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As soon as he thought Test Tube was out of earshot, Fan flopped over on the couch he sat on in her lab with a big, fat, dopey smile plastered all over his face.
Gosh, did he love her.
She was everything he could've ever wanted. She was so smart, so knowledgeable about seemingly everything. He absolutely loved her brain, he loved seeing her use it to make a new invention, he loved seeing her rack it against a hard problem, and he was totally obsessed with the sense of achievement that came when he could finally stump her! He was on cloud 9 when Paintbrush said they could tell she was rubbing off on him. That little parts of her brain had found its way to his.
And with that brain came explanations. And with explanations, came a voice. And you bet that Fan was utterly infatuated by Test Tube's. It was just the kind of voice he could never get tired of, the perfect melody for his ears. He loved hearing her explain all these scientific methods and principles, and he'll admit that sometimes he'd pretend to not know something just to hear her explain it again. Her voice was just so perfectly nerdy, it seemed exactly made to match his geeky one.
And oh, her laugh. That was easily his favorite sound in the entire universe. He couldn't possibly imagine anything more heavenly if he tried. It wasn't the most frequent sound, but he made sure to cherish every millisecond of its existence. He'd crack the cheesiest joke he's ever heard just to hear even a slight giggle out of Test Tube. Just for a hint of that sweet sound.
He melted into the couch cushions as soon as he thought of her touch. Gosh, the thought of holding hands made his face burn a bright red and his heart start pounding even faster. He couldn't get the thought of their interlocking fingers out of his head, the action consuming his mind. The act of kissing her made butterflies flap violently around in his stomach, and he had to cover his face with his hands to stop the dorky smile painted all over his face. His hand holding her vial so close while gently peppering kisses all over her face as she laughed her sweet, nerdy laugh, he didn't think there could be a better experience out there.
Imagining a world where they could do all of that without a second thought felt so near, yet so distant. They were so close, everyone who had even heard of them knew that. They were absolutely inseparable, you just couldn't have one without the other. But he didn't have the courage to ask to go just that little bit further. Did she even reciprocate these feelings? He found it hard to believe. He was such a dweeb, sitting here simply imagining all these things instead of doing anything. How could anyone fall in love with him? He'd just defeatedly resign to his imagination instead of acting on those dreams.
...But that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything. Sure he couldn't hold her hand or kiss her, but that didn't mean he couldn't pine. And what's some pining without a piece of memorabilia to go with it?
Well, he did have objects that belonged to Test Tube. He had quite a lot, actually. Test Tube often gifted him stuff of hers, as did he. But taking something, without her knowing, just made it feel more.. special. Personal. Plus he couldn't recall having a piece of her writing, and with her notebook open right there on her desk, who was he to resist? He happily jumped up from the couch as he sneaked over to her desk, a sly smile creeping its way onto his face.
He skimmed over the notes that were left open, something on that BrINClHOF mnemonic he'd heard before. Maybe he could get Test Tube to explain it once more! The thought made him giddy.
Now he can't just steal the page on top, Test Tube would notice much too soon. So he kept a finger on that page, and flipped to a random page in the back of the notebook. It opened to a page labelled "Pluto and Charon." Astronomy! This'll be one of her more passionate studies! He mentally exclaimed. He happily ripped the page out, and flipped back to the BrINClHOF notes before folding the paper he had taken small enough to fit in his pocket. As well as that, he made sure to carefully move the notebook back exactly to how it had been, just to make sure Test Tube wouldn't notice. Though she wouldn't much care about Fan taking things as long as he eventually returned it, there came a certain thrill with stealing it. It was a similar thrill to one a child would get when stealing a cookie from a cookie jar. Worst case scenario, he wouldn't get much more than a light scolding. But it was all so worth it for that cookie!
He hopped back over to the couch, pretending to be bored as soon as he sat down. But he couldn't help but crack a small smile at the gold that was in his pocket. He wanted to read it right then and there, but he knew that Test Tube was bound to be coming back any second now. Last thing he wanted was to have to hand it back before he could read anything!
