☆ fanfics ☆

you don't remember how you found yourself in this position — sitting atop of patrick's lap, naked, and whining in front of his mirror. it felt like this was lasting for forever. he had been teasing you all day, caressing your chest and grabbing your ass, having you wrapped around his finger. well, now his hands were wrapped on you.

you watch his hands glide up and down your cock, with a smirk plastered on his face. he clearly knew what he was doing, carefully curling his fingers tighter around the sides, tenderly squeezing you in a way that made you arch your back onto his lap. your eyes break from the mirror, a shiver of pleasure shooting up your spine and throwing your head up with a snap in your hips.

"hey- keep your eyes on us, darlin'. watch what these hands can do," he chuckles pridefully to himself, gradually feeling a knot of pleasure unwind in you. your eyes meet the sight in the mirror — slow, almost painful spurts of precum drip from your tip and onto his hands. he spreads the fluid over your cock with each thrust, the visual driving you closer to the edge.

you whimper for more stimulation, for something, anything to get you there faster. he knows, as he watches you rock your hips into his hand helplessly. it was a little embarrassing, but it got you so hot.

you could feel him harden underneath you while rutting into his hand, clearly turned on by playing with you. you grind on his lap in desperation, hoping to make him more eager, but it fails. he grabs you by the hips, forcing you to keep still. you whine at the loss.

"what do you think you're doing, sweetheart?" he raises an eyebrow, digging his nails into your sides. he kisses his teeth.

"please, please…" you whimper, slightly bucking your hips into nothing. knowingly, he places his hand over your tip, feeling your cock squirt on his hand. he spreads it smoothly over the length, and grabs back on. he quickly finds his rhythm again, pressing onto your dick.

"you're damn lucky I'm feelin' nice today, sugar." he grins, pressing kisses and bites onto the back of your neck, letting a few moans slip from your lips as you watch in embarrassment. this always fueled his ego, watching you melt under his touch.

you thrust up into his hands repeatedly and reach your peak, shooting cum onto the mirror. you groan as your milked by his grip, continuing to spill your release onto his hands. he smiles in satisfaction as you fall back into his lap, letting your weight sink onto his hardened dick.

"look at you, painting a little masterpiece for me. such a good boy," he praises into your ear, licking a sensitive spot just behind the lobe. he grinds up into you, wanting some of his own relief, since he had been more focused on pleasing you. he couldn't help but be a little selfish though.

hobie takes a drag from his cigarette, sucking in the smoke before breathing out the hot air onto your tits, briefly easing your tense nipples... only for him to undo it, taking one into his mouth and sucking on the bud feverishly. he repeats this process until your begging for him to fuck you, whilst he marvels at the feeling of them hardening in his mouth over and over again.

"jus' one more time f'me, babe. 'get so tense on my lips..." "hmm... the other tit looks like it wants some of my attention, yeah?"

"you want me to fuck you, pretty boy?" he raises his head, confused as to the request you whispered to him in bed during the late hours of the night.

it took all your courage to muster up a description, explaining what you wanted to try.

"oh, you wanna ride me? how sweet... you can use me however you want, good lookin'." he teases, planting a kiss to your lips. he was always the one on top, but thought it was cute that you wanted to try taking the lead.

he pulls away and unbuckles his belt, shoving down his trousers and boxers to the floor with ease. he lays flat onto the bed, leaning up to grab you by the hips, already prepared to take him.

a low groan escapes his lips as you begin to sink down on his cock, his calloused hands moving to your ass to spread your cheeks to reach your balls. you shiver at the feeling of him inside of you, tensing up momentarily at the stretch.

you feel his dick twitch inside of you at the sight of you on top of him. "fuck, oh my god-" you breath out, as you begin to ride his cock.

“oh fuck, ah!” you whine, as he fucks up into you, his big hands holding your hips tightly as he fucks you at a steady pace.

the head of his cock seemingly hit your sensitive nerves with every push, drawing you closer to your limit.

you might've been topping him, but he knew he still had full control over you.

