We let the freckles on our faces make a million stars
A constellation so amazing that we saw a spark
If I'm honest, it felt like love
- Don't You Worry // Oh Wonder

When Jens's phone buzzed late last night, he ignored it, simply glancing at the brightening screen before looking away, back at the video game he was engrossed in. Lotte and his mom were both in bed, probably snoring, but he couldn't fall asleep, hard as he tried.

It was almost midnight when he finally took off the headset and shut off the tv, rubbing his sore ears and blinking in the dim light of the hallway seeping into the living room after staring at the bright, fluorescent screen for so long. As he movedll: down the hallway, it was like the music and booms and crashes of the game were echoing, rattling around in his skull, clashing with the deafening silence as he cracked Lotte's door open and gazed at her for a second, his phone, notification forgotten, in the pocket of his sweatpants.

He'd left his light off when he threw himself onto the bed, the door shut gently behind him. The windows were cracked open, the pale yellow curtains parted to let light from street lamps leak into the room, the quiet city just out of reach as he stepped between the window and his bed to grab his earbuds from the floor.

He fell onto the bed, causing a quiet thump and he buried himself under his blanket, hiding from the soft breeze sneaking into the room. He finally pulled his phone out, struggling for a second before managing to plug in his earbuds, and he opened his phone, flinching as it shone too brightly in the dark. His eyes caught on a notification as the phone opened too quickly for him to read it beyond a phone number he didn't recognise. He let out a quiet "Oh," as he swiped on the screen until his messages were open, remembering suddenly, his heart picking up its pace until he could hear it.

l: hey this is lucas :)

Jens smiled, hurriedly sending a hey whats up?? before adding the number as a contact, as lucas :). (He'd used a smiley face in the initial email, so maybe it was a Lucas thing.) Before he could leave the app to open his music, Lucas had texted back.

l: not much just staring at the ceiling

Jens had laughed lightly, rolling over so he was on his belly, propping himself up on his elbows with his phone in front of him.

j: oh same

He paused before typing again.

j: sooooo how are you liking antwerp

He watched as a bubble appears, and then disappears, and then appears again.

l: im sure if i went out into the city and actually did stuff i'd like it more

Jens had chuckled, tilted his head understandingly.

j: very valid
j: it's not the same rn bc of covid but there are still some cool places to see

He watched the bubble again.

l: i haven't really left my apartment since i got here :( but i do want to go places
l: my friends are pressuring me to be adventurous

j: when it's safe for people to meet up i can show you around
j: we can go on some adventures

After hitting send he paused, biting his lip, wondering if it was too... forward, straight-up, blunt. If it was too early, too soon for a let's hang out invitation. But then Lucas responded with his little :) and it was fine.

Jens started getting sleepy as they chatted, as Lucas told him about Utrecht and about what he did with his friends.

l: we used to get fries a lot
l: too often maybe

j: no such thing
j: so we're getting fries when we meet up it's decided

l: a man after my own heart

j: stomach

l: oh yea

He wakes up to shifting on his bed, and his eyes open, just a bit. It's still a little dim out, too early for him to be worried about missing a class, too early for him to be worried about sleeping through an alarm.

It's the first time he's woken up in the morning without earbuds tangled around him. He sees them when he opens his eyes, a fuzzy, white, tangled mess on the edge of his bed like he placed them there (maybe he did), and a part of him says huh, seeming to forget that it's actually possible to fall asleep without his head full of noise.

He glances down, still too tired to really move, and sees Lotte crawling up his bed, a little blurry. He moves his arm so she can climb under it, and realises his fingers are resting on top of his phone, also dangerously close to the edge of the bed. He pulls it closer and slides it up to a safe place before lifting his arm up more, feeling Lotte's small hands pull at his bicep until it's in the air, and she flops down next to him, narrowly missing his face. He scoffs and pulls her close, resting his chin on her head.

When he wakes up again it's brighter, and there's a jolt in his chest before he reaches up, around Lotte (the arm she's laying on it filled with static but he's careful not to move her), and snatches his phone, bringing it close enough to his face to read the time. There are only a few minutes before his alarm is going to go off.