Just as he had thought that, Test Tube came into the room, holding a flask of some unknown orangish-brown liquid (Fan thought it looked a bit like soy sauce) that was melted shut with a long since worn label. She was lightly swishing it around as she walked back to her desk. A pair of high-grade masks were also swung around one of her arms.
"Sorry that took so long, Fan," His heart fluttered as she said his name. "I stuffed this all the way in the back of the storage closet! It took forever to find," She added on. Fan stood up and walked over to her desk as she sat down, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to remember what chemical looked like that. As soon as he made it over, Test Tube immediately said "This is bromine, if you're wondering," the second he stood next to her. Fan playfully pouted at that.
"Now you ruined the mystery!" He returned, a small laugh finding its way onto the end of the exclamation.
Test Tube snorted at that, causing Fan's fake-pout to melt into a soft smile. "Like you would've guessed it," She teased.
"I..I- I would have!!" He fake-stammered, almost cartoonishly looking over to a periodic table Test Tube had hanging up to find bromine's proton number. "..After 35 tries.." He mumbled.
Test Tube burst out laughing at that, and he couldn't help but join in with his own. Though he made sure to laugh quiet enough so he could hear Test Tube's. It was moments like these that he cherished so deeply, that he'd trade the world for just to live in for one more second. And with it came a small sense of comfort. Being more than friends wouldn't make these moments any better, they'd be the same with and without romantic feelings in there. They wouldn't change with a confession.
And maybe Fan could learn to be content with these moments.
But deep down, no matter how much his brain told him that this could be enough, his heart wanted more. These moments were nice, but imagine them ending in the two holding hands, or hugging for just a moment longer than they would've if they were only friends. If Fan could get that little bit more, then he needed that little bit more. Until then, he'd be yearning for the day that more came.
And today was not that day.
Test Tube was waving a hand in front of his face when he came back to the reality of the two's relationship.
"Hello, Earth to Fan?" She joked. Fan would've said something to her if he was sure he wouldn't be spilling all his dreams out to her as soon as he said a word. So instead he harshly blinked, and threw out a thumbs-up while flashing a small smile.
Gosh, he was being weird again. This is why Test Tube could never like him. He can't be normal even if he tried. He'd be stuck being this obsessive freak who-
Test Tube cut him off with the rattle of metal against wood as she accidentally dropped a stand on the desk.
"Whoopsie daisies!" She shrugged while fixing the arrangement, and Fan swore he saw her glance back at him.
Fan hadn't even realized she'd already put away her notebook and brought something to hold the flask in place while he'd been lost in his thoughts. He's losing so much time he could've spent having fun with Test Tube wondering how weird he was being. Enjoy the moment now, mope later, Fan! He bashed on himself.
"Anyways," Test Tube started again. "This is bromine. I decided I should study it again! It's been too long since I last played with it," She cheerfully continued. Meanwhile, Fan couldn't take his eyes off of the element. Like it'd explode under the current circumstance. He fully knew it couldn't, not without an alkali metal or something similar present, but he was desperate to get his attention on anything other than his thoughts. "...and while its properties shouldn't change, it's always fun to get a refresher!" She finished. Fan was still staring at the orange vapor dance in its confined space.
There was a brief silence.
"Fan?" The sudden use of his name made him jump. "You're acting.. weird. You're staring at that like every atom inexplicably gained a proton!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed! Truly, I hadn't. I mean- It's just.. Bromine's not my favorite element, or anything..." He stumbled over every syllable trying to cough up a reply, especially considering just how false that response was. Truth be told, that entire statement was full of just-barely-not-complete-lies. He definitely had noticed his drop in demeanor, though he had hoped it wasn't noticeable to Test Tube. And while bromine wasn't his favorite element, it'd probably make his top 5.
"..Is this boring to you? I apologize if it is, I thought this would be fun for the both-"
"NO NO NO NO!!!" Fan quickly interrupted. "No! It's not boring!!! I find it very interesting!" Great, now he's a weirdo AND rude!
"Oh good!" Test Tube said that like she completely believed every single word Fan had been saying, like she hadn't at all been noticing how Fan was acting. "Now put on this mask, we don't want anyone dying due to inhaling bromine fumes, heh." She said while flipping on a quiet mechanical fan to blow the gas around.
