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amazingphilza · 3 years

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study buddies :: cc!multiple x reader

fluff , platonic , gender neutral ! some headcanons if the mcyts were trying to help you do hw :D

cc’s included in order: tommyinnit , tubbo , ranboo , wilbur soot , philza , technoblade

tommyinnit

i feel like he’s the type to be in a long discord call with you whilst you both try to finish your work

mans uses the screensharing feature like there’s no tomorrow

“y/n watch my stream on discord and help me guess the answers”

“tommy no! i haven’t even taken a film class before”

“your guess is good as mine”

“just cheat and google the answers!!!”

“fuck you”

he actually just wants your attention because he’s bored out of his mind doing homework

five minutes later of asking you to help him guess questions he’s like

“hey y/n”

“what now?”

“let’s play bedwars”

“oh my god shut up!!!”

if tommy has to speedrun something before a deadline, it is a whole different story tho; he will be so focused on completing that he won’t hear what you’re saying

if you’re struggling in math, you’re on your own

“math is shit, only numbers i need is my primes and youtube analytics” says tommy any time you complain about math

besides the fact he isn’t good at solving math problems, you can’t even read his handwriting if he did try showing you how to do a problem

“okay, y/n, it’s simple, just look” he says in his kareninnit voice and everything

you’d be like “is the variable a G or a 9??”

“fuck you that’s a 4!!!”

tubbo

i don’t know if tubbo ever talked about school before but something about him makes me think he’s actually pretty good at math

like he can explain a few things when it comes to math / algebra

CODING GO BRRRR

no geometry or calculus though, anything past algebra will go bad

if tubbo is doing homework with you, he will definitely tune you out

“hey tubbo can you help me on this question?”

you don’t get a response until like 20 minutes later

“oh yeah, what was it y/n?”

like now you answer? i just got the answer myself after so long, forget you smh

“oh nothing tubbo, nevermind!”

but you’re still grumbling in your head because if he answered just a bit earlier you wouldn’t have gone through the work of finding the answer online

i can also imagine if you’re taking chemistry tubbo is like ;

“oh you’re taking chemistry? let’s make some bombs!” /lh

tubbo would definitely pull an all-nighter with you to finish your projects together

if you had a group project, he would make you do the writing part while he does the drawing part

“we definitely aced this project”

“of course we did, if i made you draw we would’ve ended up with stick figure diagrams”

“TUBBO. THE FUCK?”

ranboo

okay i know ranboo said he isn’t a theatre or band kid (unless im wrong and forgetful) but i feel like he’d be somewhat educated in the topics nonetheless

half the time he’s great moral support, helping you stay motivated !

the other half is him making fun of you

“i cant believe you’re failing, that is so sad, can’t be me”

“it’s literally an honors class, ranboo! it’s supposed to be hard!!”

“taking an honors class willingly? also cant be me AHAHA”

i honestly can’t see ranboo going to school like i know he’s a minor and said he had zoom calls before and plays volleyball but like did i miss something? has he dropped out yet? like something about ranboo does not scream “student” /lh

besides that, i’m not sure what subject he would actually be good in,,, but something about nutrition/health sciences,, he knows a few things

don’t get me wrong, i don’t think he actually likes the subject but somehow remembers what he learned from the class

also gives me the type of energy of the type of person to take a first aid class to be a certified person to do cpr on someone just to kill time during his lunch breaks for a while or something

“i am a certified cpr person”

“my life in ranboo’s hands? oh god please no”

you two would probably joke about the ‘bad’ people in your classes or talk shit about your schools than actually doing anything homework related ngl AHAHAH

“you think your school is down bad? mine went back to campus full time after like 6 months into quarantine because they were running out of money”

“what the hell y/n? your school is a scam, drop out”

“arghhhh i knowww”

“i bet i make more money than your teachers combined AHAHAH”

wilbur soot

he doesn’t seem like the best person to ask for help for homework but can info dump you on very specific historical events + a bit of geography

i kinda see him as the person you can ask to proof read an essay for you and would help it improve immensely

who needs a thesaurus when you have vocabulary boy wilbur?

i dunno if it’s an american thing only or at all, but if/when you get to studying hamilton in your english class, he will get so fucking excited

“no wilbur it isn’t fun! imagine listening to lin-manuel miranda rap ‘alexander hamilton’ at the white house from like 2009 on repeat for over an hour whilst trying to write an analysis about it!! it was so distracting”

“well clearly someone has a personal problem with mr lin-manuel. if i were you, i’d be singing the whole thing”

is this last bit personal and complete spite from my freshman year english class? yes. i do not care? no. /hj

unrelated but i actually scribbled nice guy ballad lyrics and other songs on my english scratch papers in freshman year but anyway

probably isn’t the best person to be in a call to do homework with but wilbur doesn’t mind you ringing him occasionally sometimes

i dunno i can just see him easily get bored of the silence or something but also doesn’t want to bother you too much

but he is genuinely proud of you whenever you tell him you aced a big test you were studying for :D

philza

this man’s bad advice is as bad as him trying to help you on any subject

he’s an old man so /hj

but like honestly, he hasn’t been at school for so long, phil can probably only help with the most basic things when it comes to school

if you have a wack teacher that makes you collect data through surveying people, phil would be one of the best people to ask! straightforward and won’t take too much of your time compared to other people ahem,,

statistics things ! sobs

if you ever complain a lot about your classes and contemplating dropping out and stuff, he will def scold you hard

“ugh phillllllllll can i just like,, never go to school again?”

“do not drop out”

“argh fine, i won’t just ‘cause philza minecraft said so”

honestly if you get a high score in a big test like your sats/gcse’s (whatever you’re taking from wherever you are) he’d probably order you a small meal or something to celebrate :D

like how phil bought ranboo bought him food to his house, it would start as a joke but when you get your test scores back he’s like “YOOO GOOD JOB Y/N”

expect a left meat pizza coming to your house .

technoblade

like wilbur, techno is also helpful when it comes to history!

def knows a decent bit of literature too

besides that i don’t really see him being that helpful

even if he was supposed to be an english major

he will just get mad at the school system for teaching you useless things

“being in school is good but why do you need to know how to know if something is a triangle or not? i can obviously see with my eyes that it’s a triangle”

“i dunno! ask the person that made up geometry”

“just look at a kaleidoscope and be over with it, it isn’t that hard”

“that isn’t how it works—”

“bruhhh”

if you’re looking for the person to call while doing homework, he is not the person /lh

it’s either like 0 or 100 with techno

he can just completely not say anything and ignore you or go on a full rant about whatever class or homework you have

if you have an essay you need written, it will take a lot of bribing but he might take the opportunity if you are rich

“techno i’ll paypal you $10 please help me”

“no. i can make 10 times that amount in 5 minutes if i just started streaming right now”

“techno i don’t have that kind of money! pleaseee”

“no. instead of complaining, you can use that time to actually start you work”

“you’re the worst”

then you speedrun the essay and get an A just to spite him

#dream smp imagines #dream smp x reader #dream smp x y/n #dream smp headcanons #sbi imagine #sbi x reader #sbi headcanons #mcyt imagine #mcyt x reader #mcyt x y/n #mcyt x you #mcyt headcanons

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aadyeah · 4 years

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Hello, Aadya. Just wanted to rant a bit and ask you a question.

So, a few days ago, I saw a tumblr post about some popular institutes like Allen and FITJEE having tumblr accounts. Now I am from India, but I have never attended these classes. Tbhwu, my mom tried to get me to attend Allen but I refused. I told her that the place didn't give me good vibes and that I would study on my own. And thankfully, she agreed. Then even though my mom agreed to letting me study on my own, my dad kept forcing me to attend Allen, and i don't want to.

Before I read the post, I didn't know that these institutions gave more mental health problems than they solved, but can you please explain to me why so many students are scared of it? How exactly do they manage to make things worse for students? I need the list of reasons so I can show them to my dad.

Please shed some light on this, if you want.

-❤

Hi! This is going to be long so buckle up.

I am in 9th, right now and I have been attending Fiitjee since class 8.

In the beginning, I was shit scared of the place, but two months in, I kind of started vibing with it. I was always one of those know it all kids. Yup, I read my elder sister’s books. I was ahead of my class.

And when I started Fiitjee, it felt like I was finally in a place that would appreciate my curiosity.

You know the NCERT books? Yeah so, what they do is to pick the chapters from there and derail it into teaching the syllabus of two classes ahead.

Let me give you an example, class 8 has the topic ‘metal and non-metals’ in chemistry. Guess what, we were taught spdf configuration, redox reactions, oxidation problems, and all that.

The funny part is, chemistry was naturally easy so all of this seemed fun and games. Everything went downhill when they did that in maths and physics. In that chapter Light, they taught us lense equations.

It was just weird for me.

So naturally, after two phases my rank sank. [Phase means terms.]

You know what else sank? My self-confidence. It’s still at rock bottom. Fiitjee did that. It killed my self-esteem. No one is ever going to tell you that you will do better.

The only thing they’ll keep repeating is, “there are harder things ahead.”

The teachers there weren’t awful. They were just impassive. They don't really care for you. It’s not like they wouldn't answer your doubts, they just don't care enough to explain it fifty times. Or to explain things in a more exclusive manner. It’s like they teach only to the best of the kids.

Only the best of the kids.

Another fun fact: Almost the Fiitjee students are either from really rich backgrounds to waste money or they are super smart.

I fell in between. I wasn’t a super genius. And my parents are that rich. But they put a lot of money (around 50 thousand in 8th and 2.5 lakh for 9 to 12) hoping for me to become a genius.

haha, look at me, a mess up.

Now get to the taunts. Parents taunt you. They will taunt you. It’s impossible for them to not. I M P O S S I B L E. It’s justified though, did they put money in you to become a fuck up? No. But are you a fuck up? ✨YES✨

Plus, the school pressure. Not healthy.

So to sum it up, things Fiitjee gives you for a really high amount:

taunts

possibly depression because you aren't acing it, and no one cares for mediocre students.

✨anxiety✨

murdered dreams because you need to be studying as much as you can

t a u n t s

Really expensive. REALLY EXPENSIVE BOOKS.

exhaustion 24/7

you degrade in school. that’s a fact. It will happen.

dead social life because its always ✨fiitjee time✨

did I say exhaustion?

lead me into self-harm in the first place because I felt like I was a failure

yes, an eight-grader felt that

you know in the 3rd phase parents-teacher meet, my MAT (mental ability) teacher told me “no one is going to read your books if you fail class tenth” after papa told him that I write.

haha look at me now I am failing, not writing but doing fiitjee

perfection 100

ALL IN ALL ITS A MONEY HOARDING SCAM

unless you are one of those students who can handle stress perfectly. Then institutes are the right thing for you. They will give you a direction. See, I am not villainizing institutes. I am just explaining what it did to me. Your experience could be different. You can be one of those smart kids the teachers love.

ABSOLUTE NO-NO FOR NEURODIVERGENT KIDS. ABSOLUTELY NO. KABHI NAHI. NO NEVER. IT WILL KILL YOUR CHILD INTERNALLY. YOU WILL BE DEAD INSIDE.

You all know about the glorious Fiitjee Tab? AAH.

Now that. Is what a money hoarding scam is. Someone, please explain further, I will reblog with a picture of mine.

@strudel-and-creme? explain further, please?

And hey, anon, @warning-coffeeisexplosive is an Allen student. You can have some personal insight from him.

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a-tomb-with-a-view · 3 years

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if you wanna: boregallie + teachers + everybody knows/mistaken for a couple :))<3

wait fuck you already have a mistaken for a couple sooo boregallie + teachers + mutual pining? 2/2

Okay so this is supposed to be a two trope mash up but mama ain’t raise no bitch, so I’m gonna do all three and we’ll see what happens :)) (prompts are from this list, send me two and a ship and I’ll write a fic outline) it's below the cut bc I went a bit wild lol

Okay, so let’s set the scene. It’s in England bevahse the American education system absolutely fucking terrifies me and as much as I’ve figured it out for when the classes have no relevance, I cannot do that here, anywho, on e va.

Luke and Julie are absolutely the music teachers, they’re just vibing in the music building together, they totally jam out when they don’t have kids to teach, and they’re so glad their subject isn’t compulsory past year nine because they hate having to deal with cocky little bastards who think they’re the absolutely shit because they played the violin for a year when they were six, and then they just get to chill with the students who actually enjoy music.

Bobby is the chemistry teacher that everyone loves and clearly just wants to sleep for a year or get absolutely ratarsed. Reggie is the maths teacher everyone is slightly concerned about because he always seems like he’s had a little too much caffeine, but he will help you with your work and he’s an absolute gem. Alex is 100% an English teacher and he’s the local queer dad, has adopted half of his students, but not in the weird and mildly manipulative way, more in the “has tea and biscuits with his a level students and his classroom is always open at lunch if you don’t wanna go outside” way. Willie is a history teacher and he’s super excited about literally everything and people love him, but he’s also not got the patience for twats, who are swiftly dealt with, so his class is always super chill.

Now, there is so much pining going on here. Bobby and Reggie are friends, because the stem departments all hella coordinate to make sure maths topics that are needed for certain science topics are taught before those science topics are reached. Alex, Bobby and Reggie know each other because they’re friends with Luke. Willie and Alex are friends because the English and history departments also coordinate to make sure that students who might be covering a topic about, say, the Depression have a prior understanding, because they’ve covered it in History. The heart eyes that occur when they’re in the same room is probably actually deadly. They’re all pining so fucking hard, and Flynn is the only one with any actual clue what’s going on.

Anyways, because Luke and Julie are dumb and unhelpful (affectionate), the four of them don’t figure themselves out, they just keep pining, and becoming better friends, and pining. So, one time, the gang all stay over at Luke and Julie’s because they’re pals now, and adults should get sleepovers too, dammit, and clothes just kinda end up in a pile while they all wear oversized pyjamas bc they want to look cute. This results in Bobby coming to school in Alex’s blazer, which is clearly too big for him, and Willie just coming into Reggie’s class with no care to the lesson to return Reggie’s t shirt.

