Work Text:
You lay quietly on your bed in a fetal position, phone in hand, scrolling through the old conversations with Abed. It was a long day. After much convincing from Annie’s part—the study group managed to get you into the Spelling Bee contest that Greendale hosts annually. Normally you’d stray away from competitions, but something about the idea of Abed rooting for you, made the challenge interesting.
Well, turns out, Annie was right about you joining that contest; you won first place! Your friends were ecstatic, especially the study group. Troy even joked about throwing a party for it but everyone waved it off, including you—though, one person in particular didn’t seem so turned off by the idea.
11:03 PM
Abed (from spanish)
Hello. Congratulations on the Spelling Bee win.
You flinched at the ping of your phone. Abed? Jesus Christ, he always catches you off guard—what’s up with that? You quickly scrolled down your conversation with him to type a response.
You
abed?
it’s 11pm, why r u still awake
Abed (from spanish)
I don’t have a bedtime.
Also, I wanted to congratulate you.
You
oh, well, that’s very nice of u. thank u:)
Abed (from spanish)
No problem.
Don’t you want to celebrate it?
You
celebrate my win?
it’s not really a big deal. plus that was just dumb luck
Abed (from spanish)
No, it’s not. You should give yourself more credit.
You stared at your screen as you laid on your bed. Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to decipher his message for any hidden meaning. Was he being sarcastic? No. This wasn’t the time for sarcasm. Maybe he was actually being nice. Abed can be nice, it’s not like he’s a jerk.. or Jeff.
Abed (from spanish)
You should celebrate it.
With who? The study group? No, no, that would be too much of a hassle. And you’re just friends with them, you’re not really in their study group per say. That’s when you got an idea. You’re not sure if he’d be open to it but it’s worth a shot. If he rejected the idea then you can just pretend it never happened. That totally wouldn’t haunt you in your dreams and every time you have an interaction with him. Totally .
You
why don’t we celebrate it together?
Your palms grew slightly clammy.
You
why don’t we celebrate it together?
seen 11:06 PM.
He read it. Why was he taking so long to respond? Okay, maybe it wasn’t that long but it was longer than his usual response time.
Abed (from spanish)
Just us two?
Oh god. Oh no. No, no, wait. This is what you wanted, right? Why were you panicking? You did mean it that way when you asked him to celebrate it together. Just take a deep breath and type a response, you got this.
You
yeah
Just ‘yeah’?
You
yeah
i mean if ur up for it. no pressure
That should help.
Abed (from spanish)
Sure. :]
Where do you want to celebrate?
You
anywhere is fine
again, this isn’t really a big deal to me
Abed (from spanish)
How about my dorm?
We can watch a movie and eat popcorn.
You
yeah, that sounds nice:)
Abed (from spanish)
Cool.
You
what time tomorrow then?
Abed (from spanish)
How about now?
Come over.
It’s nearly midnight and he wants you to come over to.. celebrate?
You
now?
it’s almost midnight
Abed (from spanish)
Why? Do you have a bedtime?
You scoffed.
You
no lol
i don’t
Abed (from spanish)
Then come over. :]
I’ll order pizza. You know my dorm?
You
yeah
i have been there before
Abed (from spanish)
See you then.
That was.. ominous . Then again, Abed did have a tendency to be ominous unintentionally.
You jumped off your bed, stepping in front of your mirror to see your outfit. You had pajamas, but you decided to wear your old clothes to bed instead—they had holes in them and were a bit loose but that’s what made them comfortable. Though, showing up in Abed’s dorm with your holey clothes wasn’t exactly ideal. You opened your drawer, skimming through the array of different pajama patterns.
Spongebob? No. Rockets? No, what are you? Wearing matching PJs with Abed? He’d probably find that weird.
Star Trek t-shirt ? You forgot you even had this. Abed had given it for you to wear when you and Troy had a sleepover at his place. You reluctantly agreed after he explained that he never really wore it a lot; something told you that wasn’t true. That something was probably the fact that it looked worn. The print was cracked, some parts were stitched up. It wasn’t ugly by any means—just worn.
Fine, you sighed, taking the shirt out of your drawer. You’re just gonna wear some grey sweatpants to go with it. That’s good, right? Why are you even worried about your outfit? You were just having a small celebration with Abed.
After having changed out of your old clothes, you stretched your shirt in front of the mirror. You remember thanking the heavens that it was a perfect fit for you. It wasn’t tight but it wasn’t too loose. Maybe you and Abed are more similar than you both thought, at least when it came to clothing sizes anyway.
