Gen eds, the bane of every college student's existence—and the bane of 9S's existence, this specific semester. His professor's two-star online ratings coupled with a two-hour evening lab meant 9S was certainly not looking forward to his class in Introductory Physics.
At least, he wasn't, until he met his lab partner.
"May I sit here?"
He turned in his chair to find a girl perched at his lab station, a binder tucked in her arm and a pen behind her ear.
"Oh, sure, take a seat. My name's 9S."
"I'm 2B."
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It turned out that, like 9S, she had pushed off taking physics due to scheduling conflicts. While most everyone else in the room was a freshman, 2B was a junior, a pre-med biology major, while 9S was a sophomore in computer science.
It was a little intimidating at first, working with 2B. She was a girl with every hair perfectly in place, every nail perfectly manicured, a whole binder of notes perfectly organized and alphabetized and—as a brief glance at her lab notebook revealed—written in cursive. She held herself with confidence, exuded a dignified aura. She seemed like the type of student who would finish homework assigned two days before the due date three days in advance.
9S, by comparison, was incredibly mediocre, and he worried that his work wouldn't meet her expectations. His concerns were multiplied when she'd curtly shoot down his attempts at small talk, redirecting any conversation back to their lab work.
But as the lab drew on, it became apparent that his worries were ill-founded. 2B's words felt sincere, and he didn't detect any arrogance in them. Her stiff manner of speech was less her intentionally addressing him coldly, and more just the way she spoke. By the end of the lab 9S found she was easy to work with, and despite it being a little awkward, 2B was enjoyable to be around.
When she suggested they exchange phone numbers, 9S felt a little happier than he'd like to admit.
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.
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Lab reports were a pain. Having an excuse to see 2B over the weekend, was not.
It was a routine they'd fallen into—lab Thursday night, meet at the library around 1:00 PM Saturday, analyze the data and finish the report in about three hours. 9S would take it as an opportunity to get to know her better. Where was she from, what did she like to do, what kind of clubs was she in—while the conversations were terse, at first, 9S could feel her slowly growing more comfortable with him.
Weeks stretched into months, months passed from one to two, and he'd begun to learn more of the little things about her. She had a huge sweet tooth, and the pastry shop two blocks off campus was her favorite place to study. She was fond of science fiction, and had shelves of books stacked in her room at home. She was a movie junkie, she enjoyed classical music, she played the violin in the campus orchestra.
Soon she was opening up to 9S about more personal concerns. She was annoyed at her group in a class project for pawning majority of the work on her. She hadn't done as well as she'd hoped on her physiology exam, and was stressed that her professor hadn't decided on a curve. Her roommate, 6O, was super sweet, but would sometimes be loud at night and leave 2B with little sleep.
It was nice, talking to her. Even though their relationship was centered around schoolwork, 9S had come to think of 2B as a friend. Though he wasn't sure if she felt the same about him.
It was another Saturday of working on the lab report, sometime after the first volley of midterms, maybe six weeks into the semester. He was tired, and the spreadsheets of data were starting to make his eyes ache. "Plotting all this data is such a pain, isn't it, 2B?"
"It has to get done, regardless. There's no point in complaining about it."
9S sighed. "Yeah, Yeah, I guess." He leaned back in his chair, casting her a sidelong glance. "So what're you up to, this weekend? Planning anything fun?"
"I'll be traveling out of town tonight, and won't be back until Tuesday."
"Oh? What for?"
She hesitated, a moment, letting her finger fly over her keyboard before answering. "A national Judo competition."
"Wait, really? That's so cool! You must be really good!" Though 2B was on the shorter side, she seemed fit, and embarrassingly more muscular than 9S—it wasn't hard for him to believe she was one of the nation's best martial artists. "I'll have to make sure to stay on your good side."
His words earned a small smile from her. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."
In the brief period of silence that followed, 9S managed to sift through some of the data. "Hey, 2B, I think I got something for the plots. Do you want to take a look?"
She broke her attention from her own laptop, leaning in for a view of his screen—close. Really close. Her hair brushing his shoulder and her breath tickling his neck, kind of close. It made his heart skip a beat, the heat rush to his face.
