Whew...this was a long one folks! But I'm happy with it, first time writing a 5+1 type of story. And also! A college AU! So hope you all enjoy it :)
1.
The library wasn't a place that Daisy found herself in often. Not that the library was a bad place, it's actually one of the nicest spots on campus to get work done. But if it wasn't what she deemed "crunch time", or close to the end of the semester, Daisy usually did her school work in her room or some abandoned classroom.
Sadly, today wasn't her best day. Not only were all the classrooms she usually worked in locked, but it had started to pour outside as she walked back to her dorm. She had made a mad dash for the library, not dressed for the weather at all, and now found herself shriving at a table trying to complete her homework.
She stared at the textbook, her eyes glazing over as she read, and sighed. Nutrition had to be one of the worst classes she'd taken in her two years of college. And it had nothing to do with her major at all! What did nutrition have to do with computer science anyway? That was the last time she let Jemma talk her into a taking a class with her.
Bored, she glanced around the library. It was pretty empty for the most part, some students lingering off in the corners, other's at computers. She looked to the checkout counter and she froze.
Robbie Reyes was a guy who pretty much kept to himself. She'd seen him in her dorm once or twice, usually in the common room with his nose in a book or working on his laptop. Daisy had talked to him a few times before in a class they shared and from those interactions, he seemed friendly. Just quiet. But she didn't expect to see him working in the library of all places. Not that working in the library was bad, but...he just didn't seem to be the type.
'But then, do you really have to be the type when you just work in the library?'
He was reading something, from this distance she couldn't tell. She looked back at her book and closed it, her distraction and salvation found. She packed it away and quickly went over to one of the many bookshelves the library held. She just needed an excuse to go up to the desk. If she tried to go up and randomly start a conversation with him, he'd probably just ignore her. She could picture the look on his face, one that he made when their professor would say something strange, and tried not to laugh. He tended to make funny faces when no one was looking.
Not that she watched him a lot in class or anything.
Pulling out a book, "Shutter Island?" she mumbled, she shrugged and walked through the aisle. What was she even going to say to him? They barely talked before, just a few hello's here and there and some class work, but other then that? What if he didn't even like her? 'Just suck it up Daisy,' she thought, 'At least this is distracting you from your actual work.'
Smiling, she placed the book down on the counter in front of him, "Hey Robbie."
Looking up from his book, recognition washed over his face, "Oh, hey Daisy…"
"I didn't know you worked here," she said, waving her hand slightly, "Are you here often?"
He shrugged, grabbing her book, "I've been working here since freshman year, was lucky to get one of the spots," he replied, scanning the book, "And I'm here when they need me."
Nodding, her eyes catch a few of the words from the page of his book, "Working on homework?"
He slide a card into her book, held it out to her, and tilted his head. Daisy prided herself on being able to read people really well, something she picked up when she was in foster care. But Robbie was always a puzzle when she would look at him. Aside from a few times in class or in passing, he always seemed to keep a neutral expression. Like the one he had now.
He shrugged again, watching her, "Nothing else to really do, you know?"
"Right," she took the book from his hand, "When should I have the book back by?"
"2 weeks from today."
"Well," she smiled, shoving it into her bag, "Just in time for when we come back from vacation. You doing anything?"
It was quick, but she noticed his jaw clench, a frown forming on his face. Was it something she said?
"Just going home, nothing too exciting. You?"
"Going to a friend's," she admitted, "they were nice enough to invite me to come."
Robbie's eyebrows furrow, confused for a moment, but it passed, "Sounds nice. Hope you have a good time."
"Thanks! Same to you, hope the book will occupy some of the flight time," she patted the desk, near his hand, "It was good to see you Robbie, maybe I'll see you when I return the book?"
"Maybe…" he paused, twisting something on his finger, "Depends. Have a good vacation."
Well, that conversation went south. She nodded, "You too Robbie."
Walking outside, she turned back slightly and watched Robbie through the glass. Should she not have mentioned vacation? He seemed to tense up at that. Maybe it was a mistake for her to go and talk to him. What if she made him upset, what if he found her to be annoying?
She shook her head, quickly stepping down the stairs. Robbie Reyes wasn't someone she should have to worry about, he was just some guy she knew from a few classes. Nothing more.
2.
Bad luck seemed to follow Daisy wherever she went. Coming off a vacation that had been a welcomed distraction, she should have suspected something to go wrong in her near future. And of course it was the night before one of her biggest paper's was due. Just her luck.
