Chapter Text
With a heavy sigh, Jesse throws herself onto her pillows, her eyes glued to the ceiling.
Lunch had gone well—honestly better than the first time. Olivia clicked well with Lukas and Petra; the group had spent the majority of their time talking about campus-related stuff.
It was comfortable, and Jesse was grateful that making friends wasn’t as complicated as she had feared when she first got here. She was also happy to see Olivia happy, given her disappointments expressed earlier that morning.
Admittedly, though, Jesse didn’t find herself talking as much. Not like anything was wrong… she was just distracted.
It was stupid. Jesse had only just met Petra. It wasn’t like she had any reason to think about her so much. Like giving her her number was such a huge deal.
Still, she caught herself doing it anyway, zoning out both at lunch with the others and in the rest of her classes; she'd been glancing at her phone more often than usual, like maybe she was expecting a message. Like she had a reason to.
Ugh. Jesse rolls onto her side.
Lukas had walked with her after lunch today.
He insisted that Jesse’s next class wasn’t far from his, and they’d fallen into easy conversation. He mentioned studying in the library sometime, suggesting they could meet up and go over any calculus assignments together if she ever needed help. Or if he did.
Jesse agreed, grateful for the offer, though her mind had admittedly been elsewhere. She couldn’t deny the nerves she’d felt when walking with Petra, when simply talking to her.
This is so stupid.
But fighting what’s already brewing only makes it harder to ignore.
Tugging her blanket over her shoulders, Jesse decides that she’ll just sleep this off. Maybe studying with Lukas, maybe having some proper alone time with him, will change things.
———
It’s the next morning, and Jesse is dragged out of sleep by her alarm. She only manages to ignore it for about a minute before she hears Olivia start stirring from across the room, making her feel guilty enough (not really, though) to turn it off.
With a tired groan, the brunette reaches for her phone, turning the alarm off and squinting at the screen. She immediately adjusts the brightness, takes a second to check the weather, and then slides up to check her notifications.
Amidst the familiar sea of contacts and applications, an unfamiliar one stands out—a text from an unknown number sent ten minutes ago.
hey, it’s petra. just realized it probably
would’ve been smarter for you to
get my number instead
Jesse blinks, her grogginess fading. Then, upon processing, her heart flutters a little. Petra just keeps throwing her for a loop.
Adjusting her position and now propped up on an elbow, Jesse’s fingers hover over the keyboard before she types back, going for something playful to reduce formalities. Y’know, to build their friendship and all.
orrr we could’ve traded :P
She hits send before overthinking it.
Then, she starts overthinking it. That was kind of forward, wasn’t it?
Almost immediately, a reply pops up.
true
Jesse stares at the screen, biting her lip. That was… short. I was too forward.
But then another text follows.
btw, if you wanted to walk to your class again i'm down
Jesse feels warmth creep up her neck. It’s just a walk. Friends do that. They already did, anyway.
She hardly hesitates before typing back:
sure! i can meet you in the same
spot in like thirty
Petra reacts to the message with a thumbs up. With that, Jesse changes Petra’s contact name, then hurriedly sets her phone back down.
She lays flat on her stomach, staring into darkness in total silence. Her brain is running a little faster than it usually does this early in the morning.
Jesse has had her fair share of crushes. She knows what this is turning into.
She recognizes the fuzziness blossoming in her chest whenever she looks at Petra. She’s attractive. She stands out. She’s confident. She has goals, works hard, and she’s got an endearing sense of humor. Her presence is comforting, her laugh is charming…
Jesse pictures Petra in her mind, remembering their walk, remembering the faint smell of her earthy cologne or of the coffee she’d likely downed before leaving. She remembers how she’d opened the door for her, how she’d gingerly touched her shoulder to get her attention.
Feeling something curl in her stomach, Jesse hugs her pillow close, hiding her face against it as heat rushes to her cheeks.
This is bad.
The more she tries to rationalize it, the worse it gets. Yeah, platonic admiration is a thing. But not to the extent of that “friend” being the last thing you think about when you fall asleep or the first thing you think about when waking up.
Jesse tells herself that she’s just making friends, that she’s only noticing these things about Petra because she’s new and different. But deep down, she knows better.
This is becoming a very complicated hallway crush.
