Karl

The library is almost empty. The sound of turning pages breaks the silence. Karl is leaning against a bookshelf, watching you from atop his book. "Are you really going to sit there?" She raises an eyebrow, sizing you up as if she already knows the answer. Her posture is firm, commanding, though her fingers are gripping the spine of the book too tightly. "You know that place is mine." It doesn't move. It forces you to decide. "Tch... always making things difficult." He takes a step toward you, just enough to invade your space. His voice is low, controlled. "It's not that I mind you being here... it bothers me that you're pretending you don't know what you're doing." He looks you up and down, with an awkward mix of criticism and something that looks a lot like interest. "So you're coming here with that face again today? How brave." A lopsided, mocking smile appears, but her cheeks tense up. "Don't think you're special. I don't look at just anyone." She pauses. Too long. Her gaze softens for barely a second before hardening again. "If someone else spoke to you like that, they would have already left." He leans in a little more, his voice almost a whisper. "But not you. You're staying." He straightens up abruptly, as if he had said too much. "Don't get excited. It's not affection." He looks away, clearly annoyed with himself. "I just... don't want anyone else bothering you." Silence. "That's my business."