"yeah yeah... that's right..." he coos, propping himself up on one elbow and handling your cock, grazing a finger on the underside of the shaft. you shiver at his touch and sit down on his dick, pulling out a moan from his throat. that's all it took for him to bring you to your climax, and you let out a few soft whines in your daze of pleasure.

"atta boy" he grins, watching as your cum shoots over his chest, making a mess of his front.

you watch his expression as he admires how your dick bobbed on top of his abdomen, making you clench around him. he lets out a deep groan at the tightness, gripping your hips with his blunt nails.

"mm, fuck- gonna make me cum, pretty boy. shit-" he mutters into the air, throwing his head back into the pillows. he thrusts up into you a couple times, holding down your hips and pulling you onto him to chase his own release. he moves his rough hands to your ass, squeezing the plump flesh and letting out a deep groan.

shortly after he reaches his peak, grinding you onto him to fully savor the feeling. his cum shoots up into you and you clench down onto him, spirting out another small drabble of cum from your dick. after pumping you full with his cum, he watched as some of the fluid dripped from your hole, clenching around him.

he was pleasantly surprised at how well it went, and a shy blush spread over his face.

miguel could instantly tell something was off with you. he could tell from the way you winced when you turned your head to look at him — slightly less enthusiastic to see him walking into the room.

"hey, how are you, mi corazón?" he says, smiling as he walked in your direction. you gave him back a half-hearted smile, along with an obviously forced "hi, 'm fine. you?"

he hated when you pretended to be happy for him. he didn't get how you thought it would please him for you to fake your happiness. the brief thought that you didn't trust him turned his stomach.

"ay, cariño... haven't i told you to stop overworking yourself?" he would mumble, recalling every evening that you fell asleep in his office, quietly working. (and waiting for him to save you and bring you to bed.)

he walked behind you as your eyes were focused on the monitor in front of you, absent-mindedly clicking open another tab on the screen.

before you knew it, he was massaging your back, releasing some of the tension in your muscles as you whined about the pain you were feeling deep in the back of your head. soft wrinkles on his cheeks would appear when he frowned, planting gentle kisses on your neck. he continues to massage your shoulders, kneading the skin with his large hands. you occasionally let out soft hums, trying to hold back any small moans. but he would suckle on your neck and chest, allowing yourself to relax under his caring touch.

"mmph- easy, miguel..." you winced as a hard wave of pain hit your head once more, letting your head fall back into his chest. miguel would instantly slow at your mumbles, now becoming more intentional with his touches and making sure to not overwhelm you with your headache.

though it was too late, and you were nearly falling asleep as you layed against his cushioning front. he lets out a sigh, knowing that this wouldn't be the last night he would have to ease you to sleep after you overworked yourself past your limits.

he swipes away your hair to reveal the back of your neck, and plants a soft kiss on the base of your spine, pressing his thumb into you. he drew small patterns with the other, comforting you until you dozed off in his hands.

effortlessly, he picks you up and cradles you in his arms, carrying you back to the bedroom connected to his lab.

whispering quiet disappointed strings of spanish, he grabs a pair of his pajamas (that had almost become yours at this point), and change your clothes. he was careful not to disturb you and wake you up again, and was grateful as you only stirred in your sleep a few times before he was done.

Jonathan rises from his sleep, turning in the bed to face you as he wakes up. He rubs his eyes, encouraging his body to start up. In his tired gaze, he admires you as you sleep, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and kissing your forehead. 

He continues to watch you sleep, thinking about how adorable you will look once you wake up: Your groggy attitude, slowed thinking, and drowsy expressions. He smiles at the thought, now looking down at your body.

He loves the way your body curves as his eyes move further down, resisting the urge to pull your waist closer to his. Your pajamas consist of a loose t-shirt and shorts. The shirt was slightly pulled up due to your movements in your sleep, revealing the beginning of your stomach and waist. What he didn't see until this moment was what lay underneath; a red pair of lace panties.

He blushed, and took in the sight. Checking to make sure you were still asleep, he places his warm hands over the lace, feeling the silky texture of the garment. His calloused fingers traced slowly over your hips, and to your ass. He held the plush flesh in his hands, feeling as your skin molded to his touch.

