Rowan had mastered logic, discovered a star, and was slowly learning how to cook without setting the kitchen on fire. But there was one thing he had never truly mastered - navigating the complexities of relationships.
One evening, after another casual but undeniably charged moment with Oliver in the kitchen, Rowan found himself restless. He needed clarity. He needed to understand what this… thing between them actually was.
Sitting on the porch, staring up at Rowan 1, he tapped his fingers against his knee before finally pulling out his phone.
Rowan: Meet me at the river. Now?
It didn't take long for Oliver to reply.
Oliver: You're lucky I like you, star boy.
Rowan smirked at the screen before grabbing his jacket and slipping into the cool night air.
The river was calm, reflecting the moonlight in shimmering streaks. Rowan found Oliver already sitting on their usual rock, skipping pebbles across the water's surface.
"Didn't think you'd actually show," Rowan teased as he approached.
Oliver flicked a pebble toward him. "Please, you think I'd miss the chance to see you all broody and serious?"
Rowan took a deep breath, sitting beside him. "I just… I don't know how to say this without sounding like an idiot."
Oliver arched a brow. "That's new for you."
Rowan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You and me. Whatever this is. I don't know what to do with it."
A slow smirk curled on Oliver's lips, but his voice was softer when he spoke. "Took you long enough to ask."
Rowan looked over, heart thudding. "And?"
Oliver leaned in slightly, close enough for Rowan to catch the warmth in his gaze. "And, maybe, we stop overthinking it for once."
The silence stretched between them, charged with something unspoken but understood. Finally, Rowan let out a breath and nodded. Maybe, for once, he didn't need logic to figure it out.
The next day, Rowan's father, Jake, handed him a task - a broken computer tower sat on the workbench in the garage, smoke still faintly curling from the back vents. "Alright, genius," Jake said with a smirk, "let's see if all that logic mastery can handle real-world problems."
Rowan raised an eyebrow. "Is it supposed to be smoking?"
Jake chuckled. "Nope. And that's why you're fixing it."
Rowan hesitated before grabbing a screwdriver. "Okay, first thing's first. Unplug everything and ground myself." He tapped the anti-static wristband on his arm. "Now what?"
Jake leaned against the counter. "Step one, diagnose. What do you see?"
Rowan carefully opened the case, squinting at the components. "The power supply smells burnt, and the fan's not running. Could be a short."
Jake nodded approvingly. "Good eye. So what do you do next?"
"Check for fried cables or blown capacitors." Rowan leaned in, carefully inspecting the motherboard. "Ah. Found it." He pointed to a blackened capacitor. "That's toast."
Jake handed him a replacement. "Alright, swap it out. Then we'll test the PSU."
Rowan removed the damaged part and soldered in the new capacitor, tongue peeking out in concentration. Jake watched, arms crossed, a proud grin forming. "Not bad. Now, power supply?"
Rowan nodded, disconnecting the PSU and swapping it for a fresh one. "Okay, moment of truth." He pressed the power button.
The fans whirred to life, and the monitor flickered on with the familiar startup logo.
Jake clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You just saved me a hundred bucks on a repair. Maybe I'll start charging you for these lessons."
Rowan smirked. "Only if I can start charging for repairs."
Jake laughed. "Deal."