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Veritas Ratio did not get distracted easily. This was something he took great pride in. Even during the most hectic circumstances, Ratio was able to keep his head on his shoulders and stay focused on the task at hand.
So, Ratio was a bit annoyed when, one Friday evening, he found himself unable to stop checking the time when he was supposed to be grading papers.
It started innocently enough. Ratio refused to be tardy to their meetings, so he’d check the clock hung on his office wall to make sure he left in time to catch a train. The occasional glance away from his stack of papers was hardly an issue.
But then that occasional glance became a glance every five minutes. Then a glance every three minutes. Then a glance every one minute.
Suffice to say, Ratio wasn’t getting any work done.
The professor sighed and leaned back in his chair. He considered his options before grabbing his bag and packing up his work. “Sitting here is obviously a waste of time,” he murmured to himself. “I might as well get there early. Maybe I’ll be able to grade a paper or two before Screwllum arrives.”
He didn’t think he was lying to himself.
The train was packed with people, which wasn’t unusual for five in the evening. However, Ratio still wasn’t quite used to it. While his office hours ended at five, he tended to stay late to finish grading essays and projects until around eight at night. By that time, there was usually enough room for every passenger on the train to sit and then some. So, being forced to stand shoulder to shoulder with other organics and inorganics in a tight space made the ride to the park rather uncomfortable. If the park wasn’t on the other side of the city, Ratio would have walked there.
And yet, Ratio always found his irritation fading away as soon as he set foot in the park.
The area was small, tucked away from the more popular sections of the city, so the hustle and bustle of everyday life didn’t disturb the peace. It tended to be empty more evenings than not. The center of the park was open and grassy, but the edges had a sidewalk, streetlamps, a multitude of benches to sit on, and there were many trees to provide shade. Some birds tended to be seen milling around (although, not a large variety), and insects filled the air with the faintest buzzing sound.
The sound of insects was a slightly newer addition to the park, mostly because of the other new addition to the area: flowers. So. Many. Flowers.
Ratio remembered when the park was only shades of greens and browns, but now reds, violets, oranges, a whole spectacle of colors could be seen throughout the perimeter of the park. It was a breathtaking sight, and there was only one man to thank for it.
Heading towards their bench (well, it wasn’t their bench, but it might as well have been), Ratio stopped short when a head donning a large, brimmed hat appeared above some nearby foliage (buddleia, he remembers them being called). At the sight, the professor could barely stop himself from smiling. He knew the corners of his lips ticked upwards though.
“Mr. Screwllum?” Ratio called out. Curse it all. The smile could definitely be heard in his voice.
Screwllum, pruning shears in hand, turned at the sound of Ratio’s voice, and maybe it was just the light, but a traitorous part of Ratio’s mind could have sworn it saw the intellitron’s eyes glow a bit brighter. “Ah, Mr. Ratio. A pleasure to see you, as always.”
Ratio tilted his head. “You’re early today.” While he’d never admit it out loud, Ratio knew Screwllum’s schedule like the back of his hand. The man never left his office or his lab until six in the evening on Fridays. And, from the stories Screwllum had told him, it used to be much later.
Screwllum tilted his head the opposite way. “Hm. It seems I am. But you seem to be early today as well.” And Ratio felt his face heat up, because, just as he knew Screwllum’s schedule, Ratio knew that Screwllum knew his.
With a scoff, Ratio broke eye contact. “Yes, well. I finished early today,” he lied.
“Did you now? Question: Weren’t you just saying last week that your students had essays due today?”
“And didn’t you tell me that you would most likely be late tonight because of how time sensitive your latest experiment is?”
A chuckle. “Indeed I did Mr. Ratio. So, tell me. Why am I here now?”
Ratio felt his throat trying to close up. “Your work must have been interrupted.”
“It was. And I’m guessing that it was interrupted by the same thing that brought you here so early. Am I correct?”
And in this moment, Ratio hated himself. He hated himself because this was the one being he refused to make a mistake with. He wanted to reply, he wanted to respond with a truth that he was so sure about. But he wasn’t certain. He wasn’t certain and, for once, uncertainty scared him. Because he refused to lose this. If he was wrong, he could risk losing Screwllum, and that was not a chance Ratio was willing to take.
So, he swallowed, forcing the words obstructing his throat back down, and let out a quiet hum. Not an agreement, not a disagreement, just an acknowledgement of the words Screwllum had spoken. Then he headed towards their bench to sit down. There was a brief moment of silence before the professor heard Screwllum follow him.