Blowing air into her hands, she shivered as she made her way up the library steps. Her supposed "state of the art" printer decided to crap out on her the one time that she actually needed it. Most professors were willing to accept papers being submitted online, trying to be a little more green for the world. But her nutrition professor wouldn't know what a computer was if Daisy put it down in front of her and told her.
The warm air hit Daisy's face and she sighed happily, walking towards one of the many open computers. Sitting down, she rummaged through her bag, looking for her junk drive. Pushing one of her notebooks aside, she caught sight of the book she checked out before vacation. A small frown formed on her face, flashing back to that awkward conversation she had with Robbie.
She tried not to think about it over break, a silly one-off conversation really shouldn't have bothered her that much. But there was something about Robbie's reaction she couldn't put her finger on.
Jemma luckily was able to distract her with plans her and her family had come up with, and Daisy's mind didn't linger on it too much.
Looking at the book's cover for a moment, she shrugged off the thought and continued looking through her bag. At least she liked the random book she'd checked out.
Finding the drive, she grinned and quickly shoved it into the USB slot. Clicking through the files, she got to her paper and clicked on the "Print" option. Sighing happily, she leaned back in chair. At least this was a crisis she had averted.
"You'll have to wait a second while I re-fill the printer."
She'd never admit to almost falling out of her chair.
Catching herself quickly, her heart racing, Daisy spun around and was met with the amused face of Robbie. He was holding a stack of paper, like it explained everything, and it took everything in her power not to curse him out.
"Jesus christ Robbie…" she grumbled, "you scared the shit out of me."
"I could tell, sorry about that," he replied, his tone not apologetic at all, "you caught me in the middle of putting more paper in the printer, give me a few minutes and I'll have it for you."
Did he just offer to pay for printing?
"No I can get it, I have to pay for it anyway…"
He shook his head, "I can get it for you, no charge," he paused, shrugging, "I was rude the other night, I can make it up to you this way."
Rude the other night? Was he talking about…?
She watched him walk away, biting her bottom lip. So he must have been thinking about their conversation over break too. But that conversation hadn't even been that long, she thought he would have just forgotten about it as soon as she left the library.
Which meant he had been thinking about her over break. Like how she thought of him over break, the feel of their hands brushing briefly when she had taken the book from him and...
"Daisy you have got to shut your brain off once in awhile…" she mumbled to herself, putting her head in her hands.
Approaching footsteps caused her to look up and Robbie was in front of her, holding out the paper, "I can't believe you still have a professor who makes you hand in a hard copy of a paper."
"You don't know the half of it," she groaned, taking it from him, "My professor wouldn't know how to use a computer if I sat down and taught her it for a whole day."
A small smirk tugged at his lips, "Sounds like a fun class." he replied.
"Oh yeah, one of the best I've taken here," she grabbed her bag, putting the paper away, "Thank you, you didn't have to go and pay for that for me…"
"Don't worry about it," he insisted, "It's not that expensive anyway. I did…" he paused, frowning. Daisy stared at him, confused. She never thought of Robbie as someone who got easily flustered.
He ran a hand over his head, his eyes not reaching her's, "You caught me at a bad time before break," he admitted, "Put me in a mood. Going home let me clear my head, and I hope I didn't come off as too rude."
Relief rushed through her. So it wasn't something she did. She had just been at the wrong place and the wrong time.
A smile stretched across her face, "I totally can understand, college is stressful. Don't worry about it," she playfully punched his arm, "As long as we're cool?"
He looked surprised by her reaction. He blinked, the adorable confused expression leaving his face, and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Ye-yeah, of course."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, digging through her backpack, "which reminds me, while I'm here…," she pulled out the book and waved it around, "finished the book! Is it cool if I give it to you?"
"Oh yeah," he grabbed it, looking at the date on the card, "Just in time too, it's due today."
"I totally knew that…"
He tilted his head, the smirk appearing again, "Sure you did."
She scoffed at him, putting her hands on her hips, "Whatever Robbie, I got the book in on time and that's all that counts!"
She couldn't be more over the moon. This was the type of conversation she had been looking for, something easy going. She had hoped to make a connection with Robbie, to get to know him better. It was something she thought of over break.
When she would see Robbie around campus, he was usually alone. Which didn't seem to bother him at all, from what she could gather he was a private person. But Daisy was never the type of person to let others be alone, she would reach out whenever she could, even when it did get her into trouble. Though he was hard to read, she could tell behind the image that Robbie put up, he was a sweet guy.
"Well," he said, breaking Daisy from her thoughts, "I've got to get back to work. But I'll probably see you around?"