"Lotte," he whispers, and she just nuzzles her face into Jens's chest. "Hey."

She groans quietly and furrows her brows, a hand coming up and curling under her chin softly.

"Lotte, I have a class soon."

"I don't wanna go," she mumbles, moving closer, and he sighs, running a hand over her hair.

"Will you stay quiet while I'm in class?" he asks after a second.

"Mm-hmm." She nods, moving closer, but Jens sits up, pushing her away, and she ends up with her head on his leg, seemingly undisturbed as Jens bends around her to pick up his laptop and set it in front of himself. She's snoring softly by the time the video call is open, by the time Jens's glasses are on his face, by the time the teacher's droning voice is talking about the homework Jens did last class, still with a few minutes before class actually starts. (Chemistry. Jens suspects Mr Claes is just about as done with virtual learning as the rest of them. Classes are quick, just attendance and instruction. The minimal amount of learning Jens does in this class is through the assignments: YouTube videos and Google Forms. Modern education.)

Jens ends up running his hand over Lotte's hair, waiting until Mr Claes dismisses them with too much time left over like usual so he can go and make breakfast.

As Mr Claes is talking to Mathijs ("Why didn't you do last week's assignment?" Jens winces in sympathy for him.), Jens's phone buzzes, back on his bed where he had put it before Lotte crawled in and he leans back, pulling it close and looking at the notification, a text from Lucas :).

l: i have dupont first
l: any advice

Jens opens the messages, skimming the ones from last night, that took up too much of the night, that are probably the reason Jens's eyes are struggling to stay open this morning more than usual, and types a response, lifting his hand from Lotte's head to do so.

j: never had him :/ sorry

Lucas responds soon after a second.

l: ugh
l: disappointing

Jens scoffs, glancing up as Claes starts discussing the day's assignment.

j: my apologies
j: good luck

He sighs, leaning back as he waits for a response.

"So," Claes is saying, his voice echoey. "It's the same as last class, just make sure to turn it in before three today." None of the other students have their cameras on, and Claes stares blankly, waiting for a response, reminding Jens of Dora the Explorer. After a second, he gives up and says, "Okay, guys, I guess I'll see you Tuesday." A pause. "Or I'll talk to you next Tuesday, I guess. Email me if you have questions."

Jens's phone buzzes in his lap but he ignores it long enough to lean forward and unmute himself to say, "Bye, Mr Claes."

He shuts his laptop quietly when he leaves the meeting, setting the assignment on a to-do shelf in his brain, and lifts his phone to read the text.

l: ok he's just telling personal anecdotes about his cats i think he's bored
l: but i am too so what's up

Jens smiles again, pushing his glasses up his nose and pushing his laptop away.

j: my sister is asleep on my leg and my teacher just dismissed us
j: so i'm going to make breakfast or something

Jens yawns after hitting send, arching his back as he stretches and hearing it crack softly, taking care to not move his leg and bother Lotte, who's still sleeping peacefully. One of her hands is under her chin, her fingers pressed between her face and Jens's leg, making her cheek squish, and Jens gently brushes her hair back.

l: wait that's so cute how old is she
l: also what are you making can i have some
l: also dupont just dismissed us, do you want to call bc i don't have anything to do

Jens grins, quickly reaching up to push his glasses again (they fall when he looks down at his phone; tightening them has been on his to-do list for a while), and responding.

j: she's eight
j: eggs probably come on down
j: yes i'll call you in a minute

"Lotte," he says softly, clicking off his phone and tossing it away. He touches the top of her head, rustling her hair gently, and she lets out a disgruntled groan, turning her face into Jens's leg. He laughs, rustling her hair again.

"I'm going to make breakfast, but you have to get off me first." She doesn't move. "Do you wanna eat?"

Her eyes open and she glares at him groggily.

"You can stay here if you want, I just have to get up."

"But you're so comfy," she says, nuzzling her face into his leg again.

"Well so are pillows and that's what they're actually for."

"Ugh."

She finally moves, rolling off of his leg and squirming around like a fish until she finds the pillows, and she clutches the end of the blanket and she buries her face in them.

"I'll wake you up later."

