Chapter Text
Empty classrooms have always been eerie. Something slightly unsettling about seeing a place that is meant to be full, that is usually bustling with noise, be peacefully quiet, an ambience now unruffled by everything outside.
But as of right now, the silence was just crushing the soft words left unsaid.
Looking at Bulga’s soft smile, the way he relaxed ever so slightly, it was a moment Esteban would hope to cherish forevermore.
────── ˎˊ˗ ٠࣪⭑꩜.ᐟ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Staying back after classes ended had become a usual occurrence. One time they did become a habit. Albeit a slightly inconvenient one, but nevertheless important to both –even if no one would admit it out loud.
Bulga and Esteban had managed to create their own little routine, without much insistence or forcing it to happen— they just began to hang out, day after day, just a minute longer than the rest in their empty classroom. That evening wasn’t an exception, not really. Esteban was perched on top of the empty desk next to Bulga’s as he just kept packing up, stalling his movements ever so slightly to push back the moment where they had to leave, face the usual fast-paced reality they lived in once more.
That was until Esteban began humming. Trying to hum a soft song, no matter the fact that it was very clearly off-tune.
— “Oh my god, I really can’t believe such a cringe song is actually stuck in my head.” — He snorted, before promptly beginning to hum once more, clearly only knowing, or thinking about, a small part of the chorus.
— “It’s just a song” — Bulgarelli responded, trying to feel endearment and not annoyedly curse his friend off for swinging his feet and moving both their tables with it.
— “Yeah, duh. But– it's kinda- tacky? I mean, have you actually heard it? Paid attention to lyrics? Do you really think all of these things are not– unrealistic? I certainly wouldn’t use nicknames so- yeah– so- highschoolish” — Esteban quickly quipped back.
— “Aren’t you the dramatic one for complaining about it instead of skipping it? ” — Bulga deadpanned, finally looking up from his very much overfilled backpack.
Esteban scoffed, rolling his eyes before jumping up from where he sat, not waiting for his friend to follow before defending himself.
— “Of course not! I like the instrumentals. Plus, SOME lyrics are fun, or sweet— sometimes way too sappy and cloying. I just think some others are pretty over the top. I mean, would you really call someone honeybee? Like an actual partn–” Esteban actually stopped his small rant to just appreciate his view.
In front of him was a side of Bulgarelli he rarely saw in his day-to-day, amusedly looking at him while smiling, chuckling softly at his aimless complaining.
— “I think you should really train your humming; I barely recognized the song”
Stivem couldn’t mind the joking remark any less; he was way too entranced in wishing that these moments where he genuinely felt their friendship blossoming could just last a little longer.