Warnings: Cursing and inappropriate thoughts from Thomas.
Well here is Chapter 2. Think of this as my Christmas present! Seriously, it's only 12:15 right now so it's only fifteen minutes late! :33 I know 'acknowledgingly' is not a word but I used it anyways because I can. You'll see when you get there. This chapter has more sleepy Thomas and then some fangirl Thomas and it's another slow chapter but bear with me, I have a huge plot set up for this story and I know it's starting off slow and dumb but it will get better!
Newt pushes the huge door open and goes inside, holding it open afterwards for Thomas to follow. Thomas takes a deep breath. This is it. Once he steps inside this building, he'll officially be a college student. He has waited for this moment his whole life. Even though he is tired, he still feels his anxiety bubbling to the surface. He's really nervous. But he must do this. Come on now Thomas, one foot in front of the other. He carefully walks in behind his best friend. He looks around and sees... nothing. Only an empty entrance. He blinks in sleepy confusion. "Uh... Where is everybody at...?"
"They're in class you bloody idiot. We're late remember?"
Thomas takes a minute to process this before he nods dumbly. "Oh. Yeah. I forgot."
Newt sighs and starts walking towards a door which Thomas assumes must be the door to the office. 'It has a big sign that says office so it has to be the office... right? Yeah. It's probably the office,' Thomas thinks, his mind still clouded with something akin to drowsiness. He can hardly think straight so he just follows Newt mindlessly to the front desk. 'Why are we here...?'
Newt smiles at the lady behind the desk and has a conversation with her that Thomas is too out-of-it to listen to. He leans over to lay his head on Newt's shoulder and hopes that they're there for a while so he can sleep some more. His hopes are ruined when Newt pokes him with something. His eyes snap open warily to see some sort of paper in Newt's hand. Okay...
"What the hell is this for...?"
Newt sighs again. Thomas wishes he'd stop that. It makes him feel like a burden. He knows that Newt's life would be way easier without him, but he'd rather not be reminded of it all of the time.
Thomas has to deal with these kinds of self-patronizing thoughts on a regular basis. He usually just ignores them but it has become increasingly difficult to ignore and keep them to himself lately. He feels that he might accidentally say something out loud. He has a tendency to ramble when he is nervous and he is ashamed to admit that he has voiced some of his depressing thoughts to Newt a few times already, usually when they were fighting. He hates fighting with Newt because it always makes him think that he is a horrible friend and the blond deserves better. This usually leads to him feeling sorry for himself and having huge bouts of anxiety. During those times, whenever he's around Newt the feelings of self-doubt increase and he blurts out bad things about himself involuntarily, almost on impulse. Although, perhaps deep down, on some subconscious level, he wanted to tell Newt those things. He wanted Newt to know how badly he thinks of himself. Maybe, Thomas was indirectly calling for help from his friend.
"It's your schedule, ya bugger," Newt's surprisingly soft voice startles him out of his thoughts, almost as if he knows what Thomas is thinking and wants to reassure him that everything is alright.
Thomas grunts acknowledgingly and takes the paper, glad for the distraction. He scans over it and notices he has art class for first period. He frowns. He really doesn't want to fall asleep during his favorite class but he knows that he probably will. Hopefully if he does, the teacher isn't a complete asshole and lets him sleep. He wants to sleep. No, he needs to sleep. He won't be able to think at all today if he doesn't sleep. Damn, if only he had some boring class for first period like history.
"What do you have for first?," Thomas mumbles.
Newt hums thoughtfully. "History"
Thomas stares blankly at Newt, silently fuming in jealously. "No... I'm gonna go to your class with you today okay?"
"Tommy, it doesn't work that way."
Thomas pouts and whines. He knows he's acting like a child but if he's going to get through the day, he's going to need Newt by his side. No exceptions. He is not letting Newt leave him. He is tired and hungry and sad and just wants to sleep. Newt is too good of a friend to just abandon him like this, right?
"Well, see ya Tommy. Good luck gettin' to class."
Wrong. Thomas gapes at Newt. "Wha.. Really?"
"Yes, really. You've already made half an hour late Tommy. Now I'll leave a bad impression."
"Pfft! You couldn't leave a bad impression on anyone, even if you tried!" Thomas accused. It's true. Everyone who meets Newt seems to like him instantly. It isn't fair. Thomas wishes he was like Newt.