He didn't really understand why it was suddenly having an effect on him, but some of the thoughts he had to repress were a little embarrassing.
"It looks right." She pulled away, allowing his feelings some relief. "Good job, 9S."
"Oh, uh, thanks."
He couldn't explain it, but even though his heart was beating fast, and he felt a little light-headed, he was somehow really happy.
He remained a little distracted for the rest of their time together, but it didn't take them too long to wrap up. Soon they had their bags slung over their shoulders, and were parting outside the library entrance. But before 2B could walk away, 9S stopped her. "Wait, 2B."
She paused in her tracks, staring at him expectantly.
"People who know me well usually call me 'Nines,' so…"
She didn't take the hint. "…So?"
"So you can call me that—I-I mean, if you want to."
She didn't respond. 9S could feel the flames licking his cheeks, and he refused to meet her eyes. Should he not have suggested that, so suddenly? Was it really that weird of a request?
…He supposed that, yes, it was. Especially since no one actually called him that.
And then she giggled. It was soft, airy—a really nice sound.
"Alright. See you later, Nines."
He tried to hide the smile forcing its way to his lips, though he didn't seem to succeed. "See you. Good luck at the competition."
It wasn't until she was out of sight that 9S reached behind his neck, scratching away the embarrassment. Back in the library, after she'd leaned so close to him, he…understood.
It's not that it was a surprise. He felt silly, really, that it'd taken him so long for him to realize.
He had a bit of a crush on 2B.
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"Yo, 9S. You busy this weekend?"
9S started to find 801S plopping himself at 9S's table. "No, why?"
"My frat's hosting a party this Friday. Would you like to come?"
"Well..." To be honest, 9S wasn't feeling up to it this week, but he wasn't sure how to turn 801S down.
It didn't seem 801S would accept no for an answer, anyway. "You should come. You're stressed about your midterms next week, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"So getting laid will make you feel better!"
9S choked. "Wait—what? That's not—"
"So you'll be there, right?"
9S sighed. Even though 801S's...dubious reasoning hadn't convinced him, 9S couldn't find any real excuse to turn 801S down.
"Yeah, sure."
"Great! See you there."
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By the time 9S arrived, it was already rather crowded, and it took a while before locating 801S in the kitchen. "Hey, 9S! Glad you could make it!" 801S seemed more than a little tipsy, and squeezed 9S in a hug that lasted longer than he probably intended. "Want some?"
9S glanced at the table of alcohol he was motioning toward. "No thanks. Maybe later."
"Suit yourself."
801S began pushing 9S around, introducing 9S to fraternity brothers he'd vaguely met before, when a familiar white hairstyle caught his eye.
2B. She was settled on a couch near the center of the room, sitting with two redhead girls. She had her makeup done, her hair curled...she looked really pretty.
801S caught 9S staring. "Oh, do you think the twins are cute? They're names are Devola and Popola. They're friends of the fraternity, so if you want I can introduce you—"
"Not the twins, the girl they're with—that's 2B, my lab partner."
801S whistled. "So she's the girl you've been crushing on?"
"Don't say that so loud! She might hear—"
801S ignored his protests, instead patting 9S on the shoulder. "She's a little out of your league, don't you think?"
...Ouch.
"Yeah, I guess..."
Despite 801S's words, 9S still lingered in the same room as her. It seemed 801S was right—2B was rather popular, and a disproportionate number of guys approached her over the course of the night.
Although it appeared 2B was shutting them down, rather bluntly. 9S tried not to feel too pleased by that.
At some point 9S found that his group of friends had strayed off, and that 801S had disappeared to god knows where. He considered talking to 2B, but she was already occupied, and though 9S wasn't usually one to back away from social scenarios, 801S's earlier comment shot holes in his confidence. Maybe it'd be best if he just introduced himself to someone new...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes flitted back to 2B, and he found himself locked in accidental eye contact. Her eyes lit immediately, and soon she was pushing toward him, having abruptly dropped the conversation without even excusing herself.
"Nines!" He was a little taken aback when she reached for his hands, briefly, before dropping them. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to talk to you."