Fan obliged, snapping the mask to his face, though not without taking note on how now Test Tube's mood had quickly changed. It subtly unsettled him, the sudden change in tone.
Nonetheless, the two continued their little experiment together. They heated the bromine up to see how fast it'd come to a boil, took swabs to test its volatility (as well as pouring it into a beaker to test its viscosity), they even combined it with a few different chemicals Test Tube had sitting around on her desk (that they knew wouldn't explode too terribly). Fan took notes on the thing the entire time, almost becoming absorbed in them just as some sort of distraction from his thoughts. While the tone of the whole thing did feel just that little bit off, both tried their best to ignore it. They'd let the bromine settle, letting the gas escaping determine whether the silence that followed would be one of comfort or awkwardness. One of them might've cracked a joke, and a small laugh ensued, but it wasn't quite that same one that they had shared earlier.
After too long, the two decided to wrap up the experiment. The note page was overflowing with words and the bromine was starting to run low.
"And that concludes our little experiment!" Test Tube cheered, turning to face Fan fully after both melting the flask shut again and flipping off the mechanical fan still running in the background. In unison, they finally took off and set down the masks they were wearing. "Thank you for joining me here. It means the world!"
"No no, thank you for inviting me! Truly, it's an honor to be your lab partner," Fan responded, jokingly bowing at his remark. Test Tube lightly laughed, fanning herself with her hand facetiously in response. Though Fan thought that she looked a little darker around her face. Maybe that was just the bromine vapor getting to his head.
"You're too flattering!" Her laugh snuck into her words, making Fan's heart swell. "But it just wouldn't be the same without you here," She added, her tone now much more serious than their previous teasings.
Fan's brain short-circuited at that. It was such a simple, offhand comment, and yet he couldn't stop stammering trying to think of a response.
She commented on something FRIENDS do in a FRIENDLY manner! Stop making everything so weird!!
"You're welcome! Then!" He gave an awkward smile with his reply. It was painfully obvious that the words were going to be replaying in his mind on an infinite loop for the next couple hours.
"Oh wow look at the time it's my go-home time I think I better get going now so I'm not late to going home right now. Okay bye!!!!" He abruptly rambled, while almost making a run for the exit. He didn't even get to hear Test Tube say bye back! Gosh, he's got to get better at pretending things don't affect him.
_________
And just like that, Fan was gone from Test Tube's lab. Test Tube barely had time to process his response before he was long gone.
She was already starting to miss his presence. He just always made her feel happier, deep down in her heart.
Happiness was too dull of a word to describe that feeling, she decided, it was more akin to utter elation. He lit up Test Tube's world like the sun, without him she'd be like a cold and desolate Earth. He was just.. so glowing in his own charming way. His personality wasn't like the conventionally "attractive" standards society had set up, and that just made it all the better for her. He was just like her: socially awkward but deeply passionate about each of their own nerdy subjects. She couldn't picture a life without him in it.
His smile was so contagious. He'd smile all the time, and she still couldn't get enough of it! He'd smile out of passion, out of awkwardness, at an attempt to hide some other lurking emotion, and so much more. She especially loved his awkward one, she couldn't help but grin herself while remembering the one he had donned just a second ago when leaving. Someday she hoped to see the smile he had when she kissed him!
And his mind, oh his mind. That was easily Test Tube's favorite part about him. He truly was so cunning, his theories were so excellently put together and worded, they were so exciting to listen to! She loved to hear him ramble about whatever he happened to have on his mind, especially his hypotheses. His countless ideas about his passions, both serious and nonsensical! How he analyzed everything so carefully, taking time to inspect every individual line. That care carrying over to her made her heart wonderfully ache, could she ask for any more?
She could study him for forever and still not be content with all her data. She would love some sort of alternate universe where she got to take note of each and every one of his mannerisms and keep track of when they started, where he got them from, how often they occurred, etc. until the end of time. She had already been taking her notes in this universe. Whenever he thought she wasn't looking, she was busy taking note of every single one of his actions. How fast his fingers moved on the keyboard, the subtle way his facial features twisted when he was scrolling on his phone (she especially loved trying to figure out what the video was about based on his small reactions!), how he'd move his hands about when explaining something, and she was so captivated by his terms of speech. Test Tube could go on and on about those! How often he'd throw in interjections mid-sentence, how he'd slur his words together when nervous, he'd even a steal a word she had made up every now and then, a piece of her living on inside his mind! It was just so unique to him, she'd have him speak for hours on end if it didn't mean a severe sore throat afterwards.
