Chapter Text
It was the month of October of your final year in university. The leaves had turned orange and red, all their moisture being sucked up. Pumpkin flavoured everything. The crisp smell of cinnamon lingering in the air, filling your lungs every breath you take. You stroll alongside your best friend, Jean Kirstein. Best friend of almost 8 years, since that one day in English class in the 9th grade where you were paired up for a project about Romeo and Juliete. He always complained about how much he hated that play along with many works by Shakespeare. Only until recently did he admit he really liked the play and was just influenced by his friend's opinion on this piece of art.
Wrapping your neck with your fuzzy plaid scarf, talking as the material covers your mouth,
“Oh my goodness…It’s so much windier than this morning.” Your voice is muffled by your cloth.
As you walk together back from Recruitment University, you share little things about your day you forgot to mention throughout the short time you see the brunette on campus. Jean insists on walking you home every single day, even if his schedule had ended before yours. No clue why, but you didn’t mind of course.
Today you weren’t going home, both of you had agreed to go to Sina Street, the street full of life at any given moment of the day. Times been tight, you barely left the house since the term had just started and you were trying your best to keep up, after all, it was your final year of university. You had been stressed, Jean took notice as he always does and decided to get you out of your overpriced apartment, after barely seeing you, even at school.
A loud huff of agreement is heard from him as he drags his feet towards the glass door of your favourite cafe. You smile softly and enter the door after waiting for a woman exiting the entrance. Strolling in after you, Jean places his hand on your shoulder while standing next to you, it was something he always did sub consciously.
“You gonna order for us? Or should I?”
You narrowed your eyes to see who was working behind the cashier to be met by a pair of brown eyes. Your favorite braista, Porco. He’d been working there since your very first year attending university and he always knew when to slip in a little extra sugar on your down days and a little more caffeine on the days you crammed in work.
“No, I got it. Porco’s working!” You turn to look up at him, cocking your head to the coffee station.
Jean takes a glance then raises his brows in amusement, greeting the busy man behind the counter with his facial expressions.
“Right…I’ll go grab us a seat. I call the chair!”
Before you could argue with him over the seating, he darted to the dimly lit corner you sat in almost every time you came here.There was a chair and there was a cushion bench. And the bench, was not in the least bit comfortable. You rolled your eyes as you reached for your phone from the back pocket to occupy yourself in the line while waiting your turn.
Soon your time waiting ends and you’re greeted by Porco yelling at the new girl working who you figured her name was Hitch by all the times he shouted her name. He hadn't even noticed you, his head turned as he pointed at the blender, a look of frustration on his face.
“Hitch, c'mon! No— The-The syrup isn't there.” He pinches the bridge of his nose then turns to you, a very faint smile forming on his face as he lets out a deep exhale while shaking his head.
“She still isn't doing things right?”
“Nope. What can I get you Y/N? Jean in here today?” Quick and direct, he really was pissed.
You nod your head and point a thumb to where your friend is sitting.
“The regulars?”
“The regulars.” Before swiping your card, you blurt,
“And some of that pumpkin cheesecake please.” You say with an excited smile, like a child in a candy store.
“One pumpkin cheesecake coming right up, Hitch—!”
The girl with her hair tied up in a low ponytail waves at you, you return her gesture with a faint grin as she hands you the dessert on a tray.
You make your way over to see Jean sitting there fumbling with his black pen that he keeps on him all the time, noticing his nervous manner. Placing the tray and pushing it towards him, you speak with sincerity in your voice,
“Jean? You okay?”
Quickly, he raises his neck from staring down at the pen between his fingers.
“Oh…It’s that project that I told you about.”
Proceeding to let him speak, you slide over onto the leather cushion, a few cracks here and there.
“Yeah? Your teacher ever figure out what she wants from you guys? Isn't it like, what, 30% of your semester grade?”
Nodding as a response, he exhales as he grabs a plastic fork, sinking it into the dense cake.
“Um yeah…She wants us to draw someone nude. I’d need a volunteer or whatever.”
You scrunch your face in confusion as you stop chewing your food.
“Nude?”
“Yeah…”
After a long moment of silence, you chuckle under your breath trying to imagine Jean seeing somebody nude in front of him as he tried his best to hold still without his cheeks turning a deep shade of red and breaking out in a sweat.
