recall how she looked at their last meeting. The flashes of smiles, the glint in her eyes, they were similar to what he saw now. Oh how he wanted to believe that something more was there but he just couldn’t really bring himself to actually consider it – at least not yet. No, he had to keep his focus on what she was here for…

>> ”I’m here to see what you’re like when you’re not semi-concussed. And perhaps to take you up on that offer of a tour.”

His smile couldn’t have brightened more than it did when he heard that. Not only did Booker LOVE talking about the library, he loved talking about it with people who were genuinely interested in it. Juliette was a reader, though she had yet to experience this place. To be there to witness that, to be her personal tour guide, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat elated. To add to that euphoria, though, was that fact that he couldn’t help but notice that she was here by herself. Where was her boyfriend? Though, not really broken hearted he didn’t get to meet him, still, he couldn’t help but be curious.

”Oh, well, of course!” he said with a beaming smile. ”Pretty slow day today and I definitely have the time. So long as you do as well?” He grinned before he turned back to Ms. Washington. ”Miss…” he started to say, but stopped when she nodded her head, informing him that she would get an intern to do the book drop. A flash of relief on his face as he turned back to Juliettle. ”I think we’re good to go.”

>> ”Nice bowtie.”

As he caught her eyeing his bowtie, Booker reach up and carefully adjusted it so that it was nice and straight. He didn’t hid his nerd, but rather put it on full display. He grinned as she pointed out his pixeled bit of clothing and chuckled.

”Like that huh?” he said after adjusting it. ”I can see why, total babe magnet.” He smirked, obviously kidding as he made his way around the counter and stood in front of her. He towered over the much shorter woman but he clearly didn’t let such things bother him. Instead he reached over the desk, pulling out a pair of pamphlets, including a small map of the library which he presented her with. ”Shall we?” he asked, but stopped as he looked around behind her. ”Am I to assume that this will be a…party of one?”

Juliette's smile seemed to be permanently pasted to her face, especially as she watched the interaction between Booker and Ms Washington. As much as she could have convinced herself that the back-and-forth that she and him had managed the first time they'd met was a special, singular thing, it was becoming clear that sarcasm was well-ingrained in Booker's personality. It was probably a good thing, though; that way she could start to feed herself more lies that there was absolutely nothing between them. At some point, her subconscious would begin to believe that the connection between them was just like any other in the universe, nothing more.

That didn't, however, mean that she was going to stop participating in the sarcastic banter just because she wasn't special. She wasn't that easily deterred. "Who knows, maybe if you hadn't taken that tumble, you might have won. The judges, after all, were children, who are always absolutely impartial."

Ms Washington snerked without looking up from her solitaire game, and made no indication that she was going to participate in the conversation further when Juliette glanced back at her. She was a spunky old lady. Juliette liked that about her almost immediately.

Booker really brightened at the mention of giving her a tour. It seemed that, again, she had prodded a spot of interest in his life, and she was going to witness real passion. It was perfect timing, too, because she had come on a slow day. Plus, Ms Washington was there to grant Booker the ability to leave his post for a little while, too. She liked her even more for that.

Still, there was an intense, deep set feeling of guilt welling up inside of her. She had neglected to tell Sam about the fact that she would be taking a private tour of a fancy library with a very attractive, attentive man. As much as she could tell herself that it was fine and she wasn't doing anything wrong, she knew that she was crossing some sort of line. There were so many things to feel and unpack about her relationship with the icemancer, and adding all that in could only mean trouble, but still she couldn't bring herself to run the other way. Naïvely, she continued on her path.

>>”I can see why, total babe magnet.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Planning on doing a pickup or two at work, Mr Bookman?" She teased. It was a bit unfair and she knew it, but it still came out of her mouth. She silently cursed her sudden ability to make what couldn't be painfully obvious.

>>”Am I to assume that this will be a…party of one?”

"Uhm, yes. Party of one," Juliette said quietly as she chewed her lip and lowered her eyes.

