Chapter Text
“Okay, the symbol Sb stands for stibnum or stibnite. What is the modern name of this element?” Sana asks as she and Isak sit on the floor of her living room, using the coffee table as a desk.
Isak squints for a moment, holding up a hand when Sana goes to answers. “Wait, wait, I know this give me a sec.”
Sana closes her mouth and leans back against the couch, waiting.
“Antimoy!” Isak shouts suddenly and excited. “I’m right, right? Tell me I’m right.”
Sana chuckles as she nods. “Correct, stibnum is the old name for antimoy,”
“Thank fuck,” Isak says letting out a sigh of relief. “I didn’t think Chemistry would be this hard, Biology was a breeze.”
“Maybe it’s not so much that the subject is hard, but that you are distracted with other things,” Sana says throwing Isak a knowing smirk as Isak starts to blush. “Like sucking face with a certain giant, you recently moved in with?”
“Everyone acts like that’s all we do,” Isak says with a little pout on his face.
Sana raises an eyebrow at that. “It’s not?”
“No,” Isak shakes his head. “We also watch his highly pretentious movies while he goes on and on about the cinematic genius it went into every shot and listen to shitty pop music which he makes me dance to with him.”
Sana grins widely at the picture that makes in her head and the boy before her who is trying to control his own goofy smile. “You love every second of it, don’t you?”
Isak shrugs bashful, a small genuine smile on his face. “Yeah.”
Sana nods, placing a hand over Isak, giving it a squeeze when he looks up at her. “I’m glad, Isak,” Sana says her voice quiet, and she means it. She’s happy for the boy in front of her who she can honestly call a friend, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling a pang at not having anything even close to what he has. “Everyone should be as happy as you and Even are, you guys are lucky to have found it.”
Isak stares at Sana for a moment, holding on to her hand when she tries to remove it from his. “Are you okay, Sana?”
Sana startles at the question, wondering when was the last time anyone asked her that. When was the last time anyone even noticed that she might not be?
“I-“ Sana starts to bluff her way out of the question, of course, she’s fine. Everyone expects her to be fine all the time, she’s Sana Bakkoush, she’s untouchable.
“Sana?” Isak questions again gently.
She lets out a sigh and feels like a balloon deflating, her energy drained. “I’ve been better.”
Isak waits quietly for her to continues, and when she opens her mouth, it all starts pouring out, like a sudden flood, fast and unstoppable. Her disconnect from her friends and their lack of awareness, Vilde endless sex conversations. Her brother’s friends and the girls’ interest in them. She whispers her own interest in Yousef and the confusing feelings whenever he’s around, Isak smiles at that and she rolls her eyes in return while a small smile tugs on her own lips, feeling lighter with each word that passes her lips. When she’s done, she left out another breath, the tension in her shoulders easing.
“A little better?” Isak asks, his shoulder pressing into hers, having moved closer during her talking.
“Yeah,” she says and is grateful that it’s true. She knows talking about everything that she’s been feeling with Isak isn’t going to magically fix her problems, but suddenly she realizes just how badly she needed to talk to someone. “Better, thanks.”
“Anytime,” Isak answers simply and Sana knows he really means that. They both stay quiet for a moment, though Sana can see a grin playing at Isak’s lips.
“So,” he drags out, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “You have a crush, is he cute?”
Sana lets out a sound of outrage when Isak starts chuckling. “That’s what you decided to focus on?”
Isak shrugs. “It’s the least complicated part of everything you told me. I’m not Muslim I can’t even begin to understand the shit you have to deal on a daily basis because of people’s ignorance about your religion. I’m not a part of your girl squad so the dynamic there is tricky for me, though I do think you should tell them how they are making you feel, they’re your friends and they care about you. The Vilde and sex thing, all I can say is thank god Magnus isn’t sharing like her, although that does bring up some questions because if they are having as much sex as she says they are having, I would think he would tell us, Magnus doesn’t exactly know how not to overshare. If anything, the crush part is the easiest thing.”
Sana looks at Isak skeptical about his logic but curious. “How?”
“Well,” Isak starts with a wide playful smile as he leans in a little closer to her. “If you like this guy, he obviously has to like you back-“
Sana raises an eyebrow as Isak trails off and watches as his amused smile turns gentle. “After all, how can any guy not like you back Sanasol, you’re awesome.”