This is an English highschool, so obviously rumours are circulating in minutes, and Alex has already had four of his baby gays asking if he’s sleeping with mr Wilson from chem, and Reggie’s class would not shut up about the t shirt. The school are like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ you’re in different departments, as lkng as things are appropriate we’re totally fine with you guys being together, but please, nothing on school grounds.

This is where Flynn steps in, because the boys are idiots, and she carries the gang braincell, along with the help of Nick and Carrie, because Nick, Bobby and willie are ace pals, and they’re all scared of Carrie. Anyway after lots of wheedling and whining and seriously shut up and sit down and realise you are in love with these three idiots, they get them to have an actual conversation, but because the four are morons, the conversation is essentially, ur pretty, wanna snog, and their friends watch in awe as they build an actual relationship out of that. They start pranking students so that no one has any idea what’s going on just because they find it funny. Ta da

Hope this was okay :))

#jatp #julie and the fat ones #julie and the himbos #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson #julie molina #alex jatp #reggie jatp #willie jatp #willex #boregallie #Bobby x Willie x Alex x Reggie #fic plan ask

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lemonpeter · 4 years

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Catch Me if You Can- chapter 2

So this one is quite a bit longer than the last one, but there was a lot I wanted to get established lol

Tags: @sherly-not-obsessed @mykale-yellow @avaxxc @alette606 @starkravingspiders @smidnite @indecisive-mess-named-me @mercury-deacon-taylor-may @seaweedbrain3000 @aoifelaufeyson @ironspiidey @ironfestivalgoopmaker @darknessyuu @john--imnotgay--watson (tag list is still open! Message me if you want to be added or removed)

Warnings: vomiting, spiders, sensory overload

1.8K words

Tony had almost all of his other classes with Peter. And Peter seemed to excel in all of them. How was that possible? No one was that good at everything. No one but Tony. And he didn't like being second best. Or even tied. So he would have to fix that.

Peter seemed a little disappointed when Tony started ignoring him in their other classes. The other boy didn't sit next to him like he had in first block. And he was ignored whenever he tried to talk to him. He didn't know what he had done wrong.

So he just focused on the school work instead of making friends. It was what he was good at, after all.

Then it clicked. That was what was wrong.

Tony Stark was someone who had never been told no. He was always the first for everything. He was a literal genius. And now he was being bested by a nobody from nowhere.

So with that in mind, Peter decided that he would just have to be the best. Not that he had planned on slipping up at all.

***

The first week went...smoothly. Peter and Tony seemed to have gotten themselves into a sort of war, though. In every class they were competing to answer every question first, not even giving anyone else a chance.

They aced the first tests they got, each earning a respective 100 percent. But it wasn't good enough.

Not for Tony at least. So he started doing more. He had never cared to do his homework before- "it's just pointless busy work!"- but he completed every page he was given just to keep his grade even with Peter's.

And, sure, maybe Peter answered more in-class questions than Tony, but it was just because he had faster reflexes. That was it. Because Tony still knew all the answers.

He refused to think that Peter was better. It wasn't happening.

***

Week two of their sophomore year. Everything was still going well. Pretty perfect, in fact.

Others had found out about the apparent rivalry and loved to watch. Some had even gone as far as to place bets on who they thought would slip up first.

Neither of them did. Of course. If the knowledge that they were doing well wasn't reward enough, the drive to beat the other would keep them both going.

It didn't matter how well they had gotten along at first. It was war.

Even that day, they were still determined to get a better grade on the childish scavenger hunt they were supposed to do on their field trip. The trip was combining biology and chemistry, with a healthy dose of engineering. It was amazing.

The day seemed like it would be fun and both of them were excited. Peter hoped that maybe, just maybe they could put aside the competition long enough to partner up for the project so they could enjoy the trip together.

He just dared to hope.

It was a simple field trip to Oscorp.

He was excited, looking forward to all of the groundbreaking technology he would get to see!

And the tour was going amazing! Every new thing that he saw caught his eye, mesmerizing him. He was even distracted from his rivalry with Tony, just for those few moments.

Then they were allowed to explore a different lab. Genetic testing and some experimentation on animals. Spiders seemed to be the specialty.

And as cool as it would be to see all that had been done, Peter's fear of spiders kept him from getting too close. So he stayed at the edge of the room, checking out everything from afar.

A sudden sting on his hand brought his attention away from his amazement. He glanced down, face going pale as he saw the cause of the pain. A big, ugly spider. Right. On. His. Hand. He stifled a shriek, slapping the bug (‘arachnid, technically,’ his brain reminded him) off of his hand. But the damage had been done.

The evidence? A puffy red splotch and two little holes on his hand.

***

Peter didn't know what was happening.

He felt like he was dying.

Everything was too warm, or too cold, or too loud, or too bright, or- or- or- or-

It wouldn't stop.

All of the enhanced stimulation was making him sick, keeping him anchored at the base of the toilet for hours as his stomach decided that it didn't want anything to stay in it.

It was horrible. He felt like death.

And he didn't know why.

But...he had the slightest idea.

***

He had really started feeling bad just before the trip ended.

It was just a small twinge in his stomach, making him slightly uncomfortable. But it wasn’t too bad. Probably just queasy from seeing all those spiders.

It only got worse on the bus. He chalked it up to motion sickness.

Then he first got sick when they got back to school. Everyone had said he wasn’t looking good, but he didn’t believe anything was wrong before then.

Ben had to pick him up from the nurse’s office, concern clear on his face.

And Peter had been getting sick since they got home. He could hear Ben on the phone with May outside the door. The conversation must have been pretty loud, if he could hear it.

“Do you think he caught something? The last time he was this sick…” He could hear his aunt’s worried tone through the phone.

“I know, I know. He lost so much weight from the last time he was sick like this. He can’t do that again. But I say that we wait until tomorrow to see if he gets better. Then we can take him to the doctor if he’s still this bad,” Ben replied. His voice was still worried, but he wanted to be able to soothe May. So he tried his best to sound as calm as possible.

Peter tuned out after that, just trying to ignore all the noise. He pressed his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut as another wave of nausea passed over him. He heaved, but nothing came up. There was nothing left in his stomach.

He passed out with his forehead against the cold porcelain, head throbbing at every movement. He hoped and prayed he would get some relief.

***

The sickness only seemed to last for that one day.

Peter woke up the next morning on the floor of the bathroom, wrapped in a blanket that hadn’t been there when he fell asleep. He figured May put it there. He started to sit up slowly, pleasantly surprised when he didn’t feel the automatic need to drape himself over the toilet again.

He stood up, stretching. How he had been on the floor wasn’t exactly comfortable. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he stretched. Weird. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, but it didn’t seem to matter. He could see just fine. And as he stretched his arms up, his shirt rode up just a little and-

Hold on. That hadn’t been there when he went to sleep. Confused, he pulled up his shirt over his stomach. This revealed a perfect muscled torso that certainly didn’t belong to him. But...the face attached to the body belonged to him. He didn’t understand.

Starting to panic, he raced to his room and locked the door behind him. He quickly stripped out of all of his clothes, standing in front of the full-length mirror over his door. Where there had been soft curves and bits of fat were now lean muscle. But it didn’t make any sense.

Unlike many of his male peers, he was never focused on getting fit or looking like some sort of athlete. He never cared about that. He was happy about his thin, soft body. Yet he seemed to have found the cheat to the “perfect” male body.

Eyes ran over tight pecs and abs, bulging biceps and broad shoulders, slowly trailing down to thick thighs and strong calves. Whose body did he possess? Because it certainly didn’t belong to pasty nerd Peter Parker.

And- oh, okay. That was new, too. He noticed a few more inches to the thing between his legs. The thought made him blush, but he didn’t focus on that too long. Although he would have to see if anything else with that was enhanced along with size.

The briefest thought of Tony crossed his mind. Would the other boy like him better like this? He seemed to have the perfect body all of a sudden, would Tony like him again?

He shook off the thought, face burning. Stop. He couldn’t think like that. He had a boyfriend. And Harley wa-

“Shit, I was supposed to meet Harley!” He exclaimed, sounding panicked. He had forgotten that he agreed to meet up with his boyfriend in the library before school.

He scrambled to get dressed, pulling on loose jeans that weren’t as loose as they were the night previous and a thick sweater. There. He was fairly sure that would conceal his new figure. And he knew that it needed to stay hidden until he figured it all out. A suddenly fit body would be hard to explain to anyone.

He grabbed his backpack and ran out of his bedroom, forgetting his glasses. He suddenly didn’t need them, after all.

Ben stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, kid. You seem to be feeling better.” He looked confused.

‘You don’t know the half of it,’ Peter thought.

“Yeah, I’m feeling great! Just need to get to school and see Harley. I forgot I told him I would meet with him this morning.” He smiled, running a nervous hand through his hair.

His uncle didn’t look convinced. “It was just a few hours ago that you were sick. Your aunt was worried you were dying,” he commented. “I think maybe you should stay home today….”

A look of panic crossed Peter’s face. “No! No, I can’t stay home. I can’t miss a day!”

“Is this about that rivalry thing I heard about? Pete, I don’t think that’s-”

“No, I just really want to see Harley. Please. I’m feeling fine now. I promise.” He smiled weakly, heading to the kitchen to grab a poptart. On the way there he realised that he was really hungry, so he grabbed two packs of the breakfast sweet instead of one. He tucked the other into his backpack, heading back to the door. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry. I’ll call you if I start feeling sick again!”

Ben opened his mouth to argue but figured there was no point.

Peter kissed his cheek before leaving, closing the door behind him.

It was going to be an interesting day.

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darkdevasofdestruction · 5 years

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The Blood Moon

Summary : With great powers comes great responsibility, so why bother with them, when you can just chill back and relax? That’s what Katrina always told herself in a way to calm down whenever she felt herself lose control, but nothing will stop her from getting in trouble with literally everyone around. Her world was chaotic, like the last seconds of a fly trapped in a spider’s web, but what happens when the world literally goes Upside Down for her, has to take care of a group of nerds much bigger than herself and even worst, she feels her heart beat for the first time, but now, not because of anxiety, but due to a much warmer feeling.

Pairing : Billy Hargrove x OC (Katrina Black)

TW : Stranger Things, as a TV show, explores a lot of themes, including childhood trauma of various types, which I am going to go along with.

—

This story contains and explores a variety of trauma and darker themes, most of them relating in canon to a certain character, others that I’m more familiar with then I wish I were and so on.

I have this story written on AO3 that I wrote in like 3-4 days because GODS I am in L O V E with Billy Hargrove and someone please save me, all my feelings are in here, from sorrow to glee, from fluff to angst and so on.

But I’ve never been prouder of a story I’ve written like I am with this one.

—

Chapter 1: The Fox and the Lion

I had no idea how the hell I managed to get wound up in a group of 12 year olds’ troubles, but I can’t deny that it wasn’t fun, if not, just crazy dangerous and deadly. I met up Mike and his little group of nerdy friends whilst going to the arcade one day and them cursing my nickname for not being able to defeat my high-score in any game. Of course, since all arcade games only had a 3 letter maximum for each name, I put mine.

“FOX”

Because I have red hair and can be pretty sly and sneaky, despite how very introverted I am. Now it’s my last year at Hawkins High School, this one being the most important because if everything goes right, I may get a scholarship and be able to continue my studies further, to University, pursuing Vet Medicine, like I’ve always dreamt of.

Now, to tell a little bit about myself…

Officially, I was called “3”, just like the number tattooed on my shoulder, which is to brand me as one of the many experiments the Russians/Americans did on children. Somehow, and very thankfully, I managed to run away, thanks to my weird powers that I’m still not 100% sure, and found myself in the woods, where I stumbled upon this policeman named Hopper who was nice enough to take me in for a while, before getting me to an orphanage and making sure a real family gets to take care of me.

The date of me meeting Jim was January 3rd, a very cold and snowy winter, so from that day on, that has become my birthday. Since I didn’t have a name, he let me stay a few good weeks with him and taught me how to read and write, which was pretty easy, to say the least, and upon reading so many books, I found a name that finally suited my tastes.

“Katrina”

That was 5 years ago, when I was 13, and now I’m at my own little house close to the Byers, I recently found out, living alone with Jim visiting me often, or having the kids have sleepovers at mine from time to time, when I’m not too busy with my studies.

After the incident with the monsters, Will’s disappearance, El and everything, we’ve really bonded, and gotta say, being a Rogue in their DnD party was super fun!

Life hasn’t been easy, that much is sure, isn’t it? Many bad things happened that cannot be changed or unmade, so you have to life with them through the rest of your life.

But things never stay the same, do they…?

Life at highschool ain’t the best, especially not with all these mean girls and boys around, but how I survived 3 years, I can survive one more, right? Also, recently, Will and the gang told us about a new girl coming from California called “Max” who apparently beat all their records as well and from their description, I really wanna meet her. Now, I’m wondering if this is a coincidence or not, but my Sherlockian instincts were tingling, and she may or may not be our new colleague’s little sister. Oh, yes, new colleague… His name is Billy Hargrove and he’s the most intimidating man I’ve ever seen in my life. He is literally radiating masculinity and his eyes make everyone either kneel at his feet or stay away from him, because he won’t take anyone’s shit. In a very short amount of time, he managed to gain the reputation of “Keg King”…I think that was? Beating Steve Harrington at popularity, now being the literal best student at sports (especially basketball), having the most number of uh…Charmed ladies, as a count, and beat up a ton of boys who dared disrespect him. So, uh...FUN!

I could have said that I’ve been pretty lucky so far, seeing that I didn’t have the need to directly interact with Billy so far, but fate was never as you’d expect and the weirdest of changes always happen when you least expect them.

Wednesday morning -

I wake up, eat a bowl of milk and cereal, go to wash my fave, brush my long red hair and look through my clothes.