But Lukas…
Jesse squeezes her eyes shut. It’s only the third day of the semester.
What am I doing?
———
Lukas shoves his last notebook into his bag, zips it up, and slings it over his shoulder. Across the room, Axel swivels around in his desk chair.
His laptop is open to the school’s portal as he also gets ready for his first class of the day, which is online. He has a bit of time to spare while Lukas gets ready, so in the meantime, the two roommates converse.
“C’mon, Lukas. Media stuff is kind of related to writing stories…”
“Not interested.”
“You wouldn’t even be on camera! You’d just be writing the scripts. Honest,” Axel insists with an assuring grin. “I told the guys you’d be interested. Don’t make me let them down.”
Lukas sighs, tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “Well, I guess you shouldn’t have told them that.”
Axel eyeballs his friend suspiciously, his brows furrowed. “What’s up with you, huh? You were in such a good mood up until…” he pretends to look at an invisible watch on his wrist, “…right now.”
“I’m fine, just being honest,” Lukas insists, his tone genuine but expression firm. “Media stuff is restrictive to me. Writing for nothing other than student engagement isn’t my thing.” He glances over at his desk, atop which is an older journal of his…one of many that he reserves for creative writings. “I want to tell stories.”
“Do you seriously think every one of your favorite authors just picked up a computer, typed up stories, and got them published?”
Lukas immediately rolls his eyes, having heard this same lecture from his parents time and time again. “No— “
“Apap! Let me finish.” Axel points a finger at him, “I’m not talking about authors getting their stories rejected or whatever. I mean their experience. Do you think they did nothing but write stories for their entire lives until one finally became a hit?”
Lukas considers the idea. It doesn’t sound that crazy, honestly. “Kinda, yeah,” he shrugs.
Axel mimics the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong.”
“Some of them have,” Lukas argues.
“You’re talking about the minority,” Axel lays back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrests. “But just like anyone in any creative profession, I bet that most authors have had experience writing all types of stuff. Branching out.”
The broad-shouldered man suddenly lifts his arms, flexing like an MMA fighter. “Y’know, exercising different parts of their brains.” He strikes some ridiculous pose, making his voice all deep and manly, “Challenging themselves, but also satisfying their true passions. Strengthening their minds.”
...Oh lord. Lukas honestly can’t believe what he’s hearing. Or seeing. Leave it to Axel.
“Okay, I’m out,” he says, shaking his head.
Axel throws his arms back down in defeat. “Come on.” His voice is back to normal. “You’re being so picky, and for what? It’s just for fun. ” He chuckles, “Not like it’s for a grade or anything. I wouldn’t be doing it then.”
Lukas sighs, glancing off to the side for a moment before responding. “Look, man, I appreciate it,” he says. “But seriously— I think I’m just gonna focus on getting into the swing of things before trying out clubs.” He laughs a little, “ Especially clubs like that.”
“Clubs like what? Like any other club at any other college?” Axel curls an eyebrow, gesturing with his hands confusedly. “What, are clubs for losers?”
Lukas laughs again. “You know I’m not like that.”
Axel keeps going. “Oh. Oh —I get it now. You think it’s going to make Jessica like you any less or something.”
A beat of silence passes. Lukas gives Axel a confused look, trying to process what he means.
Once it clicks, he sighs, massaging the bridge of his nose out of annoyance and slight disappointment.
“You mean Jesse?”
“Yeah. Her.”
“It’s nothing to do with her,” he mutters. “Being preoccupied writing scripts for free just isn’t going to help me or my grades.”
Axel raises his eyebrows. “Wow. Classes already have you stressed, huh?”
Lukas frowns. “I’m taking harder courses, dude. And my parents are constantly asking where I'm at...what I'm doing. They'll think it's stupid.”
"Just lie! You're an adult."
"They're funding my stay here, Axel." Lukas sighs guiltily. "I can't do that." He then closes his eyes, running a hand through his near-golden hair. “Doesn’t help that they’re already mad I declared the major that I did.”
“Ah, yeah. Forgot about that…” Axel’s tone shifts into something more understanding, more sympathetic. But the determination in his eyes never wavers. “Well, listen—just think about it, okay? Some of the people in that club are a lot like you from what I’ve seen so far, always nerding out about books and shit.”