>> "Who knows, maybe if you hadn't taken that tumble, you might have won. The judges, after all, were children, who are always absolutely impartial."

He just smirked and shook his head. ”Dance career robbed because of a misplaced nurses station. It’s the oldest story in the book, am I right?” he couldn’t help but match her teasing with his own. It was just so…natural.

Booker couldn’t help the gleeful light that had filled his eyes upon seeing the sweet nurse again. He truly thought when he had left that hospital that seeing her again was simply not going to be in the cards. She was just one of those people who would flash through his life, that he would meet for a day and never hear from again, a phantasm who appearances would be delegated to the deepest and most tender of slumbers and nothing more. And yet, here was the woman again, before him, and Booker was now forced to rethink how life worked.

The woman was pretty and she was nice, but she was already attached to someone, as per her own words. Really he had no right to pursue her; he wasn’t that kind of man. But there was something about being around the woman that made him feel light and airy. He wasn’t quite sure what it was and, at most, simply assumed it was just his fanciful mind running away with him. After all, why should he torture himself like this? Why fantasy about what wasn’t there? If she were interested in him, why state so clearly that she already had a boyfriend?

Well, his thoughts on the matter were getting far too confusing and he needed something else to ground him. A tour. That would do it. If he could focus on work, still spend time around her and see her as little more than another patron, then he could certainly overcome these strange thoughts and feelings.

Plans set and the front desk managed, Booker moved around the counter, grabbed a couple of pamphlets, including self-guided tour sheets for reference, and so on just to have over. Of course when she commented on his bowtie, the first response that came to mind was a playful one, one he spoke without fully realizing what he was saying. He said it was good for picking up chicks and it earned him to quirkiest of eyebrows in his direction.

>> "Planning on doing a pickup or two at work, Mr Bookman?"

Lips wrapped under his teeth, he immediately felt a small wave of embarrassment. He really should have minded his words better. Again, she was taken and while the man liked the flirt, there were some boundaries that he needed to respect. Still, the man was who he was and to deny that would be to deny himself. Besides, again, there was nothing wrong with a little playful flirtation every now and again, right?

He grinned at her. ”I never like planning for it,” he said innocently. ”I just prefer to let what will happen, happen.”

There, that seemed fairly innocent enough. Straightening up and peering around her, he couldn’t help but notice that the woman’s intended (a man whom he had indeed invited when he told her about the touring) wasn’t around. For the purposes of recording and knowing how many people were going to be shown about, he needed to know how many were in her party; at least that was what he had told himself.

>> "Uhm, yes. Party of one,"

He did catch a look on her face. He wasn’t entirely sure what kind of look, but it was a look nonetheless. He wouldn’t say anything about it, though as it wasn’t his place to point out anything that may seem off about her. Instead he he just wrapped himself up in a small bit of happiness that he got from the knowledge that he would get to show just her around his workplace. It wasn’t much, but it was something in the moment that the man could appreciate.

Tilting his head, he took a breath, held up the self-guided tour pamphlet and gave her a happy grin. ”Well…good…” he said sweetly, but in order to not appear too callous on the matter, he had to tease. ”Less people less roughhousing and fewer for me to have to wrangle with my super scary authoritative librarian voice.” Another smirk. Another pause. Then he awkwardly cleared his throat and gestured off to the side, around the front desk, that would lead deep into the belly of the building. He gave her smile, complete with a twinkle in his eye. ’Shall we?”

Poke a beast and the beast pokes back. Such was the law of nature. When Juliette teased Booker, he teased back. When she crossed a line, he crossed it right back. If she wasn't careful around him, things would not end well. That fact was crystal clear, even in her clouded mind.

To someone that knew nothing of their story and was just listening in, the comment about the pickups would just be a harmless comment, nothing more. To Juliette, though, seemed charged with something more. She brushed it off before it spiralled and the tried to focus on a different topic. Literally anything else.

She was a party of one that day. All alone, at the mercy of the library. And, if she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn that Booker seemed happy about that fact.