I choose an over-sized AC/DC Tshirt, light blue boyfriend jeans, a red plaid shirt tied to my waist, round shades, a black hat and black combat boots, take my bag and go to my motorbike that I recently managed to buy and went to high school. Maths went pretty fast by, Chemistry too, but during Biology, we had to make a project for the final grade, which will affect the overall grade by a huge percent, which completely got my attention.

But that wasn’t all.

Mrs. Green insisted on assigning us partners…And I was to do the project with none other than Billy Hargrove, which made me gulp in anxiety and start to slightly scratch at my neck, not daring to look at him…Or anyone, for the matter.

Mrs. Green: Kat, Billy, may I talk to you at the end of the class for a moment? Billy: Sure. Me: Okay…

After this, the class went on as if nothing happened, but I could basically feel the burning and poisonous glares the many girls in my class would throw at me. After all, who wouldn’t want to be partnered up with THE King Billy?

Ha.

Me.

What a fool.

All I did the whole class was to draw on my notebook, habit which I found out managed to calm down my anxieties pretty well, even if I didn’t really pay attention to the teacher…But hey, for someone like me, it’s no big deal. After all the other students left the classroom, I grabbed slowly got up and went in front of Mrs. Green, not managing to look in her eyes, my gaze fixed on the floor as I bit my lip and fiddling with my fingers. Billy, as well, stood just next to me, but he looked extremely laid back.

Mrs.Green: Billy, I am sure you are aware that, despite your pretty good grades, slightly above average, in most subjects, you are somehow failing Biology. So, I wanted to ask you, is it just disinterest, or are you not understanding something? I thought that, compared to Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, this would be at least a bit easier. Billy: Well, uh…I dunno, I guess I don’t really get it or something. I guess I started with the wrong foot and continued even worse and…Yeah, you get it. Mrs.Green: Kat, dear, I am very sorry to ask this of you, since I know you’re extremely shy, but would it be okay with you if you were to help Billy with Biology? You told me you want to pursue Medicine at University, and so far you’ve been exceeding all expectations at my subject, which is why I paired you two up. Just a bit of tutoring, once in a while, if you both agree. Billy: If it helps with my grades, I don’t see why not. Mrs.Green: Excellent! What do you say, dear? Me: Uh, w-well, I…Uhm…I-I mean, s-sure, but…But a-are you sure I’m the right person for this? I-I mean, as you said, I’m painfully shy…A-And I’m afraid I might be more annoying than useful and I don’t want to waste anyone’s time and- Mrs.Green: Dear, Kat, calm down. I’ve seen you help and explain to some of your colleagues before at different subjects and you did an extraordinary job at it! I think you shouldn’t be afraid. Who knows, maybe Billy will be able to help you out with your shyness, since he’s so popular and sociable. Me: *hiding my face* I-I-I w-well, I don’t know what to say… Billy: You can start by saying ‘Yes’ ? Me: Uhm…I guess you’re right. S-Sure, I will tutor you, I am fine with that. J-Just tell me when you don’t understand or if I’m being annoying, I’ll try to stop. Billy: *chuckles* Don’t worry, toots, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine. Mrs.Green: *winks* Think of it as opportunity. It will look very good on your recommendation letter. Me: Y-You mean, you will…? Mrs.Green: *smiles* But of course, dear! How could I possibly not recommend my top student to the best University? It was supposed to be a surprise from me and your Physics and Chemistry teachers, but oops! Busted~. Me: I-I-I can’t thank you enough!! Really, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me! I am forever grateful for you and your patience and kindness with me! Mrs.Green: *pats my head* Dear, your only fault is worrying too much and enjoying life too little. Take the advice of the bands you listen to so much and you might learn to live a bit. Now, off you go, your next class is about to start! Me: See you tomorrow, Mrs.Green! And thank you so much for everything again! Billy: Good bye, Mrs. G.

Outside of the classroom, I gripped my notebook close to my chest and walk to my locker, but Billy was still following me with a smirk on his face, and then leaned on the locker nearby.

Billy: So, I just got a very hot teacher as a reward for failing the class, the more you know. Me: I…I think it’s more of a punishment. Billy: Why’d you think that, Kitten? Me: Wh-Why did you j-just call me “Kitten” ? Billy: Mrs.G called you “Kat”, so, why not? Me: My name is Katrina, not Kitten, so please call me that. Billy: Fine, fine…Kitten. *winks* Me: *pouts* Guess I can’t convince you… Billy: You give up pretty easily, babe. It’s almost like you like that. Me: *cringes* I-It’s nothing of the sort. I-It’s just…Over the years…I learn that if saying “No” doesn’t work the first time…It won’t work no matter how many times you repeat or struggle…So might as well just get it over with. Billy: *raises an eyebrow* That sounded oddly specific. Me: *eyes widen* Ah, n-no, forget I just said that! S-Sorry, I, uh…I gotta go to Physics, excuse me. Billy: What a coincidence, I have Physics too. Why don’t we talk about the project and my tutoring on the way there? Me: Uhm…If you’re okay with it, I guess okay. Billy: Have any specific topic you wanna do? I kinda have no idea what we’ve studied so far. Care to enlighten me? Me: Well…We started with the Nervous system, followed by the Sensory organs, then Glands, the Locomotor system, Digestive system, Excretory system, Metabolism, some pretty basic Genetics, some plain Environmental things…And…Uhm…Well… Billy: *smirks* You missed out the Reproduction thingy between Excretory and Metabolism on purpose, didn’t you? Me: *gasps* Liar! You said you didn’t know! You tricked me! Billy: *chuckles* I might have. Say, toots, it’s almost like you missed it on purpose. Are you embarrassed? Hey, what about we do the project on tha- Me: NO!!!! Billy: *wide eyed* Whoa, slow down, there, I was only teasin’. Me: *slaps hand on mouth* I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to shout at you! Please, don’t be mad. It’s just…I really don’t like it and it makes me feel very…Very bad. Billy: *shrugs* S'okay, I got it, don’t worry, I’m not mad. Jeez, Mrs.G was right, you really do worry too much. Me: Yeah…I’m really sorry, I told you it’d be more of a punishment than anything. I know I can be very annoying without even realising. Billy: Chill, babe, chill. So, when and where shall we meet? Me: Uhm…Tomorrow after class for the project? Billy: I have Basketball training, sorry. Me: Oh, right, you’re in the team. When’s your next match? Billy: In 2 weeks. Wanna come and cheer me? Me: *smiles* If you want me there, sure, I will be there. Billy: Huh, would ya look at that, Kitten has a pretty smile. Ya wanna make me swoon? Me: Ah, n-no, really, I’m not. Billy: You’re melting my heart, babe! Me: S-Sorry! Uhm…How about this Friday? About 5pm? At…Uhm…There’s this pretty cafe in town called “Ma Cherie” and they have amazing tea and sweets. Billy: Friday…Friday…Ah, yeah, sure. Had a date, but- Me: Oh, shoot! Okay, we can find another day so you won’t have to miss it! Billy: *chuckles* Nahh, don’t worry, I’ll just cancel. I’d much rather stay with you than with her. Me: *bites lip* Uhmm…I…Flattered? I think? Billy: Good then, it’s a date, see you then, sweet cheeks! Me: WAIT WHAT?!

I stopped in my tracks but he only laughed and waved at me, jogging ahead in another direction. It was only then that I realised that I was in front of the Physics classroom and he, in fact, had a complete other subject, not Physics.

Smooth bastard…

And so, Wednesday came to an end, Thursday as well, Friday went by unnoticed and then, I had to go full speed to the Animal shelter nearby to help out. They never told me how much to stay, seeing that my schedule was hectic due to College and Uni preps, so I would just come and go whenever I could. Problem is, I lost track of time and when I looked back at the watch again, it said 4:46pm.

F U C K.

I bid the workers farewell and ran to my motorbike, going as far as I could back to Hawkings and at the cafe, getting all the two bags full of books and running into the cafe, and looking at my watch at the same time.

5:13pm.

Kill me please.

Entering the cafe, I nod at the waitress, as I’m a regular here and we’re on friendly terms, and scan for Billy, who was writing something in a notebook. I rush to take the seat opposite, but before I sat down and let the books fall to the ground, I start apologising to Billy a bit too much.

Me: I’M SO SORRY!! I-I really didn’t mean to be late, but it’s entirely my fault and I feel horrible for making you wait for me! Please don’t be mad, I-I’ll make up to you! I’ll pay each time we go out to study, okay? S-So take anything you want a-and I’ll pay! I know it won’t really make a difference bu- Billy: Babe, sit down and breathe. Me: H-Huh? Billy: I’m not mad. I can clearly see you rushed to get here. Lost track or time, huh? What were you doing? Me: Yeah, I know, I’m stupid. I got a watch today so I can make sure I leave at the right time, but I forgot to check it and…I am late. So, uhm…Y'know how I mentioned I want to pursue Vet Medicine at Uni? I work at an animal shelter nearby and it takes sort of…Almost an hour to get here. Well, more like 40 minutes, but I rushed and got here in like 25. It kinda helps to get in at a top Uni…With a scholarship. I couldn’t afford to study at University otherwise, so I gotta do what it takes. Billy: Well, babe, you look pretty hot in you lab coat. I wanna see you like this more often. Me: M-My lab coat…? AH, DAMN, I FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF! Godamn it! Billy: *chuckles* You’re pretty amusing, doll. Come on, sit down and let’s order. Me: Okay. Leila, dear, could you please come and take our order? Leila: Hey, Kat, rushed again from the shelter I see. Regular? Me: For me, yes. Billy, what would you want? Billy: Just a black coffee, thanks. Me: Are you sure? Billy: Yeah, sure. Me: O-Okay… Leila: Okay, then. A Cherry Vanilla tea with extra cinnamon, a chocolate cake and a black coffee coming right up! Me: Thank you for your time, Lei-Lei! Leila: Any time! Billy: Seems you calmed down a bit. Me: Yeah…This place always manages to sooth down my anxieties. Uhm…I literally only come here every time I want to study. Billy: I’m not surprised. It’s pretty nice, I guess. Me: *smiles* I’m happy that you liked it. Billy: Say, forgot to ask you on Wednesday, but today I see you have a Metallica Tshirt. Are they your boyfriend’s? Me: *blushes* B-Boyfriend? But I don’t have a boyfriend, what do you mean? Billy: You don’t? How come? Me: Why are you surprised, who’d want someone like me? Trust me when I say this, I know what I’m talking about. Billy: But you’re smart and pretty, what’s not to like? Me: Many things. So uhm…These are my Tshirts. 90% of my tops have band imprints. And…Well…AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Metallica are my Top 3 favourite bands. I have all their vinyls and cassettes. Billy: You just keep getting hotter and hotter the more I know you. Me: Hahaha, no, no way that could ever happen. Billy: If I were to give you one of my band Tshirts, would you wear it on our next date? Me: D-Date?! C-Come on, Billy, I’m literally the last person you’d want to date, I can assure you. Billy: What if I prove you otherwise? Me: How do you know you’re my type? Billy: *smirks* Oh~? So I’m out of your league, sweet cheeks? Me: Ah-…! Wait, no, I didn’t mean it like that! I didn’t want to insult or offend you, I’m sorry! Billy: Just teasin’, relax. Me: *pouts* Whatevs… Billy: So, wadya say, dollface? About us? Me: D-Don’t you think we should, like, get to know each other first? Become friends and trust each other and all that? Billy: Awww, toots wants one of those cutesy romance novel relationships, how adorable. Me: *blushes* W-Well…Y-Yeah…I guess…I know I’m asking for too much…And there’s no way in hell that could ever happen to me…S-So…I just…I guess…I kinda gave up on even thinking of dating long ago. Billy: *sighs* Maybe your expectations are too high of people that are too low. People suck, y'know? The world sucks. You’re expecting a happily ever after? Me: If I ever get to be in a relationship, I want it to be that kind of shelter that would be protective from all the chaos and evilness in the world. The only place where you can feel safe and be yourself. And if that Happily Ever After, as you call it, won’t happen with another person as my significant other…Then I’ll be very content with saving animals’ lives and travelling the world at my leisure. Billy: *smirks* Have I ever told you you’re pretty hot when you speak like that? Me: Uhm…Okay, so, I was thinking that maybe we could talk about the Nervous system in our project? Leila: Kat, you don’t need to talk about the Nervous system. You literally ARE a Nervous system. Me: … *laughs* Oh jesus, that was a good one. I won’t forget that…Actually, I might even use it as a joke when I do the presentation! Leila: *winks* Don’t forget the author’s right! Me: Okay, okay! As per my lovely barista friend joked, instead of presenting you the Nervous system, I will introduce myself, for I am, in fact, a Nervous system. Leila: Hey, Billy, was it? Please film her or something, I want to see that part. Billy: Consider it done. Me: I call this a conspiracy! Don’t try to overthrow my reign! Leila: Oh, shut up, nerd. Here’s your tea, honey and cake, and here’s your coffee. Good luck with your project! Me: Thanks, dear! Billy: Okay, that looks and smells pretty good. Me: *smiles* Wanna try? I can give you half of everything, if you want? Billy: Y'sure? Me: *nods* Sure! Do you like your tea sweetened? I usually put a lot of honey in it. Billy: Make it as you like and I’ll drink after. Me: Here, you can eat from my plate as much as you want. I usually drink the tea first anyways. Billy: So generous, toots, you’re melting my heart. Me: Ahem. So, the Nervous system? Billy: I have no idea what that’s all about, but just for the sake of the joke, I will say yes. Me: Cool! I kinda thought of specialising in Neurosurgery after Uni. B-But that’s really very far in the future, so it’s pretty irrelevant. Billy: Teach me your magic, babe, and let’s fuck them up big time.

Pretty excited, I got the books from the bag and handed them to him, showing him the tons of notes, scribblings, ideas, details and so on that I’ve gathered so far, and for the next 4 hours, everything we smoothly, but we had to leave because Leila had to close, and we decided to meet again on Monday at lunch time in the courtyard and study while we eat.