"Knowing my luck, I'll probably start camping out here to make sure all my work gets done."
"Well, if you're looking for a good spot to camp out, one of the corners is the best spot," he smirked, waving in a general direction. His eyes caught her's and she froze, "Have a goodnight Daisy."
She felt her heartbeat pick up, "Ha, y-yeah I'll keep that in mind. Night Robbie…."
Collecting her things quickly, she waved to him as she left the building and bolted out of there. Standing in the chilled air, she could still feel the heat on her face. What had that reaction been about? He just said her name for crying out loud! She groaned inwardly, making her way down the path as fast as she could.
"Girl, you have got to get a grip…"
3.
Snow lightly fell from the sky as Daisy left the cafeteria. Blowing on her coffee, she leaned back against a wall and watched it fall. The first snowfall always made things seem so calm. The air held a chill in it that was refreshing from the warm summers in the New England area. It always signified, much to Daisy's delight, that the holidays were right around the corner. Which meant that the semester was quickly coming to an end.
She frowned slightly at the thought. All her friends would be going home for over a month, returning to their families for whatever holiday traditions they had. Growing up, Daisy never got that chance. Bouncing from foster to foster didn't help, and even when she found her real parents, nothing turned out like she had hoped it would.
She took a sip of her drink and pushed off the wall, leaving those thoughts behind her. No point on dwelling on something she couldn't change. She had other matters to deal with, like her homework for class.
More like her excuse. She bit her lip, trying to keep the smile off her face. She didn't really need to go to library to finish up, she had basically completed it back in her dorm room.
The library came into view and she prayed that Robbie would be there. They had seen each other a few times around campus and he'd acknowledged her, usually saying hi in passing. And each time her stomach felt like it would tie up into knots, a goofy grin spreading across her face. This crush she had was slightly embarrassing. She was acting like a love sick teenager for god sake's!
Robbie was something different though. The few times they had talked, she had become more and more fascinated by him. There was something else behind the wall he had created around himself and it wasn't that Daisy wanted to break down that wall. She understood wanting to keep things private, protecting oneself from others who could use things like that to their advantage. But she wanted to see just a peak, a glimpse at the "real" Robbie. A hint of it had come out when he apologized to her and teasing her about being late with the book. There was more to him then she could see and she wanted to know that side. It was more than a crush, something she couldn't explain.
That didn't stop her from popping into the library from time to time to see if he was there. The last few times she'd struck out, and as she reached for the door handle, she paused. Did she really want to go in again just to see him not be there?
"What do you have to lose?" she mumbled, pulling open the door. She tossed away her coffee cup, which she didn't even realize she finished, and walked into the main area of the library. Pulling off her beanie, she stuffed it in her bag and looked around. Her eyes landed on the front desk and spotted a familiar leather jacket. Internally cheering, she composed herself and walked over to the counter.
"Hey Robbie!"
He jumped slightly, turning to her in his chair, "Oh, hey Daisy," he yawned, "What do you need?"
The bags under his eyes were telling. It was the bruising on his cheek that seemed to be fading that concerned her. When had he gotten that? Was it serious? She tried to keep her face neutral, the smile still there, and leaned her elbows on the counter top.
"I was wondering if I could get the textbook for Professor May's class? It's called," she reached into her pocket, uncrumpling a piece of paper, "Foundations of Computer Science."
"Yeah, let me go look…"
His walk even looked a little stiff. She drummed her fingers on the desk, worried. Is this something she should ask about? What if he closed up to her at the mere mention of it? Jemma and Bobbi teased her a lot about being a "mother hen", always looking out for them and getting extremely worried over the smallest thing. While this was true, Daisy was just an extremely protective person. She wanted everyone around her to be safe and happy, something which was hard to do at certain points of her own life.
Robbie appeared from behind a shelf, limping slightly, book in hand. The worried feeling became worse and she couldn't hold it back.
"Robbie," she blurted out, "Are you...is something…?"
His eyebrows furrowed, confused for a moment, before his eyes widened slightly. Ducking his head, he placed the textbook on the counter and sat back in his chair.
"I'm that bad at hiding it?" he asked, his chin on the palm of his hand. His shoulders shook a bit, laughter silent, "Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine. We were playing indoor soccer last night and things got out of hand."
Oh. Well that was a relief. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, nodding, "Oh, good. My mind went into worse case scenario mode, thought you got into a rumble with a bear or something."
That earned her a real laugh, "A bear? Do I look like Dicaprio from that movie he was in when he was attacked by a bear?"