Setting his messenger bag down on the ground next to the bench, Ratio got himself comfortable. Screwllum did the same. “Now,” Ratio started, “circling back to your experiment, how has your research been going?”
Screwllum perked up. “I was hoping you’d ask me about it. Now, how up to date are you with your biochemistry knowledge?”
Ratio refused to mention all the books he bought semi-recently on the subject. “I’m informed enough, but you may need to explain a few things.”
“Perfect. Then let me start with my hypothesis.”
Ratio had first met Screwllum at this park by accident. After a meeting (disguised as a dinner) about his latest research finances had gone rather poorly, Ratio had gone for a walk to clear his head. It had led him to the outskirts of the city, where he passed by an entrance to a park. He was ready to walk right on by, when a rather…odd sight made him stop in his tracks.
The professor took one step into the park, then another. He blinked. That definitely looked like someone with their body halfway into a hole in the ground. “Excuse me,” Ratio called out. “Are you alright? Do you need some assistance?”
It must have taken a moment to register that Ratio was talking to them, because it took a few seconds for the being to start dragging their body out of the hole. Ratio heard them before he saw their face. “Thank you, kind stranger, but I am perfectly alright. Explanation: I was determining the quality of soil in this area.” Now standing up, the being, who Ratio could now tell was an intellitron, dusted off their clothing and turned around.
Ratio recognized them immediately. Of course he did. It would be impossible for him not to.
Screwllum I stared back at him, a member of one of the most prestigious research groups in the country. Only by exclusive invitation could one join the group, and everyone who was a part of it was considered a genius by the rest of the world.
Ratio crossed his arms and scowled. They were also a group notoriously known for not sharing their research findings either, only publishing said findings if another researcher outside of the group was working on a similar project. It never seemed to be malicious, but it always made the members seem above everyone else.
Suffice to say, Ratio hated them. And that hatred must have shown on his face, because Screwllum I’s next words were full of amusement. “I see that there is no need to introduce myself. However, I do pride myself as a gentleman, so while the sentiment may not be mutual, it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ratio.”
“You’ve heard of me.” The professor raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised someone from a group that prides themselves on being above others even bothers to notice someone who is beneath them.”
“Why wouldn’t I notice you? You tend to make quite the stir in the scientific community.”
“Then you would also be aware of the fact that I believe the world would be better off if your Genius Society disbanded. It’s done nothing but harm the scientific community that you seem to pay attention to.”
“Correction: It is not my Genius Society, but Nous’s.”
“Ah yes, your enigmatic leader. But I don’t care who’s in charge. It doesn’t change the fact that the Genius Society never should have been created in the first place.”
Screwllum hummed. “Oh? And why is that?”
Ratio’s eyes narrowed. “All you people do is hoard knowledge for yourself, and then you lord it over others when they’re about to make genuine discoveries on their own. If the everyday person thinks that people like you and your group will always have an answer to everything, then how will they ever learn to think for themselves?”
Then Screwllum…Screwllum paused. He stared at Ratio, and Ratio was about ready to spit out a sharp what, when Screwllum stepped back and sat down on a nearby wooden bench. “I see,” he murmured, the words barely reaching Ratio’s ears. “I think I’ve made some hasty assumptions. Tell me more.”
“…What?” Now the word actually did reach Ratio’s lips, albeit with much less venom than originally intended.
“Tell me more about all the Genius Society’s faults. I’d like to hear your point of view on us.”
And Ratio was more than happy to talk. He spent the next two hours ranting about the state the Genius Society had put the scientific community in, and while at first Screwllum stayed silent, he soon began to debate Ratio on certain points.
It had been a while since Ratio had had such a good debate partner, and it felt…good.
He was shocked when, eventually, he looked away from Screwllum and saw the world around them was dark. He had sat down on the other side of the bench at some point, and now the two were only a couple feet apart from each other.
“Shit.” Screwllum seemed surprised at the sudden curse. Ratio leaned over and grabbed his bag before standing up. “Apologies, but I have to cut this short. I have lessons that I need to plan for the beginning of next semester.”
“Ah.” Screwllum stood up as well. “The apology is all mine. I shouldn’t have kept you so late.”
“No, I enjoyed it.” The words slipped out before Ratio could really think about what he was saying. He froze for a moment, before the heat in his cheeks got him moving again. “Goodbye, Mr. Screwllum. I hope the rest of your night is peaceful.”
Ratio was about to escape when Screwllum’s voice stopped him. “I will be here next week if you’d like to continue our discussion.”
