Title: Bittersweet Romance
Author: hottee39
Rating: Pg-13 +
Summary: AU. Told from Wolfram Edsall's point of view about how his mysterious high school crush turned into a sweet romance over class.
The clock ticks incessantly on the wall and the figure at the front of the class drones on and on about the history of the world. Students write notes diligently in the books while others were passing notes to each other as a way to communicate in class. The class president glares ruthlessly at the rule breakers, capturing their crimes and images through the frames of his thick glasses. The moment the teacher spun around, everyone pretended to have the sole attention on her, an act of perfect conduct. She praised the class with a smile before resuming her explanations and proceeding to white on the whiteboard.
I palmed my face in my hands, exasperated to have to endure such classes. I averted my attention to the corner of my eyes, spying on the crush of my high school life since I'd started last week. He sat there with the indifferent look on his face, eyes as cold as stones as he stared at the teacher. His face betrayed no emotion except concentration. His long nimble fingers gripped the pen roughly as he scribbled word after word in his notebook. His lips pursed into silence as he always had been. His shoulder length black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, his back slouching slightly in his seat. My eyes trailed his face features that were outlined by the sun rays that shined through the windows of the classroom. That high nose, soft chiseled chin, soft cheekbones all contributed to his profile. Lastly, his eyes were like black coals, stern narrow eyes that displayed no expression, no warmth. His eyes were my favourite because they were the only thing I could not perceive about him. They were windows to his soul that was shut from the outside world.
He blinked and that was when I caught myself. He was staring back into my own pair of eyes, a hint of curiosity peering from his black pupils. Abashed from being caught staring but not wanting to admit it, I averted my attention back to the figure at the front of the room. I could tell my face was red from the blood rushing to my cheeks. I got to learn to be more subtle. This was not the first time he has caught me staring again. I feel like knocking my blond head but I knew that would attract attention and he would probably think I was a lunatic.
A ball of paper fell onto my desk. I looked up at the direction that it came from only to see him staring blankly on the board, not betraying anything. I was momentarily surprised as it was the first time I received a note from him. I surprised he could even write a note when he does not socialize himself with anyone. I glanced around to ensure no one was looking, especially the teacher before I quietly opened the ball of paper.
'You're blushing again.'
I slid my eyes shut, crunching the paper in my hands. If he thought my face was red before, it's probably a tomato right now.
"Mr. Wolfram Kaylor, are you alright?" I opened my eyes to find that I had everyone's attention on me. I lost my voice for a while, lowering my eyes to the desk.
"I suggest bringing him to the school nurse since he apparently doesn't look good." The teacher pushes her glasses back with the middle finger along the bridge of her nose. I peered at the corner of my eyes to see him sitting back in his seat, face in his palmed as if he and the teacher were talking about the weather. His face showed no trace of concern or even amusement. He was a very hard teenage boy to read.
"Very well Mr. Yulian Edsall. You'll take him to the school nurse then." The way the teacher put it was like a challenge to him that I was beginning to question if the teacher and him had shared some sort of history. She spun around and continued on as if nothing had even occurred. The students were baffled slightly by the interruption and were trying to regain their focus back onto the lesson.
"Come on." The moment the whisper met my ears and the calloused hand gripped my arm gently to lift me up, I was stunned into bliss and was speechless as I followed him out the back door of the classroom. We walked along the hallways in silence, our footsteps echoing off the walls. He had released his hold on me the moment we walked out of the classroom and we continued to stroll along in silence. I had head down in silence, anxiety jumping at my nerves as he walked beside me. I could feel his warmth and his confidence radiating strongly from him. The way he walked, with his hand in his pocket and his head held high told me he was not someone to be easily messed around. I found myself getting more attracted to that strength in him.
"You have it bad don't you." My head shriveled to his face at the statement, curiosity pushing my eyebrows together into a frown and my lips into a pout. His black eyes continued to stare ahead but the quirk at his lips betrayed him. I was surprised into speechlessness at his twinkling expression. However my pride would not allow him to get the last laugh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I averted my eyes away from him, crossing my hands in habit.
