This was supposed to be for the Tales of Femslash Week's Celebration prompt, but it derailed toward the end so I switched it to the free-for-all prompt ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Study Sessions
It all started with someone pounding on her door at one in the morning.
Mint opened it, expecting an emergency – but it was only Arche. She was standing out in the hall, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Thank god you're awake," she said, pushing past Mint into the room. "I need your help!"
Mint rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"My bio midterm is tomorrow, right? I've been studying, like, all freaking day and I just don't get it. I have no idea what I'm reading."
Arche paced back and forth between Mint's bed and her desk. Her hair was loose, tangled, and she was wearing a rumbled pair of pajamas. A massive textbook was tucked under her arm. Did she walk all the way across campus dressed like that? Mint sighed and sat on the edge of her mattress.
"I think you need to sleep. You'll be able to study better in the morning," she said.
Arche spun around. "Are you even listening to me?! The midterm is in the morning! I don't have time to sleep!"
So neither do I, Mint thought. It was obvious that Arche wasn't going back to her dorm until Mint finally gave in and helped her.
"Okay. What chapters do you need help with?"
"I thought you'd never ask!"
Arche dropped the textbook on the desk. A bundle of Mint's nicely organized notes and flashcards went flying and hit the floor.
"Could you actually pick those... Never mind." Mint kneeled beside Arche while she flipped the book open. "Where should we start?"
"Right here. We're doing some human body stuff."
"...Pretty much all of biology is human body stuff."
"Yeah, but it makes more sense to you than it does to me. You're a nursing student! This is gonna be easy for you."
I hope so.
Mint was glad her first class wasn't until later in the afternoon, because she wound up helping Arche with her studies until the midterm began at nine-thirty in the morning. The pink-haired girl surprised her by pulling a Red Bull out of her backpack and chugging it before she ran off to her class – still in her pajamas, no less.
"Good luck!" Mint told her, though she was sure Arche was too far to hear.
She didn't see Arche again until dinnertime in the dining hall. Mint was barely awake, herself – the late night was catching up with her, and she was having trouble getting her spoonful of peas from the plate to her mouth. But Arche plopped down in the chair across from her, beaming and frustratingly wide awake.
"Check this out," she said, tossing a scantron across the table. Mint picked it up.
"Oh, Arche, I'm so sorry-"
"No! It's a C-, see? I passed the midterm!"
Mint checked to see if she was being serious. Arche was beaming back at her, waiting for a response.
"...Yes, great work. You did pass."
"Uh-huh. Even my professor was impressed. It's the best score I've gotten all semester," Arche said proudly. She stabbed at her salisbury steak and shoved a forkful in her mouth. "I totally failed the practice test we took last week. That's when I knew I needed to start studying."
"Have you been taking any notes in the class?"
"Not really... I thought I could pass it by just reading the summaries at the end of each chapter. I mean, I passed my Literature Intro class by reading the SparkNotes."
Mint managed a smile. "Biology's a little more complex than that."
"Yeah, I know now." Arche took another bite of the tough-looking steak. "So, I was gonna ask... Could you, y'know, be my study buddy? Pretty please?"
Mint considered turning her down – she was so tired – but the huge smile on Arche's face stopped her in her tracks. And the poor girl was so happy with that C-… How could Mint push her away? She needed all the help she could get.
"Okay," Mint said. "But one condition."
"Anything."
"We're going to study before midnight, okay? I need some sleep, too."
"Of course! Oh, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"
Arche came around the table and threw her arms around Mint's neck. Mint couldn't help but smile and laugh.
As promised, Arche showed up at Mint's dorm twice a week (well before midnight) with her textbook and a dangerous number of energy drinks in tow so they could review her classwork and made flash cards. It turned out to be great review for Mint, too – she hadn't taken the class in several years and found that the studies were bolstering her own test scores.
Arche's scores barely rose above a C, but she was still excited, and Mint couldn't help but be happy for her too.
Really happy, actually. Mint found herself looking forward to those two study sessions a week. Even when she was stumped, or her test scores came out a little lower than expected, Arche just had such a good attitude about everything. It was impossible to discourage her.
If Mint was being honest with herself, she'd say she was attracted to the girl... But, as with all of her crushes in the past, she was too embarrassed to act on it.
The months passed quickly, and Arche suggested they meet at the local coffee shop for their last study session before finals began. Mint agreed, eager for a change of scenery, and met her at the shop just down the street from Arche's dorm.
Arche was already seated in one of the back corners when Mint got there. Something about her behavior was...off. She was looking down at the table, her mouth twisted in a frown, tracing her finger through a pile of sugar.
Mint slid in the booth across from her and Arche nearly jumped out of her seat.
"I didn't see you come in!" she said, rushing to brush the sugar off the table. "Did you already order? I hope not, 'cause I'm gonna treat."
"No, not yet. But-"
"Then c'mon! Let's go get you some fuel."
"Wait." Mint reached out and put a hand over Arche's. The girl looked down at it curiously.
"Something's wrong. What is it?"
"I'm fine. Sorry. Just nervous about finals, you know?"
Arche tried to wave it off with a shaky laugh, but Mint wasn't convinced.
"Talk to me, Arche. You trust me, don't you? I want to help."
Arche slipped her hand out from under Mint's and mumbled something under her breath. Mint waited, patient – she would give in soon enough if she didn't push it.
"Okay, so... Um, I have a confession to make. This isn't a study session," Arche said, head bowed.
Mint's heart started to beat just a bit faster. Now she noticed that Arche didn't have her usual array of books and notes. She didn't even have her backpack. And she was dressed quite a bit nicer than usual... Her hair was even combed and pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
"It's not?" Mint asked, her mouth suddenly dry. She wished she already had her coffee.
"Uh-uh. I, um... I wanted to make a confession."
"Go ahead."
"So... I think I figured out the studying thing pretty well a few months ago, but I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to stop seeing you."
"You still could have come to see me."
"I know, but the study sessions were such a good excuse! I didn't know how to, like, ask you on a date or anything."
"Is... Is this a date?"
Arche looked ashamed. She hadn't met Mint's eyes for a few minutes now.
"I'd like for it to be," she said, quietly.
It was Mint's turn to smile.
"I would too," she said, suddenly bashful.
Arche peeked at her through pink lashes. "Wait, really? I totally thought you were going to turn me down just now You looked so serious."
"Why would you think that? I like you, Arche."
"Because you're so much smarter than me. I thought you were going to tell me to take a hike."
"Of course not! Do you really think I'm that cruel?"
Arche slammed her hands on the tabletop. "No! You're so sweet, you didn't even turn me away when I came flying in your room at one in the morning."
"So... This is a date, right?"
"I already said yes!"
"Okay." Mint ducked her head. She had to be bright red by now, but she couldn't stop smiling. "This is perfect."
"But one condition, okay?"
"What's that?"
"I still need you to help me study for the final later. I'm going to fail without you."
"Deal."