"I said worse case scenario mode! That could be anything!"
"Yeah, apparently. Just a bit of a fall during a friendly game," he leaned back in the chair, hand on his chest, "more wounded pride than anything else, woe is me."
She laughed, "You poor thing."
That smirk tugged on his lips again. God, it looked really good on him.
"So," he said, pushing the book towards her, "you have a hour for the book before it needs to be returned. Professor May is one of the rare teachers who puts a time limit on their textbook."
"Of course she is," she grumbled, grabbing it, "I should have my stuff done before then, last minute homework to finish."
"Are you that person that does homework and projects the night of?" he asked, eyebrow playfully raised.
"What, I do one homework assignment last minute and you judge me?"
He held his hands up defensively, pushing his chair back slightly, "Hey, I'm just asking. But yes...yes I would."
She covered her mouth, a laugh escaping her lips, "And you're probably that guy that gets all of his assignments done a week in advance I bet?"
The smirk grew as he shrugged, "Hey, if it works…"
"I suppose if you want to be," she made quotations with her fingers, "prepared. Or something like that."
Another new thing to add to her growing list. Every time she talked to Robbie, something new or different from what she expected popped up. It was exciting, expecting something from someone and it turning out to be the complete opposite. And even when she would try to put the pieces together, he would throw something in that made her rethink it all. It reminded Daisy of herself. Keeping her secrets to herself until she found people who she could open up to.
Did Robbie trust her? He seemed more open to her then the first time they talked, and he seemed to enjoy their conversations. Or at least, she thought he did.
"Well," she stepped back from the counter, waving the book, "I've got work to do. I'll talk to you later?"
His face is unreadable for a moment and she thinks she screwed up. Did she jump the gun?
A smile, not the smirk she was familiar with, appeared and he nodded slowly, "Yeah, we'll talk later."
Biting back her grin, she waved and turned away from him, walking off to a some random place in the library. She didn't care. It was silly really, how she was reacting to him. But there was something about Robbie, compared to some of the other guys she knew, she couldn't place. It was nice talking to someone who didn't have any preconceived notions about you. It was freeing.
4.
She finds him while she walked up and down the aisles.
Tonight was one of those rare nights where all of her friend's were busy, either with clubs or working on the last big project of the semester. She still had a few extra days to finish up some of her big projects. She had told herself she was going to work on those projects tonight, get the work done early so she wouldn't have to worry about them in the next few days. But, as with most times, procrastination was her weakness. Why work on the projects now when they could be finished up in a few days? It had worked for her before!
In reality though, she needed a distraction. It happened every time around this time of year and it had become worse when it came to college. Her friends would all leave and go back to their homes with their families. Continuing the traditions they had set up for years, gathering around with the people that they loved. It had gotten better for Daisy in the past few years, but still the holidays hurt like an open wound. Even though she loved them, it would bring back memories she'd rather forget and go on about her business. She needed something or someone to keep her mind off of it.
Going back to her room at the moment was a no-go. Her roommate had mentioned to Daisy that her boyfriend was going to be visiting and that's all she had to hear before high-tailing it out there. No need to accidently walk in on them, she could still feel the embarrassment when that happened to her freshmen year. It wasn't her fault anyway, Bobbi should have sent her a text or at least something to let her know what was going on.
Without her room or friends to keep her company, she thought the next best option was the library. With finals coming up soon, it was a bit more crowded than normal. And when she had walked in and saw Robbie wasn't in his usual spot, she pouted before moving on. She found herself wandering through the aisles, brushing over the spins of the books with her fingertips. How easy it was to forget how many books were actually in this building.
She turned a corner and spotted him on a small ladder, engrossed in a book. She froze, not sure what to do, when he looked up. No use in trying to turn away now.
"Do you usually hide out in the aisles to read?" she asked, walking towards him. She stopped next to the book cart and looked over the titles of some of the books, "Or are you taking a break?"
"A bit of both really," he replied, "No use in getting the work over too fast when I still have a few hours of shift left."
She hummed in agreement, "True," she picked up a book and glanced over the back of it, "What are you reading?"
Robbie doesn't answer right away, his fingers drumming on the page. She looked up at him, tilting her head. Was it that serious of a question?
"My…" he stopped, twisting something on his finger. A nervous tick of his she noticed from one of the times they had talked. She stood there patiently, not pressing for an answer. When Robbie was ready to tell her, he would.