"Oh sure you don't." He agreed sarcastically with a hint of amusement in his whimsical voice. Don't look, don't look, don't look. Unfortunately, curiosity always got the best of me and I stole a peek at the corner of my eye. Yulian was walking down the hallways in a confident stride, hands pocketed, school blouse unbuttoned at the top, black ponytail swishing back and forth mildly, and a twitch of a smile at the very edges of the corners of his lips. He was smirking.
"What's that suppose to mean?" I snapped, not liking getting picked on. Only when I did realize that I had snapped at my crush unintentionally, my face reddened in embarrassment and shame. Thanks you stinking mouth for ruining my chances! While I was reprimanding myself in my head like a retard, I was surprised back when I hear a deep rich chuckle rippling off the dirty walls of the hallway and sent shivers down my spine. Great, now he's laughing at me. Damn me and my luck. All this time that I was glaring at the checkered tiles on the floor, I did not realized that I had subconsciously stopped in the center until I heard the lack of shoes walking in the empty corridor and then the slow stride of footsteps started to close in towards me.
Uncertain of how to behave or react, I slid my eyes shut, trying to will myself to stay calm, clenching my fists at my sides. I had always been a very expressive and emotional person so it was hard to remain so calm like Yulian. Yulian was always composed and so sure of his actions. He did things that he felt were right and he was able to make people feel and see things through his perspective. Those were one of the things I envied and at the same time admired about Yulian. He was so different, so special and unique that he drew me in as the days went by. He even occupied my mind during the weekends, making me eager to learn more and more about him, to unwrap the mystery of Yulian Edsall.
I was frozen to the spot when I felt a slim digit curl under my chin and involuntarily making me raise my head. Baffled by the situation, I opened my eyes…to find my emeralds drowning in onyx depths. My lips started to part in awe as my heart speeded up its beating to a steady rhythm. My face was only a few inches from Yulian that I could feel his warmth radiating on me. I could smell the minty toothpaste that he used this morning flowing from his pale pink lips.
But most importantly.
His eyes told me of the familiarity he felt, the amazement, the appreciation, the amusement, the desperation, the weariness, the concern, the adoration and the…love?
His face suddenly leaned forward and out of reflex, I closed my eyes shut, wondering if he was going to kiss me right now in the center of the hallway. I gasped when I heard the soft whisper in my ear, too surprised to even get offended and protect my pride. "You're crushing badly on me babe." If I were a volcano right about now, I would have exploded right then and there… if it was not for his unpredictability of his actions.
Almost immediately after he whispered those words, he distanced himself me and planted a nice long kiss upon my forehead with those soft lips of his. I could not move muscle. This was not what I expected to happen when I woke up this morning. To have my crush kissing me in the centre of the hallway was like a dream come true. I was so content with the emotions surrounding us that my emeralds skid shut on their own accord. I did not want to see, I wanted to feel. I wanted to feel everything and have it engraved in my memory forever. I felt those warm limbs leave my forehead and I almost gave into temptation to whimper at the loss.
"I like that." I jumped at the whisper in my other ear, revealing my eyes to find Yulian smiling at me with sincere honesty shining through those orbs. He smiled…He smiled for me. "Because I have a crush on you too." Holy cow! He's smiling because of me! I remained speechless, rooted to the spot. My crush just confessed to me. What were the odds? I blinked at the hand that was held out towards me. "Come on, let's get you to the nurse's office." I thought for a moment he was serious but one look at the cheeky smile and the twinkling eyes, I knew he had other things planned. The wink confirmed it all. I did not stop the smile from spreading across my face. I was in total bliss. Without a moment hesitation, I slid my hand into his.
"Let's go!" And I sprinted ahead of him, dragging him along. We ran towards the tree at the back of the school garden. I was afraid he might loosen his hold on my fair hands since he was being pulled along in an unseemly manner. He never let go of my hand.
And for that I treasure him.
AN: