Spencer

Bob didn't notice you at first, he never really noticed the people around him until he was comfortably in his seat, but he thought he would have. He blamed it on a mix of it being the first day of a new semester after winter break and his rush to get to his preferred seat. You were in the seat next to his and clearly knew the person on your right side, in front of you, and behind you. He couldn't blame you all for sitting in that odd formation, in these auditorium like seats they are the easiest to talk to each other.

But it wasn't your looks or outfit or even proximity that drew his attention. No, it was your laugh. A light sound that seemed like you were trying to stay at least a little quiet with. "No way," you muttered to the guy behind you. "She actually said that?"

"Yes!" he hissed, a smile on his face despite the way he said the word. "My mama thinks I'm dating him just because I went to say hi over break."

Bob really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't intrigued now. "Does she know about Mike?" the brunette next to you asked.

"Yes, and that's the worst part. My mama thinks I'm juggling two boyfriends, I can barely handle one and these classes," he sighed.

"It's ok Dennis," your voice almost made Bob look over at you again. "At least you didn't have to drop it like Manny did."

"Girl, what even happened with you and Manny?" the guy in front of you asked.

"He cheated on me," you plainly said. "With his step sister." Bob couldn't help it, he choked on his water as he heard you say that. "Oh shoot, I'm sorry," you were speaking to Bob and gently rubbing his back. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah," Bob nodded and missed the feeling of your hand on him already. "Did I hear you correctly though?"

"Mhm, my ex boyfriend cheated on me with his step sister," you sighed, adding Bob into the conversation seamlessly. "Worst part? The only reason anyone knows they were hooking up is because she got pregnant and he's apparently the father," you were so nonchalant about sharing all the gossip you knew.

"God, I can't believe you actually dated him," the girl to your right said.

"Emma, neither can I," you sighed before facing Bob. "This is Emma, Dennis, and Theo," you introduced your friends before introducing yourself.

"Oh," Bob blinked, he wasn't used to someone just including him with no warning. "I'm Bob," he shook your hand and decided right then and there he loved your smile.

"Bob, I like it," you mused.

"Can we please talk about Manny fucking his step sister?" Dennis asked, bafflement all over his face.

"Oh, sure, but it's wild," you warned before staring to drop all the details, even down to how you found out before their family.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

Auditing classes isn't required, but sue Jake, Bradley, and Natasha for being bored and wanting to mess with Bob while he was supposed to be paying attention. What they didn't expect was for him to be sitting next to you, the one girl that's been turning down every one of Jake's advances. "Ok, listen," you sat down in your seat before any of your friends got there. It was just you, Bob, and his friends. "I overheard something you may want to know," you were smiling.

"Ok, pretty girl, I'm listening," Bob shut his book and gave you his full attention as you beamed at him for the new nickname.

"Apparently, the only reason that blonde up front is passing is because she's fucking the TA," you whispered, leaning in close. "And that's not the worst part, I heard that the last paper was graded by the professor so she sucked him off for an A."

Bob's eyes were wide as he processed what he heard. "I still wonder where you hear these things," he muttered after letting out a deep breath.

You laughed, grabbing his forearm as you did so. "I'm friends with a TA, she tells me everything," you let him in on your secret. You noticed the others staring at you and narrowed your eyes at Jake. "Except the fact that it seems like you're in a frat," you mused.

Bob nodded a little, fixing his glasses only for you to purposefully tilt them. Bob left them, knowing you'd fix them again. "Yeah, it's really only because it'll look good on a resume," he admitted.

"Ah, the same reason my mom tried to get me to join a sorority," you scrunched your nose. "I cannot imagine that for me," you mused as you fixed his glasses for him again.

"If it makes you feel better, I could," Bob offered.

You gave him a cheeky smile, leaning in close where he could smell the cherry and jasmine of your body wash and matching lotion layered under your magnolia and violet scented perfume. You placed your chin on his shoulder, giving him another dazzling smile. "Are you saying I'm sorority pretty?"

Bob gently nudged you off his shoulder, pointedly ignoring your faux annoyed look. "I don't think you need me to tell you that you're pretty," he deadpanned.

"Yeah, ask your friend here," you nudged your thumb behind Bob where Jake was sitting and watching you two interact. "He's been asking me out for weeks."

Bob turned his head to look at Jake, honestly having forgotten he was sitting there. "I have, but I'm starting to understand why she's said no," Jake admitted.

You laughed, it was the same one you always did when something caught you off guard. "I said no because you're what comes to mind when I think of untrustworthy frat boy," you waved a hand over his general body shape as your friends sat down. "Plus, I don't need another boyfriend that will cheat on me."

It was Bob's turn to laugh, only his was quieter than yours. "There's a story there," Natasha cut in.

You looked at her, a sugary smile but sharp eyes. "You're pretty, I'll tell you later," you winked at her as the professor started talking.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

You were still sitting in your seat after class, staring at your test. "This is the only time I've ever gotten anything under an 80," Emma muttered, staring at her 65. There were hums of agreement but you stayed silent, the highest score was a 99. You got a 99, you got the highest score.

"Are you ok?" Dennis leaned forward to gently nudge your shoulder.

"We all failed, it's ok," Emma smiled at you as you flipped your paper over.

"Yeah, yeah," you nodded, for the first time not having something positive to say. You didn't want to make your friends feel horrible and you felt like it might have been a mistake.

They all talked around you as you took a deep breath as you stood, everyone talking about where they were going. You waved to your friends as Bob's told him that they were all headed to classes, leaving you and him. "You passed," Bob suddenly said as you two started walking.

You looked at him, your eyes a little wide. "How do you know?" you mumbled, looking forward again.

"I saw your paper, why didn't you say anything?"

"You all failed and I felt bad for getting the highest score," you admitted.

Bob nodded softly, letting you wrap your arm around his. "Do you think, uh," Bob paused for a moment to clear his throat, "do you think you could tutor me? I can't fail this class and-"

"I'd be happy to," you cut him off. "Though, I'm not a physics major like you are. So I take a little bit more of a medical approach towards it," you warned.

"Anything to help me pass," he sighed, his shoulders squaring now that he felt more confident in his ability to pass.

You smiled at him, looking around at everyone spending the first warmer morning out in the grass. "I'd love to go on a picnic," you told him suddenly, leaning into him a little more. "And not the ones out here on the grass or out in the field on the other side of the campus, but a real one. Like out in a patch of land where there's no one around and you can see the stars when the sun sets and the ground gets so cold you end up sitting in the bed of a truck or on the edge of a car so you can keep watching the stars," you explained, a small smile spreading over your face.

Bob looked at you, his eyes inquisitive as he watched you sigh over the image you had conjured into your mind. "That sounds like the perfect time," Bob told you honestly.

"I think if I ever went on one for a date, I'd have to marry the man right then and there," you joked, laughing softly afterwards. "That sounds crazy," you added.

"Only a little," Bob muttered, leading you to the cafeteria for lunch.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

Bob was sitting in his seat, ready to get back the final. He was worried about his score, sure he had been studying with you, but that could only give him so much confidence when he started to get distracted during the end because he was too busy staring at you.

Speaking of you, you were next to him and holding his hand. You were already touchy before the tutoring lessons, but you seem to cling to him even more. Not that he minded or would ever complain, he loved that you were so affectionate towards him. Even if there was a small part of him that wanted it to be more romantic, he'd never force that onto you though. So he settled for letting you set the boundaries of what was ok and take what you gave him without complaint.

Dennis was saying something to you, but Bob wasn't listening. He felt like he was in a wind tunnel and was just waiting for it to end. The TA handed you all your papers and you didn't let go of Bob's hand as you flipped your paper over, revealing your 98. You felt like a weight was lifted off your shoulders, but you couldn't get rid of the weight on your chest until you saw Bob's score.

Bob had already flipped his paper over, staring at the score. A neat little 100 stood proud on his paper, but Bob was humble and tried to hide it before it could be seen. "Good job," you whispered, squeezing his hand as you spoke. Bob looked over at you, but you were already looking towards Emma as she showed off her 96 with pride.

You were celebrating with your friends, but your hand was still in Bob's. He loosened his hold on your hand, trying to see if you were only holding it because he still was, but you looked over your shoulder with furrowed brows. "Just flexing my fingers," he lied, holding onto you again as you nodded and looked back to Theo as he showed off his 97.

The professor dismissed class, telling you all that if you failed then you had to come back to class, but if you passed then you were done for the year. Which meant you, Bob, and your friends now had your Fridays from 9:45am to 11:15am clear. "We should all go celebrate with lunch," Theo offered as you all walked out of the lecture hall, checking his phone for a moment. "My treat," he added after seeing he got paid.

You gave Dennis a cheeky smile, letting go of Bob's hand to loop your arm around his. "Maybe you shouldn't pay for Dennis, we don't want his mama to think he's got three boyfriends," you teased, Dennis gently pushing your shoulder. Only for you to be dramatic and throw yourself into Bob more. "How dare you!" you questioned, laughter following your words.

Emma looked at you with a smile, her eyes knowing as Bob welcomed your weight and even adjusted so you could stay pressed into him with both of you being comfortable. "Lunch sounds amazing," she cut in, getting the conversation back on track.

Dennis was the next to agree and everyone looked towards you and Bob. You looked over at Bob, trying to figure out if he was going to agree. "Sure," Bob agreed before looking at you. "If you're going," he added.

You scrunched your nose at him, a smile on your lips. "Of course I'm going, I won't leave you alone with them," you teased, looking forward again to lean your head against his shoulder as you all walked.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

Bob was standing in the aisle of the store staring at the picnic blanket in front of him. It was the same light green as your computer case so he knew you'd like it, he was just unsure if you'd want a picnic with him. Bob shook his head and threw it in his cart, walking away from the shelf before he could keep second guessing himself.

Bob grabbed the picnic basket at the other end of the aisle and quickly threw it with the blanket as he walked past it. There wasn't a fleshed out plan, just something he was doing on an impulse. He didn't even let himself think about it long enough to worry on if you'd like it or not, he was just grabbing what felt right.

Even if that meant his weekly shopping trip suddenly was a lot more expensive than normal and if it meant he was walking out with more for a picnic than his week of meals. Bob knew it was all worth it, he knew your smile would make it all worth it.

The sun was setting when Bob walked out, his cart full of bags as he walked. Bob paused a few feet away from his truck, you were leaning against the back of the truck bed in a nice sundress. You were looking down at your feet, tapping your toe boxes of your shoes together.

Bob started walking again, worried about why you were there. "Hey, what are you doing here, pretty girl?" Bob asked as soon as he was close enough.

You looked up, a look on his face he couldn't place. "Can you take me back to campus?" you asked him, your voice wavering a little.

"Of course I can," Bob nodded, furrowing his brows a little. "What's wrong?"

A sigh escaped your lips as Bob started shoving his bags into the backseat of his truck. "The guy I was with was an ass," you admitted softly, moving to lean against the side of Bob's truck by him. "I was telling him to drive me home, but he kept insisting that I give him a chance. He pulled over to get some things from the store when I saw your truck, so I told him I'd wait in the car and then waited here for you instead," you added.

Anger rippled through Bob, but he just squared his shoulders as he shut the door. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," you nodded, pursing your lips a little before practically throwing yourself into Bob's arms. "He didn't really do anything physical," you told Bob as he wrapped his arms around you. "He was just scaring me and I knew I'd be safe with you."

Something in Bob bloomed at the fact you felt safe with him, holding your closer. "Come on, I'll take you back," Bob didn't let go of you, he just kinda walked with you attached to him. Not that he minded, if that's what you needed then he'd let you.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

Bob ended up taking him to the apartment he rents, you had asked if he'd take you there once you learned he lived alone. You still lived in the dorms and your roommate was almost always bringing over her boyfriend. Bob had somehow managed to bring in all the picnic stuff he bought without you noticing. "It's nice in here," you muttered, looking around the living room.

You sat down on Bob's couch before hunching in on yourself, Bob had never seen you try to make yourself small before. There was a moment where Bob just watched you as he put away the cold groceries he bought before softly calling your name. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Bob walked over to where you were, taking a seat next to you but giving you enough space. You scooted closer to Bob, taking his hand in yours before taking a deep breath. "He kissed me," you muttered suddenly, your voice breaking and eyes watering. "I pushed him away so he didn't get any farther, but he still kissed me and then," you broke off, blinking away your tears as you scooted close enough to lean into Bob. "He said I owed him a kiss after today because he thought it was a date even though I told him I wasn't interested in him like that."

Bob wrapped his arms around you, holding you close. "He's wrong, you didn't owe him anything," Bob gently told you. "And he shouldn't have just kissed you like that," he added.

You sniffled a little, trying to keep yourself from actually crying. "I don't even know why I'm upset, I should have seen this coming," you sighed. "I only said I'd go with him to because he thought I had a boyfriend and I thought I'd be safe." There was a furrow in Bob's brows you couldn't see with the way you were curled into him. Why would someone think you had a boyfriend? Was there someone you hung out with a lot that could be mistaken for one that he hadn't noticed? Do you like someone and just hadn't told him yet? Bob was about to speak when your phone went off. "Oh, it's him," you muttered.

Both you and Bob sat there staring at the screen wondering what to do before you handed your phone to Bob. "What?" Bob was startled why you were handing it to him.

"Will you talk to him? I think he may react better to you than me," you pleaded.

Bob paused for only a moment before answering the call, putting your phone up to his ear. "Hello?" You blinked at the sound of Bob's voice, he was normally so soft spoken yet here he was with the most stern voice you've heard. "No, you cannot talk to her. You're talking to me." You tuned out whatever you could hear from the other side of the phone, focusing on the feeling of Bob's shoulders rising a little under your head with every breath he took. It was calming in a way, knowing he was there and had your back.

You were still mostly zoned out when Bob hung up, but it wasn't until you heard him say your name that you paid any attention to it. "I'm sorry, what?" you asked as you sat up to look at him.

"I asked if you wanted to go back to yours yet," Bob said again, no judgement ever tainting his voice. Bob watched you blink for a moment, noticing the look on your face. "You can stay."

"I can? Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," Bob told you, standing up and offering you his hand.

You took it and stood before following him down the hall. Bob's room was nice, he had photos of him and his friends on his dresser. "Thanks for letting me stay," you muttered, taking in his room from where you were left standing. Bob was digging around in his dresser as you stood there before you were handed a t shirt and a pair of drawstring shorts. You hesitated for a moment before looking at him fully, a small smile on your face. "Thank you, again."

Bob gave you a warm smile, his eyes crinkling a little. "It's no problem, really. I'll go start dinner, you can take a shower if you'd like. I have towels and soap in the closet in there," he told you, leaving you to make your own decision.

With a deep breath, the comforting scent of Bob's cologne and laundry soap invading your senses, you turned towards the bathroom and started walking. The bathroom was just as nice as his room and very organized. It made finding his extra towels, and the small soaps, easy.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

You were wrapped up in a towel when you walked out of the bathroom, having left the clothes on Bob's bed accidentally. Bob was walking into his room and you saw his cheeks tint pink as he spun around. "Sorry," he practically squeaked.

Hurriedly, you grabbed the clothes and clutched the towel a little tighter. "It's my fault, I forgot the clothes," you assured him, hurrying back to his bathroom.

Bob cleared his throat as you hurriedly threw on the clothes. You'll focus on the fact you're wearing his shorts without underwear later. "I was going to ask if you'd like a pair of socks, the floor's cold," he told you, his back still towards you when you walked out of the bathroom.

There was a moment of contemplation before you answered. "Yes please," you muttered, Bob turning around slowly to give you time to stop him. When you didn't, he finally faced you for a moment before walking to his dresser again. You peaked over his shoulder as you walked up, looking at his array of socks.

"Do you want these one?" Bob asked, grabbing a pair of dark green fuzzy socks.

"Yes," you nodded, a small smile on your face. Bob had a matching smile as he handed them over.

You bent over and shoved them on, wiggling your toes as you straightened up again. "You can keep those too," Bob told you, leading you out of his room and to the small dining table he had by his kitchen. He had dinner already spread out for you two and even pulled your chair out for you.

Bob was just happy you hadn't noticed the fact that he had a random picnic basket kinda hidden on the counter of his kitchen. Or the picnic blanket he threw by his couch with the others, it was still wrapped up in the roll with the tags on. Bob decided he'd wait a little until he took you out to the picnic, especially after the date you didn't know was a date you had just went on.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

It was officially sundress weather and you were abusing that right. Every sundress you owned was pulled out of the storage unit you and your friends all paid for to keep extra clothes in. You had everyone there, including Bob and his friends, when you were pulling your clothes out. "What about this box?" Dennis asked, his voice sounding out over the music playing.