I have to admit, the time spent with Billy was…Well…Really nice. It seemed almost like he was a complete other person, not the scary guy who looked like he would snap at anyone if they even as much as blinked around him. Sure, he was a huge flirt, but it didn’t seem too…Ill-willed, to say the least. I just hope it won’t turn into a crush or something. I absolutely canNOT and will NOT allow myself to catch feelings…Not again…Not after everything that has happened. He is right. There is no Happily Ever After, so why bother?

The weekend passed by very fast as I prepared notes for both the project and some tutoring ideas for the Nervous System, since we had to start with the very beginning of Biology, so after the first 3 classes in the morning, I tried to rush outside, but I got pushed into a locker with a boy that I couldn’t recall the name of, but I knew was pretty popular…Like many others. I think his name was Dennis or something, and he wasn’t alone, but surrounded by 3 cheerleaders, Clarisse, Carol and Christine, or the Triple C as they were called.

Boy: Hey, freak, 'sup? Me: Uhm…Hi. Boy: Didn’t you hear me? SPEAK UP! Me: I-I Said hi! Boy: I SAID SPEAK UP!! Me: HI! Boy: Thaaat’s more like it, you ugly sow. Now, what the hell were you doing around King Billy? What you’re tryina get him to like you with that pity party of yours? Your face implores pity and sympathy, but you’re nothing more than a nerd! Me: W-We have to make a p-project together… Carol: Yeah, right, as if! You have the goo-goo eyes for him! Y'know, just 'cause he likes the bands you claim to like, doesn’t mean he likes YOU! I bet you only like that music 'cause HE likes it! Me: N-No…That’s not true…

By now, my eyes were watering, and Dennis pinned my wrists above my head and started screaming very close to my face. I could feel a panic attack beginning to form at an alarmingly fast rate.

Clarisse: Aww, look at her! What, gonna freak out again and cry? Christine: Pshh, yeah, right. What a stupid crybaby. Never got past the stage of a 10 year old? Dennis: You and your stupid red hair, better stop hanging out with Billy, or else you’re gonna get it. Me: B-But I h-have t-to- Carol: *slaps me* Billy. Is. Mine. Slut!

After she slapped me, everyone around started laughing and belittling me again, but I couldn’t get out of there because Dennis was exponentially stronger than me, so I knew there was no use in even bothering. A booming voice, however, echoed in the hallway, making me flinch at the noise. “SILENCE! What the hell is going on here?!” the deep voice rang out, a funeral silence taking over, only my soft whimpers being heard.

Dennis: STOP CRYING, YOU BITCH! Didn’t you hear our King asked for silence?! Me: S-Sorry… Dennis: And open your eyes when he’s here, stop being so disrespectful for someone clearly superior to you! Come on, now, on your knees, like the little bitch that you are!

Dennis laughed as he put his hand on my throat, squeezing a bit before throwing me to the ground, in front of Billy. I could only tremble on the ground, not daring to move. I learnt it the hard way that getting away always made it worse.

Billy is the most popular guy in the High school, making all the ex-popular guys hang out with him to gain popularity. He has always been the talk of the school, the womanizer, the rebel, the cool guy everyone loved and feared. Despite everything, I expected him to side with his friends…Even if a little part of me wished for him not to.

The silence in the halls was far more excruciatingly painful than the mockings and the laughter, but it soon vanished as a voice darker and lower than before started talking. He was clearly pissed off.

Billy: …What the fuck were you doing here…? Dennis: We were teaching this bitch a lesson, of course! Make her remember her rightful place! Clarisse: No, no, if you were doing that, you’d have thrown her in the trash bin, 'cause that’s what she is! Carol: Hey, Christine, look at her! She’s staying there like she wants to suck King Billy’s dick! What a shameless slut, on her knees in front of everyone! Billy: Did I, even once, ask ANY of you to do anything like this…? Dennis: Well, no, but she’s been rubbing her pathetic germs all over you! Following you like some lost puppy just 'cause you’re popular, and even more! Lying to us! Carol: Ha, yeah! She kept saying she’s dating you and that you already fucked! Pshh, whore! Me: I…Never… Carol: Oh, shut up, nobody cares what you’re saying, get a hint! Billy: Are you 4 fucking out of your GOD DAMN MINDS?! Dennis: Uhm…B-Billy, what’s the matter? Billy: WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU TO DO THAT TO HER?! SHE’S MY PROJECT PARTNER AND MY TUTOR, OF COURSE SHE’S HANGING AROUND WITH ME! You fucking idiots, I’m gonna FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU! All of you stay around me like whores on the sidewalk wanting to get some cheap money, but you’re all good for nothing! Dennis: Come on, Billy, you’re new here, but she’s a freak, okay? I mean, look at her! There are only bad rumours about her and you should hear what her EXes say about her!

Before Dennis could say another word, he was slammed on the locker behind him and choked. I cringed at the sudden noise, but when I saw the outright rage on Billy’s face as he choked Dennis, he drew back one of his arms, wanting to punch him, but I threw myself on his arm.

Me: Billy…Please don’t… Billy: Get back, dollface. This fuckass needs to be taught some discipline the hard way! Me: Billy…Please, I beg of you. Please let him go. Please. Billy: But look at you, they made you cry! I can’t let them get away with this! Me: Billy…Please, for me, please don’t do it. Please stop. Please. Let’s go work on the project. Please. I beg you with all my heart. Billy: *glaring* What the hell is wrong with everyone in this fucking town?! You’re all a bunch of submissive fucktards with no brains at all!

Billy sneered, throwing Dennis away from him and walking down the corridor. I took 3 deep breaths to calm myself, before I ran to him and hugged him tightly from behind, making him freeze in his tracks, extremely tense.

Me: I-I’m very sorry, Billy. I know I only bring you troubles. Even now, I can feel that you hate me touching you like this, but it was the only way I could think of thanking you. And…And…I really appreciate you saving me…And not fighting in my presence. Billy: I really don’t get you. You just stood there, letting them do whatever the hell they wanted with you! There was no struggle, no fight in you! Nothing!

By this point, I let my arms fall down my sides and he turned around to face me, yet my gaze was still on the floor.

Me: You really think I could have gotten out of there? That I could have managed to throw Dennis off of me? Look at me, Billy. My arms are literal noodles, I can’t even punch. Hell, sometimes I struggle to open the water bottle cap. And if I tried to scream…Who do you think would have helped me? Harrington? Wheeler? The lovely Carol and Tina? Or Tommy? The only person who was okay with me in this high school has been Jonathan Byers, but people hate him too, so I can’t possibly make him get bullied more because of me. What would you have me do? It’s been 3 years already…What’s one more? Billy: …You’re so godamn irritating. Me: I know…I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble. I…I will go tell Mrs. Green to assign you a new project partner and I will continue tutoring you, if you wish, where people won’t have to see us in the same room. Billy: Did I ask you to do that? Me: N-No, but- Billy: But nothing. Shut up and let’s go, you’re supposed to be tutoring me today. Me: I-I know, but we said outside, and if people see you with me- Billy: Then let’s skip. I don’t have Basketball practice today, so I don’t really care. Me: I-I…I never skipped before… Billy: *shrugs* There’s always a first time for everything. C'mon, if you get in trouble, you just say I kidnapped you or somethin’, chill out. Me: A-Are you sure about this…? Billy: Yeah, yeah. Hop along, I’ll drive. Me: Where are we going? Billy: My place. My parents won’t be coming home tonight so nobody to disturb us. Me: Uhm…Well… Billy: I won’t do anything to you, fuck’s sake. Me: W-Well…If you’re sure it’s no problem… Billy: Get in the car, then. Me: B-But my motorbike- Billy: You have a motorbike? Me: Y-Yeah…Couldn’t really afford a car. And it’s pretty neat. Billy: Fuck, babe, you’re so hot. Me: Ah, I-I’m really not. Billy: I’ll get ya to your house and pick you up tomorrow then. C'mon, sweet cheeks, lemme show you my love. Me: Okay, okay.

He winked at me before signaling me with his head to follow him to his car, where he patted the hood very proudly and smirked, leaning on the door. He got inside, starting the ignition, which was a cue for me to get inside too, putting on my seat belt and gripping it tightly.

Billy: How d'ya like it? Me: It’s very pretty. What car is it? Billy: '79 Camaro, Chevrolet. Complete chick magnet, ya get me? Me: It is very nice. Billy: Fancy some music! Me: Oh, yes!

Smirking at me, he put “You shook me all night long” by Scorpions at max volume, making me grin at him in glee and start singing the lyrics of the song, and he followed my lead, making both of us scream like idiots above the music. Then, the perfect Mixtape with AC/DC songs started, featuring “Highway to hell”, “Hells bells”, “You shook me all night long”, “Dirty deeds done dirt cheap” and my favourite, “T.N.T.”, but by the end of it, we already got to his house, which made me pout a bit before laughing and getting out of the car.

Me: Thanks for this, Billy! It was super fun! Nobody I know listens to the same kind of music I do, and being able to sing with someone else was sooo cool! Billy: Next time, try screaming my name, 'cause damn that was sexy as hell. Me: *laughs* Don’t be silly. Billy: *winks* I’m not.

He guided me to his room which was filled with band posters over which I started gushing about as he brought some snacks and soda for us to munch on as we study. I took off my boots before I jumped on the bed criss-crossed as I spread my noted for today’s tutoring, repeating some things myself, so I won’t stutter explaining too much, but before I realised it, he already threw the bags of crisps on the bed over my notes, making me yelp in shock.

Billy: You get scared pretty easily. Me: Y-Yeah, I mean, that was pretty unexpected. Uhm…Let’s clean up a bit, you made a mess of my notes. Oh, bring your notebook, you’ll need it. O-Oh, right, I brought coloured crayons, I wasn’t sure you had…And your sister might have needed them. Billy: How did ya know I had a sister? Me: Well, I kinda guessed. Both you and her transferred from Cali on the same day, at the same time. Billy: Why do you know about little brats? Me: *shrugs* I have a few little friends. They don’t mind that I’m a nerd…'Cause they are too. It’s pretty fun, actually! Billy: *raises eyebrow* Right. So, why’d I need crayons? Me: Drawings, of course! To understand Biology better, one must need tons of schemes and drawings. I already have mine and I will give them to you for as long as you need, but I’d appreciate it if you were to draw them by yourself too, since it will really help you understand and memorise better what you’re about the learn. Billy: Right…Okay, fine. Me: So, if it’s okay with you, should we start talking about Cells? Shapes, roles, the organelles inside it and what they do. Then, we should cover the tissues a bit, before starting to talk particularities, mainly, to explain the Neuron, how reflexes work and why, and then cover the nerves and organs. Billy: *blank look* Good luck. Me: Huh? What do you mean? Billy: It’s gonna be tough getting me to understand this shit. Me: I don’t think so. I have faith in you. Mrs.Green said that all your grades are above average, which is really good! If you manage to get a B at Biology as your final mark, then you have a very strong chance at a scholarship! Billy: How d'ya know that? Me: You are the best at sports, Billy. The teacher always praises you, despite all the…Uhmmm…L-Let’s call it problematic behaviour. I’m sorry. And, uhm…Our highschool has 1 Sports Scholarship, and 1 Studies Scholarship. Billy: And clearly, you’re the one to get the Studies one, right? Me: *blushes* Well…Y-Yes, it seems so. Billy: And how are you so sure I’m the one qualified for the Sports one? Me: Well…I…I spend a lot of time around teachers. It’s kind of a safe haven where nobody can bully me, and I get to find out a few things as well. Billy: Holy shit, you’re such a Vixen~! You, little, naughty vixen! Me: *chuckles* I…I’ve been called Fox before. Billy: And rightfully so. Me: Y-Yeah, carrot hair, I know. Billy: Oh, shush, it’s hot. And damn, looks damn good with your green eyes. Me: *clears throat* N-Nobody said that before. Uhm, s-so! As I was saying, because you’re currently the top choice…That’s actually why Mrs.Green wanted you to pair up with me. She saw potential in you and she didn’t want it wasted. Before you, there was Steve Harrington, but since you came… Billy: Oh, babe, trust me, I’m gonna come very soon if you keep praising me like that. Me: *confused* What do you mean? Billy: You…Didn’t get that? Me: *shakes head* Should I have? Billy: Never mind. So, what am I supposed to do? Me: Basically, get that B in Biology, win at least 3 of your upcoming Basketball matches until the end of the year…And I think it’s settled. Billy: I’d kiss you right now. Me: *scratches the back of my neck* You wouldn’t like it. So, uhm…Is this enough of a motivator for you? Billy: It could be…Okay, babe, work the hell outta me. Me: S-So, I was thinking, if it’s okay with you, that I should give you a test after each chapter we finish. Like a revision. I think it would be nice and it would help you not forget some things, and also, see where you didn’t understand well enough and all that stuff. Billy: What’s the passing grade, teacher? Me: *flustered* D-Don’t call me that, please, I would be a terrible teacher. I think…A 75% should suffice Billy: That’s quite a lot, babe. Me: *smiles* You can do it, Billy. Your future self is going to thank you for your struggles and hard work. Billy: How about a motivator? Me: Isn’t the Scholarship enough? Billy: It is…But Y'know, it’s gon’ be hard. Me: I suppose you’re right…Okay, what do you have in mind? Billy: *smirks* Each time I get a passing grade at your tests…Let me kiss you. Me: *eyes wide* Wh-What?! Billy: Aww, come on, babe, it’s just a kiss and it’s gon’ help motivate me to study hard. Don’t cha wanna help me get that scholarship? Me: *blushes furiously* I-I-I…Wh-Why w-would you want that?! Billy: Because you’re adorable as hell and I like you. Me: L-Like you like all girls? Billy: Who said I liked them? They’re all dumb and want the same thing. Can you guess? Me: *shrugs* Dunno. Billy: Come on, babe, think, you’re smart. Me: I guess? Billy: You’re the smartest babe I’ve ever got the pleasure to meet. All fucktards at school want just one thing, 'cause they’re all shallow brain dead suckers. They aaaaaall just wanna fuck. Me: A-And don’t you do the same? Billy: I do. Me: Th-Then why’d you want me to kiss you? To add me to your list or something? Billy: Nahh, I’d be a real shithead if I were to take advantage of you like that. Me: *mutters* Wouldn’t be the first one… Billy: *raises eyebrow* Do you trust me? Me: Don’t take it personal, I don’t really trust anyone. Billy: Huh. Not bad. Let’s make a deal, toots. I’ll do my best to raise up to your expectations and you’ll give me those little rewards. If by the time we finish everything you won’t be satisfied with how I behave, then you can hate me all your life and I won’t bother you again. Me: B-But I don’t wanna hate you. Billy: *gets closer to my face* Even better. So, wadya say, sweetling? Me: Uhmm…Well…I-I don’t know… Billy: Come on, Kitten, what’s the harm? It’s just a kiss. Me: *blushes* Uhm…Uhmmm…F-Fine…If it will help you… Billy: Thanks, babe! Now, how about I see what to expect~? Me: NO!