"That's not true. But, I guess I'll walk you to class so you don't fall asleep while you're walking or something stupid like that."
Thomas nods numbly, still feeling pissy at Newt's attitude. 'I need some new friends... Yeah right, like that's gonna happen' He reminds himself that he can't make any new friends and should be grateful towards Newt for sticking around him so long and being the only friend he has. "Thanks buddy. You're a real pal," he tries to tell Newt how much he appreciates his friendship but his words slur together. He can't help it. His mouth isn't connecting properly with his brain.
"God, stop talking. You sound like a two year old." Newt grins and starts walking off. Thomas follows him silently since he doesn't even know where his class is and he doesn't know how Newt knows where it is but he doesn't really care. He yawns three times before Newt abruptly stops walking, which makes Thomas run into him. Newt rolls his eyes and gestures towards the room they're standing in front of. "Well go on Tommy."
Thomas hears some boring-sounding man talking about boring rules and procedures with his boring voice, probably boring every poor soul in the classroom and God, Thomas can't do this. Just listening from out here is making his craving for sleep twice as bad. Seriously. Damn.
"Newt...," he whines and panics. Suddenly, being shoved into a room full of complete strangers doesn't sound like a good idea. "I-I can't. T-Tired. Take pity on me," he whispers so the class won't hear him.
"Not a chance. Go on now," Thomas ends up stumbling into the class because Newt "accidentally" shoves him through the door. How someone could possibly accidentally push someone, Thomas does not know. All he knows is that now every single person is staring at him and he just made an ass of himself in front of his new classmates. He should say something. Oh man, he needs to say something. The teacher looks kind of pissed off. The students are all grinning and muttering to each other. He needs to say something. Anything. Come on Thomas.
"U-UH... I-I'M THOMAS. N-NICE TO MEET YOU!," he shouts in nervousness and inwardly cringes. 'What the fuck am I doing? None of these people are hard of hearing. God I'm so dumb... fuck my life. They're all staring, kill me now!'
The students bust out into a chorus of laughter and Thomas turns red from embarrassment. The teacher stares at him too and he visibly flinches. "Very well. I'll let your tardiness go this time but I expect you'll be on time to class from now on?" Thomas meekly nodded. "Good. Then, take a seat. Thomas hurriedly scrambles into the only unoccupied seat, beside a short chubby kid with curly hair who looks more like an elementary schooler than a college student. The kid gives him a warm smile and he smiles weakly in return before returning his attention to the teacher, who is now speaking about supplies that they will need for the class and how the students are expected to act.
As he hears the teacher's warm but dull voice drowning on about expectations and whatnot, he can feel himself slipping deeper and deeper into the void. He rests his head on his palm and tries to keep his eyes open wide but it's no use. They slipped closed on their own and before he knows it, his head droops until it's resting on the desk. He mumbles sleepily to himself, trying to stay awake. At some point he thinks he hears distant laughter but he's too far gone to care, his mind clears and his breathing evens out until he finally succumbs to sleep.
..
Thomas feels a light tapping on his shoulder. He snorts and sighs drowsily before peeking his eyes open to see a gorgeous person staring right at him. He jumps up from his hunched position over the desk and yelps loudly, his drowsiness suddenly replaced by shock and surprise, which quickly morphs into embarrassment. He turns red because seriously, what the fuck was that?! Did he just squeal?
"What the fuck is wrong with me?!," Thomas thinks. That guy can't be talking to Thomas, right? There's no way such a hot person would ever approach Thomas, he's just a loser! A loner, a nobody! Whereas this guy is obviously popular.
The guy laughs. "I don't know man." Thomas melts a little on the inside from the sound of his voice and also gapes slightly because this guys actually is talking to him, before he processes his words. "Wait... shit did I say that out loud?!"
"Why yes, you did~," the other boy grins and Thomas thinks he's going to die because he's never seen anything as appealing or attractive as the grin that lights up the Asian's face. Thomas wants to kiss that smug smirk right off of his face. Thomas absently stares at the other, silently fawning over his warm eyes and perfect fluffy hair and his lips and-
"You're drooling," the black-haired boy smirks again and Thomas, realizing that he was staring like a total creep, wipes his mouth quickly in case he is actually drooling because it's totally possible. This other guy is absolutely breathtaking. Seriously. Thomas isn't even exaggerating. He is easily the hottest guy that has ever talked to Thomas. No, he's the hottest person that's ever talked to Thomas.
