Keith unwillingly dragged his eyes up from the carpet when he took three steps into her room. Eyes bulging, his mouth fell at the room that exceeded what he was chary of. Jill's room was small, just like the whole apartment, but it was clean compared to everything he's seen so far. On the left wall, in the corner of the room, there was a small bed with a light blue bottom sheet and a white duvet. Beside the bed was Jill's window, a fire escape right beside it, and a scanty brown desk right beside the door, complete with a fold up chair and a cushion. As Jill closed the door and sat on the bed, legs crossed and staring at him with boredom, Keith looked over towards a brown drawer on the right side of her room, then her boots propped up beside it. He raised an eyebrow at an innocent item propped up beside the drawer.

"You play an acoustic guitar?" Keith looked over towards her inquisitively as he walked over to her desk chair and set his bag on the ground. Jill snorted and raised a brow at him, eyebrow raised.

"Why else would I have it?" She jeered, causing him to arch his brows in annoyance.

"No need for the sarcasm…" He muttered under his breath and Jill huffed and gestured to the bag as he turned her chair sideways and sat down, his feet nudging his shoes off.

"So what did you bring, Rabbit?"

Keith rolled his eyes at the nickname again, but picked up his bag and set it on his lap. Zipping it open, he replied, "I brought the book. Our teacher told me you didn't pick up a copy, so here." He fished for a copy of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and held it out for her. As though Keith was giving her a plate of worms, Jill clicked her tongue and took the book with the side of her mouth pulled in disgust before she looked back at him. Keith snagged a faded green folder and put his bag on the floor again. He took out several papers and handed it to Jill, who took it with disclination, and and took out his own papers and set them on the desk. "I got you some copies too. One paper is supposed to help us with the essay- it has an outline on the back-, the second paper is supposed to be a rubric and the back of it has a checkbox, then, on the third paper, it has some requirements for the poster. We gotta have color on it,-"

"If it's a blue poster, does that count as color?"

Immediately Keith replied, "No." And continued to talk as though Jill didn't look like she was dying in front of him. "-it's gotta be, and I quote, "bigger than two sheets of paper taped together",-"

"Damn." Jill hissed, glancing to the side in disappointment. She personally thought that, for a "poster" she finished in under 10 minutes, she did rather good and highly deserved those 50 points.

"-and we have to put some actual effort into it." Jill glared at the papers in her hand and wondered how Keith would react if she just tore these papers in front of him. She was sure he would most likely be mad and a red-faced Keith is always a hilarious sight to take in. Keith, narrowing his eyes at her, muttered.

"As obnoxious as it is, I know what you're thinking and I swear to God, Jill, don't you dare."

Jill snorted and sniggered, her disgust with the papers being shoved away for a short while. She set the vile papers down beside her and leaned back on her hands. With Keith getting out a pencil from his bag and checking to see if it had lead, she hummed.

"Favorite animal?" Keith paused from his insistent clicking and raised a brow towards her.

"E… Excuse me?"

"Favorite animal. I'm asking you what it is."

"For you?" Jill stared at him, eyebrows knitting in a glower. Keith glanced to the side and sat up straight, setting the pencil down on top of the papers.

"What?" He questioned, bristling uncomfortably at how Jill stared at him. She sighed, loud and echoing into the thick fog of the awkwardness of the room, pinching the bridge of her nose before shaking her head. Looking up with a hand raised towards him, she sighed "No… No, no. I was asking you, Rabbit. You. What's your favorite animal?" Like a fish, he opened and closed his mouth with understanding flashing across his features.

"Ohhh."

"Yeah." Jill drawled and rolled her eyes, but scoffed in amusement at her silly rabbit. Instead of getting the answer she expected to hear with his understanding, Keith scowled with confusion dribbling thicker on his features.

"What does that have to do with the work?" Jill's bottom lip poked out.

"Aw, come on. It has nothing to do with this stupid work, but it's pretty easy. Just answer the question."