Dangerous territory, meet Juliette.

"Authoritative voice? You? Well that's something I've got to hear," she joked, trying (and failing) to keep the same level of breeziness as before.

She was learning exactly how difficult it was to stay positive and light when you were weighed down by guilt. She hadn't even done anything, and still, her heart pounded.

>>"Shall we?"

"We shall. Lead the way, sir!" she agreed. A good distraction would be the tour. Maybe she could get her mind off of things if she was looking at books and old architecture rather than her tour guide.

Into the belly of the beast they went.

The funny thing about librarians is that no one ever really expected them to command a lot of respect from the patrons of the building. They are always pictured as old, quiet women who shush people harshly and glare at them through thick glasses hanging from beaded chains. It was a stereotype, really, but the world of library workers was far more varied than one would expect. They had all personalities, all walks of life, but one thing that was indeed universal amongst them all was the fact that they had to be able to be authoritative. After all, without the ability to maintain order, then the library would be in shambles.

One way to achieve this was by being able to slip in what many called the Authoritative Voice. It was what teachers were bred to have and, as librarians were teachers in most respects, they possessed it to. It was the voice that was necessary to calm a room, to maintain order, and to ensure that these precious tomes of information were well-kept and ready for consumption. It was a trial and it wasn’t a skill everyone could process, but Booker did indeed possess it.

>>"Authoritative voice? You? Well that's something I've got to hear,"

Okay, so maybe he didn’t really seem like he type of person who would have a voice like that. Booker was sunshine incarnate (most of the time) and he rarely needed, or liked to, raise his voice. Therefore, Juliette’s disbelief was well-founded; Booker couldn’t hold that against her if he tried. Still, her request at a sample of his skill was met with a raise brow and a smirk.

”I would but the last thing I want to do is scare you off,” he said with a smirk. ”Maybe you’ll get lucky and there’ll be some misbehaving student stalking around the bookshelves.”

For a second Booker felt like he may have crossed a line, but really it was only in response to everything that the woman threw at him. This was just part of the game to him (mostly), especially since he wasn’t sure if there actually was any interest for her to have in him. He teased and joked as he would have with most others, but true to form, his mouth did have a bad habit was swallowing his foot whole. The last thing he wanted was to make the woman uncomfortable; so maybe it was best if he try harder to tone down his flirtation-masked sass. It was only fair.

Standing in awkward silence for a moment, Booker recomposed himself, shared a small smile with the woman and inquired if she were ready to begin. It was probably best that he distract himself with the giving a tour, rather than swallow his foot any deeper.

>> "We shall. Lead the way, sir!"

A bow and a smile and Booker was suddenly on. Moving down the path, Booker turned around to face her as he started to walk backwards with clear practice. As he moved he started to speak, talking about the various architecture in just the walls alone, the painted frescos, and some basic history about when the library was created and its stance in the city over the years. It was indeed a magical place and it was only made more magical by the man who spoke of it. Booker was clearly enthused, ecstatic to be able to speak on this subject and his energy and passion clearly rang through with each and every word that he muttered.

Marching up a set of cold, marble steps, Booker pointed out the busts of the important figures in the library, include such individual as the architect, Thomas Hastings, and John Stewart Kennedy, a vice president of the library. Booker’s voice rang through the large, cold staircase, but his words provided enough warmth to fight off any chill someone could get from being in here. He was all smiles as he marched his way up the stairs.

”As you can see, the entrance alone is enough to inspire people. From the quotes carved on the walls, to the sheer majesty that seeps out of every stone,” he sighed happily. ”This truly is the gateway to information.” He paused and then shrugged his shoulders. ”Sorry, I’m beginning to sound a little like my library instructors.” He stopped climbing the steps to turn to her. ”I’m not boring you, am I?”

While she may have been experiencing internal strife, Juliette was still able to enjoy her visit to the library. It was her first one since she had moved to New York, and it was truly a sight to behold. Rather that the feelings bubbling up inside of her, she tried to focus on her surroundings and the fact that she would be on a tour at any moment. That would hopefully distract her.

