AN: Decided to crosspost this here (from ao3), finally.
The name "Oakley" was borrowed from celebi4ever's "His World" story, while "Ada" was yolo'd in because I needed something there.
In a classroom at Jefferson County Middle School lay a desk. A very special desk, handmade by one Ada Murawski. This desk, unbeknownst to its maker, was self-aware. Most desks aren't, but this one was.
Had she known, Ada would have been more loath to leave it behind. But leave she did, on a trip to Hawaii.
She'd been reluctant, of course. But her cousin didn't get married every day, so she'd had to go.
Before she'd left, she'd whispered a goodbye to the desk, promising to be back in a week and that she loved it. The desk couldn't respond then and there, no matter how desperately it wanted to.
The next week was the loneliest the desk had ever experienced, even with the usual classes going on, and at least one substitute teacher putting her feet up on its polished surface. It just wasn't the same without Ada.
It spent the time practicing shifting the sap around under its surface, at night when no one was around to notice.
At last, the week was over. Ada Murawski entered the school on the late Sunday evening, still fresh from the flight home, eager to reunite with her desk once more.
The desk trembled with excitement as she stepped into the classroom, her heels clicking on the floor. It was time.
"Hello, Oakley," she murmured, running a finger along the desk's solid oak. "I missed you."
She didn't need a response to know the feeling was mutual.
Before her eyes, the whorls and patterns in the oak shifted, becoming words. A message just for her.
"I LOVE YOU TOO, ADA."
It had been an effort even to say anything at all, let alone perfectly spelled, but the desk knew nothing was too much to ask to finally tell her how it felt.
Ada had to wipe a tear from her eye, and she smiled. Who knew her desk would be so sappy?