"Jill-"

"Rabbit." She sing songed and Keith's glare burned in a way that warmed her heart with amusement. She adored making him angry, that much was known, but to be fair, she'd been alone for the last two days. By alone, she meant empty of really having anyone (Keith) to poke with childish glee. Damn her body for being sick, but he's here now so she can easily catch up on time lost! Keith, on the hand, seemed far from allowing themselves to stray from the work he specifically came here for.

"Jill, no. I came here for the work and that's it, nothing more, nothing less."

"Cat?"

"What-," Jill shifted on the bed, crossing her legs with hands grasping her ankles. She cut him off quick and sassy all the while making a game of his rebuff.

"Since you won't answer a simple question, I've taken it upon myself to list off as many animals as I can remember until you accept one."

"No!"

"Not a cat, gotcha. Dog?"

"Jill-"

"Not a dog. Bird?"

"I said no-"

"Not a bird. You're a tough nut, Rabbit." She winked at his exasperation and her double innuendo, barely allowing any room between her own words to allow him access of defying her. "Ok, what about a turtle?"

"St-"

"Fish?"

"He-"

"Bear?"

"No-"

"You like the Blobfish, don't you?"

"What?" She's gone crazy. That's what he concluded. Jill Bird has officially lost the last crumbs of her mental state. Keith was ready to grab Jill's shoulders and shake her to reality. She traveled the conversation along so quickly and left him no space, his hair was left disheveled from when he raked through it during his struggle to stop her.

"The Blobfish." She paused to take in his gaping features, eyes wide and mouth in an 'o', it was a wonder how she didn't laugh then and there. Before he could process that he had more than two seconds to speak, she continued on with a click of her tongue and mock shaming. "Usually smaller than 30 cm, it looks like sad sticky goop with black eyes that look into your soul?"

Keith bowed his head into his hands in defeat. He wondered what type of deity he pissed off have nearly one week worth of his life taken to the annoyance in front of him. He doesn't remember doing anything bad, saying anything crude- other than the times he's spoken to Jill that is. He lifted his head, glanced at the worksheets in the corner of his eye, then looked back at the wicked child-teen. He stared at her. Then, at the sudden burst of an idea, his tongue flicked over her bottom lip (she didn't glance at it, not at all- nope) and shifted in his seat.

"I'm proposing a deal." Jill straightened up at this, eyes widening just a fraction, but ears perking up for the curious thing her rabbit could possible want. He never propositioned a deal before. In fact, he never really initiated a conversation with her unless he had to. Saying she was eager to hear what he could want was embarrassing to say the least and she'd be damned if she allowed Keith to notice. He didn't.

"Go on." Keith swallowed.

"While we do this work, I'll answer some questions, but only if you answer them truthfully. I'll know if you're lying, so don't even attempt it."

"You sure about that, Rabbit?" Jill quipped. He refused to budge, his jaw set and eyes hard. The proposition sounded more than easy, but one thing Jill thought of is how deep the questions could possibly develop. She could lie easy, she could switch the topic like no one's problem, but a part of her wondered if Keith really can see through her lies.

'No.' She thought. 'Don't be silly. He couldn't possibly know me that well.' For some reason, a part of her thought otherwise and told her not to make a deal, not to allow him to possibly get that close. Why was she even felt prickled by worry? What could Keith Smith, normal, goody two-shoes possibly do? She won't allow him to stay from her- at least not for long- and she already has a bad rep. What could some extra darkness to her name do? She took a breath.

"Alright then. I agree." Keith, looking smug that he actually got her to agree, smiled cheekily.

"Good." She scoffed.

Keith and her went back and forth with questions and they found a crooked ground where they could do the work and answer questions. The two had to write about the characters variations and symbolisms/comparisons between the movie and the book and, despite the yawns that crawled up their throats and filled their lungs and the multiple attempts to get them to swerve from the work, they both felt pretty content so far. After a while, Keith asked to go to the bathroom. Jill looked up from her notebook and nodded towards her closed door with a yawn.

"Right over beside my room. Don't go in the room across from it though." Keith raised a brow as he stood up and stretched with a relieved groan, arms high above his head.