"Don't," she grumbles into the pillow, and he almost doesn't hear her.

Before leaving, he reaches over her, snatching his earbuds and pressing a chaste kiss to her head.

As he makes his way to the kitchen, he struggles to plug the earbuds into his phone, lifting it closer to his face to see and bumping into the doorframe of the kitchen, wincing as his shoulder hits a sharp corner.

He calls Lucas, hesitating for only a second to take a deep breath, as he opens the pan cabinet.

"Hey," he says when Lucas picks up.

"You said you're making eggs?" Lucas says, sans greeting, and Jens startles, snorting and trying to stifle a cackle as he flips the pan in his hand and turns on the stove. His voice is different than it was during class, over the video call. It sounds... closer. Softer, even though he's speaking with his chest more so than he did when he was in class.

"Yes? What's your problem with eggs?"

"I don't have a problem, it's just fucking gross."

The laugh breaks through loudly as he sets the pan on the stove, leaning over the counter to grab the non-stick spray.

"This is not a conversation I was expecting to have today— Are you vegan?"

"No, I'm not vegan. Why, what's your problem with vegans?"

"I don't have a problem with vegans." He spins on his heel to go to the fridge and pulls three eggs out of the carton, leaving two. He makes a mental note to get eggs next time he takes Lotte grocery shopping.

"Just like I don't have a problem with eggs."

"Listen... I respect veganism." He cracks an egg.

"Did you... Just tell me to shut up so I could hear you crack an egg?"

"I..." Jens looks at the eggshells in his hand. "That was not on purpose."

"The amount of disrespect."

"I just said I respect vegans!"

"And I just said I'm not vegan!"

"Oh my god..."

Jens laughs as he drops the eggshells in the bin, turning back to twist the knob on the stove to turn down the heat.

"Anyway," Lucas says lightly. "How are you today?"

Jens scoffs, grabbing a plate from the counter as the egg cooks.

"Fine? I've been awake for approximately ten minutes, so we're going pretty good. You?"

"I'm dead inside, thanks for asking—" Jens interrupts him with a laugh— "But this class doesn't seem too hard, so that's nice."

"Cool, which class is it?"

"Biology."

"Oh, gross. I just had chemistry."

"Biology is better than chemistry."

"Incorrect," Jens says after scoffing.

"Actually, I'm always correct."

"I think your brain is broken."

Lucas lets out a quiet laugh.

"Just a little bit."

Jens laughs, carefully shimmying the spatula under the egg to flip it.

"What have you been up to other than classes?" He asks after a second, and there's a slight pause before Lucas answers.

"Just hanging out in my room, I guess. I haven't done much."

"You said you're an artist, right?"

"Uh— Yeah," Lucas says, sounding hesitant.

"What kind of art do you do?"

"Visual," he says. "Mostly portraits in pencil or pen, but I really like watercolour."

"How come you don't have art or anything on your wall?" Jens asks as he drops the cooked egg on a plate and sprays the pan again. "One of my friends is an artist and his wall is covered."

Lucas sighs.

"I would, but I'm not allowed to put anything up."

"Like your landlord won't let you put pins or anything?"

"No, like my dad won't even let me use tape, it's ridiculous."

Jens makes a face even though Lucas can't see him.

"That's stupid," he says, cracking the other two eggs and mixing them together when one of the yolks breaks.

"He is stupid," Lucas grumbles, and his voice has changed. It's lower, less playful than when he picked up.

"How come you live with him?" Jens asks, something in him recognizing the result of divorced parents. Lucas doesn't answer, though, and Jens regrets asking as he hears Lucas let out a quiet sigh.

"We can talk about something else," he says gently.

"Thanks," Lucas says softly.

"So you only do portraits?" Jens asks, changing his tone so it's more conversational.

"Usually, yeah." There's a clicking sound on Lucas's end, sounding like the mouse of a laptop. "Every once in a while I'll draw something else, but it's typically faces."

"Do you do people from real life?" Jens asks curiously. "Or do you do like... I don't know."

"Both," Lucas says. "I use references and I like drawing my friends with pictures they send me, but sometimes I just... draw whatever comes to mind. Random faces and stuff."