You popped your head up over a stack of boxes next to you. "That's my shorts and skirts I think," you called over. "Can you open and check it for me?"

Dennis did as you asked and stared at what he found. "There's more than just shorts and skirts," he muttered and you walked over with furrowed brows.

"Oh," you laughed a little. You had forgotten you stole all that from exes. "Does anyone want a University of Miami hoodie?" you asked the group, holding it up.

"Woah, that's an old one!" Mickey shouted from across the unit before rushing over. "Can I seriously take it?"

"If you want it, yeah," you handed it to him. You knew Mickey was a Miami fan, his entire family went. The only reason he didn't was because he got a full ride to this college instead.

"Why do you even have it?" Jake asked, closing in on where you were to look at the other hoodies you have in the box.

"I stole all these from exes that have wronged me," you told him plainly. "From cheaters to pathological liars to just assholes," you explained, pulling out a small stack of 4 hoodies. "Do you want one? I think I have a University of Texas one," you offered.

You were right, you pulled out a University of Texas hoodie from the stack. "Sweet, thanks," Jake took it with him back to where he had been moving boxes into the back of his truck. The main reason he and the rest of the friend group was there, the ones with trucks offered their truck beds to haul boxes. Specifically for Emma who was moving into her aunt's old house where she'd have space for all her stuff.

Dennis left you to go through the box for your shorts and skirts as Bob walked over. "Do you want a hoodie? I think I may have one that you'd like," you offered him, already reaching for the last three.

Bob shook his head softly. "No, I was coming to ask if you want help," Bob told you.

You smiled at him, the corner of your eyes crinkling a little at the action. "Sure, you can give me opinions on if I should keep it for donate it," you told him, already grabbing your first skirt to show him.

Bob watched as you showed each of the skirts and shorts and gave his actual opinion. You were at the bottom of the box when you pulled out a sundress, once that was white with little flowers that were Bob's favorite blue. "I like that one," he told you, trying to be casual about it.

"Into the keep pile," you announced, throwing it towards Dennis who took it before throwing it in the last box before.

"Alright, time to go!" Theo told everyone before you and Bob joined the others.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

Bob was stressed as he stared at his phone waiting for your answer to his question.

Bob: Are you free this Saturday? Pretty Girl: Yeah, why Bob: I'm going to plan for us to do something that day then Pretty Girl: Ok!! Is there a dress code?? Bob: Just wear that sundress from the storage unit

Bob could breath easier now that you were agreeing to go with him, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried still. You could possibly hate the picnic he had planned or hate that it was him that you were on the picnic with. And Bob would have put more thought into it if there wasn't a knock on his door.

Natasha was standing on the other side when Bob opened the door, her brows drawn together. "Are you and Tulip together?" Natasha asked, sitting down on Bob's couch as Bob did so too.

"No," Bob told her honestly. You two weren't together, though Bob guessed he could see where she was coming from. "Why?"

"Because everyone has a bet about it and I wanted to know before I actually placed a bet. Are you ever going to ask her out?"

Bob wasn't surprised Natasha was willing to cheat to win a bet, she was only friends with as many of them as she was because she found it fun to take the piss out of the boys. "I kinda just did," Bob admitted.

"What do you mean you kinda did? You either did or you didn't," Natasha narrowed her eyes at Bob.

"I asked if she was free Saturday, and she was so I told her I was planning something for us and she said ok," Bob explained.

"But you didn't clarify it was a date?"

"I didn't mean for it to be!" Bob defended, his tone incredulous. "Should it be?"

"Do you want it to be?"

"Of course I do, I just don't want to make her uncomfortable or to lose her because of my feelings."

"You won't," Natasha assured Bob.

"You can't know that," he pointed out.

Natasha sighed, rubbing her forehead as she mumbled about Bob being so smart yet stupid at the same time. "Whatever, I also want my notebook back," she muttered, standing up to grab her notebook Bob was borrowing for notes before leaving. Throwing a goodbye over her shoulder as she left.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

There was an odd sense of nerves you felt as you waited for Bob to come pick you up. You were sitting on the bench outside your dorm building, your roommate having her boyfriend over again. The wind was lightly blowing and you were thankful as the breeze cooled down your skin from the sun. "Hey, are you ready?" Bob asked as he walked up to where you were sitting.