You glanced at the bedside table and spotted your instant camera that you used every so often, it had about ten films left inside the last time you checked. Abed was aware of your hobby of taking photographs, having asked you why you wouldn’t take pictures of yourself on your camera. You brushed it off, saying you preferred capturing the things around you rather than yourself—while that wasn’t entirely true, it wasn’t far off from the truth either.
Walking over to your camera, you grabbed the bag nearby and placed it inside carefully. This was probably something you’d wanna capture. Plus, now you have an excuse to snag a picture of Abed on your camera. That’s always a nice thing, for you at least.
##
It wasn’t long before you arrived at the front door of his dorm, you didn’t live that far off campus anyway, so that was expected. The bright orange paper with his name written on it in black ink made it easy to differentiate his door from the rest in the hallway. You hesitated, taking a deep breath before knocking. You pulled your hand back, hearing some rumbling inside and some footsteps?
“Abed?” You called out for him, so he was aware of who was outside. You probably should have done that before knocking. The sound of the door knob twisting from the other side made you stand up straight as you clutched the strap of your camera’s bag.
When the door finally opened, you first saw his pajamas; the ones he always wore, the green ones with the rocket ships. Classic Abed, you thought. Your gaze ran up to his face, taking in his neutral expression. “Hey,” He spoke, his eyes wandered down. But he wasn’t checking you out, he was actually looking at your bag, “Is that your camera?” He pointed to your side.
You immediately brought it up for him to see, popping open the button so he could see the camera inside, “Yeah. I hope you don’t mind that I brought it—I just thought since we were celebrating..” He took the bag from your hands, his finger brushing against yours—his hand was.. warm . “Maybe a few pictures wouldn’t hurt?” You almost whispered the last few words.
He blinked, turning the bag around before looking up at your eyes, “Cool. Cool, cool, cool,” His right hand went up to make a finger gun, his lips curled up in a gentle smile, “I don’t mind. This’ll be fun.” You beamed at his response, feeling like you had just let out a breath you’ve been holding for a while. You were grateful that he was open to the idea.
He stepped aside, giving room for you to walk in.
“Thanks,” You nodded, taking careful steps forward. Your eyes wandered around his dorm. It was cleaner than when you were here last time with Troy. “You cleaned?” You asked, looking at the bunk bed on the corner of his room.
Abed closed the door, then walked over to his shelf of films he’s bought and rented—some of which he probably had no intention of returning, “Yeah. You were coming over, I didn’t want you to see the mess. I didn’t have time to clean the last time you came here, so I wanted to make up for it,” His face still turned to his shelf as he searched for a movie.
That was nice. He wanted his dorm to be clean for you . Even his bedsheets were made; both the top and bottom bunk. Your gaze drifted to the couch, taking in the box of pizza on the coffee table and a few unopened soda cans. “That’s nice of you. But you didn’t have to do that, Abed,” Your tone was soft and appreciative.
He took a deep breath in, his eyes squinting as his fingers flicked through the CDs. “I know. I wanted to.”
That was.. sweet . Your face flushed a light pink color, but you quickly shook your head, trying to not let it get to you. It was just a simple action, nothing for you to overthink there.
You took your camera off of your shoulder and settled it down on the dresser next to the couch as you stood there awkwardly, leaning against the wall. You fixed your shirt, pinching and stretching a few places to distract yourself. “I never thanked you for this shirt, by the way,” You glanced at him as you bit the inside of your mouth out of habit.
“You don’t have to. I told you, I don’t really wear it.”
“I know, but you love Star Trek.”
“It’s fine. The shirt fits you better than it did me anyway.”
That made your eyes widened as you felt your mouth growing dry. That shouldn’t affect you. He just said it fits you better, not that you looked good in it. But something about the idea that he sneaks glances at you, enough times to observe that it fits you perfectly. You rolled your eyes, you already made it a point that he was lying about that. You decided to joke around, seeing if Abed would take it lightly and not accusatory. “But it looks worn?”
You tapped your fingers on your sweatpants, waiting for what he had to say.
“What do you mean?” Abed finally turned to face you, a CD cover clutched in his left hand.
You fixed your posture, pulling yourself off the wall, “It looks worn. You said you’ve never worn it but it looks worn. The stitches and the cracked print? You don’t have to lie about that,” Your lips curled up into a soft smile, “You do know I like Star Trek too?”
Abed walked in front of the television and grabbed the remote from above. “You mentioned it a few times.”
“So, you do wear this shirt?” Your face lit up with a quiet warmth, your eyes sparkling softly. You had caught him right in your imaginary net.
He turned on the television, feeding the CD in. “Maybe a few times.”
“A few times or plenty?”
“Plenty.”
“Why did you give me your shirt that you wore often, then? You don’t even like sharing your clothes.”
