"28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds. That... is when the world... will end."

"Quit being so dramatic."

It was Sunday night. Church's roommate, Tucker, was off on some sort of date thing, leaving their shared dorm room with its normal number of occupants, Tucker's space having been filled by Church's girlfriend, Tex.

Said girlfriend was currently poking Church's prone form on the floor with the toe of her shoe.

"Ugh, let me die in peace, woman."

"Not likely. When you die, I'll be the one dragging you down."

Church turned his face to the side, looking towards Tex, his cheek sticking slightly to the open pages of his textbook."You're so romantic."

Tex shrugged, closing the door behind her before making her way over to Church's bed. "I try."

"Ugh."

Tex settled into the pillows of Church's bed, shoving some books aside and pulling open her own backpack to grab her homework. She read her textbook for a while, occasionally taking a sip from the bottle of grape juice Church had left on his nightstand, before she looked towards the floor again, looking at Church as he repeatedly knocked his fist against the back of his head.

"Don't come crying to me if you get a headache from that."

"Already got one, thanks, and she's squishing my pillows."

"And drinking your juice."

"And drinking my juice."

It was quiet again, just long enough for Tex to finish reading her chapter and to pull out her notebook, beginning her search for one of the many pencils she had but never seemed to be able to find.

Tex threw the bottle cap beside her at Church's head.

"Ow."

"Pass me a pencil."

Church's hand grabbed blindly at the floor, passing over pieces of paper until it landed on a pencil. He tossed it over his shoulder to Tex, who caught it as it was about to land in the trash.

"Thanks."

"Yup."

Several scribbled sentences later. "So, how long until the world ends again?"

Church lifted his head, looking towards the countdown app on his phone. "28 days... 5 hours... 19 minutes... 46 seconds."

"Why do you obsess so much?"

That got Church standing. His eyes were shadowed by dark bags, his hair was a disarray of black spikes, he needed to shave, and his shirt wasn't looking the freshest.

"Why? Why? This isn't rocket science, Tex! I wish it was rocket science! Those dumb bastards over there have it easy. This is neuroscience! If I'm not on top of everything all the time then that's it. End of the road, jam a fucking fork in me because I will be done. No future, no lab, no nothing."

Tex watched Church pace, ranting and raving about final exams that weren't even assigned yet, before she stood up, crossed the room, and grabbed Church in a headlock, halting his pacing.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Uh."

"Showered?"

"I think..."

"Seen the sun?"

Silence.

"Alright, that's it, you're leaving this room."

"What? No, I can't I have to –"

"The only thing you have to do is get your ass out of this room before I kick it out."

Church hurried out of the room, Tex trailing behind with a change of clothes and a towel so he could shower.

As Tex shoved him into the boy's bathroom so he could get ready, Church popped his head back out, "Have I ever told you how much of a bitch you are?"

"Everyday, now get showering."

And Church did, and Tex smiled, because she knew that sometimes the kind of love people needed the most was the tough kind, and Church needed that like he needed a swift kick in the ass: all the time.