Work Text:
Aventurine stared out the window, pencil twirling absentmindedly in between his fingers with a practised ease. The professor rambled on and on about whatever today’s lesson was, his words going in one ear and out the other. He already knew what he needed to in this class, only taking it since he needed the credits. So each day was spent in boredom as he waited for his torture to end.
He wished something exciting would happen for once—
“—and Aventurine.” The call of his name snapped him out of his thoughts, meeting the professor's exasperated face. Aventurine merely smiled, pretending to have been paying attention. The professor sighed, more than used to his antics by now. The man had long since stopped caring since Aventurine got good grades and completed all of his assignments on time. “If he’s too much trouble, let me know and I’ll reassign you to a new partner.”
The professor’s words were spoken to another student with dark purple hair. He didn’t know the other man's name, uncaring of any of his fellow classmates in this unnecessary class. The man turned around and Aventurine’s eyes widened when he saw his face. The man was unfairly pretty, from his sharp features to the open chested shirt he wore.
Aventurine regretted not paying any attention to his classmates sooner, this class would’ve been a lot more entertaining with this hunk of a man to drool over.
“Ratio.” The man sat down beside him, introducing himself with nothing more than a curt nod.
“Ratio? As in the Ratio?” Aventurine whistled. Everyone in their college has heard of Ratio, the man without a doubt the smartest person in the entire school. He’s heard all kinds of people fawn over the man, whether it be his impressive grades or his handsome looks. He always assumed the comments about his appearance were over exaggerating but he could see now why people of every gender were drooling over the man.
Ratio grimaced before nodding.
“Well I hope you aren’t expecting any special treatment then, we both have to do our share of this project.” Aventurine teased, his grin widening when Ratio frowned.
“Of course I’m going to do my half.” Ratio’s eyes roamed over Aventurine, taking in his improper position on his chair with a barely disguised look of disbelief. “Can the same be said about you?”
“Oh you’re a lot feistier than I was expecting.” Aventurine chuckled.
“And you’re a lot more annoying then I thought you’d be for how little you talk in every lesson.” Ratio rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the project paper in front of them.
Aventurine froze, pretending to read the paper alongside him. He didn’t think a man like Ratio would ever notice someone like him, let alone more than once. His other classmates all ignored him, which was a lot better than any of the horrible comments others liked to say to his face. It had been a long time since anyone had been able to surprise him and despite his annoyance, Aventurine couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face.
He wished he had paid attention to his classmates much sooner, excited to see just how entertaining his project partner proved to be.
The answer—a lot.
Aventurine was like a kid in a toy store, unlimited entertainment at his fingertips in the form of a purple haired man. Ratio’s buttons were easy to push, their pattern becoming second nature with how much Aventurine played him like a cheap kazoo.
Though his torments were never taken laying down, as Ratio always returned Avneturine’s fire with a fire of his own. It was refreshing to find someone who could keep up with his antics, everyone else too timid or hot headed to handle his constant teasing. Even Topaz and Jade, friends he’s known since middle school, sometimes had a hard time dealing with his shenanigans.
Yet despite their constant bickering, the two worked together so perfectly on the project that it surprised even their professor. Each carried their own weight, easily working off the other in near perfect sync. It seemed nearly impossible for them to work together so well, yet here they were.
Though perhaps the most surprising part of their “friendship”, Ratio never once tried to switch partners.
He was wrong, so fucking wrong.
The most surprising part were the feelings that developed so quickly Aventurine was defenseless to stop them.
Aventurine didn’t care much for romance, yet he felt like a chick in a rom com, no matter how much he wanted to deny the growing crush. He was certain it would only end in heartbreak, there was no way Ratio felt the same way, not when he could have someone that was leagues better than him.
That is, if the man even cared for romance in the first place.
The man always had his nose buried in a book, so perhaps knowledge was the only thing he truly loved.
Yet that did nothing to stop his stupid heart skipping a beat, no matter how much he tried to stop it. Like everything else in his life, it did not want to listen to what he wanted.
Aventurine did his best to ignore it, but as the two sat in the library reading books in silence, he couldn’t help but sneak a few glances. It wasn’t his fault the sun was shining on the man near perfectly through the window, highlighting his beauty even more. It was honestly unfair how pretty he was, no one could blame Aventurine for not being able to concentrate.
“Is there something on my face?” Ratio questioned, forcing Aventurine to realize he had been caught red handed.
“Yes.” He chuckled, trying to play it off like he normally did. His hand reached up, unconsciously tracing Ratio’s handsome cheeks. Even his skin felt soft despite being certain the man never took care of himself that extensively.