Frankly, she was obsessed with learning about him.
And while that experiment was quite awkward in the moment, it only meant she could take more notes about how he acted when he was trying to bluff!
Though there was one problem with all of this. Test Tube couldn't help but feel like anything she wrote about him had any of her true feelings behind it. Every thought about him had this cold, analytical background. She was literally taking notes on him like he was some sort of lab-rat!
She had never been one to know the exact intricacies of emotions, they were all so confusing. It was so hard to pinpoint what exactly made a phrase loving and what made it cold and harsh. Feelings didn't follow this train of logic she insisted on staying on, they instead followed this invisible track with all these unnecessary turns and bumps that could've been avoided if everyone just stuck to concrete thinking. But love didn't follow that train of logic, and no matter how many times she tried to keep track of where it went, it was often wildly unpredictable and downright counterproductive. Even with Fan, the person she knew so much about.
But she'd continue with her notes, even if they didn't answer anything. They served as a small piece of ground to stand on while she figured things out. She had even been writing some drafts of a confession down, trying to choose the exact right words to convey how she truly felt. Her best attempt was a page labeled "Pluto and Charon," she thought it was quite the witty metaphor. Pluto and its biggest moon, Charon, actually spun around each other in a severely dependent dance, in fact they were tidally locked — unable to look away from each other! It was a great way to present just how close she and Fan were. And under the guise of astronomy? It was the perfect title!
So she took her notebook out and happily flipped to that page to make her daily revisions to it. Her fingers knew easily where it was in the notebook, it was like clockwork flipping to it.
But when she did, she was greeted with a page of actual scientific notes. Did she flip to the wrong page or something? She flipped through the nearby pages with no luck. That can't be right, I know it's supposed to be right here! She reasoned, tiny beads of water forming on her vial. She didn't even care for the possibility that water was condensing on her, despite that meaning there was a major flaw in her humidifier system. All she could focus on was that note.
No matter how much she searched her notebook, it wasn't there.
Not anymore.
WHERE DID IT GO???? That question was the only thing her mind could think. Could it have fallen out? Not possible, She determined. It was shut securely in that notebook, and with how much she cherished that note, she should've realized it had fallen out much sooner than now!
Just then, she noticed something where the page was supposed to be. A small shred of paper where the note should've been connected to its bind.
Someone had ripped it out.
She had no memory of ripping it out herself, and she never left her notebooks out in the open! Except for with one person...
He had taken the note.
_________
As soon as he shut the door to his room, he flopped onto his bed and let out a long groan. Gosh, that was so embarrassing... That whole interaction was a nightmare to think through. He was doing so well, and then that one remark is what broke him. It was so simple! Just a sentence saying "You're nice to be around" is what made him stammer like that? He couldn't possibly ever handle an "I love you" from her at this rate. Gosh, any and all shots he could've had with her are straight down the gutter now... how could she ever love a geek like him? He'd die if he ever got the chance to do anything remotely close to holding hands, or-
His phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He immediately whipped it out to see who it was, only to be greeted by Test Tube messaging him? They had just talked, why was she already messaging him? He opened the message, only to be greeted by.. very irregular speech from Test Tube.
"Fan you ahve anote tgat should be labbelled Pluto adn Charon DO NOTREAD IT. Pleasevgive it bac to meas sooj as poaaiblw. Tjank yuo."
That message was barely comprehensible, especially from Test Tube of all people! She always made sure to type with the most exact grammar out of anyone he knew, even himself. But that was absolutely littered with typos, and any capitalization was probably from autocorrect. What was this for? What note was she talking about?
A crinkling in his pocket finally jogged his memory. It was the note he took earlier! But why did she need it THIS bad? As much as he knew he shouldn't, it only kickstarted his want to read it again. Maybe he could pretend he didn't have it!