Abed stayed silent. You took it as a sign to not bring it up again, you were only teasing but you could understand why he would take it as prying. Great , now the room was silent and awkward. Maybe the way you worded your last sentence made it sound like you were upset with him, you weren’t though.
He stood up, stepping back as he pushed a few buttons on his remote. “Don’t you wanna sit down?”
You swallowed, nodding your head before moving over to the couch. “Where do you want me to sit?”
“Where do you want to sit?”
“Where do you usually sit?” You raised an eyebrow. You knew Abed, he liked his routines and his little shticks meant more to him than he let on; giving you his shirt and letting you sit anywhere on the couch probably bothered him more than he let on. And Abed was a very blunt and honest person, normally he’d tell you if you were messing his schedule up but he seemed to be nicer to you than he was with the others, even the study group. Not as nice as he was to Troy (he has his priorities, hush), but nicer nonetheless.
Abed looked at you with a neutral expression, then on the couch briefly before glancing back at you. “Either side is fine.”
You nodded once more, sitting down in the middle as you waited for him. The television flashes blue before it turns back into a black screen. Abed placed the remote and CD cover on the coffee table, going to his little ‘kitchen’ area and grabbing a bowl from his cupboard. You looked at him all puzzled. “Abed? What are you doing?”
“‘Movie’s starting, keep your eyes on the TV. I’m just grabbing some popcorn in the microwave.”
Oh. Right, popcorn. He promised you that over text. The CD cover falls down the edge of the table, your eyes fall down at the cover as well, 13 Going On 30.
“A romcom?” A grin played on your lips as you picked up the cover.
Abed poured the popcorn on a glass bowl, turning his head to look at you, “We can change it, if you don’t like it.”
“No, no. I like this movie. This is like my third rewatch, I think. I was just surprised that you’d pick this for our small celebration.”
“Why? Is there a social cue I didn’t read?”
You laughed, placing the cover on the table so it wouldn’t topple down again. Your hand reached over for the remote to pause the movie as you didn’t want him to miss it—despite having watched the movie multiple times already as well. “No, I mean.. what I meant was; it’s funny that you picked a romance movie for a small celebration between us two. Almost like..” You stopped yourself before you could say the word. Oh no, why did you even think of saying that? You hoped Abed didn’t notice it.
“Like what?”
You bit the inside of your mouth again, trying to think of something else to change the topic. “Hm?”
“You said it was almost like blank . Almost like what?”
You shook your head, “It’s nothing. I forgot.”
Abed furrowed his brows. He definitely knew you were hiding something. Although he was terrible at reading social cues, he could however read his friends—and he could definitely read you.
“Did you mean like a date?” He crumpled up the popcorn bag,
Shit. It’s okay! You can just.. cover this up. You can do it, come on. You took a deep breath, trying to keep your composure. “What? N-No. No, that’s ridiculous—why would I even suggest that?” You chuckled nervously, covering your face with your hands as you felt yourself growing flustered.
Abed tilted his head, tossing the empty popcorn bag in the bin before he turned to study your face intently. “But you said ‘almost like’.. like what?”
You hesitated, searching for the right words. “I meant it's almost like you’re trying to make this evening special when it’s just a silly celebration for my small dumb luck of a win,” You pinched your arm, you hated that you had to lie.
Abed seemed to consider your explanation, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Okay, I get it. I just wanted tonight to be enjoyable for you. I didn't mean to imply anything else, I’m sorry if you thought I was,” He then joined you on the couch, sitting down on the left side as he settled the popcorn bowl between you two.
You rubbed your face with your hands.
“No—Abed..” You sighed, “I didn’t mean it like that,” You scooted away from him to give space for the bowl of popcorn as you mentally cursed yourself for the little trap you set yourself in.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to elaborate. We can just watch the movie.” Abed smiled. Wait. Abed smiled . Why was he smiling? He reached for the remote in your hands, not questioning your lack of words nor the fact that you just looked at him blankly; still processing what he said.
You don’t have to elaborate . That sounded more comforting than anything anyone’s ever said to you. Why was he being nice? It’s not like you two were best friends. Maybe you’d consider him yours, but his best friend is definitely Troy. You couldn’t help but stare at him all puzzled, but not before softening your expression as you realised he probably said it because he knew what it felt like to constantly explain yourself when people misunderstood or mistook your words. He was showing empathy.
Your hands loosened their grip on the remote as you allowed Abed to take it from you. He pointed the remote to the television, pressing play and placing it back between the two of you.
“You don’t wanna sit on the other side of the couch?” He asked, taking a few popcorn and tossing them in his mouth as he glanced at your eyes.