"I wish I could do something like that," Jens sighs. "My sister is the artist of the family."

"I already love your sister."

"Everyone loves my sister."

"What do you do?" Lucas asks, and Jens shrugs, mixing the eggs around a little with the spatula.

"Not much. Before covid I went skating with my friends, I went to parties and stuff. Now I just play video games and play guitar on occasion."

"You play guitar?"

"Yeah."

"You're an artist."

Jens scoffs, laughing lightly, but Lucas insists, "You are! Music is an art and you make music. Artist."

"If you say so."

"I told you I'm always right," Lucas sighs. "Ah, shit."

"What's wrong?"

"Dupont actually assigned homework."

"He's a teacher, Lucas, that's what they do."

Lucas sighs again, sounding forlorn.

"Yeah, but I was hoping he'd be easy."

"It's biology."

Lucas groans loudly, and Jens winces, laughing.

"Go do your homework," he says when Lucas stops. "I'm gonna wake up my sister to eat. Are you still coming by for breakfast?"

"If I'm ever going to your place it's not gonna be for eggs. It'll be to hang out with your sister, because she's probably cooler than you"

"...Wow."

"Did that hurt your feelings?"

"Little bit."

"Good. Build some character."

Jens lets out a laugh that sounds a little much like a giggle for his liking, and his face burns as he turns to pull the fridge open.

"Go do your homework," he says as he pulls the orange juice out. (Lotte's favourite. She would drink it like water if Jens let her.)

"I don't wanna...." Lucas whines.

"My hands are full, you have to be the one to hang up," Jens says, lifting a plate and trying carefully not to drop the juice.

"Are you already tired of me?" Lucas asks, and Jens can hear him stifling a laugh.

"I've known you for less than twenty-four hours."

"And yet..." Lucas sighs forlornly. "I'll let you go, I guess."

"Text me later."

"Will do. Bye-bye-e-e."

Jens sets the other plate on the table just as Lucas hangs up, and he stops, his eyes stuck on the table in front of him. Lucas's voice is still rattling in his head, a stark difference from the sudden silence of the flat. He sounded like he could be in the same room, right next to Jens, teasing him and laughing with him like they've known each other for years. Jens briefly wonders if this is how Robbe felt when he met Sander, but he shakes his head, dismissing the thought.

---

Jens twists his back, popping it, and winces in the bright sunlight streaming through his window that falls on his face.

"And I want you all to get some fresh air today too," Ms Peeters is saying. Her hair is tied up today. Jens has never seen her with her hair tied up. He's reminded that she does have ears, even though they're typically covered by her curls. "Take a walk or open a window. It's nice out today."

"My window is stuck closed," someone says after a second, the bubble with his initial in it moving as he speaks. Ms Peeters opens her mouth to say something before another student, Liam, interrupts, "Smash it."

"No, I don't recommend that," Ms Peeters says, and Jens hears Liam's snicker echoing in his speakers. Liam makes similar comments in class.

Jens laughs, glancing down to the little box with Lucas's face in it and feeling a little rush at Lucas's grin.

"Okay, anyway," Ms Peeters says, and it takes a second for Jens to look back at her. "Matthew, don't do that please. And if you do, I had nothing to do with it, I don't want a phonecall from your parents. Anyway, you all remember what I said about a project, right?"

Almost every student throws their head back, rolling their eyes, and Jens sighs deeply, mentally adding the unexplained work to his to-do list.

"Well, you'll be happy, because you can really do whatever you want."

"Does that mean I can do nothing?" Liam asks, and Jens wonders if he leaves his microphone on just so he can cut in easily.

"Liam, I will fail you," she dismissed him. "That means you can do an essay, a powerpoint, a poster, whatever. If we were still in person, I'd want you and your partner to present it to the rest of the class, but I won't make you do that.

"Your assignment is to read a book. A classic," she clarifies. "And to complete something, powerpoint, essay, whatever."

"Are you assigning partners?" Ella asks after a second, and Jens finds himself glancing at Lucas's box again.

"No, you guys can pick partners yourself. No more than three to a book, and you can all probably find the books