His phone buzzed again. A new message from Test Tube now read "Fon't pretebd yuondont hav it. I knw youdo." So much for that idea..
Well, she only said "as soon as possible." Maybe that possible was only in about.. 5 minutes.
He texted back with a bit of a smirk making its way into his face. "I will! Just give me a second, I just got to my room." A small bit of him knew he should just give it back untouched like she asked. But so much more of him wanted to read it! Besides, how hard could it be to pretend he didn't read some notes on a dwarf planet and its moon?
He slowly took the note out of his pocket, sure to cherish every moment he got with this little letter. Unfolding it revealed the title Test Tube had said, "Pluto and Charon." From what he remembered, Pluto and Charon were a special case in astronomy: their center of mass was between the two, causing them to orbit around each other! What a fascinating phenomenon, he couldn't wait to read more of Test Tube's writings on them!
"Dear Fan," Is how it started. Well, there was a "To Fan," but that was crossed out. What a weird opening. Did she know he was going to take this? It made him shiver slightly. He couldn't think of any reason as to why his name would be here of all places. Regardless, he read on.
"Pluto and Charon are, as you likely know, an exception to how planets and their moons usually work." The phrasing made this seem like it was addressed to him specifically. Why would she take notes like this? It seemed awfully counterintuitive, but he appreciated the gesture? He wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.
"They lie near the Kuiper Belt, on the outskirts of the solar system," There was a note in the margins, reading "Unnecessary information?" Why would information be unnecessary when taking notes? Though it was rather basic knowledge, it made a little sense to leave it out. But only a microscopic amount of sense.
"Their barycenter — or center of mass — is in-between them, so they orbit around each other instead of Charon simply orbiting around Pluto." Now they were getting normal! Until he saw yet another note off to the side, reading "Establish their relationship as planet and moon further: They're dependent on one another." with some sentences written down below, seemingly at a later date than everything else on the page. Could she have not just added it in while taking notes? Now that he thought about it, the formatting of this whole thing was very weird. It was written into two paragraphs, like some sort of summary instead of notes. She didn't usually write things down like this, he'd skimmed them before. Why was this one so weird? Is that why she wanted it back so urgently? Because it was phrased weirdly? Well she should know he doesn't care about the formatting or syntax of anything she writes, as long as it's sincere.
"This odd sort of relationship is rather unique in our solar system. The barycenter almost always falls inside the planet, so the planet's orbit around its moon is often hard to notice, especially if there's many moons each tugging on the planet." Finally a completely normal sentence, no notes or anything! Though it was knowledge Fan already knew, he loved it anyways. It was very important to Pluto and Charon's relationship after all!
"But despite Pluto having many other moons..." Again a note was off in the margin, this time it said "Simplify to 5?" And again, Fan was left wondering why she didn't just write down 5. They weren't intended to be very exact notes, he figured.
"...none are as important to its orbit as Charon. This system is so far out that it seems like barely anything else matters to these celestial objects." Yet another note read "Hole in logic. What about the Sun?" Why was she using a hyperbole like that in her notes? Seems very counterproductive. At the bottom of the paragraph, seemingly addressing the entire section, was a note saying to mention the heart spot on Pluto somewhere. Why was that important to Charon at all? He didn't think it played any sort of impact on Pluto's orbit. It didn't make the slightest sense to him. None of this had!
And that was the very last of that section. These were so oddly written, almost written like they weren't notes at all. How weird, what reason would she have for writing anything like this? The entire thing felt useless to learn or remember anything. The few sections that had truth to them were directly specifically at him, or were too vague to be much use. Why on earth would she write notes like this?? No matter how much Fan tried to rationalize it, nothing made any sort of sense. Maybe the second paragraph would help him understand.
It started off with his name again, sending another shiver down his spine. Seriously, why was he involved in this?? What'd he have to do with anything? There was also a small mark next to his name. It looked vaguely shaped like a heart.
That made his heart skip a beat.
It's probably just some random, ACCIDENTAL, marking she made ON ACCIDENT. Stop making things into what they're not! This is the SECOND time today you've done that!!
"Fan, I can't help but compare our relationship to that of Pluto and Charon's." And now she's talking about their relationship? How does that matter at all!? They're celestial bodies, completely unaffected by what some objects are doing billions of miles away! These are some strange notes.
