Netflix and chocolate

David POV

My phone buzz almost immediately after I sent her a message.

Deirdre :

"Didn't stop me from getting the best grade..."

Yeah. I was hoping she'd say that. What the hell am I doing?

I want to tell her she deserves to be punished for that sass. That I should have her in my bed, ruined and begging. But I bite my tongue.

Instead, I spend my evening like many other people, drinking with colleagues and the lab's guest speaker. My mind keeps drifting, the alcohol doing nothing to help me stay focused.

Deirdre :

"Are you bringing breakfast tomorrow morning? Preferably with lots of melted chocolate…"

Wait… What? That's not like her. Since when does Deirdre initiate anything like that? Have our little stolen touches finally broken her self control ? That is a very bold message for her…

On my side of things, sleeping with her didn't scratch the itch. It did not bring closure. It was Pandora's box, cracked wide open, and I have no idea how to shut it again.

But what is she expecting from me?

***

I sigh as I ring the doorbell the next morning, holding a bag full of pastries like a lovesick teenager. Why am I like this? A single out-of-context message and suddenly I'm showing up at her place with breakfast. So long for self control and boundaries.

Amy opens the door, smiling far too smugly for this hour.

"Taylor ! She's still asleep. You can go wake her up," she says with a wink.

It all makes sense now. "It was you who sent the message, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. But she needs this today."

"How could you have possibly known that yesterday?" I ask really suspicious.

"In her misery, she's pretty predictable. Trust me, if there's actual chocolate in that bag, she might actually cry from joy."

Before I can argue, Amy pushes me toward Deirdre's room and shuts the door behind me, leaving me trapped inside with a tray carrying two mugs of tea and a bottle of painkillers. I kneel beside her bed, watching her. She's curled up in a tight ball, her face pinched with discomfort.

I press a kiss to the furrow between her brows, hoping it'll somehow ease the tension there. Nothing changes.

Setting the tray down gently on the edge of the mattress, I finally crawl in behind her and wrap my arms around her, holding her close.

She doesn't stir.

But I stay there anyway, letting her warmth anchor me.

***

Deirdre POV

A familiar ache pulls me from sleep, dragging me through layers of exhaustion and pain. I'm not sure what is worse : the cramps twisting in my abdomen or the intense throbbing in my skull. Either way, I know I need to wake up. I shift slightly, trying to move the arm draped around me so I can sit up, but my body feels like it's been hit by a truck. Every muscle aches. My head pounds. Just lifting myself takes real effort.

Then, gentle hands are steadying me. Someone pulls the blanket back up over my shoulders, wrapping me in warmth again.

And that's when I realize : he is here. And I'm not wearing anything. And I have my periods. God why ?!

"Hey. Easy," David says softly.

"Uuuhg… hey," I groan. My voice is raspy, and my eyes squint against the light. "If you're here to punish me for not paying attention in class, trust me, I'm already suffering."

He smiles and shifts to sit beside the bed on the floor. It's only now that I notice the tray he brought in. Tea, gooey double-chocolate muffins, pastries, painkillers… It's perfect. And he's the only human I want to see right now.

"You didn't listen at all? I'm shocked. Deeply hurt." He says, faking sadness.

"Obviously I listened. How else would I have been able to get the highest grade? You know I work better when I've got something to distract me. Three hours of pure focus? Please. That's inhuman." My sentence comes from the depth of my heart for sure.

"I was planning to punish you, actually. But now I might reconsider." His eyes gleam with amusement. "So what do you want to do with your weekend?"

"Complaining. Stay in bed. Swallow that entire box of pills." I laugh a bit.

His laugh makes me smile, even if I wince doing it. I'm not exactly at my most graceful right now. After a tour in the bathroom to change my cup I go back to bed. I take a pill, sip the tea, and reach for a muffin like it's a lifeline.

"Did you enjoy your week?" he asks.

"You mean the part without harassment? Or the part where we spent the whole time trying not to get each other naked and steamy in public ?"

He smiles, then lays his hand over mine. "I've been thinking about this all week..."

"Me too," I admit. "Honestly, I had to look up stuff online during that meeting just to stay sane. You were pushing all the buttons."

"You started it." His innocent gaze seems almost too sweet.

"By accident!" I correct him, a bit defensive.

We both laugh, though I have to clutch my stomach a little from the pain. He eventually gets up and takes the tray to the kitchen, and while he's gone, I grab my tablet, play some YouTube videos, and cocoon myself back under the covers.

When he returns, he climbs back into bed, taking his place beside me without a word. Our hands meet again, fingers brushing, and he slowly trails his hand up my forearm. We stay like that, facing each other, our eyes locked. I can feel myself blushing under the weight of his gaze.

It's intense. Not like the usual softness he's shown me recently. No, this feels more like the David I knew when I was still his student. That unreadable, composed expression. The one that made it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.

"What are you hiding from me?" I ask quietly.

"You don't want to know today," he replies, his voice low and rough. Then after a pause, "Would you want to go out with me on the 27th?"

I blink. "Like… on a date?"

He smiles. Doesn't answer, but I take that as a yes.

We spend the rest of the day curled up in bed, half-watching YouTube and Netflix. He waits on me hand and foot like some kind of devoted butler. And for once, despite the pain, I feel completely at peace.