Work Text:
The sweat that reflected off his brow almost matched hers, yet she hadn't been playing. His heart still pumped the blood of new victory in his veins. The breath in his lungs had long been caught. The game ended nearly half an hour ago.
He stared down at her, wondering why he was still here, leaning against the equipment house brick wall in silence, and not out there, celebrating with his teammates.
The two students, both wearing school uniforms of a different kind, faced each other about three feet apart. His shirt was light blue with white vertical stripes, his shorts' shade of blue matched the shirt, as well as the gear strapping his legs and feet. Hers was a simple white button up blouse with a black pencil skirt that reached her knees.
Her poster was pensive, and shaky. She was incredibly nervous. His, just the opposite. Cool, collected, almost bored as he leaned against the wall beside him. Just waiting for her to say more and more till she ended the conversation and he could finally go.
"U- um. . ." She fiddled with a spare strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. Her head was angled down in shame, her cheeks were aflame. She powered through anyway. "Are- aren't you gonna say anything?"
He took a breath and reluctantly stood up straight. Guess she wasn't dropping this as fast as he wished. Okay. Time to get this over with.
"While I'm very flattered and somewhat surprised by this, I have to decline." His face gave away no emotions. His voice was calm and even. It was a stark contrast to the young girl before him. "I'm sorry."
"Oh." She pressed her mouth into a thin line, lips in. She took a breath with a shaky nod. Her eyes stayed down. "But- but why?"
He said nothing further. Merely looking at her.
Humiliation slowly overtook her as the rejection started to sink in. She became exasperated with his lack of emotional input.
"Can't you at least tell me?" She huffed. Looking around them, but still not at him.
"I'm gay."
"What? Wh- but you dated that- that girl, Puifai?"
"Yes I did."
"So. Are you. . . lying to me?" She couldn't believe her ears. "You're just trying to get out of dating me by saying your gay. That's it, right?"
"No. I'm not." He thought about it for a split second. A possible revision was necessary. "And if I am, I don't mean to."
This was apparently the wrong thing to add. It did nothing to calm the girl before him. In fact, it only seemed to enrage her.
Her hands shook at her sides. "You- you JERK!" She reared back her hand and slapped him across the face with tears in her eyes. "You coward! If you didn't want to date me, you could just tell me straight out! At least give me the decency of a real rejection!"
He kept his head turned and said nothing, letting his newly tousled hair cover his eyes.
She waited hands on her hips for him to react but he kept stretching the silence. He stretched it long enough for the edges of regret to pin prick her heart.
Slowly, he turned to face her. The boredom gone.
"Okay." He said simply. "I don't want to date you."
She opened her mouth to protest but he already knew what she was going to say. He held up a hand to stop her words.
"And don't worry yourself. It's not because of you. So there's nothing you can do or say to change my mind."
Her mouth closed when her prepared rebuttal was also shot down.
He sighed and shrugged off the tension in his shoulders. They were finished, right? "If we're done here, then we both have places to get to don't you think?" He asked. "I'm sorry once again, and thank you for slapping me."
This remark took her by surprise. She momentarily forgot her pain for total confusion. ". . .Why would you thank me for something like that?"
"Well for one, it makes breaking your heart a whole lot easier." He admits rolling his eyes. "And for another, it reassures me in my decision. I wouldn't want to get into an abusive relationship where you think you can hit me every time I do or say something you don't like."
She blinked in surprise and the full weight of the guilt overcame her. "That- I'm sorry for hitting you. I take it back."
"Apology accepted." He smiled very faintly at her and resumed leaning against the wall. The most positive emotion he's shown her since her confession. "And you don't have to worry yourself, once we part ways here, you'll never have to think about me again."
Neither spoke for an uncertain amount of time. Then a pressing thought occurred to him.
"Switch your seat."
"What?"
"Your seat in political science. It's next to mine isn't it?"
She only looked at him, again, totally surprised by his words. He had noticed her?
He took her silence as agreement.
"You should change your seat so you don't have to see me anymore." He explained. "I would change mine, but I don't have a problem with you. After this you're gonna want to limit your interactions with me as much as possible. Even the non confrontational ones where you stare at me when you think I'm not looking, while I just ignore you." She took a step back in surprise. Blinking up at him. "Anyway I think it'd be better if you moved."
"Alright."
Pleased with her confirmation, he pushed off the wall and waved at her with two fingers as he walked away. Not sparing her a second glance.
In the last moment before he walked out of the conversation, almost as an afterthought, he spoke again.
"Goodbye, Malee." Then he was gone.
She stayed where she was. Contemplating their entire conversation to herself in her head, and her heart. She didn't know how long she stood.
She sniffled, wiped a tear and smiled to herself looking down at the floor in front of her. The place where he had just been standing. One thing from their conversation really stuck out to her. Her smile deepened just the slightest as she let the thought comfort her aching heart.
"He did know my name."
///
He walked around the corner calmly, not surprised to find a tall man in a white button up and black ripped jeans waiting for him against the brick. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the small building, a frown set firmly on his handsome face.
"Happy?" The one in blue said, not turning to face the man.
Silently, the man pushed off the brick and fell into step beside the soccer player. Together they walked away.
The man wrapped a protective arm around the other's waist.
He nuzzled his nose against a sweaty cheek.
"Pretty harsh rejection." He was happy.
"Your fault." The one in blue shrugged. "She slapped me."
The man in white nodded in sympathy. "I'll kiss it better?"
"You'll die first."
"Fair enough." The man in white stood up straighter with a small chuckle. They walked from the end of the field of victory over to the side bleachers where the rest of the team were still celebrating. "So then...you're gay now?"
"Shut up."
"Okay." He smiled playfully. "We're celebrating at our place after this, right?"
"Of course." The soccer player smirked. "I want my prize for winning."
"Yes sir."