It's my Birthday so y'all get a MTF update. And you might get another one this week because I'm really vibing with the angst next chapter. Go read my Halloween stories, Halloween Party Panic and Harley and Ivy, I think they're pretty good!
Go read Stardust Angel!
Go drink some water, I know you're dehydrated.
Go drink some respect asexual juice, because it's Ace week and I'm Ace and Reese is a baby Ace. And Luca is... *Checks the chapter I just wrote* Panicking.
Luca's brain was far too full of study cards and test anxiety for matters of the heart, but per usual, the King of Middle School didn't actually get to decide what was going to happen with his subjects on any given day. And, one week and one day before the end of the semester, Luca had to answer for something he couldn't study for.
It was one of the rare days where Reese was sitting with Luca and his crew. Maybe she had sensed that a storm was coming, maybe she just felt comfortable when Luca's friends included Addison, Sara, and Scout. She was slowly warming up to the others, though she'd never learn all of their names and was probably never going to try. They were his team, not hers, and she was okay if they only intersected on occasion.
Sara sat next to her on one side, Scout on the other, Luca was walled in by Addison and Nova. Zayne had suddenly started caring about grades and was apparently stuck in the library for the rest of his life, or something. Reese knew he was coming over for the weekend so she wasn't too worried about him. Not that she'd ever admit being even a little bit concerned about that crazy kid.
She was concerned a little bit when Charlotte took a seat by Addison. Addison stood after a moment of sitting next to her teammate.
"I think I have to go print something off for my next class." She grabbed her backpack and left, which made Luca feel a little bit bad but he didn't really have time to dwell on it because Charlotte was already talking to him.
"Hey, Luca, can I ask you something?" Charlotte was in his math class, so he assumed this was about their upcoming final.
"Sure, what's up?"
Charlotte smiled warmly at him, brushing her caramel blond hair out of her face. She usually wore it tied back in a ponytail, but today it was noticeably loose and meticulously curled. Reese was super suspicious and Nova was visibly uncomfortable, though Luca didn't notice since he was focused on Charlotte.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out on a coffee date with me."
"Oh, I don't drink coffee, I'm thirteen, I'm not allowed."
Charlotte laughed like that was the funniest thing in the world, "Oh it doesn't have to be coffee, cutie, we could go see a movie or get ice cream or whatever you're most comfortable with."
Just a foot away, what Nova was most comfortable with was resting their head on the gross cafeteria table and trying to look like they weren't listening.
"Sure- wait, like a date, date?"
"Yeah, that's what date means. What do you say, Luca?"
"Maybe. I need to think about it. But I really appreciate the offer and I'll try to let you know tomorrow or Monday at the latest…"
"Perfect," Charlotte reached over and squeezed his shoulder, and Reese and Sara got up to check on their friend.
Luca turned and his brow furrowed when he saw Nova with their head down on the table. He didn't notice Charlotte flounce away.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just have a headache."
"I have Tylenol in my backpack, you want one?"
"No thanks," Nova said, "I probably just need to drink more water."
"Is Tylenol not vegan?" Luca asked apologetically, "I'm still learning."
"Some Tylenol is vegan. I know what I can and can't use. But I appreciate that you're taking the time to learn."
"Of course. I can't commit to changing my entire life to be vegan like you but I can still do what I can to make you comfortable." Nova had perked up a little at that.
"Thank you, Luca. You mean a lot to me. I mean, that means a lot to me. Uh…" Nova blushed and looked away, and Luca smiled to himself, feeling secure.
And then he and Scout and Reese were on the way home and Luca suddenly got very, very overwhelmed.
"What the heck did I do," he asked Scout, eyes wide.
"Could you be more specific?" Scout asked gently.
"Did I just get asked out?"
"Yes."
"By Charlotte? And I said maybe?"
"Yes, and yes," Scout said.
"Is that why Nova had a headache? Is that why Addison and Resse and Sara left?"
"Obviously," Reese said with an eye roll.
"Oh my gosh! I don't know what I'm doing! I don't date people!"
"Do you want to?" Scout asked. He didn't want to and Reese didn't want to but maybe Luca would be the odd one out. He was the more outgoing of the three.