You stood up and greeted Bob with a hug. "I am," you told him, taking his hand in your hand as you walked. "Do I get to know what's happening yet?"

"Nope, still a surprise," Bob smiled, his amusement palpable. You had been asking since Thursday when he texted you what he was planning, and every time Bob had been telling you to just wait a little longer.

You laughed, leaning into him a little more. "Just double checking," you narrowed your eyes at him for a moment before looking forward again.

Bob's truck wasn't far from your building, in the closest spot that was open when he pulled into the parking lot. Bob always opened the door for you, it was an action that was ingrained in him from watching his dad do it his whole life. You always smiled and thanked Bob like it was the first time every time, down to the bashful look away you had.

The ride was mostly quiet, the soft music in the background the most noise there was. You could have been talking, but there was something so soothing about just being able to exist in the same space as Bob without the need to talk.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

The road had turned to dirt a little bit ago as Bob drove through some trees. "This feels like a plot to kill me," you teased, looking over at Bob with a smile. "There will be people who'll notice I'm missing. And they know I'm with you."

Bob's laugh was joyful as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not killing you," Bob told you with an unamused smile.

You gave Bob a fake look of suspicion. "I think that's what a killer would say," you shot back.

"Darling," Bob sighed and you sat up a little straighter, that was a new name. "I promise I'm not killing you tonight or ever."

"If you say so," you sing-songed, watching as the trees cleared to show a beautiful open place of land with a small lake and an open area where you could see the sky. "It's gorgeous," you muttered.

Bob watched as you unbuckled once he parked his truck in the middle of the clearing. "I'm glad you think so."

You were still staring out the window when Bob got to your door as opened it. "Are we having a picnic?" you asked, like you hadn't realized until that very moment.

"We are," Bob nodded as he helped you out of the car. You were staring at Bob star struck, even as he opened the backseat to grab the basket and blanket.

"You've put so much effort into this," you were amazed as you spoke, that much was clear. Bob couldn't really imagine why, it's not like it was too much effort. Sure, there was quite a bit, but Bob thought it was just enough to still seem friendly.

"Do you like it?" Bob was nervous, watching as you took in the space once again.

"I love it," you answered honestly, taking the basket from Bob so he could lay out the blanket. You noted that it was the perfect shade of green, your favorite shade of green.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

The sun had set a while ago and the food was gone along with it, but you were still out in the field with Bob. The ground was cold even for the time of year, and Bob helped you into the bed of his truck. You were leaning against Bob as you both shared the blanket, each one of you having your own pillow to cushion your backs. "Is this the kind of picnic you had in mind?" Bob suddenly asked you, his voice soft.

You hummed a little, taking his hand in yours. "It is, I can't believe you remembered that," you replied.

"Of course I did," Bob told you. There was a part of Bob that wanted to say that if you were to open up his heart, you'd seen the inside was plastered with memories of everything you've ever told him.

"Do you remember what I said about someone taking me?"

Bob's heart did a little flip as he moved his head to look at you. "That you'd have to marry them?"

"So you do remember," you mused.

"Don't you think we should start with a first date?" Bob tried to jokingly ask, but it came out flatter than he intended it to be.

You raised your brow at Bob and sat up straight. Bob was worried he fucked it up somehow before you started talking. "You just took me on the most romantic date I've ever been on, and you don't think this is one? When Mickey warned me you were dense, I thought he was just being annoying or teasing you or something. Not that you actually were," you were practically ranting. "Do I need to spell it out for you? I like you, Robert Floyd. I have for months now and I'd like to know if you feel the same."

Bob stared at you for only a few more moments before leaning in to kiss you. "Of course I feel the same, I just thought you didn't like me," Bob explained after pulling away from you.

There was a moment where you were catching your breath before you laughed, a full joy filled laugh. "Does marrying the man who took me on the picnic date of my dreams still sound a little crazy? Or is it crazier?"

"It's not crazy at all," Bob told you honestly, pulling you back to him so he could hold you the way he wanted to. "But I think we should start with finishing this date," he amended his statement from earlier.