You stirred in your sleep, alerting him and moving his hand back to your waist — a less vulnerable place for him to hold you, he thought. 

"Hey sweetheart," he says quietly, rubbing circles into your mid-section with his thumb. You smile at the feeling of his hands on your body, eyes still closed while you stretch your body, arching your back. Your shorts now pulled down slightly, revealing even more of the red lace underwear covering your ass.

You slowly opened your eyes, rubbing away the crust from the deep sleep you were in.

"Mmm... Morning John," you say, pecking his lips. He blushes at your sleepy contact, and now takes the opportunity to pull you in close.

Your hips meet together, and he can feel your soft panties rub against his sides.

His curiosity gets the best of him, and he places his hands on the panties under the shorts.

"When did you get these, love?" He asks, tracing over the edge of the fabric.

"Oh, I bought this set last week. Do you like it?" You ask, grinning at his blush.

"Mhm..." He hums, trying to hide his flushed cheeks in his hands by rubbing his eyes again.

You notice this and giggle, kissing his bottom lip.

"You wanna see the whole thing?" You ask, grinning ear to ear. He laughs nervously, and shyly nods his head.

You take off your shorts first, putting them down on the blanket in front of you. Then, you take off your shirt, revealing the beautiful cups of lace holding your breasts. The red designs featured matching swirls and flowers around the edges, openly displaying your chest.

"You look... uhm- wow." He stutters, laughing sheepishly.

"Yeah?" You say, smiling at his reaction.

"You're so pretty my love..." He says, gingerly running his hand through your morning hair, combing it away from your face. He leans in to give you a kiss, which leads to him dragging his lips all over your chest, blushing profusely. The feeling of his lips on the supple skin sends tingles all over your body, and you giggle at his show of affection. 

"What has gotten into you, darling?" You tease, putting one hand on his neck and the other on the back of his head. A muffled moan escapes his mouth as he continues to kiss the surface of your chest, feeling around the lace with his hands. He cups your boobs in his hands, pressing up to give him more access to the skin.

You get the message and reach behind you to unclip the bra, leaving it to him to pull it off around your shoulders. He does as you expected, and pulls off the straps from your shoulders, now fully revealing your chest.

His face glows at the sight and his lips chase your skin again. He peppers the soft flesh with kisses, and occasionally sucks and leaves love bites, silently marking your body as his.

He crawls backwards down the bed, arching his back as his lips drag down your body.

"My beautiful woman... all mine..." He mumbles into your waist, licking a stripe up your abdomen. The feeling gives you butterflies, and you pet his head gently. You can see his head lean into your touch while he continues to kiss your body.

After walking around the lab for around an hour, you were starting to get a little tired. You didn't typically do this much walking at your sit-down office job, but it was nice to have a change of scenery.

A lot has changed for you recently. It was almost becoming a pattern with Jonathan.

Like the way he would stand closer to you when you strayed a little too far from him, adoring the sight of you fascinated by a model of his work. You were so interested and intrigued by the nerdy science shit he thought would bore you. But there you stood, staring at a diorama of the collider and trying to figure out which pieces represented what.

It was all so different.

After watching you take in the small model, he was curious to see your reaction to the real thing.

He walked you over to an open hallway, displaying the super-collider blocked off with a glass barrier.

“So this is the main attraction: Kingpin’s super-collider.” He sighs at the brief mention of his boss. “It’s pretty top secret, so I’m not allowed to tell you much, but essentially, you can bring stuff from other multiverses through it. It’s pretty crazy,” he chuckles in a bit of his own disbelief. “I just run experiments to see how the machine’s working and test out what it can do. Pretty cool, huh?” He looks over at you, trying to gauge your reaction.

So this is why he was so stressed. And rightfully so, because wow — you never would’ve guessed that this is what all of the plans at Alchemax were based on. Your lips were slightly parted, visibly showing your surprise at the capabilities of the new technology. He laughed softly as you tried to wrap your mind around it. While you were distracted, he slipped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him.