"What's in that room?" Jill wiggled her fingers towards him and spoke in a high pitched, raspy voice.

"The ugly old man that snores in his sleep. You step in his room, you lose your feet!" Keith rolled his eyes.

"Nice rhyme." He said, sarcasm dripping on his words as he left her room. Before he closed the bathroom door, he heard her laugh and call out, "Thank you! It was improv!"

Jill sat their for a bit, glanced over their work. She was rambunctious, fierce, and hated the thought of growing up like a wild animal hates to see a weapon in their territory, but she figured that she might as well make the shitty project worth her time so both of them would get the points.

'200 points to sickness. Woo.' She scoffed mentally. She sneezed just as Keith walked back into the room and he stopped at the doorway and tilted his head.

"You're still sick?" She sniffled and rubbed her nose, far from looking like a delicate lady.

"No shit."

He'd known her long enough to not be so bothered by her cursing, but it didn't mean it still didn't cause him to hold his tongue and tell her not to. Last time he'd done that, she made sure to list off every possible curse word in a monologue to him. It was long and by the end of it, he was pale to the bone and was sure his heart would stop soon. He shifted and put his weight on one leg so his hip popped.

Crossing his arms, he asked, "Do you want tea?" She furrowed her brows at him, squinting like someone aimed a flashlight in her eyes.

"Sorry, pal, but this house isn't one for tea." Lip upturned and revulsion stewing in her eyes, he had to hold himself from stepping back with a dramatic gasp.

"Have you ever even tried tea?"

"No, and I don't want to. That shit smells gross."

"What tea did you try?" She shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. I don't want any." Jill swore that Keith looked like he was sulking after that. In the back of his mind he made a mental note that he'll find a tea that'll suit Jill Bird's taste one day, be it Black Tea or Jasmine Tea.

"Alright, alright, fine." He took a step back and glanced down the hallway. "Um," He looked back at her. "Do you want me to make you soup?"

"No bowls. Remember the sink?"

"Oh… Right. Of course." He sighed and decided to drop the conversation. He might bring soup next time he comes here. He doesn't like Jill, but he was taught better than to leave someone sick without even attempting to help them. Stepping more into the room, he closed her bedroom door, and walked over to his seat again. He looked over their work and Jill commented that they were doing pretty well and questioned how he could possibly do this type of work every day without losing concentration.

Keith scoffed and replied, "It's not that hard to stay concentrated. I don't really have anything to do anyways." Jill looked him over and shrugged in understanding. "Hey, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Why do you hate the thought of growing up so much?" Jill leaned back on her hands, one foot propped up on the edge of the bed. She hummed before drawling her words out like he'd asked her what 1+1 was.

"Why do you want to grow up so much?"

"I asked you first." Jill sighed and flopped back on the bed with her hands on her stomach, feet on the ground, and hair splayed all around her head.

"It's just annoying." She said, staring up at the ceiling for a second before her eyes fluttered shut. "When you grow up, you lose your freedom. You get stuck with responsibilities, emotions ruling over you one after the other and making an adventurous day a drag. When you're a kid, you don't have to worry about any of that. You don't have anxiety over mess-ups and you don't get pestered with annoying adults. The only good thing about being a teenager is the fact that, now, I'm in middle ground. I can run around town wherever I want, whenever I want. I can live life to the fullest. I could care less about school. It's not my #1 importance. Growing up is an overall annoyance and, if I could, I would make sure that growing up was a thing kid's didn't need." She sat up quick, eyes flashing open with a wide grin that startled Keith. She looked so peaceful, he almost forgot how sudden she could be. "Why, I'd be the Queen of my own island!" She jumped up and stood on the bed, chest out with hands on her hips. "Jill Bird would be told throughout all of this damn town! Well, more than I am now at least. I'd be a leader among- among, uh…"

"Your own band of Lost Boys." The words came out of Keith's mouth before he could control it and he hushed a gasp, mouth closing with a click. Jill looked down at him curiously, but it swept away into a large grin.