He sighed, continuing, "My brother, he and I both like to read. A lot. So, we recommended each other books and then talk about it," he held up his book for her to see the cover, "kind of like our own little lame book club."
The book's cover was of no interest to her at this moment. She stood there trying not to look as stunned as she felt.
Robbie had a brother?
She shouldn't be as surprised as she is. Having a sibling wasn't something that was strange, it was very common. Her mind was racing, wondering what his home life was like, picturing a loving family and she felt that sadness creeping into her mind. Maybe they gathered around together in whatever tradition they had and just enjoyed their time together. Creating memories that would last them a lifetime. Daisy tried to fill that void, but nothing could ever compare.
Always the lonely girl, with no family to love her.
"Daisy."
Blinking, she looked up to Robbie, who had gotten off the ladder and was standing in front of her. His eyes, which were deep shade of brown she noticed, held concern. Had she spaced out? Something wet rolled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, embarrassed. When did she start to cry?
"Sorry...I spaced out for a second," she mumbled, laughing quietly, "I don't know why I'm crying, it's silly."
She took a deep breath, collecting herself. Family was always a touchy subject for her, but this was beyond ridiculous. Just the mention of a family member never made her mind race like that, to go down the rabbit hole. What was different here?
A hand lightly took her wrist and turned her body, sitting her down on the ladder. She felt like a mess.
"I'm sorry, I can't believe I reacted like that," she apologized, a sad smile on her face, "you were talking about your brother."
It was silent for a moment and Daisy, in her mind, begged him to say anything. She can feel his eyes on her and when she looked up, the concern in them had grown. It's was comforting, seeing him care.
"Are you…" he paused, looking down at his book, frowning. Squaring his shoulders, he sat down on the ground next to the ladder and glanced up at her from the corner of his eye, "My brother wanted us to have something we could share while I was off at school. Something other to talk about aside from the regular 'how are you's' and things like that."
The smile stretched on her face, "That's sweet," she replied, "Did he come up with the idea?"
"The reading?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow, "No, no. That was my idea, much to his dismay. He doesn't like to read as much as I do."
Really, she shouldn't be surprised. He always seemed to have a nose in a book when she saw him around campus, though she had just assumed that they were text books.
"Robbie Reyes, the hardcore reader? I'm not shocked," she joked, looking around the aisle, "you do work in a library. And I caught you reading on the job, you reading fiend."
"I can't help finding a good book when I'm putting stuff away."
A silly image started to play in her mind and Daisy had to hold back her laughter.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"I just...oh my god, it's so stupid I'm sorry," she laughed again, putting her hand over her mouth, "I just thought...of you being like Belle from Beauty and the Beast and…"
His face made her muffled laughter louder.
"You are something else girl…" he mumbled, "Though I'll take it as a compliment because I happen to like Belle a lot."
"If you start to sing I may have to hit you."
A grin spread over his face as he tilted his head, "You're the one that brought it up. I can't help it if I break out into some songs."
She rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm sure you have the voice of an angel."
"Hey," he retorted, "I'll have you know, my singing voice isn't that bad."
They fall into silence, the bustle of some fellow students within the building the only disturbance. She looked around the aisle again, trying to catch some of the titles of the books. What kind genre of book did Robbie like? What about his brother? Reading was never Daisy found herself getting into often as a child, more interested in computers and how they were built than anything else. They had a certain way of working and somehow, someway, they could always be fixed.
She scoots off the ladder and sits down next to Robbie, shoulder to shoulder. She can feel him tense up slightly, surprised by the movement, but that doesn't bother her.
She leans back into the shelf, "What's your brother's name, if you don't mind me asking."
He doesn't respond and she wonders if she crossed a line. The mention of his brother seemed hard enough for Robbie, asking for his name may have jumped the gun. She bites her bottom lip worryingly. Maybe the home life she thought up for him wasn't as great as she imagined. There is a reason that he keeps to himself most of the time.
"Gabe."
She blinked, surprised, and looked over to him. He's spinning what looks to be a ring on his finger, his eyes not leaving it.
"He's a few years younger than I am, really smart kid. Could probably get into Yale or Harvard with a scholarship that lets him have a free ride. Too smart for his own good you know?"
There's a fondness in his voice, a smile creeping onto his face as he talked. She could feel the love Robbie had for his brother rolling off of him, how proud he was. But there was also a hint of sadness there. Something hidden underneath his words that struck her, but she didn't want to question it.
If he wanted to tell her, he would. At this moment though, she found herself smiling at him as he continued to talk about his brother. They sat there for what felt like hours and started to trade stories about almost anything.