“No.” You said. Not bothering to follow it up with an explanation. What’s wrong with you? Why were you nervous all of a sudden? Relax. Just watch the film, your nerves will go down.. eventually . You leaned back, taking a soda can and popping it open. You honestly could not care less if your stomach was empty while drinking the can, you’d just grab some popcorn when Abed’s hand was no longer in the bowl; just take a pizza when he decides to open the box.
###
30 minutes and 8 seconds in the movie, you finally began to melt into your seat. Your hand reached over for some popcorn as Abed sat up to open the box of pizza which, oddly enough, didn’t become soggy from the trapped heat inside the cardboard.
“I hope pepperoni is fine?” He abruptly broke the silence, his voice cutting through the background noise of the television, which in return made you snap out of your haze. Your eyes drifted to his face.
“Sorry?”
Abed took a slice from the box, “I hope you don’t mind pepperoni pizza? I forgot to ask you what type you preferred and pepperoni pizza is generally liked by a lot of pizza people.. so I picked that one instead.”
You smiled at his words, specifically when he said ‘ pizza people ’. It was funny; the way he said it. Okay, stop laughing. You’re starting to sound desperate. You reverted back to your neutral expression, nodding your head slowly. “It’s fine. I like pepperoni.”
“Is it your favourite?” He took a small bite of the pizza in his hand. He’s making conversation.. in the middle of a movie. That’s weird . No, no wait. That is weird! He hates it when people talk in the middle of movies. To be fair, no one wants to engage in conversation while watching a film—and if someone did, you’d both probably refer to that person as a psychopath.
You’re getting caught up in your head again that you forgot to respond.
“No. I like pineapples,” You muttered, your gaze going back to the movie.
“Hawaiian?”
“Those are cool too.” You shifted in your seat.
“I’ve never tried those before.” Abed shared, his eyes remained fixated on the screen as he took another bite. The sound of Jennifer Garner’s sweet, child-mimicking voice was beginning to take a toll on your ears, but his presence was a comforting distraction.
You yawned. But you weren’t tired. You just needed a break. The cool breeze throughout the dorm began to sooth your dismissive attitude. Maybe it was the late hours getting to you, but you were certainly in a ‘who cares anyway?’ mood and suddenly the movie wasn’t so interesting anymore.
“You should try it sometime,” This time, you broke the silence. Abed turned his face to you but his eyes glued on the television. “Try what?”
“Pineapple on pizza.” You said, almost cheerfully, “It’s surprisingly good. You’d think it’s a weird combination of flavours—but the sweetness of the pineapple and the saltiness of the ham, sauce and cheese actually compliment one another!”
Abed nodded thoughtfully, his eyes falling on you. “I’ll have to give it a shot, then. I’m always open to new food experiences.”
There was something.. endearing about his earnestness, the way he approached even the simplest things with much thought, and yes, that included pineapple on pizza. You felt your guard lowering, the dead of night and the soothing ambiance loosening your reserved body language.
Rubbing your eyes, you leaned your head on the back of the couch. Okay, now you were definitely sleepy. “Where’s your bathroom again?” You asked.
You expected an immediate answer, when you weren’t met with one—you opened your eyes. You caught Abed staring at you. You couldn’t make out if it was curious staring, the observing kind of staring he usually does, or an.. admiring kind of staring? But his gaze felt intense, and maybe it was just you but you felt strangely warm.
“The door. White, um, white door,” He pointed to the door across the room. Now that you considered it, it was pretty pointless to ask that question. With only two doors in his dorm; one leading outside and the other to the bathroom; it was obvious where each one went. You did notice though, his slight stammer. That was odd.
You thanked him, standing up and fixing your clothes before walking over to the bathroom.
Pushing the door open, you stepped inside and leaned against it as it closed behind you. A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you gently shake your head, trying to clear the jumble of thoughts swirling around. Flicking the lights on, the cool, sterile light of the bathroom provided you a momentary reprieve from the hesitation and reserved feeling you had outside. You move towards the sink, turning on the faucet and letting the cold water run over your fingers down to your palms.
Splashing your face with the icy water, you hoped it would help you focus, but instead, it only sharpened the turmoil in your mind. As droplets drip from your chin, you catch your reflection in the mirror. What’s with you and Abed? Your relationship has always been unique, built on shared quirks and occasional understanding that went beyond words. Yet lately, you’ve been questioning a lot about your feelings, and his.
Does he care about you as much as you care about him—or have you been imagining a depth that isn’t there? The glances, shared jokes, and late night conversations through the phone plays in the back of your head. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were seeing things clearly or through the lens of your own hopes, insecurities and even delusions.