The only problem was the fact that her tour guide was the main distraction.

>>”Maybe you’ll get lucky and there’ll be some misbehaving student stalking around the bookshelves.”

”It sounds like that student’s loss would be my gain,” she mused, trying to imagine the face of whatever unlucky student fell prey to the librarian’s wrath. If he could flip a switch and be as authoritative as he was happy, then she imagined that it could be a terrifying experience.

To say that the library was impressive would be an understatement. It was a gigantic, magnificent work of architecture, artwork, and general mastery. It was truly unlike any building that she had seen before.

Sure, the mansion was beautiful, with its grand entrance, state of the art technology, and warm atmosphere, but it just couldn’t compare. The New York Public Library was simply something else. Plus, it was filled with books. It just didn’t get better. Juliette couldn’t imagine what it was like to get to go to work in a place like that every day. It really was no wonder Booker was so passionate about it.

>>”I’m not boring you, am I?”

She shook her head. ”Heck no,” she enthused. Sure, some of the more historical bits had gone over her head, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t enjoying listening to it all. Plus, she was a bit distracted by that point. It had helped to get her mind off of other things.

She had almost sprinted to the top of the steps, but she quickly stopped herself as she realized that she was in a library next to a librarian. There was no way that it would fly. Instead, she walked slightly quicker to the landing and stood at the top. While there, she extended her arms to either side and looked up at the gorgeous marble ceiling and chandelier.

”This is beautiful,” she sighed.

Booker was one of the few librarians in this building who actually liked to give tours. The rest would do it, but it was more begrudgingly than anything else. Tours could be tedious, with people who were really only doing it because A.) they had to, or B.) there was nothing else better for them to do. Truth was that most of the staff would rather be doing anything other than spending time, repeating the same spiel around, over and over again, to a sea of blank faces who either couldn’t care less or who didn’t understand the real majesty of it all. It was enough to crush most people’s enthusiasm over the subject – well, most but Booker B. Bookman.

Booker thrived in conducting towards. Given the ability to flexed his library knowledge, to pass it along to those people who took the time to attend these things, was a boon for the man. Unlike others, he didn’t look at the blank faces with hopelessness, instead he considered it as more like a challenge. If he could get through to one, just one of them, to see those lights of understanding shimmer in their eyes, then it made everything utterly worthwhile. Maybe he was an idealist, but there was nothing wrong with that, in his opinion.

Marching throughout the building, a smile on his lips, he was in full on tour guide mode, pointing out all the views of interest, the little factoids that only a few knew, and presenting all this information with a cheery, yet knowledgeable voice. Booker was in his element, that much was apparent.

Climbing the stairs to go deeper into the building, the man paused on the steps as he started to point out a few of the stone busts of the founders of the library, inscriptions on the wall, but paused. He turned back to the woman whom he was showing around, giving her a warm smile as he inquired if he was boring her or not. He wouldn’t have been offended if she had said yes, it just meant that he would have to have changed his approach. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case…

>> ”Heck no,”

The smile of relief on his lips couldn’t be helped. As she looked around the library in astonishment, Booker could feel that same level of excitement filling his own chest. It was a similar look that he possessed whenever he walked into this place. It was…good to see it on the face of another.

Arms crossed over his solid chest, the man smirked as Juliette suddenly turned and started to race up the steps to the next landing. She didn’t run but she did move far quicker than most did when they climbed these steps. He couldn’t help but watch her ascend, his jade-like eyes watching her every step as she climbed. Subconsciously he was taking a mental picture of the moment, tracking the waves of her dark hair as they bounced, the weight shifting from leg-to-leg as she climbed each step. Even when she reached the stop of the landing and turned, his gaze immediately locked onto her sweet face as she breathed out a single sentence.

>> ”This is beautiful,”

”Yeah…” he said quietly. ”…certainly is…”

A beat…then Booker blinked the thoughts away. He climbed the steps, smirking a little at the vision of Juliette with her arms extended. Stopping a few steps from the top, he was at eye level with the woman, finally, and gave her a small smile.

