Hey. It's been a few years, hasn't it? So I decided I wanted to get back into writing. I don't know how often I'll update, but I thought a college AU would be fun. Let me know what you guys think, reviews are greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any of these characters, except Ryan and her family
Dedicated to the man, the myth, the legend: Stan Lee. Excelsior
It was late. Very late and the dirty blonde standing in line to get her third cup of coffee for the day knew it was only going to keep dragging on. Which was why she really didn't mind having to wait thirty minutes in line that much. It gave her a break from studying.
She sighed, running a stressed hand through her hair once as she thought of the chapters she still needed to read over before it would be acceptable for her to drive home and sleep for a few precious hours before her ten o'clock exam. Two more chapters to be exact.
She had already gone over five since she'd arrived and her brain felt as though it was about to explode. Neurons and potassium channels and ATPase and ligands.
Ryan Boyd hated physiology. She wasn't good at it, nor did she find it even slightly interesting. She really regretted listening to her father when he said it would look good on her transcript.
The line moved forward at a snail's pace as a student in front finished ordering and moved off to the side. She took her phone from her pocket as it buzzed, chuckling softly to herself as she read the text message from her friend Ann.
"That group is still being obnoxious"
Ann Hawthrone had been Ryan's college best friend since they were randomly assigned to be roommates freshman year. The two had been through hell and back together during their past three years at the University of Kentucky; they had the embarrassing photos and inside jokes to prove it. The two now shared an off-campus house together, though they did all their studying at the library. Ann had stayed at their table to keep working while Ryan fetched herself a coffee.
The group in question was a group of upperclassmen who sat two tables down from the girls about two hours ago. They were being anything but quiet.
"Haven't any of them left?" Ryan sent the reply with a smirk on her face, quickly adding a second line, "They really don't look like the kind to pull all nighters"
Ryan glanced up, moved forward with the line, and frowned slightly at Ann's response.
"A few, there're only three of the guys left but they're still loud. Also, I'm going to head home when you get back."
"I can help whoever's next!" The barista called out. Ryan slipped her phone back into her pocket after sending a quick response and walked over to the front of the register, starring at the menu behind the counter. She didn't know why she even looked, she always got the same thing.
"Could I get a grande hot caramel macchiato, please?"
"Of course. Your name?" The barista grabbed a sharpie, pausing as Ryan held out her metal thermos.
"You can just put it in this," She smiled as the younger girl took it from her, "and Ryan."
The barista smiled back politely, "Alright! Just insert your card and then it'll be right out." Ryan nodded, walking off and snagging an empty high-top chair to wait for her name to be called.
Her mind wandered as she waited, thinking ahead to what she had to get done in the coming days. Take her exam, go to the two other classes she had on Thursdays, come back to the library to get more work done. She knew she should clean up her room at some point, clothes were currently on the floor and a few pairs of shoes had been left downstairs. And she had to make it to the gym. And call her mom at some point just to catch up.
Her older brother, John, had started his new job as an accountant a couple weeks ago. She wanted to know her mother's thoughts on that, because Jodie Boyd always had strong thoughts on every single topic. Especially when it came to her children's life choices.
She had been that mother. The PTA superstar, the most involved, the one who asked way too many questions and always seemed to befriend every single one of Ryan and John's high school teachers. Jodie was pushy, she was strict, but she did love her family more than anything else in the world.
"Ryan!" She looked up at the sound of her name, smiling softly at the sight of her newly refilled thermos. Hopping up she nodded to the busy barista in thanks before heading towards the Starbucks exit and back into William T. Young library.
She pressed the up button on the elevator before sending Ann another quick text.
"On my way back"
The elevator ride up to the third floor only took a few seconds and then Ryan was on her way back to their table. Most of the library was still relatively full of students with only a few completely empty tables visible. Ann was the only one at theirs, a smile popping onto the blonde's face at the sight of her returning roommate.
"Wow, you were only gone for thirty minutes." Ann smirked, "New record."
Ryan set down her coffee and pulled out her chair, slipping her flip flops off instantly and propping her feet up on the unoccupied chair beside her, "Absolutely." Both girls chuckled.
Movement from the table behind Ann caught her attention as one of the boys glanced over. A blush instantly bloomed over Ryan's cheeks as she made eye contact with the broad-shouldered brunette. He smirked at her, one end of his mouth lifting up slightly and she looked away. Luckily Ann hadn't noticed, otherwise she would tease Ryan about it for days.
The one thing that both her mother and Ann currently teamed up on Ryan about was finding a boyfriend. She had never had a serious relationship before, though that wasn't due to lack of male attention pointed her way.
Ryan's athletic build, long legs, and gleaming dirty blonde hair earned her a lot of attention. She was sweet too, until you gave her a reason not to be, but she was just picky. She had never really met a guy she wanted to truly date. Most of them just wanted to have sex.
She didn't want that.
"Do you want me to leave the door unlocked for you?" Ann was finishing up packing her things, sliding her laptop into her backpack as she directed her question at Ryan, who just waved a hand at her.
"No, that's fine. I remembered to grab my key."
"Alright, see you at home," Ryan was enveloped in an awkward side hug that she did her best to reciprocate, "Love you, have fun with your axon terminals."
Ryan rolled her eyes, laughing as Ann made her way towards the elevator.
The action potential is propagated down the axon terminal after the opening of sodium channels
Ryan groaned two and a half hours later and tilted her phone upwards to check the time. 1:39. Wonderful. She had to be up for her eight am in six hours. And she still had to drive the fifteen minutes home.
She let her fore head drop down atop her notebook, beginning the contemplate whether or not she should just sleep in the library.
It wouldn't be the first time she'd done it. I could just give up, she thought. The idea sounding like her best option.
Suddenly, she heard the chair across from her being moved. She didn't raise her head at first, thinking about who was still in the library. Not many people were left, just the most studious kids or the ones who had procrastinated studying for an exam…like her.
"You're not asleep, are you?" A deep, unfamiliar male voice asked. She looked up with her brow furrowed.
"I wish." It was the boy from a few hours ago, who she had made eye contact with. She recognized him slightly now; she passed him on campus a few times a week between classes. Between the chemistry building and Whitehall classroom building. He smiled at her again now, his face lighting up just a bit.
He chuckled softly, "I heard you were studying physiology?" Ryan gave him a questioning look and he explained further "Overhead your friend."
"Oh." She wondered how long he'd been thinking of that, "Are you taking the class too?"
The boy's smile spread, "Nope," He shook his head, his dark brown eyes flashing, "just using it as an excuse to talk to a beautiful girl." He extended his hand across the table towards her, "Bucky."