“Probably not completely naked like that, maybe, like, underwear would stay on.” Toying with the crumbs on the plate as he spoke, not looking up.
“Why don't you ask Marco? You guys are close, it's not weird at all. I mean, I would be fine if my girl friend asked me to do this for her, nothing out of place, right?” You tried to suggest people to your nervous friend.
“Can't. Gotta be a woman's anatomy.” Warm brown eyes meet your own as he looks up from the plate.
Suddenly your stomach turns at the thought of him seeing another woman bare like that, for God knows how many hours. Even if she were to still have panties on, it’d be an odd moment. Maybe you just felt uncomfortable by knowing that your Jean would see someone else naked before he saw you without layers of clothes. Or maybe because you liked him and tried to push down the feelings since last summer when you both went camping with your other friends, Connie, Marco and Sasha.
Both you and your best friend couldn’t sleep, and the others seemed to be passed out, snoring peacefully. Although Connie did sound like someone was trying to murder him in his sleep. You and Jean had went on a late-night swim by one of the lakes nearby, lit by little fireflies. You felt your stomach doing somersaults as he would pick you up with ease from the cold water and throw you while laughs emerged from his chest. But that meant nothing, just a blur of the moment thing, right?
“Y/N. Will…” Clearing his throat as he finished his sentence.
“Will you—”
hear a familiar voice calling your name.
“Hold on Jean. Coffee.”
His lips became a thin line as he nodded, a bit frustrated.
“Coffee…” He mumbled mockingly under his breath as he watched your figure walk to the counter.
The boy huffed but then a small smile found its way on his face as his chin stayed tucked between his thumb and index finger.
A moment passes by while you go grab your hot drinks thanking the barista, Jean is sitting there trying to contemplate what to say to you. How is he going to ask this of you?
You walk back to your seat with two white cups with brown cup sleeves. Placing them while sitting down, the brunette watches the way you carefully place the drinks down onto the wooden circular table.
“What were you saying?” You say as you straighten your pants before grabbing the drink, taking a sip then scrunching your face in disgust.
“Ew, dude, this is yours. Too strong.”
He lets out a hearty laugh. His laugh dies out along with the bitter taste of coffee tingling on your tongue. Lip-gloss smudging onto the opening of his cup.
Pushing the coffee away and towards Jean, he stares at the shape of your lips now tattooed onto where he was going to put his mouth on. His lips pursed into a grin, his cheeks slightly tinted as he grabs the hot drink and sips a long sip, placing his lips directly onto the red-ish pink stain.
You watch his actions carefully, the room feels suddenly burning hot. The mustard yellow knitted sweater you’re wearing feels like its suffocating. Hooking your finger onto the collar to adjust it, you shift in your seat.
“Aren’t you going to drink your coffee?” Jean spoke out as he swallowed a sip.
“Oh yeah. Right.” You huff and reach for the beige cup.
Jean swishes the cup in his hand, trying to get the beverage to cool down. Taking short sips in between still moments, some random jazz being played in the background along with light chatter.
“Y/N?”
You snap out of your thoughts, mainly about school or work or—
“Y/N…?”
“Huh—? Yeah?”
“Will you be my muse for my project?”
Furrowing your brows in confusion you look down at your empty lap, avoiding his gaze. Seems like he was doing the same thing, fiddling with the fork, some cream cheese still stuck on it.
“Sure.” Trying your very best to sound non-chalant and cool about it but a stupid grin spreads widely onto your face.
“You-you don’t have to, I just thought that— Wait what?”
He looks at you with full blown eyes, wide and surprised. His dark brows raised as his jaw is slightly agape.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” You chuckle and roll your eyes playfully.
“I don’t really mind, what are friends for anyways? It’s not awkward if you don’t make it awkward Jeanie boy.”
That was your nick name you gave him when you guys were 14, a mocking one only used during times when you needed to lighten the mood. It was more of a joke than an endearment term. He flashes his canines, a large smile stuck to his face as his eyes flicker from your face to your coffee cup.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” You shrug, still smiling.
You felt at ease that you were the one he thought of, the one he picked. Even if this is out of your comfort zone, you felt relieved that it was you who he would see naked instead of a random girl he barely knew or just a girl from his class.
“Come by tomorrow?” Jean spoke under his breath, staring into your eyes deeply.
“I’ll come tomorrow, sure.”
Yeah, you sure will be.