"Huh, how did you get that from just the letter?"

"It wasn't just the letter!  There's all the stuff with Tcerit's Keep where it's implied that he wouldn't have any way of knowing about the romance between Jyllen and Verris, which is basically the only reason he would have to care about mining in the first place since he's going so hard on being a textiles guy, with all that stuff about it being his sacred duty to clothe the lands, and all that.  ....But partially I just liked him a lot and didn't want to believe he might be a traitor."

"Honestly I was assuming Harkle had just read Verris's earlier work on supply chain interconnectivity and was learning to appreciate the important of mining in supplying the necessary tools to make textiles - needles and spindles and whatnot. So even if he couldn't know about the romance he still might have become interested in the subject on it's own merits. Though in retrospect... he really was single minded about textiles, even after the speeches. I love the bit where he sacrificed his hand to soften the Shen storehouse fire so it dried the wet wool instead of burning it. He turned Darnya's sabotage attempt around entirely. Admittedly at too high of a cost to be worth it but it was still a really cool scene."

"I have mixed feelings about that part, to be honest.  ...Are you in town for much longer?"

"Only for the next week or so - my parents are both at conferences so I'm spending the week at my grandfather's place."

"That's a pity.  I'd really like to hang out with you some more."

"Oh, me too."

"Um, hang out with you. Not hang out with me. I mean."

"Right.  Uh, are you free tomorrow?  I might be—I have this thing.  Medically.  —That sounds scary; they're just fainting spells.  But I should probably go lie down sometime in the next ten minutes if you're, uh, recovered?  From the drowning."  He re-cupboards his towel and holds out a hand for Lucien's.  "To be clear, I wish I didn't have to kick you out and hope you come back."

"Oh um. I have to attend my classes on zoom but I should be free after that?"

"Sure!  Around what time will that be?"

"My last class ends at 2:55?" He should also do homework but he can schedule that later.

"Great."

"Should I just come by then or... I don't think my grandfather's place works. We could meet in town?"

"No, here's great!  My parents are out of town, too.  But I'm over 18 and it's not a problem."

"Um."

At Jeremy's place is the less date-like of the options up until Jeremy mentions his parents are away and then it becomes. ...Maybe not more date-like perse but certainly more exciting. Not that Lucien is thinking a bunch about this or anything.

"Yeah. That works."

"'Groovy'.  2:55, then?  Or—3:00, or 3:10, or something; I don't know how far away you're staying."

"It's not a long bike, 3:05 should work."

"3:05 it is.  Now uh, please leave."  He winks.

Honestly that is very confusing but sure Lucien can leave! And overthink the wink. For what is really an unreasonable amount of time.

The house is still there the next day.

During Lucien's last class he is allowed to have his camera and microphone off, so he puts on his helmet and waits by his bike until the teacher dismisses the class. As a result he is at Jeremy's house ringing the doorbell at 3:04.

The answer's quick enough to imply Jeremy was waiting pretty close to the front door.  Maybe right on the other side.  "Hi!"

"HI!"

On no wow he's still hot why is that a surprise when Lucien has been picturing his face so mucha perfectly normal amount.

"Come on in.  I, well I tried to make some snacks but it turns out I might be really bad at baking.  But you can try the results if you're adventurous."

"I'd be happy to! Uh, is there somewhere I can put my helmet?"