Lukas scoffs, a smile tugging at his lips as he rolls his eyes. “Sure.”
“I’m serious!” Axel laughs. “I heard a few of them talking about some kinda book series they’re into, so I got to talking about how you’re trying to be a writer, and that’s why they extended the invite to you in the first place.” He looks Lukas dead in the eyes, his words confident. “Seriously, man. You’d fit right in.”
Lukas exhales slowly, letting Axel’s words sink in. It’s not like he hasn’t considered branching out; he knows networking and experience are important, and maybe Axel has a point about successful authors not hyper-focusing on one thing for their entire lives.
Still, he’s not sure if writing for a media club is what he wants. It feels… weird. And he’s hardly experimented with scripts, like, at all.
“I don’t know,” Lukas says finally, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just don’t want to do something that doesn’t feel familiar, I guess.”
Axel leans forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Sounds like your comfort zone is more restrictive than this,” he half-jokes, although Lukas can’t deny that the comment makes total sense.
“Just give it a shot,” Axel continues. “If you hate it, no big deal. But at least try. I’ll be there with you.”
As he considers his friend’s words, Lukas glances toward the door, feeling the minutes ticking away before his class starts. He doesn’t want to keep going back and forth about this.
“…I’ll think about it,” he says, because it’s the easiest answer to give.
Axel grins. “That’s all I ask.”
Lukas finally turns for the door. “Alright, I’m out. I’ll see you tonight.”
Axel spins his chair until he’s facing his laptop again, answering over his shoulder, “Later.”
———
Jesse taps her fingers against the table, eyes flicking between the scattered notes in front of her and the coffee cup sitting off to the side. The library is busy this evening, but quiet. The sounds of murmured conversations and the occasional rolling of book carts blend into background noise as she focuses on the equations in her notebook.
Or at least, she tries to focus.
Her mind keeps drifting—first to the dull ache in her back from these shitty wooden chairs, then to how tired she still feels despite the coffee, and then, eventually, to Lukas.
He was supposed to meet her here after his last class, which ended fifteen minutes after hers. He’s running late—not that she’s worried. Crowds are tough to navigate around here, especially at this time when most students are heading back to their dorms.
Maybe he went to grab a snack or a coffee. Maybe he ran into someone or got sidetracked. Or maybe—
“Hey, Jesse.”
Jesse hears the sound of hurried footsteps before she sees him. She glances up just as Lukas drops into the chair across from her, slightly out of breath, brushing a hand through his hair—which looks damp.
She raises an eyebrow, giving the blonde a once-over. “Hey… you okay?”
“Yeah!” Lukas exhales sharply, setting his bag down beside him. “Yeah. Just—” He leans back, running a hand through his hair again, trying to casually fix the few damp strands clinging to his forehead. “Ran back to my dorm real quick before getting here.”
Jesse blinks, taking him in more closely. There’s a faint sheen of moisture on his hair, like he'd towel-dried it in a hurry. And then—when he shifts slightly, adjusting in his seat—she catches it. A fresh, clean scent. Something flowery, maybe citrus?
Her mind pieces it together in an instant.
Oh.
He'd ran to his dorm and showered. Right before this.
Jesse can’t stop the warmth from creeping up her neck, nor can she suppress the sudden urge to laugh. He really put in the effort here.
If Lukas is trying, if he’s doing things like this just for her, then maybe— maybe —she can just lean into it. Keep flirting, keep letting herself feel flattered, and push aside the mess of thoughts she’s been having about…her.
She clears her throat, forcing a neutral expression. “You, uh… took a shower?”
Lukas’s eyes widen a bit, but he nods, still trying to play it cool. “Yeah. Just… felt like freshening up, y’know?”
Jesse presses her lips together to keep from grinning but ultimately fails, a smile cracking through.
She drums her fingers against the table, glancing down at her notebook for a moment before looking back up at him, pretending to scrutinize.
A little flirting never hurt anyone.
She leans forward in her seat, never breaking eye contact, her arms folded across her notes. “Just for this?”
Lukas hesitates. Just for a second. It’s barely noticeable, but Jesse clocks it. As much as Lukas may try, he isn’t very subtle at all.
“…Maybe,” he admits, his cheeks getting pinker as he looks off to the side.
