Work Text:
Nick took a long, deep breath. He held it for a second, then breathed out just as slow. With his right hand the pinched his nose and shut his eyes.
“Did… Did I do something wrong?”
Tao was sitting on the opposite side of the library table. In front of the two boys were a math textbook open to page _ and some scrap paper with numbers scribbled out on it. Tao’s face had the expression everyone has in a math class, that one pikachu meme face. Mouth open slightly with eyes that reflected the owner’s confusion.
Nick sighed harder, jokingly of course. “Look at the signs.” Tao did as told but looked back up equally confused as he just was.
“I subtracted 2x and -2x? Did I not do it right?”
Nick huffed a disbelieving laugh. “Look at the Ys. What is 3x minus -5x?”
Tao looked at the paper before understanding took over his face and he burst out laughing. Nick immediately followed.
It took awhile before both boys called down. Tao wiped a tear as he erased the wrong numbers and corrected them.
Nick watched quickly as Tao completed the problem correctly, then hummed a yes when Tao looked up for feedback.
“Now was that so hard?”
Tao chuckled, “Well I'm not as smart as you Mister Year 11.”
Both boys dissolved into laughter once again.
It took another hour to finish Tao’s homework.