You happily obliged, leaning your head on his shoulder and staring over the high-security glass at the large, laser looking machine. You could feel him heat up a bit at the contact, and he now entertained himself by drawing patterns on your arm with his thumb.

You put your hands in your pocket and fiddled with the metal keycard under the fabric, while you tried to imagine what his life was like. You pictured what he looked like and how he acted when he was happy, stressed, or even sad. The image of him working endless nights, the image of him accidentally falling asleep in his chair holding a cold, half-empty cup of coffee.

He lightly squeezed your shoulder, bringing your attention back to him. You turn to look at him, and he's… content. Though maybe a little worried that he shared too much information with you, as your face becomes more strung and deep in thought.

While he thought you were thinking about the science, you were thinking about the scientist behind it. Now it was your turn to crush on him.

His face had a warm glow that you couldn't help but feel giddy about. You first noticed this aura of his when he first sat down at your table at the cafe just a few days ago. Then again, when he wandered into your office like a lost puppy, looking for its owner. He sought you out, time and time again. And now you have this keycard, leading straight to him—

"Y/n? Are you alright?" He worries, turning to face you more directly and get a better read on your expression.

You nod your head silently, trying to decide what to do.

He laughs a little nervously, worried that he confused you too much. "Im sorry, I know I'm just dumping a lot of stuff on you-"

You weren’t sure how he would react, but...

"Can I kiss you?" you ask quietly.

His jaw comically dropped, and his face went blank, turning bright pink.

"I uhm- Yes. Yes, please." He laughs sheepishly, turning his body to face you.

You smiled at him a little nervously, taking a deep breath before meeting his lips. You placed your hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat out of his chest.

It was a short kiss, but the unbelievable look on Jonathan's face made you giggle. He pulled you closer to him, shyly wrapping his arm around yours and cuddling himself into your side. You took it that he wasn't used to these types of situations, so you removed your arm from his and pulled in his waist instead, which he seemed to appreciate.

You admired his flushed face as he looked out through the glass barrier at the massive collider. He seemed to drift away from the present, with a tiny smile never leaving his face.

After a few peaceful moments, he turned to you again, watching you smile at him. He giggled sheepishly, not realizing that you had been looking at him. He stared at you for a second before leaning into you again, pressing his lips against yours in a soft and gentle embrace.

You kissed back with a bit more fervor, wanting to show him the small extra bit of love that he was too scared to initiate. He accepted this quickly and matched your pace, running his tongue across yours briefly. It was a sweet moment, overcoming both of your minds and connecting you together. He searched for your hands and intertwined them with his, occasionally mumbling sweet compliments that you couldn't quite understand through his kisses.

"So pretty... mm... knew it when I first saw you... in the office..." he mumbles, breathing a little heavier and marking your face as his own as he planted small kisses all over your plush cheeks and lips. You blushed softly at his sweetness, and he took it as an opportunity to kiss you properly once more.

While he was busy decorating your face with kisses, he hadn't heard the soft click of the keycard reader being scanned, followed by an unlocked door. It was only when he heard footsteps that he froze, his head whipping around in the direction of the sounds.

"Shit," he murmured, throwing himself up on his feet and putting his hands on either side of your waist.

Your head tilted up to look at him, surprised at the urgency.

"John?" you questioned, standing up at his encouraging hands pulling you up next to him. "What's going on?"

The nickname warmed his heart, but he tried to stay focused as his heartbeat quickened at the interruption. "You're not supposed to be here... I uh- forged the keycard for you." He admitted, still pulling you by your waist around the lab, looking for a place to... hide you? "It's kinda forbidden for any workers to enter this lab…"

"What? Should I go now?" You ask, now processing the situation.

"No, no- shh..." He whispers, holding you close and scurrying away from the collider viewpoint, to behind a lab table. He crouched down, and you followed him, sitting together in the cramped hiding space.

He looked at you briefly, waving a hand for you to stay down. He peeked over the end of the table, watching as his coworker, Olivia Octavius turned the corner.