"We're so close, and I know that you know that. It feels as if our lives revolve around each other!" His heart fluttered as he read that. Their lives really did, huh? He truly couldn't imagine where he'd be without Test Tube, or any sort of a happy life without her in it. Their relationship was like that of Pluto and Charon's, now that he thought about it. They both needed each other desperately to continue this system they had built off of the other, and they wouldn't stop no matter what came between them. His cheeks warmed as he thought more and more about it, gosh, nothing could stop him from reading on now.
The next sentence read "There's hardly any way we can make our bond any closer, unless we made our souls intertwined." Gosh, he loved that prospect. He couldn't help but deepen his smile that he didn't realize had been growing. The idea of never being able to leave Test Tube's side, even in death, he couldn't think of anything anyone could ever say that was better than those words.
And yet the very next sentence managed to win his heart even more. Although it was crossed out, he could tell it said "But I would love to try." His heart swelled more and more with each word he read! Next to it were other attempts to phrase it, one other crossed out, and one left untouched that said "Though it's likely impossible, I would love to get close as we can." Oh, he could never get over the way she worded things. Even in something so heartfelt she found a way to bring in her logic! He really should've nabbed one of her writings sooner.
In his fit of infatuation, he almost didn't realize the note next to the sentence she finally landed on.
"It's still corny, but does he not love corny? Think of those jokes he tells you sometimes." He wasn't sure if he was turning red from embarrassment or love. Either way, he was certainly extra flustered after reading that. Did she knew he told them just to hear her laugh? Gosh, he didn't mind either way, all he cared about is that she noticed! He couldn't help but fantasize what other things about him she had recorded. Dwell on it later, you have a time limit that you've probably already exceeded by now!! He thought before continuing to read.
"You've been such a valuable lab partner, and more importantly, such a close friend." The word friend hurt him a bit, but the sentiment made him smile even more. Just as he was about to read on, he noticed there was a line next to it that had been erased and then scribbled out intensely. His heart wanted nothing more than to know what it said, but unfortunately that was only for Test Tube to know.
"Despite this, I hope for more." Fan stopped reading as soon as he registered what that meant. Did that- Was this about to be... He crossed his fingers as he read the next line.
"I dream of romance, Fan."
He had to stop himself from jumping up in joy, but he couldn't stop the gleeful laughter that spilled out of him as he fell back on his bed! This was all he could've ever hoped for and more!! All these scenarios he's had run through his head, they actually had a chance of happening! His face was starting to hurt from how much he was smiling, but he couldn't stop it even if he wanted. He had no idea how he was supposed to talk to Test Tube with any sense of normalcy now, but he couldn't care less! SHE LIKED HIM BACK!!! Nothing else mattered to him except his reciprocated love. It felt like a hole in his heart had been filled after such a long time of feeling empty. He didn't even know what to do with himself now. Does he pretend he didn't read it? He didn't think he could manage to do that. Confess to her? Even if he knew the answer was yes, the thought still terrified him! And.. maybe this note was old and she had lost feelings- No. He's not entertaining that thought any longer. All he knew for certain is he would be doing is finish reading that note.
He brought it to his face again, though his hands shook with excitement. It was hard to read, but he'd try as hard as he could to finish all these words that Test Tube wrote. "I would love a universe where I can feel your hand in mine like it's habitual..." The thought still made butterflies dance in his stomach, and now that reality was so close! "...and I have reveries of osculating." He loved her fancy wording. He wasn't even sure what "osculating" meant. Did she always use such extravagant wording when she was flustered? He hoped so, it only made him adore that brain of hers even more.
He read the next line, and immediately threw down the note to cover his face with his hands. There were 4 words, just 4 words, and yet all of a sudden that was all Fan could think about. They were finding its way into every crevice of his mind, and he never wanted them to leave.
"I love you, Fan"
4 words, so simple but so meaningful. He could imagine her voice saying them out loud, and he never wanted to think of anything else from now on. He picked up the note just to read those words again. He looked at every stroke she would've needed to write that, how the top of the O didn't quite connect, the line crossing against the F in his name the same as it always did, he wanted to make sure every detail of it was stuck in his head.