With each question, he just kept getting closer and closer to my face, while I leaned backwards, until the last where I got so flustered that I didn’t realise I was completely on the edge of the bed… Until I fell off with a high-pitched squeal and a thud, while he just laughed his ass off looking at me, as I pouted and looked at him done with life.

Me: You could’ve caught me, y'know? Billy: Sorry, toots, I was too shocked to realise. But, shoulda seen your face, t'was hilarious! Priceless! Me: Yes, yes, I’m hilarious, ha-ha! Just wait till you see how hilarious the tests are gonna be! And I’ll laugh in your face like you do right now! Billy: Ohhh, mrrrr, babe, you’re on fire! Fine, you’re on, then! But I’ll show ya it’s gon’ be worth it. Me: You better.

Stretching a bit I get back in bed next to him and putting on my best game-face, I grab the first pages of notes, the drawings and schemes and start explaining him in detail every little thing, telling him to repeat what I said from time to time, to make sure he stays focused, and make him explain what he understood so far, in his own words.

Despite everything, he was actually really great company to have and I’m kinda…Actually, really glad that Mrs.Green made me be his partner for this project, and more, tutor him. If only he could tone down his excessive flirting, he’s surprisingly soft and nice. Or well…That’s what I think. I could also be wrong, like I’ve been so many times before, and I wouldn’t be shocked in the least bit.

But…I really hope I’m not wrong.

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

@klassickb

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itsbuckysworld · 6 years

Text

Studious - Part II - College!Sebastian Stan AU

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader.

this is kinda... wow ok its v long. yikesss.

Guest Appearance: Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo as the teacher.

Warning: Drinking (responsibly)

Summary: Y/N and Sebastian have a lengthy class together. Y/N is the studious type, Sebastian isn’t. The two form a bond over class notes and projects, and their opposing personalities might fit in together just right.

A/N: AAHH! Here it is! Part two to Studious! You guys really enjoyed it and wanted a part two and I, of course, wanted to write one as well. Hopefully this is good and you guys enjoy it as much as the first one and I’m happy to announce that I planned ahead and might even have a third part planned to end this little impromptu mini series.

Studious tags : @ilovethings-somuch @void-imaginations @redefining-happinesss

PART 1

Y/N your name | Y/L/N your last name.

Much to Y/N’s relief, and quite frankly Sebastian’s as well, she was feeling better and ready to go back to her normal vividly studious self in no time, less than a week even.

Sebastian hadn’t been able to stop by anymore after the day he dropped the Sociology notes over, and the day after that as he promised, so when she walked in through the door the following class, she could hear his surprised clap and sigh of relief as Y/N walked up to their long shared desk. “Yes!” He slams a hand on the table top, looking up to the ceiling dramatically “Hallelujah” his relieved expression caused her to laugh out loud. “Well, I’ve been missed” she joked taking a seat next to the blue eyed man. “My wrist has never been happier to see you” he gives the shy girl a sly smirk. He’d smirked her way a couple times before, and neither one of them she know exactly how to take it, all of them making her a little tingly inside, more than she would ever admit. Sebastian and her caught up on what she had missed, which given Sebastian’s awful note-taking skills was a lot more than she thought and he was blushing in embarrassment. She assured him it was alright, that she would ask Mr. Ruffalo for notes or to email her a resume and work something out, and as the man in question walked into the room, y/n set down her notebook and pen, surprised to see Sebastian do the same. “What?” he asked confused. “I’m back, you don’t have to take notes” he only shrugged. “I’m kinda starting to like it, plus it’s unfair if I just feed off of your notes forever.” The last two classes without her helped him realize just how hard she worked for her notes and all he did was sit and listen and read whatever she allowed him to read. He would pass this subject quite literally on her shoulders, and that was unfair. So he thought it was time to put in, at least, some work. “That’s okay. I kinda like sharing notes” y/n announced, not leaving him a chance to reply as the teacher started with the day’s introductions. Once more Sebastian only blushed.

The semester seems to fly by in a blink of an eye, and along with it, the friendship between Sebastian and Y/N bloomed. From only talking before class to chatting after it too, and walking down the halls together until one of them reached their following classroom alongside y/n’s friend Elizabeth, had become sort of routine. Sometimes they would be joined by Chris, who they all found out Y/N knew from an elective earlier that school year, and slowly but surely, Y/N and Sebastian were more than just mere classmates.

With the end of the semester came the always hectic finals, and Sebastian knew before she even said it that Y/N had planned ahead weeks and weeks of non-stop studying. He knew her well enough by now to know that most if not all her activities included classes, revising and studying, with the occasional trip to the movie theater or binge watching Netflix documentaries – which in Seb’s mind classified somewhat as studying more often than not – at most.

Ruffalo had been clear, and instead of an exam he was assigning them a project in duos. Y/N chirped up and look into Sebastian’s bright blue eyes with a smile, and, by all means he wasn’t as studious and smart as she was, but she didn’t seem to mind as she poked his shoulder and called him partner, and knowing just how bookish she was, he knew he had to give his 100%, and he wanted to. For her. For the little defenseless ladybug that he had gleefully befriended over the course of the weeks.

He only wanted one little thing before that.

“Come on! It’s going to be fun!” he said, gathering his belongings after Professor Ruffalo wrapped up another lecture. Y/N seemed reluctant. Well that would be an understatement, she had already said no a couple times but Stan wasn’t having it. “Seb” “Y/N” he whined, practically begging as he fell into step with her. Elizabeth was nowhere to be found when they walked down the student-littered hallway. His hand reached up to push back stray strands of hair and he scratched his subtle stubble, and when he pulled them back down he took a hold of her heavy books, carrying them for her. She gave him a soft smile but continued to deny his invite. He had asked Y/N to join him the following Saturday and go to a bar close by where one of his friends would perform with his band. He wanted Y/N to let loose a little, have a little fun. He also wanted to see her in another environment that did not include classes and homework and complete and utter stress. He worried she would get sick again with how much she was overworking herself over exams she probably could ace in her sleep.

Before they knew it they had reached her next classroom, but Sebastian wouldn’t let go of her hand, grasping it in a tight hold with his free one. Her notebooks were heavy on his arm as he anticipated her answer after begging once more. “Fine!” she groaned, what else could she do? Saying no to Sebastian when he was this insistent only meant he would try again and again and again, and so – despite not thinking it was a good idea – she agreed to go. She figured she could come up with something between today and saturday, an excuse not to tag along, but not even her smarts could compete with his charm and – gently put – incessant spirit.

Saturday rolled around and, as he promised, he was by her dorm room at 6:45 pm. The small show wasn’t until around 8, probably even 9, but he hadn’t told her that in hopes that maybe he could take her out to eat before, or they could chat quietly before the whole ordeal started. Well, that was plan B, because plan A certainly included him having to fight her to make her go out in the first place. He knew her patterns already, and if she had any say in it, he was sure she would evade going.

Sebastian quietly thinks to himself that he should play the lottery numbers and make himself a rich man with this luck, because he was 100% right, his suspicions confirmed when Y/N opened her door in comfy wear and not at all looking like someone who had plans to go out.

Sure she looked cute and put together. Pink shorts and hair brushed back to perfection, like he always knew her – except for when she was coughing up a lung last week, voice raspy and tired from her cold – but he gave her a knowing grin when he saw her, as if saying ‘you’re not getting away with this that easily’ “Seb!” she acted surprised, but he was having none of it. “You ready?” Y/N racked her brain for something to say, whatever excuse she had failed to come up with in the past two days. Deep down a part of her wanted to go, join him for a night out, but the bigger, stronger part of her worried about her chemistry exam a little too much.

Sebastian walked inside her room and she still mumbled, trying to find the perfect excuse, but in the end all she could do was sigh. She couldn’t lie to his piercing blue eyes, and she didn’t have it in her to lie that well that Sebastian would back down. “I need to study for my chemistry exam, Seb. I can’t” All he did was nod, nonchalant, as if he expected no less. He looked at her desk and saw the scattered cue cards. He pointed to them with an arched eyebrow and she gave him a small smile. “So, there’s nothing I can do to pull you out of this room then, doll?” The nickname rolled of his tongue easily, too easily, and even he was surprised at his words. Y/N swallowed but tried to keep her composure. Nothing he could do to make her leave the room and stop studying. “I’ll make you a deal” he started with a smirk “I’ll help you revise these for the next–” he flipped his wrist his way to look at his watch. Very early still, he had time. – “for about an hour and a half, and then you’re coming with me to this show. No questions asked” “But–” “You said you’d come!” he whined with a chuckle “And, god, you need to take a break! Now, sit down. I’m going to read these and you’re going to get them all right and then we’re going for drinks” and that was his last word. “Fine. But I have to be back by 10” and he agreed, knowing very well that was not going to happen.

Sebastian read the cue cards to her a total of 3 times. He went through the whole pack with her answering expertly, and when he was done and having no more of it, he walked outside and waited in the hallway until she changed.

When she came out, cute blouse loose and swaying with the motions of her arms, comfy jeans and converse, Sebastian thought he was hallucinating. For starters he didn’t think it would actually work, that she would waltz out of her room all changed and ready for a night out, but then he noticed that she was slipping her keys and cue cards in her purse. He wanted to say something, but opted not to. If this was the only way to get her to join him then so be it. Besides, she’s not going to get much study time in a dive bar, that’s for sure. He gives her a side smirk, the kind that lets her know he noticed and he’s slightly mocking her as he calls a cab.

“Name three noble gases” he says in the confines of the back of a cab. “Helium, Neon, Krypton” “You said Krypton last time, give me another one” “Xenon” “Good, now please, put those cards down and let’s have fun.” He pays for the short car ride and stumbles outside of the taxi with her in tow, folding the lone cue card in his hand and slipping it in the pocket of his jeans, letting her know that was the last he wanted to hear of chemistry for the night. Y/N rolled her eyes at his childish behavior but continued to walk behind him.

The place was nice. For what she expected of dive bars according to movies and novels, she was waiting for a more rowdy and darker place where she would feel afraid before she could feel out of place, but this wasn’t half bad.

Brick walls, neon signs and rustic decor scattered all around, giving the place a much warmer feel, with a set of metal round stairs that led to an up area Y/N couldn’t see proper, but Sebastian would later on tell her the bathrooms were in that direction. It was brightly lit and filled with students and a couple of older looking people, many faces she had seen littered around campus, and others were total strangers, but the aura of the place was more welcoming than she would have ever thought. Sebastian lead the way as they went deeper inside the joint, over to the far end of the bar, closest to the small stage. For a second Y/N wondered if she even knew how to let loose and have fun, because all her brain could think about was atoms, molecules and chemical solutions, but it all easily moved to the back of her head whenever Sebastian snapped her out of her trance to make her pay attention to her surroundings. “Relax” he kept saying, as if she needed to be constantly reminded and he could sense her tense up every now and again. She babysat the same drink all night, just a light beer, and kept looking around at all the people, how some danced without a care in the world, how others worried more about finishing their drinks and flirting, and then there was Seb, who only cared about making sure she wasn’t feeling out of place, and that she was having at least a decent time.

When his friends went up on the stage – smoothly introduced as The Wings – they started with a cover of a song Y/N knew the lyrics to, the female singer helping her let go and focus on something other than her discomfort, and Sebastian couldn’t help but smile. This was a more calm Y/N, and he was glad to meet her. He felt as if after all this time he didn’t know Y/N fully, he only knew the driven focused one, not the one that threw her head back laughing or screamed over music to keep a conversation, the one that truly felt warm and alive. She could have been weirded out at first but after the first couple of songs he knew he had accomplished his mission, successfully getting her to take a much needed and deserved break.

He gladly introduced her to the band as they finished their set. His friend – Anthony, he’d said – played drums and the singer – who’s name was Scarlett – gave Sebastian a tight hug upon seeing him. She ruffled his hair and proceeded to kiss Y/N’s cheek as a friendly greeting. Y/N congratulated them on a great set, and couldn’t help but be a little starstruck by the gorgeous redhead in front of her. She had never met someone in a band, much less a band that sounded so cool and seemed to have somewhat of a following – if the screams from the bar-goers weren’t indication enough, the fact that most knew the lyrics to some of the band’s own original songs was enough to prove the point – so to say she was pleasantly surprised to see them and actually meet them, was an understatement. “You guys sounded so good” she smiled, all her nice teeth on display, causing Seb to smile just as widely behind her. “Thank you! We’re going to a party in about an hour, you guys up for it?” Anthony said, flipping one of his drumsticks in between two fingers. “Yeah, it’ll be fun, and we’re playing some more there too” Scarlett raised her eyebrows up and down repeatedly, taking a sip of her drink, trying to encourage them to tag along. Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, the other placed itself securely on Y/N’s lower back. She didn’t flinch of pull away, visibly more relaxed than an hour ago, her beer long gone. “I think that’s a little too much excitement for tonight for us” he excused the pair swiftly, but promised to make an appearance at their next gig, and he was greatly surprised when Y/N said she would love to tag along for the next one as well. And with that promise on the table they continued to talk and dance and joke around as the band killed time with Seb and their new friend Y/N.

