Various disclaimers: I don't own these characters obviously. I also don't condone smoking, but hey, you do you.
(a/n if you scroll to the bottom).
lucky
Hot breath, in the dead of winter, was indistinguishable from the clouds of smoke escaping the gap between the young man's lips. He took another drag from his cigarette, long and deep, bowing his head left slightly to shelter his face from the biting wind. The tall, dark figure hugged the brick wall where he stood outside the double doors to the lecture hall, leaning at just the right angle so as to cover the "NO SMOKING" sign. A single orange bulb was the only light source on this particularly dark evening in December, and the young man stood just outside of its harsh ray. He had no gloves or mittens. His coat pocket still housed a hand, a heavy, tan Carhart with a musky, smoky scent that made him think of home. There was no hat on his head, but his dark locks curled just enough around his ears to keep them warm. A muffled voice could be heard from behind the double doors; the professor's lecture continued on inside. He was alone on campus as far as he could see; tiny white speckles of snow fluttered down and created a thin sheet on the cement where no footprints had yet ruined its design. The young man's hazy green eyes scanned the area for signs of life as he took yet another drag from his cigarette. He used his thumb to flick the ashes onto the pavement at his feet. They glowed red for a millisecond before they landed in the snow.
Now, the sound of rushed footsteps dragging through the thin layer of white broke through the mundane tone of the professor's droll. His gaze flicked to the right, then to the left. Someone was approaching. He pushed off the wall with his shoulder and took his hand out of his pocket to reveal a sleek black watch. He checked the time. A short, hooded black figure bowed its head toward the ground as it shuffled towards the lecture hall. This person, whoever it was, was late to class by almost a half hour. As the figure drew closer, he became aware that the person was in fact female. She had a dark, thin hoodie draped over her head. The wind whipped short brown-black locks all around her face, giving him a brief peek at the small dark frames around her squinted, bright emerald eyes. Her nose was bright red with cold, and she sniffled.
He moved to open the door for her as she approached. She looked up from the ground, shoving a strand of hair into her hood. Their eyes met. His hand froze on the door handle.
He smirked, and instead moved in front of the door to block her entry.
"Late for class again, I see," his voice escaped in a drawling, husky tone.
"At least I didn't stand outside for the first half hour," she hissed back. Their words seeped out in heavy puffs of vapor. The woman took a step closer to him, threatening. Their height difference was laughable. She barely came up to his chin. "Let me through."
He stared at her. One hand was still on the door handle, slightly behind his back. The other held up his half-burnt cigarette to his still-smirking lips and he took another drag. The spark illuminated his face ever slightly as he inhaled, enhancing the playful look in his eyes. Her focus switched from his face to the cigarette in his fingers. She changed her mind. Her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned back a bit.
"Bum me one?" She nodded to the cigarette.
He left the cigarette to dangle out of his mouth as he reached into his pocket to pull out the pack, extending it to her.
She examined it. "Your lucky?"
There was but one cigarette left in the box. It was flipped upside down, to indicate its "luckiness".
He raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Never did me any good before." He used one hand to snatch the cigarette, letting the now empty box fall to the ground. He held it by the end, and gently placed the filter side between her frowning lips. He then revealed a matchbox from the same pocket, struck a single match on the brick wall beside them, and moved his face close to hers to shield the flame from the wind as he lit it for her. He did this all in one smooth action, with one hand still planted firmly on the door handle.
As she took a drag, he took one as well.
They stood in silence for a minute, their puffs of smoke rising and dissipating in the icy wind. Bits of snow collected in their dark hair and speckled their locks with white. The smaller figure shivered and stepped closer to her companion, bowing her head to the ground once again. He observed her small frame, shuddering from the cold, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He didn't let her see it.
He finished his cigarette with a final deep breath and flicked the butt across the sidewalk. As he released the smoke from his lungs he moved to the side to wrap a warm arm around her shoulders. He let go of the door handle and shuffled them both to the side of the building, against the brick wall and the "NO SMOKING" sign. He leaned against the wall again, bringing her with him.
She melted into him, her side facing his chest so she could pull on her cigarette without it being too close to his coat, her fingers tucked into the sleeves of her hoodie. She coughed. He rubbed her shoulders to generate some heat. She rested her head on his chest and inhaled deeply, flicking her half smoked cigarette into the grass. She nuzzled into his coat and let out a half-sigh, half-groan.
He suddenly pushed off from the wall and separated himself from her. He stuck his hands in his pockets again and moved to open the door. She stood apart, blinking, confused at the rapid change of attitude in her companion, however, being quick on her feet, quickly adapted. She smirked back at him.
"Thanks," she murmured quietly as she walked past him into the lecture hall. "I need more luck than you anyways."
He said nothing, but his eyes maintained their playful look as he rolled them and followed her inside.
a/n: i'm sorry i keep lying to you kind people. i know i keep saying i'm off hiatus but life is a rollercoaster and i'm just trying not to throw up on the ride. that being said, i'm making no promises to update/release new content but please feel free to pm me if you have any questions about anything, i'm ghosting on this website but i do try my best to respond. as always, thank you guys so much for reading and supporting, please leave a review if you'd like.