"Yeah!" She agreed in a cheer. "Just me and my kids, going around on adventures every day and every night with no one to tell us what to do." She huffed at her proud vision.

In the back of her mind, she felt different than what she showed. Something inside her stirred with fear, the urge to run away from the very thought of the island she pictured. It was a hushed voice in the back of her mind that told her she didn't want any of that, she didn't want that land of tricks. It was a stupid thought really, so she shrugged it off.

Keith, on the hand, held a stranger shift at her words. He felt his heart pump against his ribs, sudden excitement swimming through his veins at imagining the lush land of green and the scent of the woods and the salty sea filling his nostrils. His breathing shook and his eyes dilated with adrenaline as he imagined the sounds of victorious crows filling the air and shadows dancing on the trees. Jill looked down and tilted her head. Going down to stand on the floor in front of him, she flicked his forehead, effectively snapping the image away from him and he wasn't sure if the spark of annoyance came from her flicking him or the image being ripped from him. Maybe it came from both.

"Hey," She called out. "Stop that, you creep. You were acting weird. Get your own island." Keith looked up at her and leaned as far back as possible in the seat. He brought a hand up to forehead and rubbed it causing her to roll her eyes. "Like that hurt." She muttered and sat down on the bed again.

"No need to flick me…" He grumbled. A part of him reached for the image again, but he shook it away in place of directing himself to answer his side of the question. A deal's a deal after all. "You asked me why I wanted to grow up, right?" Jill nodded, so he continued. He saw a glance of pure interest in her eyes before it was shadowed by a lazy smirk and half lidded eyes. "Well… It's… When we grow up, we get so much more benefits." He ignored her snort. "Think about it, we can make our own money from doing what we like to do! We can learn so many new things and travel anywhere we want. We get to meet new people and not breaking the law isn't that hard." He looked over Jill's posture, tried to find a trace of something that showed an interest in her growing up. All that she gave him was a thick layer of disinterest and zero chance of saying anything positive about aging. He sighed, giving up. "Still not into growing up?"

"Not one bit." She answered not a second later. With a roll of her shoulders, she leaned forwards so her elbows sat on her thighs. "Still sounds stupid. Just experience stuff now."

"Laws, Jill, those are a thing."

"Hey," She spoke, snapping her fingers and pointing at him. "You don't say anything, I won't say anything." Keith pursed his lips and shook his head. He should've known better than think she could possibly change with just a few words.

After that, Keith pushed them back into working much to Jill's displeasure. They continued trading questions back and forth and, for once, it wasn't so filled with random banter that what he'd expected. Jill stayed surprisingly adamant on fulfilling her side of the deal and she even went as far as backtracking him to the question so she could answer. She had moments that she looked so deep into the work, he was hesitant to say anything. If he stayed silent for too long though, she'd call out to him. More than a handful of times, Jill's whole body jumped from a particularly violent sneeze and he was sure to get her some soup next time. He didn't delve into any deep information about her and she didn't ask him anything that could lead to any awkward silence. Keith could've almost said that they worked professionally, but Jill couldn't help but ask several sudden sexual questions that left him a stammering, red faced mess.

("No, Jill, I refuse to tell you my-my f-f-favorite posi-position!"

"Tsk. I bet you're a virgin. That's alright. You'll learn soon. I'll give you personal lesso-"

"Jill!")

Finally, Keith glanced out her window and noticed the sky darkening. Turning his seat and cracking his back, he heaved a sigh. Jill looked up from her copy of the book and glanced out the window. Heaving a yawn, she grinned crookedly.

"Gonna leave me so soon, Princess?" Keith rolled his eyes.

"God, please don't add that as my new nickname. I'd rather keep Rabbit."

"Oh ho," She snickered and waggled her eyebrows, leaning forward. "So you do like the nickname I gave you."