She came to the library for a distraction and she found something better.
5.
"You know, for someone in computer science, you have shitty luck with technology."
If she wasn't in such a public place, she'd have probably thrown her backpack in Robbie's face.
It was the last week of the semester and finals were in full swing. Not only were there tests that Daisy had to worry about, but she also had a paper that was her main priority. Because it also happened to be worth almost a quarter of her grade.
And of course it was for nutrition.
Fuck nutrition.
Her bad luck didn't stop there. Her lovely computer, which she had paid for all by herself and cherished for over two years, decided to die. While she was in the middle of typing it up.
Jemma told her that she could hear her screams and curses all the way from her dorm across campus.
So that's how Daisy found herself in the library, which was predictably crowded, desperately praying her paper was saved in one of her many junk drives.
"I am this close to hitting you my friend." she grumbled into her hands, glaring at the young man through her fingers.
"You always resort to violence, you really should talk to someone about that." He replied playfully, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
She scoffed, putting her chin in the palm of her hand, "You're one to talk…"
Plugging another one of her junk drives, she scanned through the folder with what little hope she had left. The paper was due at 9 am sharp tomorrow morning and had to be over 15 pages, much to her dismay. And the worst part about this ordeal was that she was so close to being done. Just a few paragraphs away from being finished with this hell class all together. She was going to kill Jemma the next time she saw her, this class was far more stressful than it should have been.
Robbie tapped her on the shoulder, "What about that random folder right there?"
"The untitled one?" she questioned, "I usually title all my fol-"
Her eyes scanned over the files in the folder and she almost screamed with joy. It was here! All here! Excitedly, she clicked on the word document and her paper popped up. It wasn't as complete as she had it earlier, but it was still almost done. Daisy didn't care.
"This is probably one of the happiest moments in my life…" she said dramatically, leaning back in her chair. Robbie was looking down at her, amused, and patted her on the shoulder.
"I'm happy you found it," he replied, "I'll leave you to finish it up, try not to break the computer while you finish it?"
She rolled her eyes, pushing him lightly, "Ha, ha. Very funny. I'll come bother you when I'm done."
Shaking his head, Robbie turned and walked away. Out of the corner of her eye, Daisy watched his back and tried her best to hide her smile. While the circumstances weren't ideal, at least she found an excuse to come over to the library. She glanced in her bag and spotted the brightly wrapped paper around her gift for Robbie. It wasn't anything huge, just a small something that she saw while out shopping with the girls the other day. Bobbi and Jemma asked her a million questions, trying to figure out who she was buying the book for, but she held them off. Elena was with them and gave Daisy one of her knowing smiles. No matter how hard she tried to hide stuff from her, Elena always figured Daisy out.
Cracking her knuckles, Daisy turned back towards the desktop screen.
"Let's get this shit over with."
The library stayed open extra hours and Daisy couldn't be more thankful. Standing by the printer, she watched her ridiculous paper pop out of the machine. It took longer than she thought, more information missing than she would have liked, but it was done. Stacking the papers neatly, she sighed happily. The living nightmare that was known as nutrition was over.
She grabbed her bag and made her way over to where the checkout counter was, glancing over her paper to make sure everything came out fine. Robbie's back was to her and she stopped short of saying hello. It was tense. She could see that his one hand was balled into a fist and that was not a good sign. Quietly, she stapled her paper together and placed it in a folder, pulling out the wrapped present from her bag. Staring down at it and then at him, she wondered if it was worth it. If he wasn't in a good mood, would he even want this?
She scoffed at herself. This was her only chance she was going to be able to give it to him before break. While it may not be the best time for him, it was the only time for her. And he would have to deal with it.
Coming around the counter, she knocked lightly on the wood, "Hey, hope I'm not interrupting?"
His eyes were like daggers. His hand drummed the counter top and he breathed loudly through his nose, obviously upset by something. But she didn't look away from him, her mind set on her goal.
He rubbed his eyes with his hand, dragging it down his face, "Hey...just…caught me at a bad time."
"Is everything with Gabe alright?" She asked. After learning about Gabe, Daisy began to notice that whenever he was in a bad mood, it would be something to do with younger brother.
He frowned, looking away from her, "Gabe's fine…" he mumbled, drumming his fingers again, "It's something to do with my useless piece of shit uncle…" His eyes flicked up to her's and she can see how tired he is.
Getting to know Robbie over the semester, she saw how much burden he carried with him. And how it was slowly weighing him down.