"Yes! But I don't… Do I want to date Charlotte? Do I want to start dating now?"
"Is there someone else you want to date?" Reese asked, smirking at her brother.
Luca's brain stopped functioning, a little spinning loading wheel taking off.
"You broke him," Scout accused.
"Poor Luca. Not ready to face the truth." Reese waved her hand in front of Luca's face. Luca was spaced out for a little longer before he was brought back to reality.
"You okay, bud?" Scout asked, nudging him a little.
"I'm fine. Just have a lot to think about."
"You don't have to go out with her if you don't want to," Reese said wisely, "you don't owe her anything. You don't owe anyone anything about yourself, your time, your attraction, your friendship. You already give so much, Luca. I don't want to see you giving more than you feel comfortable with."
Luca blinked, feeling overwhelmed. He wrapped his arms around Reese, who hugged back. He didn't know he'd needed to hear that, but he was grateful for his sister.
"I don't know what I'm going to tell her yet. Maybe I just should have said no. I don't… I don't have a type? So I don't know if she's my type because I don't think I have a type? But I've been attracted to people before…" Luca ran his hands through his hair, looking stressed.
"You have? What? Who? You've had crushes before? How did I not know that?" Reese seemed shocked.
"Because you generally assume that most people aren't interested in relationships."
"Oh yeah. Well, tell me who your crushes are!"
"Just people from Berkeley."
"No one here?" Scout asked.
"I don't know! I don't want to think about this! I plead the fifth."
"We should let up on him," Scout said to Reese, "Innocent until proven guilty."
"Oh look! We're almost home!" Luca was losing his mind.
"I want to know who you had a crush on in Berkeley. Was it someone I know?"
"Piper!" Luca blurted, just wanting this to be over. He was mortified.
"Wait, Piper? I could've been shipping you with Piper? Your ship name would've been Liper! Like from Percy Jackson!"
"I thought the ship was Jasper," Scout mumbled.
"No, it was Brason," Luca corrected, ignoring his sister's shipping comments. He knew she was just teasing him now.
"Did you seriously have a crush on Piper Mraz?" Reese asked, no longer teasing as they headed into the house.
"Yeah."
"Did you not realize that she had the biggest crush on you?"
"Are you serious?" Luca looked between Scout and Reese, mouth hanging open, "How many people have a crush on me that I don't know about?"
"So many," Scout said.
"Too many," Reese corrected. Luca crashed down onto the couch, brain broken, thinking about everything.
"Who-"
"Not our place to say," Scout quickly interjected, and Luca fell quiet again.
When Wasabi came home, Luca was still on the couch overthinking romance while Scout and Reese played Animal Crossing on the tv. Wasabi picked up on Luca's distress immediately.
"Hey, bud, what's wrong?"
"It's been a day," Luca muttered, and Reese scootched over so that Wasabi could take the seat next to his son.
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
"Dad? Am I handsome?"
"What? Yeah, if that's what you want to be. You're the spitting image of your uncle." Luca smiled and nodded.
"Yeah… Well um… Apparently…" Luca looked embarrassed.
"Luca's got a harem," Reese piped up.
"Reese Renee!" Wasabi was shocked, "That's not appropriate."
Reese snickered, "Sorry, dad."
"Now, Luca, what's your sister talking about?"
"I got asked out today," Luca blurted, "and she seems like a nice girl but, like, I don't really… I don't really want to go out with her and I said maybe and so she probably expects yes and I have to tell her no like tomorrow and I don't know what to do and apparently she's like only one of several people who have crushes on me and I just don't know how I didn't know about any of this."
Wasabi's eyes widened as he took in all the information, keeping a comforting arm around his son's shoulders as Luca word-vomited his problems.
"You're going to have to admit that you don't like her eventually, but for now, if it makes you feel better, just tell her that your dad said you weren't allowed to date until high school. That goes for you too, Reese."
Reese slumped dramatically down off of the sofa, "Oh no, I can't date until high school? Whatever shall I do?" And Scout snorted at her theatrics.
Luca took a deep breath.
"Thanks, dad. I will." He wasn't looking forward to having that conversation, but he was more curious about who the other people with crushes on him were. He figured he would probably never know.
