Work Text:
The coffee shop was lit up by the light of the sinking sun, casting an orange glow over the study table. Bullet point notebooks and a textbook or two were scattered around, along with a pair of coffees and organized colored pens. It was a picture perfect scene, aesthetically pleasing and calm.
Jordan collapsed in the chair next to him, dropping a binder on their little table in the corner of the library. Mell, busy frowning at the aesthetic insta profile pulled up on his phone, barely reacted as his boyfriend started pulling out various packets and loose study-guides.
"Are our study sessions supposed to look like this?" Mell asked. Jordan glanced up from where he was spreading the pages out across the table, so Mell held his phone out so he could see the picture. Jordan scanned over it in less than a second and a scowl twisted his features.
"No," he answered definitively, pushing Mell's hand out of the way so he could continue sorting his study material, "that sort of thing is just for looks. No one really studies like that unless they're a pretentious fuck. Did you bring the practice test Aspen promised me?"
Mell pulled his phone back with a pout before reaching into his backpack and withdrawing a crumpled paper from within. He handed it to his boyfriend, who only shook his head at the state it was in.
"Here's the one I made for you." he said, sliding a sheet to rest in front of Mell. Mell didn't look.
"Are you sure?" he asked instead, wiggling his phone. "Pretentious fucks still get good grades, don't they? Am I supposed to be doing this kind of stuff to focus? What if I'm studying wrong?"
Jordan gave him one of his Looks(tm), the exasperated one that said 'what the hell are you talking about, you himbo?' Mell sunk down in his seat a bit, averting his eyes from his boyfriend.
"If I'm studying wrong, then maybe that's why I'm so dumb that I need my boyfriend to be my paid tutor." he mumbled quietly.
"You're not dumb," Jordan snapped back immediately. Mell gave him a mullish look and he sighed. "Elliot just keeps finding ways to give me money for this. I told him this isn't a tutor thing but he doesn't listen very well."
"That means Ellie thinks I'm dumb." Mell huffs, crossing his arms. "Mrs. Hudson calls me dumb too!"
"Mrs. Hudson is an ableist, homophobic bitch who hates the both of us because Jamie is dating her estranged son." Jordan points out bluntly. His features soften when Mell continues to look doubtful, and he takes his himbo's hand. "Mell. You're not dumb, or stupid, or anything else like that. I wouldn't have kept talking to you, let alone date you, if I thought you were. You know how I feel about idiots.
"You're smart. Maybe not the same way I am, or Elliot is, but you're still smart. Needing help with academic shit doesn't make you stupid, got it?"
"Okay...."
"Good." Jordan squeezed Mell's hand before he let go. "Here, how about a deal. If you score a B or above on the practice test I made for you, we'll go pick up some food and have a movie night at home."
"Can I sleep with you?" Mell asked, perking up at the idea. Jordan rolled his eyes but nodded his assent. "Yes!"