Chapter 2 | Irving

Continuing to walk, he could only focus on his breathing, and the warmth in his cheeks, as he once again forgot about the bit of extra weight that was in his bag yet again. I hope I can see her at lunch, there’s usually a table open close by, I wonder if I’ll ever run into her like that agAIN HHNNNNNGGGG SHE'S SO SOFT.

In the lunch room, Thora buried her face in the table and couldn’t even eat a bite of food as her whole body was red, her face, her neck, even her hands a bright flushed pink. NOOOOOOO!!! HE DEFINITELY HATES ME NOW! THIS IS THE WORSTTTTTT!!! He didn’t even move- he’ll never talk to me again and I'M GOING TO CRY!! He was so close that I could nghhhhhhhh.

Hitting her head against the table a hand soon met her forehead as Abira looked down and smiled at her. “Eat some lunch, I know how much you love the pudding we got today.” 

Taking a spoonful of her own pudding Abira puts a bite in Thora’s mouth as she teary-eyed begins chewing, well, breaking it apart really. “Fank Ku” 

Spoon-fed by her best friend, Thora slowly ate all her friend's pudding, and then her own, chewing away as the more bites she took the better she felt. It wasn’t like she was hungry, food was just a comfort, which was probably why the waistband of her skirt got tighter by the day. NO, I’m fine just the way I am! So what if I’m a little bigger than most, it wasn’t that bad. 

Squeezing the little bit of fluff on her side she sighed and grabbed Harriet’s pudding. “Hey!!” 

“I need this!” Thora barked back as Harriet rolled her eyes and smiled, before also tossing Thora her sweet bread, a small pout on Thora’s cheeks as she continued snacking away. 

Looking to her side, Thora quietly dipped the sweet bread into the pudding as she stared at the door, her face flushing when she saw Irving walk in, slamming her hands to the table she began to run off before running back and finishing off the snack. 

“Where are you going?!” Abira said as she looked at Thora. 

“J-Just for a walk!” She said while making her way to the door, her face red as could be as her thoughts screamed at her. I CAN'T FACE HIM YET! I’ll die, collapse, faint! Die of embarrassment again! Revived by his good looks and dead again!

Her hair swayed as her brisk walk turned into a run and she found herself almost flying into the courtyard. 

As she disappeared from the lunch room, Irving searched the seemingly endless crowd for a flicker of red, yet found nothing, much to his dismay, he felt his face drop to a disappointed frown as he slowly made his way over to grab himself some food, a demotivated feeling spreading through his chest.

Finding himself grabbing the box that was chilled to perfection and meant for someone to travel with if they wanted to eat someplace else, he headed outside, the floral gardens and herb houses filled with every plant imaginable lined the courtyard of this school. 

With vines that decorate the marble twirling around, and plenty of engravings in the stone, one would think this school was a sacred place. 

Walking about for a while, he found himself leaning against one of the stone railings along the outer part of the courtyard, placing the box atop it and half-heartedly opening it to begin quietly eating, letting his eyes wander across the various plants, structures, and people that inhabited the space around him.

His concentration was quickly broken when he heard a mumbling, walking up the stairs to his left, he met eyes with her, Thora’s hair messy from running, her cheeks flushed from the same, her shirt sticking to her skin as she froze. 

Trying to regain her composure, her face went blank as a mindless smile crossed it. WHY IS HE HERE?! STAY CALM! BE COOL! 

Comparatively, he simply remained where he was, slightly leaning against the stone as he nodded in response. HOOOOOOKAY SHE'S A LOT CLOSER THAN I EXPECTED, THIIIIIS IS FINE, BE CALM! STAY COOL! DEFLECT, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING DEFLECT TO SOMETHING ELSE! “Nice lunch today huh?”

THIS IS SO AWKWARD AHHHHH! Wait! I got this! If I just talk he won’t ask me why I was running, yeah! Nodding her head, Thora walked up to the last stair, only a few feet away. 

“Yeah, the pudding was sweeter than usual.” She said while twisting her hair around her finger and trying to apply a stern and serious expression. 

“I see….” Nodding along, he took another bite of the food he was holding, and soon scooped another, chewing silently as he organized his thoughts. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY NOW?! Okay okay, she likes pudding, now we know this, I still have some, would it make her happy? Wait, DOES SHE LIKE IT OR IS SHE COMPLAINING?! I DON'T KNOOOWWWW, I GOTTA BE SURE! DEEP BREATHS, DON'T SCREW THIS UP! 

“Do you like the pudding they serve here?” He said, tilting his head a bit as he tried to stay relaxed and keep his stoic expression.

“Oh, uh yeah.” Looking to the side, she scuffs her boot against the ground in an attempt to calm herself. WHY IS HE ASKING?! DOES HE THINK I EAT TOO MANY SWEETS?! SHOULD I STOP?!

“I like the way it feels in my mouth.” Wanting to die, those words were the last ones she wanted to say. NO, I MEANT TEXTURE! I LIKE HOW IT'S SLIMY AND CREAMY, THAT'S EVEN WORSE! 

Irving’s ears twitched as she spoke, and he nodded along while glancing back over at his food. WHAT DOES SHE MEAN BY THAT?! DOES SHE JUST LIKE SOFT FOODS OR DOES SHE MEAN SOMETHING ELSE?!? HHHNNNNGGGGGG OKAY Okay, calm down, we know she likes it now, sooooooo offer her yours! That would make her happy right?! And maybe she’ll stay and talk a while?! A-And then- STOP IT YOU'RE GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF JUST GIVE HER THE PUDDING.

Slightly nodding to himself, he reached over towards the opened box, and retrieved the small cup of pudding, before slightly extending it towards her. “Want mine?”

Shimmering like stars, her face lights up and her cheeks turn pink before she freezes and coughs, looking to the side as her ears twitch and turn pink. “N-no I’m okay, I’ve had some already.” 

For a brief moment, not a word was said, but fireworks went off in the young man’s head as his eyes widened, and his face turned a shade of dark red that sprawled all the way up his ears. SHE’S SO CUUUUUUUUUUUTE AHHHHHHHHHH SHE’S PERFEEEEEEEECCCCTTTT!!!

Slightly clearing his throat, he kept his hand out as he covered his mouth with the other and spoke up. “Are you sure? You’re entitled to eat as much as you want, no one particularly cares.”

HOW IS HE THIS COOL?! Taking a deep breath she nodded. “Y-yes I’m okay!”

Turning her head she began to run off, her heart racing as she found herself stopping in place, her face turning red as she turned back, ran back to him as she took the pudding and stared at it, whispering. “Thank you.”

Nodding goodbye, she quickly ran off, embarrassed as she held the pudding near her lips as if hiding behind it. 

For a good bit, he just watched until she was fully out of his sight, and as soon as her form fully disappeared around a corner, he felt his knees give out from under him as he barely helps himself up with one arm wrapped around the stone railing, the other was desperately clutching his chest as he stared at the ground, his eyes spinning. SHE LIKES MY PUDDING IN HER MOUTH!!!……wait a second…

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