“And Mackie was so drunk!” Sebastian’s laugh was loud and bright as he walked side by side with Y/N, whose snicker mimicked his boisterous one, up the sidewalk on their way back to campus, hands deep inside his jacket pockets, and her fingers played with the tassels on her purse, taking wide steps trying to keep up with his long legs. The distance from the bar back to the dorms wasn’t much and he didn’t want her to sit in a cab only to turn on the lights in the car and read though her notes again as she did on the way over. He wasn’t giving her space to think about class or exams, that was his goal.

They danced around lamp posts and hopped over cracks on the cement path, laughing and telling tales, mostly Sebastian given that Y/N had never been one to go out much, leaving her with little to no stories of drunk friends and loud adventures. “Admit it” he started after they fell into silence, the wind moving his long-ish hair around and nipping at their rosy smiley cheeks. Y/N looked up to the man, catching his blue eyes staring down at her intensely. “You had fun”

She jokingly pushed him away, not being able to hold in a laugh, but the truth was that she couldn’t even lie to herself, it felt like she didn’t know how to have fun until tonight, and she had lots of it. “I did” she shrugged lightly, but Sebastian felt accomplished. “See? And you’re still incredibly prepared for your exams. Nothing wrong with taking small breaks Y/N” “You’re right. I just… I’ve never really cared for anything else other than studying” her voice was small, almost a whisper as she smiled up at him. The brunette gave her a mocking look, as if saying he didn’t believe it, but the truth was, deep down he did. He wasn’t wrong when he sensed her as a cute defenseless puppy, she was just a very shy and locked up one, and from the looks of it, had been for a long time now, maybe even before high school even. “You’re just the studious type” he said nonchalant. “I am, aren’t I” she said a little shy but he assured her there was nothing to feel bad about “It’s fine.” he poked her shoulder “You just care for A’s and passing classes, and then maybe you can take a break, but as long as there’s something to do, you’re not stopping until it’s done, and that’s remarkable really” “Maybe… And what are you then? What’s your type?” Sebastian was taken aback by her question. He never saw himself as more of a normal student. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Just a guy who tries to pass. If I like a class I do good in it, duh, if I don’t then a C- will do” that was a sentence Y/N could not relate to. B’s were a nightmare in her eyes. Truly a mission failed, and she realized that yes, she really was the studious type, but Sebastian didn’t let her feel bad for it for a single second.

As they approached the campus grounds their laughters died down, trying to keep quiet so as to not disturb anyone that could be around, or the people in the first floors of the living buildings they passed. “Listen,–” Sebastian resumed as they walked down the middle of campus, cutting across the small park that marked the center of the college grounds, on his way to her dorm building. He was dropping her off at her door and he wasn’t taking a no for an answer. – “I know I should care more for my grades and all. I’m the kind of guy that should study more and you… You’re the kind of girl that needs to study a little less” his eyes shone, letting her know he was half joking, half serious, and for the first time since God knows when, Y/N thinks that he’s right, she could use a couple more breaks every once in a while. Sebastian pushed open the glass doors that led to the living area in her building. This was as far as he could make it without earning himself a warning from some Dorm Monitor because guys shouldn’t be around girls dorms at this time.

“I was thinking, what are you doing tomorrow?” Y/N started to panic. There was no way she could do this again tomorrow, or something similar. There would be no more breaks in her study schedule, this one was already enough. She just said she could study less but that didn’t mean she would start right now. It was a slow process, like rehab. Or was he going to ask her out some other way? No, she was not ready for that. Was she? “Oh god, Seb, no. I had fun, I did, but I can’t postpone studying anymore, I-” “No no. I was going to say we could go to the library? Get started on Ruffalo’s project?” he smiled at her, seeing her immediately ease up. “We already did tonight my way. Let’s do tomorrow your way, yeah?” the smile on his face was too warm and welcoming for her to bear. He was…

He was just too amazing and Y/N had to admit that even when he insisted – quite a lot – on going out, she never actually felt pressured by him or forced, deep down she wanted to see what all the fuzz in not studying was about because she’s never known anything other than it, and something about him and how he was always gentle with her and caring – the man did drop by her room twice while she was sick, and they weren’t even friends-friends back then – let her know that if she was actually uncomfortable or it was something that she genuinely couldn’t or didn’t want to do, he would stop insisting. So it was safe to say she felt secure with him around, like he knew her boundaries and wanted to push them, but only at a pace she could manage. She was grateful for that.

“Sure. I’ll text you?” and with quick nods they set the plans in stone. “Great. Well, here you are. Right on curfew” Sebastian joked, trying his best to keep his laughter in a whispery level so that no unwanted attention would be drawn to them. “It is almost midnight, Sebastian, that is so not curfew” She had noticed the time ages ago, realizing after she found herself singing along to Shape Of You with the rest of the bar at what her phone marked as 10:30 pm that she was not going to make it back to campus on time, and looking over to Sebastian’s smiling face as he screamed the lyrics out of tune, she found herself surprisingly not caring a single bit. “Hey, every college student has to get in trouble for breaking curfew at least once, that’s like… tradition” his hands were thrown up in a defensive motion, as if saying it wasn’t his fault when it sure as hell was, but Y/N wasn’t about to point any fingers. She hadn’t minded.

As they said their goodbyes and she thanked him once more for the night out Sebastian took a hold of her hand, making her turn to his frame that still stood in the dimly light living area, jacket framing his body perfectly and the lamps just bright enough for her to make out the blue in his eyes as vibrant as ever. “Promise me you’re going straight to bed, no more revising. You’ve already done enough of that. It’s a miracle you don’t get sick more often, woman” he gave her another eye roll and she giggled. “Promise” her feet absentmindedly took her closer to him as she pressed a quick peck to his cheek. Sebastian prayed and prayed and prayed that the lights were low enough that she wouldn’t see him turning into an actual tomato. “Good” he choked out, regaining his composure with a quick shake of his head. His hands pushed his hair back, a nervous habit, and he cleared his throat “Now I need to sneak my way out of here and back to my room without getting caught. I have one too many broken curfew notes on my record” “Oh my god” Y/N laughed, properly out loud, before trying to contain herself. They were going to get caught if she kept this up “You’re reckless, Stan” she whispered stepping away from him. He took steps backwards towards the glass doors, still focused on her frame as a loving chuckle escaped his lungs. “You’re cute, Y/L/N”

Seb made it to his dorm like a ninja in the middle of the night, quickly changing out of his jeans, jacket and shirt with the aid of one lamp – he didn’t want to wake Chris up – and staying half dressed, only clad in his boxers and undershirt, deeming that enough to go to sleep, as he folded his clothes to put away. A small piece of paper fell from the folded jeans, slipping out of one of the pockets. Sebastian unfolded the edges and read over the words. He took in Y/N’s pristine handwriting ‘name at least 3 noble gases’. Sebastian chuckled, placing it on top of his desk as he reminisced of the night he had gone through. He found himself smiling, wanting to see more of the relaxed Y/N, finding her equally as endearing as the studious one. “How was your date” Chris ’s rough, sleep-filled voice startled him. The sheets ruffled as he propped himself on his bed to face his best friend that seemed to be just getting in. With a quick glance he saw the time on the clock. Fifteen past midnight. “Jeez, Evans. It wasn’t a date” Sebastian rolled his eyes as he let his body flop on his comfy sheets, ready to rest for the night. “Uh-huh… Why are you smiling like that then” the teasing continued and all Seb could do was groan. After a short silence where he could tell Chris was still staring at the outline of his body across the room and wouldn’t let go of the topic anytime soon, he sighed contently. “I just am, Chris. I just am”

FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED! AHHHH WHAT DID YOU THINK?! I THINK I’M GIVING THIS A FINAL PART 3 LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT IT!

I no longer write Real People Fiction, and this will not have a part 3, I apologize and hope you understand.

HERES MY ASK Have a good day lovelies

Smooches, L xo <3

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7wanderingpaws · 6 years

Text

1. Whales.

Genre: marine biologist AU

Pairing: Bambam x reader

Word count: 3.5K

0. Synopsis // 1. Whales. // 2. Dolphins.

(( Please do let me know what you think! It would mean a lot! <3 Also, the names of the chapters have nothing to do with the actual content of the chapter hihi. ))

- - - WHALES - - -

Busan, 2018

What were the odds. . .

You thought you wouldn’t pass this exam. It was quite hard and you hated oral examinations at its best. You loved to hate them, to think about how much you hate them. Talking in front of a professor who was working hard to not make you pass was certainly you utmost hateful experience and you loathed every minute of it.

As soon as the words slipped out of the teacher’s mouth, you thought you are just dreaming.

“You passed.”

Because, truth to be told, you hated chemistry. Ugh. What a pain in the butt. Biochemistry? Okay, doable, but still a big amount of students hated this subject (plus the professor? Oh my god. Horror.) Oceanology was something that you absolutely adored and decided to once do a PhD in this area. Zoology was certainly nice. And then... Fisheries. What a course. Well, what could you say. Without fish there are no oceans. Without oceans, there is no marine biology or oceanology or oceanography or humanity itself. No big deal.

Overall, you loved your degree. And now... you achieved something in it.

Did you really pass?

Oh my.

Did you officially become a marine biologist?

Could you finally do what you always dreamed of doing? Did you dream came true? Somebody should slap you.

“Mum,” you breathed, adjusting the big glasses on your uneven nose. “I did it. I’m a marine biologist.”

Your mum gave out a sigh of relief as she was happily jumping on her short legs. “I’m so proud of you.”

You nodded, unable to process everything. “Yes. I’m proud of myself, too.”

“So what is the next step? You will stay in Busan, right? The researching possibilities are much bigger over there-“

“No, mum,” you interrupted her, before she could say more reasons why you should stay in your university town. “I’m coming home. I’m going back to Mokpo.”

“Oh, are you sure about that? I mean this is a very little town, only good for fishing.”

“No,” you repeated, this time much more confident. “I grew up in Mokpo so I will make Mokpo famous. I will prove that this part of Korea is also as important as any other seaside in this country. But mostly, I will break all the stereotypes about us that ever existed.”

It was your time to shine.

“So I’ve heard the news,” said Jinyoung as he sat down opposite you in the university cafe, a tea cup in his hand. “Congratulations.”

You smiled, stretching your tired arms above your head. “Thanks!”

“So we’ve made it,” he stated again, this time a big smile spreading across his gentle face. Jinyoung was proud of you. After all, he knew you very well.

You were one of the shiest people he got to know throughout his young life. You were awkward, stuttering, and extremely introverted and yet, he thought you were one of the most beautiful girls he ever laid eyes on.

The gentle freckles on your nose, the warm big eyes, the ever-messy dark hair, the glasses that magnified your eyes and you kind of looked like a squirrel but not entirely. The knitted sweaters you insisted on wearing even when it was warm outside... You’d always say: “So what if it’s hot? That’s why there are ACs. To make the room cold. So I can wear sweaters.”

“Ah, donneven,” you mumbled, supporting your elbows on the table and placing your chin into your hands. “From tomorrow on, I’m going to apply for the researching institute and I will prove how important our seas are!” you exclaimed proudly.

Jinyoung chuckled and took a sip from his tea. “Look at you, all bright and self-confident. I really hope it will stay this way, Y/N.”

“I hope so too,” you replied. “And what about you? How is your job going?”

“Oh well, kids are messy but I still love them,” he answered kindly. “There is maybe one or two students who are interested in my subject.”

“C'mon, Jinyoung, they are ten year olds. Nobody cares about literature at that age.”

“I know, I know, that’s why I can’t wait to get out of this grade and start teaching older ones.”

“I still think you should have become a psychologist. You are mine and you are doing hell of a great job,” you laughed, winking at him through your smudgy glasses. You took them off and cleaned them with your light pinkish t-shirt you were wearing.

Jinyoung thought about your words for a moment. “Maybe if the kids will kick me out of the class, I will re-consider my career options.”

“If that happens,” you said as you put your glasses back on, “I will be there to support you.”

5 years later, Mokpo, 2023

“Jaebeom, could you please come over? I think I found an interesting lab result,” shouted Jackson from the other room. He was sitting behind a big microscope, many papers and books scattered around, unfinished coffee and lots and lots of to-do lists.

Jaebeom was just on the phone with a representative of the Thai marine researching team. He was walking over to Jackson while smiling politely althought the representative couldn’t see him. “So when do you reckon you will arrive? We will need to arrange everything around your arrival as well as book the boats and yachts for the trips.”

He walked to Jackson who was showing him results on the computer screen. “Well, erm, Ms Y/L/N is not here at the moment, she is out on a little trip just out of Mokpo. I can tell her whatever you need me to tell her,” answered Jaebeom and squinted his eyes on the computer screen. He was listening intently to the strong Thai accent this person had. “I see. Alright, I’ll definitely let her know. One more question - is Mr Bambam also coming?”

Jackson was dying for Jaebeom’s attention but he had to stay patient for now. He was turning on his chair, zooming in on his friend then zooming out. Jackson was also bearing big glasses that would magnify his already big eyes. Some said he was cute, others he was crazy.

“That’s great news! We are looking forward to meeting you soon. All the best! Bye bye!” Jaebeom let out a tired sigh as he finished the call and tossed the Samsung smart phone on a pile of books. “God, this is gonna be horrible,” he muttered as he leaned in to see the screen.

“You said the exact opposite to them, though,” commented Jacskon. “But yeah, if that mean ass is coming as well, it’s gonna be hell of a nightmare.”

“I can’t say the truth to our business partner, Jackson,” explained Jaebeom, running his eyes through the information. “Anyway, let’s just let Y/N deal with all of it. Oh god, am I seeing positive results for everything?”

“Yup!” squealed Jackson and jumped once in his chair. “I think we are on a very good way to our goal!”

“Then we better tell it to Y/N before she will go craz-“

“What’s happening?”

Both boys turned around to you walking in with your scuba dive suit in your arms.