After much too long of staring at those words he glanced down, realizing there was one last line on the page.
"Do you reciprocate?"
He couldn't imagine a universe where he didn't.
_________
Golly gosh, why did I do that??? Test Tube's mind had been a ramble of the same thought over and over while she paced back and forth in front of her desk. Why on earth did she just leave the notebook out like that?? In front of Fan of all people??? That was, quite frankly, the worst idea she's ever had! There was so much she could've done to prevent him taking it... like why did she have to decide to do stuff with bromine, stuffed all the way in the back of that closet, that probably took the most time to get out? Why couldn't she have done something with phosphorus or literally any other thing she had on hand?? She had this whole plan thought out as to how she'd confess with that Pluto and Charon analogy, and now it's probably all ruined!
She was putting all hope onto that "probably."
Test Tube knew Fan all too well, there was no way that he wasn't reading that note right now. He took it for some sort of reason, and she couldn't imagine any reason for taking it other than to read it. And with all this time he's been taking, it was nearly absolute. Nearly.
Maybe he didn't read it. That little bit of hope still shone through her thoughts despite how unlikely it was. There was that small chance that he really did just take forever to make it back over here, maybe that text really did do something to change his mind. And she'd believe in that for as long as she could. Whether that was because that's what she truly believed or because it was easier, she didn't know. Didn't want to know.
A soft thud on the floor interrupted her thoughts, and the brilliant red she saw when she turned around was exactly who she wanted to see, both most and least. A folded piece of notebook paper was in his hand.
"Hello!" He half-shouted, as short as he could manage to make the word. He offered the notebook paper up in the air. Test Tube promptly walked over and snatched it, standing there as she took turns staring at both the paper and Fan. His face looked darker than usual, she noted. Not a good sign.
"Well! Uh- I best get going now, huh?" He exclaimed while turning around to leave.
"No." She uttered, simple yet abrupt. "Sit down. On the couch. I need you to stay here." She knew that request was rather selfish. If he had read it, this was one of his worst nightmares, she knew that well. But her heart needed to know for certain, it could barely wait another minute.
She set the note down on her desk, still folded, before sitting on her desk chair. Both she and Fan faced each other, but neither was looking at the other. She wasn't sure why she sat so far away. It just felt like the two needed some distance for a bit.
"So. I must ask.." She started. "Did you read it?" She knew what the answer was already. But she wasn't looking for his verbal answer.
"What- Of course not!" He replied. She wanted to believe him, but that was exactly the response she thought he'd give. She nodded anyways.
"Good! It's very important to me that you didn't." He looked down as she said that, nodding slightly. She couldn't tell if it was from sympathy or guilt. Maybe it'd be more obvious in retrospect.
"Fan.." His name lingered in the air after she didn't finish the sentence. Should she really be doing this? "I know you, Fan. You know that!" She hesitated again. Could this mess up any results? Even if she knew what the answer probably was? Well, if she was here to make him feel vulnerable enough to admit something he didn't want to, she should be as well. It's only fair. "I'm not sure you know how much I know you. Does that make sense?"
His eyes widened a bit as he fidgeted with his hands. "Yes! Well- I know what that sentence means. But what did you mean by it..?" He stuttered. He was quite alarmed, it seemed. A bit more alarmed than she figured he would be. Her answer was becoming more concrete, though sadly it was the opposite of her hopes.
"You've caught me staring a few times, haven't you? I think I've caught you staring as well." Her own face deepened its colors, not fully from embarrassment. "We're very similar people! There's a reason we're." She hesitated for just a split second. "Friends." She flashed a small smile, which soon after faded when Fan didn't return it. Despite how much she could try, at the end of the day she was very bad at easing nerves. Though, no matter how good or bad she was at it, there was a reason he didn't return that smile she loved to see. Too confused to, perhaps. Or maybe too anxious about something else on his mind.
Her question had its proven answer.
"I have a feeling we do very similar things. Things we know will be viewed as weird and yet we do them anyways." A plain silence followed that. She couldn't help but grow a bit of an eager grin as he tried to figure it out.