”Juliette…” he said softly. He got caught looking into her eyes. Dammit, why did she have to be so pretty and sassy; his personal Kryptonite. ”Um…t-thank you...for observing the ‘no running’ signs.” Smooth, Booker. So smooth. He would chastise himself for that later. After he climbed the last steps, he started the tour again. ”Come on, I think I got something you’d like to see.” He said enigmatically, at first. But just so that it couldn’t be misunderstood, he clarified. ”…the McGraw Rotunda is pretty breathtaking, if I do say so myself.”

With that, he lead on to their next stop.

Juliette closed her eyes as her smile fell ever so slightly. The beat between Booker’s words was subtle, but she caught it. She knew exactly what it meant. It also confirmed all her fears. If she was right, then Booker felt something for her as well, and they were stuck in a very bad situation. They had to both be adults and larger than the situation they were in, or things would end very poorly.

She opened her eyes when he said her name and found him suddenly at eye level with her, a few steps down from the landing she was standing on. It was nice not to have to look up at him for once.

>>”Um…t-thank you...for observing the ‘no running’ signs.”

The corner of her mouth rose as her arms fell back to her side. ”Of course,” she nodded, glad that the conversation hadn’t gone anywhere else. ”I’m a rule follower. To the T.”

She gave him a knowing, although ever so slightly regretful look with that comment. If he was paying attention, then he would be able to guess that she wasn’t just talking about her sign following capabilities. There were lines that she could not cross. Not while in a relationship. No matter how she felt.

There were so many things going through her head at that moment. She felt an impossible wave of guilt wash over her for even going in the first place, and then another for leading Booker on when she really didn’t have to. What was wrong with her? She felt as though she had lost control. Maybe she finally had.

>>”Come on, I think I got something you’d like to see …the McGraw Rotunda is pretty breathtaking, if I do say so myself.”

At first, that sentence scared her. Where would he lead her that she’d want to see? Hopefully somewhere public. She was beginning to have doubts about even herself. Then, he clarified, and she felt one-hundred-percent better. She didn’t mind following him around if it was still part of the tour.

”Sounds good,” she nodded and cleared her throat as she followed Booker to the next stop on the tour.

What the hell was wrong with him? Booker still couldn’t put his finger on the reasoning for his behavior. He had met and chatted with and flirted with bunch of attractive people before but afterwards, but they all were just confined to the moment. Booker was a natural charmer so his flirtations weren’t always the most intentional, but when it came to Juliette, it was just hard to not go that direction, even with the knowledge that she was already in a relationship. He had told himself he would respect those wishes, but back there on the steps, watching her gaze, her smile, man found himself utterly enchanted.

Stop it, Booker, the man had to tell himself, over and over again. This wasn’t right. As a matter of fact, he knew precisely how wrong it was. His last relationship, the man cheated on him. Even Vanessa, his sister, was going through something precisely like this. If anyone knew the pains that unfaithfulness can cause, it was him. And yet, still, the man persisted, dancing along that line, teasing it as a young boy would to a line he was instructed to not step over. Not only was it not fair for him…it wasn’t fair for her. Juliette didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

So, when he approached her, Booker stopped and stumbled into the only line of thought he could concretely focus on – the no running allowed signs. It was a stumble and a close observer could have seen that other things may have been on the librarian’s mind, but it was the direction he chose. Watching as the smile tugged on her lips and the slight slump of her shoulders, Booker guessed that she must have been relieved by it.

Good. He was a good guy, not some roguish rake or scruffy lookin’ scoundrel (maybe a little)! He just needed to keep reminding himself of that.

>> ”Of course…I’m a rule follower. To the T.”