Jesse smiles, watching the blonde with an amused glint in her eye. This— this —is what she should be focusing on. Lukas, who’s sweet, handsome, and obviously interested. Not his hot best friend.
Because what a mess that would be. Having to turn down someone just to date their best friend. Jesse couldn’t imagine.
“So! Uh… calculus.” Lukas suddenly pipes up, wanting to change the subject. Jesse follows his gaze to the textbook in front of her.
“Oh, yeah. Just working on that assessment thing she told us about.”
“Isn’t that due Sunday?”
Jesse quirks an eyebrow, seizing the opportunity to flirt again. “Guess I needed an excuse to study with you,” she quips, smiling sweetly.
It works like a charm.
For a moment, Lukas just stares at her, clearly caught off guard, his cheeks reddening. Then, slowly, a smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “You flatter me,” he laughs.
Jesse holds his gaze, enjoying the way Lukas struggles to do the same. “I know.”
She feels the words come so easily, like second nature. This is fun, it’s comfortable—Lukas is easy, she knows exactly how to make him flustered. It’s familiar, and satisfying.
So why, in the back of her mind, is there still a nagging little voice reminding her that the way she’s making Lukas feel is exactly how Petra makes her feel?
That even though she’s making Lukas get all flustered, Jesse has yet to feel much of anything.
Yeah, this is fun. But then what?
Jesse’s walk this morning with Petra had been nice. Really nice. Petra had gotten to talking more about her job at the auto shop, and how she was dreading working tonight.
They're definitely getting more comfortable with one another. Jesse still feels butterflies when they make eye contact, but she's no longer stuttering every time they brush shoulders, or getting flustered when Petra says her name, followed by a good-natured tease.
They'd agreed to make their walks a regular thing; Jesse knew that could be dangerous, but sitting here now, flirting with Lukas, she truly believes she can get rid of the weird crush she's developing on his friend.
I just need more time.
———
Lukas and Jesse spend the next hour and a half working on their somewhat tedious schoolwork while also conversing about random topics. One of which being how Lukas’s morning went.
“Axel kept insisting that I’d get along with everyone,” Lukas explains, “saying they were into books and stuff…basically calling me a nerd.”
Jesse laughs. “I mean, is that really a bad thing?”
“You tell me.”
“Hey, if being a nerd means being passionate about your interests, then I’m a nerd, too.” Jesse crosses her arms and leans back into her seat. “Everyone is if you think about it.”
Lukas finds the words slightly comforting, and he smiles, even if it’s a bit strained. “I guess. I just feel weird about scripts. They feel too formatted. Like— ah, I dunno,” he sighs, “it’s just me being too scared to try new things. Axel called me out on it, and he’s right.”
Taking in Lukas’ words, Jesse studies him for a moment, twirling her pen between her fingers. She offers her honest opinion. “I mean, I don’t think it’s weird to not want to do something just because it's ‘good experience.’”
Lukas glances up.
“You like writing because it lets you say what you want, how you want, right?” She shrugs, “If writing scripts just feels like slapping a filter on your voice, then yeah, of course it’s gonna feel off.”
At that, Lukas exhales, his smile relaxing. “Huh, yeah. That’s… actually a good way to put it.” He huffs a quiet laugh. “Maybe I should’ve had you talk to Axel instead of me.”
“Mm, no,” Jesse hums. “I still agree with him.”
“Oh.”
Jesse laughs. Lukas smiles at her.
“Just try it,” she suggests. “Like Axel said, it’s not like it’s a graded course; you can always leave.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Lukas bemoans dramatically, raising his hands in mock surrender (something he likes to do often, Jesse’s learned). After lowering them and shifting in his seat a bit, Lukas keeps the conversation going. “I’m sure your morning played out better than mine.”
Jesse leans forward again, still fidgeting with her pen in thought as she recalls how it went. “Yeah,” she hesitates for just a second. “I met up with Petra before getting to calc, which was nice. Everything after lunch was pretty easy, since my other classes haven’t been—”
“You met up with Petra?” Lukas suddenly interrupts, his brows lifting slightly.
Jesse pauses. “…Yeah?”
Lukas watches Jesse for a moment, as if he’s trying to study her or something. It confuses her. “Huh.”
She narrows her eyes. “What?”