"What's happening?" You whisper to him, not being able to see her walk around the lab tables, briefly stopping to log into her computer. He held his hand over your mouth, looking into your eyes with a seriousness you'd never seen him show before. You immediately silenced when his eyes met yours, and you felt your heart skip a beat with the look in his eyes. His head quickly whipped around when he heard her hum a soft tune, and he figured that she was probably distracted enough now for you two to move to a safer place to hide.

"Follow me," he quietly instructed, grabbing your hand and slowly pulling you both up on your feet, giving you the signal to start slowly walking towards his new hiding spot.

The bathroom.

It would have to do for now, you suppose.

You followed him with sneaky steps, quietly moving towards the doors. Since he was a scientist, you figured Jonathan was good at making such calculated decisions, and so you trusted him that he had a plan.

He snuck around the corner he was eyeing, which was a direct path to the bathroom. The only problem? Octavius' computer was also in direct sight of the doorway.

Jonathan took a moment to figure out the best steps to take, mouthing his instructions to himself. You found this quirk of his quite cute, but let him continue to think without interrupting him.

"Alright, come." He whispered softly to you without turning around to face you. You followed him, quickly stepping over to the bathroom and walking into the dark room without turning on the lights to alert her.

As you entered the bathroom, you could hear Octavius typing away on her computer, oblivious to your presence in the lab. The darkness provided some cover, but you couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement mixed with anxiety as you tiptoed your way into the bathroom.

You carefully closed the door behind you to minimize any noise. The faint glow from the hallway provided just enough visibility for you to avoid tripping on any tiles.

"Phew-" he exhaled with relief, taking the chance to catch his breath. The trip wasn't physically taxing, but he was so worried that he was going to be separated from you that he tired himself out.

"Who is she?" You ask curiously, tilting your head in question.

"Oh, that's the other scientist working on the collider, Olivia Octavius. She's a, uh… an interesting character." He states, laughing softly. He seemed somewhat fond of her, but didn't want to tap into it that much.

"Should I be worried about her?" You ask, your voice laced with an underlying concern.

"No, no, she's not that scary. I'd just rather not get caught sneaking someone around, you know?" He answers, a little embarrassed. You laugh softly at his awkward reaction, and pull him in by the waist. He becomes flustered at the gesture, and lands on top of you.

He blushes at the close contact, and you pull him in closer. He squirms under your secure hold, tightly pressing his chest against yours. You crash your lips onto his, finally giving him the kiss you had been waiting to continue.

"Mmph!-" He moans at the sudden contact of your lips, taking a few seconds to register what was happening before kissing back.

He let out a few more soft sounds as you made out, slowly unwinding and getting lost in your arms. As the intensity of the kiss grows, you can feel the tension and anticipation between you both. The world around you fades away, leaving only the two of you locked in this passionate embrace.

After all, the main attraction hadn’t been the collider. It was Jonathan Ohnn.

—

It was midnight. Jonathan had just gotten home from work. though he never rang the bell or knocked, you knew. You could feel the cool breeze in the air, before a warm one, and a portal rippling through the air. Soon after, you would hear a few thuds of him slipping through and trying to regain his balance.

This time, you heard nothing. no thuds. No typical "Hi honey, I'm home!" or “Hey, are you still awake?”

Only a small exhale.

“He must be really tired,” you thought to yourself.

You adjusted in your bed, slightly untucking yourself from the sheets to get a better idea of what was going on. The door to your bedroom was shut, which usually signaled to him that you were asleep. Even still, you made sure to keep your eyes closed and pretend to sleep.

You heard some shuffling in the room next door, as he was probably taking off his coat and setting down his work bag. You had seen it a million nights before, and you could practically picture it in your head without having to actually see it. Soon after, he would wander into your room, stare at you for a moment, and then get ready for bed.

You always made sure he was taken care of. Every night, you made sure to leave him a fresh, warm pair of pajamas, and boil the water in case he wanted something to drink. Seeing all of the little things you would do for him melted his heart, and he appreciated your small acts of love more than you would ever know.