This wasn't the first time Robbie mentioned his uncle Eli. He didn't talk about him much and when he did the disdain in his voice was evident. He practically spit his name whenever he said it. Something had happened between his uncle and the boys when Robbie was in highschool and he never forgave Eli. He never mentioned what it was to Daisy, switching the subject before she could ask more, but it had to be something bad. The only other thing she knew about uncle Eli was that he was in prison.
It dawned on her then and dread washed over her, "He didn't ask for you and Gabe to come see him did he?"
By his eyebrows furrowing and the frown deepening on his face, she took that as a yes.
"He thinks he can…" Robbie mumbled angrily, waving his hand around, "just ask to come back into our lives after…"
He bit the inside of his cheek, looking away from her.
Sadness overwhelmed her. She didn't want to leave him, not when he'll stew in his own anger for the rest of the night. But she had to go back to her dorm, there was still stuff she needed to do before leaving campus tomorrow.
She looked down at the present she's been hiding in her hands and decided.
Placing the book on the counter, she pushed it towards him. He glanced down at it, the anger replaced with confusion, and looked up at her.
"I know we just got to know each other over the semester," she explained, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear, "but...I was out the other day and saw this. Thought you would like it.
"I know it won't fix the problems with your uncle, it's not meant for that. But maybe it can take your mind of him. Maybe you and Gabe can use it over break?"
Tentatively he brushed his hand over the wrapping paper. His eyes were wide, looking back and forth between her and the wrapped gift. Slowly, he tore off the wrapped paper. She bit her bottom lip, nervous.
Ripping away the last piece of paper, his turned the book over a few times. She watched him graze over the spin and the embossed cover.
She leaned over the counter slightly, tapping the cover, "I know you said that you were just getting into fantasy books with Gabe and I saw this new edition of Lord of the Rings. I was never into reading much, but when I was in middle school I remember reading this and loving it," she explained, shrugging slightly, "so I thought it was something you and Gabe could share."
"Daisy, I don't…" he stopped, flipping through the pages of the thick book, "I don't know what to say…"
She waved her hand, a smile tugging on the corner of her lips, "It was nothing really, I just saw it...and I had a feeling you would appreciate it."
His eyes locked with her's and she couldn't look away. It was always tricky, figuring out what Robbie was trying to convey. He kept his emotions close to the vest. But in this moment, she saw delight. It was a rare expression for him. She liked it.
He lightly grabbed her hand from across the counter, squeezing it, "Thank you. You didn't have to do this."
She squeezed his hand back, "Don't worry about it. I had a feeling you would like it."
They stayed like that for a few moments, content in the silence. The library may have been bustling, but neither of them noticed. To Daisy, it was just the two of them.
Sadly, that reality had to end. She slipped her hand out of his slowly, "I think this will be the last time I see you before I leave for break tomorrow," she murmured, "so I hope you have a good break. And maybe when you get back, you'll tell me about the book?"
He responded without hesitation, "Of course," he paused. He pulled his hand back, clenching it slowly, and looked up at her. A smile, full teeth, spread across his face, "I'm sure I'll see you in here when another piece of technology let's you down."
"Don't you go jinxing me Reyes!" she exclaimed quietly. Her heart jumped at the smile, how perfect it looked on his face. He should do it more often, it suited him.
"I can't jinx you more than you already are!"
"Whatever, when my printer actually blows up, I'm blaming you."
She threw her backpack over her shoulder and stepped away from the counter, "I'll see you around Robbie." She turned away, walking towards the exit doors.
"Daisy."
She stopped, looking back at him. His body was leaning over the countertop, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Have a good break. And...thank you. Again."
Happiness swirled through her. She nodded, her smile growing, "You too Robbie."
Pulling her beanie over her head, she walked out into the frigid air with a lightness in her step. Break hadn't even begun yet but she couldn't wait for it to end.
+1
The break was exactly what Robbie needed to wind down. When he walked through the door and was able to see Gabe in person, all of his worries just seemed to fade away. His younger brother seemed to have that effect on him a lot. They talked about all sorts of things, how Gabe's studies were going, what they would do for the holidays, whatever came to Robbie's mind. He just wanted to be around Gabe as much as he could before he had to go back to school.
He even showed Gabe the book Daisy had gotten him and his younger brother got a mischievous look in his eye.
"Daisy? You mean that girl you've mentioned once or twice while we talked?"
His brother was looking too much into it, Robbie explaining that they were just friends. She just got him a book for crying out loud, not a declaration of love. Gabe rolled his eyes, mumbling about him being thick headed before Robbie threw a pillow in his face.