The professor could only blink. “Excuse me?”
“You said yourself that you enjoyed our debate, and I will be here each Friday evening at six for the foreseeable future.” Screwllum nodded towards the giant hole that Ratio had first found him in. “I have been given permission by the city to do some landscaping.”
“You landscape?”
Screwllum’s eyes considerably brightened. “Gardening is a favorite hobby of mine, and landscaping tends to be a part of that, so yes, I do indeed landscape.”
At Screwllum’s enthusiasm, Ratio couldn’t help but chuckle, but then he seriously considered Screwllum’s offer. While his thoughts on the Genius Society still remained the same after their talk, Ratio couldn’t deny that he felt less annoyance towards Screwllum than he did two hours ago. And Ratio did love a good scientific discussion.
It would mess up his schedule. He’d have to move around quite a few meetings. But he didn’t lie earlier. Although he hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, he did enjoy himself tonight.
There was no other answer. “I will see you next week, Mr. Screwllum.”
And so, they met up the next week. And the week after that. And the week after that. And soon a year had passed, and the seeds Screwllum planted bloomed into gorgeous flowers.
Ratio saw the joy on Screwllum’s face as the intellitron took in his beautiful garden. Heard the excitement in Screwllum’s words as he gave facts about every plant and every insect that he could see. And, as Screwllum turned towards Ratio, waiting to hear his response, Ratio, at that moment, realized two things:
One, that he had made the right choice, agreeing to a second meeting with Screwllum a year ago.
Two, Ratio was completely, undeniably in love with Screwllum I.
So here Ratio was now, two years later, sitting on that same park bench, but now discussing the intricate details of biochemistry. And just like that first night two years ago, Ratio looked up and found him and Screwllum surrounded by darkness. The professor just sighed softly, this being a common occurrence now.
“I believe the sky is saying that it is time for us to depart once more, Screwllum.” Ratio grabbed his bag and stood up.
Screwllum, for the first time all evening, looked around them. “Agreement: It seems you’re right, Veritas. Perhaps we should set an alarm next week as a reminder not to stay out too long.”
“You say that every week, and yet you never do it.”
“Now isn’t that strange. Perhaps I need to check my memory chip.”
“Perhaps.” Ratio covered his mouth as he yawned. It seemed like his busy week was getting to him more than usual. “This is where I leave you, Mr. Screwllum. As always, I hope you have a peaceful rest of your evening.”
He took a few steps away, ready to hear Screwllum’s usual goodbye back. The slightly teasing, but genuine, “And you have a peaceful evening yourself, Mr. Ratio.” But the words never came. This made Ratio pause in his tracks. He turned his head to find Screwllum starting at him, and worry began to creep in.
“Screwllum? Is something wrong?”
“…I-” The single word distorted a bit before Screwllum cut himself off. Ratio’s eyes widened and he fully turned around.
“Screwllum, what happened? Is something wrong with one of your systems? Do you need me to call someone?”
“That’s unnecessary. I’m fine.” Although there was still some distortion in the background, Screwllum’s voice mostly sounded back to normal. “This simply happens when I’m nervous.”
“Nervous? What could you possibly be nervous about?”
Screwllum stared at Ratio for another moment before speaking. “Veritas, are you free tomorrow evening? I would like to continue our conversation over dinner.”
Ratio’s next breath caught in his throat. His mind jumped to the conclusion that he so desperately wanted to be true, but he tried to reel his train of thought back to reality. It was entirely possible that there was a non-romantic reasoning behind Screwllum’s request. Still, some part of him must have wanted his current thoughts to be spoken, because, very much against his will, he found the next words out of his mouth to be a teasing, “Why, Mr. Screwllum, it almost sounds as if you’re asking me out on a date.”
The words sounded like he was joking. Ratio knows he wasn’t, but he was certain he added enough of a teasing tone to his voice that Screwllum could just laugh the comment off. And yet…
“I am.”
Ratio’s world stops. “What?”
“I am.” The words sound stronger the second time. The distortion is still present, but the cadence of Screwllum’s tone is even. He’s sure of himself. “Veritas, would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?”
The lamps illuminate Screwllum’s body. The plants, distant city, and night sky create a beautiful background. And the insects that Screwllum loves so much create a melody that Ratio can’t help but think is perfect for this moment. Because how could anything be bad when Screwllum looks at him like he’s the answer to everything.
And the smile from earlier finally, finally, breaks free.
“Yes.”