She ended up pulling him into the hall, where it was a little (but not much) quieter. 2B was beaming, in a way that made her seem just as happy to see him as he was to see her. Not only had she approached him first, but she'd purposely pulled him aside alone...it was something he would've assumed could only happen in his imagination.
Even though they didn't talk long before Devola and Popola interrupted, and dragged 2B away for dancing, it was enough to make 9S's night.
.
2B ended up leaving early, and 9S barely managed to catch up with her. "2B, wait up!"
She turned to face him, just as she was heading out the door.
"Are you walking back alone? It's pretty late, are you sure you'll be safe?"
"I didn't drink much, so I'll be fine. I can handle myself."
He supposed it was true, her being a silver-medalist in Judo, and all. "Do you live far? If you want I can call an Uber, or—"
"Thank you, but it isn't a long walk."
"Oh, okay." He hesitated. "I could walk with you, if you'd like."
She smiled at his offer. "Your company would be much appreciated."
They mostly made simple small talk, during the walk to her apartment. It wasn't until they'd walked a few blocks that 9S noticed her shoulders slightly trembling, the goose bumps on her arms. 2B was dressed in a skirt that cut above her knees, a lacy sleeveless top—and while she looked stunning, he could imagine how cold she was.
"Ah, you're shivering. Here—"
She seemed surprised as he dropped his coat around her shoulders, but she accepted it gratefully, slipping her arms through the sleeves. He noticed how happy she looked when she pulled the collar tighter to her chin.
They reached their destination all too soon, and exchanged parting words under the soft glow of a streetlamp.
"It was nice seeing you, Nines. I'm glad we ran into each other."
"Me too. See you around."
Before he could turn to leave, 2B tugged him by the shoulders, pulling him into an unexpected hug. She tucked his face to the curve of her chest, resting his chin on the soft lace of her shirt. She smelled nice, of floral perfume, and the loose sleeves of his coat pulled around him made the embrace extra warm.
When 2B pulled away, he watched, dazed, as she climbed the steps to her apartment and disappeared through its doors, coat and all.
.
.
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Days passed with no sign of 2B returning his coat. She didn't bring it to lab, and whenever 9S looked to where she sat in physics lecture, she wasn't wearing it.
He didn't mind. It wouldn't have even mattered to him if she had no intention to return it. He might've forgotten he'd given it to her, if he didn't spot her wearing it around campus, in between classes.
She looked cute.
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It was two weeks later when 9S got the text.
Hey, Nines, I forgot to return the jacket you gave me
If you aren't busy tonight, would you like to pick it up?
Thankfully, he managed to find the time, and dropped by a little after dinner. She greeted him at the door, dressed in an oversized sweater, sweatpants, fuzzy socks. He was a little confused to how she'd shrunk to 9S's height, before realizing it was the first time he was seeing her without heels.
She didn't have much homework, and her roommate was out for the night—9S quickly found himself settled on her couch, a movie already loading. She heated the stove, offered him tea, and though the mug in his hands was warm, it couldn't compare to heat of her body snuggled close to his. She'd started the movie, tucked a blanket around their shoulders, wrapping it in way that only pressed their bodies closer.
They weren't even five minutes into the movie before he felt her arms tugging him close, drawing 9S in a cozy embrace and resting his head against her shoulder. He found that if he managed to place his ear just right, he could even hear the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Though the thought was too embarrassing to admit aloud, the next two hours felt like the closest he'd come to touching heaven.
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He wished he could say he enjoyed the movie, but the pleasure in 2B's proximity left little room for his brain to process. Still, 2B seemed to like it, and that was enough for him.
It was hard to pull away, after the movie ended, but it was getting late and they had class next day. Before making it out the door, 9S paused, slipping his hand in hers.
"Thank you, 2B. I had fun today."
Her familiar small smile was enough to warm his heart. "I did too."
He felt her fingers meet his chest, watched her hair dip across her face...
The taste of her lips on his was sweeter than he could have imagined.
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She didn't end up giving him his coat. 9S didn't bother to remind her.
Their feigned forgetfulness was their silent promise to be back for more.
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A/N: cross-posted on ao3