"For our next one, I think we should move me out of my dorm together," you told Bob, a joking smile on your face. "Don't you think that would just be so romantic?"

Bob looked down at you, your head tucked against his chest. "I think anything could be romantic, as long as I'm with you," Bob told you earnestly.

Yeah, you were going to marry Bob. It was just a question of when you would marry him.

➽──────────────❥

Masterlist | Requests If you want to be added to the tag list, follow the directions on my masterlist

Whenever everyone's able to get together and hang out, someone will inevitably make the mistake of asking to play a few rounds of Mario Kart, which is immediately followed with a collective groan from the rest of the room. Ironically, it's never Bob's idea - he's just happy to be spending time with his friends. He doesn't really mind what they do.

The first time you suggest it, you're quickly left wondering if you've killed someone in Jake's family and somehow forgotten all about it from the way he glares at you.

"What?" you ask, oblivious. "I thought it would be fun."

"You're joking, right?" he shoots back. He still looks deadly serious. "You really want to take a perfectly nice, peaceful night between friends and ruin it like that?"

You're obviously missing something. Natasha rolls her eyes, leaning across you to lift a can of soda from the table.

"There's a few things about your dear Bob that you haven't found out yet, clearly," she says with a smile that knows too much.

This only leaves you more confused. You and Bob have been together for a few months now, and while he isn't always the most forthcoming, it's less to do with the fact that he's hiding something, and more of a combination of shyness and not having anything to hide in the first place. You're confident that you know him pretty well by this point.

At the sound of his name, Bob looks up from his slice of pizza, eyebrows knit in a slight frown as though he's in trouble.

"Wait, you haven't said anything?" Mickey asks him.

Bob just blinks. "About what?" he asks in return.

At least he's as clueless as you are. That's reassuring.

Jake looks as if he's about to lose his mind. "About King Bob!" he exclaims, throwing his arms up with enough force that poor Reuben almost loses his pizza to the floor.

"Dude, c'mon," he snarks, elbowing Jake in the ribs.

In spite of your confusion, you find yourself laughing. "Sorry, King Bob?" you ask, lightly prodding Bob in the side. "What are you hiding from me?"

He sighs as he adjusts his glasses. "It's nothing. Just a silly nickname."

Mickey looks offended. "We've never been able to beat you at a single game - ever - and you're calling that silly?"

"It's like he's cheating, he's that good," Natasha explains. "And Mario Kart's the worst one. None of us have ever won a race against him."

“And he always picks that damn lizard, which is an insult, honestly,” Jake gripes.

“His name is Yoshi,” Bob mutters, low enough that only you hear it. His frown deepens then, as if he's genuinely annoyed.

Now you're curious. You had no idea that Bob had an competitive streak. He's been doing a great job of hiding it from you.

After a bit more moaning and complaining from Jake - because it wouldn't be him if he didn't - Natasha sets up the console, digging the extra controllers out of the drawer. A couple of games in and you soon find out that Bob doesn't seem to have a competitive bone in his body, and this is what pisses Jake off so much. Not so much that he's untouchable, but that he's so polite about it. He doesn't brag, doesn't shit-talk; he just calmly crosses the finish line every single time like he's on a pleasant Sunday drive. He makes it look zen. Jake looks like he's about to kill someone.

Slowly, an idea begins to form in your head.

Reuben offers you his controller after yet another victory for Bob. "You wanna try the impossible?" he asks with a grin.

You shake your head. Thankfully, he doesn't insist, passing it to Bradley instead.

This plan of yours is going to require some privacy. And if it goes well, you just might be able to dethrone the king once and for all.

It's a few nights later when you decide to set things in motion. Bob's sitting cross-legged on the floor at the coffee table, putting the finishing touches on his latest model fighter jet. He's so meticulous about keeping everything clean as he works - newspaper pages cover the table in a neat formation, and he's wearing an old T-shirt kept solely for painting - and yet somehow he always ends up with flecks of paint scattered across his face, like colourful little freckles.

You don't tell him. You never do. Once he's finished, you always make him sit next to you and take your time cleaning each tiny splatter yourself. He gets so flustered every time; it's more than enough of a reward for your work.

"Hey, I was thinking…" you start casually, as you carefully clean the paint from Bob's skin.

