Ian was a good student. Despite almost never doing his homework, he was above average in most classes. Except for chemistry. He hated chemistry. It just didn't appease him. He would practically sleep through most chemistry classes.
Anthony tried doing his homework most of the time, but he still had a hard time keeping up in class. He didn't do so well in most subjects. Except for chemistry. He loved chemistry. Something about different substances coming together to make something new simply peeked his interest. It was the only class where he almost always knew the answer to the teacher's questions.
Ian and Anthony were best bros. They would sit together in most classes. They hung out after school; played videogames together, joked together. They'd even gotten the habit of high-fiving each other on their way to separate classes.
They took chemistry together.
They both walked into the classroom together and Anthony sat down in the front, at the seat closest to the blackboard.
Ian stopped in his tracks, realizing that Anthony wasn't following him to his usual seat in the back of the class. He'd somehow forgotten that they practically never sat together during chemistry classes.
"Dude, what the hell are you doing?"
Anthony turned around in his seat to look at Ian.
"What do you mean?" he responded. Ian gave Anthony a dumbfound look.
"Why are you sitting in the front? You'll be right under the teacher's nose."
Chemistry was the only class where Ian actually cared about where he was sitting in accordance to the teacher, so Anthony was usually the one who decided where they would sit; and usually the one dragging them to the back of the classroom.
"That's kind of the point." Anthony went to retrieve a book from his bag.
Ian looked around him, as if there would be a message hidden somewhere in the classroom that could explain to him if he'd been tossed into some alternate dimension.
Until he remembered that Anthony was the only one who ever really raised his hand during chemistry. Ian was always so mentally far away during these classes that he'd somehow managed to overlook it.
Then the teacher walked in and asked everyone to take their seats.
Ian decided on the seat next to Anthony. He'd had an idea on how to make this class a bit more interesting; or less boring, which ever floats your boat.
The teacher went on about the usual. Blah blah blah reaction formulas. Blah blah blah chemical substances.
The teacher directed a question at the class that Ian didn't register and Anthony raised his hand to answer. As soon as Anthony had raised his hand, Ian raised his as well and high-fived Anthony.
The clapping noise from the high-five rung through the classroom. Ian had already drawn back his hand again, but Anthony's was still raised in the air, though now he had a dumbstruck look on his face as well.
"Anthony! Ian! Please be quiet." The teacher turned towards the blackboard and wrote the answer without looking twice at Anthony.
Anthony slowly put down his hand again and looked at Ian. Ian was looking down at his book and then up at the blackboard, pretending to pay attention.
"Dude, what th-"! The teacher turned towards the class again and asked another question. Anthony forgot about questioning Ian in his eager to participate in the class and turned his attention towards the teacher again. Ian glanced at Anthony, as soon as he looked away and smirked a little.
Anthony raised his hand to answer another question and as soon as he did, Ian raised his as well and high-fived him again. This time a little less loud.
Anthony quickly turned towards Ian…
"Yes? Anthony?" The teacher pointed at him, waiting for his answer.
Anthony sat up straight, took down his hand and opened his mouth to answer… but nothing came out. His mind was completely blank. What was the question again?
A girl two seats behind him raised her hand and answered. She was wrong. Or maybe not wrong, but half right. The teacher wrote the correct answer on the blackboard.
"Damn it, I knew that," Anthony whispered. Ian couldn't help but letting out a small giggle.
Anthony decided to ignore him. He could shout at him after class.
The teacher then proceeded to demonstrate a reaction between two chemical substances.
"Can someone tell me what just happened, when I mixed these two substances together?"
Anthony's hand quickly shot in the air and Ian's followed. The clap from the high-five was no louder than any of the previous, but this time the teacher had been looking directly at them.
"Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla!" The teacher put her hands on her hips and glared at both of them. "I don't know if you think this is some kind of frat party, but if you can't take my class serious-".