You grip the edges of the sink in an attempt to steady yourself. Why did this relationship concern you so much more than.. anything else in your life? The uncertainty was eating away at you. Is Abed just being himself, or was there something that he’s not saying?
The subtle rumbling from outside caught your attention as you turned the water off. The volume of the television seemed to be going down. You wiped your hands behind your shirt as you approached the door. The noises were probably just Abed doing something, you couldn’t be bothered to think of what exactly he was doing. All you wanted to do was to finish the movie, say your goodbyes and go back to sleep—what you originally had planned for your night.
You flicked the lights off. Turning the doorknob, you pulled the door open only to be met with a—
FLASH!
“Ow! What the hell?!” You closed your eyes, rubbing them with your free hand.
It had taken you a second to realise the flash was Abed’s doing; he took a photo of you.
You took your hand off the doorknob to swat him away, “Abed! Delete that!” You scolded him, opening your eyes a bit as your pupils tried to adjust back to the lighting of his dorm.
“I can’t. It’s already printing,” He explained in his usual expressionless tone.
Now you opened your eyes wide and immediately lunged at him, accidentally pushing him down the couch. “You took a photo on my camera?!” You pulled your camera away from his hands and onto yours.
Abed’s expression didn’t change as you both ended up in a heap on the couch, his lanky limbs tangling with yours. “It’s a candid shot. Very authentic. You’re a photographer, you should know this,” he explained nonchalantly, as if being tackled was a regular occurrence for him.
You rolled your eyes as you scoffed, the photo printed out of your camera and fell on your hand. It was still foggy, having just been printed but you could already tell that he had just wasted a film on you. “Authentic, my ass.. I probably look like a drowned rat!” You scowled at him, showing the film in front of his face.
Though the photo wasn’t set yet, he looked at it then back at you. “Rats are very photogenic in the right light,” he pointed his finger up as he explained, you could tell it was obvious sarcasm. You were actually a bit impressed, he actually used sarcasm correctly this time.
Still irritated, you start to feel the corners of your mouth tug upwards. Perhaps, he was just trying to lighten your reserved mood. You couldn’t help but snort at his absurdity, your worries slipping away.
“Oh, is that right? Well, let’s see how photogenic you are, then!” In one quick motion, you pointed the camera at him and snapped a photo.
FLASH!
Abed blinked at the flash, a smile played on his lips. “That’s not very fair,” he said, untangling himself from you and reaching for the camera. Luckily, you pulled it away just in time, standing up and holding it out of his reach. “Oh, now you wanna talk about fairness? Come and get it, tough guy,” you teased, waving your camera above and squinting at his playful reaction.
He stood up too, a glint of challenge over his eyes. “In that case..” he started, before grabbing a pillow from his couch and tossing it to your face.
You squealed, darting across the room as you dodged his attempts to get your camera. “A pillow fight?! This wasn’t in the script!” You jokingly yelled, running around in circles as he chased after you.
“You’re right. This is improvisation,” He added, grasping your shirt (his shirt, really) from behind and pulling you towards him. You fell back to his touch, your face flushed pink as you tried to run away from his grasp.
Laughing, you let the camera fall to his hands as you sat down on the floor, snatching a pillow to cover your face from the flash, throwing one on his legs to try and out-balance him but to no avail. What did you expect? They were tiny pillows.
Abed tried to counterattack with another pillow as he held your camera with his other hand carefully. He was always careful with your belongings, hence why you trusted him the most out of everyone in the study group, the second was a tie between Troy and Annie. “How am I supposed to capture your face if you’re hiding?” He lets out a soft chuckle. It made your stomach flutter a bit—that sound, you didn’t know you needed to hear until now.
“I don’t like seeing my face in my pictures!” You let out a hearty laugh, and even as the laughter fades, the corners of your lips remain uplifted. Your cheeks, warm and tinged with a rosy hue. His eyes crinkled in amusement as he listened to you. His voice, though usually flat, now carried a playful tone. “I think your face is photogenic, even when you’re hiding.”
You peeked out from behind the pillow, your eyes had a certain twinkle in them as you looked up at him. You couldn’t help but grin, feeling the warmth of his words melt away your insecurities. “I hope you’re aware that flattery will get you nowhere,” you bantered, lowering the pillow slightly but still keeping your face half-covered.
He then took a step closer, crouching down to your level. “I know,” He spoke in a softer tone, almost whispering, “But it was worth a try,” His free hand reached up to pull the pillow down altogether.
Suddenly, that same strange warmth you felt earlier—it came back. Though he remained a few inches away, he still felt so near you; near your face. You blinked, keeping your eyes on his and not letting it go down his lips.. hey, hey! What are you doing? Don’t look. You just said you wouldn’t?