Now back at school, Robbie leaned back in the chair he frequently occupied at the counter. His shift was about to end and the place was completely dead. Not that it was surprising, the beginning of the semester always seemed to be sparse with students.
He flipped another page of the book Daisy had gotten him, quickly starting the next sentence. The writing style took some getting used to, but Robbie found himself fully engrossed in the story. The detail was beyond anything he could have imagined and each of the characters were unique from one another. Even all the hobbits were different, which surprised him.
"Hey there Robbie."
He glanced up from the book, "Oh, hey Trip. Shift over already?"
"Yeah, lucky you," Trip replied, looking around, "this place seems dead as can be."
"It'll go by fast."
Robbie gathered his things, marking his spot in the book, and zipped up his jacket.
"You have a good break?"
Trip nodded, pulling out a notebook, "Yeah, nice to go home and relax you know? Mom and I were able to take a quick trip to New York City. It was fun."
"Sounds like a good time."
"How about you?"
Robbie shrugged, "It was good, relaxing. Just need to get away from stuff you know?"
"I couldn't agree more. Have a good rest of the night Robbie."
Waving to Trip, Robbie pushed through the doors and walked down the steps of the building. He glanced around at the campus, a light blanket of snow covering the grass. They were calling for a few inches to fall overnight and he prayed that they would cancel morning classes. He would like to avoid his 8am class as much as he could.
Walking, he noticed a figuring coming towards him. He didn't let it bother him too much, probably a fellow student. But as they got closer, he recognized the silhouette.
"Daisy."
She stopped a few feet away from him. Her cheeks were red from the chill air, her hair sticking out from beneath a beanie she wore. The usual backpack she carried with her was absent, replaced with a satchel bag.
Daisy Johnson had been a mystery to him since day one. When she started to appear in the library frequently, he wasn't really sure what to expect. They had talked a few times in class sure, but that was completely different. And the first time didn't turn out so well, but that wasn't her fault. Something with Eli had been bothering him all day and she was just the person who got to him at the wrong time.
Over fall break, he worried about it more than he thought he would. Gabe, being the "wise" younger brother he was, just told him to apologize. Which he was going to do anyway.
She surprised him with her reaction. He thought that she would still be mad over what happened, he had been cold to her. But she didn't seem to let it bother her, at least she didn't show that it did.
After that, they seemed to find themselves in conversation whenever she was in the library. He didn't know if they were excuses she was coming up with to come to the building, or if she was really that unlucky with techology. He didn't mind though. He began to enjoy her company more and more each time. She always had a snarky reply to his quips. And a nice smile that usually came with a lovely laugh.
There was more to her then that though. The day she found him in the book ailese, he realized that hidden beneath the happy exterior that Daisy carried, there was something hurting. When she started to cry at the mention of his brother, Robbie panicked. He had no idea what to do and he didn't want to see her upset. As she apologized over and over again for crying, he had to resist taking her hand and comforting her. That could be stepping over a line, but he found himself hating seeing her like this.
She stood in front of him now, that dazzling smile plastered on her face. God, he really was a lost cause.
"If you were heading to the library," he began, running a hand over his head, "I'm afraid I just got off shift. I hope nothing actually blew up in your dorm room."
She laughed, he loved it when she laughed, and waved him off, "No, no, you're off the hook this time. I have yet to encounter a problem with any technology since being back on campus.
"I actually…," she paused, confusion crossing Robbie's face. Daisy rarely paused when she was talking.
Was something wrong?
She mumbled to herself, something Robbie couldn't hear, before she looked him in the eye.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go grab a cup of coffee with me."
Stunned. That was probably the best word for it. Robbie's eyes widened slightly, though never leaving Daisy's. Her eyes were like steel, determination etched on every part of her face.
He bite back a smile that was trying it's hardest to spread over his lips.
"Coffee?" he asked, looking up at the night sky, "A little late for that don't you think?"
Her face fell slightly, shoulders sagging.
"But," he continued, smirking, "I would love to."
It took her a second to process his answer. A smile burst back onto her face and she walked over to him, linking their arms together.
"You son of a bitch, trying to be a smart ass."
He laughed, letting her lead the way, "I couldn't help it, you should have expected an answer like that. You lost your touch over break Daisy."
She punched him playfully, "Please, I'll never lose my touch. You're just so dead serious most of the time, it's hard to tell when you're joking."
They both laughed, walking along the cobblestone path way.
They weren't sure where this would lead them. But both were willing to take the leap.