Chapter Text
Whoever decided to put so many group projects in a senior level course deserves to be sent to the deepest depths of the Abyss. Only the deepest circle of the hellscape is a befitting punishment for the creator of group assignments. Actually the deepest ring may even be less painful than this current group.
Lumine Viatrix is not amused. At the very least, she thought that a senior capstone would mean everybody knew the drill. That after three full years of college these people know how to organize a research project and distribute tasks. Somehow that skill has escaped all her group members. Lumine has tried to schedule their first meeting three separate times. Of course no one replied. By the time her shambly group got their act together, they had one night to submit their topic and an annotated outline.
To add to their dire situation, the library is packed. It’s only the second week of classes, but the pace of the academics here shows no mercy. With due dates already looming, there are no meeting rooms to be had. Que an annoying hunt through the library to find a table for six that isn’t in the quiet section and has power outlets - because of course someone forgot to charge their laptop.
Even an hour after they settle into their spot they are no closer to choosing a topic and Lumine is one dumb question away from strangling someone.
This is supposed to be a fun class. The culmination of three years of study. A chance to really demonstrate she knew her stuff and hopefully get a glowing recommendation from her professor. Instead this “collaborative” project is ruining the start of her semester! Last time she checked there was no group tuition, so being graded as a group is pure insanity.
Three hours into their meeting, she finally wrangles them into deciding on a topic and sets everyone to task. Praise the Archons! Lumine is making good progress and starting to believe she will be free of this torture before midnight.
But of course this project is cursed.
“Ugh I can’t work any more,” Donna whines. “My brain can’t function without caffeine and we’ve been here so long I’m practically going through withdrawals.”
“Should we take a break,” Timaeus asks, looking up from his laptop.
“Well how far did you get in your section,” Margaret asks, frowning at the other two.
“Eh well I’ve found a few helpful sources,” Timaeus replies, switching to look at his phone. “Still need to skim through them a bit but should be fine.”
The others murmur similar levels of progress. It isn’t great, but it is a start. Probably enough to warrant a break. At least until they get back to Donna’s progress
“Oh well I actually still need to start selecting sources for my section,” Donna says nervously.
“And what have you been doing this whole time,” Margaret asks, genuinely confused.
A pregnant silence fills the room and Lumine prays to whatever Archon will hear her.
“Well I actually have another paper due next week and I really need to make progress on that,” Donna cringes.
Apparently the Archons don’t listen.
The table explodes into arguments. The group bickers over deadlines that hadn’t bothered anyone before Lumine spent the last week hounding them. She wants to cry. Why did she always end up in such dysfunctional groups? Maybe it's her. Maybe she just attracts chaos and the Archons abandoned her long ago.
* ding*
Before Lumine can spiral any further she checks her phone.
Ajax: Hey pretty girl what are you up to?
Lumine: suffering through the worst punishments known to man.
Ajax: oof group project not going well?
Lumine: Dealing with the heavenly principles was probably easier than working with this group
Ajax: Haha, I’m sure you would have given them a run for their money
Ajax: where are you anyway?
Lumine: Hell
Ajax: Haha got it ;)
“Hey Lumine, what should we do here,” Margaret asks.
Oh it seems her group finished their squabbles and - of course - now turns to her to actually remedy the situation. What a joy. With one more sigh, Lumine rubs her temples while looking over her notes.
“Let’s put everything together and see how far we’ve gotten,” Lumine says, trying to be diplomatic. It probably isn't going to be great, but maybe she can save herself from an all nighter in this hellscape.
Everyone grumbles their consent, not without throwing irked glares at Donna. The shared file fills slowly. It is definitely a disjointed mess, but salvageable. Unfortunately, the kind of salvageable that requires more caffeine and brain power than Lumine has left in her system. Maybe she can afford to let this first assignment suck. Even if she really, really wants a good letter from this professor.
Why were group projects ever invented?
“Hey girlie, how's it going?” comes the familiar sing-song cadence of her self-proclaimed best friend. Before she can turn around, Ajax leans over her, already scrolling through her computer. “Well at least there are words on the page.”
Ajax ‘Childe’ Alekseev is a tidal wave of energy. Even as the clock approaches midnight, his copper hair is playfully tousled and cobalt eyes are crinkled in a smile, full of easy charisma. Her very own personal menace since she stumbled into his lecture by mistake freshman year.
“What are you doing here,” Lumine asks as she swats at him to get off her. He takes it in stride, simply slipping into the seat next to her, his arm over the back of her chair. She glares at him, which only makes his smile widen.
“I brought snacks,” He says beaming.
It is then that Lumine notices the steaming travel box of coffee and donuts spread across the table. Ah caffeine and sugar, the ambrosia of late night study sessions. Happy murmurs replace her group’s earlier grumbles as they dig into the bountiful offering. Some of them openly weep at the sight of fresh coffee.
Lumine blinks back her surprise. She turns back to face Ajax, more questions on the tip of her tongue.
“Oh yeah this is for you,” Ajax says, cutting her off and placing a warm travel cup in her hands. “You said you were trying to cut back coffee this semester, so I got you a matcha latte instead.”