It was so unfair, stupid Ratio and his stupid—
Said man cleared his throat, startling Aventurine when he realized what he was doing. Aventurine quickly moved his hand, booping Ratio’s nose and chuckling as he flinched back.
“You have a nose.” Aventurine attempted to play it off like he had meant to do that.
“...what?” Ratio blinked at him again, an unreadable expression on his face.
“You asked if you have something on your face.” Aventurine booped his nose again. “You have a nose.”
Ratio seemed like he had stopped functioning and Aventurine worried for a brief moment that he had accidentally broken the man, though he couldn’t fathom how.
Perhaps he had made him uncomfortable…?
Thankfully Ratio began moving only a few moments later, hiding his head behind his book.
“...focus on your work.” Ratio practically demanded, though it strangely seemed to lack its usual bark.
Aventurine chuckled as he resumed his work, trying to hide his embarrassment as he scolded himself for letting his feelings get the better of him.
He was too distracted to notice Ratio sneaking peeks at him from behind his book. And thus failed to notice the faint pink dusting the man’s cheeks.
Their group project ended a lot sooner than Aventurine would’ve liked, sadness weighing him down that he would no longer get to spend time with Ratio. The man barely put up with him when he was forced to, why would he willingly do so?
So he was surprised when Ratio joined him for lunch as if nothing had changed. Aventurine didn’t look the gift horse in its stupidly handsome mouth, savoring the little time they had left together. He was probably just following up.
Yet no mention of the project came up the entire lunch, the two bickering as usual.
Strangely though, Ratio almost appeared to be… nervous? It was hard to tell, since the man never expressed his emotions like a normal person. Yet the closer to the end of their meal he seemed to grow more and more restless.
Aventurine swallowed the disappointment in his throat, waiting for the bomb to drop. Waiting for Ratio to say he didn’t wish to deal with him anymore now that their project was said and done.
Yet to his surprise, it never came.
“...are you busy after classes today?” Ratio suddenly questioned as Aventurine was standing to leave.
“No, not really.” Aventurine raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
“Meet me at the hill behind the college.”
Aventurine didn’t have time to question why before the man was gone.
He blinked, wondering what all of that was about.
Aventurine met Ratio where he had asked once his classes were done, finding the man already standing there underneath the large tree.
As he climbed the hill, he noticed the flower petals falling around him. He glanced up at the cherry blossom tree above them, a faint memory tickling at the back of his mind. Yet for the life of him, he couldn’t recall what.
“Why did you want to meet here?” Aventurine asked.
“...Do you know what this place is known for?” Ratio answered his question with another question.
“No.” Aventurine resisted the urge to strangle the answer out of the man. He didn’t understand why he was acting so shy all of a sudden—
A light bulb went off in Aventurine’s head, the memory finally returning to him as the dots connected. He’s heard talk of this tree in passing, mostly when—
“This is the place where people confess— oh.” Aventurine blinked, resisting the urge to run. “Very funny.”
“...What?” Ratio frowned, eyes practically burning holes into him as he tried to decipher what he was talking about.
“I knew we didn’t get along that well, but I didn’t think you were this cruel.” Aventurine chuckled darkly to himself. He should’ve known better. “Laugh as much as you want, I’m leaving—”
“Wait.” Ratio grabbed his wrist. “I think you misunderstood why I asked you to come here.”
Aventurine didn’t respond, not wanting to get his hopes up.
“I…” Ratio paused, trying to find the words. “...wanted to ask you out on a date.”
“...you’re not joking?”
“I’m not.”
Aventurine searched Ratio’s face for any hint of a lie, yet could not find even a tiny trace.
“Why?” Aventurine asked.
“What do you mean, why?”
“Why me?”
Aventurine wanted to hate the fact that Ratio knew him so well, reading him like an open book. It made him feel raw and exposed, a feeling he was not used to.
“Because you’re the only one who’s ever treated me like a normal person.” Ratio answered honestly.
Maybe the reason Ratio understood him so well was because the two were more alike than he thought. People put Ratio on a pedestal, never caring for their idolized statues' feelings. Whereas most judged Aventurine before they got to know him, assuming the worst simply because of where he came from. Most did not treat either of them like the normal humans they were, but the two were not most.
“I’d love to go on a date with you.” Aventurine finally answered after a long stretch of silence, his lips curving up in a small smile. His eyes drifted to the petals falling around them, trying to distract himself from his heart attempting to beat out of his chest. “Though I didn’t think you were the romantic type.”
“I’m not…” Ratio admitted with a chuckle. “Your friend, Jade, said this would be the optimal place to ask you out.”
Aventurine wasn’t sure whether to thank the woman or strangle her, so he settled with pulling Ratio in for a kiss.