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Peggy woke up and had no idea where she was.
That’s not 100% true, she knew she was in Isa's dorm room, she could see the varsity flags. She just felt like, you know, a truck ran over her. And then she remembered the absolute mess that was the previous day that sleeping on the floor surely didn't help.
Her entire class took a mock test for simply The Most Important Test of their careers, and she studied like heck, went slightly crazy with Bella and Marge, and took the dang test. For six hours. And she could barely remember making her way into the dorm room to crash immediately. Shoot, did someone feed Newt-
She opened the door and the smell of pancakes hit her in the face. Like the test, but better. As she went downstairs, her heart did just about twelve somersaults.
Because the person making the pancakes was no other than Woe, the gorgeous quarterback who she has definitely not been into for a whole year now.
Peggy didn't even know what kind of girl she was attracted to until she met her. Growing up in a Christian cult, your options are either bland or blander men, not big buff women. Still in shock from seeing her in this dorm (what the heck, has she ever stepped foot in here!?), Peggy approached the reason that all of her blood was relocating itself to her face, and stammered out a nervous "good morning."
"Good morning." she replied, with a gentle smile. "If you'd like to take a seat, I'll bring you some pancakes in no time."
"Oh. Alright. Uh... it's nice that you're doing this."
Woe smiled at her again, and she was running out of breath fast. "It's nothing, really. Oh, your friend mentioned that you like tea, so there's some hot water in the kettle for you."
Peggy looked over to the counter seats, and saw no one other than Isabella wiggling her eyebrows and mouthing "get it, girl". She somehow blushed harder. Did she ask Bella if I like tea? Did she ask after me???????
"Thanks." she attempted a smile back, and went through the motions of her morning green tea with mint, stealing glances at Woe the whole time. The way her shirt hugged her arms and back made Peggy feel weak in the legs. She must have made a loud noise or something, because Woe also looked over at her. Peggy panicked more each time she saw her warm smile. Eventually, her tea was brewed and she sat next to a smirking Isabella.
"Don't even start." she attempted, muttering into her tea.
"Are you serious? The way the two of you are going, you'll finally make a move once we're all graduated." She shifted in her bench, leaning closer. "Why don't you just go for it?"
Peggy sighed and placed her mug on the counter. "I've told you already. I can't flirt. I'd have no way of actually" she made some vague gestures with her hands "'going for it'."
"You don't need to know how to flirt! Haven't you ever heard of love languages? Pegs, she asked me what you drink in the morning . That's a woman gone."
Peggy made some sort of alien sound at the confirmation. "Easy for you to say." she hissed. Then, in a normal tone: "How did you do in that blasted test?"
Bella rolled her eyes at the clear diversion, but took the bait. They chatted about the mock for long enough for Peggy to forget her current predicament. Until, of course…
"The pancakes for Miss Peggy, coming up." the deep voice that blessed her worst dreams interrupted. Peggy looked beyond the stack straight to Woe's dark eyes.
"Thank you… you're too kind." she attempted, with a smile.
"No worries at all. Have a good meal."
She turned back to her friend, expecting some sort of bastard comment, but instead she was looking at her stack. Peggy looked at the stack-
The stack of heart-shaped pancakes.
"So… love languages?" Bella hazarded.
"No, no, no, they must all have been shaped, right?"
"Circles are a shape, sure. Personally delivering, though…"
Peggy felt as if she wanted to melt through the floor. Why is she being so NICE to me doesn't she know I am hopelessly in love-
"Earth to Pegs. Jesus." Bella rolled her eyes. "Do you want to keep sulking or eat your hot cakes before they're not hot anymore?" she smirked. "Though I know of some hot cakes I don't think you'd mind-"
"Okay, okay, shut up shut up shut up." Peggy grabbed a bite. They were delicious, of course. Everything about this woman was perfect! "In any case. What the heck am I supposed to do with this information? Just… hit on her?"
"Ask her out! I don't know! But if I have to play matchmaker and romantic counselor again, I'll start charging commission."
"Mm. Whatever."
"What's that mean."
"It means that these are too good for rational thought." she answered, gesturing at the jelly covered pancakes. She knew Bella could see her sneaking glances at the quarterback, and she also knew Bella would never let her live it down.
See, she's smiling and being nice to everyone! It doesn't mean anything…
Oh gosh, she's so nice. Hot people are never nice. There's got to be something she's not perfect at, right?
Oh gosh, oh gosh, she's looking over here. My face must be bright red! Smile, quick.
Oh no, she smiled back…
...that's not the same smile she gave to other people, is it.