Was this another one of his characters again? Or was it just.. him? You honestly couldn’t tell anymore, and you didn’t know if you wanted to know. Thinking this was just Abed being himself made you feel all giddy inside.
“You know,” he murmured, “you look even better up close.” His compliment made your lips part slightly in surprise as you considered how to respond—caught between teasing him back playfully, feeling a bit flustered, or choosing not to react at all. It made you pause to process the unexpected but flattering sentiment.
Closing your parted lips, you swallowed. “Real smooth, Abed,” you replied softly, your voice barely audible as you struggled to find the right words while maintaining the playful energy.
His eye contact never wavered—eyes locked onto yours with an intensity you hadn’t noticed before. “I’ve been studying romantic leads,” he admitted, his voice a whisper that seemed to wrap around you. You could listen to that again and again.
You couldn't help but chuckle softly at his honesty, the playful banter giving way to something more tender. “For someone who has trouble with social cues, you surely know how to press my buttons; the good and bad ones,” You tried to keep your tone light despite the butterflies in your stomach.
He tilted his head slightly, considering his answer. “Maybe I’m just good at reading you,” he said, his hand still resting on the pillow in your lap.
As cliché as it sounded, you surely felt your heart skip a beat. “I need to be more unpredictable; ‘gotta keep you on your toes,” you joked, which in return made Abed’s lips curved into a small, genuine smile. “You could be a little more unpredictable,” he nodded, his eyes shining with a warmth that made you feel seen in a way you hadn’t before. A pink tint went across your face.
Without notice, one of Abed’s CD rentals fell off his shelf and hit his radio. You both glance at the radio, bracing yourself for what music it may produce. A soft tune came out, and you immediately recognised the song belonging to an artist named Clairo . What a coincidence. Her songs were just what you needed.
You take the camera from his hand, “We need more pictures if we wanna make this an actual celebration,” You got the camera up at an angle you were sure captured both you and him in the frame. “I thought you said it wasn’t a big deal?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh hush, just smile for the polaroid, Abed.”
And he obliged, leaning closer to you as he flashed his warm smile—the one he usually does when caught off guard by a joke you or Troy made. You beamed, your eyes squinting slightly as you snapped a picture.
FLASH!
The white film slid out, you placed it on the coffee table to develop as you set the camera down beside it. You could see from the corner of your eye—Abed reaching for another pillow but you quickly turned around to take it from him. “How about.. no more pillow fights?” You tilted your head downwards but your eyes stayed on his. He just looked at you, blinking as he processed the emotion you had on your face. You slowly got up on your feet, taking both of his hands on your palms, “Let’s dance instead.”
“I don’t dance,” he admitted with a hint of uncertainty.
“Can’t you improvise?” You said with a gentle tone. He nodded.
The soft melody of Clairo ’s “Pretty Girl” filled his dorm. You swayed your body to the rhythm, pulling Abed along with you. He was a bit stiff at first, and a bit awkward that you had to bite the inside of your mouth to stop your laughter, though gradually you could see him loosening up. He tried his best to match your steps with more fluidity. “That’s it, just follow the rhythm.. aaand have fun..” You guided him, not letting go of his hands but leaving yours loose enough to let him know he could pull away if he wanted to—he never did. His eyes drifted down to your socks, his steps copying yours. You found yourself being grateful that Abed had invited you over instead of just sleeping the night off.
Lost in the moment, you felt the music wrapping around the two of you like a soft hug.
Soon enough, the song changed to “Steeeam” by Shelly and you slipped your hands off of his to dance on your own. You twirled around the room, your laughter mingling with the music. Abed watched you move around.
Touch me the right way, baby
I’ll do it again, I’ll do it again
Sending messages, hoping that you check it
But do you mind?
A gentle curl on his lips as he bent down to grab the camera, putting it up to his eye and snapping a picture of you without your knowledge.
FLASH!
His face flushes, knowing he had just captured a polaroid of you dancing in his room. He quickly took the photo that was printed out of your camera and placed it in the pocket of his pajamas. Before you could catch him he quickly, to the best of his ability, attempted to dance without your guide.
Breathless from the dance, you both collapsed on the couch, grinning. Abed reached for the popcorn bowl on the table, offering it to you. “Popcorn break?”
You nodded, taking a handful. “Don’t mind if I do,” as you munched on the popcorn, your eyes wandered to the developing polaroids that were faced down, scattered on the table. One of them was you next to the bathroom door earlier, the other of Abed when you were tangled up with him and the last of you two smiling to the camera.
You made a small noise, getting his attention. “Let’s take another one!” You suggested, reaching over for the camera. You turned it around before seeing a hand on yours. “Abed?”