He didn’t know why, but he picked up the faintest tone, like she was trying to convince someone of that fact. Following the rules was important, of course, especially the no running in the library because you can get hurt, but it was clear that that wasn’t entirely what her comment was directed at. So that begged the question, who was she trying to convince with that…him or herself? Booker gulped, but shared a small and understanding smile with her. They were both good people…

Finally regaining some composure, Booker decided the next spot to take Juliette to would be the Rotunda. It was a beautiful spot with some of the most elegant frescos ever seen. Surely the view there would be enough to focus his mind away from fanciful pursuits…right?

>> ”Sounds good,”

He nodded, giving her a grin as he led the way.

Moving through an archway and turning the corner, Booker stopped and turned to face her. He gave her a wide smile as he stretched out his arms and gestured her attention to the large room they were now it. Oh, it couldn’t have been more elegantly decorated. Natural light shown through from the high windows, but electric lights formed into large candelabras were seen at doorways and along the walls. Around them, several large frescos had been painted, depicting scholars and learned individuals, people decided to the word and to knowledge, however the most breathtaking sight would be located directly above their heads.

The high, vaulted ceiling, carved with wood, inlaid with gold pain and intricate designs, all met in the middle where there depicted a wonderfully classic painting that was very reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel’s masterpiece, ‘The Creation of Adam’. It truly was one of the most beautiful spots in the library and they hadn’t even gotten to the books yet!

Booker stopped and smiled as he turned his eyes back down to Juliette,, waiting to see her reaction to the majesty around them. ”This is the Rotunda. One of the most beautiful spots, in my humble opinion,” he smiled. ”The care that went into this one room dedicated to the honoring those who attained and gave out knowledge is…just awe-inspiring.” he smirked and pointed to a marble bench in the corner. ”I used to sit there, when I would come in to study, hoping to maybe absorb something from the scholars I was surrounded by. I like to think in some small way, it worked.”

They were both good people. Both good, rule-following people who would never actively break up a relationship. That much was clear, so why was it so Goddamn f**king hard? It should have been simple: just leave and never look back. Never look into those Goddamned jade green eyes ever again. The thing was, though, that it was hardly simple at all. It was the most difficult thing that Juliette had ever done.

So, she turned around, hoping that it would help her if she wasn't locked in his gaze. Of course, it did nothing, but it gave her a false sense of hope. Hope that, eventually, they could just be friends, and all the tension would dissipate naturally. Hope that she would be able to keep spending time with him and not face any consequences.

Hope was dangerous that way.

Again, she relied on the architecture of the building to distract her. Thankfully, it was incredibly elaborate, and it provided plenty of places for her eyes to wander that were not her tour guide. Another bonus was that Juliette was also actually into architecture and art, so she didn't have to feign interest. It really was as interesting as she made it out to be, even if her headspace was elsewhere.

The room truly was incredible. The ceiling was impossibly high and painted with a gorgeous painting that looked like it had been taken from some European castle. She felt as though she'd been transported to Italy. As she tried to push out other thoughts from her mind, she spun in her spot, taking in the entire room. It made her feel small but in a good way. Like she was a part of something greater.

Apparently, (or at least according to the sign on the wall,) the room was used to host functions and such, and Juliette tried to picture attending something in the room. She imagined that it would probably be very high-class, more so than anything she'd been to before, including that Sanctuary mixer she'd attended with... Sam.

Juliette sighed deeply and shook her head, careful not to scuff the floor with her boots as she tried to stop her nervous habit and turn her attention back to the room she was in.

>>”I used to sit there, when I would come in to study, hoping to maybe absorb something from the scholars I was surrounded by. I like to think in some small way, it worked.”

Her attention was stolen by the ever-excited voice of Booker, and she turned her head to face him, unable to fake a smile by that point. "How so?" she inquired, walking along the edge of the room so that she could take in the full scope of the place. Focus, focus, focus. She needed to do the impossible and focus.

She found herself stopping in front of a painting of Moses and one of the tablets of the ten commandments on one of the walls. It was impossibly intricate, and she imagined that it must have taken forever to paint. She also found herself empathising with some of the people at the bottom of the painting, trying to run away from the bad news that was coming for them. How fitting.

