Roommates With Benefits [BL]

He grinned, and the brightness of it made the shop feel a whole degree warmer.

”Hello, my pretty professor.”

Heat rushed to my face.

”Shut it, and don’t call me that.”

”Why not?”

”Because it’s embarrassing.”

”I think it fits.”

I folded my arms, trying for a serious look but mostly failing. ”So... buying flowers?”

”No.”

”Then why are you here?”

”I came to visit my favorite tutor.”

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. My reaction automatic even while a small voice in my head noted how easily he could get that out of me. ”...How did you even know I worked here?”

”A little birdie told me.”

”What the hell does that even mean?”

Jeremy laughed, the sound carefree and easy. ”A magician never reveals his secrets.”

He dramatically reached into his backpack, as if he’d been planning this moment. ”Actually...”

He pulled out a sheet of paper and held it toward me.

”I wanted to show you something.”

I took it and blinked.

”...One hundred?”

Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost shy despite the grin still plastered on his face.

”One hundred.”

My eyes widened. ”You got full marks, dude!”

”I did.”

”Jeremy!”

”I know.”

”No, you don’t get it!”

I smacked his arm with the test paper, the sound of the paper against his sleeve oddly satisfying. ”I knew you could do it!”

His smile softened. ”I had a pretty good teacher.”

”You had yourself.”

”No.”

He shook his head. ”You made me believe I wasn’t an idiot.”

My chest tightened in a way that felt dangerously close to fondness. ”You were never an idiot.”

”You’ve called me one plenty of times.”

I faltered as he laughed, ”Oh...well, I didn’t mean it completely.”

Without thinking, he reached up as if to brush a strand of hair from my forehead. I instinctively backed away, the movement slight but clear enough that his hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air.

Oh...shit...

”...Sorry.” I said, not even sure why I flinched away from his touch like he had the freaking plague or something.

”It’s okay.”

We both chose not to mention it again. Instead, I held up the paper, grateful for the distraction. ”You should be proud of yourself.”

”I am.”

”You won’t have to spend all summer working at your dad’s company now.”

”I know.” He sighed dramatically, one hand over his heart like the freedom itself was overwhelming.

”I’ve never loved psychology this much, Sigmeud Freud and all that crap.”

A customer wandered over to the roses, giving me a brief welcome excuse to step away and help her pick out an anniversary bouquet that somehow required five minutes of back-and-forth over whether red or pink better conveyed

’I’m sorry I forgot our anniversary.’

When I returned a few minutes later, Jeremy was still patiently waiting in the same spot, hands in his pockets, looking way too comfortable for someone who’d just been subtly rejected.

”So...” He clasped his hands together. ”I’ve been thinking.”

”...That sounds dangerous.”

”It usually is.” He smiled. ”Don’t you think I deserve a little reward?”

”You already got one.”

”When?”

”I congratulated you.”

”That was emotional compensation, it’s the bare minimum!”

I stared at him genuinely confused, bare minimum? I actually smiled at him and gave him a compliment! That wasn’t something I did everyday.

Humph, rich people were so ungrateful.

”I’m pretty sure that counts.”

”Well I was thinking more along the lines of me finally taking you out to dinner.”

I froze, the word weighing heavier than it should have. Jeremy continued before I could reply, his half-joking tone not quite hiding the real ask underneath.

”I’ve asked you, like... four times now.”

Damn, he was really persistent. ”You’ve kept count?”

”I absolutely have.”

”You need a hobby.”

”I have one.”

”What?”

”Asking you to dinner.”

I groaned rolling my eyes so hard they almost got stuck to the back of my skull. ”Jeremy...not this again.”

”What?” Jeremy complained. ”You keep breaking my heart, it’s not fair.”

”I have never broken your heart.”

”You keep rejecting me.”

”I’m...just really busy.”

He leaned in slightly. ”Come on. One dinner, and one little date.”

The word hit harder than I expected. Date. Damien’s face popped into my mind, the way he smiled that morning, the way he kissed my forehead, how he told me to text him when I reached work, the quiet protectiveness he showed all the way to the door.

”...I can’t.”

Jeremy’s smile dimmed just enough for me to notice. ”...Is there someone else?”

I hesitated. We still hadn’t named whatever this was. But going on a date with someone else felt... wrong.

”...It’s complicated.”

Jeremy studied my face for a few moments as his usually easy charm shifted into something more observant..”...Damien?”

I looked up. ”...How did you know?”

He chuckled. ”You smile differently when people mention him.”

”I do not.”

”You really do.”

”...That’s embarrassing.”

”A little.”.He tucked his hands in his pockets. ”So... you’re not officially together.”

”No.”

”But you want to be.”

I stayed quiet. Jeremy nodded. ”...Got it.”

For a moment, I felt awful.

”I’m sorry.”

He smiled again, this time surprisingly genuine. ”Don’t be. I took my shot. You missed. It happens.”

I laughed despite myself. ”You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

”What choice do I have?” He shrugged. ”I still think you’re worth getting to know. So...”

He extended his hand. ”Friends?”

I stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it, the contact brief and clean. ”...Friends, I guess.”

His grin returned in full force.

”I can work with that.”

Guilt settled quietly in my chest. Jeremy really was... nice. Which only made saying no that much harder.

”...Tell you what.” I said.

He looked up, hopeful.

”I’ll buy you lunch sometime.”

His eyebrows shot up. ”A date?”

”No, man. Just a tutor buying lunch for his passing student.” I clarified.

”Oh.” He let out a sigh, ”...That’s much less romantic.”

I shrugged, ”It is, Take it or leave it.”

”But I’ll take it.”

At that moment, my phone buzzed.

Damien 😈: How’s work?

Another message followed immediately.

Damien😈: Have you eaten?

And...

Damien😈: Text me when you’re off.

I couldn’t stop the tiny smile that crept onto my face.

Jeremy noticed. ”...That’s him, isn’t it?”

”...Yeah.”

”I hope he knows he’s mad lucky.”

Before I could answer, he stepped outside, pausing halfway through the door to look back, his smile still bright, though softer around the edges.

”For what it’s worth... I hope your complicated situation becomes uncomplicated.”

Then he smiled. ”See you in class, Professor.”

The bell chimed as he walked away, leaving the shop quieter than it had been a moment before.

Surrounded by fresh flowers, I found myself staring at Damien’s texts while Jeremy’s words echoed in my mind. I reassured myself that lunch would just be lunch.