Turning your head up, you saw him looking at the object in your hands. “Can I take a photo of you this time? Again?” He asked, his hand slipping to your camera. You sighed, before nodding.
“Sure, just make sure to capture my good side, yeah?”
He laughed, nodding as you handed it to him. You threw up a peace sign, your face lighting up.. not really at the camera but at Abed instead, that made your smile more genuine. “On three..” He whispered from behind, “One.. two—”
FLASH!
“Can I see?” You murmured, glancing at him.
He took the photo out carefully, handing it to you. “It’s still developing,” he explained, putting the camera down your lap before leaning towards the coffee table for a slice of pizza. “Pizza time,” He said, taking a bite of his food.
You smiled, knowing fully that he was referencing Maguire’s Spider-Man. “This better be good,” You gestured to the photo, setting it down alongside the rest of the ones you’ve taken tonight.
“You’re more than welcome to destroy my copy of Sixteen Candles if you don’t like it,” He pointed his finger up. You scoffed at his bet, “Ugh, don’t talk with food in your mouth..” You nudged him playfully, bringing the camera up to your eyes.
FLASH!
Another photo, this time of Abed eating pizza getting caught mid-bite, his expression a mix of both surprise and joy. You laughed, lowering the camera as you waited for the polaroid to print out. “Caught right in the act,” you teased, pulling the foggy film out to show him.
Abed glanced at the picture, then back at you with a smirk, “It’s pizza time, I told you,” he replied.
You shook your head, grin plastered on your lips, “Well, at least now we know that someone is photogenic.” Abed raised an eyebrow at your words, you always loved it when he was expressive around you, “Careful, I might just start a whole pizza-themed documentary.”
“Can I be a part of it?” you countered with a playful yet hopeful gaze. He shrugged casually, finishing his bite before leaning back on the couch, “You can be the star—you have the look for it.”
“Are you calling me attractive?”
He paused, before nodding. “Whatever you interpret it as. Sure.”
You looked at him, your heart light and your smile ever-lasting. You couldn’t help but feel grateful for the unplanned hangout you two shared that brought you closer. The warm lighting of the room, the faint music on the radio and his presence—everything feels so right . “I’m glad you invited me over,” You leaned back on the couch with him, following his gaze on the ceiling. Abed nodded, a small yet genuine smile on his lips, “I’m happy you even replied to my text.”
A brief comfortable silence fell between the two of you, your eyes fell on the clock up his wall. The time was roughly around 1:37. You turned to watch the moon outside his window.
“Your shirt,” Abed spoke, making you glance at him. He inhaled through his nose. That’s weird, why were you looking at his nose? Stop it. Look somewhere else. “I gave it to you for the same reason I let Troy borrow my DVDs and mixtapes.”
It took a minute for you to interpret what he said; what he meant. What did he mean anyway? “Because he’s your best friend?”
“Yep.” He said, with his usual emotionless face.
Your brows furrowed even further. Okay, now you were really confused.
“So I’m also your best friend?”
He was silent. For a couple seconds anyway. He looked around, as if to think of something to say.
“Sure. That’s one way to say it.”
Huh? One way to say it?
“Because.. we’re close?” You tilted your head.
He glanced at you, that soft smile still on his face, “That’s also another way to say it.”
You mirrored his expression. He considered you two to be close. For someone who was as reserved as he is, that surely was an achievement. More so than your Spelling Bee win. You didn’t really understand what he meant, but you didn’t have to. You were content with what he said. A thought then crosses your mind.
“Abed,” you began hesitantly, “do you ever feel like.. like you’re watching life happen instead of living it?”
He turned to you fully now, his gaze intense and searching. “Sometimes. It’s easy to fall into that mindset when you’re always analyzing, always observing. But moments like these,” he gestured to the half-opened pizza box and the polaroids you had scattered around his floor, “remind me that I’m a part of it, too.”
His words resonated with you. Suddenly, this ‘mini’ celebration wasn’t so bad afterall. Maybe this is just what you needed, what you wanted all along; closure.
“Yeah,” you whispered, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. “Me too.”
####
Timecheck; it was around 3:45 AM when you both started cleaning up the dorm. The movie was long finished, you couldn’t exactly tell when but you were willing to guess it ended around the time you took a photo of Abed eating a slice of pizza—speaking of which, there were leftovers. And though you insisted that he keep it, he was persistent to give you the slices in one of his lunch containers. You accepted, promising to give it back to him. He nodded, saying you could give it back to him anytime.