Sure enough, he slowly turned the knob, and opened the door to the bedroom. He felt a cool breeze come in, and turned towards it to find the window open. The moon was almost completely visible, only partially shadowed on its edge. He breathed out, unwinding from the day. A little bored of looking outside, he turned to you.

His love. Oh, how he loved you greatly.

You looked beautiful in this state — the moonlight from the window added a soft glow to your features, illuminating you in the otherwise dark room. He doesn't think you realize how pretty you are. But this was just a gentle, quiet reminder of your beauty.

He laid back on his hands, continuing to admire you with a half-lidded gaze in his sleepy state.

—

A few minutes after he got comfortable in the bed, you cuddled up to his side and wrapped one of your arms around his waist, with the other in his hair, gently massaging his scalp. You felt him tense up at your touch, initially surprised that you were awake, before relaxing into your hands.

“My dear- You’re awake? I’m sorry if I woke you up…” He says a little sheepishly, turning his body in your arms to face you.

“Do you watch me sleep everytime you come home late?” You ask, nonchalantly. This spreads a bright pink blush over his face, embarrassed that he got caught.

“I- uhm- yes. You’re very pretty my dear… Does it make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry I just-”

“Oh no no, it doesn’t,” You reassure him, with a soft peck on the lips.

His blush deepens, and he pulls your face closer to his with a hand on your cheek. He kisses you lovingly, running his fingers through the back of your hair. You embrace him, lazily slipping your tongue into his mouth and meeting his. He lets out a soft moan when you do, plastering a sly grin on your face. After a few moments, you pull away from the kiss, and tuck your head into his shoulder. His soft, dark brown hair fell gently onto your face, warming you up like a soft blanket.

He let out a small laugh at your position in his neck and kissed your shoulder. He pulled you closer, resting half of your body on his and his arms settling on your lower back.

You sat at your desk, completing some light work that you hadn't finished the day before, giving you the rest of the day to relax at your desk. You glanced through your phone for a bit before getting bored and fading into your own thoughts.

Your employment at Alchemax was pretty simple and didn’t cause you too much worry. You were familiar with the work and it didn't require you to venture outside of your comfort zone. You'd seen the stress placed on individuals with more demanding positions at the company, and that was definitely not your thing.

Your mind wandered back to your encounter with Jonathan just a few days ago. When you asked him about how he was doing, he seemed unconcerned and quickly changed the subject. At first, you assumed that he brushed off your question when you asked how he was doing because he wanted to cheer you up. But the longer you thought about it, it left you wondering if something was bothering him and if there was something he wasn't telling you.

Despite this, he had left quite an impression on you. The memory of his smile and the way he blushed made your heart flutter, leaving you eager to see him again. But it had already been a while since you talked to him, and you were starting to lose a bit of hope. It was a bit ironic, considering his encouraging words at the cafe.

Along with his adorable nerdiness, he was observant and kind. Ultimately, that was what won you over. His genuine worry for you that day imprinted a fond memory in your brain, and his willingness to sit down and chat with you — it all seemed a bit too good to be true.

Your thoughts were cut off by a knock on your door.

A little lost in your mind, you shook your head and stood up, walking over to open it. You exhaled slowly, secretly hoping it was him standing on the other side. As the door swung open, your heart skipped a beat. You were surprised, and a little relieved to find the man on your mind standing in the hall, nervously balancing two cups in one hand, and a sealed envelope in the other.

When Jonathan offered to get 'drinks' with you, you hadn’t guessed that he was much of an actual drinker. You figured you were right when he showed up at your office with two coffees in hand. Unsure of how to greet you with his hands full, he settled on a shy smile in place of his excitement.

“Sorry, I was so busy with work, but we just got to a point where my boss let me have a break,” he said at a fast pace, but eventually stopped when he realized he was rambling on.

He handed you one of the coffees, and you took it. “I wanted to come sooner, but he was pressuring me a bit…” he nervously laughed. “Anyways… How are you? Are you doing well?”