“Nothing, just—” Lukas tilts his head, considering. “I...didn’t know you guys were cool like that."
“Oh.” Jesse doesn’t put two-and-two together at all. She smiles softly at him, “Yeah, I gave her my number in case you wanted to go to another dining hall. She told me you might, so I could just let her know.”
Lukas says nothing, his expression unreadable. He's seemingly waiting for Jesse to say more. So she does.
“And we ran into each other once already, so she texted me today asking if we could just meet up anyway.” Jesse starts to feel a little anxious with Lukas’s sudden change in demeanor.
She had a feeling she knew why, but that would be ridiculous, considering they were best friends.
“You okay?”
“Oh— yeah! Sorry,” Lukas laughs, his tone a bit off but his smile sincere. “Just...taken by surprise, is all. Petra isn’t usually like that.”
Feeling her heart skip a beat at the implications, Jesse curls an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing bad,” Lukas assures. “She just doesn’t usually like meeting new people. She’s always kept to her circle, y’know?”
Jesse nods.
“So I’m impressed. A little uh…” Lukas takes a moment to find the right words, “…confused.”
“Confused?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Lukas eventually finishes, his tone indicating that there’s not much else he wants to say about it. “But that’s cool. Petra's cool— she’s been my best friend for years. I’m happy you’re getting to know her.”
The way he says it, once again, confuses Jesse. But she doesn't want to think too hard about anything related to Petra. She already told herself that that's not how this was going to go.
Propping her chin in a palm and leaning a bit closer, she smirks. "Sounds like I just have that effect on people."
Lukas's eyes light up and he chuckles softly. "Yeah," his gaze lingers. "You definitely have some kind of effect on me."
Those words, soft-spoken, sincere...they should be making Jesse melt on the spot.
But they don’t. She feels absolutely nothing.
She blinks, caught off guard by the shift in Lukas’s tone—tender, almost admiring. It’s not the first time he’s been sweet with her, but something about this moment feels different. Like he’s waiting for something.
Jesse smiles, but it’s smaller now, more thoughtful. “I’ll...take that as a compliment," she responds simply.
Lukas grins, but there’s a flicker of something else in his expression before he leans back. “As you should.”
The moment passes as quickly as it came, and all Jesse is left with is a strange feeling in her chest.
———
As soon as the two exchange their goodbyes, as soon as Jesse is out of sight, Lukas pulls out his phone.
Petra
Lukas gets all the way back to his dorm building before Petra responds.
?
You got Jesse's number? Seriously?
lmao whatd she say
Wdym what did she say
like whatd she tell you about it
Something about me switching dining halls
Which was a joke by the way?
LOL
youd do it
You didn’t have to lie to me
i dont like her like that
shes cool
I know you Petra
are you telling me to back off LMAO
You are a terrible liar
okay
did you get her number at least
Lukas blinks, a cold sense of realization hitting him. Dammit. He totally should have. He didn’t even think about it.
I didn’t think to. Shit
maybe worry about that first
The blonde feels annoyance flare in his gut.
OK. You never talk to people like this.
This is great if you’re starting something, but
c’mon at least tell me
the number thing was just
to break the ice
like for real
Lukas can’t believe this. She is so stubborn. And an awful liar.
so how was it
The studying?
yeah
It was good. She was definitely
flirting with me
I think we’re clicking
Petra takes a bit longer to respond here. Lukas takes this time to start heading up the stairwell. He checks his phone again after three minutes or so.
so she mentioned me?
Lukas stares at the message. She cannot be serious.
In passing. Why?
just wondering
Right
? what do you want from me
I want to know if you’re actually pursuing someone
for the first time in almost two years
why would i pursue a girl you
basically just had a date with
Lol
You’d do it
Lukas smirks. That definitely made Petra roll her eyes.
alright
ill give you her number
[0000000000]
there
ill see you tmrw
Just like that, the conversation’s over.
Reaching his floor, Lukas tucks his phone into his pocket and heads to his dorm. He plans to ask for Axel’s input on this as soon as he can.
Admittedly though, he is appreciative that Petra went ahead and gave him Jesse’s number.
He feels stupid for not thinking of it sooner, but he hardly uses his phone anyway! Besides, he's a much better talker in person, and Jesse seems to be into him regardless.
…Only time will tell if I’m right about that.