Aw, there she goes. By the heavens, she's so tall…
When Peggy came back from her pancake-eating and sightseeing daze, Bella was looking at her with a profoundly bored expression. "You're fucking gone."
"I'm… freaking gone. Agh…" she groaned, smushing her cheek on the countertop.
And then . A chuckle.
"Whoa, were my pancakes that bad?"
Peggy sprung like a wind-up toy.
"No, no, no, not at all! They were… they were wonderful. Thank you… again." She made a face when she realized she had thanked her way too many times for one morning.
"And again… no need to thank me. I hope that helped your post-test day start off on the right foot."
"It….it absolutely did, yes."
There was a beat where the two of them were just smiling at each other.
"Well, ladies, if you don't mind, I'll be getting started with these dishes." Woe said, and got the plates that she'd already piled up out and into the sink.
Peggy sighed, the picture of a girl in love for the first time, and turned to Bella to announce that she was going back to her room to take care of business.
"Oh, Peggy… Bellator asked me if you could show up to this week's session early, she said your DM wanted to…" she frowned, adorably. "'discuss some character stuff in advance'. Her words."
"Okay. Um… I appreciate you telling me. I know you don't really play, so…"
"Yeah. I hang out there for her soup, mostly."
Peggy giggled.
"I've never had her soup! Is it that good?"
"Oh." Woe gestured with a fork she was cleaning. "It's heavenly ."
"Well, I'll have to try it next time. Um… you're going to be there this week, right?"
Not like her heart hadn't been beatboxing for the best part of an hour, but even stuttering through a direct question made her feel even more like she was going to have a heart attack.
"Of course! Again… the soup. So good." Woe smiled, and Peggy giggled again.
"Well I have to feed my dog, so… I'll see you later." she said, and bolted upstairs.
Oh my gosh she smiled at me and she'll be there!!!! She asked after me and she gave me a message!!!
As soon as she entered Isa's room, Peggy sighed, dreamily, and that's when she first saw her therapy dog, alert at the sight of his owner while also yawning.
"Aw, boy, you snoozed through all of that, didn't you?" she cooed, crouching down to pet him. "I'm good, don't worry. Just going to give you your food and then we'll go for a walk, okay?"
At the sound of the word "walk", Newt sat up, walked towards her bag - where he knew she had kept both his food and leash -, and began pawing at the door. Peggy giggled.
"That's right! Good boy." she got up and began her dog's morning routine.
_
Their RPG session was scheduled for the next day at 5pm, and Peggy marveled at how soon the sun appeared to go down this time of year. She chatted idly with Newt, who she was thankful was a dog and also that his whole job was to be there for her.
As she approached the Dragon’s Den, she heard talking and loud laughing, and she checked the time again. Okay, she was still early. Right, it’s a pub, there’s people in there all the time. Also, she left the dorm a full hour before the time of the session, and walking there took slightly less than 10 minutes.
But what if she got there late anyway-
Her dog licked her hand. Right. Time doesn’t speed up specifically to screw you over, Peggy. Just walk into the dang restaurant.
So she did. There were a few groups at the tables, some of people she knew, some of people she didn’t. She went over to the corner table where the game happened, and there was only one person there. Not a regular player, but her gosh darned crush .
She stopped on her tracks, and Woe looked up at her, smiled (so cute!!) and waved. Peggy waved back. Newt, bless him, moved before she did and reminded her how to use her legs. He immediately trotted up to Woe and started sniffing her, forcing Peggy to make conversation .
"Oh, hi! Are you the dog I've heard so much about?" Woe smiled at him, then seemed to notice the warning on his harness. "Can I pet him?"
"Oh, yes! He's very friendly, even though he's not… really supposed to. It doesn't stop him from doing his job, so… go for it, I guess." Peggy answered, cutting herself off before she rambled on for too long.
Woe scratched behind his ears, cooing, and he leaned into her hand. Peggy's heart warmed up from the sweetness of the sight. After a few moments, he had enough of the pets and came back to attention next to his owner.
...even though his snout was in the air, smelling Bellator's - admittedly delicious - cooking.
Peggy rolled her eyes fondly at him, and looked back at the woman sitting down at the table. Almost predictably, she was already looking at her, and just as predictably, Peggy immediately blushed.
"So, um… hi."
"Hey." Woe responded. "Are you going to take a seat here or look for Bella first?"
"Bella…? Oh, you mean Bellator. I get confused between her and Isabella. My friend. From breakfast yesterday." dang, she was rambling again… Not like Woe seemed to mind, actually. She'd let out a chuckle at her confusion . "Um, but yeah, I'll sit."
"So, what's his name?" Woe asked, gesturing at the dog.