He says it so casually, barely noticing Lumine’s stunned silence as he leans over to snag a donut. And really this is how he always is. Moving through her life like an undertow, stirring up things she doesn’t know what to do with. At least today she can blame her bewilderment on her exhaustion.
“How did you know I was here,” Lumine asks, taking a sip from her drink and trying not to focus on the fact that he brought it - and really everything else - just for her.
“You said you were in the Library,” Ajax replies as he munches on the snacks he brought.
“I said I was in hell,” Lumine deadpans.
“Same difference,” He says, waving off her reply as he swallows. “I figured you would be missing my glorious presence. And knowing you, you haven’t taken any breaks.”
Lumine purses her lips, not wanting to admit to either statement. Sometimes it is annoying how well he knows her. Knows when she is pushing herself too hard and just how to swoop in and get her to take a break. But she will never admit that, because then she will have to admit to other things and that is a stone better left unturned.
So in all her wondrous wisdom, she pivots.
“I thought you had an away game today,” Lumine asks.
“Yeah, but it finished early,” Ajax shrugs. “The other team really didn’t stand a chance. You should come to the next game.”
“You know I know next to nothing about hockey right,” Lumine hums.
“All you have to do is cheer when I score,” Ajax chuckles. “Oh and when I slam someone into the wall.”
“You do that all the time,” Lumine says aghast.
“See then you do know what’s going on,” Ajax says smiling brightly as Lumine scowls at him.
“You’re incorrigible,” Lumine sighs.
“One of my many amazing traits,” He replies undeterred.
He hangs around filling the impromptu break with easy conversation. How his practice schedule is going, restaurants he saw on TeyGram he thinks she would like, options for their next movie night. Lumine is content to let him fill the silence. His familiar cadence and her cozy matcha latte are a nice mental break from the stress of the project.
Sometimes, he is the biggest pain in the neck. There are days when it feels like his sole purpose is to annoy her. When he gets some ridiculous idea stuck in his head and nothing can deter him. When he pesters her constantly to compete with him in some challenge he concocts. Sometimes she spends the entire encounter wondering why they are even friends.
But then when life is really overwhelming, he makes it easy to just be. She doesn’t have to fix anyone else’s problems or be the picture perfect version of Lumine others expect. She can be angry, grumpy, excited, lazy, silly, or whatever she is feeling and she never has to worry that he will think less of her.
That is a scary thought.
“You should rearrange this a bit,” Ajax says, pulling her from her thoughts
“Huh?”
Sometime during his meandering rant he stole her laptop and is currently scrolling through the rough outline of her group project.
“Why are you snooping through my stuff,” Lumine hisses, swatting at him and trying to get her computer back from the nosey thief.
“Well I wanted to see what a project from hell looks like,” Ajax replies, using his body to block Lumine’s attempts at getting her laptop back, unbothered by her attacks.
Case and point: her personal menace.
“See look, this would flow better,” Ajax hums, angling the laptop for her to see as she is draped over his side.
Lumine pauses her barrage of attacks, scanning over the changes he made.
“You’re such an econ major, putting all the financial incentives first,” Lumine grumbles, taking back her laptop, but she doesn’t discard too many of his changes.
Really it wasn’t too shabby.
“Yeah, yeah, we shouldn’t have to convince people to care about humanity,” Ajax says with no real bite to his tone. “But you have to admit, this looks better.”
She rolls her eyes but continues working on the outline. It does look better. A fresh pair of eyes and a fresh dose of caffeine were exactly what she needed. As Lumine settles back in front of her laptop, Ajax gathers up his things.
“You’re leaving?” Lumine asks, a tinge of surprise in her tone as she looks up at him.
“Sorry pretty girl, early morning practice tomorrow,” Ajax hums, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
He hadn’t even pretended to do work. He came to the library after a game with another early morning ahead of him just because she was having a hard time. What is she supposed to think?
“Don’t forget about the next game,” Ajax says, giving her one last expectant look as he turns to leave.
“Ajax,” Lumine calls, stopping him before he gets too far away. “I’ll text you about the game… And thanks for the snacks.”
“Anytime pretty girl,” He says, his signature smirk stretched across his face. And then he’s gone.
She wonders if he knows what all this does to her heart.
“Oh my gosh was he your boyfriend?” Donna asks, giddy and clearly eager to gossip.
Right, her group was there the whole time.
“Oh um-”
“Obviously,” Timaeus says, cutting Lumine off. “Who else would come to the library at midnight when they don’t have to.”
“And he brought snacks!” Donna squeals. “Top notch boyfriend material!”
“He’s not actually-” Lumine starts but is quickly cut off.
“Yeah it was a good break,” Margaret says, stretching before settling back at her laptop. “But we should probably get back to work if we want to leave before dawn. Especially since someone wasn’t even working on the outline before.”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Donna apologizes. “Now that I’ve been re-caffeinated I’ll finish in no time!”
The group settles back into their laptops, mumbling to themselves about the work left to be done. Everyone seems re-energized and based on the changes she already made there is real hope the group will finish in the next hour.
She should be ecstatic.
Instead, Lumine sits there trying to figure out the least awkward way to circle back to the very important point that Ajax is not in fact her boyfriend.