"The two substances mixed together are a perfect example of a synthesis reaction!" Anthony's hand was still raised and his voice was determined. "Also known as a direct combination reaction! It's pretty common! It's when two chemical species or more combine to form a more complex product!" Anthony had practically shouted the words.
The whole class was silent. Even the teacher stood baffled next to her desk.
Ian was fighting a laughing fit. He never knew that Anthony was so passionate about chemistry.
Everyone in the room was staring at Anthony, who slowly lowered his hand. Ian was practically shoving his whole hand in his mouth to keep from laughing.
"Th-that is correct." The teacher wrote the reaction formula on the blackboard and then turned around and looked at Anthony. She still seemed a little taken aback. "but please try to… Behave yourself."
She looked at her notes on her desk and then continued with the class.
Anthony looked towards Ian, who was still trying to calm himself.
"I'm gonna kill you," Anthony whispered. A small whimpering laugh escaped from Ian.
During most of the duration of the class, they both remained silent.
However, when class was almost over, Anthony dared to raise his hand one more time, but this time he raised the one that wasn't right next to Ian.
He thought that he had outsmarted him, but unfortunately, he was wrong.
As soon as Ian noticed that Anthony was raising the other hand, he jumped up from his chair, almost by instinct, and threw himself over Anthony to high-five him. This resulted in him knocking over the table and sending them both flying to the floor, with Ian landing on top of Anthony.
"That's it!" The teacher shouted. "Both of you; to the principal's office! Stat!"
They both got on their feet. Ian picked up the table that he'd knocked over and followed Anthony out the door.
Once they were in the hallway, Anthony turned around, almost causing Ian to crash into him.
"Dude, what the hell was all that about!"
Ian started laughing, which only made Anthony angrier.
"Dude," Ian gasped between laughter. "It was just a bit of fun." Ian doubled over with his hands on his stomach.
"I don't see how that's funny." Anthony grit his teeth. "You made a complete fool of me."
"Us," Ian corrected. "I made a complete fool of us." He smiled apologetically at Anthony.
Anthony stared at him with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Ian said. "It's just that I find chemistry boring, so I thought I'd make class a bit more interesting. I'm sorry it was at your expense. I didn't realized you were so interested in the subject."
"How can you not find it interesting?" Anthony's tone became lighter. "Chemistry is understanding how substances work together. Chemicals can change and affect and react. It's also what creates emotions in our brains, like happiness and jealousy and love-".
"Love, huh?" Ian interrupted him.
Anthony's face went red. "Uhm… Yeah."
"How does that work?" Ian took a suggestive step towards Anthony.
"Well… It's like… When you look at someone… And…" Anthony was finding it hard to form a coherent sentence, when Ian was standing so close all of a sudden.
"And then chemicals are released in your brain." Ian finished. "Like signals, telling your body that the person you're looking at could be a potential mate."
Anthony was completely dumbfound. He gave Ian a questioning look. Though, with the nervousness caused by Ian's suggestiveness, his expression looked a bit comical.
Ian giggled slightly. "That's kind of like biology." Ian was now standing a nose's distance from Anthony and looking up into his eyes. "I like biology." Ian smirked. "I like the idea that we all have a natural instinct to find a suitable partner. A perfect match."
Anthony was at complete loss of words. There could be no doubt about it. Ian was definitely flirting with him. After what just happened? Was he kidding?
"You said something about two substances coming together to make something better, right?" Ian giggled and Anthony could feel his breath on his lips.
"Yeah…?" Anthony's voice was barely a whisper. Ian smiled. "Do you think we'd be better together?" Ian's voice was soft. He started moving his lips towards Anthony. Anthony lifted his hand and pressed it on Ian's neck, effectively closing the tiny gap between them.
The kiss was sweet. Their lips locked together for a brief moment, but then the bell rang and students started flooding into the hallway. They jumped away from each other in surprised.
Then they both laughed.
Anthony reached though the crowd, until he got hold of Ian's hand.
"Weren't we on our way to see the principal?"
This fic is based on a prompt. Sorry for the slightly anti-climatic ending. I still hope that you enjoyed!