"Newt! He's my therapy dog, he helps with my anxiety." She pet him absentmindedly. "I used to have a lot more panic attacks before him."
An emotion flickered on Woe's eyes. It wasn't pity, like so many people reacted when she overshared, but… understanding.
"Oh, those can really suck. I'm glad you have some help to get through it." she said, and Peggy could tell she meant it.
"Yeah… It'll take time, but at least I got a friend out of it. A big, curious friend who leaves white hair all over my stuff."
Woe laughed at her joke, and Peggy's heart did a little dance at that as well.
"In any case," she continued, "have you been sitting here alone?"
The other woman shrugged. "Bellator told me to be here early because she wanted to talk to me, but… no sign of her yet."
"Maybe she's helping out in the kitchen? She told me to be here early too…"
They realized what had happened at the same time.
"Peggy?"
"Hm?"
"I think we've been stood up."
Peggy, who was already blushing, just let out a nervous laugh. "Yes, that's definitely what happened."
"Bellator wouldn't mastermind this just to get us to talk."
"Not at all."
Peggy didn't know how to flirt if her life depended on it, but this dancing around each other was getting actually pretty fun.
"Well, I'm glad that whatever happened," Woe said, lifting her can of soda, "it allowed me to have a conversation with a very pretty girl." And she took a sip.
There it was, as smooth as possible, the comment that got Peggy to melt on the inside.
"No… don't do that."
"Why?"
"I'm going to start acting stupid, but it's literally only because of you."
"It's not stupid." she retorted. "I think it's quite charming."
" You , calling me charming?" Peggy couldn't stop smiling. "Simply impossible."
They looked at each other, smiling, not sure of what to say next but just appreciating each other's presence.
Gosh, there's definitely something here, isn't there?
Her smile is so cute? How is she a beefy quarterback and so utterly adorable at the same time?
How much time has passed?
The last question reached the rational part of her brain right as her adventuring party arrived, loud as ever.
__
nat 🧡 :
Haiiii
Can u talk?
peggy 🌱:
Yeah, just got home
What's up
nat 🧡 :
Yea I heard
That's late for u
peggy 🌱:
Tonight was RPG night, stayed out
there for a little longer than expected
Got a ride home, though, so no worries
nat 🧡 :
Good!!!!!!
I went to a cooking class today
It was very fun!!! So many people there knew so much already i came back with so many notes and recipes
peggy 🌱:
That's great!!! I'm glad you're having fun
Can I ask a sort of unusual question?
nat 🧡 :
Always
peggy 🌱:
How does one get someone to
Uh
Kiss them?
nat 🧡 :
Oh
OH
Do u have a crush!???
PEGGY!!!!
peggy 🌱:
Stop ittttt i shouldn't have asked you
nat 🧡 :
Who else would you ask???
Margareth Sophia tell me everything
Who are they what are they like do they like you back??????
peggy 🌱:
Take a breath nat
nat 🧡 :
taken
Spill the tea
Is that right? Is that what the gays say?
peggy 🌱:
NAT
Yes it is
Okay so her name is Woe and she's studying astronomy
And she plays football
Which means that she's so strong
And the thing is that she's also so sweet and adorable?????
nat 🧡 :
Oh my gosh
peggy 🌱:
I can't explain it but she just has this smile and
Newt liked her so I can't be wrong right
nat 🧡 :
Have you gone on a date
peggy 🌱:
No……
nat 🧡 :
Ask her out!!
peggy 🌱:
HOW I lose all my brainpower around her!!!
That's a lie
I managed to flirt with her today
nat 🧡 :
GET HER GIRL
Did it work???
peggy 🌱:
She called me pretty…
nat 🧡 :
PEGGY ask her out IMMEDIATELY
peggy 🌱:
To do what??????
What is a date
Food? Is food a date?
nat 🧡 :
Food can be a date
Go to a pretty place
Have a nice dinner
peggy 🌱:
Aaaaaaaa how do i bring it up though???
nat 🧡 :
"Hey there would you wanna go on a
food and pretty place date with me????"
peggy 🌱:
That's nothing
nat 🧡 :
You have to be brave!!! You can find a way to bring it up I'm sure
Andrey suggests doing it at the end of whatever interaction you have next
peggy 🌱:
Got it
Aaaaa
nat 🧡 :
AAAA!!
It'll be great you'll see
I need to know immediately when you kiss her
peggy 🌱:
I'm gonna need to scream probably
nat 🧡 :
!!
You should go to sleep though
And me too
peggy 🌱:
Yeah
Good night!!
nat 🧡 :
Night!!