"Anyways, class ended like two minutes ago. If you don't want to be late to your next class, you should hurry up and go."
Thomas sits up fully and looks around to see that the room is empty save for the teacher, Minho and himself. Thomas stares at Minho again without meaning to before he shakes his head to knock some sense into himself. "U-Uh, right! Thank you!" He suddenly really wants to know this guy's name. And hang out with him sometime. Maybe kiss him all over his face and- NO. STOP THOMAS, BAD THOMAS. "I-I'm Thomas!," he manages to choke out.
The black-haired beauty laughs, a rumble from deep in his throat, and it makes Thomas feel tingly all over. "I know. I heard you earlier."
Thomas tilts his head in confusion before he remembers how he shouted his name out earlier in front of the whole class. He groans as his cheeks turn red again and he facedesks. He isn't used to talking to people, especially not people like this guy, who is so attractive and amazing that it should be illegal. He doesn't know what to say. Luckily, the other guy doesn't seem to mind.
"So, what's your next class, hmm?"
Thomas looks up and sees that deadly grin again. He quickly looks away and fumbles with the papers in his bag to pull out his schedule. "U-Um, Biology..."
Minho smiles and once again Thomas thinks he is going to die. But he honestly wouldn't mind if he did die right now because he'd die a happy man. "Come on, I'll walk you there."
Thomas blinks. He blinks again. And again. "Um... what?" He is confused. Nobody has ever made an attempt to talk to him, much less walk him to class. Okay, so maybe he is exaggerating a little. People talk to him sometimes... Well, Newt talks to him! And so does Teresa, although she's his sister so she doesn't really count...
The other guy blinks too. "I said... I'll walk you there?," he grins but this time it's more of an unsure twitch of his lips. Thomas is making him uncomfortable, isn't he? He must think Thomas is a weird creep. "But if you don't want me to, that's cool-"
"NO!," Thomas cuts him off so fast that he even surprises himself and damn, he has embarrassed himself again. He isn't good with people or talking and honestly, what was Teresa and Newt thinking, letting him come here?! They know he isn't cut out for socialization and human interaction.
Much to Thomas' surprise, the other boy just starts laughing and another easy-going grin appears on his face. "I like you. You're like a little scared kitten."
Thomas isn't sure how to feel about being called a little kitten but he decides to just smile. This person's presence makes him feel like he's surrounded by happiness and unicorns and he can't help but smile. Thomas thinks anything would sound heavenly coming from the others' lips, even a long string of insults and profanity or perhaps, moans and groans of pleasure- Thomas slaps himself. Literally.
"I'm Minho," the Asian says like Thomas' whole show doesn't bother him at all and Thomas finds himself wondering if Minho is used to being around rowdy people before he realizes Minho is waiting for him to say something.
"That is such a cool name-! I mean, gah, don't listen to me, I'll shut up now."
This guy, Minho (Thomas thinks that his name sounds sinful and delicious, even if he's only saying it in his head, a perfect fit for the man currently standing before him), smirks while holding his hand out and Thomas just sits there blankly like an idiot. Minho sighs and grabs Thomas' hand to pull him up, then lets go once he's standing. Thomas realizes with morbid mortification that he misses the brief warmth of Minho's hand on his own but he doesn't have enough time to reflect on it because Minho is nudging him out of the classroom.
"Wha- Minho?," Thomas gasps out because Minho suddenly starts running and grabs Thomas' hand to pull Thomas behind him. Minho pauses and looks back at Thomas with another grin painted on his face. "My name sounds good coming from you~" Thomas' face burns from the unexpected words and he sputters, literally choking on air. Minho laughs again. Thomas thinks that he laughs a lot. Thomas can't remember the last time he's had a good laugh.
Thomas allows himself to be dragged because Minho is holding his hand again. He doesn't care where Minho takes him as long as he keeps holding his hand like that. Thomas blinks at his own thoughts. He's letting his head get all scrambled. Stay focused Thomas. Stop thinking about Minho and his buff arms pulling you effortlessly down the hall and Minho's flawless calf muscles that contract when he runs and-
Thomas slaps himself again.
This is going to be a long day.
Well, there you have it :) Did I go overboard with the whole Thomas-fawns-over-Minho-immediately thing?