"Not one bit." He spoke bluntly. She chuckled and leaned back, taking the papers and books off her lap and setting them beside her. As Keith packed his stuff into his bag and nudged his shoes back on, she stood and stretched with a loud sigh of a moan. Did she do it purposefully to make it sound as sexual as possible? Yes. Did she get the reaction of Keith glancing up at her in annoyance at knowing she did it on purpose? Yes. She smiled innocently though and Keith stood and put the backpack on with a snort. Pushing her chair under the desk, he walked to her bedroom door, Jill right behind him.

"Make sure to finish the outline of the conclusion alright? I'll write one also, so that way we can find a common ground with our words and stuff and-"

"Yes, Mr. Smith. I hear ya' loud and clear." She raised a brow, a frown hinting at the corners of her mouth. His mouth close with a huff and he nudged his glasses up his nose.

"Well alright then. Is it alright if I come back again?"

She nodded. "Yeah- wait." Rubbing the back of her head, she glanced above his head in thought. "Actually, tomorrow won't do. I have stuff to do." Keith's features immediately fell into worry and obvious discomfort at the thought of her doing anything proactive.

"What could you possible need to do? Earlier, Amella told me that too actually. You need to rest, Jill."

"Be careful," She warned and winked, stepping around him to open her bedroom door. "I might just think you care for me."

"Jill-"

"It's fine, it's fine." She cut him off and put a hand on his back to push him out of her room. "It's a small thing, not that big an issue that your pretty little head needs to worry over." Keith looked her over, from her still red-tipped nose to the tired look in her eyes. She looked fragile, but he knew she was far from it.

"Alright…" He spoke slowly and gained a nod of thanks for dropping the topic. "How about Sunday then? I can come around again at the same time?" Jill paused and glanced up in though, a hum reverberating in her chest. Finally, she nodded and winked.

"Come earlier and we might just add some actual fun to the schedule, hm?" Keith sighed and shook his head as he walked past her and to the front door. He heard her door click close and didn't even bother to look behind him since she apparently didn't follow.

"Have a good night, Jill!" He called from behind him and he heard the faint "You too" through her door before he left her apartment. He glanced at his phone as he was walking to the elevator and pressed the button. As he waited, he ran over how much work they were able to surprisingly get down through the day. It was much more work they could've went over than the time the periods in school gave. He hummed a tune, eerie and dreamlike, but a tune that played in his head whenever he was alone. Keith never did know where it came from, but he didn't think much of it. Jill turned out to be easier to talk to than he first expected in the morning and he learned quite a bit about her as she did him. She likes blue and black, anything bitter/spicy tasting, she's naturally free spirited, and she'd like to own her own island that apparently has mermaids and pirates.

Before he could think about his reaction to the image of shadows dancing into the night, the elevator chimed and he waited for people to step out. It was only one; a stern looking man with wrinkles at the corner of his mouth, eyebrows lowered naturally in a disapproving glare, and black hair gelled back. He wore a black suit with a gray undershirt, his hands large and a silver watch wrapped around his wrist. Keith shivered at the cold air that surrounded the man, but he quickly stepped into the elevator and watched as the man took large steps. Just before the elevator door closed, Keith saw the man glance at him before entering the apartment.

It was later on when he was on the bus, trying not to snooze away, that he realize Jill looked nothing like the man. That had to be the guardian she detested so much though. A part of him felt a sense of dread that he left her alone. Why would he though? Maybe the guy just had a bad day, maybe that's why he looked at Keith with such disgust. Then again, he didn't exactly feel very accepting to people.

'She should be fine, right?' He debated with himself. 'He didn't look caring, but I can't judge a book by it's cover… Right?' In the back of his mind, a voice hissed threateningly, but he shoved it away. 'Yeah.' He concluded, white knuckled fists on top of his bag on his lap. 'She'll be fine. I have work to do. She'll be fine. She was probably just being dramatic. She hated being told what to do and… Yeah. It's gonna be ok.'


So I feel like it's important to say this story's actually on my account on Archive of our Own too. I'm not some random user copying and pasting a story, I swear.

(*゚∀゚*) Hopefully I can update this soon, but I can only hope for some plot bunnies to go ahead and show up until then. I have a small outline currently of where I hope this story'll end up, but until then I hope to see you next chapter! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