Buttercup entered the apartment in a daze, her mind still on the handsome stranger she'd literally run into. Bubbles met her near the door, coming from the kitchen.
"Oh thank goodness someone remembered we hadn't gone grocery shopping. I thought we were gonna starve tonight." She snatched the bag from her friend's arms, barely making it to the table before she was digging into it. Blossom emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, her long auburn locks wrapped safely in a towel.
"Food?" She moved to the table without waiting for an answer, her eyes having spotted the now slightly cold McDonald's bag. She tightened her towel before plopping into one of the seats, hoping water wasn't still dripping from her hair. Buttercup grabbed her drink from the table, waving off the offer for reimbursement.
Blossom turned on the TV, picking up where the girls left off on Love Island. Bubbles rose to start on the popcorn, to which the others were thankful. Blossom and Buttercup weren't sure what Bubbles did in there, but the popcorn always turned out perfect. Blossom and Buttercup moved to take their positions on the couch, with Blossom bringing the blankets over from the basket they kept them in.
When Bubbles returned with the popcorn, Buttercup resumed the show.
Bubbles panted as she ran across campus, cursing the bus system. The routes had grown longer lately to avoid the various construction happening around campus. Blossom had warned her to wake earlier to make sure she wasn't late, but she'd brushed it off. Now her lungs were cursing her lack of planning as she sprinted into the business building. If it had been any other class, she would've been okay being late. But this professor was notorious for closing the door right at time, and she didn't have anyone in class to give her the missed notes.
Bubbles slid into the lecture hall just as the professor stood to close the doors, flashing her a sheepish smile as she took her seat. The professor began closing the door just as a tanned hand shot out, catching the door. The professor stepped back to let the student in with a raised brow, glancing outside before closing the door. The young man who'd snuck inside glanced around, taking one of the empty seats in front of her.
The class passed in a blur. She loved this professor, but she hated how quickly she would switch between slides. She also hated having to go to office hours to get the presentation, instead of the professor just emailing it to them after class. She gathered her belongings to catch the professor before then, glancing up at the man in front of her. His shaggy blond hair was tapered at the base of his neck, and got longer near the top of his head. She couldn't see his face, but his build was lean, with wide shoulders that lead to a slim waist. She tore her eyes away before he caught her staring, locking eyes with the professor in the universal 'please don't leave yet' stare. Her professor grinned and nodded, leaning against the podium as Bubbles made her way to the front.
Blossom breathed slowly, her back hunched as she stared into the microscope. So far, trials with the new gene therapy they were studying were working. It would be awhile before they were ready for animal trials, but her hope grew with each success. Her concentration was broken, however, when Professor Utonium called for her.
"Blossom? Do you have a moment?" Blossom pushed away from the table, flashing a smile in his direction.
"Of course, Professor. What can I do for you?" Professor Utonium grinned and stepped to the side, revealing a stoic man behind him. Blossom's smile froze on her face as he kept talking. The stranger had eyes like rubies, staring straight through her. His medium length auburn hair was pulled into a short low ponytail. His jawline could cut stone, his lips twitching into a small smile the longer she stared. His body was covered by a loose fitting tee and the lab coat, but his powerful legs had been poured into his jeans. She tuned back into the conversation when the professor called her name again.
"I'm sorry Professor, can you repeat that?" The professor smiled patiently, gesturing to the handsome stranger again.
"Brick here will be joining us from now on. He's our new intern!" Any attraction she felt died with his words. She fought to control her expression, her hands tightening in her lap.
"I'm sorry? New intern? So there are two positions available?" Professor Utonium shook his head, that aggravating smile still on his face.
"No, I filled it yesterday. Brick's credentials were excellent, and he comes highly recommended by Professor Mojo. He had applied to a few different programs, but I managed to snatch him first." Professor Utonium puffed his chest proudly, but Blossom could no longer hear his nonsense. Blood roared in her ears, and she barely managed to hold it together. She'd been working to get that spot for a year, staying over and sometimes pulling the weight of other team members. She was upset with the newcomer, but she was more upset that the professor she'd worked so closely with had overlooked her. From their conversations, she knew that intern spot had been hers.
Brick hadn't moved his gaze from her, watching as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. He didn't need to be told what happened. He'd taken the only intern spot on this team, and he was sure she wasn't the only person gunning for the position. He wished she'd look at him again so he could be sure she was his, but she seemed determined to look at everything but him.
Blossom stood abruptly, mumbling an excuse as she practically flew from the room. She barely heard footsteps behind her, but she belatedly realized when she was no longer moving forward.
"Are you alright?" Blossom scoffed before she could stop herself, turning her head to the man behind her. It was the same handsome thief she'd just met, and she struggled to lean on her etiquette as she shrugged his hand off her arm.
"Just peachy. Now if you'll excuse me. I really don't have the bandwidth to pretend I'm happy for you right now." He gripped her chin as she turned away from him, forcing her to look into his ruby red gaze. Her breath caught as time seemed to slow the longer they locked eyes. He studied her like she was a foreign organism, finally letting her go. She didn't understand why she was missing his warmth when he stepped back, dropping his hand.
"Of course. Nice meeting you…."
"Blossom." She turned on her heel and scampered away, not in the mood to be on campus a second longer. Brick stared after her, grinning.
"Blossom."