Work Text:
The laptop warmed your lap, and the coffee warmed your stomach. It was a good combination that didn’t put you to sleep, but helped calm your buzzing mind as you stared at the string of numbers dancing along your computer screen.
It had been a long week, but it couldn’t quite end until you finished the last of your obligations. There was school, and you needed to do laundry before Monday, and... Well, maybe it’d just be those two things, because you were exhausted.
Beep!
You tap on your computer screen, pulling up a message from your social media. There was a picture of Donnie’s work desk, and it was currently covered in parts. You couldn’t identify half of them, but you guessed that was fine since he sent a laughing emoji.
Bubbles lit up on the screen, and a text popped up in place of the emoji.
‘Got this from the junk yard. Who would just throw away a brand new fuse set!’
‘At least you didn’t get them for a steal.’
‘You spend too much time with ‘Nardo.’
‘Yup~~~’
When you didn’t get an immediate response you get back to work. You’d finished up part of your equation set when the computer dinged once more.
‘Question.’
‘That looks like a statement.’
‘1. I walked right into that one. 2. Are you still coming over.’
Coming over?
You groaned and grabbed your phone off the bed. After tapping through several screens, and getting distracted by most of them, you ended up finding your to-do list.
*Finish Class Work for Week 3
*Wash Dishes
*Mop Floor
*Do Laundry
*Ice Cream with Donnie
“Shit.”
‘Yeaaaaah, about that...’
“You forgot?”
Your skin jumped and your face flooded with heat. It took a second for you to remember not to throw your phone at the mutant casually sitting on your windowsill.
“You scared the hell outta me!”
“Can’t remove that isn’t there.” You weren’t sure if he was trying to be smooth or not, but it succeeded in keeping you quiet as he made his way across the room and sat on the bed. “School?”
“Maybe? How did you get here so fast.”
“An hour isn’t fast.”
“Sorry.”
He just shrugs and watches you rub the back of your phone with your thumb. When it was clear you weren’t going to explain yourself further he gave an exaggerated sigh and stood up. With a bit of poking, and some whining from you, he propped himself onto the bed next to you and got under the thin sheets. Once he was comfortable, and it was clear his battle shell wasn’t going to break the headboard, he took out his phone and began texting.
Despite dating for at least three months now, Donnie wasn’t one to go out of his way get close to you. He liked to initiate contact, and you’d respected that for the most part. It happened fairly often so it wasn’t like you should be shocked, but there was something different about this time. It wasn’t the same as when he leaned against you while watching a movie, or when he would guide you when you went the exact opposite of wherever you should be going.
This was actually intimate.
“You actually do like me.”
He looked up sharply from his phone. “Yes? I know this is going to sound ridiculous coming from me, but maybe you should get off the computer and do literally anything else.”
“No, I mean I want to, but that’s....” You shook your head. “It sounds dumb but I have to be reassured about things and... You don’t provide a lot of praise, and I kinda thrive on that and it’s kinda part of my love language, and-”
You flinched when he sighed, and you were already stumbling over your words trying to apologize for saying anything at all when you felt a cool hand on your thigh.
“I’m proud of you for putting your school work first. I know it’s hard for you. And yes, I do like you and I’m sorry if you didn’t really get it. I thought just being around you was enough. I’m sorry if it felt like I was depriving you of the emotional intimacy you clearly need.”
“I-it’s fine.”
“It’s not if you’re saying something about it.”
“...”
You sucked in a breath and popped your fingers. Each gentle pop and tug bringing you back down to the real world, and not whatever angry buzzing your brain had produced in your panic.
“You like to give people your time as a way to show affection. Noted. I like praise and just... being heard?”
“Noted.”
This wasn’t what you planned, and you still ended up complaining about school while Donnie made fun of you, but it was probably what you needed.