“We received the call from the Thais,” informed Jaebeom, “they are arriving tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh, that’s good then, isn’t it?” you smiled, going to the little bathroom you had in your tiny headquarters. “It shall be an interesting expedition, don’t you agree?”

“Sure,” muttered Jackson, tunirng on his chair to focus his gaze on the computer again. “We have better news though. All the results from the samples you brought in are positive.”

You dropped your suit in the shower as you turned to run into the lab. “What? Are you being serious now?” You pushed Jackson aside who shot you a glare, to have a look for yourself. “If this is really true, that means-“

“Yes,” nodded Jaebeom, bright smile on his lips, an unfamiliar sight for you. “The expedition will be successful, I’m sure.”

“I think we should re-run the tests,” you said, as you looked at your colleagues. “This way we can be 100% sure.”

“But the results are right here,” replied Jackson, pointing at the computer screen. “We would just waste time with getting the samples and running the tests again.”

“Plus, tomorrow the Thai crew arrives. We need to show them some proper results that are not doubted,” added Jaebeom as he leaned against the table, his arms folded on his chest. “I don’t think we need to re-run the tests, Y/N.”

You didn’t like their arguments. You could see where they were coming from, but this was your lab, your tiny research institute that you worked hard on for 5 years. If you wanted to re-run the tests, you certainly would do that. “I will take care of it. After all, I’m the director here.”

“And we are your senior scientists,” muttered Jackson in monotone voice, still not looking at you. “You should listen to those with more experience since you are still just a laboratory scientist.”

“Arhh, Jackson!” you shouted, making him finally turn around to look at you. “I’m trying really hard! But I’m just this way – I need to be sure in things.”

“Well, next time just hire a team that gives you a reason to doubt all the results!”

“But I’m not doubting your work-“

“Then what are you exactly doing at this very moment?” shouted Jacskon as well.

“I’m trying to do my work well!”

“That’s enough, guys,” interfered Jaebeom. Neither of you listened to him though.

“This is my project!” you exclaimed, throwing your arms in the air. “I’m the one who decides about things!”

Wow. You and Jackson never really got along well. He was the exact opposite of your personality. Talkative, cheerful, loud, sociable. He would always argue. For anything.

You? You were quiet, neutral and freaking anti-social. What were friends anyway...

“You are right,” nodded Jackson, his eyes blazing. “You are absolutely right. Who am I to tell you shit?” He looked angrily at you a little bit longer and before you could react, he was taking off his white lab coat and throwing it on the chair, leaving you and Jaebeom in a very unpleasant silence.

You sighed.

“Well, that went well,” concluded your colleague before he sat down in front of the computer to continue his work. “He meant only well, you know? Jacks wouldn’t advise you things he wouldn’t consider correct himself.”

Tears were prickling behind your eyes as you were standing still. For some strange reason, you felt horrible for fighting with Jackson like this. There was no doubt you both accepted each other but any type of fight with him drained you on many levels. Probably, it was because he was always the funny, easy-going guy, whilst with you he was on edge.

“I know,” you stammered, taking off your glasses to massage your tired eyes. “I know.” You shuffled around, trying to collect your thoughts. “Did Youngjae come? He promised he is going to stop by with Yugyeom because of the boats.”

Youngjae was your childhood friend. You were going to the same kindergarten together (the kindergarten his mother owned).

“Nope, didn’t see him today,” answered Jae in a sing-song voice as he moved to the microscope. “He shall be here soon. It’s almost evening anyway.”

And so by the time Youngjae and Yugyeom appeared, you and Jaebeom worked in peaceful silence, none of you paying attention to each other, only acknowledging one another's presence. Jaebeom finished his studies three years before you along with Jackson, so they definitely had more experience in the field. Jackson visited many researching institutes in Australia so to be entirely honest with yourself, without him, you couldn’t move an inch. He had all the necessary information you could use for your own advantage.

“I need him on board,” you said out loud without realising.

Jaebeom snickered, focusing on the samples from the sea you brought in earlier. “Then go talk to him.”

“He totally hates me, how could I.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He is Jackson after all.”

“I totally agree,” exclaimed another voice that was entering the labs.

“Youngjae!” you smiled happily, standing up to hug your best friend. “Where have you guys been for so long, it's already past 8pm!”

“Sorry,” rasped Yugyeom. “We had to finish everything on the construction site.”

“I just needed to know if the boats I reserved are still in the game,” you rambled quickly, eager to have it all confirmed.

Youngjae nodded, plopping down on your chair. “Yup, all good. Get your asses to the docks at 7am.”

“7am?!” squealed Jaebeom, horrified.

“We can go earlier if you want,” said Yugyeom in a fake-monotone voice.

You glared at Jaebeom. “No, he is fine with coming at 7. He will have to go to bed early tonight.”

Jaebeom gladly glared back at you, before Yugyeom asked: “Where is Jackson?”

“He...” you trailed off, guilty.

“God, did you fight again?” rolled his eyes Yugyeom.

You lowered your head, ashamed. “I’ll go and make up with him. We need him tomorrow.”

“Oh right, the Thais are coming,” laughed Youngjae. “Definitely bring him. He will be the only peacemaker before we will kill each other on board.”

“Apparently that Bambam guy is coming. He is the leader of the expedition,” informed Jaebeom.

“Oh my god. That shall be a ride!” laughed Youngjae loudly before he almost fell off the chair.

-.-.-.-

Knocking harshly on the door, you refused to give up. “You are a stubborn child for not opening the goddamn door, Wang!” you shouted but eventually sighed. It was a bit late and you didn't want to wake the neighbours. For sure Jackson would not like that either.

Knock. Knock.

“Jackson,” you murmured, “please, open. I know you are there.”

Exactly 1 minute later and one glass of patience filled up to its limit, the doors swung open and a sleepy looking Jackson appeared.

“What is it, Y/N, it's late!” he hissed, looking around to make sure nobody was lurking around.

“I came to apologise,” you started before he could pull out any more of his arguments.

“Fine, it's good, now go,” he said, dismissing you with a wave of his hand, turning to close the door.

“Jackson,” you pleaded, reaching out your hand to stop him.

“Listen, Y/N,” he grumbled, his angry face scaring you a bit, “I know exactly what you came for. Yes, I will be present tomorrow at the meeting. Yes, I will share my knowledge with your research.”

His words...hurt. “What have I done to you? Just because I told you I want to re-run some tests-“

“Oh, right, that one. I already forgot about that,” he fake laughed. “That is not the thing that pisses me off.”

“Then what is it?” you asked in a pleading tone. “I didn’t mean to do harm to you!”

He fell silent, poking his tongue in the inside of his cheek. “Just go, Y/N. It's late, you shouldn’t wander around by yourself.”

“I care about you Jackson.”

He bit back a sarcastic scoff. “Right. Go. See you tomorrow.” And with that he closed the door, its shutting echoing in the empty corridors.

Clenching your jaw, you made your way out of his apartment building before you could cry. There was no reason for him to be this way. What was his issue?

The next day, the sun was shining strong, skies were clear and blue, barely any wind. You met with the boys at 7am just as planned to run your last errands. You collected the needed samples while Youngjae and Yugyeom were navigating the boat in the quiet waters near Mokpo. They were skilled sailors and understood well boats and yachts as they mostly worked on boat constructions. The duo had great dynamics and both of them were your good friends, what else did you possibly needed?

After you returned from the water back on the board, you looked at Jaebeom and Jackson to make sure they didn’t see anything unusual on the monitors as they were scribbling down notes of the underwater world from the machines.

“I got some good samples I can show to Mr Bambam,” you exclaimed excitedly, showing them the sea flora to prove your point.

Jaebeom smiled at you kindly, taking it from you to put them in the bags while Jackson barely paid any attention to you.

“You will do well, Y/N, I’m sure of it,” said Yugyeom as he came to you to squeeze your shoulder. “You have few hours left till the meeting, you should make sure everything is alright.”

“She already did that like 300 times,” muttered Jackson, not bothering to look up from his notebook.

Yugyeom shot him a disapproving look but you just decided to let it go.

It hurt. It hurt a lot that he was being this way but at the moment you needed him to focus on his work.

By 7pm, all the five of you were neatly dressed and waiting for the Thai crew to arrive at your labs. You didn’t realize you were holding your breath until Jaebeom motioned for you to keep breathing.

“Okay, should we run over everything again?” you asked, as you were massaging your hands anxiously. “I mean, I’m sure all of you know but...”

Youngjae smiled reassuringly. “Of course we can go through it if it will give you a peace of mind.”

But before you could actually go over it, the doorbell rang loudly. Oh god, they were here!

Your time to shine.

You quickly opened the door to find the famous Thai biologist standing there tall and... well, proud. He gave you a look and entered, ignoring your greetings.

“Hello, welcome,” you said to his 4 teammates as they were entering. Unlike their leader, they had manners.

“Is this the team?” asked Bambam as he was looking around with a confused face, once again ignoring the greetings from the boys.

“Yes,” you answered, trying to be positive. “We already stumbled upon a great discovery, Mr Bambam-“

“Please,” he interrupted you, finally giving you a generous smile, “just Bambam.”

You gulped, nodding energetically. “Yes, Mr Bam- I mean, Bambam.” You could literally feel Jackson and Jaebeom rolling their eyes at your horrible stuttering.

“I was expecting a better, perhaps more advanced laboratory than this. This is a laboratory right?” he raised his left eyebrow as he looked at you, not that interested.

His words threw you off guard. “Well, yes, this is the lab we work in. I can assure you we have all the necessary equipment for this expedition.”

“Don’t worry, I brought machines, too. I am more accustomed to them anyway.”

You nodded once again, not sure what to say anymore. He seemed to have the right answer for himself either way, so you looked to the ground when you heard a voice speak up, startling you.

“So how was your way here? Also I absolutely adore your watch, Bambam.” Jackson. He was walking towards the man with a bright smile, grabbing his hand without his permission and looking at the expensive Swiss watch. No more grumpiness or disgust.

Bambam's eyes lit up right away. “Oh, maaan, I bought them last week!”

And that’s how it started. The long evening full of fake kind conversations.

As you were standing aside, watching others interact, Youngjae came to you, nudging you with his elbow. “Hey, everything is going alright, don’t be so stressed.”

“I’m not stressed.”

“Yes, you are. Just a look and all of us can see it.”

You sighed and pursed your lips. “I just care about this project a lot, that’s all.”

“And you will do just fine. After all, he is one of the best marine biologists out there,” said Youngjae, nodding his head towards the laughing Bambam. He did get on well with Jackson.

“I wish,” you scoffed, “but I will work hard, that’s for sure.”

By the end of the meeting, you all warmed up to each other in a certain way. You managed to laugh with the Thai colleagues, but their leader, that Bambam dude, was a tough one. He was so full of himself, ew. You didn’t know he was such a bastard. There wasn’t a single time he wouldn’t talk only about himself and his research programme he was leading in Thailand. Not even once did he bother to ask more about your research and your colleagues which started to piss you off pretty badly.

Jaebeom was trying to talk about findings that your team made in the surrounding sea but Bambam ignored him smoothly, and changed the subject on the differences in the water temperature in the seas around Phuket.

God. This guy.

It didn’t matter to you that much. You had his famous name, his knowledge and that’s all that mattered to you.

When all of you stood up to part ways and get some rest before the hard work tomorrow, Bambam once again startled you in an unpleasant way. “I would like you, Y/N, to show me around tomorrow afternoon. I prefer to sleep in in the mornings if you don’t mind. Others don’t have to come, you have free day tomorrow.”

Your mouth fell open while your friends gave you a shocked look. “Well, I’m afraid the work in this lab never stops.”

“It will tomorrow,” answered Bambam as if nothing happened. “I would like to get to know you better, Y/N so I know who I have the privilege to work with.”

You gulped, feeling his gaze on you. Jaebeom was about to interfere when you said: “Alright. Jaebeom and Jackson, it’s a free day tomorrow for you. I’ll gladly show you around, Bambam.”

Challenge accepted.

25 notes · View notes

all-about-wannaone · 6 years

Text

3/100 Ways To Say I Love You

Pairing: Ong Seongwoo x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Prompt: “No, no, it’s my treat.”

Words: 3587

A/N: Hello readers! I know that I have been pretty inactive in the past week and that is because I was in Japan and did not take my laptop with me for the week’s getaway. :( For those who are still waiting for your ships and requests, I have started working on them and will post them soon so this Ong Seongwoo scenario would serve as the easing into the motion as I get back to my usual activity. :) Thank you all for being so patient and supportive with me and I hope that this does not disappoint. :) Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more of this series coming up soon!

“I hope the study session was productive today. I know it’s a little heavy on the content, but I bet you could at least remember one concept… right?” Seongwoo asked, sounding slightly concerned.

“Y-yeah,” I stammered, taking a while to comprehend what he was saying. You see, Seongwoo and I had just spent 5 solid hours in the school’s library, focusing solely on the many concepts of Chemistry (whose names I could never remember) and Advanced Mathematics. And these were the two brain draining subjects that I neither loved or hated, but what I did know was that these were my worst subjects in the recent examination. In fact, I was far from the passing mark and it was as if my entire world had come crashing down on me when I received my results.

My parents went ballistic at my grades, breathing down my neck and telling me the importance of doing well in my studies, just so that I could aim for the top 3 universities once I graduated. They had begun to research on well-known cram schools and tutors, who charged an arm and a leg, but they were willing to do anything at this point to make sure that I pulled up my socks and score the grades that they wanted.

Unfortunately, cram schools had only given me even more pressure, especially when I was surrounded by students from the elite high schools such as Daewon Foreign Languages High School; they could conquer the entire Ivy League if they wanted to; or Anyang High School; they could get into the local universities easy, just with their grades alone. Hence, perhaps this was the reason why my grades fell even more, just due to the immense pressure alone.

“Hmm,” Ms Jung, my homeroom teacher, pondered during a short check-in session, as she looked at the possible options I had to improve and look ahead, “If cram schools do not seem to be aiding you in your learning, how about asking one of your classmates for help? Considering that all of you are students, and what more in the same class, perhaps the both of you could empathise and understand each other better.”