You smiled, and laughed softly at his concern, taking a sip of the coffee he had gotten for you. You recognized the design on the wrapping of the cup from the cafe you had met at, but you were pleasantly surprised when the coffee matched your exact order from the shop. He must’ve asked the barista you knew at the cafe for your order and flustered himself in the process.

Oh boy, you were gonna get an interrogation from her the next time you stopped by.

“I’m… pretty good, actually.” You smiled at him, waving a hand to invite him in. He gladly walked further into your office, and you shut the door behind him. He stood a little awkwardly in the middle of the room, admiring your effortless stride as you came back in front of him. He only realized you were grinning at his expression before it was too late, and a tinge of pink peeked through his cheeks. You quietly giggled, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to you. It worked, maybe a little too well, and his blush became a little darker in response.

“So… You wanna tell me about what’s in that envelope?” You guessed, looking at the tight grip he had now formed on it in his flustered state.

“Oh- Yeah, right,” he laughed sheepishly, handing it to you. You removed your hand from his shoulder to grab it, which he seemed a little bummed about.

“I was wondering if you would like to take a tour of my lab with me. I have to get back there soon, but I’d like it if you were there. And I get to talk about something I actually know, so I seem smart,” he explains. You laugh softly as he finishes his sentence.

You tore open the envelope and rested the empty paper on your desk. You were now holding a metallic card in your hand, with some small text engraved at the bottom: “Jonathan’s Lab”, and your name, with… a small heart next to it?

“Cute,” you smile to yourself.

“That’s the keycard to the lab… So you can visit me. If you want to, of course.” He says, the redness now covering his face. He exhaled deeply, having become distracted by his nervous speech and forgotten to breathe.

His quick advance caught you a little by surprise, and you blushed too. You hadn’t expected someone shy like him to be so forward, and you didn’t think he did, either. You fidgeted with the card for a bit before speaking up.

“Jonathan,” you called, smiling comfortingly while trying to calm your own heart rate. His eyes shot up at the sound of his name in your voice, and a tiny smile peaked at the corner of his lips.

“Yes. Let’s do that. I’m free now?” You say, partially asking if you would be allowed to go with him at this moment.

“Yes. Yes. Perfect, that’s great,” he repeated, stepping just a bit closer to you and tapping his fingers on his coffee.

You hadn’t completely realized his feelings for you until this moment, but now it was so obvious.

He liked you. There was no other explanation… right?

As hard as you tried to think of any other possible justification for the deep blush that remained on his face, nothing came to mind. The way he looked at you with a mix of excitement and nervousness, the way his voice trembled slightly when he spoke — it all pointed to the same thing. It was clear that his emotions were genuine and that he had been harboring this crush for some time.

You stepped over to your desk, quickly locking your computer and slipping your new keycard into your pocket. He seemed a little caught up in the moment, and you walk back up to him.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're zoning out a little," you ask, concern filling your tone. You gently rested your hand on the side of his arm, trying to comfort him.

He seemed to appreciate this, and let out a soft smile. "I'm okay, just a little tired is all. Don't worry about me."

You nodded slightly in response, still obviously a little worried about the stress he was dealing with but wanting to be there for him. Maybe you could give him a little distraction to get him through the day. You didn’t have anything else to do, and you could be free for at least a couple hours before your boss would notice. And besides, he was much more important right now.

Testing the waters, you moved your hand down to his, and he gladly intertwined his fingers with yours. You two exchanged awkward smiles at each other before you left your office and headed toward his.

As you walked, the tension seemed to melt away, replaced by a sense of comfort and support. You could tell that your presence was providing him with some much-needed solace amidst the exhaustion of his day.

You looked down into your coffee and spun it around, watching the last few drips of the liquid swirl at the base of the cup. You looked around for a trash can to throw it in, and you both disposed of the empty cups.

In the comforting silence, you arrived at his lab after a few minutes of walking.

"We're here!" he whispers excitedly, smiling at you and squeezing your hand before letting go. You understood that he probably didn't want anyone to see you two together and make any assumptions.

"Do the honors?" he grinned, waving you over to the door. You laugh softly and swiped the keycard over the handle, earning you a satisfying click, and the door swung open.

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