"What's, uh, being held here next?" she asked after a minute, trying to break her own thoughts in order to keep them from spiralling. 

The Rotunda proved to be a great distraction for the librarian. Throwing himself into his work did wonders for him, allowing him to focus on anything but the young woman who had managed to entice him. It should have made things just a little harder, considering that the man had spouted off the same information, over and over again, it should have been too repetitive for him to use well. However the man was still able to use it as a means of not focusing on the truly alluring woman in the room. Plus, seeing her reaction to the majesty the Rotunda had to offer was quite infectious.

He grinned a little, smiling and standing quietly as he watched her lift her eyes up higher, doing a little turn as she peered around the elegantly decorated room. It was truly a testament to the beauty that the New York Public Library had to offer, though didn’t it grow a little in beauty with the addition of the lovely nurse? Goddammit, Booker! The man cursed in his head, shaking the intrusive thought out and turning his head away from the woman.

Ah! The bench! He had used that bench before! With a sigh Booker went into a tale about the bench and how it used to be his favorite when he would come here to study. He gestured over to it. The story he weaved concerned a young Booker B. Bookman, studying under the paintings of an ancient scholar, hoping to glean just a little bit of that knowledge for his own use. To him, it had worked as it helped him to get through school, to pass his classes and become the person he was today. Though Juliette was curious about it, nonetheless.

>> "How so?"

He turned to face her. She was moving away but she seemed somewhat distant from him now, as if something heavy was weighing on her. He wasn’t quite sure what was wrong, but he didn’t want to pry. Maybe he was just misreading her, or maybe it was too private to share, but Booker didn’t want to pursue. No, he needed to focus on something more tangible, something that wouldn’t keep his thoughts on her.

”Oh, you know, being around the images of such classic scholars, in this setting, a gateway to knowledge,” He breathed a small, awed sigh. ”I think it just lit a fire under me to really focus on my studies and work. I mean, I’m one of the youngest librarians this place has seen.” He beamed proudly. ”Gotta have gotten some luck, right?”

Another charming smile as he slowly crossed the room to rejoin her. It was amazing that he really couldn’t keep his distance from the woman. In a way it made sense, he was her tour guide and the last thing he wanted was to lose her in this very large and confusing building. At least that was the reason he chose to believe and not the one that was steadily making things more and more difficult with every passing second. Really, it didn’t make sense. Booker had been attracted to people before but not like this. There was just something about her. Never before had Booker had this feeling of a moth drawn to a flame.

He gulped as he stepped closer to her, catching the scent of whatever soap or perfume that she had adorned herself with today. The silence sat heavy on the both of them and it didn’t help that they were currently the only two people in the room. There was a person or two who passed by before, but now it seemed as if they were alone again. One shaky breath and Booker refrained from leaning in further, instead, lifting his gaze to look anywhere but the enchanting woman nearby – that is until she asked him a question.

>>"What's, uh, being held here next?"

”Hrm?” he muttered wordlessly. It took a second for his brain to reconnect that the woman was asking about the functions that were usually held here. Good, a question about his job! A question that he could answer. Without really thinking of what his response could bring up, Booker spoke of it earnestly. ”Oh! Um, we are hosting the Paradise Ball: An…” his voice lowered a little, awkwardly, as he immediately recited the subtitle for the function. He had it memorized and had to announce it on more than one occasion so it was just too easy to not say. ”…’A-An Evening for Lovers…’”

Booker had worked with that function before. They host it every couple of years when it gets closer to the summer months. It is supposed to be an event to promote literature and romance. A night that usually saw this room filled with married couples, lonely hearts, and…lovers. It celebrated some of the greatest literary lovers in history…including such characters as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, Don Juan, and…Romeo and Juliet…

A slight blush colored his cheeks. Was he always standing this close to her? Awkwardly he forced himself to take a step back, feeling his strength in the situation waning more and more. Quietly he muttered a ”Sorry.” As he stepped back and quickly tried to bring up his tour guide voice. ”Um…q-questions?”