“B-but I don’t really talk to the class very much though…?”

“I know you’re soft spoken, I really do,” Ms Jung replied in an empathetic manner, “but this is the best way, in my opinion, for you to get a grasp of your learning gaps before moving onto the second year.”

I sighed at the thought, and even though I hated to admit it, I had to agree. It was probably the most effective way, especially when I had gone through too many experiences with teachers who gave no two hoots towards those lagging behind.

“Okay, the most I could do for you is to consult a student from the class. I’m pretty sure they’ll be more than willing to help you.” She said in an assuring manner, patting me on the back with a warm smile.

And so she did, and I had to admit that she was probably the most efficient teacher that I had ever met, because it only took me 4 days to receive a message from an unknown number.

“Hey. This is Y/N right? Ms Jung just consulted me this morning about advanced math and chemistry, asking me whether I was more than willing to tutor you. When do you want to start?”

I was beyond confused when I saw the message, so I replied, meaning no harmful intent, “Uh… yes this is Y/N, but who is this?”

“Wow, do you not save your classmate’s numbers? I’m offended.” The reply came in a flash, followed by another message, “Anyway, this is Ong Seongwoo.”

Ah… Ong Seongwoo.

Truth be told, he was indeed the epitome of a true surprise and the reason why one should not judge a book by its cover.

He was popular with the ladies (shouldn’t it be extremely popular), the volleyball team’s ace libero and could easily charm his way through a woman’s heart. It was a given that the students would oggle over him; the ideal man for the girls and an object of envy for the other boys. Sometimes, it was often rumoured that even the teachers loved him, especially when he was truly “drop dead gorgeous”.

Hence, to most, he appeared as the resident’s “fuckboy”, perceived to lead wild lifestyles, have an affluent background and probably flunked every single class in the process. However, Seongwoo was pretty much the opposite. He was, what we called, a closet mugger, and he studied hard and well. In fact, he was probably born brilliant since he could understand concepts effortlessly, and could probably score stellar grades despite having no sleepless nights or experiences of burning the midnight oil; which was a norm amongst high school students.

I suppose that was the reason why Ms Jung had assigned me to Seongwoo. He was the top student of the class in terms of his overall grades, second in the cohort and the A-star student in both Chemistry and Advanced Math. There was no other way around it, and besides, even though I had not spoken a single word ever in the year, he was still nice enough to offer his help anyway.

Therefore, we scheduled a time, making an appointment on a Wednesday at 3pm, and I had to say that the first meeting was extremely awkward. I knew he was good looking, but seeing his sharp features up close would make anyone turn into a blushing mess. However, the vibe that he gave was one filled with seriousness and it was intense, but he had every right to, especially when he was going to teach a student who was “significantly weaker” than him.

Indeed, he was baffled with what I did not know, asking me what I did not know from the syllabus first. In retrospect, I was probably confident in 10% of the entire syllabus and the rest passed by like a blur to me throughout the year. Like I said before, there were many teachers that I met who cared nothing for the weaker students, accounting for the state that I was currently in.

Nevertheless, he kept his cool (surprisingly) and sighed, before saying in a slightly dejected, but determined tone, “So… I guess we’ll just refresh your memory on the basics for today. Your foundation, as of now, is nowhere near stable, so before we can advance any further, these are all the things that you would need to know.”

Wow. Harsh.

As time went by, we started to meet more and more often, especially with me having to sit for a foundation test to see if I needed to change classes or not. Hence, for some strange reason, he was all the more determined to teach me, making sure that I knew everything to the point that I could spill all the information in the textbook, word for word.

Thankfully, in that span of time, I had also gotten to know Seongwoo a little better than what I had already known from all the gossips and rumours that were often present in the corridors. When he was not burying his head in the books, he loved to joke around with his friends, showing me videos of all the pranks that he had elaborately planned out, just to capture all of their reactions. God knows what ran through his mind at times, but he would show all these videos to me in the quiet library and it took me all not to laugh out loud at all of them.

There were days when we had forgotten where we were, only to realise the librarian staring daggers into our souls, but all Seongwoo had to do was to reciprocate with a small polite smile, which had also caused her to get a little flustered.

Indeed, behind that suave exterior, Seongwoo was just like any other teenage boy; playful, fun-loving, spontaneous and it was indeed a mystery to how he could excel in school without even trying.

At the end of the day, we ended up becoming pretty close friends and study sessions soon escalated to spending time with each other during lunch, sharing little snippets of our lives and laughing at all the embarrassing and hilarious moments that we captured. Sometimes, it went beyond the superficial and he was there throughout the triumphs and tribulations.

When I was sick, he came over with warm chicken soup in a thermal container. When I was sad, he was a shoulder to cry on, and all he had to do was to provide a comforting arm placed around my shoulder, assuring me that things will get better. When it was my time of the month, he knew exactly what cheered me up; dark chocolate (lots of it), caramel ice cream bars and instant noodles. Eventually, my mother had begun to approve of him, and it was clear that he too clicked with my mother.

“He’s such a nice boy, Y/N. Is he your boyfriend?”

Yep, she was that straightforward.

“Eomma, of course not,” I would laugh awkwardly after that, and she would only squint her eyes at me saying that there was no way she was going to believe it, “He’s… a little too out of my league and besides, isn’t grades more important now?”

She nodded in approval, but that was after she had given me a hint of what she had hoped for, “I understand how you must be feeling, but then again, I can’t stop your heart right?”

Feelings aside, after months of hard work and progress monitoring from the sharp eye of Seongwoo, I had taken my foundation tests quite smoothly and it was finally the day when I would find out whether I needed to be transferred to another class. As Ms Jung read out the names of the students who had taken the tests, Seongwoo closed his eyes and kept his hands together, possibly praying to all the Gods out there that I would pass it. I chuckled at the sight, but kept it together when Ms Jung called my name.

“And finally, Y/N…” I was still standing at this point, anxious to find out how I had performed. My palms were clammy and I swore I could have broken out in cold sweat at the anticipation. Ms Jung sighd at first, and it was as if all hope was lost, but her lips began to curve upwards and she said in a calm, yet proud, manner, “Good job Y/N. You scored the highest in the class for Advanced Math and second in Chemistry. Congratulations.”

That was when I heard loud cheering and a resounding applause from Seongwoo. Despite the fact that he was now faced with judgemental and surprised gazes from my classmates, he paid no attention, shooting me a thumbs up and a proud expression for my performance.

I mouthed a “thank you” to him and smiled at the rest of my class, bowing here and there to all who had congratulated me. Sitting down, I whipped out my phone immediately as I felt a vibration from my pocket.

“Good job Y/N. I’m so proud of you. Keep aiming high and just know that I’ll always be here for you when you need me. Let’s go out for dinner soon as a celebration okay? Indeed, never underestimate Mr Ong’s intelligence.”

I scoffed and shook my head, shooting him a glance and there he was, still with a cocky grin plastered on his face. On the contrary, I could still tell that he was proud of my achievements, and the same went for his own milestones, considering that he had mentioned to me that he was a terrible teacher. Hence, I was beyond grateful that the fruits of the labour was worth it after all, and it was mutual too.

Sadly, we started to lose touch eventually, especially when we were out of class. Sure, we still met up to study and acknowledged each other with an energetic wave in class, but that was about it for the initial start of the second year. We never really shared a common lunch break anymore, especially when our teachers started to band us according to our grades. When he left the class, he would shoot me a sad smile, and I’d just reciprocate the gesture, but wished him all the best through text anyway. Furthermore, he had started to prepare for his the upcoming volleyball tournaments anyway and they trainee for 6 days a week, juggling both their academics and ready for the big games ahead. He preferred to catch some shut eye, and in all honesty, I could not blame him.

After what seemed like an eternity, I had finally received a text from him, asking if I wanted to study with him and without hesitation, I replied with a “Yes!” and I felt my spirit brighten at the thought. Indeed, when one had a friend who brought a drop of happiness to one’s life all the time, it was a little difficult when they were not around anymore, even if it was just temporary.

So here we were, seeking refuge in a traditional korean fast food restaurant, flipping through the brightly coloured menu to see what they offered. I looked up, and noticed that Seongwoo was clearly ogling at all the pictures that the owners had so strategically placed. It made one’s mouth water with the sight of tangsooyook, wholesome doshiraks and golden chicken tenders, and it was clear to see why this was a popular food chain amongst all the high school students of Seoul.

“Good evening sir and welcome to our restaurant! Could I start you off with anything?” A chirpy waitress with the brightest smile greeted.

“Actually… We are ready to order.”

“Oh, of course, what would you like to have then? I can assure you that we only serve top-quality products and if you would like some recommendations, I would not mind to give the both of you some suggestions as well.”

Hearing that, he rattled on his order and I was a little surprised to hear how much he could eat, and most importantly, the price of the items he had ordered. They were not expensive individually, no, but with the seemingly endless list, it was hard to tell how much it would cost in total.

“So that will be 1 serving of tangsooyook, 2 servings of premium doshiraks, 1 serving of mixed mandoo, 1 serving of kimchi jjigae, 2 bottles of Chinsung Cider and finally, to end it all off, an Oreo bingsoo with chocolate and vanilla ice cream?”

He nodded and I was already fumbling for my wallet in my bag, but I was way too slow to possibly go dutch, especially when he had already handed in his debit card before she could even tell us what the price was. He smiled at me when he did so, eyes turning into two crescent moons and whipped out his phone to scroll through his Instagram and Twitter feed.

“Hey… Uh.. How much is it? It’s only right if I pay you back —“

“No, no. It’s my treat. Don’t worry about it. You deserve it, especially after working so hard for those stellar results.”

“T-thanks Ong but it was all thanks to you really. Without you, who knows where I would have been at this point?”

“Sure, I would like to take some credit for your great success,” he said proudly, but reverted back to his soft and gentle tone, “but at the end of the day, you were the one sitting for the papers anyway. Until now, I’m still proud of you and it’s good to know that you’re doing well now.”

And that was when I looked to see a beautiful smile that just made him even more handsome than he already was. Despite knowing him for so long, I still felt a familiar warmth spreading through my cheeks and ears and I cleared my throat awkwardly. My heart started to palpitate against my chest and I leaned back against the booth, attempting to calm myself down.

“Hi! Here’s your food and enjoy your meal!” The waitress was back again, holding onto a huge circular tray of food probably fit for a king. She arranged the food gently and nicely, but she was quick and said before running back to her station, “Here you go, picture worthy, don’t you think? Anyway, have a great night and if you need anything, just give me a call!”

It was amazing how she was still so enthusiastic, even if she was just simply serving customers and taking down their orders, without even stopping to rest for a bit and catch a breather. How I wish I was like that when I attended school too.

“Here, eat up.” Seongwoo said, proceeding to stack my side plate with two serving spoons full of tangsooyook and I thanked him for his kind gesture, “Like I said, you deserve it anyway.”

And that was how our sumptuous meal had gone as we spent time relishing in the taste of the food and caught up with each other at the same time. I knew of the fact that his team had attained a gold medal at the recent interschool games, but it was a whole different story hearing it from the player itself. He opened up about his highest moments, as well as his lowest, and told me hilarious anecdotes throughout the course of the dinner.

As for me, there was nothing much to say, especially when I was only a member of the school’s editorial club, publishing magazines containing updates of the school as well as taking photographs for the magazine itself. Hence, I resorted to spending most of my time actively listening to Seongwoo’s stories initially, before opening up about my recent experiences in the editorial team. In fact, I had also mentioned that the copies were well on its way, showing him a picture that a friend of mine had managed to catch from his volleyball finals.

“Oh wow, could you take pictures like that too?” He asked, after the photograph had piqued his interest, with a curious tone.

“I… can try, I guess? I’m still new to the whole photography notion, but I suppose I could try it sometime.”

“Could I be your model then?”

I chuckled and rolled my eyes, nodding, and once again, he exuded the vibes of a boy who had just gotten his very first christmas present. It was clear he was excited, chewing on his food happily with a wide smile on his face.

In the end, we ended up spending more time in the restaurant than we should have, surprised to find out that they were about to close for the night, as well as the fact that we had sat in the restaurant for quite a long while too. After an enthusiastic goodbye from the waitresses, we took our leave and made our way to the train station to get home.

We were in a state of comfortable silence as we walked, taking in deep breaths of the cool spring air and feeling the gentle wind against our faces. The city lights had also attracted our attention, and hence, we spent a little bit of time admiring the sights around us in silent awe. Furthermore, I had never been to this area of Seoul, hence all these sights seemed to give a different vibe, even if they could be selling the same things at the end of the day.

Now, it was the time to part ways, simply because we were going in two directions now. I was heading towards Myeongdong and beyond, while he was heading off to Apgujeong. Thankfully, our trains were not arriving so soon, and we took a seat right in the middle of the vast and relatively empty train station.

“Thanks for the dinner today.” I said, breaking the silence, and he smiled in response, “I’m glad you enjoyed it Y/N. Let’s… come back again, shall we?”

And I nodded, before hearing the sudden familiar whirring of the train tracks, signalling that my train was going to come any minute now. I stood up, but I only felt a tug on my wrist and turned around, only to be faced with an endearing gaze from Seongwoo. Strangely, I could sense a tinge of shyness, which was unlikely from a boy that confident.

“B-before you go,” he stammered, “I j-just wanted to tell you to be safe, get home as quick as you can and… uhh… text me once you’re home. If anything happens, j-just g-give me a call.”

“Sure,” I replied, and started to move away as he loosened his grip, “Don’t worry Ong, I’ll be home before you know it and I’ll be sure to get home in one piece. Be safe on your way home too and I’ll… see you tomorrow?”

He nodded with a small smile, finally realising that he needed to let me go so that I could get onto the train. Nevertheless, I faced the station anyway and noticed that he had made a heart shape with his arms as the train took its leave. Hence, I reciprocated the gesture shyly and gave a final wave, before heading back home to retreat for the night.

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