Sana feels herself blush despite herself, feeling warm from the inside out. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I speak the truth,” Isak affirms.
Sana opens her mouth when she hears the front door open followed by the laughter. She picks out one voice in particular. “Crap, it’s him,” she whispers as she quickly smooths out her clothes, running a finger under her bottom lip to check her lipstick isn’t feathering.
Isak’s eyes widen and mouths ‘the boy’ to which Sana nods furiously too, she doesn’t get to do anything else as Elias and Yousef enter the living room, stopping short when they spot Sana and Isak. Elias raises an eyebrow at them it’s only then that Sana realizes just how close Isak and her are sitting. She starts to shift only to have Isak nudge her with his foot, when she looks at him he darts his eyes towards the two boys and then back at her. It goes to show how much her friendship with Isak has grown that she reads him quickly. She looks back at Elias and Yousef, and while her brother is looking at the curiously, Yousef expression is more complicated as he frowns at them. She stops from moving away from Isak and settles back next to him, Yousef’s frown grows and well isn’t that interesting.
“Hey,” she says casually, offering nothing more in the way of explanation.
“Hey,” her brother greets back, still looking between the two of them. “Didn’t know you’d be home.”
“Isak and I needed a place to study,” she answers. “Isak this is my brother Elias and his friend Yousef.”
Isak nods, saying hello to the two boys which they respond in kind.
“So, what are you guys studying?” Yousef asks as he sits on a chair across from them when Elias leaves the room to get some equipment they need.
“Chemistry,” Isak answers for them, nudging her shoulder with his again, giving her a wide grin. “Though really, it’s more like Sana saving my ass, I’ve been slacking on the reading, and my science buddy here took pity on me and gave me her notes and has been quizzing me.”
“Well you are pitiful,” Sana replies, laughing when Isak lets out a wounded ‘hey.'
Isak shakes his head at her, smiling. “How can someone so cute be so mean,” Isak asks to the room at large though his eyes are focused on Yousef, a smirk playing on his lips.
Sana turns her gaze to Yousef, her eyes widening as she watches his cheeks redden.
The room remains quiet for a moment longer before Isak starts to stand. “Well I should be off, it’s getting late. Sanasol, thank you for saving me once again, Yousef, it was nice meeting you man.”
Sana stands too as Isak gathers his stuff. “I’ll walk you out,” she says ignoring the way Yousef’s eyes follow them as they leave the living room.
Isak is putting on his shoes, grinning at her like an idiot. “I was right,” he whispers to not be overheard.
“About what?” she hisses back, the whole encounter having left her off balance.
“That boy,” Isak starts pointing towards the living room. “Is so gone for you, it ridiculous.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she shoots back, like earlier.
“He was jealous at how close we were, and he looks at you like you hung the moon,” Isak hisses back, putting on his jacket.
“Your proof?” Sana questions even as her stomach flutters at the possibly.
“My eyes, Sana,” Isak says deadpan as he opens the door. “Now go back in there and work your magic, good luck and tell me everything later.”
He flashes her a thumbs up like the fool he is, and Sana shakes her head as she closes the door behind him, taking in a deep breath for courage before walking back into the living room.
“Elias not back yet?” she asks as she starts to pick up her books from the coffee table.
“No, he probably can’t find it in that mess he calls a room,” Yousef says with a chuckle.
“Yeah,” Sana agrees, and an awkward silence fills around them.
“Well, I’m going to my room-“
“Is that Isak guy your boyfriend-“
“What?” Sana questions as Yousef stares at her with wide eyes. “What did you just say?”
Sana watches as Yousef licks his lips nervously. “I asked is Isak your boyfriend, you seemed…close.”
“We’re friends,” Sana says carefully.
“But maybe he’s interested in you,” Yousef continues, and Sana lets out a loud laugh at that, startling him.
“Sorry,” Sana says still chuckling. “Sorry, no, Isak likes me like a friend, and that’s it, trust me.”
“And you?” Yousef questions quietly, looking down at his shoes.
Sana bites down on her bottom lip to keep from smiling and for a moment thinks of Isak and how smug he’s going to be when they talk. “No, he’s not really my type,” she murmurs, holding Yousef’s gaze when he looks back at her, feeling her cheeks heat up as Yousef starts to slowly smile at her they longer they stare at each other.
The small ‘oh’ he lets out has her grinning despite her blush.