Right now, you were just washing the glass bowl you two shared popcorn in on his sink, making sure there wasn’t any oil residue left. Abed was busy hiding the polaroid pictures on his makeshift bed for them on his top bunk where it wouldn’t be touched nor bothered by him or anyone. You found it adorable, but you bit your lip to fight your laughter. Turns out, he was paying attention to you whenever you geeked on and on about your photography class and about the common mistake of not keeping polaroid pictures in the dark.
You placed the bowl on the drying rack, heading over to the bunk bed. “You got any room up there for me?” You asked. Abed looked down at you from the top bunk before scooting over to give you some space, “Yep! Hop on.”
Being mindful of your step, you hopped up his bunk bed using the chair that he placed on the side.
“You should really get a ladder for your bunk bed, Abed. Not everyone is like.. 6’0” something, whatever your height is,” You suggested, fixing your shirt as you looked at him placing the photos under the thick folded blankets.
He grinned, placing the last photo at the very bottom. “Yeah, I will. Don’t worry,” He rubbed his hands together.
You shook your head, unsure if he was listening again. You looked down at the pattern on his pajamas, thinking of a new topic to talk about. Your eyes drifted down to his pants.. then to his pocket. What is that? There’s a white piece of.. something sticking out. You sighed, not bothering to take it out. It’s not like it was your business anyway.
“You’re going home now, aren’t you?” Abed turned to face you. You frowned at his question. You didn’t want to leave either but asking to stay was too much, not to mention that would either mean he sleeps on the couch or you would—neither of which you wanted to happen. Or.. you could share a bed? No. Nope, you’re not doing that movie trope. Dancing with radio music was already your trope for tonight, adding another one would be chaos.
You slowly nodded, getting off the top bunk. “Yeah, unfortunately,” You went to get your camera from the couch. “I wish I could stay but I have class in the morning..” You explained.
It was his turn to frown now. “That’s okay. You can stay over another night,” He watches as you tuck your camera in its bag, “Maybe tomorrow night?” His face lightens up at the idea.
You smile, your back turned to him. He was eager to have you around. Maybe he did care about you as much as you thought. Shifting your stance, you observed the expression he had. “Tomorrow night it is.”
He beams, walking over to you. You thought he was gonna tell you something but instead he just puts his head on your shoulder. What was he doing?
“Abed? Are you hugging me?”
He nodded.
You stifle a chuckle, wrapping your arms around his lanky frame. “This is one way to hug,” You teased, feeling a smile form on his lips as he leaned further down your shoulder.
The ‘hug’ was brief so to speak and soon you had to let go of him. “Thank you for tonight,” You thanked him, placing a hand on his arm, “I appreciate it, a lot, actually.” He lowered his gaze to your hand, before staring back at you. “I appreciate your company too. We should do this more often,” He replied, a subtle gleam in his eyes.
“We should. I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish the movie,” You pulled your hands back to your sides. His eyebrows furrowed, “I wasn’t talking about the movie, I mean hanging out, just the two of us. That was fun.” He said. You felt your cheeks warm up as you hid your face.
“It was.. I have to go home now, though. A few more hours and there’ll be daylight.” You took the container of leftover pizza that he left on the table, heading to his door afterwards. Abed just stood there, processing his thoughts and what he wanted to do and what was appropriate for the moment. He closed his eyes shut before opening them and running up to you. You felt your wrist being pulled back. “Wait, let me walk you home,” He offered.
“Sure, whatever you want.” You shrugged.
#####
Once you made sure that Abed made it back to his dorm safely, you opened up your camera on your bed to replace the films you used at his place. You counted the remaining films. One, two, three.. four? No, no, that wasn’t right. Four films left? You had ten when you left your apartment, you used five at Abed’s.. where was the other one? Did you miscount before you left?
Ping!
You jumped up, groaning as you picked up your phone from the other side of the bed. You need to set your device to silent, that notification sound is starting to make your ears bleed. Not literally.
Unlocking your device, you see that the notification was from none other than Abed. He sent a photo?
4:03 AM
Abed (from spanish)
sent a photo.
You clicked on the image, waiting for it to load on your screen. If only you didn’t have the worst internet in the world. When it finally came to screen, you were confused. It was a polaroid photo of you dancing earlier—but you don’t remember taking that photo.
You
did u take a photo of me without me knowing?
Abed (from spanish)
Yes. I’m going to keep this. :]
You
okayy haha
but just for the record
im taking that photo of u eating a pizza btw
Abed (from spanish)
You are more than welcome to do so.
I’ll give it to you in the study room tomorrow.
You
great. see yaa ^-^
He reacted with a heart to your message. You smiled, now that you knew where your missing film was, it didn’t bother you so much anymore. You couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow, and the polaroids. Oh, and you were definitely gonna show them to the study group.