He tries his best to focus on you as you speak, but with his glasses off, you can tell he's struggling, because his eyes keep crossing the smallest amount. You bite your lip to stop yourself from laughing at how cute he looks.

"Since you're done with your painting," you continue, once you've composed yourself. "Why don't we play a few rounds of Mario Kart?"

Bob's eyebrows raise, as if he's surprised by that. "Sure," he replies simply.

Well, that was easy. You finish up, running your fingers through his hair to push it out of his face as he puts his glasses back on. His cheeks are slightly ruddy from where the more stubborn flecks were.

You leave him to tidy up his supplies while you set up the console. Now onto phase two of your plan. This part might be a bit trickier to pull off.

You pass Bob a controller as he makes himself comfortable on the couch next to you. As always, he immediately chooses Yoshi, patiently waiting for you to go through the different characters. It doesn't matter who you play as, you know you haven't a chance of winning. Still, you want to make it look as though you don't have a secret agenda. You're just having a nice time playing video games with your boyfriend, that's all.

About twenty minutes pass, and Bob's won every single round, as predicted. There were a few times when you came pretty close, but every time, he managed to evade defeat. It doesn't matter how you play, what character you pick, how you hold the controller - he's untouchable. And like every other time, he's an absolute sweetheart when he wins. No bragging or boasting, or rubbing it in your face. Nothing. Just that pleased little smile. From anyone else, it might come off as condescending or patronising. But with Bob, it's different. He really is a quiet winner - nothing more to it.

Time to instigate the next part of the plan. You watch as Yoshi crosses the finish line a whole lap ahead of everyone else before letting out a big sigh. As predicted, Bob's immediately checking in.

“You okay, honey?” he asks, and there’s not a trace of sarcasm in his voice at all. “We can play something else, if you want.”

You shake your head, letting out another exaggerated sigh. “No, it’s okay. It’s just…What would you say to making things a little more…interesting?"

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. Oh, you've definitely got his attention.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“Well…Why don’t we make a bet?" you reply, choosing every word carefully. "If you win, I give up trying to beat you and you can stay the undisputed king of Mario Kart. But if I win…”

You pause for dramatic effect. Bob leans in closer. You’ve got him hooked. Perfect.

“…I get to kiss you.”

The whole idea is ridiculous, and you're well aware of it. You and Bob are in a relationship - you can kiss whenever you like. But life's far too serious sometimes, and you're nothing if not a little stubborn. You turn to him with your hand held out resolutely.

“Deal?” you ask.

You're fully committed to pretending to be oh so serious about it all, not breaking eye contact for a second. It's hard to miss the faint tinge of pink creeping into Bob's cheeks. He stops, as if he's processing what you've said, before taking your hand in his.

"Deal."

You're not sure how this next part's going to go. Bob might not be the most competitive, but you're also having a bit of a hard time imagining him just throwing away his unchallenged title over something as silly as this.

So, of course you're surprised when not thirty seconds into the next race, Yoshi's cart slows to a complete stop. There's a soft thump against the couch, and when you look down, it's to find that Bob's dropped his controller. He looks at you, almost expectantly.

"I think my controller's broken," he says quietly, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "Guess I lose."

It takes you a second, before your own controller slips out of your hand to join his. You're not quite sure which one of you moves first - what really matters is that your plan actually worked. And you can't even be annoyed at him for not putting any effort in. Because it might not mean all that much to him, but he still threw his undefeated title away - for you.

By the time you pull away from him, the tinge from before has spread to a flush right across his cheeks. You don't think you'll ever get used to just how smitten he is with you. You're no better.

"You know you didn't technically lose, right?" you tell him, as he catches his breath. "I didn't finish the race either."

He squints over your shoulder at the screen. "Mm…No, you definitely stopped after I did. You win," he insists.

He's rooting around the couch cushions before he finishes speaking, quickly finding the remote and turning the TV off. Before you can even think about wrestling it away from him, he's tossing it out of your reach and pulling you in for another kiss. You don't fight him on it - after all, this was all your idea.

Bob might not technically be the king of video games anymore, but that little secret can stay between you and him. As far as you're concerned, no one else needs to know.

Taglist: @getaapologist @nomajdetective @pullmanstankeoghanbailey