He wasn't getting it as fast as she thought he would. To be fair, she was being quite nebulous.
"You know I take a lot of notes." She hinted. She was barely thinking about her thoughts before saying them right now, but she couldn't stop herself this far in. "Some may be more.. private than others." She paused, her smile having a bit of a mischievous tint to it now. "Some you might've read, or maybe you haven't." It was hard trying to contain a small laugh as she danced around what he must've been dreaded.
Or maybe awaited.
"Tell me honestly, Fan." She stared at him vehemently, sure to notice every little movement of his.
"Do you reciprocate?"
The question rung in his mind.
That was the same wording as in the note.
How did she know?? He barely said anything! He was so confused he almost forgot he had to respond.
"Wh-What.. What do you mean..?" Was all he could stammer out. He truly was confused, but both of them knew it wasn't at the question.
"I take notes. Many notes. Both physical and mental. You learn quite quickly when you take notes!" She replied, answering the question he didn't actually ask. The cheerful manner in which she said that only added to his confusion. What was her true reaction?? He couldn't tell. That was the worst part about this.
"Now please answer my question." She continued to push further. "Actually- wait a second," A wave of relief washed over him — he could get a second to think of what to say. But that relief was quickly replaced with a whole new rush of anxiety when he saw her sit next to him on the couch.
"There we go! I know I just admitted this, but I really do like observing you. It's terrible doing so from so far away!" She couldn't help but giggle a bit at her remark. That helped soothe him, just a little bit. Strangely, he wasn't all that alarmed at the fact she liked to watch him. She said it herself, he did too. "I apologize if this is overwhelming for you, but I need my answers."
"It's not overwhelming at all! Not one bit!!" He replied, giving a soft smile with his lie. "It's just.. It's a hard question to answer on a whim, y'know?" She nodded simply in response.
Really, this was the easiest question to answer in his head. He decided on it a long, long time ago. But he couldn't get himself to say it out loud. It should be so simple, just say yes and that was that. But he couldn't get the words out! It was so nerve-wracking, it felt like if he said a single word it could ruin everything. It just had to be perfect, especially since he accidentally ruined Test Tube's moment.
Well, if her confession wouldn't be as heartfelt as she likely imagined, then he would make his the proper one.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "I mean- you said it yourself, we've been." He hesitated on the word, just like Test Tube had. "Friends. For what's felt like forever! And we've been so close all that time! There's a reason we've stuck together this long.." He would've reminisced if he had the time. Or the ability to keep it together for a second longer. "You mean a lot to me, and I'm sure you know that by now!" He instinctually grabbed one of Test Tube's hands with his own as he said that, smiling harder when her face darkened as a result. "We really are like Pluto and Charon, aren't we? I'd love to keep up this dance with you, and I'd love even more to dance closer than we ever have before." He still couldn't believe the words he was saying right now. "So- in other words, yes. I do reciprocate."
He couldn't understand the emotion on Test Tube's face. He wasn't sure she did either. It looked a little.. surprised? Yet also like she entirely expected this. The latter made sense. Admittedly, he knew he wasn't the best at hiding it. And since Test Tube apparently "likes to observe him," he was like a complete open book to her. But surprise? He didn't understand that one.
"Fan," She finally spoke up, with the utmost elation in her voice. "Can I hug you?" He, in turn, opted to jump on her instead of any verbal confirmation. They both laughed as they fell back on the couch, neither being particularly cautious for Test Tube's liquid that was threatening to spill.
"I wasn't expecting you to say that so easily." She admitted after their laughter had largely calmed down.
"I mean, what was I supposed to do? Deny it? We both knew it was obvious!" Chuckles still snuck their way into his reply, despite his laughs stopping a decent bit ago. She simply shrugged and held him closer.
After too long, they finally separated and simply looked at each other. Looked at the other knowing their orbits had been brought even closer together. And in perfect unison, they smiled.
Fan was the one to break the silence. "So- I know we just said all that, and now we're here, and this is terribly cliche, but I can't help but ask," He cringed thinking of the line, but he couldn't stop himself from saying it. "What are we?"
Test Tube was in thought for a moment before replying.
"Pluto and Charon. We can leave it at that for now."
They were both content with that label.